With Reverence and Awe

Sermon Notes, September 25. 2016 AM

With Reverence and Awe

Steve W. Reeves

INTRODUCTION:

A. If you filled a box with items representing a typical Sunday morning of preparing to go 

    to church what items would be in the box?

    1. I asked this question on Facebook and among the answers were: Bibles,

       backpacks with supplies/activities for kids, diapers, snacks, clothes, shoes, phones,

       bottles of water, purses, paper, pens, etc.

    2. Sunday morning can be tough. For the college student it requires discipline to get

       out of bed on a weekend. If you’re a parent of small children you must get the

       kids fed, dressed and buckled in the car seat. There is hair to style, makeup to

       apply and food to prepare before driving to the church building where you must find

       a parking space and a place to sit before 9:00!

    3. Why do we do it? We recognize something significant is taking place.

B. One day as Moses was tending sheep he had a life-changing experience. He saw a

    flame in the midst of a bush but remarkably the bush was not consumed. As Moses

    drew closer to investigate He was stopped in his tracks by a voice that said, “Do not

    come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are

    standing is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5).

    1. Moses never dreamed that turning aside to look at the bush would change his life

       and alter the course of a nation. In that moment something significant happened.

       Moses had an encounter with the Holy God. His life would never be the same.

    2. When we come to church do we comprehend that we, like Moses, are standing on

       Holy ground? Do we recognize that when we assemble we have come into the

       presence of Almighty God?  We have come for a purpose that transcends  

       anything we do. We have come to worship.

I. WE HAVE COME TO WORSHIP BECAUSE GOD IS POWERFUL.

    A. Have you seen the old TV show, “The Adventures of Superman?” The show

       began with the words, “Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a

       locomotive. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look up in the air! It’s a

       bird, it’s a plane, it’s . . . Superman!”

       1. In our imaginations we invent characters like Superman, Captain America,

           Batman, The Hulk, The Force and others who possess incredible strength and

           are endowed with qualities like justice and compassion.

       2. Why do we do this? Is it not because of our attraction to someone greater than

           ourselves?

    B. God is not the product of human invention. He is our creator and sustainer.

       1. When Paul spoke to the Athenians at Mars Hill he said, “The God who made the   

           world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in

           temples made with hands; ²⁵ nor is He served by human hands, as though He

           needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all

           things” (Acts 17:24-25).

       2. The prophet Isaiah spoke poetically of God’s greatness in Isaiah 40:12 -16.    

           “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the

           heavens by the span and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure,
           and weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in a pair of scales?

           ¹³ Who has directed the Spirit of the Lord, or as His counselor has informed Him?
               ¹⁴ With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught

           Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge and informed Him of the

           way of understanding? ¹⁵ Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
           and are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the

           islands like fine dust.”

    C. Trying to comprehend God’s power is like trying to catch a fish in the ocean using

       an inch of fishing line. The longer we contemplate God’s creative and redemptive

       power the more we are in awe. Our worship is a proclamation of God’s power.

II. WE HAVE COME TO WORSHIP BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY

    A. What do we mean when we say “God is Holy?”
       1. In 1 Samuel 2:2 Hannah prayed, “There is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed,

           there is no one besides You.”

       2. The word Holy comes from “hagios” meaning “separate,” “sacred,” “not

           common.” The first time it is used in the English Bible is Genesis 2:3 where God

           blessed the seventh day and made it holy. He set it apart.

       3. Leviticus 19:2 - “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy

          because I, the Lord your God, am holy.’”

       4. Leviticus 20:26 – “You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I

           have set you apart from the nations to be my own.”

       5. Over 50 times the word Holy is used in the book of Leviticus with reference to

           God, His people or the utensils used to worship Him.

    B. There are three occasions in the Bible that leave no doubt about God’s holiness.       

       1. Exodus 19:12 – 13, “You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying,

           ‘Beware that you do not go up on the mountain or touch the border of it; whoever

           touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. ¹³ No hand shall touch him,

           but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether beast or man, he shall not

           live.’ When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the

           mountain.”  Compare this to Hebrews 12:18-19, “For you have not come to a

           mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom

           and whirlwind, ¹⁹ and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which

           sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to

           them.” Also Hebrews 12: 28-29 – “Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which

           cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an

           acceptable service with reverence and awe; ²⁹ for our God is a consuming fire.”

