Awesome God
Montreal
September 24, 2005
As we come here, weekly for worship together as the family of God, on occasions we need to reorient ourselves about where we are and what we are doing here. We need to think through, even from a family point-of-view what the purpose and meaning of this gathering is all about. We are here for several purposes. However, one transcends all the others, and that is the purpose of worship, together, extended toward God. I believe this is a shared value of our congregation. When we completed the NCD profile a year ago, we identified the need to raise the standard of our worship services; this told us that we had a shared value in this area and that we wanted something special to happen here each week when we come together. We have been working toward that, and this is a continuing ‘work in progress’, as, I think, we all know.
Heb.10.24, 25 gives us an encouragement for our gatherings. This applies to all gatherings, without question- to our need to meet in each other’s homes for time and meals together, our need to get together at Tim Horton’s, our need to go canoeing together, our need to pray together, our need to have church committee meetings together, our need to study scripture together, our need to enjoy small groups together, and our need to worship, in a more formal gathering, together. We meet weekly. From what I hear from different parts of our congregation, we want good music to respond to a variety of preferences, we want to be free to pray for someone or an issue when it comes forward and touches us, we want excellent, helpful, and meaty messages, and we want great fellowship, because we enjoy being together. Our weekly gathering, a high point for our week, we always hope, is meant to be adequately prepared, yet with lots of room for the Spirit to interrupt our plans when He chooses to do so and to include something else needed.
Please picture where we are when we come together, especially for the weekly worship service:
Rev.4- This is an incredible picture of being in the presence of an awesome God. When we come here, we want to meet God. Each of us comes with particular needs, even as each of us comes with something to give, to God and to one another. What happens here is so multi-faceted it is nothing short of incredible. Sometimes someone comes very discouraged and leaved encouraged. Sometimes someone intersects the life of another with just the right words or expression of affection to bring a healing from a difficult week, month, or year. Sometimes God intersects and brings just the right message, through a song, prayer, or message, that answers what someone has been questioning the previous night or week, or something someone was ‘wondering about’ is brought into focus, without ‘anyone’ knowing about it…except God, of course. So, indeed, we are here on ‘holy ground’ when we come to God.
We, evangelical protestants, and as part of the western world, have a tendency to want to believe that we know all about God, to put Him into boxes, and to bring him down to our level. We like to focus on God, Jesus, and the Spirit as our friends, and they are. However, sometimes, the role is different and we need to allow lots of space for that.
Consider:
John 17.24- Jesus takes the leadership sometimes and drags us, or leads us, places we never anticipated being. This is what has happened within our denomination. This is what has happened within our camp program. This is what is happening within this congregation. Jesus, our friend, is wonderful and we want to keep that picture. But, in addition, as we affirmed in baptism, or at other times, Jesus is our Lord, Master, High Priest, and King. Jesus, as the Father, and the Holy Spirit, is above us. He is interested in showing us great things and deep things. We come, on the sea of glass, into the glorious throne room, and we come expectantly when we do. So, we have to consider how we come, and we have to consider how we can heighten our being here.
I’d like to consider something from a family perspective- maybe more from a perspective of some families than others, but a good thing- as it comes from scripture.
Eph.6.1ff- children are to ‘obey’ their parents. This is a novel concept these days, I know, when society speaks of so many rights, some of which are necessary to protect children who aren’t being properly cared for and about. But, let’s consider this general principle. We are all children to God and God certainly obeys his part- v.4- to not provoke us or give us more than we can handle or expect too much of us. We owe to Him obedience, respect, and highest regard.
Similarly, in relationships involving master/servant, or employer/employee, God speaks of a humility that is necessary both ways, but with a primary humility necessary from the servant/employee:
Eph.6.5-8. when the overseer speaks, or when Dad speaks, it is meant to lead to a respectful following knowing that God will bring good from it. It is not meant to be ignored. How do we hear? Do we hear well, and carefully? This is part of the task of being a child or an employee/servant, isn’t it? Our responsibility is to be attentive and to hear and to listen.
Applying this back to God- the ultimate Dad- we know that we are before one who is called ‘everlasting’ (Ro.16.26), ‘High’ (Lk.8.28; Acts 16.17), ‘God of heaven’ (Rev.11.13; 16.11), God who is able to ‘make all grace abound’ (2 Cor.9.8), God who ‘is not mocked’ (Ga.6.7), ‘living God’ (Rev.7.2). These are very impressive.
Again, as evangelical Christians, one of the crosses we bear is a tendency to become familiar with God and to diminish Him. There’s a tendency to, in leaning on grace to overlook the side of judgment, which is part of scriptural reality, too. We do ‘cozy up to God’, and this is good, but there’s an awe and respect that are needed, too. We are too familiar with God when we slip into church late regularly, or when we keep talking when church service begins. We need to establish this as a sanctuary for restoration. People come here in need- we are needy people, and we’re not always really respectful to one another’s spiritual needs as we participate in the whole worship service and time of fellowship afterwards. I know that we have technical matters to improve, and we’re working on those- distractions that take away from the reality of being on the ‘sea of glass’. Distractions might not be anything to one person, but they might be deadly to someone else, coming here with potentially profound needs because of what is happening in life right now. We will work on them, especially with the sound and video, to minimize distractions. I believe that God wants all things to be done ‘decently and in order’ and that God is honoured by quality and excellence, and this is what we’ll seek. I believe in inclusion, too, as you know, so it’s a hard balance to keep- I want all to be involved, when and as possible, but….
If we think back to that passage in Heb.10.24, 25, we are told to ‘consider one another’ in an effort to stir toward love and good works. This is an important, and weekly (for this gathering) responsibility that we have. I have to consider others, by preparing a message properly and attempting to allow God to work through me. As pastor, when I speak, it is to be on God’s behalf; I try to do that and normally, I don’t prepare something for discussion and questions during church. I’m always open to discussion following the service but, in our church tradition, we don’t have ‘questions from the floor’ during the service. Why? Well, let me tell you a story about a first class I was in 2 weeks ago, where we were discussing the difficult philosophical concepts of a Canadian theologian, and one student was arguing with the professor on a point, taking time in a way that irritated several of us, including myself who trusted the professor to have what we needed to get started, at least. Yes, we believe in ‘priesthood of all believers’, but when to and how to exercise that is important to understand. Better in a small group, around a table in a home, over coffee- we must listen to one another and hear what God is speaking to each of us, in order to get a cumulative message, and we may have such times in church, on occasion, too. But, by-and-large, our service will be fairly structured and, as pastor, I do take responsibility for that. Too, let us consider the time of fellowship that follows and the need to always consider how to add to others’ enjoyment of that. Again, we have a need to speak with one another and to speak into one another’s lives in a peaceful and loving environment. Sometimes we put music on after church and sometimes it has been too loud to allow for fellowship that doesn’t leave us a bit jangled in the nerves.
Our goal, though, is a quality and enjoyable time together here. Let us remember this opportunity we have to contribute to one another’s pleasure. This is good- to contribute to one another and our mutual meeting of God, so that we all go from here having been blessed. We are here before an Awesome God, our Friend, of course, but so much more than that. We need to be sure His awesomeness is not lost in familiarity or casualness. We need all sides of God before us, so we can come together and then go away inspired and restored.
