By Andrew Hopkins

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,
And the Lord listened and heard them;
So a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord
And who meditate on His name.”
—Malachi 3:16

Have we lost reverence for God in today’s churches?

When I traveled to Israel recently, the churches built on holy sites stirred something in me: an ancient value for reverencing the Lord. Their structures, art, and silence echoed holiness and majesty. While I’m not suggesting we copy every Orthodox or Catholic ritual, I do think they’ve preserved something many Protestant churches have set aside:

Reverence. Awe. The fear of the Lord.

Of course, some traditions can drift into legalism or distance from an intimate, loving God. But the danger on the other side is just as real: casualness that forgets His majesty.

The same John who leaned on Jesus at the Last Supper later fell at His feet like a dead man in Revelation 1.

The Person hadn’t changed—but the perspective had. 

We need both: the intimacy and the reverence.
The closeness and the trembling.

Psalm 2:11 puts it perfectly: “Rejoice with trembling.”

Matt Redman once called it “the friendship and the fear.” 

In Jesus, awe and love meet together.

Here are a few points about the fear of the Lord and what to do about it in our lives and churches today…

1. Embrace the Tension

C.S. Lewis captured it well in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. When Lucy asked about Aslan the Lion—

“Is he safe?” Mr. Beaver replied, “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

That’s the tension we must hold. He is Almighty God, the Majesty of majesties, the Lord, strong and mighty in battle. Yet He has adopted us as sons and daughters, welcomed us into His house, and given us the privilege of calling Him “Abba.”

John Piper said, “Jesus is the holiness of God made accessible.”

The love of God demonstrated at the cross of Christ made a way for us to access the holy Presence of God.

The fear of the Lord and love of God serve each other.
The love of God draws me into His Presence, but as I behold His majesty, I am humbled that He would invite me in.

The love of God draws us near. The fear of God keeps us humbled. We need both.

A.W. Tozer wrote of the tension, “No one who knows Him intimately can ever be flippant in His presence.”

2. It’s the Posture of the Heart

Do we need medieval-style buildings filled with murals? Not necessarily. Yet there is power when physical spaces reflect God’s greatness—it awakens our senses to His majesty.

Still, Jesus made it clear: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Matt. 15:8). God is after the heart.

While external optics can certainly reflect internal realities…it is still possible to look the part and have a distant heart.

It comes down to what Jesus taught about worship:
True worshippers worship the Father in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

Essentially, from the heart, and in authenticity.

Not perfection. Not performance.

An honest approach…in gratitude and humility.

“When the music fades, and all is stripped away. And I simply come, longing just to bring something that’s of worth, that will bless your heart.” —Matt Redman, “The Heart of Worship”

That is what the Father is actually looking for.

This can happen in a church…in your home, in your car, in an open field, in a small group, in a large group…anywhere!

You can bring reverence to God…and approach Him…anywhere, any time.

Reverence is a posture of the heart.

It’s a heart that says, “I honor God.”
“I make room for Him.”
“I acknowledge Him in every area of my life.”
It’s a heart that says, “Father, what is on Your heart?” and lives to honor Him.

3. Embed Reverence in Your Culture

“Give to the Lord the glory due His name.”
—Psalm 96:8

Let honor be embedded in the way you:

• Approach prayer
• Engage in worship
• The way you listen to His word

God said in Isaiah 66:2, “But on this one will I look: On him who…who trembles at My word.”

In other words, remove the casual approach to God and come humbly!

And in the tension…come freely.

One of the best ways to honor the Lord is to receive what He has done at the cross and come boldly before His Presence because of the blood of Jesus! (Hebrews 10:19).

I guess we’re back at #1…Embrace the tension.

Rejoice! With trembling.
Come boldly! Come humbly.
Come freely! Come reverently.
Honor means coming freely—but not casually. 

Let that culture be embedded in your church, home, and family.

God has never changed. He is still holy and great.
The thing that changed is—the cross opened the way for you to see Him and not die.

Come freely to God through the cross. Come reverently before the King.

Conclusion

Malachi said that there is a book of remembrance written for those who fear the Lord (Mal. 3:16). 

Those who fear the Lord have a special place in the Lord’s heart.

God remembers those who fear Him…and He invokes His favor on them!

God remembered Noah…
God remembered Abraham…
God remembered Rachel…
God remembered Cornelius…
(read their stories in Scripture)

And they all received favor from God.

Furthermore, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10).
Reverence for God is the gateway for revelation.

He shares His secrets with those who fear Him (Ps. 25:14).

Embed this reverence into your family, church, and work culture and watch the favor, wisdom, and revelation of God come upon you!

The last thing I’ll say is this:

You give preference to whoever you fear.

Read that again.

If you fear man, you’ll bend to man’s opinions.
But if you fear God, you’ll be free from man—and God’s blessing will rest on you.

Let’s recover the reverence.

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Andrew Hopkins is a preacher, teacher, prophetic worship leader, and author. He has a passion for revival, equipping the saints, and training worship teams. He heads up his own traveling ministry, Breaker Ministries, and works at his local church. Andrew and his wife, Rochelle, have two boys and live in Southern California. Website: breakerministries.com.