Reverent Worship: Guarding Our Steps Before God
Book of Ecclesiastes • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Ask Kristen to play / reading from Ecc and a portion from Hebrews 12
Have we come prepared to enter into the house of God today?
Have we come prepared to enter into the house of God today?
This is not the OT Temple
Jesus speaks to the woman at the well, she says the Samaritan tradition tells her she goes to the mountain to worship but she expects He will tell her to worship in Jerusalem (at the location referenced in the Ecc story.)
John 4:21–23 “21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”
In the NT, the house of God is no longer a physical temple.
This marks a theological turning point: worship is no longer tied to a physical place but to faith in Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Primarily Christ as the true temple.
The Church (the people of God) as His household.
Individual believers indwelt by the Spirit.
A future heavenly dwelling prepared by Christ (John 14:2).
So we will say it like this today.. “Worship with sincerity and reverence in the presence of God!” stated negatively, “Beware of meaningless, mechanical attempts at worship.”
Ecc 5:1-7, Heb 12:25-29
Ecc 5:1-7, Heb 12:25-29
Prayer:
Father seeketh such to worship him.
Let us surrender to Him every room in the temple of our hearts
In our quietness we will be ready to hear, we will not be hasty to utter things, for our God is in heaven we are upon the earth.
Introduction
Introduction
Vance Havner, born in 1901. was an American Southern Baptist minister, evangelist, and author who had a very sharp and succinct way of communicating truth. When speaking to a room full of pastors he said, “We major nowadays on relevance and minor on reverence.” —
I’ll let you do what I did when I read that. Take a moment to consider this. This does not just indict pastors, but because far too often pastors give or tell congregations what they want to hear.
We need this lesson by Solomon today as much as we ever have.
We need this lesson by Solomon today as much as we ever have.
This Teacher’s target is the well-meaning person who likes a good song and turns up cheerfully enough to church; but who listens with half an ear, and never quite gets round to what he has volunteered to do for God.
This is a heartfelt appeal to those who may feel distant from God.
Your feet may be going to the right places but your heart is somewhere else. / consider closing some tabs
We stand on the street outside of the temple and watch people enter
We stand on the street outside of the temple and watch people enter
With Solomon we have now visited the courtroom, the marketplace, the palace, and now we are at the temple.
As he passes by the temple - a temple he and his father strongly desired to build. 1 Chronicles 17:1–2 dwell in cedar house but Ark of the Covenant is under a curtain
This was the place people would encounter the presence of God. 2 Chronicles 6:2 “2 But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever.”
When he visits he sees people worshipping in an insincere manner.
Worshiping God is not a casual activity; it requires reverence and sincerity.
Worshiping God is not a casual activity; it requires reverence and sincerity.
Time and time again Israel failed to approach God with true devotion, bringing defective sacrifices and making empty vows. Mal. 1:14, Prov. 20:25
The repeated word fool is scathing; fools sacrifice, fools voice, pleasure of a fool.
To be casual with God is an evil (1), a sin (6) and will not go unpunished (6b).
No amount of emphasis on grace can justify taking liberties with God, for the very concept of grace demands gratitude; and gratitude cannot be casual.
Worship recalibrates us.
Worship recalibrates us.
We have looked around – Observing the world’s injustice, oppression, and futility. Ecclesiastes 4:1 “1 So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.”
We have been forced to look within – Finding his own soul to be empty, disillusioned, and consumed by despair. Ecclesiastes 2:20 “20 Therefore I went about to cause my heart to despair of all the labour which I took under the sun.”
Now we must learn to look up – Occasionally lifting his gaze to God, remembering the faith he once had but later abandoned.
What is worship?
What is worship?
From beginning to the end of this book we are being taught how to approach God in worship. Today’s text is Ecc but we could start anywhere.
Whole hearted response to God.
Engagement with God on His terms where only He makes it possible.
Worship is our innermost being responding with praise for all that God is, through our attitudes, actions, thoughts, and words, based on the truth of God as He has revealed Himself.
Worship is all that we are, reacting rightly to all that He is.
Giving unto the Lord the glory due unto is name. Psalm 96:8
Three Ways We Watch Our Steps as We Enter into Worship
Three Ways We Watch Our Steps as We Enter into Worship
I. Prioritize Listening Over Speaking and Acting
I. Prioritize Listening Over Speaking and Acting
A. Listening should be our first priority in worship
A. Listening should be our first priority in worship
Ecclesiastes 5:1 “1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.”
