Proper Reverence in Worship

This is a public declaration of the gospel, of the Good News of Jesus Christ.  The gospel is declared when an evangelist goes out and preaches the Good News to those who have not heard it, or who have yet to accept it as theirs by faith.  But this is not the only way the Gospel is proclaimed.  Each Lord’s Day we celebrate the Lord’s Supper and Paul tells us that every time we eat the bread and drink the cup we proclaim the Lord’s death (a nickname for the gospel).  The gospel is declared in this service of worship.

Everything leading up to that communion service is gospel as well.  You are summoned by God because He initiates gospel.  You hear Him call you to worship Him.  He then declares our sinfulness and inability to come before Him except with blood-washed hands – washed by the blood of Jesus Christ through our confession of sin and profession of faith.  Our songs and prayers are lifted to Him in Jesus name through the Holy Spirit and God receives us in that name and power.  The Father instructs us through His Word, rearranging us, remaking us, renewing us, and then sits us down for a meal of fellowship and life with Him at His Table – providing us with His food.

This is a great and wonderful and joyful event – leading up to a great feast.  But it is not to be entered into irreverently – in some kind of breezy, informal and casual way.  Hebrews warns us that we must worship God with reverence and godly fear – and this teaches us what our demeanor in our church worship services must be like.  Psalm 2 instructs us to worship the LORD with fear, to rejoice with trembling.  And so our worship is to be full and robust, it is to engage our minds, our mouths, our bodies.  While it is celebration, it is not a tailgate party, a circus, a comedy show or a rock concert.  We have come to worship the Ancient of Days.  We are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.  Come and worship, but come with the proper balance, well thought through and prepared, of great rejoicing and proper reverence.