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The Great Commission to Worship: Biblical Principles for Worship-Based Evangelism
The Great Commission to Worship looks closely at the intertwining relationship between worship and evangelism as the foundation for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Authors David Wheeler and Vernon Whaley cite Scripture to explain "The Mandate of Worship and the Great Commission" and then show how worship—in relation to the Great Commission—is formational, transformational, relational, missional, commissional, and reproducible. Each chapter includes five "life questions" for reader reflection while the book concludes with steps for practical application and ten principles for developing "lifestyle worship evangelism."
216 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 25, 2016
In The Great Commission to Worship, authors David Wheeler and Vernon Whaley seek to resolve the tension between living as a worshipper of Christ in fulfillment of the Great Commandment and living as an evangelist for Christ in fulfillment of the Great Commission. Wary of what they perceive as compartmentalization in American Christianity in which worship and evangelism are practiced mutually exclusively, the two suggest a way forward by proposing that worship and evangelism should be understood as unified expressions of obedience to God. Such obedience is characterized by “Great Commission Worshippers,” the term they coin for those who grasp the call to worship God is expressed by obedience to Jesus in fulfilling the great commission to increase the worship of God.
After devoting one chapter to making the case for “Great Commission Worship,” Wheeler and Whaley proceed to unpack the principles of “Great Commission Worship.” They believe that such worship for God is formational as well as transformational—both shaping the worshipper’s life, love, labor and language as well as changing the worshipper as they come before God. Wheeler and Whaley go on to show the relational aspects of “Great Commission Worship,” beginning with the vertical relationship of God and the worshipper and moving on to the horizontal relationship of the worshipper and the family, church, coworkers, and unbelievers among whom they have been called to live. Such a worshipper will inevitably be compelled outward into a missional lifestyle—where “missional” is defined as “doing mission right where you are.” Yet even with these principles in play, the “Great Commission Worshipper” is not complete until they are reproducing that very worship and lifestyle which has formed and transformed them. Such a reproducible lifestyle must not be reserved for those with outstanding theological acumen alone, but is the expected outcome and immediate practice of any and all followers of Christ.
In the last section of the book, Wheeler and Whaley get extremely practical as they propose a paradigm for reproducible discipleship that avoids a linear approach in favor of a cyclical three-strand method of study, practice and assignments to inculcate love for God and love for others fueled by worship from start to finish.
What bothered me most about this book was its unqualified premise, its poor handling of Scripture, and its lack of unity. The premise of the book was “it is impossible to be a true worshipper without being directly involved in the command of evangelism as expressed in Acts 1:8.” While I share the authors’ desire to see every Christian live on mission, I do not believe such an absolute and unqualified claim is theologically accurate or practically helpful. Did worship not exist before humanity fell? Were angels incapable of worshipping for the countless eons before humanity was formed? Will believers be unable to worship in the eternal state? If worship is possible in the new heavens and new earth (and it is), then defining worship as impossible apart from evangelism is unwarranted at best and thoughtless at worst. Unqualified absolute statements like this were frequent in this book, but this one was most bothersome as the entire premise of the book rested upon its acceptance.
The authors’ exegesis appeared contorted to fit their preconceived points. In chapter two, Matthew 28:16 is cited as a prescription for getting “away from the busy times and places of life.” Yet in this passage the disciples simply “went away into Galilee.” The authors do not explain how or why this descriptive text of the disciples traveling to Galilee should be prescriptive for all believers everywhere. Yet Wheeler and Whaley have no qualms turning this description into a prescription for all “Great Commission Worshippers” to follow. The principle they propose is not wrong, but the right principle is pulled from the wrong text.
