"Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot
be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence
and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:28-29)
In the Old Testament, “reverence” occurs as the
translation of two Hebrew words: Yare’ (yaw-ray’), which carries the meaning of
“fear.” This word is used to express the attitude toward God Himself (Psalm
89:7, Leviticus 19:30; 26:2). The thought is one of fear, awe, and respect.
The second word, shachah (shaw-khaw’), carries the meaning of “falling down” as
in the prostration of the body. It is used to express the attitude and behavior
toward another who is considered superior (1 Kings 1:31, II Samuel 9:6, Esther
3:2, 5). The thought with this word is honor, submission, and obeisance.
In the New Testament “reverence” occurs as the
translation of three Greek words, Deos, phobeo, and entrepo. Deos (de-os),
which has the meaning of awe and Godly fear, is a feeling of profound awe and
respect. Because of His majesty and holiness, God arouses a feeling of
reverence in those who worship and serve Him (Hebrews 12:28). The second word,
phobeo (fob-eh’-o), carries the thought of being frightened or alarmed, by analogy
to be in awe of or to have a deep and abiding respect. This word is used to
illustrate the proper attitude of subjection that a wife should have toward her
husband (Ephesians 5:33). The third word, entrepo (en-trep’-o), sets forth the
idea of a self-evaluation of inferiority or superiority over someone else. In
the consideration of reverence for God, the former always being the case. The
mental imagery is of willingly setting the subject of consideration on a higher
level while placing oneself beneath (Matthew 21:37, Mark 12:6; Luke 20:13,
Hebrews 12:9). Habakkuk 2:20, "But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all
the earth keep silence before him. Reverence means a respectful, submissive
attitude of mind resulting in affection and esteem for the person to which it
is directed.
Today there is no reverence or respect for the house
of God. If we were invited to a state dinner at the White House,
naturally we would wear our best clothes to the President's
house. Right? So, then why do we casually wear whatever makes
us "feel comfortable" when we are invited to God’s house?
Why do Christians show disrespect for God’s house by
wearing casual clothes, and make no proper physical or spiritual
preparation to "come and dine" with the Lord?
In 1999, people publicly chastised Martha Stewart
for wearing a pink pants suit to a White House state dinner. She disregarded
White House protocol by wearing short pink pants. She should have known better.
Formal clothes are appropriate for special occasions, especially at the White
House. The White House social secretary later commented "I think she needs
to read books on how to dress properly for such an occasion. A state dinner
means a long dress to the floor." So why should anyone be upset by
Martha's short pink pants? "The White House is different," said the
secretary. "It's like a church and should command the same respect."
Christians today don’t dress with respect to worship
in the house of God. Reverence for God is an important issue that is overlooked
by many today. We seem to be of the mindset that being "under grace not
under the law" gives us a license to worship and approach God any way we like.
Nevertheless, appropriateness or suitability in clothes has always been
defining to what to wear for the occasion or activity.
Clothes fall into several categories:
1. Active sport (for participating in sports)
2. Spectator sports/casual (for sports events,
school, street, and travel)
3. Informal (for church, business, and so
forth)
4. Formal (for special occasions)
Unquestionably, sportswear, or play clothes,
are not appropriate for church just as they are not appropriate for a funeral,
wedding, or other special occasions. Only immature or indifferent or ignorant
people do not care about appropriate dress for church. Christians express their
casual attitude toward God and the church in their dress and
behavior. Their dress and their behavior express a spirit of casualness
and convenience.
For years, church etiquette required proper dress
and proper behavior. But today anything goes. Churches often advertise:
“Come as you are.” In other words, dress how you want:
shorts, flip-flops, ragged jeans, and so forth. It’s a very self-serving
ploy to get us to their church by catering to our self-centered
feelings. So, if we don’t feel like dressing appropriately for church, we
don’t have to. We don’t have to reverence and respect God’s house. We don’t
have to maintain dignity.
The Church used to uphold high culture; it has
rapidly declined into low culture. The Church has gone from Christ-centered to
man-centered. It use to be that we did not applaud after someone sang
in the church service. Then after some churches began to substitute
entertainment in place of holy worship, applause became a standard response to
any performance in a church sanctuary (auditorium). In other words,
the church was no longer a sacred place of worship, but a place of pleasurable
entertainment.
