- Joined
- Oct 26, 2007
- Messages
- 12,539
And so the Lord says, "These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote. Isaiah 29:13 NLT
Hypocrisy hurts. It makes men believe they are passionately engaged in important work, when really their accomplishments are mostly ruins-monuments to rules taught by men.
God explained to Isaiah that people often find it easier to check off a list of man-made rules each day, to simply fall asleep thinking, I used all the right religious words today. David F. Miller summarized the problem with this way of thinking when he said, “Christianity is not a list of rules; it’s a life of righteousness.”
Paul continued Isaiah’s insight when he explained to the church that meaningful worship engages more than the mouth—it becomes a man’s entire way of life. Compassion touches the needy and disenfranchised where they live, and then it overflows and becomes worship: “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” (2 Corinthians 9:12).
Solomon wrote Proverbs to help men “live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair” (Proverbs 1:3). It’s that kind of righteousness, justice, and equity that makes worship more than lip service.
Prayer: Father, help me examine any lists I’ve created so that my living can move beyond the rules of men into meaningful worship.
Hypocrisy hurts. It makes men believe they are passionately engaged in important work, when really their accomplishments are mostly ruins-monuments to rules taught by men.
God explained to Isaiah that people often find it easier to check off a list of man-made rules each day, to simply fall asleep thinking, I used all the right religious words today. David F. Miller summarized the problem with this way of thinking when he said, “Christianity is not a list of rules; it’s a life of righteousness.”
Paul continued Isaiah’s insight when he explained to the church that meaningful worship engages more than the mouth—it becomes a man’s entire way of life. Compassion touches the needy and disenfranchised where they live, and then it overflows and becomes worship: “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” (2 Corinthians 9:12).
Solomon wrote Proverbs to help men “live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair” (Proverbs 1:3). It’s that kind of righteousness, justice, and equity that makes worship more than lip service.
Prayer: Father, help me examine any lists I’ve created so that my living can move beyond the rules of men into meaningful worship.
