Misbehavior during worship distracts others and evidences dishonor toward God on the part of the one who misbehaves. Whether we are singing, praying, partaking of the Lord's Supper in remembrance of Christ's death, giving of our means, or studying together from His holy word, let us show proper reverence to God. Let us behave in a way that is befitting for the occasion of worship.
The Psalmist, in speaking of God, said, "I will extol thee, my God, O King: and I will bless thy name forever and ever." (Psalm 145:1) David expressed a proper attitude toward God. When Jesus instructed the disciples how they ought to pray, He taught them to address God, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name." (Matthew 6:9) Jesus taught that we should approach God with reverence and awe. David said of God, "Holy and reverend is Thy name." (Psalm 111:9) Reverence includes solemnity and correct form; however, one can be solemn and correct in outward form and still be irreverent.
Reverence is defined as "a feeling or attitude of deep respect, love, awe, and esteem, as for something sacred; veneration." Some of the synonyms for reverence are "honor, veneration, awe, adoration" (Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary). Just as children are to be taught: "honor thy father and mother..." (Ephesians 6:2), they must also be taught to give honor to God. Parents, that is our responsibility.
Proper expression of a reverent attitude toward God reveals the heart's character. The nobler one's character, the nobler will be his reverence toward God. On the other hand, some have such casual attitudes toward sacred things that they have blurred views of who God is. God clearly expressed, through the prophet David, His attitude toward His children's irreverence: "Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself." (Psalm 50:21) Many have lost sight of Almighty God's greatness and consider Him no greater than themselves. Perhaps we have become so immersed in, and absorbed by, the world's foulness that real reverence is almost impossible. Whatever the cause, we must understand God's attitude toward the lack of respect and honor that are due Him. We must look for evidence of such dishonor in our own lives and seek to change our attitudes toward God.
God demands reverence. "And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I and he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." (Exodus 3:3-5) Not only does God demand reverence from individuals, He also demands it of the entire assembly. David wrote, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him." (Psalm 89:7) Under the New Covenant, God also demands and expects reverence from His children.
"But let all things be done decently and in order." (1 Corinthians 14:40)
"Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well pleasing to God with reverence and awe." (Hebrews 12:28)
Showing the greatest possible reverence toward God should be the purpose of our lives and certainly the purpose of our worship.
We evidence reverence or irreverence toward God by how we look when we worship God. Some quote 1 Samuel 16:7, "Jehovah seeth, not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart," to suggest that clothes do not convey a message. However, my appearance reveals what is in my heart (Matthew 15:18-20). The wisdom writer said, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7) What does my appearance say about the glorious occasion of worship and my attitude toward my Creator? Rarely do we see people dressed in very casual attire when they attend weddings or funerals. They realize that such occasions demand a more dignified appearance. Should I present a less dignified appearance when I assemble to worship the Lord? No one is suggesting a strict dress code. I have known a number of men who wore overalls to worship, but they were their "Sunday best" overalls, clean and often ironed, sometimes worn with a dress shirt and tie. The point is, our attire should reflect the dignity of the purpose for which we have assembled.
Further evidence of disrespect and irreverence exists when we applaud and cheer during worship. In many churches, this has become the norm when one confesses wrong or is baptized into Christ. The reasoning used to justify clapping and cheering during worship is not argued from Scripture, but purely human secular reasoning. Some argue that "worship is the right thing to do, and there is no wrong way to do it." We must be reminded that we do not live under the Law of Moses, but under the law of Christ. Yet, in spite of this, some quote from the Old Testament to justify their practice of shouting or clapping in worship assemblies (1 Samuel 4:5; 2 Samuel 6:15-16; Ezra 3:11-12). These, and other Old Testament passages, do not legislate the worship assembly practices in the modern church.
One preacher cites Psalm 47:1-2: "O clap your hands, all ye people, shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible; He is a great King over all the earth."
He also quotes Psalm 98:4-9 like this, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, rejoice and sing praise... Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together before the Lord."
He then affirms, "Here is worship that included shouting and clapping the hands." What is wrong with this position? Look again at the passage and note what is omitted from the Psalm 98:4-9 quote. Between the words "praise" and "let," the Scripture says, "Sing unto the Lord with the HARP; with the HARP, and the voice of the psalm. With TRUMPETS and sound of CORNET make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King." (Verses 5-6) If these verses authorize us to shout and clap our hands in today's worship assemblies, do they not also authorize mechanical instruments of music? Some may express joy by shouting, others by clapping their hands, others by whistling, and still others by blowing on a whistle. Have we, by our faulty reasoning, justified using instrumental music in worship? Are we ready for that? There is no revealed New Testament authority for such things. Let us remember that, "God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:24)
Has worship become so casual that there is no difference between our behavior, dress, and degree of solemnity at worship or at a ball game? Let us not "profane" our worship by taking that which is holy and treating it as common. Let your dress, practice, and behavior during worship reflect the attitude and character of one who truly fears God and holds His holy name in reverence and awe. Let's display our best in attitude, dignity, respect, and character when we worship God.