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What We Believe and Why - Vol. II
Written by Dr. Lester Hutson

Copyright - Lester Hutson - 1982
This material is copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced without the express written permission of Dr. Lester Hutson.

Chapter Twenty Two
Proper Conduct in Church

INTRODUCTION: TEXT: Psalm 89:7

Three times a week, we come regularly before the Lord to worship Him. Often we meet for special times of worship, such as revival meetings, ordinations and conferences. It is more important than most of us indicate, that members of a church approach these services with an attitude of reverence and respect. No doubt, the familiar and rude conduct of many a church assembly has rendered its worship void. The 89th Psalm, in verse 7, sets forth a divine rule about the spirit and attitude people should have when they come before the Lord in worship. It says, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him."

This lesson is designed to tell you why it should be that way. We are not talking here about conduct in the sense of the forms by which we worship God. We are talking about the worshipper's respect and attitude as he goes through the forms of worship, which are singing, praying, preaching, giving and the Lord's Supper. There are good reasons why our conduct in church assemblies should always be our very best.

I. IN THE FIRST PLACE, WHEN THE LORD'S CHURCH ASSEMBLES TO WORSHIP, HE MEETS WITH THE ASSEMBLY.

A. He promises that in His word.

1. His promise is found in Matthew 18:20, which says, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." The preceding five verses will quickly establish the reference here to be to the Lord's church. And, God Himself said that He would be present when the church meets.

2. Revelation 1:13-18 gives a splendid view of the Lord's churches and the Lord's relationship to those churches. These verses clearly picture the Lord God Himself walking in the midst of His churches.

3. Our God said to His church, in Matthew 28:20, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." There is no question about the fact that God is present when His church assembles to worship Him.

4. He is the head of the church. (Ephesians 5:23) You surely cannot disassociate the head from the body.

B. Have you considered the majesty of Him who meets with the church?

1. Solomon called Him "The chiefest among ten thousand." (Song of Solomon 5:10)

2. David said He is "the Lord of hosts." (Psalm 84:1)

3. Isaiah the prophet said, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever." (Isaiah 9:6-7)

4. God said of Himself in Revelation 1:8, "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."

5. I Timothy 1:17 says, He is "the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be glory and honor for ever and ever. Amen."

6. I Timothy 6:14 says, He "is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords."

7. John prophetically saw Him coming down from Heaven and said, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:11-16)

8. Paul the apostle said of Him, in Philippians 2:9-11, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

9. Mister, this is the one who meets with us when we assemble together for a worship service.

10. He is peerless in heaven and on earth. My, how that ought to sober our hearts and inspire reverence in every breast.

C. If one so great as the Lord God of Heaven meets with the church, and He does, then that makes every meeting holy, special, and awesome.

1. That distinguishes church meetings from all other meetings.

2. Groups of people may come together without reason for special conduct by those present, but if God be there, then surely our greatest respect should be rendered.

3. If God meets with the church, then it is important that we behave in church.

II. GOD HAS ALWAYS WANTED NOTHING BUT THE BEST THAT HIS PEOPLE HAVE TO GIVE HIM.

A. Look into the scriptures.

1. When Israel offered unto the Lord, all of their offerings were to be of the best they had. Leviticus 9:3, 14:10, 23:12, 6:6; Ezekiel 46:4; Numbers 6:14 and many other passages will prove that.

2. In Numbers 18:29 God commanded Israel to offer a special heave offering unto the Lord, and His words regarding that offering were, "Out of all your gifts, ye shall offer every heave offering of the Lord, of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part out of it."

3. Listen to Numbers 18:12-13, "All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee. And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine; every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it." When Solomon built a house for God, he constructed it of nothing but the finest materials, and according to the finest architecture possible. I Kings 5-10 will describe it to you.

4. God rebuked Israel for second rate performance. Listen to Haggai the prophet, in Haggai 1:4,9. His words are, "Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? ... Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house." Listen to God in Malachi 1:6-8, 13-14, "A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? O, saith the LORD of hosts.... Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD. But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen."

B. God surely expects no less of us today.

1. Every song should be the best. When you sing a congregational number it is wrong if you do not do your best. It is a disgrace unto God for special singers, including the choir, to render special music in a worship service, that is less than their best. Yet many times you hear special singers get up and state the fact that they had not even rehearsed prior to the rendering of their special number. Many a time they are fumbling around looking for music, having little conferences among themselves and with the accompanist just prior to singing of a number, and very often while the audience sits, embarrassed, waiting for them to render the number.

