What is the relationship between missions and worship? In his book, Let The Nations Be Glad, John Piper states, "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't.?

The desire of God's heart is to see men, women, and children from every tribe, people, language and nation worship him. To accomplish this, he has commissioned his followers to go into all the world and make disciples (worshippers).

The goal of missions is worship and, as worshippers draw closer to God, and hear his heartbeat, their hearts' desire will be for his mission. Out of worship, therefore, the desire to reach men, women and children for Christ becomes their passion. As worshippers gather together regularly, God's heart's desire will be evident through the praying, giving and going of his church.

God's desire for the nations to worship him is seen throughout the Old Testament. In the Psalms there are phrases like: "May all the kings of the earth praise you, O Lord? (Psalm 138:4?). "The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distance shores rejoice? (Psalm 97:1). "May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the people praise you. May the nations be glad and sing for joy...? (Psalm 67:3-4?). Isaiah writes, "Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world? (Isaiah 12:5).

In Matthew, Jesus continues this theme with a focus on the need to go and bring them. In chapter nine he says, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest ...to send out workers into the harvest field.? He says in chapter 24, "this gospel ... will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations ...? In the last chapter, Jesus gives the Great Commission, "Go and make disciples of all nations...?

As we draw closer to the heart of God through worship, we start to understand his deep love for all people. His desire becomes our desire.

A.B. Simpson wrote, "The secret of missionary consecration is a consecrated heart and a Spirit-filled life. Until Christ gets his true place in the centre of your being, you will not be good either for missionary enthusiasm or any other work. Therefore ... our first work is to get God's children wholly yielded to him in practical consecration and filled and fired with the heart of Christ and the spirit of love and power.?

Simpson applied this in his own life. As he started the New Year in 1880 he wrote in his diary, "The first words of another decade I write to God. To him I give myself anew ? wholly ? and pray for grace to be always, joyfully and only his ? yielded to and receiving and doing his perfect will.?

Simpson worshipped God by submitting ?All to Jesus' and through this, had his heart in tune with his Lord's. This was the source of his deep sustaining love for missions.

In the song The Mission, sung by Steve Green, the chorus explains the church's service of worship: "To love the Lord our God is the heartbeat of our mission, the spring from which our service overflows across the street or around the world. The mission's still the same, proclaim and live the truth in Jesus' name.?

Believers in a local church, who worship Jesus Christ through being ?wholly yielded' to him, and hearing his heartbeat, will respond by reaching the world for him. They will pray together about:

? sending workers (both short-term mission teams and career workers);

? the needs of the workers (finances, friendships);

? opening doors (opportunities to share the good news);

? breaking down barriers (cultural and language differences); and

? all strongholds (spiritual and traditional).

Believers will prayerfully and strategically consider the mission field. Youth will be encouraged to seek what God desires for their lives, including overseas ministry. Together, as a church family, God's heartbeat for longing to see the nations worship him will be a passionate, common focus in worship.

Rev. Stephen W. Foster is Seamless Link Advisor, Canadian Pacific District, The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada