At first glance the church appears to be a collection of walls placed under a roof. The sanctuary itself is usually a four-walled room with a roof and some windows. But the church is more than a collection of building materials. The construction of a sanctuary is done so that we may have a place where God will dwell with us. “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8).

As we gather together in the sanctuary we claim the promise made by Christ to His followers, be they many or few in number. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

Understanding that God is “in the midst” of us when we gather for worship, we should also remember that our actions while in a holy assembly are being recorded for future reference. “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him” (Malachi 3:16, 17).

Each church must be a place where we can gather free from the influences of the world. “The church is God’s fortress, His city of refuge, which He holds in a revolted world.”1 Any commotion, interruption, noise or irreverence distracts from the spirit of the meeting. “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

We should be glad that we have the freedom to worship in a house of prayer. Never take for granted that you have a place for worship. Be it a church, or a room in a house; be it a rented hall or under a tent; be it in a basement or under a tree - any place where we congregate for the worship of God is a joyous yet reverent place of holy ground. “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1).

“My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God” (Psalm 84:2).

“For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:10).

As we assemble together we strengthen and encourage one another. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

I am often surprised how a little news item in the Electronic Sabbath School News sets off a host of responses all around the world. It encourages people and gives them hope. How much more does your witness at prayer meeting do! The psalmist called people to come together to share their testimonies, just as we do in the prayer meeting: “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16). “My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad” (Psalm 34:2).

Those who attend the services of the church, from the Sabbath school and divine service to the prayer and the young people’s meetings, receive a great blessing. Any opportunity we have to praise the Lord brings us a spiritual lift. “Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah” (Psalm 84:4).

“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).

All our worship services must be directed towards the praise of our God. “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2).

The sanctuary is to be a place of reverence. “Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:30).

Yet many times our irreverence in the sanctuary is a denial of God’s presence there. Moses and Joshua were instructed that wherever God meets with His people is holy ground. In the case of Moses, when he was called to the burning bush, the first instruction given to him was: “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). Joshua was given the same instruction when the Lord appeared to him. “And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so” (Joshua 5:15).

In the times of Israel’s wilderness wanderings, the presence of God in the sanctuary was visible “and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34). After Solomon completed the Temple, the presence of the Lord was visible in it. “It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God” (2 Chronicles 5:13, 14).

But even today, this presence is here for “the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him” (Habakkuk 2:20).

Many fail to realize the fact that the presence of God is in their midst, so they treat the house of God without due respect. There is walking in and out, commotion, whispering, passing of notes, and so on. We have all, from time to time, engaged in such things. But are these to be permitted? Being in the presence of our God should bring us to a realization of the awe and silence that should pervade this place. The only sounds to be heard in this place should be those of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.

Our failure to be particular about our actions in the house of God will lead to disastrous ruin. No common things could be brought into the sanctuary of old, and the same principle applies today. “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord” (Leviticus 10:1, 2).

No “common fire” should ever be present in the Lord’s sanctuary. No worldly entertainments should be permitted in this place. But instead we are to assemble in reverence. “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28, 29).

“But as for me, I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy: and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple” (Psalm 5:7).

In our public worship, we must be sure to have order in all we do. For many people who come to the services of the church for the first time, the impression they receive of such services will determine if they will return again. “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).

“Angels work harmoniously. Perfect order characterizes all their movements. The more closely we imitate the harmony and order of the angelic host, the more successful will be the efforts of these heavenly agents in our behalf. If we see no necessity for harmonious action, and are disorderly, undisciplined, and disorganized in our course of action, angels, who are thoroughly organized and move in perfect order, cannot work for us successfully. They turn away in grief, for they are not authorized to bless confusion, distraction, and disorganization. All who desire the cooperation of the heavenly messengers must work in unison with them. Those who have the unction from on high will in all their efforts encourage order, discipline, and union of action, and then the angels of God can cooperate with them. But never, never will these heavenly messengers place their endorsement upon irregularity, disorganization, and disorder. All these evils are the result of Satan’s efforts to weaken our forces, to destroy courage, and prevent successful action.”2

God has appointed the Sabbath as His day, and He gives us this day so that we may assemble together to praise Him without the cares of this world in mind. On other days, when we assemble we have just come from work, or from doing some task, but on the Sabbath we are to assemble having left our earthly cares behind.

“Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation” (Leviticus 23:3).

“It is a sad failing with many that they are always behind time on Sabbath morning. They are very particular about their own time, they cannot afford to lose an hour of that; but the Lord’s time, the only day out of the seven that the Lord claims as His, and requires us to devote to Him, quite a portion of this is squandered away by sleeping late in the morning. In this they are robbing God. It causes them to be behind in everything; it makes confusion in the family; and finally results in the tardiness of the entire family at Sabbath school, and perhaps at meeting. Now why can we not rise early with the birds, and offer praise and thanksgiving to God? Try it, brethren and sisters. Have your preparations all made the day before, and come promptly to the Sabbath school and meeting, and you will thereby not only benefit others, but you will reap rich blessings for yourselves.”3

“Meetings for conference and prayer should not be made tedious. All should, if possible, be prompt to the hour appointed; and if there are dilatory ones, who are half and hour or fifteen minutes even behind the time, there should be no waiting. If there are but two present, they can claim the promise. The meeting should open at the appointed hour, if possible, be there few or many present.”4

Today many people have forgotten how sacred was the time when God spoke with Moses and Joshua. Our prayers become informal and often people do not realize to Whom they are speaking when they are in prayer. The psalmist made it clear that even in prayer, reverence is essential. “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker” (Psalm 95:6).

Music is a wonderful gift from God. It is a great tool that we can use to open the hearts of the people and implore them to give their hearts to the Saviour. Since it is so powerful, music is an important part of the services of the church. “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name” (Psalm 100:4). “Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing” (Psalm 100:2).

“Singing is a part of the worship of God, but in the bungling manner in which it is often conducted, it is no credit to the truth, and no honor to God. There should be system and order in this as well as every other part of the Lord’s work.”5

“The proper training of the voice is an important feature in education and should not be neglected. Singing, as a part of religious service, is as much an act of worship as is prayer.”6

“Music can be a great power for good; yet we do not make the most of this branch of worship. The singing is generally done from impulse or to meet special cases, and at other times those who sing are left to blunder along, and the music loses its proper effect upon the minds of those present. Music should have beauty, pathos, and power. Let the voices be lifted in songs of praise and devotion. Call to your aid, if practicable, instrumental music, and let the glorious harmony ascend to God, an acceptable offering.”7

“Those who make singing a part of divine worship should select hymns with music appropriate to the occasion, not funeral notes, but cheerful, yet solemn melodies. The voice can and should be modulated, softened, and subdued.”8

We often begin our Sabbath services “on the wrong foot.” The showing of reverence must begin in the Sabbath school, not only be saved for the divine service.

How often have you seen people speak when they were not called upon? Usually these are people who want to talk more than they want to listen. “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil” (Ecclesiastes 5:1).

The teachers and superintendents of our Sabbath schools should ensure that those under their charge are properly instructed. No student should ever be so forward as to speak without being called upon to do so.

At the start of Christ’s public ministry, right after the miracle at Cana, Christ cleansed the earthly sanctuary.

At the close of Christ’s ministry He was compelled once more to perform this act. “And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; and would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Mark 11:15-17).

So today is Christ engaged in the work of cleansing the sanctuary in heaven, and we on earth should be engaged in the preparatory work for His soon coming. Let us be sure that our physical sanctuaries are places that are worthy of God’s presence.

Remember that character is the only thing you many take with you to heaven. And in heaven there will be many times when we will assemble together for worship. “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 66:22, 23).

Let us therefore be wise to our need for reverence in the sanctuary today. Let us not be as fools when we meet before the great King.