The Psalmist, when speaking of God, said: "I will extol thee, my God, 0 King: and I will bless thy name forever and ever." (Psalm 145:1) David expressed a proper attitude toward God. Jesus, when instructing the disciples how they ought to pray, taught them to address God, "Our Father who art in heaven, "Hallowed be thy name." (Matthew 6:9) Jesus taught that any approach to God should be with reverence and awe. David further said of God, "Holy and reverend is thy name." (Psalm 111:9) Reverence includes solemnity and correct form; however, it is possible to be solemn and correct in outward form and still not be reverent.
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)
Proper expression of a reverent attitude toward God reveals the character of the heart. The greater our character, the greater our reverence toward God will be. On the other hand, many have become so casual in attitude toward sacred things that they have a blurred view of who God is. The prophet David clearly expressed God's 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 they consider Him to be no greater than themselves. Perhaps we have gotten so immersed in the world, and so absorbed by that which is foul, that real reverence is almost impossible. Whatever the cause, we must understand God's attitude toward this lack of respect and honor that is due Him. We must examine our own lives for any evidence of such dishonor, and if we find such evidence, 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 the individual, but He also demands it from 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) That we should show the greatest reverence possible toward God should be the purpose of our life and certainly the purpose of the worship we offer Him.
Evidence of disrespect and irreverence toward God can be seen in what we wear to worship God. Unfortunately, many Christians attend the worship services dressed as they would to mow the yard. Our clothes do send messages to God, and to others. Some, in an effort to suggest that our clothes do not send a message, quote 1 Samuel 16:7, "(Jehovah seeth) not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart." However, by what we do, and even by what we wear, we vividly reveal what is in our hearts (Matthew 15:18-20).
The wisdom writer said, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: " (Proverbs 23: 7) What are we saying about this glorious occasion of worship, about our attitude toward our Creator? Rarely do we see people dressed in casual attire when they attend a wedding or funeral. People realize that such occasions call for more formal attire. Should it be any less formal for our Lord when we assemble to worship Him? No one is suggesting a strict dress code; however, our attire should reflect the dignity associated with the purpose for which we have come together.
Further evidence of disrespect and lack of reverence exists when we applaud and cheer in worship to God. In many churches, this has become the norm in many churches when one confesses wrong or is baptized into Christ. The reasoning that seeks to justify clapping and cheering in worship does not argue from Scripture, but purely human, secular logic. Some argue that "worship is a right thing to do, and that there is no wrong way to do it." Some appeal to Old Testament practices to find authority for shouting and clapping in worship. Certainly, we must remind them that today, we do not live under Moses' law, but under Christ's law. In spite of this, some quote from the Old Testament (1 Samuel 4:5; 2 Samuel 6:15,16; Ezra 3:11,12) to justify shouting or clapping in worship assemblies Yet, these passages, and other Old Testament passages, have nothing to do with what the church today does during worship.
One preacher cites Psalm 47:1,2 "0 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 : "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 which included shouting and hand clapping." What is wrong with this reasoning? Look again at the passages. Note what is omitted from the quote from Psalm 98:4-9. Between the words "Praise" and "Let" the scripture says, "Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King." If these verses authorize shouting and hand clapping during our worship assemblies today, why do they not authorize the use 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 false reasoning, justified using instrumental music in worship? Are we ready for that?
The New Testament, as revealed by Christ through the Holy Spirit, is the standard of authority in religion today. To "walk by faith" is to submit to what is written therein. What is wrong with clapping, shouting, whistling or blowing on a whistle in worship assemblies today? THERE IS SIMPLY NO REVEALED AUTHORITY FOR IT in the New Testament. In an effort to make worship fun or exciting or emotionally stimulating, let us not resort to practices that profane our worship and render it vain and irreverent. 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 in 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. May our dress and practice in worship reflect the attitude and character of one who truly fears God, is reverent toward, and in awe of, His holy name. Let us bring our best attitudes, dignity, respect and character as we worship God.