A God to be Reckoned With

Throughout Pastor Bryan’s sermon series on Moses and the Exodus, the character of God (as emphasized in Moses’ journey) caught my attention. Exodus 15 states, “The Lord is my strength…The Lord is a warrior…Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power…In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling…The Lord will reign forever and ever.” The examples of God’s power and strength are easy pickings. But what does this facet of God’s character tell us about how to worship? The Bible is full of references, from Genesis to Revelation, about God’s power and strength. So what does that mean for us as we come together, weekend after weekend, to express the God of Moses’ end-all-be-all value?

First and foremost, I think it forces a reckoning between the worshiper and the One who is worshiped. What I mean by this is that by grasping the all-powerful, almighty, all-knowing character of God, we better understand our brokenness as worshipers and our need for God’s grace. God is great. We are not. But we are still allowed to delight in God’s presence because He loves us so much.

When Christians enter the church sanctuary as a church family, we come to worship the Creator of heaven and earth (Genesis 1-2). We come to worship the God who delivered little-old-Israel from the mighty world power Egypt (Exodus 12). This is the God who has put a lump in the throat of many-a-worshipers. I know that for me, sensing this aspect of God’s character helps me realize that I serve a God that must be reckoned with. It forces questions like, “Who am I to speak this God’s praise? Who am I, chief of sinners, to enter God’s house?” All the missteps of the previous week - the pride, the greed, the selfish ambition - come rushing forward to the front of my mind. Suddenly, I don’t feel worthy to worship as part of the Christian community. But it is so important, and fundamentally Christian, that the worship does not end there. Questions like ‘who am I to speak this God’s praise?’ are the starting line of sincere, heart-felt worship.

By asking, “Who am I to worship God,” we can then hear God’s answer. We can hear God’s good news. You are not worthy to enter God’s presence as a community, but God Almighty loved His people so much that through His Son Jesus Christ we can enter His presence in worship. Therefore, our ability to enter God’s presence in worship is a reminder of God’s lavish grace. Though unworthy, the Creator of heaven and earth loves you. Though unworthy, the God who delivered little-old-Israel from the mighty world power Egypt LOVES YOU! Doesn’t that inspire more worship? Being confronted with the awesome power of God and then experiencing the depths of that God’s grace makes me want to shout!

So as we come to worship together this weekend, remember we worship a God that must be reckoned with. In that reckoning, delight in the fact that God Almighty cares enough to grace you with His presence. This is a reminder of how much the Creator of the Cosmos loves you! Hallelujah!¬