What’s the relationship between missions and worship?

Personally, I hadn’t given much thought about the relationship between worship and missions until last Thursday when my thinking was challenged. I seemed to have always assumed that missions superceded worship.  I was wrong. John Piper’s book, “Don’t Waste Your Life,” contains a revolutionary statement as far as the two subjects are concerned. He notes:

“Missions exists because worship doesn’t. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever. Worship, therefore, is the fuel and the goal of missions.” p. 162.

“Free-Rider Problem”

I came across an interesting concept in my research today: “All organizations are plagued by the free-rider problem, but the problem is especially acute for churches.” This, according to Roger Finke, is a situation whereby one “draws upon collective benefits but withholds individual contributions.”

My suggestion for sorting out the “free-rider problem” in the church is this: Christians must become responsible members of the Body of Christ. However, the challenge is how to practice this in the church today. You may share your thoughts based on a Scripture verse (s). Thank you.

 Note: To read the actual article, cited in this post, refer to: The Quiet Transformation: Changes in Size and Leadership of Southern Baptist Churches. Author: Roger Finke. Source: Review of Religious Research, Vol. 36, No. 1 (Sep., 1994), pp. 3-22