But this is a house. dedicated to the glory of God. where we collectively come in here. to worship him and to praise him and to honor the Lord. It's so much deeper.
than a three-story slide. with lights. It's so much better than just a cup of coffee. We're not asking people to get interested in things. We're asking people to get interested in him.
When you gather with your brothers and sisters in Christ on Sunday morning, What's the main purpose of coming together? Of course, it's great to enjoy the fellowship and catch up with friends. but we gather for a purpose. Corporate worship is a time to shine the spotlight on God. rather than ourselves.
As Stephen Daby continues his series in King Solomon's Journal, The Book of Ecclesiastes He shares some guidelines for effective worship. He also provides some warnings to those who choose to make worship about themselves and not God. This message is called Some warnings about worship.
Well, is it possible somewhere in the world to go to church and have nothing to do with God. Was it possible to Enter a house dedicated to worship and do everything but worship. God? I think the answer might be a little more obvious than we would Want it to be In fact, the clues of our own church culture. can be found in what we hope to do when we arrive and why we'd like somebody to come along with us.
I don't know about you, but I get advertisements from churches all the time in my mailbox. One church. recently announced that It didn't judge or try to change anybody, so come one and all. evidently ignoring the fact that God is actually deeply committed To changing us and transforming us into the image of the Son. Another advertisement.
Sort of boasted that you can be anything you want, you can be anybody you want. We're not going to pressure you to change, you don't need to feel any pressure, just come and go as you like. Evidently ignoring the fact that as a disciple of the Lord, We've given our lives to the claims of the gospel and to this. Glorious Saviour. I get regular streams of Cards in my mailbox from a truckload of of churches that promise Great music.
Good coffee. Short sermons. You know, it might be misguided or trivial, but it's not necessarily sinful. I like good coffee. You like short sermons.
So we'll give you Good coffee. Where in all of these advertisements is the invitation to come and worship God because He's a God of glory and worthy of all worship? In fact, He's also a consuming fire, and you don't want to mess with Him. The evidence that My heart and your heart, all our hearts are infected by. A self-centered consumer approach Even to the Lord's church.
Is what we say about services, what we say about why we've come, what we say when we leave. when we say it was a good one.
So we, you know. Get out our little mental checklist. You know, good climate control, check, good seating, check, good music, check, good sermon. Triple check. Reminds me of the woman who Who shook her pastor's hand on the way out of the auditorium after Sunday morning, and she said to him, That was a good sermon, Pastor.
And he said, you know, rather proudly, don't thank me, thank the Lord. And she said, well, it wasn't that good. I've had people do that to me today, by the way, after the service. Why are people attending church in our country? Why have you and I come?
Today. Is it Just about the sermon? Is it just about the music? Is it just about business connections? Is it just about friends?
Is it just about coffee? Those answers betrayed. Our heart. We often say, at least among church leaders, that that our culture seems to be following behind Europe. And that's not necessarily a good thing.
Beloved, we reveal our motives. And our attitudes toward worship by how and why we arrived today. And what we want God to do in us today, and what we want God to do through us. in the assembly and in ministry. to the body and what we're going to say when we leave here.
As to why we thought it was good. If we thought it was good. What does God say about Genuine worship. But without any advance warning, which is typical in wisdom literature.
Solomon changes his focus rather suddenly from the world of business. to the world of worship. And he makes some inspired observations, and I want to work through this paragraph with you. We're in Ecclesiastes. We're now at chapter five.
And as we work our way through this paragraph, he presents. What I want to shape as Three warnings. To what to do and what not to do when we ultimately define true. Worship. Warning.
Number one. Worship will not take place. When you treat God's presence with casual Disregard. Notice. as the chapter opens at verse 1 of chapter 5.
Guard your steps. When you go to the house Of God.
Now, stop for a moment. For Solomon's original readers, The house of God would have been a reference to the temple. in Jerusalem. It was Stunning. And Josephus, the first century Jewish historian, said Of the past, that the gilded, golden doors, the reflection of the sun, all those doors could be seen for miles.
But it's interesting when you think about Solomon making this This comment He's observed the digression. Of genuine worship. It's just become a building, it's just become a formality. There's no heart. Right there in Jerusalem.
In spite of the glorious temple that David, his father, had designed, and Solomon himself had overseen in the building of it, and then as he just sort of covered it all of gold. But Solomon has played a role in the digression of worship, hadn't he? He's compromised his own moral Character. He's disobeyed God's word and multiplying wives and ultimately accommodating their false gods and. Building false.
