I love worship.
I love the music.
I love singing.
I love stirring experiences.
I love rousing preaching.
But something has been nagging at me. Is my worship acceptable to God? Is my worship in vain? Or worst yet, is my worship wicked?
Do we ever think about when worship becomes wicked? It happened in the bible more than once. There has to be a reason that God wanted us to hear these stories.
Cain
When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, but he did not accept Cain and his gift. (Genesis 4)
Nadab and Abihu
Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. (Leviticus 10)
Saul
“So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came.”
“How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. (1 Samuel 13)
So if worship can be wicked and I don’t want mine to be, what’s next?
Read the book.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Tim 3:16
Make sure my worship isn’t man-made.
Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God. Mt. 15:9
Make sure my worship is equal parts spirit and truth.
For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth. John 4:24
Remember it’s not about people.
And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. Rom. 1:23
Come clean.
In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy. 1 Tim. 2:8
Remember every drop of my fear and awe is to please Him.
Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. Heb. 12: 28
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