While I am on the subject of slightly cheesy illustrations (see the last post), here is one I head the other day. Its not original, I suspect it might be from Graham Daniels (let me know if it is Danno).

You know that we are called to be the people who proclaim God's excellencies. That is the connection between worship and mission. Mission is calling people to be worshippers. This illustration gets the connection between the two very nicely.

Imagine you are at the Liverpool football ground. Everyone sings a song in praise of Michael Owen. When you do it at your home ground, that singing is worship (literally). However, when you play away at Old Trafford and sing the very same song it is both worship and evangelism. Declaring the praise of Owen to the world (and to the enemy). And you want to! It would be inconceivable not to. If you praise Michael Owen at home but are embarrassed with him when you are away, you are not a real Liverpool fan but a fake. A fair weather fan.

We know we are real worshippers of God when we are consistent in our praise of God and witness to Jesus at home and away, in the church and in the world. Where there is a discrepancy between the two, that discrepancy is unbelief. Worship and mission really are inseperable.