2. Every prayer should be the best. God forbid that people who pray in a worship service repeat old prayers that they have said so many times that they can render those prayers without even thinking of what they are saying. Every prayer should spontaneously flow out of the heart.

3. Every offering should be the best. We should not be cheap with the Lord, and give Him only the leftovers. Whether our offering be large or small, it should reflect the best that we have.

4. Every sermon should be the best. Preachers should diligently study the word of God and prepare to deliver messages. God forbid that they should just stand up and ramble around for 30 to 40 minutes. In fact, it is generally true that those who have the least to say take the longest to say it. If preaching is worship of God, and it is, then every sermon ought to be the best that the preacher can possibly render unto the Lord.

5. Every service should altogether be the best that can possibly be had. Every one who participates in it should be prepared, and there ought to be system and order to the service. It is a shame that in many churches it is obvious, even to the most casual observer, that the whole thing was just thrown together at the last minute. The one who directs the music should be prepared. The people who sing the specials should be prepared. The musicians should be prepared. The ushers should be ready, and the whole service would truly be the best the particular assembly is capable of rendering unto the Lord.

6. And, the conduct and respect of every worshipper should be the best. God forbid that His people would enter into His presence in a spirit of familiarity, contempt, and rudeness for the Lord's worship and presence. God's people should wear the best clothing they have, and be on their best behavior in every respect.

III. EVERY WORSHIP SERVICE IS A CRUCIAL TIME.

A. It is a holy time in a holy place.

1. It is a holy time because it is time set aside for the Lord. Acts 20:7 and I Corinthians 16:2 indicate that the first day of the week is the Lord's Day. After all, that is the day that we have set aside to celebrate the resurrection of our Savior. (Matthew 28:1-6) Worship services are times set aside for worship of God. Thus, they are sanctified times. And, if this time is sanctified, or set apart for worshipping God, then it is holy time. Of course, the Lord also is there at that time, which makes it holy. So, worship time is not like other times. It is special.

2. It is a holy place because it belongs to the Lord.

a. The church building and properties do not belong to the pastor or the people. The church meeting place belongs to God. It also is a sanctified, or set aside, place for worshipping God.

b. Thus, it is a holy place, and Proverbs 20:25 says, "It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy." Yet, very often God's people treat the place with contempt. They mark on its walls, put feet on its furniture, allow children to tear song books and write in them, and they throw trash on the premises. How we need to realize that the church building is not just another ordinary building. It is a special, holy place that belongs to the Lord. And it ought to be treated accordingly.

B. When the Lord's church assembles to worship, lost souls hang in the balance.

1. The gospel is sung and preached, and many times the lost who are present feel the weight of great conviction.

2. The entire service is designed, especially the invitation time, to bring these lost ones to salvation.

3. With just a little more persuasion some of these would be saved.

4. Yet, very often the attention of the lost souls is stolen away by some adult, or child, who is misbehaving himself in the assembly. Thus, the sinner goes away lost when he could have been saved. Tragic!

C. Furthermore, when the church assembles to worship, Christians have an opportunity to receive what they need to help them in the Lord.

1. They need encouragement and inspiration, which they can gain from the singing and other parts of the service.

2. They need correction and instruction that can come from preaching, praying and singing.

3. Many a time, attention to the truth at hand could result in their lives being changed for the better.

4. Yet again, disruptions steal away the opportunity for the service to accomplish its work in their heart.

D. What a Godly tool a worship assembly is, yet how often Satan uses disruptions to defeat the assemblies' effectiveness. It is a crucial time, yet many conduct themselves, and allow their children to conduct themselves, in church services as though they were no more important than a meeting of the local glee club.

IV. DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT SHOULD NEVER BE PRACTICED IN A CHURCH SERVICE.

A. Let me be specific in telling you what disruptive conduct is.

1. Talking at times when it is not supposed to be happening is very disruptive. There are times when people should be talking in the service. There can be a time for talking as visitors are being greeted, testimonies are being given, and other such official functions are being conducted, at which time people should be sharing with each other. Talking is one of the most distracting, and disrupting things that can happen in a church service, and it matters not whether it is being done by adults or children. It is especially bad when it is done by choir members, in view of the fact that they are sitting right behind the preacher, and everybody in the audience can see it and be disrupted thereby. Many a person has had his or her attention disrupted in a good church service by talking or whispering by someone in the audience.

2. Walking in and out of services is also a disruptive thing. In fact, whether it be by children or adults, when people walk in and out of a church service, it distracts the attention of almost the entire congregation. When people come into a church service, they ought to be prepared to stay in that service until its conclusion, unless an unavoidable emergency prevents it. Walking in and out of a service during the invitation is particularly disruptive. This is the time when many are thinking about major decisions in their lives, and they especially do not need to be disrupted at a time like that.

3. Late comers to the services also disrupt. People need to plan to get to church on time. Sometimes that is impossible, although it surely should be kept to a minimum. No doubt, one of the places where late comers distract most is during the Lord's Supper. Being late to the worship services can get to be a very bad habit.

4. Little children can be very disruptive to a service. By their playing with little toys and keys, and coins, walking around and between seats, squirming here and there, and talking and squealing, these little fellows can capture the attention of just about everybody. It is amazing how many parents can sit oblivious to the fact that this is even happening with their children. Parents ought to bring their children out of the nursery and begin training them to behave in the main church service at an early age, but they shouldn't just bring them out of the nursery, and allow them to destroy the effectiveness of the worship service of our God. Parents should make it their business to see that their little children do not disrupt the service.

5. Note passing is also a disruptive thing. Everybody who sees the notes pass wonders what it's all about. Their attention is disrupted away from the Lord where it should be. Obviously, the person writing the note must divert his attention away from the worship service, and the person receiving the note must do so likewise. Furthermore, note passing generally involves the wadding, folding, and other rattling of paper, which diverts the attention of others.

6. Sleeping in a church service is a disruption. Everybody who sees a sleeper, especially those who snore, is disrupted by it. It surely looks as though the sleeper is disinterested in what is going on, and it is a sure sign of disrespect.

7. Gum chewing also distracts in a church service. There ought to be a firm rule by every worshipper that he or she will not chew gum during the church worship service. And, parents ought to see that their children don't.

8. Familiarity also is very rude and disruptive. It is not at all uncommon to see people, especially teenagers, arming up and making eyes at each other during the worship of the living God. That surely is rude and demeaning conduct in a church service.

9. In short, anything that diverts attention away from the worship of the Lord in a church service is disruptive, and out of order. No air of familiarity and contempt should ever prevail in a church service. Paul asked in I Corinthians 11:25, "Despise ye the church of God?" The word "despise" means "to think down; lower in ones thinking." By just such conduct as has been mentioned here, people can actually despise or think down on the church of the living God. That simply means they do not give it the priority and respect in their minds of which it is worthy.

B. Disruptive conduct can neutralize the effect of a service.

1. It can defeat the purpose of worship, which is to focus the attention of the congregation upon the Lord.

2. Such disruptive conduct can frustrate and even anger others. It can gender strife and resentments among the members of a congregation.

3. It can even alienate members and prospects from the church. Many decide they simply do not want to be a part of a church where that sort of disruptive conduct is allowed.

C. A holy awe should prevail in church services.

1. Reverence is a feeling and attitude of deep respect, love, and awe, and an obvious manifestation thereof.

2. God told Israel, in Leviticus 19:30 and 26:2, "Ye shall...reverence my sanctuary."

3. God said in Leviticus 10:3, "I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified." God wants a special, set aside place in our lives. He wants our best. He surely doesn't want us to come before Him in worship and treat Him as though He were just another human being. He wants our reverence. Consider how Moses responded when he came before the Lord in Exodus 3. The Lord spoke to Moses out of a burning bush, and as Moses drew night unto the Lord, the Lord said unto him, "Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." Surely if the Lord's special presence on a desolate desert made the area holy, God's presence in a church service makes the area holy. And if it demanded a special, respectful, reverent conduct in Moses, then likewise, the presence of God demands a special, reverent conduct in every one of us who comes into His presence to worship Him in a church service.

4. King David wrote, "Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing." (Psalm 100:2)

5. Hebrews 12:28 says, "Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." Notice the word says that we are to serve God with reverence, and godly fear.

6. When you look at the Bible, it is not a difficult thing to see what kind of conduct God wants from His people when they come together to worship Him. He wants reverence and respect. I'm not talking about legalism and formalism, but about honor and first class behavior.

7. Every one of you should practice this. And, all of you parents should see that your children practice this. You need to teach them how to behave in a church service.

King David said, "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him," (Psalm 89:7), and that is still true today.

"It Does Make a Difference What You Believe"