More ready than what? Than you are currently, than to speak, more ready to hear than to act.. YES to them all.
Israel was repeatedly commanded, Deuteronomy 6:4 “4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:” / Some 50-60 times we hear God give a command like this to Israel.
Jesus emphasized listening. Matthew 11:15 “15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
We cannot overemphasis the importance of hearing. Romans 10:17 “17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” / Greatest moment of my life has not been from speaking, but from hearing. I heard the Gospel as a young boy.
Listening is better than the sacrifice of fools
We’re here to be worshippers first and workers only second. We take a convert and immediately make a worker out of him. God never meant it to be so. God meant that a convert should learn to be a worshiper, and after that he can learn to be a worker…The work done by a worshiper will have eternity in it. - Tozer
B. Religious activity alone does not equal true worship.
B. Religious activity alone does not equal true worship.
Ecclesiastes 5:1 “1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.”
Does not mean there should not have been sacrifices offered.
Obedience is better than sacrifice. 1 Sam 15:22
NT we see praise, giving, presenting our lives as sacrifice and Christ as the ultimate sacrifice.
Like Cain in the Bible, we should listen to what God ask for in a sacrifice.
Simply you cannot serve God by imitating others.
True worship is about offering what is truly in your heart.
Story of Micah’s home made religion / Micah, an Ephraimite, stole silver from his mother but later confessed. She dedicated some to the Lord, making an idol for his personal shrine. Micah appointed his son as priest but later hired a wandering Levite, believing this would bring God’s favor. The Danites, seeking land, visited Micah, stole his idols and priest, and set up false worship in Laish (renamed Dan). This reflects Israel’s spiritual chaos: “Everyone did which was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 17:6). Micah’s story warns against self-made religion and foreshadows Israel’s later idolatry and judgment. // Picture of religion as all external.
Do not follow the way of the fool.
Fool: People who have become so used to playing games with God that they no longer expect religion to be anything else
C. Reverence for God should make us slow to speak.
C. Reverence for God should make us slow to speak.
Ecclesiastes 5:2 “2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.”
God is in Heaven and I am here - but good reasons.
Be very mindful to Whom you are speaking.
Jesus taught us to pray, “Our father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.”
Consider how easily and freely we use of words.
Shakespeare works are 960,000 words
Just over a million if you read all the Louis Lamour novels
Notes from sermons from last 3+ years / 1.6 million
Warren Weirsbe words about the Word is in the 10s of millions
The Bible: Only 750,000
Numbers like these simply make us pause and wonder and reconsider our use of words
Our wonder grows when we consider the life of Jesus.
Jesus limited himself to speaking only what the Father gave him to speak (John 8:28).
There was more he could have said (John 16:12), but he guarded his mouth, speaking carefully and prayerfully only what gave grace to his hearers (Ephesians 4:29). John 16:12 “12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.”
What is meant by “let thy words be few?”
Do we factor in our opportunities and the years we live? Should we all become monks.
I’m confused — are we to pray with few words or without ceasing?
If it means that every second of everyday, you are consciously speaking words to God, then the words would indeed have to be very, very, very, very many,
Praying without ceasing doesn’t contradict being thoughtful. You can be both heartfelt and succinct.
Praying without ceasing means..
Continual spirit of dependency on Gd
Repeatedly and often in every situation.
Never quit believing it doesn’t matter
“I always feel it well to put a few words of prayer between everything I do.” - Spurgeon
We should come into his presence to learn and not teach.
Proverbs 10:19 “19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”
In comparison to the volume of words flooding the world, we should let our words be graciously few.
Listening to what God has said is our main spiritual discipline
Transition: We would do well to listen more and speak less — and when we do speak we should be mindful God is in Heaven and we are on earth.
Transition: We would do well to listen more and speak less — and when we do speak we should be mindful God is in Heaven and we are on earth.
II. Do Not Hide a Lack of Heart Behind Activity and Words
II. Do Not Hide a Lack of Heart Behind Activity and Words
A. Empty words reveal a lack of genuine thought and devotion
A. Empty words reveal a lack of genuine thought and devotion
Ecclesiastes 5:3 “3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.”
Overproduction is the root problem in both cases.
Overwork makes for restless sleep.
A fool will talk too much.
Worshiping God is not a social activity; it is an encounter with the Almighty.
Example: Moses before the burning bush—God required reverence. Exodus 3:5 “5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.”
