Matthew 15:1-9 True Worship

Many years ago I participated in the Evangelism Explosion training program out of Coral Ridge, FL. Dr. James Kennedy shared several personal illustrations to help us communicate the Gospel. One of them dealt with the difference between faith and presumption as it relates to the concept of "sincerity". Many today say "As long as we are sincere, that is all that matters". Dr. Kennedy pointed out that it is possible to be sincerely wrong. He used the example of a man who drove to the top of a mountain. When he finished his business and began his return triap he "knew" everything was OK, he had just driven the car. He sincerely believed the brakes would work when he needed them. What he didn't know was that, while out of his car, someone had cut the brake lines. All the "sincerity" in the world would not make the brakes work.

It seems that the Pharisees in Matthew 15:1-9 were sincere. They were wrong but believed they were doing the right thing. Jesus calls them hypocrites because they were disobeying God to obey their own rules. Their "worship" was an outward one only because their own preferences came first. Their heart was wrong. What surprised me is that Jesus would call it worship at all! My view would have been that their actions would not be considered worship, but Jesus calls it worship (sebomai). He names it, however, for what it really is - false or worthless worship.

Is it possible that we sincerely believe we are doing the "right thing" but fail the "heart" test? Many of us have attended services so long we know our respective liturgies by heart. Many of the hymns are sung without hymnals. The choruses are sung from memory. We stand, kneel, sit, raise our hands all from a pattern of long years of use. Is that what worship is? Is attending the service and going through the motions adequate? Is it possible to do all of this and be guilty of false worship, that the worship expresion is worthless? And what is worthwhile worship?

The Greek word translated "worship" in the above text is sebomai (Strong's #4576). In early Greek it meant to "shrink back from in awe or fear". In classical Greek it came to include a sense of respect, e.g. for beauty or majesty. Hence, with respect to the Greek gods it was used as a term for worship.

We must ask ourselves, "where is my heart?" When I am worshipping, am I in awe of God? Do I sense His power, majesty, goodness, grace and love toward me? Am I aware of how much I am dependent upon Him and His goodness? Do my actions reflect that, or am I merely following the long worn pattern of worship?

"Lord Jesus, grant that each of us may examine our hearts and root out any sense of the "routine" in our worship of You. Give us a new awareness of your majesty, a sense of your presence, and cause us to know our very great need for your redemptive work in our lives. May our worship spring out of a great awe of you and thankfulness for Your great grace."

Amen!

Amen - let it be so.
Shalom

Bob Goldsby

May I encourage you to answer the question I asked above by discussing it with someone close to you. We know what "worthless worship" is, but What is "worthwhile worship"? What makes worship genuine?

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