Image from crosspoint.com
You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them. (For they could not endure the order that was given, ‘If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death.’Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, ‘I tremble with fear.’)But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.’ This phrase ‘Yet once more’ indicates the removal of what is shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:18-29)
There have been times when you and I have been in worship settings where we know little to no effort was put into it. The music dragged. The sermon was just so-so. The people were not welcoming. And the congregation was small and they reflected they were bored. And I suspect that any effort to change worship would be a matter of much discussion in a committee meeting. The above passage shares what the writer knows to be true; when it comes to God, God is awesome. And when it comes to worshipping an awesome God, our worship should be awesome and inspiring. Moses, as he says, experienced God and his job after that was to help the people of God become an awesome people of worship and service. And he wanted that reverence and awe to spill over into their daily lives. Therefore, people of a stale worship become people of stale lives. We must not be about that. Read the final verses of this passage again: "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire."
Do what you must to spark up your worship life and your life outside of worship.
PRAYER: Loving God, speak to our hearts the truth about You. Move among us and stir us up for obedient and awesome worship, and let it spill over into our daily lives. We serve an exciting God and we should live in ways that invite others to come to You. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
