Articles
Acceptable Worship (1)
Acceptable Worship (1)
By Greg King
Have you ever wondered if the worship you are offering to God is acceptable to Him? Is all worship accepted by God? Will just any kind of worship do if it is straight from the heart? Is that what the Bible says? There are quite a few types of unacceptable worship mentioned in the Bible:
1. In Scripture we read of unauthorized worship. In Genesis 4:1-15, Cain did not worship God properly because of his failure to follow God’s instructions. It led to jealousy and murder. In Matthew 15:8-9 Jesus said that the Scribes and Pharisees were teaching as doctrine the commandments of men. As a result their worship was useless therefore unpleasing to God.
2.We read of worship to be seen by men. The Bible condemns worship that is showy in order to please men. Jesus said in Matt. 6:1, “Take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be seen of them.”
3.We read of self-righteous worship. Luke 18:9-14 talks about an arrogant Pharisee who boasted about himself to God, but it was the humble publican, who admitted his sin and asked for forgiveness. Jesus reveals to us which one was pleasing to God.
4.We read of thoughtless worship. The Corinthian Church was guilty of eating of the Lord’s supper as if it were a common meal. Paul addresses their irreverence. 1Cor. 11:29 “For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body”. The Lord’s Supper should never become mundane or mindless. We should be focused on the purpose and meaning of this communion while examining ourselves.
5.We read of disorderly worship. Paul speaks of the confusion and disorder of their worship in 1 Cor. 14:33-40. They were also reproved for allowing women to speak in the public assemblies. (1 Cor. 14:34-35)
I should learn from these examples that how I worship matters. Are you worshipping God in an acceptable manner? We invite you to worship with us at the Decatur Township church of Christ.
