Reverence Required

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 6:1-5

Isaiah responded to this vision of the Lord in the only way he could – in reverential fear. How can you not, even with the slightest understanding of who God is! All through the Bible the appearance of the Lord always induced fear – not of horror – but of reverence and awe. Even the angels, who never leave God’s presence, call out “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory!” without ceasing, never becoming familiar with His presence.

The apostle John walked with Jesus for three years; he saw Him in His humanity, listened to Him and touched Him, but when he saw Him on Patmos, he fell at His feet as dead. The appearance of the resurrected Lord is more than flesh can bear.

We see in Revelation that angels and elders fall down and cast their crowns before the Throne in worship. (Revelation 4:10) In that vision those worshippers in heaven saw the Lord sitting on His throne; they saw that He is holy, and simply responded to what they saw. No wonder that Jesus said that God is seeking those who worship Him in Spirit and in truth. (John 4:23,24) He is the Creator of all things – including you and me; all the authority in heaven and earth belongs to Him alone, and all the power and might. There is no one like Him because He is in a class of His own.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1 Timothy 1:17

The greater the revelation you have of Him, the greater your adoration will be. Today, as we draw near to Him, we see Him with the eye of faith as the Holy Spirit quickens our mind to His majesty. We cannot but bow down and honour Him who lives from eternity to eternity. For mortal beings such as us to be called children of God is an honour that words cannot describe; we can only express our gratitude in reverential adoration before Him.

Jesus Himself, in the prophecy of Psalm 22, praises God in the assembly, and calls on us to do the same:

I will declare Your name to My brethren; in the midst of the assembly I will praise You. You who fear the Lord, praise Him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, and fear Him, all you offspring of Israel! Psalm 22:22,23

And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints. For who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him. O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty like You, O Lord? Your faithfulness also surrounds You. Psalm 89:5-8

It is when our hearts open in complete surrender to Him that we clearly hear His voice. Our spirits are lifted up in those intimate moments when He reveals Himself, and we begin to understand that nothing can ever be impossible to Him. His love for us removes every obstacle that stands in the way of His blessing to flow toward us. And when we unite together in worship as a church, His presence lifts us all out of this broken world, and fills us with Himself.

We start our services with a time of praise and worship to empty our minds of worldly thoughts so that we can focus on things above, where Christ is, at the right hand of the Father. We so need desperately to be reminded of His majesty on His throne, reaching down to us in love. All of us can do with a touch from heaven to cleanse from the contaminations of life in a fallen world!

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. Psalm 25:14

Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. Psalm 34:9

As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. Psalm 103:13

True worship leaders prepare for the service by seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit on how He wants to lead us into the presence of God. It involves much more that stringing some songs together. Authentic worship prepares our hearts for the ministry of the Word, and if the minister is anointed, the Word will edify and equip us to be worthy witnesses of the resurrected Christ.

It is heartbreaking to see how Christians behave in some churches these days, at least in North America; there is no reverence for God, or respect for fellow worshippers. They talk, laugh, and walk around while some are trying to draw near to God. Then there are those who come with burning hearts, seeking a Word from the Lord, but leave frustrated because others were distracting them from making contact with heaven.

The church is the one place where the atmosphere is supposed to facilitate a meeting with the Lord, but far too often it is hijacked by unaware Christians who come to church only to catch up with their friends. What a travesty that is! No wonder we find so many true Christians outside the church instead of inside. Even if the pastor has a Word from the heart of God, in that kind of atmosphere it falls no further than his shoes. The entire service turned into a mockery because there is no reverence among God’s people.

Wickedness is introduced to the church by untaught, carnal Christians who have no clue how to behave in the house of the Lord. The very atmosphere that they create leans itself to lighthearted conversation while our meetings are supposed to be an encounter with Almighty God. What a slap in the face of a caring Father, and a complete disregard for the needs of those around us when the church is turned into a chat room. The church where the Lord is welcome is a place where lives are changed and miracles happen.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10

Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. Psalm 112:1-3

Job, in the midst of the immeasurable tribulation that befell him, had too much regard for God to turn his back on Him. In his greatest pain, and with many unanswered questions, he still admonished his ignorant friends to get to know God:

Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; thereby good will come to you. Receive, please, instruction from His mouth, and lay up His words in your heart. If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; you will remove iniquity far from your tents. Then you will lay your gold in the dust, and the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks. Yes, the Almighty will be your gold and your precious silver; for then you will have your delight in the Almighty, and lift up your face to God. Job 22:21-26

Life’s questions are answered when we press in to the presence of God. He knows the solution to every problem and the deep secrets of every heart. He can satisfy every longing. We have a standing invitation to enter into the Throne Room to receive help in a time of need.

The King of the universe and Creator of all is ever ready to receive us; let us therefore draw near with true hearts and observe the proper protocol as we draw near for an audience with Him. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, go through the courts of praise, then bow low as the Throne comes into view. Let awe flood your senses and adoration fill your heart. He has something to impart to you, and you will never be the same again.

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” “Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-36