Awakening Reverence: Transforming Worship Through Heartfelt Connection

I argued last time that sipping coffee in the holiest hour of congregational worship does not fit with reverence and awe that Hebrews 12:28 calls for uh let us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and awe Hebrews says but I argued sipping coffee is not the heart of the matter the heart of the matter is that people and leaders don't have a heart that resonates with what I mean by reverence and awe and the Holiness the sacredness of that hour of congregational worship on Sunday morning. [00:01:34]

Usually those realities are not prominent in their mind and heart those reverent realities they they know those words reverence a they know the words but the words don't have compelling existential content with the kind of serious joy that makes people eager for reverence and awe they're just words and I argued that you don't solve that problem by creating external rules you solve it by Awakening internal heartfelt reverence so things that are unfitting don't get outlawed they just fall away. [00:02:44]

From the atmosphere of casual chipper coffee sipping entertainment oriented Gathering to a more seriously joyful reverent deeply satisfying encounter with God so maybe in in this episode Tony we could talk just for a few minutes about the kind of preaching that would lead in that direction ction but maybe before I say that the pastor's mindset overall is that it's fitting for one hour a week or an hour and a half it's fitting that the people of God meet him in a kind of radical godward Focus that has weightiness to it and seriousness to it. [00:03:30]

We will never out entertain the world I just need to settle that we'll never out entertain the world nor should we try because we have something infinitely better better something our souls were made for and most of our people don't know this they don't know what's better than the fun they have watching videos and having other kinds of entertainment they don't know they've never tasted the real thing something profoundly stabilizing strengthening refining satisfying at the depths of our being is what people long for and they don't know what they're longing for until they're shown it over time. [00:04:55]

Rivet the people's attention on the Bible the very words of the Bible deal in great realities and show them those realities from the text build trust in the Bible in yourself build trust in yourself as a Bible man we can trust him because he's a Bible man some people will leave the church because of this orientation it's too frightening and threatening to submit to the Bible like this others are hungry for this and they're going to come over time seek to bring into being a people whose mindset is self-consciously and happily under under under the Bible's Authority. [00:05:39]

Make the glory of God and all that he is for us in Jesus the main reality people sense over years as they hear you preach week in and week out God is the main reality here God is big God is weighty God is precious God is satisfying God is near don't mess with with God God loves us I mean it's just a massive weighty vision of God make the greatness and beauty and worth of God the dominant reality be amazed Pastor be amazed at God continually that God simply is that he just is without beginning. [00:07:09]

Help your people see this and feel this that God relates to everything in their lives all the time as the main thing he is the main thing in their lives he's the Supreme treasure the main value the brightest hope the one they are all willing to live for and die for. [00:08:13]

Make sure that the ugliness of the disease of sin in us and in the world and the fury of the wrath of God against that disease are felt by your people God's grace precious Grace will never be amazing not the way it should be if our people do not tremble at the Majesty of God's Transcendent Purity and holy wrath against sin if they do not feel the fitness of the outpouring of the cup of the fury of his wrath against sin they will never be amazed that they're saved. [00:08:42]

Exalt Christ in his majesty and lowliness and in suffering and resurrection and in the unimaginable riches of what he purchased for us Romans 8:32 he who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all how will he not with him freely give us all things every single good that God's elect receive from now to Eternity is owing to the blood of Jesus Christ knowing that I don't deserve this and what it cost him makes me tremble in my ecstasy. [00:10:19]

Teach your people the miracle of their own conversion nobody knows from experience the glory of the miracle of New Birth we only know the Wonder of the new birth from scripture when we were dead in our trespasses God made us alive together with Christ and raised us up with him and seated Us in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus nobody knows this nobody knows this stupendous reality from experience we know it because God tells us it is so. [00:11:14]

We have to teach our people that they are supernatural beings most people come into the sanctuary feeling very natural right we have to help them feel you're a miracle you're a walking Resurrection from the dead you're not merely natural anymore this is not a moment of gathering of natural people our faith which is our life is a miracle God created it it is trust our saving faith is trust in a supremely treasured Savior and Lord. [00:12:04]

Preaching like this will over time create in your people an eagerness to encounter God in his word in a way that will make coffee sippings seem out of place. [00:12:50]