Vain…

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Is this really what God had in mind when he created the Church, Me, Everything?”When I was growing up my only answer to why I went to church was, “Because I’m supposed too”. I believe this is still the answer for many of us. “Is this really what God has in mind?”

There is a passage in the Bible that has helped me think about our worship and our attitude to worship.Now Jesus is having dinner with some religious people of his time. The Bible calls these people Pharisees or teachers of the law, but we might like to think of them as preachers or teachers. Now These Pharisees have all these complicated hand washing rituals before they eat, but Jesus ignores their rules. And knowing what they are thinking, Jesus launches into what we call the Six Woes. And he says in the first part of Luke 11:39

“Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness”.

Jesus goes on a little further and says

“Woe to you Pharisees because you love the most important seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces”.

Jesus is saying, everything about you is for appearance, how your seen in public. Still Jesus continues.

“Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it”

Jesus is basically saying, you are spiritually dead and you don’t even know. One of the experts in the law realising what Jesus is doing and speaks up saying: “Teacher, when you say these things you insult us”Notice Jesus does not stop, but continues:

“And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift a finger to help them”.

Why do you attend worship? To keep the family happy? So you don’t feel guilty? So you can be seen at the right place, wearing the right clothes, sitting in the right seat so you can be seen by the right people? Now Jesus has infinite patience with those that are honestly seeking the truth and are struggling with the deepest questions, but people that regard themselves as religious but have cold hard hearts Jesus is relentless. God demonstrates many, many times that he doesn’t want empty rituals but he wants our hearts. We can sing all the right songs and we can say all the right prayers but if we are only going through the motions, what is the point?

There is even a passage in the Bible where God is speaking to some extremely religious leaders through Isaiah and he says’ your sacrifices and burnt offerings what is this to me? I take no pleasure in this. God says his soul hates them that they have become like a burden to Him; God even says I am weary of them. (Isaiah 1)

 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
       Your incense is detestable to me.
       New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
       I cannot bear your evil assemblies. 14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
       my soul hates.
       They have become a burden to me;
       I am weary of bearing them.

Say I give flowers to my wife and I make sure the colours are just right. I give them to her she is like blown away. And I say, “Well I’m your husband it’s my duty”, or “They were on special, I wasn’t really thinking about you”. Does she even want these flowers anymore? No! Why? Because she wants my heart and if she doesn’t have my heart then my words and actions don’t mean a thing. God hates, he can’t stand when we put on a religious show but neglect the poor and the oppressed. God says a little further down in Isaiah 1.

  17   learn to do right!
       Seek justice,
       encourage the oppressed.
       Defend the cause of the fatherless,
       plead the case of the widow.

God speaks again in Isaiah “These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me”Why do you give? Because God needs it? God says in Psalms 50

 12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
       for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

Do you give because you want to be seen? Or that you feel guilty if you don’t, or that you’re under some compulsion or to get God off your back? There is even a letter in the Bible called Corinthians were Paul commands those not to give out of compulsion or reluctance.

“Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver”

When we realise everything we have is from God then our whole attitude to giving and worship changes. When we realise that God wants our hearts and our Love, he does not want us to be compelled to worship because we feel we have too, God wants us to worship because we WANT too out of love. Church is not a 1 hour on a Sunday, Church is people, people whose hearts are beating more and more like Gods. When we realise there is so much more out there then we realise, so many people that are hurting and struggling and in need, when we realise that God wants his people to encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the fatherless and plead the case of the widow, is there nothing more beautiful?