HAVE WE GOTTEN TOO COMFORTABLE WITH GOD

Some of you may remember the time when the songbook racks would also hold hand-held fans. Some years ago, many church buildings did not have air conditioning and the fans were made available to help the audience try and cool off a bit. With the availability of AC now there is not much of a need for these fans. Although it is difficult, if not impossible, to find the right temperature for everyone, we can be much more comfortable today than in years gone by. The seating has changed as well. The building where I attended as a young child had wooden seats with no padding or cushions. They also folded up and down like theater seats. More than one child found themselves falling when they stood on the seat and it folded up on them. How many places of worship today do not have cushioned seating? Not very many, I would think. It’s all about comfort. No, I am not campaigning that we turn off the air conditioning or remove the padding from the chairs. I like being comfortable as much as the next person. However, I do wonder if maybe we haven’t become too comfortable in our attitude toward God.

“He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name” (Psalm 111:9). This is the New King James rendering. The King James says, “Holy and reverend is His name.” Holy refers not only to his perfect purity, but also to the fact that He is the one and only such One. Reverend and awesome have become such common words in our language that they have lost some of their real meaning. While man is instructed to be holy (1 Peter 2:15), I am not aware of anywhere that God describes man as reverend or awesome. We trivialize reverend when we use it to refer to men and awesome when we use it to mean anything that is a bit exciting or unusual. Perhaps we need to give thought to the Revised Standard Version in this verse: “Holy and terrible is His name.”

People do not want to think of this aspect of God’s nature. They want to picture God as a loving grandpa-type gift-giver. He is a jovial good ole boy you can joke with or joke about. He is someone who just makes you feel good about yourself. Some have turned Christianity into a big bless-me club where we receive God’s favors and blessings freely and never have to give anything. People shop around for a church that can meet their needs while demanding nothing. What was Moses’ response when being in the presence of God on Mount Sinai? “I am exceedingly afraid and trembling” (Hebrews 12:21).

While it is true that is present everywhere, there is a special sense in which we are in His presence in worship (Psalm 100:2). We are coming before a holy and reverend (awesome, terrible) God. These are not casual meetings; they are sacred meetings. We need to take special care that our appearance before Him is in reverence and awe. Many people, in every religious group, seem to be saying about worship assemblies, “I don’t get anything out of it.” Perhaps the problem is not in the actions taking place, or not taking place, in the worship. Perhaps the problem is a lack of preparation, reverence, and awe.

“And the temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods” (2 Chronicles 2:5).
--Lamar