We played the awesome Matt Redman/Phillips, Craig and Dean song last week called "Let My Words Be Few". It is based on Ecclesiastes 5:2
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.
This is yet another reminder that we are to approach God with "awe" and in a humble, attentive way. It seems the word "awe" has lost it's power ever since finding it's way into our everyday conversations in recent years. You hear people say, "Man those hot wings were AWESOME!" or "Dude, your car has an awesome engine!" If we look up the definition of the the root word of awesome which is AWE, we find that it means - "a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder." The only time I have "fear or wonder" about hot wings is the next morning in the bathroom!!! However, we ARE to approach God with fear AND wonder and in a humble, reverent way. Paul writes in Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
The philosopher Kierkegaard wrote an entire work called Fear and Trembling in which he analyzes Abraham's response to God's request that he sacrifice his son Isaac. Abraham's obedience was AWESOME because Isaac was not jut his only son with his wife Sarah, but probably 100 year old Abraham's one chance to realize the infinite number of descendants God had promised. Abraham did not announce the great obedient act he was planning on carrying out to anyone! When you read the story, you get the impression that if it happened today, Abraham would not live stream his actions on Facebook. So let's make our ultimate goal to obey God like Abraham did and not run off at the mouth with special announcements, conditions or objections to God's requests. Let's think twice before speaking - about or to God. Let's show God that we are listening and are in awe of his presence. And finally, let's show God respect with our posture, humility and with the words we choose.
SETLIST
BECAUSE OF YOUR LOVE
LET MY WORDS BE FEW
BETTER IS ONE DAY
OLD RUGGED CROSS
MIGHTY TO SAVE