B. True worship honors God’s majesty rather than relying on eloquence or excessive words.
B. True worship honors God’s majesty rather than relying on eloquence or excessive words.
Ecclesiastes 5:3 “3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool’s voice is known by multitude of words.”
Jesus reinforces this in the Lord’s Prayer (avoid vain repetition - empty phrases) – Matt. 6:7
“He that doesn’t speak often, isn’t the only one who doesn’t say much.”
Example: When we obey God, we’re not doing it for God … we’re doing it for ourselves because God takes pleasure when we’re happy.… When you come to church, when you worship Him, you’re not doing it for God really, you’re doing it for yourself. - Victoria Olsteen
Here and vs. 7 many words makes worship like reduces worship to verbal, doodling
True prayer acknowledges God's majesty rather than relying on excessive words.
III. Let Your Worship Be Defined by Sincerity
III. Let Your Worship Be Defined by Sincerity
A. Our words should always align with a heart devoted to God.
A. Our words should always align with a heart devoted to God.
Ecclesiastes 5:4 “4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.”
The Teacher warns against making hasty promises to God without fulfilling them (Eccl. 5:4-5).
A vow unkept is worse than a vow unmade.
Biblical examples:
Hannah kept her vow by dedicating Samuel to the Lord (1 Sam. 1:11, 24).
Ananias and Sapphira suffered judgment for failing to keep their pledge (Acts 5:1-11).
Jesus taught that honesty and integrity should replace unnecessary vows (Matt. 5:33-37).
B. Making empty promises to God carries serious spiritual consequences.
B. Making empty promises to God carries serious spiritual consequences.
Ecclesiastes 5:5–6 “5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay. 6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?”
Many treat words lightly, making grand promises to God in moments of emotion but failing to follow through.
Scripture warns that God does not take our words lightly—neglecting a vow is not just irresponsible, but offensive to a holy God.
Jesus' warning on oaths:
"Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.'" (Matt. 5:37)James 5:12 emphasizes integrity in speech, cautioning against careless vows.Insincere words in worship can be worse than silence.
It is better to remain quiet than to offer hasty, empty commitments.A pattern of broken promises reveals a heart that values appearance over sincerity.Talk is not just cheap—it can be spiritually costly.
Leads to self-deception and divine displeasure. Proverbs 10:19 “19 In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.”
C. We must treat our commitments to God with sincerity.
C. We must treat our commitments to God with sincerity.
Ecclesiastes 5:6 “6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?”
A careless word or a broken vow is not a small matter to God.
Making excuses for unfulfilled promises is dangerous and invites God's judgment.
The gravity of unkept commitments highlights the need for a worshipful heart that takes God seriously in all things.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Reverence is the response of a humble heart to the presence of God.
Reverence is the response of a humble heart to the presence of God.
Ecclesiastes 5:7 “7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.”
The Teacher concludes: “With many dreams come vanities and a multitude of words; but fear God” (Eccl. 5:7).
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom and true worship (Prov. 1:7).
Jesus demonstrated zeal for reverent worship when He cleansed the temple (Matt. 21:12-13).
Reverence leads to sincere, God-honoring worship, rather than empty rituals and meaningless words.
Worship is designed by God to put us in our place and to remind us of His place.
Worship is designed by God to put us in our place and to remind us of His place.
Worship is a habit, a lifestyle, a heart condition that should be perpetual.
Worship is not the act of appeasing God.
It’s the act of adoring Him.
Modern day religion often attempts to “make God useful to us.”
Let us not be part of the generation that “majors in relevance and minors in reverence.”
“The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His Presence.” Tozer
Worshiping God with reverence involves:
Worshiping God with reverence involves:
I. Prioritize Listening Over Speaking and Acting
I. Prioritize Listening Over Speaking and Acting
Listening should be our first priority in worship.
Religious activity alone does not equal true worship.
Reverence for God should make us slow to speak.
II. Do Not Hide a Lack of Heart Behind Activity and Words
II. Do Not Hide a Lack of Heart Behind Activity and Words
Empty words reveal a lack of genuine thought and devotion.
True worship honors God’s majesty rather than relying on eloquence or excessive words.
III. Let Your Worship Be Defined by Sincerity
III. Let Your Worship Be Defined by Sincerity
Our words should always align with a heart devoted to God.
Making empty promises to God carries serious spiritual consequences.
We must treat our commitments to God with reverence and sincerity.
Let us spend time in prayer having heard from His Word. Let our words be few but meaningful.
