Shut Up and Worship Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

What do you expect when you come to church?

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. 2 Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 3 As a dream comes when there are many cares, so the speech of a fool when there are many words. 4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin.

Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 And do not protest to the [temple] messenger, "My vow was a mistake." Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God.”

The Sacrifice of Fools They don’t give their best to God. They don’t give their best to God. They ramble on with empty words. They ramble on with empty words. “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” Lisa Simpson.

The Sacrifice of Fools They don’t give their best to God. They don’t give their best to God. They ramble on with empty words. They ramble on with empty words. They don’t fulfill their vows to God. They don’t fulfill their vows to God.

“Visit a church on Sunday morning–almost any will do–and you will likely find a congregation comfortably relating to a deity who fits nicely within the precise doctrinal positions, or who lends almighty support to social crusades, or who conforms to individual spiritual experiences.

But you will not like find much awe or sense of mystery. The only sweaty palms will be those of the preacher unsure whether the sermon will go over; the only shaking knees will be those of the soloist about to sing the offertory.” Donald McCullough, The Trivialization of God

The Sacrifice of Fools? Do we give our best to God? Do we give our best to God? Do we ramble on with empty words? Do we ramble on with empty words? Do we fulfill our vows to God? Do we fulfill our vows to God?

Watch Your Step God’s nature demands reverent awe. God’s nature demands reverent awe. “Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Isaiah 6:5

“Why do people in churches seem like cheerful, brainless tourists on a packaged tour of the Absolute? Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews.” Teaching a Stone to Talk, Annie Dillard,

Watch Your Step God’s nature demands reverent awe. God’s nature demands reverent awe. Worship is primarily listening to God. Worship is primarily listening to God. Leave room for God to speak. Leave room for God to speak.

Watch Your Step The Good News: God welcomes us. The Good News: God welcomes us. “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” Hebrews 10:19,22 “worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our "God is a consuming fire."” Hebrews 12:28-29

Watch Your Step The Good News: God welcomes us. The Good News: God welcomes us. Speak cautiously from the heart. Speak cautiously from the heart. Our actions need to match our words. Our actions need to match our words.

Challenge: Enter into the conversation.