As You Go to Church Today…

For many of us, we will go to church today or watch services online. While we do, let me encourage you to listen for and pray about two specific issues.

Solomon provides us his conclusion.

When Solomon discusses understanding life, he came down to two conclusions. Before I provide the conclusion though, let me tell you why it is so important. Early in Ecclesiastes, Solomon describes the goal of every person to figure out life’s circumstances. Each person in the image of God strives to make sense of life around him or her. When life happens, we want to piece it together in a way that makes sense.

Why do bad things happen?
What is the reason I don’t get everything that I want?
Why do some people get what I want when those people do not deserve it like me?
Why doesn’t God give me what I want?

These and many other questions come natural to each one of us. Solomon explains it. “I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised” (Ecclesiastes 1:13).

Notice that Solomon explains here that God gives you the desire to figure life out around you as “this burdensome task…by which they may be exercised.”

It is impossible to ignore the world around us. You can’t “not” wonder, consider, think about, and try to figure out the world. You do that because you are in the image of God. Your desire to know simply demonstrates your humanity.

Where does Solomon point our attention?

Solomon takes very seriously this task that God gives to every person to intentionally stir us up. God wants us to ask these questions. As we do, we face the biggest issues of life. The contemplation and resultant discussion emphasize either our dependency upon God or the sadness of leaning on our own understanding.

On what does he want us to consider? Where should our attention turn?

Notice his specific instruction:

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments. For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

With these words, Solomon closed his book. Friends, these are important words. Again, there are two big ideas for you to consider and even pray in light of as you go to church today or listen online.

Fear God

To fear God means to respect Him, recognize His incredible character, and stand in awe of Him. As our God – the Creator, Sustainer, Sovereign, the I AM, and the Holy One, we who are made in the image of God worship Him. He is great and worthy to be praised. We worship in reverential awe Who He is and what He does. He is our God.

As you go to church today, listen to the Word of God with this in mind. Seek to worship Him in spirit and truth related to His character and His works. Have an open mind and heart as you listen to the sermon and sing the worship music corporately related to what the Bible says about our great God.

What does this build? When you fear God, you build trust. In other words, you can go today to church and ask God to help you grow in your trust in Him. As you grow in trust, you will see a direct connection to your contentment, lessened anxiety, and less fear of man. Therefore, go looking for the opportunity to grow today in the fear of God.

 

Keep His Commandments

The second thing you should strive to pay attention to today is this: listen for ways to honor God better in the way you think, in your desires, your attitude, and your behavior. Solomon tells us to not only fear God but also keep His commandments.

Therefore, today, listen for commandments that you currently break. If God asks you to do something that you do not do, plan to repent of that omission, and look for ways to begin obeying God in that area. If God asks you not to do something that you already do, plan to repent of that sin, and look for ways to put that away from you.

Simply stated, put off sin and put on godliness. To be godly means that you take on the characteristics God requires, which makes grow in the image of God. As you grow in the image of God, you become more and more godly.

As you prepare and leave for church…

Today, as you prepare and participate in church, do not forget to keep your heart open, your eyes focused, and your ears tuned in order to grow in your fear of God as well as your obedience to Him.

Trust and Obey – for there is no other way – to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Great hymn. Greater truth from the wisest man who ever lived outside of Jesus. Two things today upon which to focus – trust and obey.