Clearly, the house of God is no longer a house of
prayer; it is a house of entertainment: Christian rock music with strobe
lights, dramas, movies, book discussion groups, sports, dance, Christian
comedians, dinners, and other recreation to have a good time.
Whatever happened to Bible study? Today
Christians will read every book except the Bible. Instead, they want
to read the latest “Christian” bestseller. You will find the most ungodly
books in a Christian bookstore. But, the purpose-driven,
commercial-driven, entertainment-driven, and money-driven church of today has
been exposed by God.
Pentecostal worship has been characterized by
informality and spontaneity. We are not a church with a formal liturgy. Freedom
in worship has been God’s special gift to Pentecostals. But informality can
sometimes fall into unintended irreverence and disrespect for the things of
God, His people, and His place of worship. Behavior in the sanctuary should
always be respectful and reverent towards God. Those who have not been taught
such reverence sometimes treat it as a place to play, run, shout, and
socialize.
Word definitions:
1. Sanctuary: Derived from the Latin
word Sanctus meaning sacred, holy. A sacred or holy place.
2. Auditorium: The space for the audience in a
church, theater, or the like
3. Reverence: To regard or treat with
reverence; venerate
4. Respect: Show esteem or respect for
Notice that the definition for auditorium excludes
sacredness or holiness. When churches renamed the sanctuary to
“auditorium,” this exclusion of sacredness or holiness hastened the
secularization of the church and its decline. The church sanctuary (auditorium)
is no longer a place of prayer and holy worship. The church
sanctuary is an auditorium for the false worship of unholy, carnal reveling.
Instead of the Church transforming the world, the world has transformed the Church.
I saw a card that a church mailed out inviting
people to their church it read: “At our Church, you’ll find:
1. High-Energy ministry for all ages.
2. Coffee and donuts!
3. A casual atmosphere. Don’t worry about
wearing the right clothes, come as you are!
4. A place to make friends and made a difference.
On the card is a picture of the pastor and his wife
dressed in t-shirts. Their casual attitude toward the Gospel is
reflected in their casual dress. They lack dignity, reverence, and
respect for God and His church. In the past, the Word of God and culture
dictated that we honor the house of God by appropriate dress and appropriate
behavior: reverence, respect, and dignity.
Unfortunately, church culture has been lowered to
appeal to carnal tastes in a foolish man-made effort to trick sinners into
coming to church. In order to increase attendance and increase tithes and
offerings, pastors and churches today teach that we should throw out reverence
and respect to make sinners feel comfortable coming to church. We should not
make sinners feel uncomfortable by asking them to show reverence in God’s
house. Thus Christians do not have to show reverence in God’s house. Man’s
willful law dictates: Thou shalt not show respect in the house of God. Thou
shalt not honor God with reverence in His House.
Simply put, self-will overrules God’s will. Thus
man’s law overrules God’s Law to reverence His sanctuary. The sanctuary of
God’s house is to be a refuge from the carnal reveling of the world. The
sanctuary of God’s house is to be a holy place of prayer. We must
reverence the sanctuary of God’s house. This is not a suggestion. This is
God's command (Matthew 21: 13; Isaiah 56:7, Leviticus 10:3, 19:30).
Clearly, God commands us not to profane holy things,
including His house. God must be reverenced. And those who reverence God
must reverence His house. Jesus made it perfectly clear by His words and
actions that the temple must be a house of prayer.
What would Jesus see and hear if He went into our
churches and looked around? Would He see and hear carnal reveling, dramas
and other entertainment, sports, and other profanation? Or would He see
and hear praying, Bible reading, sacred songs, pure gospel preaching, and
reverent worship?
Would Jesus angrily rebuke us and throw out the loud
bands, strobe lights, coffee and donuts, ungodly Christian books, and other
entertainment that desecrates the holiness of the church into a casual and
irreverent auditorium? Would Jesus angrily rebuke us: “My house shall be called
the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of entertainment.”
There must be a cleansing of the house of God
and a revival of reverence. How can we expect the world to reverence and
respect God if we the church don't set the example? "For the time is
come that judgment must begin at the house of God" (I Peter 4:17).
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