Sunday PM Sunday, November 5, 2023

Ecclesiastes 5

Ecclesiastes 5

Service Outline & Sermon Notes

Service outline and sermon notes automatically generated from video content.

Order of Service

Sermon Title: Thoughtful and Reverent Worship

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 5:1–7

I. Thoughtless Worship Is Irreverent Worship

A. Solomon's command to "guard your steps" when approaching the house of God reflects the Old Testament pattern of careful, prepared approach to a holy God

  1. Exodus 3 — Moses told to remove sandals on holy ground
  2. Exodus 20:10, 22 — Israel commanded to consecrate themselves before approaching Mount Sinai; priests warned to consecrate themselves lest God break out against them
  3. Leviticus 15:31 — Israel kept separate from uncleanness lest they defile God's tabernacle

B. The New Testament equally calls for reverent approach to God

  1. Hebrews 12:28–29 — Offer acceptable worship with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire
  2. Hebrews 12:25 — Greater revelation brings greater responsibility; we cannot refuse him who speaks from heaven

C. For New Covenant Christians, preparation for worship means taking hold of Christ by faith — his righteousness clothes us and his blood cleanses us to approach a holy God

  1. Preparation should begin well before Sunday; Saturday evenings at minimum, following the pattern of Exodus 20's two-day consecration
  2. Corporate worship is serious: where two or three are gathered, Christ himself is present
  3. Many Christians' confusion about God's purposes in their lives may stem from a failure to take Sunday worship seriously — treating Monday through Saturday as primary and corporate worship as secondary

II. Thoughtless Worship Is Ignorant Worship

A. The fool in Ecclesiastes 5:1 does not know he is doing evil — he thinks God is pleased with his worship

  1. This is not a wolf in sheep's clothing, but a sincere worshipper worshipping in ignorance (Derek Kidner)
  2. Cain in Genesis 4 offers the scraps of the ground and is genuinely surprised that God is displeased — a picture of ignorant worship

B. "Going through the motions" or "professional" worship: the patterns are present but the heart and ears are disengaged from the content of the service

C. We are called to worship in spirit and truth — "my heart is in the right place" is not sufficient if one is not worshipping the God who has revealed himself in his Word

  1. Ignorance is no excuse: God has fully and finally revealed himself in the Son
  2. Romans 12:1–2 — The call to a transformed mind is for every Christian, not only trained theologians
  3. The hidden assumption that ignorance reduces responsibility before God is exposed and rejected; the fullness of revelation has come whether one engages it or not

III. Thoughtless Worship Is Inverted Worship

A. The foolish worshipper is characterized by many words and a rash mouth; the contrast is with one who is quiet and ready to listen

  1. Ecclesiastes 5:2 — Be not rash with your mouth; God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few
  2. The fool approaches God as a peer or intimate companion, assuming no need to listen

B. Vows in Ecclesiastes 5:4–7 illustrate the worshipper who draws attention to his own piety rather than to God

  1. Rash vows made to impress others actually pave the way for the worshipper's own destruction, since God will require what was vowed
  2. This is the spirit of the Pharisee — praying to God while scanning the room to compare and glorify himself

C. Loud-mouthed, showy worshippers are ultimately man-worshippers; they fear man, not God

  1. Ecclesiastes 5:7 — When dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear
  2. True worshippers know how to be silent, because they know God's thoughts are far above theirs — his thoughts are higher than our thoughts

D. Conclusion: Corporate worship is not "me time" but God's time — not a place to have intellectual preferences satisfied, but to be confronted with the Almighty and his holy Word

  1. We must shut out the static of Monday through Saturday and come prepared
  2. The posture of true worship: Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening (cf. 1 Samuel 3:9)
Older Ecclesiastes 4 Newer Ecclesiastes 5:8-20