Lastly, there were several chapters that did not seem to align with the scope of the book. The authors aimed to call for both worship and evangelism, yet chapter seven, “Great Commission Worship is Relational” provided an overview of relationships with family, coworkers, church and unbelievers. While these relationships are important, the scope of the book did not call for (let alone allow) any serious treatment of any of these subjects. For example, for spouses, an overview of Paul’s instructions to wives and husbands in marriage was provided with all the relevant texts printed with little commentary as merely one sub-point in a brief chapter on relationships. There was not enough information or depth to provide any real change or treatment of marital relationships, nor was there any significant treatment of the role of relationships in evangelism. The book could have been better by limiting the scope and providing thoughtful reflections on each topic, or broadening the scope and therefore the size of the book to engage each topic in a thorough manner.
After devoting one chapter to making the case for “Great Commission Worship,” Wheeler and Whaley proceed to unpack the principles of “Great Commission Worship.” They believe that such worship for God is formational as well as transformational—both shaping the worshipper’s life, love, labor and language as well as changing the worshipper as they come before God. Wheeler and Whaley go on to show the relational aspects of “Great Commission Worship,” beginning with the vertical relationship of God and the worshipper and moving on to the horizontal relationship of the worshipper and the family, church, coworkers, and unbelievers among whom they have been called to live. Such a worshipper will inevitably be compelled outward into a missional lifestyle—where “missional” is defined as “doing mission right where you are.” Yet even with these principles in play, the “Great Commission Worshipper” is not complete until they are reproducing that very worship and lifestyle which has formed and transformed them. Such a reproducible lifestyle must not be reserved for those with outstanding theological acumen alone, but is the expected outcome and immediate practice of any and all followers of Christ.
In the last section of the book, Wheeler and Whaley get extremely practical as they propose a paradigm for reproducible discipleship that avoids a linear approach in favor of a cyclical three-strand method of study, practice and assignments to inculcate love for God and love for others fueled by worship from start to finish.
What bothered me most about this book was its unqualified premise, its poor handling of Scripture, and its lack of unity. The premise of the book was “it is impossible to be a true worshipper without being directly involved in the command of evangelism as expressed in Acts 1:8.” While I share the authors’ desire to see every Christian live on mission, I do not believe such an absolute and unqualified claim is theologically accurate or practically helpful. Did worship not exist before humanity fell? Were angels incapable of worshipping for the countless eons before humanity was formed? Will believers be unable to worship in the eternal state? If worship is possible in the new heavens and new earth (and it is), then defining worship as impossible apart from evangelism is unwarranted at best and thoughtless at worst. Unqualified absolute statements like this were frequent in this book, but this one was most bothersome as the entire premise of the book rested upon its acceptance.
The authors’ exegesis appeared contorted to fit their preconceived points. In chapter two, Matthew 28:16 is cited as a prescription for getting “away from the busy times and places of life.” Yet in this passage the disciples simply “went away into Galilee.” The authors do not explain how or why this descriptive text of the disciples traveling to Galilee should be prescriptive for all believers everywhere. Yet Wheeler and Whaley have no qualms turning this description into a prescription for all “Great Commission Worshippers” to follow. The principle they propose is not wrong, but the right principle is pulled from the wrong text.
Lastly, there were several chapters that did not seem to align with the scope of the book. The authors aimed to call for both worship and evangelism, yet chapter seven, “Great Commission Worship is Relational” provided an overview of relationships with family, coworkers, church and unbelievers. While these relationships are important, the scope of the book did not call for (let alone allow) any serious treatment of any of these subjects. For example, for spouses, an overview of Paul’s instructions to wives and husbands in marriage was provided with all the relevant texts printed with little commentary as merely one sub-point in a brief chapter on relationships. There was not enough information or depth to provide any real change or treatment of marital relationships, nor was there any significant treatment of the role of relationships in evangelism. The book could have been better by limiting the scope and providing thoughtful reflections on each topic, or broadening the scope and therefore the size of the book to engage each topic in a thorough manner.
September 15, 2022
Read for class
November 3, 2023
Eh.
I wouldn’t really recommend it unless someone doesn’t have an accurate picture of what worship and evangelism is. This book kinda drills both home.