       2. Isaiah 6:1 – 9 describes Isaiah’s vision of God in the temple with the Seraphim

           flying about Him crying out, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole

           earth is full of His glory.”

       3. In Revelation 4:8 there are four living creatures who cry out in the presence of

           God, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and

           who is to come.”

       4. The Hebrew language did not have punctuation like English does. There was no

           way to place an exclamation point at the end of a sentence. Therefore, when the

           writer wanted to emphasize a word he would repeat it. The word “Holy” is the

           only description of God repeated in this way.

    C. What does this mean with regard to worship? You and I are in the presence of one

       who is separate in purity, righteousness, justice, mercy and power. We are unable

       to grasp God intellectually regardless of our intellect and education. We are unable

       to comprehend Him morally in spite of our best effort. Our brightest white, even if it

       were possible, would be a soiled dingy gray in the brilliance of God’s holiness. As

       Holy as God is, He loves us.

    D. The greatness of God demands an attitude of reverence and awe.

       1. People who have the opportunity to meet Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain are

           expected to observe proper etiquette. Among the rules are:

           a. Do not speak unless spoken to.

           b. Observe a dress code.

           c. Do not touch unless you are offered a handshake.

           d. Stand when she enters the room.

       2. In Exodus 28:2 as God gave instructions to Moses about the garments to be

           worn by the priests. “You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for

           glory and for beauty.” Why was this so? God wanted their worship to be a

           reminder of His holiness, glory and beauty.

        3. Do we recognize God’s holiness as we worship?

           a. There are some distractions that are unavoidable. On occasion there will be

               cries and restlessness from children. There will occasionally be those who

               must leave for physical reasons. We understand these situations.

           b. Worship should mean enough to us that we set aside anything that would

               distract us. Worship is not the time to write notes, text or check Facebook.

               Worship of a Holy God demands, “my life, my soul, may all.”  

III. CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE WORSHIPERS

    A. Privilege

       1. David said, “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the

            Lord.”  

       2. We will never make worship a priority until we recognize it as a privilege.

    B. Preparation

       1. The Israelites did not merely “show up.” They prepared themselves to worship.

       2. There should be a spirit of anticipation for worship throughout the preceding

           week. Develop the discipline of preparing yourself and your family before

           Sunday comes. 

    C. Participation

       1. Worship is not a spectator sport where we watch players on a field. Worship is

           not an entertainment venue where we watch others on stage.

       2. All of us are called to worship. Everything we do in worship is participatory.

    D. Passion

       1. We need the passion expressed by David in Psalm 42 – “As the deer pants for

           the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God.”

       2. Since worship is an encounter with God it should touch every aspect of an

           individual including their mind (intellect), heart (emotion) and will (obedience).

           Meaningful worship will sometimes stir up passionate joy. At other times it may

           bring heartfelt tears. It should never leave us untouched and unchanged.

CONCLUSION:

A. As a preacher I struggle with worship. Far too often in my life I have been guilty of

    being distracted from worshipping God. 

    1. I have worried about what people think. Has the singing been good?

       Have the prayers and the comments at the Lord’s table been appropriate? How

       much time is left for me to say what I have prepared?  Will a certain illustration be

       well received? Will this be a “moving sermon?”      

    2. I confess that too often through the years I have allowed my mind to be

       preoccupied with such thoughts and I have neglected my own worship of Ggd. I di

       not want to do that any longer.

B. A baby elephant broke free from the circus on a Sunday morning. It

    wandered down the street and into a church building where people were

    gathered. It walked down the aisle, turned, and trumpeted loudly before walking out  

    oblivious to what was taking place. Someone speculated, “Do we ever walk in,

    toot our horn, and go home with not real appreciation for what has taken place?”

C. “O Lord, may we have a renewed commitment to worship you with a spirit of reverence

    and awe? In Jesus’ name, Amen! “