Behavior In Worship

by Micky Galloway

Any misbehavior during worship is a distraction to others and is evidence of dishonor toward God. Whether we are singing, praying, partaking of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of His death, giving of our means or studying together God’s holy word, let us give proper reverence to God! Let us behave in a way that is befitting of the occasion of worship. The Psalmist when speaking of God said, “I will extol thee, my God, O King: and I will bless thy name forever and ever” (Psalms 145:1). David expressed a proper attitude toward God. Jesus when instructing the disciples how they ought to pray taught them to address God, “Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matthew 6:9). Jesus taught that any approach to God should be in reverence and awe. David further said of God, “Holy and reverend is thy name” (Psalms 111:9). Reverence includes solemnity and correct forms; however, one could be solemn and correct in outward form and still not be reverent.

Reverence is defined as “a feeling or attitude of deep respect, love, awe and esteem, as for something sacred; veneration.” Some of the synonyms for reverence are “honor, veneration, awe, adoration” (Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary). Just as children are to be taught to “honor thy father and mother …” (Ephesians 6:2), giving honor to God likewise must be taught. Parents, that is our responsibility.

The proper expression of a reverent attitude toward God reveals the character of our heart. The greater our character, the greater our reverence toward God will be. On the other hand, many have become so casual in attitude toward sacred things that they have a blurred view of who God is. God’s attitude toward the irreverence of His children is clearly expressed in the prophet David, “Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself” (Psalms 50:21). Many have lost sight of the greatness of the Almighty God and consider Him no greater than themselves. Perhaps we have become so immersed in the world and so absorbed by that which is foul that it makes real reverence almost impossible. Whatever the cause, we must understand God’s attitude toward this lack of respect and honor that is due Him. We must look for any evidence in our own lives of such dishonor and seek to change our attitude toward God.

God demands reverence. “And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:3-5). Not only does God demand reverence of the individual, but He also demands reverence of the whole assembly. David wrote, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him” (Psalms 9:7). Under the New Covenant God also demands and expects His children to revere Him. “But let all things be done decently and in order” (I Corinthians 14:40). “Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well pleasing to God with reverence and awe” (Hebrews 12:28). That we should show the greatest reverence possible toward God should be the purpose of our life and certainly the purpose of our worship to Him.

Evidence of irreverence toward God can be seen in our appearance when we worship God. Some quote I Samuel 16:7, “(Jehovah seeth) not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart” to suggest that our clothes do not send a message. However, even our appearance, vividly reveals what is in our heart (Matthew 15:18-20). The wisdom writer said, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). What are we saying about this glorious occasion of worship and our attitude toward our Creator? Rarely do we see people dressed in very casual attire when they are going to a wedding or funeral. People realize that such occasions demand a more dignified appearance. Should it be any less for our Lord when we assemble to worship Him? No one is suggesting a strict dress code. I have known a number of men who wore overalls to worship, but they were their “Sunday best,” clean and often ironed, sometimes worn with a dress shirt and tie. The point is, our attire should reflect the dignity of the purpose for which we have come together.

Further evidence of disrespect and lack of reverence exists when we applaud and cheer in worship to God. This has become the norm in many churches when one confesses wrong or is baptized into Christ. The reasoning to seek to justify clapping and cheering in worship is not arguments from Scripture, but purely human, secular reasoning. Some argue that “worship is a right thing to do and there is no wrong way to do it.” We must be reminded that we do not live under the law of Moses today, but under the law of Christ. Yet, in spite of this some quote from the Old Testament to justify their practice of shouting or clapping in worship assemblies (I Samuel 4:5; II Samuel 6:15-16; Ezra 3:11-12). These passages and other Old Testament passages do not legislate the practices of our worship assemblies in the church today.

One preacher cites Psalms 47:1-2, “O clap your hands, all ye people, shout unto God with the voice of triumph. For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.” He also quotes Psalms 98:4-9 like this, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, rejoice and sing praise … Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together before the Lord.” He then affirms, “Here is worship which included shouting and clapping the hands.” What is wrong with this position? Look again at the passage and note what is left out of the quote from Psalms 98:4-9. Between the words “Praise” and “Let” the scripture says, “Sing unto the Lord with the HARP; with the HARP, and the voice of the psalm. With TRUMPETS and sound of CORNET make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King” (verses 5-6). If these verses authorize shouting and clapping of hands in our worship assemblies today, why not use mechanical instruments of music in worship assemblies today? Some may express joy by shouting, others by clapping their hands, others by whistling and still others by blowing on a whistle. Have we by our faulty reasoning justified using instrumental music in worship? Are we ready for that? There is no authority revealed in the New Testament for such things. Let us remember that “God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

Has worship become so casual that there is no difference in our behavior, dress, and degree of solemnity at worship or at a ball game? Let us not “profane” our worship by taking that which is holy and treating it as common. May our dress, practice and behavior in worship reflect the attitude and character of one who truly fears God and holds His holy name in reverence and awe. Let us bring the best we have in attitude, dignity, respect and character as we worship God.