I wouldn’t really recommend it unless someone doesn’t have an accurate picture of what worship and evangelism is. This book kinda drills both home.
June 3, 2024
This is an excerpt from a review I was required to do on this book for my Contemporary Evangelism class taught at Liberty by one of the authors...
Even though this book is intended to be used by a broad audience, of pastors and leaders
I doubt it will ever reach that far. I love reading nonfiction and more than half the 100+ books I
read every year are history, philosophy, and theology. I am used to reading dense texts. But
honestly, if this book wasn’t required reading for a course, I probably would have put it down
about halfway through the first chapter. From the “Common Misconceptions of Evangelism” to
the three final lessons at the end of the last chapter, the book feels like nothing more than a
collection of lists with a little narrative in between to bridge one list to the next. Some people
love to learn like this, but for most of us... it simply causes our eyes to glaze over. I highly doubt
many not personally connected to or students of one of the authors will ever bother with a book
written in this style.
Even though this book is intended to be used by a broad audience, of pastors and leaders
I doubt it will ever reach that far. I love reading nonfiction and more than half the 100+ books I
read every year are history, philosophy, and theology. I am used to reading dense texts. But
honestly, if this book wasn’t required reading for a course, I probably would have put it down
about halfway through the first chapter. From the “Common Misconceptions of Evangelism” to
the three final lessons at the end of the last chapter, the book feels like nothing more than a
collection of lists with a little narrative in between to bridge one list to the next. Some people
love to learn like this, but for most of us... it simply causes our eyes to glaze over. I highly doubt
many not personally connected to or students of one of the authors will ever bother with a book
written in this style.
October 28, 2018
Book 169 of 2018. For my evangelism class. I struggle to believe that there even is a divide between worship and evangelism that needs to be breached, so I’m probably not the target for this book. I questioned the loose exegesis of several of the passages examined in the book and struggled to connect with it. 2/5
April 1, 2024
This book really made me think about evangelism and how it applies to my everyday life. It was an easy read that I will definitely keep as a resource. Some parts could have gone more in depth in some subjects but overall, I would recommend it to anyone looking to make evangelism a part of their daily lives.
August 30, 2024
Amazing book for anyone, especially for leaders in the church. With pragmatism running rampant, producing fruits of nomalism, it's important we check our hearts. Wheeler does a brilliant job of shinning a light on the false worship that to often we sadly fall prey to due to a desire to create rather than worship.
February 22, 2023
Completely changed my view on worship and evangelism and their connectedness. Beautiful and easy read that will leave you pondering “How can I better live out the life of a Great Commission Worshiper”?
February 3, 2019
I really enjoyed the book. It clear shows how as followers of Christ we all need to evangelize! The book also goes into great detail of worship and what it looks like and what it isn’t.
November 1, 2014
This was a great book. It was easy to read and full of great insights. The book provides fantastic biblical insights which should remind the reader about the integration of worship and evangelism which should occur in each believer's life. Every day is a day of worship for the Christian as he or she lives out the Christian calling and while seeking to allow others to know of the wonderful experience. It is a book that Christians should read.
January 17, 2015
Poor exegesis, trite anecdotes, and anti-nomian language littered throughout. No new insights were postulated, and no new theories were developed. When half the book is filled up by simply reproducing large block quotes from the Bible followed by cliche analysis, one begins to question whether this book should have been left unwritten.
July 6, 2014
This is a life changing book that every Christian should read. It has helped me get a new look on how to live as a Christian truly living out the Great Commission command that Christ gave to His people.
February 7, 2012
Such a great book! There is tons to chew on and challenge the Christ follower on how to be a missional and reproducible worshipper.
June 22, 2012
I love the holistic approach. Had a tinge of anti-nomian language.
July 11, 2015
Great book
The book is fascinating if you're needing information a out worship and evangelism. Study and show thyself approved. This book give great information.
The book is fascinating if you're needing information a out worship and evangelism. Study and show thyself approved. This book give great information.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews