Reverence in Worship
Introduction:
Psalm 89:7 “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly
of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those
around Him.”
NKJV
The text stresses the need for reverence on the part of
those who would draw nigh to God. The Bible commands
this throughout.
Model Prayer
– Matthew 6:9-13 “In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed by Your name. Your
kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in
heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from
the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the
power and the glory forever. Amen.
The word “hallowed” basically means to make holy, to set
apart. We should realize how far above every other name
is the name of God the Father. (Hebrews 12:28)
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which
cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may
serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.”
NKJV
Reverence shows caution and apprehension. Be careful to
consider all circumstances before acting. (John
4:24) “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must
worship in spirit and truth.” Worship literally
means to kiss toward; the act of homage or adoration
paid to God. The concept of reverence raises certain
questions which need to be answered for us to more fully
understand its significance.
Body:
I.
What Is Reverence?
If one does not understand the Biblical concept, then he
cannot comply with it! It would then be impossible for
him to know if he is being reverent in his worship to
God. Reverence is not merely respect, not merely being
quiet in assembly, nor is it merely participating in the
outward forms, even though all of these are necessary.
What is “reverence” then? The Hebrew word used in our
main text literally means “terrible.” It reflects an
attitude of both piety and godly fear. Piety itself
involves devotion to religious duty. Therefore, the
word “reverence” describes both an attitude and behavior
where the worshipper desires and is careful to please
God and refrain from offending Him.
Some thoughts:
1.
The worshipper should be cautious regarding his
observances during worship.
2.
His approach is not flippant or half-hearted.
3.
His regard for worship is one of highest esteem.
4.
It involves respect for the authority of God.
5.
It demands awe and fear on behalf of the worshipper.
6.
It requires careful consideration of the power and
majesty of God.
As a side note, before we continue: Sometimes we are
more afraid of offending some human dignitary than we
are God in heaven! We are more careful about what we
wear and how we act in a court of law than we are in
services. The same is true in our regards to the
President. Even though he is the highest ranking
official in America, his power and honor pales compared
to our God.
II.
To Whom Do We Owe Our Reverence?
Let’s turn to the Holy Scriptures to find the answer.
(Psalm 107:32) “Let them exalt Him also in the assembly
of the people, And praise Him in the company of the
elders.”
NKJV
God is referred to in this passage as the one we should
exalt and praise. (Psalm 111:9) “He has sent
redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant
forever; Holy and awesome is His name.”
NKJV
The name of our Father should be held in awe by His
worshippers and should call to mind how vastly inferior
we are to Him. (Psalm 5:7) “But as for me, I will
come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In
fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple.”
NKJV
With reverence, we worship Him who extended mercy toward
us by sending His Son to die upon a lonely tree. Let us
love Him all the days of our lives. Habakkuk 2:20
reminds us of His greatness. “But the Lord is in His
holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before
Him.”
NKJV
Not only is reverence due to our Father, but also to His
word. (Isaiah 66:2b) “But on this one will I
look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And
who trembles at My word.”
NKJV
[trembles – reverences] Let us never forget the
One to whom our worship and reverence is directed!
III.
Why Is Reverence to God So Important?
1.
Because God Commanded It
·
Notwithstanding the views of some of my brothers in
Christ, especially those espousing the so-called “New
Hermeneutic”, doing the commandments of God is of vital
importance. (Revelation 22:14) “Blessed are those who do
His commandments, that they may have the right to the
tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the
city.”
NKJV
And as a result, we shall be blessed above all people.
(John 13:17) “If you know these things, blessed are you
if you do them.”
2.
Because of Who God Is
·
Our God is the Great I AM. (Exodus 3:14) “And God said
to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall
say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.’
”
NKJV
He
is the true sovereign of the world, the only real Master
of the Universe. Let us revere Him for Who He is.
3.
Because the Love of God Requires It
·
The love for our earthly fathers instills within us the
desire to please them and to not offend. Our spiritual
Father in heaven deserves even more reverence and
respect than our fathers here on earth. Remember I John
5:3. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His
commandments. And His commandments are not
burdensome.”
NKJV
Why do we love God? We love God because He first loved
us and gave up His only begotten Son. That’s why!
4.
Because of God’s Severity
·
Let’s listen to the words of Romans 11:22. “Therefore
consider the goodness and severity of God; on those who
fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you
continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be
cut off.”
NKJV
Severity – cutting off In papyri, the use of
exacting to the full the provisions of a statute. God
does demand justice. Such examples as the death of
Nadab and Abihu and the punishment of King Uzziah where
he was stricken with leprosy until his death are
reminders of this. A warning along these very lines is
given in Psalm 2:12. “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry,
And you perish in the way, When His wrath is kindled but
a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in
Him.”
NKJV
This is a sobering thought.
5.
Because of a Need to Sanctify God Before the Eyes of
Others Amen.
·
Hear the words of the Lord as spoken to Aaron in
Leviticus 10:3. “. . . By those who come near Me I
must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I
must be glorified. . .”
NKJV
As his followers, we must see and regard God as holy.
We should also be reminded of the apostle Peter’s words
in I Peter 3:15. “But sanctify the Lord God in
your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to
everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in
you, with meekness and fear;”
NKJV
How we conduct ourselves during the worship services may
say a lot to others about how important we feel worship
is. If people see us acting irreverently toward our
God, does it not say to them that we do not take our
religion very seriously? Would not this influence
others in a very negative way?
Closing Remarks and Invitation:
Read Psalm 89:7 again. “God is greatly to be feared in
the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence
by all those around Him.”
NKJV
God is to be exalted above all else. The natural
question then is this: Have you personally placed Him
above everything? Have you worshipped Him reverently?
If not, you can do something about it right now. Please
come.
Bobby Stafford
June 14, 2015
More on Worship
The
church of Christ
Video