Temples for them. But now, and again, in this journal, he's returned back in his old age. to the truth. As I've said in repentance, and that becomes clear at differing times in this journal, and he sort of pounds the pulpit. Here, so to speak.
He's going to remind his son Rehoboam, who's going to read this, and the nation of Israel. And us to this day, What? True worship means. And he begins with this warning. And you can broadly.
Expand this directive to us today. Anyone approaching God. Any assembly Saying We're a church. And we belong by the grace of God to demonstrating and obeying the glory of God. We've come to worship.
Here's a timeless principle. Look, if you want to worship God, the true and living God, you'd better approach Him with the right heart. Attitude. You'd better come. The right way.
Guard your. Steps. In other words, enter his presence. thoughtfully. appropriately Respectfully.
Don't be dull-minded. Uh don't be insensitive. We we are approaching boldly the throne, the very presence of God, Hebrews 4, 16 and this dispensation. We we experience such liberty the Old Testament saint knew nothing of. We go directly to him.
Our mediator is now Jesus our Redeemer. The God-man, 1 Timothy 2, verse 5. But even though we can go immediately, in fact, in a unique Way as an assembly, we're in the presence of God. He is our audience. We are not the audience.
We have to keep in mind. To check our attitude. This doesn't mean you got to enter the assembly, you know, with a hushed voice and a somber. Uh appearance.
Some would be quick to quote, yeah, but Habakkuk 2:20 says, The Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before them. And others would say, yeah, but David made it clear, you know, when you gather, shout. Aloud to the Lord burst. into jubilant Song praise him in the congregation.
That doesn't sound somber to me.
Well both and the balance of them all. is to guard our steps, come with the right heart. In fact, when he writes, Guard your steps. What he means is sort of like what your parents meant, and my parents, maybe you heard the same thing, but my parents meant to me when I would sort of get close to that. territory labeled disrespectful.
They would say something like, You'd better watch your step, young man. Did you ever hear that? Growing up, I heard it two or three times. You're drawing out. You better watch your step young man.
I knew that didn't mean I need to look down at my feet I knew that meant, I better watch my attitude. And that's what Solomon is talking about here. That's how you approach God. When we approach God in genuine worship, we approach with an attitude of reverence. and joy and anticipation and An expectation and ultimately resignation to his will.
Morning number two. A worship will not take place when you attempt to use words to pull the wool over God's. Eyes. Notice the last part of verse One. To draw near To listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools For they do not know that they are doing evil.
In other words, they don't realize because of their hypocrisy that even though they're going through the formalism, the appearance of worship, they're actually evil. They have nothing to do with God. which is adding to their condemnations. A fool, remember in the Bible, isn't somebody who's slow at math or science. It's somebody who's disobedient.
It's somebody who's defiant.
Solomon is describing a fool who comes into the presence of God and he's not ready to listen to God. He's ready to lecture God.
Well, if I had an audience with God, I would lecture him. That's the idea. A true worshipper comes into the house of worship ready. To listen. And in Solomon's day, it was a lot of listening to do.
The priests would. Explain the sacrifices brought by the worshipers, the festivals, the observances. The responsibilities. The law And all of it's tangential. Expressions.
And responsibilities, the scriptures would be read and explained. There would be a lot to. See, and there'd be a lot to hear. The Hebrew verb here for listening. Carries the idea of paying careful attention so that you can obey what you hear.
It isn't just, well, I listened today. We covered a few verses I know now where Ecclesiastes is in the Bible. No, it's listening. with an intention Of obeying, but a foolish person goes through the motions and sings the songs Without any heart. Without any hearkening.
or heating. But he might be able to sing. We exalt thee, O God. What is God hearing us? actually say I love the little girl who illustrated that point fairly well.
They were singing in the audience, the congregation. We exalt thee. She's four years old. Her mother looked down and realizes she's just singing at the top of her little lungs. She got the lyrics mixed up, and she's singing, We exhaust thee, O God.
And I wonder. I wonder. One author commenting on this passage said that God is not listening to us. Through spiritual headphones, he is listening to us with a spiritual stethoscope. When sheep were herded into the pen at night.
The shepherds would take their rods and they would part The wall looking for Problems for ticks, for cuts, for bruises, for the beginnings of skin, infections. The wall would often mask the true condition of the sheep. From that, we get our expression: pulling the wall over someone's eyes. We're masking our true condition, true worship. Is where we don't use all the right words and think somehow it'll pull the wool over God's eyes.
We're open books. That's why worship always involves confession. Warning number three. Worship will not take place. When you talk to God and others like you've arrived.
