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Well, Super Saturday is finally here. For many of us, it is the day we attempt to catch our breath, rest and relax . . .  after we have mowed the yard and finished some unfinished tasks. Tomorrow is Sunday, when many Christians go to church to worship God and learn from God’s Word. Have you ever wondered what God thinks of your approach, attitude and attributes you bring to worship Him? For some people, they attend worship services a little like we would attend a costume party. We dress up as someone we are not and behave in a way many of our closer friends would not recognize. But worship is much more than looking and acting the part. It is a time of communing and strengthening our relationship with the Spirit of God. 

In Matthew 15:8-9, Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah 29:13 in saying this, “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. (9) Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God” (NLT). It seems today everyone has their own opinion on what constitutes worship. Some have these man-made rules Jesus was talking about that worship is about:

      • The length of the service or, 
      • The atmosphere of the service or,
      • The personnel in the service or,
      • The liturgy in the service or,
      • The type or style of music in the service or,
      • The tempo of the music in the service or,
      • The intellectual depth of the sermon in the service or,
      • The style of worship (formal, casual, high-church, and etc) or,
      • The translation of the Bible that is used or 
      • The type of instruments used in worship (pipe organ, grand piano, orchestra)
      • The preacher stepped on their toes. . . 

Worship is none of these. Worship is an attitude. This was Jesus’ point in Matthew 15:8-9. This means we can worship God no matter what the music is, or who the preacher is or what the atmosphere is. The truth is — we have a tendency to make worship what we like and prefer, not what brings praise and honor to God. We may say or hear someone say, “I didn't like that song . . . or, I don’t like this style of music or the service was way too long . . .” It has always amazed me that we can turn on our TVs and be entertained for hours by shows that are usually ungodly, unholy, morally corrupt and which glamorize sin rather than be in a worship service that is about praising God. 

Worship has never been and will never be about us. It is all about God. It is all about what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us. We are not to go to worship to see what we can get out of it, but rather what we can do to give back to God what He has done for us. God hates the hypocrisy of “lip service.” He hates it. If our hearts are not in it, then we are mocking and insulting God through our attitudes. In Matthew 15:7, notice what Jesus called such people, “You hypocrites!” (NLT).

In Isaiah’s context, the Lord God was calling the people of Israel to task for offering mere lip service while their hearts were insincere. Such external worship without internal conviction manifested itself among the religious leaders of Jesus’ day in their prioritization of the traditions of men over the true teachings of God. In other words, we can be more about our traditions for worship than the truth to experience worship. There is a difference and that difference determines whether or not we truly worship. 

Look at what God said through the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 1:11-15:

“What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. (12) When you come to worship Me, who asked you to parade through My courts with all your ceremony? (13) Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts;  the incense of your offerings disgusts Me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting—they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. (14) I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals.They are a burden to Me. I cannot stand them! (15) When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims” (NLT).

In Isaiah 1:11-15, God rejects from His people even the observances and festivals as being unacceptable because their hearts were not in them. They were just going through the motions. Pastor and author John MacArthur writes this:

“Unless the heart of the worshiper is cleansed and purified, he cannot worship God acceptably, because he cannot worship God honestly and sincerely. The person with a sinful heart is opposed to God and it is not possible for him to worship rightly. Isaiah ends his prophecy the way he begins it. Isaiah 66:2-3 says, `All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. (3) “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a man; he who sacrifices a lamb, like one who breaks a dog’s neck; he who presents a grain offering, like one who offers pig’s blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like one who blesses an idol. These have chosen their own ways, and their soul delights in their abominations.’ As they went through the pretensions of offering sacrifices, the people were no better than criminals and pagans, because their hearts were not humble and contrite, but proud and rebellious.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with tradition as such. Many traditions help us to remember, cherish, and honor things that are noble and beautiful. But when traditions are substituted for, or in any way distort or distract from God’s Word and genuine worship, they are an offense against God and a barrier to right worship and living. Throughout history, man-made religion has attached great significance and benefit to ceremonies and ritualistic acts. Commenting on this universal tendency of man, Charles Spurgeon is reported to have facetiously asked his congregation, “If there were no Sunday morning service at eleven, how many of you would be Christians?” (Source: John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “Matthew,” p. 453-454).

For example, there are those who prefer only classical music in worship. It doesn’t matter that the lyrics or words, if they have them, honor, praises and lifts up the name of Jesus. For them, if it is not Bach, Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart or Debussy, they do not want it because it is not worship. So what if some of these great composers' personal lives were immoral, they were womanizers, alcoholics, etc. It’s the music, not the man. Please don't misunderstand me. I love classical music but that is all it is — classical. Classical does not equal Christ-honoring. 

For example, there are those who prefer only traditional hymns because that is the tradition they grew up with in their lives. I love traditional hymns also. There is some great theology in them. But if we only sing hymns because that is our traditional preference and our heart is not in it, then we have mocked and insulted Jesus Christ with our lip service. 

Also, there are those who love Southern Gospel music. I grew up with this also. My hometown church had quartets, trios, etc who sang this genre of music. But at times it was more about performance than praise. It was about how low the bass could go and how high the tenor could go and how well they harmonized. It was more about did I get a quiver in my liver, a tap in my toes than genuine praise in my heart for our Lord Jesus Christ. The music was more about making me feel good rather than convicting me about my comparison of my goodness to His goodness. One reason God commanded animal sacrifices in worship is genuine worship of God cannot take place until first there is genuine conviction of sin in one’s life. This is why the Apostle Paul gives warnings about even God causing sickness and death to us if we take communion in an unworthy manner in 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.

I want to invite you to bring your authentic self to worship tomorrow. Come as you are and expect God’s Spirit to meet you there. Then, open your heart to His examination and welcome whatever changes He needs to make. So if the music is hymns, praise Jesus Christ. If the music is formal, praise Jesus Christ. If the music is southern gospel, praise Jesus Christ. Please don’t make it about you; make it about the Lord Jesus Christ. Give Jesus your heart, not just your lips. Please don’t make worship about the style of worship, but the Savior in worship.

This was Jesus’ point in John 4:4 to the Samaritan woman at the well. Spirit in John 4:4 does not refer to the Holy Spirit but the human spirit. Worship must be internal, not external conformity to ceremonies and rituals. It must be from the heart. Truth calls for this heart worship to be consistent with what Scripture teaches and centered on the incarnate Word. So, no matter what style or genre the music is, praise Him because He deserves it. 

Questions To Consider

  1. What is worship to you? When you go to church to worship, what are you expecting? Is it based on biblical principles or biased preferences? Explain.
  2. When you come to church for worship, is your heart in it or are you just giving lip service to God? Why or why not?
  3. What do you think would happen if you did what Psalms 63:4, Psalms 134:2, Lamentations 3:41, Psalm 28:2, Ezra 9:5 and Psalm 141:2 says?
  4. If you are a sports fan and have a favorite sports team, when you are watching them play, would you say you have just as much energy and enthusiasm in worship as you do watching your team play? Why or why not?
  5. When you get to heaven and you see Jesus Christ personally and you are standing around that great throne to worship, would you say your response would be different or about the same as it is now in worship here? Why?

Scripture To Meditate On: John 4:24, Jesus said, “For God is Spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth” (NLT).

Prayer To Pray: “Lord, please help me to have an attitude of worship no matter what the music is. After all You have done for me, please convict me to praise You from my heart, not from heartlessness. I do not want to mock or insult You with my worship. You are worthy of all my energy and enthusiasm in worship. Please forgive me when I wonder what others might think if I really praised You. I want to focus on an audience of One only. I love You Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you Southside!—Pastor Kelly



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