Fear God now and you won't have to fear God later.

The Fear of God -- Daily "Lessons on Living" Christian Devotional: "Fear God now and you won't have to fear God later."

I read this today in my Quiet Time and wanted to reflect on the Fear of God in church. Many contemporary church services are criticized as being flippant and irreverent, compared to the solemnity of "old fashioned" services. Is this a fair criticism? Even my own at Dapto Anglican is upbeat, and frankly, it's fun!

Fun services like mine emphasize that God is approachable. Jesus is our friend. He understands us and knows us and we can boldly and confidently enter his presence. This is His promise to us. Yet Paul in his letter to the Corinthians warns us not to partake of the Lord's Supper in an unworthy manner.

So how do we both fear God and come confidently into His presence, knowing He loves and cares for us, even in our weakness? I guess the best analogy is human friendship. A true friend acceptes our weaknesses and failings, and expresses support and understanding. But even a "best friend" if they are truly our friend, will not tolerate us taking them for granted and abusing them. They will warn us, encourage us, challenge us, and help us to change.

That's why even fun services need a place for us to confess our sins, repent, and to express our desire and willingness to follow him. We need to hear clear teaching from His word that challenges, inspires and encourages us. Does your service have all these elements, or have you forgotten that our best friend wants the best for us?

I have two resources that may help you.

Face to Face is one of my favourite songs of confession, gratitude and intimacy.

The Spiritual Life Assessment is a free tool to help you examine your life before God and start making Godly change in the power of the Spirit.