Notice verse 2. Be not rash with your mouth. Nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, or that is in the presence of God. For God is in heaven. He's giving a little sarcasm here.
For God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore, Let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business. And a fool's voice with many words. He makes an analogy there at the end of this Text, let me deal with that last phrase because it's confusing.
It did to me, confuse me, is my Confuse you. The Hebrew text is giving us really a context of trouble. or anxiety. In fact, that word business is translated earlier in chapter 2 and verse 23, and it's a little clearer there that the context is one of dreaming out of or because of anxiety. Or pain, or sorrow, or stress.
In chapter 2 and verse 23, he writes: For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Same word. Even at night, his heart does not rest. And he uses that same word over here in chapter 5. In other words, because of his stressful, anxious, Life He's restless.
His dreams just bring all those stresses and maybe some strange memory from the past and makes this convoluted, unhelpful. Unnecessary Dream. And Solomon isn't. Suggesting that dreams are some kind of mystical word from God. Be careful with that.
He's not giving some kind of exposition on. on nightly visions. He's simply making an analogy that sometimes your dreams, which might be more like nightmares, that trouble you end up robbing you because they're unhelpful. Just like The words produced by a fool are unhelpful. They're unnecessary.
And Solomon evidently had the same experience. And so he Let's go back to the earlier warning there in the text. He says, Don't be rash with your words, don't be hasty. With your heart. I love the way Moffat translated it 100 years ago.
He said, He said, don't let your heart hurry into your words. Be careful. Life is hard enough. When you come into the presence of God and around one another, don't just run off your mouth. He's describing someone who thinks they know all the answers.
And he adds this sarcastic phrase to serve as the punchline. Don't forget God's the one in heaven. That is, he can see a life from beginning to end. And you're still on earth. And by the way, even when you get to heaven, you're still not God.
So you haven't arrived. And since God is always wise whenever He speaks, And we're not God. There is the possibility That when we speak, we will not be wise. Here's his point: so make your words few, don't be quick. to speak When you come in the presence of God, Be ready, be quicker to listen.
Worshipers never, by the way, take on God's role. In fact, the best we can ever do for others in the assembly, the best we can ever do. For those around us who've come also to worship God, the best comfort and advice we could ever offer is to simply give them, through our own experience of vocabulary, essentially give them what God has already said. That's when we're at our best. Warning number four.
Worship will not take place when you make promises you don't attempt. To keep. Verse four. When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it. That is, if you've said to the Lord, I'm going to give you some money.
I'm going to bring you an offering and animal. or some fruit, or whatever it might have been in this Old Testament context. Don't delay paying it. For he has no pleasure in Fools, that is the defiant. the disobedient.
So pay. what you vow. It's better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. No. This Text needs a little commentary.
But keep in mind, vows were not commanded. In the Old Testament. They came from hearts that were overflowing in gratitude or commitment. Or confession to the Lord. They are familiar in Old Testament practice.
The Lord seems to mitigate it when He says, Hey, look, for you guys, just let your yes be yes and your no be no. But vows do appear. You can do the word study as I did and find a number of instances. They appear in Numbers 21 as part of a prayer. Jonah 2 is an expression of gratitude, though short-lived.
Leviticus 22 is an offering, and for Samuel is a dedicatory prayer to God. Should God give her. Her, Hannah, a child. Not commanded.
Solomon is saying that it's best not to make them at all if you plan on. Deferring or delaying or maybe even denying You ever said it. Notice the next phrase, verse 6: Let not your mouth lead you into sin. Do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. The messenger is.
More than likely a reference to the temple associate The priestly associate who's now arrived at your house to collect what you promised you'd give. And when he arrives, notice. You say it was a mistake. Uh you misunderstood. I wasn't really that serious, or I didn't mean that literally, or.
You know, maybe next month. Come back. It's the idea. When you and I Make a promise or a commitment to the Lord. We're not able to fulfill them.
consistently you've Live with the Lord long enough? or perfectly But God knows that it's your heart's desire. To keep your promises, whatever it might be in a prayer or commitment or dedication or whatever it is. Just be careful when you make them, you are not knowingly playing games with God or trying to bribe them. Lord, if you'll do this, I'll give you that.
If you come through here, I'll do that. Yeah, that's just religious bribery. Don't play games with God. Don't toy. With God.
Remember, it's an open heart. And the truth is, we make promises. much more easily and much more readily than I think we understand. And we're not against making promises. Just don't be like a fool who has no intention of following through.
And let me just use this as an illustration: as we sang together as a congregation. We together sang at least 20 prayers. promises to God. I counted them. As I read the lyrics on the screen.
