Date: October 26, 2011 7:16 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Vain Worship
Vain Worship
"They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." (MARK 7:7)
Scripture Focus: Mark 7:1-13, Ephesians 2:11-22
This was certainly the last thing they wanted to hear. Everything to which they were devoted, everything about which they were passionate, and everything they did in service to God was futile, purposeless, vanity. In essence, this was Jesus' charge against the Pharisees who, on the outside, appeared to be resolutely devoted to God and His ways. Yet while they honored God with their lips, Jesus, invoking the words of Isaiah, regarded their worship as vain because their hearts were far from Him.
Naturally, we all tend to worship like the Pharisees. We want to approach God on our terms. We think as long as we outwardly say and do the right things, we can keep God at arm's length. Indeed, our hearts are far from Him. Yet God Himself provides the antidote to vain worship. Those whose hearts were once "far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:13). The death and resurrection of Christ alone has the power to change our worship from vain to vibrant.
Insight: Do You Ever Feel You're Just "Going Through The Motions" In Worship? Let The Gospel Transform Us When We Feel That Way.
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