Today's Worship Lacks Reverence
from OldTruth.com on worship:
Quoting Hart & Muether . . .
Reverence is not obviously attractive or appealing. It is hard and uncomfortable. It doesn't create a relaxed or welcoming atmosphere. Above all it is not celebrative as that word has come to be used. Reverent worship is not an effective way of persuading the world that that Christians are capable of having a good time. That is because the modern culture can not see God as frightening. So seeker-sensitive worship has replaced a consuming fire with an affirming and empowering God, one who accepts whatever we do. It has substituted the meeting of felt needs for the demands of His law. From this it follows that we no longer need a mediator. ______
Of course, many say we still need Christ, but their attitude and posture in worship suggests otherwise. When we fail to gather on the Lord's Day to offer unconditional honor to the Savior, we are exchanging true for sham worship. Unfortunately, many contemporary innovations seem to do just that by reflecting an unwarranted confidence in those assembled. As a result, the work of Christ is silenced and pushed to the margins of our life. No longer is His sacrifice our only hope for access to the Father.
By practicing reverence, Christian worship can subvert our therapeutic culture with the truth that God comes to us only on His terms, and never on ours. His terms are the sacrifice. Only in the death and resurrection of Christ do we meet God and escape His wrath and curse. In Christ we find both "the kindness and the severity of God" (Rom. 11:22). God accepts our worship because as a consuming fire He has consumed the sacrifice on our behalf.
In the end, reverent worship cultivates the sense that the worshipers may offend God and will if they fail to come to Him in the ways he has prescribed. Worship should be characterized by godly fear and humility. It is done not lightly but with care and diligence. It is the natural response of creatures in the presence of the holy and sovereign God. And it is a worship that conforms to God's Word: "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire". (Hebrews 12:28-29)
Quoting Hart & Muether . . .
Reverence is not obviously attractive or appealing. It is hard and uncomfortable. It doesn't create a relaxed or welcoming atmosphere. Above all it is not celebrative as that word has come to be used. Reverent worship is not an effective way of persuading the world that that Christians are capable of having a good time. That is because the modern culture can not see God as frightening. So seeker-sensitive worship has replaced a consuming fire with an affirming and empowering God, one who accepts whatever we do. It has substituted the meeting of felt needs for the demands of His law. From this it follows that we no longer need a mediator. ______
Of course, many say we still need Christ, but their attitude and posture in worship suggests otherwise. When we fail to gather on the Lord's Day to offer unconditional honor to the Savior, we are exchanging true for sham worship. Unfortunately, many contemporary innovations seem to do just that by reflecting an unwarranted confidence in those assembled. As a result, the work of Christ is silenced and pushed to the margins of our life. No longer is His sacrifice our only hope for access to the Father.
By practicing reverence, Christian worship can subvert our therapeutic culture with the truth that God comes to us only on His terms, and never on ours. His terms are the sacrifice. Only in the death and resurrection of Christ do we meet God and escape His wrath and curse. In Christ we find both "the kindness and the severity of God" (Rom. 11:22). God accepts our worship because as a consuming fire He has consumed the sacrifice on our behalf.
In the end, reverent worship cultivates the sense that the worshipers may offend God and will if they fail to come to Him in the ways he has prescribed. Worship should be characterized by godly fear and humility. It is done not lightly but with care and diligence. It is the natural response of creatures in the presence of the holy and sovereign God. And it is a worship that conforms to God's Word: "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire". (Hebrews 12:28-29)
posted by kennyo at 8:26 AM
4 Comments:
Let us put that in context. What would/will our worship be like if the Risen Christ was visibly before us? The Apostle John, who laid his head on Jesus' chest, fell at His feet as dead when he saw the glorified Lamb of God.
In the average worship service people talk, look around, go to the bathroom, look at the bulletin, and a host of other distractions. But does anyone actually weep with brokenness, or fall on their knees, or become speechless, or even cry out "Woe is me, for I am undone!
We have lost the reality of God's presence, or, His presence no longer is in our churches. Surely not like Solomon's Temple where the priests could not stand under the weight of His glory.
We know God is in every believer and indeed everywhere, but when the body of Christ comes together to seek Him He has blessed former generations in the church age with a demonstration of His glory that brings a cleansing repentance and a deep worship to His people.
But today people arrive at the building without rising early to pray, without personal worship, and now we depend on the quality of the praise team performance and the choice of songs.
Where is the Lord God of Elijah?
I 100% agree with you Rick.
I like what Leonard Ravenhill says in his book Why Revival Tarries..."where are the Elijahs of God?"
We need more believers who decide to offer themselves as living sacrifices daily and be willing to go where God commands us and do whatever he says. This is the attitude we need to have when we go to Him for worship, one of complete surrender to His will. This will cause us to fall at his feet as though dead as John describes.
Wouldn't be incredible tomorrow if this occured in churches? I am praying that it occurs in mine.
I 100% agree with you Rick.
I like what Leonard Ravenhill says in his book Why Revival Tarries..."where are the Elijahs of God?"
We need more believers who decide to offer themselves as living sacrifices daily and be willing to go where God commands us and do whatever he says. This is the attitude we need to have when we go to Him for worship, one of complete surrender to His will. This will cause us to fall at his feet as though dead as John describes.
Wouldn't be incredible tomorrow if this occured in churches? I am praying that it occurs in mine.
I 100% agree with you Rick.
I like what Leonard Ravenhill says in his book Why Revival Tarries..."where are the Elijahs of God?"
We need more believers who decide to offer themselves as living sacrifices daily and be willing to go where God commands us and do whatever he says. This is the attitude we need to have when we go to Him for worship, one of complete surrender to His will. This will cause us to fall at his feet as though dead as John describes.
Wouldn't be incredible tomorrow if this occured in churches? I am praying that it occurs in mine.
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