The Gospel of Jesus Christ produces joyful hope in our hearts. It tells us how God so loved the world and sent His only Son to save sinners from their eternal damnation. It tells us how Jesus Christ loved His elect people so much that He died for them on the Cross. It also tells us how Jesus Christ was raised from the dead to become the hope of our resurrection. It then tells us how Jesus ascended into heaven, seated at the right hand of God, now ruling and defending His people, and will return to us in His glory!

Several weeks ago, I had a very embarrassing interaction at a small Asian restaurant in my town. I was grabbing lunch with one of the elders from Christ Presbyterian Church to have a time of fellowship. After we prayed for the meal, a very kind old lady approached us and asked us: “Are you gentlemen Christians? What kind of Christians are you?” And after a very brief interaction with her, we found out that she was a member of Kingdom Hall (Jehovah’s Witnesses) in the nearby town, and she approached us because she heard us praying in the name of Jesus.
After I finished having a lunch with the elder, I had to stay little longer at the restaurant to order takeout for my wife. And as I was waiting for the food, I saw the old lady sitting at one of the booths with her companions. I decided to approach and interact with her further, curious to find out how much she knew the doctrines of Jehovah’s witnesses and also to invite her to the church.
The conversation with the old lady soon revealed to me that she was a very ardent member of Jehovah’s Witnesses. She knew her doctrines very well, and she even tried to convince me that Jesus was the created being by Jehovah and that everyone must believe in Jehovah to be saved from Armageddon.
My brain, of course, was pulling out Scripture references after references to “counter” her arguments. But, at the same time, my Asian upbringing also kicked in (most likely because I was in an Asian restaurant) and made me think, “I really shouldn’t embarrass an elderly lady in a public place and in front of her company”.  So, I told her, “I am really enjoying our conversation, and I would like to talk more about your beliefs. But, obviously, this is not a place and time for this…” And without hesitation, the old lady stopped me and replied, “Every place is a place to talk about Jehovah.” And I stood there stunned and embarrassed.
 The Absence of the Spirit of Evangelism
Perhaps one of the saddest realities of many Reformed churches in the United States is that there is a much absence of the spirit of evangelism among believers. Although believers and churches might find a great need to reach out to the communities and the lost souls around them, many believers often find themselves shying away from evangelism for various reasons. For example, some believers shy away from evangelism because they think evangelism is for extroverted people who know how to connect with unbelievers around them. Some believers hesitate to evangelize unbelievers because they think it is for educated and theological people who know how to explain and defend the Bible. Others refuse to engage in evangelism because they don’t want to find themselves in awkward or even hostile situations.
As such, at the end of the day, every Christian who finds evangelism difficult and challenging asks these questions to themselves – Why don’t I just support the evangelistic efforts of those who are clearly more gifted at reaching out to unbelievers than me? Can I not just live a normal and peaceful Christian life, caring for and fellowshipping with those who are already in my church? Must I evangelize unbelievers around me? And my answer to these questions is, “Yes. You too must reach out to unbelievers personally and evangelize those who don’t know the Gospel.”
 1. We Must Evangelize because We Are “Christians”
The first reason why every believer must engage in evangelism is because we are “Christians.” The Heidelberg Catechism question 32 shares a very helpful insight into why every believer must engage in the task of evangelism.
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Taylor argues we’re commanded to worship, designed to worship, and should delight to worship God with our bodies (5). The remainder of the book supports these three claims from historical, biblical, theological, scientific, artistic, and ethical angles. Taylor then addresses both prescriptive and spontaneous applications for the body in congregational worship.

As a Christian, have you ever considered how your body participates in—even facilitates—your worship?
W. David O. Taylor’s new book A Body of Praise: Understanding the Role of Our Physical Bodies in Worship thoroughly analyzes the importance of the physical body for corporate worship. Embodied worship isn’t strictly a spiritual experience—the physical body is required to praise God rightly and fully. We don’t need our bodies out of the way to truly worship; we need our bodies to lead the way.
I’ve been a believer nearly all of my life, and the question still nags me in corporate worship: What do I do with my hands? Maybe it’s fear of man, or maybe I’m too hesitant to be vulnerable, but I’m always conscious of my physical movements. Taylor’s book helps us consider what to do with our bodies when we gather for worship.

Do our physical bodies really matter in corporate worship? Isn’t our soul the most important part of us? Aren’t our bodies, at best, negligible to worship and, at worst, a hindrance? The answer to this last question is categorically no, as Christians have attested throughout history and across the global church. The purpose of the body instead is to offer to God in worship what only it can offer—and what must be offered to God.

What we do with our postures, gestures, and movements in worship matters. How our senses of sight, scent, sound, taste, and touch are involved in worship matters. How our spontaneous and prescriptive activities form us in worship matters. All of it matters to faithful and fulsome worship for the sake of a body that is fully alive in the praise of God.

Intentionality of the Body
Taylor’s thesis is twofold. First, he argues there’s “nothing neutral whatsoever about the bodies we bring to worship” (4). He focuses his argument on organized corporate gatherings—your Sunday church service. (He’s not referring to worship as an attitude, lifestyle, or personal experience.) On Sunday, we bring bodies with particularities, limitations, and five senses that ought to be engaged. Since our bodies fundamentally shape our experience in the world, Taylor hopes readers will embrace their bodies as the wonderful means of “communion with God in the praises and prayers of the people of God” (27).
Second, Taylor argues we’re commanded to worship, designed to worship, and should delight to worship God with our bodies (5).
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Out of all the innumerable sounds in heaven and earth, God pays special attention to the voice of his people. Psalm 34 is not simply a theological statement of this fact—it is the personal testimony of David, when he was a fugitive running for his life. He celebrates his own experience of God hearing his cry for help.

Have you ever considered all the things you hear in the course of one day? This morning, I heard birds singing outside, and the voices of my family. I heard the coffee machine and the clink of plates and cutlery at breakfast. Right now, I’m hearing the noise of construction above the ever-present sounds of traffic and the occasional gust of wind. I haven’t even had lunch yet. There will be plenty more to fill my ears before this day is finished.
Have you ever considered all the things that God hears? The creator of sound waves hears the unceasing worship of angels before his throne. He hears the swirling wind of Jupiter and the ice that melts on Mars. He hears beyond what is audible to us—the ultrasonic songs of katydids and the footsteps of aphids. He hears beyond the limits of location—
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