At least 20 of them. We made together. We We promised. to tell others the gospel. We promised.
Two Forsake the follies of sin. We promised to await His coming with anticipation. We promised we would love Him in life and we would love Him right up to the moment of our death. Lord, we promise. That's how much we love you.
And for a genuine believer. It's true. We have that desire. And longing and plan, and intention, and prayer, and commitment to fulfill those kinds of promises. And when we fail, we run in repentance and Grief and sorrow to the cross of Jesus Christ our Redeemer and afresh confess to Him because we want fellowship restored.
But an imitation worshiper. The fool! Makes promises. And then They're gonna sin Before the sun sets on the Lord's Day, when they leave their assembly wherever they may go and not think a thing of it and enjoy every bit of it. Yeah, I sang that, but I didn't mean it that literally.
I mean, don't be so serious. Forsake the follies of sin. I mean, God understands. I mean, we're human beings. Don't be such a stuffed shirt trying to hold us to some kind of commitment here.
Have a little fun. By the way, we can always go back to church the next Sunday and pay our respects. It's not worship. And did you notice in the text here? that God is actually angry with that kind of person?
Angry with that kind of verbal Commitment? In fact, the word angry is the word for wrath. And Siri This is a word ultimately reserved. For the unbeliever's future condemnation, who never intended to begin with, to keep his word. Or follow the word of God.
And God will bring discipline to those of us who belong to Him, but to the unbeliever, the fool, the defiant. 1. It will be lasting judgment and eternal destruction. And that's what Solomon is hinting at here at verse. Six, for the hypocrite who had no real interest in God, but loved playing Loved playing the game of Religion.
They came in. And you know what? It really was. Just about coffee. And business connections, and it makes me feel good to show up with those kinds of people, and maybe even around a putt-putt.
I mean, how good is that? One more warning. Number five, worship. will not take place when you demand your dreams instead of surrendering to God's desires. Verse seven.
For when dreams, you could understand that to mean daydreams or fantasies. When they increase And what am I going to do? If I buy that lottery ticket, nobody finds out about it, and I win it. You start following Your own self-centered daydreams, your own will, your own wishes.
Solomon essentially says here: you're going to waste your life. You're going to chase after vanity. Let words multiply, and you're just going to chase after the wind. You won't catch life worth Meaning. Worship isn't demanding your dreams be fulfilled.
but God's glory to be revealed. On earth.
So here's the solution. You know, Solomon just sort of bookends. This Section. It begins with Guarding your steps, and he ends with: God is the one you must. fear, that is the idea of Trembling trust is the best way, I think, to translate it.
Reverends. Aww. As you come into the assembly. Today. The timeless principles apply, but but do keep in mind This place is not the temple.
In this dispensation, your body is the temple. of the living God. Paul wrote to the Corinthians. This This isn't the house of God. You are living stones making up the house of God.
First Peter. Too far. But this is a house. dedicated to the glory of God. and the worship of God on the Lord's Day.
as we gather where we collectively come in here. To honor the Lord, to worship Him and to praise Him and to and to learn from his word and to confess to him and to surrender to him and yes to make 20 promises. Good promises. It's so much deeper. and richer.
Than a three-story slide with lights. It's so much better than just a cup of coffee. We're not asking people to get interested in things. We're asking people to get interested in him. To enjoy with us the gospel and the glory and the grace.
of God.
So worship. If I could summarize it, it's not gathering to remind God of everything we want. And I'm going to go over there to that one, that church, because they got everything I want. Worship, genuine worship. Is where we gather together to remind ourselves that God.
But God is everything. We truly Need. What an important reminder today from God's Word. It's easy to begin thinking that gathering with our church families on Sunday is about us. We need to be reminded that worship is about God.
So the next time you gather with your church family, Do so with the mindset that God and God alone take center stage. Today's message is called Some Warnings About Worship. It comes from Stephen Davies' series out of Ecclesiastes called Surviving Evil Under the Sun. This was Message Three in that series. And if you miss the first two and want to get caught up, we've posted them to our website, which is wisdomonline.org.
Follow the link that says Today's Broadcast and you'll find this message as well as all of the others in the series. Let me also mention that during this series, the C D set is available at a deeply discounted rate. If that's something that interests you, call 86648 Bible. That's 866-48-Bible. If you'd like to receive occasional updates and be on Stephen's email list, we'd love to include you.
Stephen sends encouragement articles and updates about our ministry once a week. Visit wisdomonline.org forward slash email. and you'll find the link to sign up. You can also receive this daily message in your inbox. Join us next time.
Here on Wisdom for the Heart.
