Hey, Daddy God.”

I cringed upon hearing a local worship leader casually utter those words from the platform. I believe God invites us into an intimate relationship. Yet the flippant tone struck me as presumptuous, shallow, and irreverent.

It didn’t help that the song lyrics and overall presentation seemed self-absorbed rather than God-centered.

This experience left me pondering deep theological questions: What’s the proper balance between freedom and reverence in worship? Does God’s idea of acceptable worship differ from ours?

The Book of Hebrews provides crucial insights. Hebrews 12:28–29 says, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’”

Unshakeable

Hebrews is a sermonic epistle. Drawing from the Old Testament, the book presents Jesus as God’s Son and our great High Priest.

To a seemingly beleaguered congregation, the author (or preacher) expounds on the superiority of Jesus over Israel’s priestly and sacrificial system — its worship. Hebrews thunders out five warnings to shake the audience from spiritual lethargy (2:1–4; 3:7–19; 5:11–6:8; 10:26–39; 12:14–29).

During the final warning in Chapter 12, the preacher admonishes listeners to pursue peace and holiness, avoid bitterness, and learn from the negative example of Esau, who foolishly exchanged his inheritance for a single meal (verses 14–17).

Hebrews then sets up a vivid contrast between Mount Sinai and Mount Zion (verses 18–24), representing the old and new covenants, respectively.

This culminates in a warning not to turn from God’s voice. The One who shook the earth at Sinai will shake both the earth and heavens, “so that what cannot be shaken may remain” (verses 26–27).

Shaking is a metaphor for divine judgment. In this case, it refers to the coming eschatological reckoning when all will stand before the Judge. Anyone who rejects Christ’s salvation will be subject to the same judgment as those who disobeyed God’s revelation at Sinai.

Meanwhile, those in Christ are “receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (verse 28).

The theme of rejection — and the possibility of apostasy — permeates the warning passages of Hebrews, revealing the author’s pastoral concern. It is against this background that we can understand verses 28–29.

Gratitude and reverent, awestruck worship are the proper responses to our reception of an unshakable Kingdom.

The phrase translated “we are receiving” (12:28) is both present and future in tense. The Kingdom is within believers already, but not yet revealed in its fulness.

As Hebrews 9:28 says, Jesus “will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Rather than earthly, transitory things that will be shaken and destroyed, acceptable worship focuses on the eternal. Hebrews points to a better hope (7:19), better promises (8:6), a better covenant (8:7), and a better future (11:16).

The preacher reminds listeners what they are part of as believers in Christ:

You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (12:22–24).

Christ followers will share in this eternal Kingdom if they run the race with perseverance (12:1).

Thankful

In light of this glorious vision, the author intones, “Let us be thankful” (12:28).

The idiom underlying this phrase can be translated, “Let us hold onto grace.”

Theologian R. Hollis Gause defined grace as “favor that is based in and formed by the goodness of God.”

Do we try to turn God into something tamer and safer instead of inviting Him to transform 
our hearts?

Thanksgiving is a response to God’s grace. Obscured in the English translation is an entreaty for the Church to continue in gratitude and worship.

Christ followers have much to be thankful for, as the message of Hebrews reveals. Experiencing grace and responding with a heart of thanksgiving is the unshakable stuff of God’s kingdom.

The Greek verb for worship in verse 28 is latreuō, which the Septuagint uses to signify both praise and service to God.

In the Book of Hebrews, the word refers to worship under the old covenant (8:5; 9:9; 10:2; 13:10). More significantly, it describes followers of Jesus who can worship and serve the living God because Christ’s sacrifice has cleansed their consciences (9:14).

The response to this Kingdom truth, this King, and this gracious work of God through Jesus Christ is worship.

As Gause wrote, “Though believers cannot respond to God in the same measure that he has given grace, they are called on to worship in the fulfillment of his gift of grace. Thus, the worship that believers offer to God is an exercise in grace.”

Hebrews indicates that worship of God should take place in an acceptable way. The original audience would have been mindful of worship prescriptions in the Law, particularly the sacrificial system.

Christ’s blood brings eternal redemption (9:12), so there is no longer any need of sacrifices for sin (10:18). Thus, believers are to offer pleasing and acceptable worship to God through thanksgiving and through a God-honoring lifestyle.

Acceptable worship involves reverence and awe. This is less about whispering in the sanctuary and more about the posture of our hearts.

While we can approach God’s throne with full confidence (4:16; 10:22), we must never forget that we worship the holy, living God before whom all heaven and earth bows.

Godly awe is a necessary requirement for acceptable worship. Why? Because “God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29; Deuteronomy 4:24).

The image of God as a consuming fire is rather terrifying. Yet there it is. Fire is destructive and productive, refining and purifying.

We should respond to God’s grace with thanksgiving and worship that are acceptable, reverential, and awe-filled, knowing God is the purifying and refining fire before whom all will stand.

If a sense of awe is missing from our worship, remembering who God is and what He has done helps us reclaim it.

Acceptable

This passage of Hebrews stands as a caution against reductionist worship that makes us feel good but doesn’t instruct us in God’s character.

When worship becomes a casual religious exercise rather than a call to reverential awe before a holy God, we’ve lost sight of the biblical meaning.

Do we worship rightly when we gather as a community? Do we shout and dance without falling on our knees? Do we sing more about ourselves than Jesus? Do we try to turn God into something tamer and safer instead of inviting Him to transform our hearts?

Amid the shaking kingdoms of this world, it is a lifestyle of thanksgiving and worship that identifies us as God’s people.

We are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let us be thankful, and worship acceptably.

This article appears in the Summer 2025 issue of Influence magazine.