Introduction
- Transitions from value of community to proper way community approaches God.
Read Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
- 1wk after wedding, Carrie and I left the church I had attended for 12yrs. It wasn’t planned, but it was quick.
- That Sunday, two convertible 50s Chevy Bel Airs were parked at the entrance. Ladies in poodle skirts greeted us and guys in blue jeans and leather jackets ushered us inside (Grease). A 50s themed skit opened the service > 50s themed songs. Everything served ambiance. Channel 47 grabbed footage for the evening news.
- Apparently, the congregation’s itching ears craved laughter instead of maturing through sound teaching.
- Our departure was as much about what we saw as it was about what we didn’t see, the Bible.
- Great entertainment =/= reverence for God and love for His Word.
- The antidote to entertaining worship is true worship with reverence and awe.
- Listen Carefully (1)
- Speak Infrequently (2)
- Vow Accordingly (3-7)
Listen Carefully (1)
- God is mentioned 6x in this passage. Various elements of worship are mentioned. It is a reflection upon our attitude before God. It’s about how we approach God in worship.
- 1 Pay attention to God’s Word. The Word is to be preached, sung, read, prayed, and consumed!
- The fool enters the temple without thinking/knowledge, unaware of his offensive approach. He would be much better off simply observing, listening rather than participating.
- Always a learning curve. My first time at Sierra View was challenging. I’d never heard a “Call to Worship” or a “Benediction”. I wondered why the pastor raised his hands during those elements but put them down during the singing. Infant baptism scared me. I wondered what they thought about the end times, gifts of the Spirit, etc.
- But one thing was clear – reverence (Call > Doxology). There weren’t a lot of distractions. God’s Word/Gospel remained central.
- Nitpick aspects, not attitude.
- Come with reverence, never indifference!
- Are you listening? Distracted by sitting/standing > bathroom.
- 1 Stop. Solemn opportunity before your God (Exod. 3:5).
- Holy God worthy of full attention (Boot Camp: Video games > focused). God > drill sergeant.
- Christ = example, hope.
Ryken This is part of what it means for us to know Christ: our imperfect worship is accepted by the Father because of the perfect worship offered by the Son.
Listening carefully involves…
Speak Infrequently (2)
- Why reverence lacking? Manmade gods are loving, but not angry; they are forgiving, but not just; they are good, but not holy. There is no reason to fear that god.
- 2 Know the difference between God and you. Enter with reverence because God is in heaven and we are on earth. Let your words be few.
- Fools speak hastily and frequently. It’s like they have to prove their worth to God/others.
- Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father in heaven…”
- Jesus Cleared Temple: Drove out with whip, overturned tables. They had dishonored the meeting place between God and man. “My house shall be called a house of prayer.”
- Same leaders heaped up “many words” in prayer.
- Speaking =/= obedience (Matt. 7:21-23).
- Jesus warns that we will give an account for every careless word (Matt. 12:36).
Ryken Every time a mouth is open, a heart is on display.
- Do you recognize the difference between God and humans when you enter worship? Not peers, but adopted children.
- Do you mean what you sing? Bulletins.
James 3:2 If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man.
- Only one person fits description. Jesus was never rash, he always spoke the truth.
- It is only by the grace of Jesus that we can speak what is true in worship.
Listen carefully > Speak infrequently…
Vow Accordingly (3-7)
- A fool comes before God without thinking and starts making vows. Instead of observing and reflecting, the fool jumps in and participates in an unworthy manner.
- Fools make extravagant vows in public, but recant in private.
- 3 & 7 What do dreams have to do with reverent worship?
Longman Work leads to many dreams; foolishness leads to many words.
- Problem: Many dreams/words > vanity of life.
- Solution: Fear God (12:13).
- Exod. 19-20 Israel trembled before a trembling mountain where God met with Moses. They didn’t want to meet with him in person (20:19).
- That’s safer than entering his presence with indifference. We are called to offer acceptable worship (Hebrews 12:28-29).
- Psalm 62 (bulletin) – We are making vows here – I’ll look to him who hears me. Is God your delight and reward? Are you clinging to him? Do you pour out your soul?
- This passage targets all of us!
Kidner The well-meaning person who likes a good sing and turns up cheerfully enough to church; but who listens with half an ear, and never quite gets round to what he has volunteered to do for God.
- Christ alone kept every promise. His greatest vow was the promise to his Father that he would suffer the wrath of God in his death on the cross…for us!
In…
Conclusion
- Listen carefully, speak infrequently, and vow accordingly.
- This passage gives new meaning to the phrase “Prepare your hearts for worship.” Begin the night before!
- The antidote to entertaining worship is true worship with reverence and awe.
- Why can’t I just be myself? Why can’t I speak of Jesus as my homeboy? Because God is holy, great, and mighty.
- While intimacy with God is something we should prize, it should never require the displacing of any one of his attributes.
- Thankfully, we have a great priest through whom we “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Heb. 10:21).