“These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their hearts aren’t in it.
Because they act like they’re worshiping me
but don’t mean it.”

Unfortunately we define worship as going to church. Worship is what we do once a week between the hours of 10 & 11 a.m. which includes singing, praying, listening to sermons, the sacraments, and all other elements and expressions of a church service.

Let’s be honest worship gets a lot of complaints these days. It’s too formal. It’s too informal. It’s always changing. It’s never changing. The music is too noisy. The music is too old. Worship must be traditional. Worship must be contemporary. As we see from the prophecy of Isaiah even God had some complaints about worship.

“These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their hearts aren’t in it.
Because they act like they’re worshiping me
but don’t mean it.”

God’s complaints were not about the style and format of worship. God’s complaints were about mindless and emotionless singing of anthems, recitation of prayers, and rituals.

Jerusalem’s worship had become a performance with themselves as the audience. There was no real connection with God. There were no expectations of a real encounter with the living God. There was no sense of awe or wonder. Are we any different? Has our worship become routine instead of real. When we slip into a routine we neglect to give our love and devotion.

The goal of worship is to bring pleasure to God. Worship motivated by love, thanksgiving and delight, NOT duty is what God wants.

Do you worship God to bless God or to make God feel obligated to bless you?

I remember a time in my life when I was going through a difficult crisis and I threw up in God’s face that I deserved better from Him, after all I was dedicating my whole life to Him. I know that I am not alone in doing this. I have listened to other people’s litanies of religious acts such as singing in the choir, teaching Sunday school, worshiping weekly, tithing, etc, which should have given them special attention from God not the plight they were in. If you think that because you have faithfully performed certain religious activities you deserve some special privileges you are mistaken. In fact Psalm 51:16,17 states,

“God does not delight in sacrifices…
does not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

You want proof read Ephesians 1.

“How blessed is God!
And what a blessing He is!
He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ,
and takes us to the high places of blessing in Him.
Long before He laid down earth’s foundations,
He had us in His mind,
had settled on us as the focus of His love,
to be made whole and holy by His love.
Long, long ago He decided to adopt us into His family through Jesus Christ.
He wanted us to enter into the celebration of His lavish gift-giving by the hand of His beloved son.”

“Worship Him continually.”

This means everyday, not every Sunday. Real worship is about falling in love with God. Falling in love with God involves, heart, soul, mind and body. Falling in love with God means that everything you do, you are doing for God’s glory. I mean everything, cooking, cleaning, car-pooling, working, everything. Colossians 3:23

“Whatever you do, 
work at it with all your heart,
as working for the Lord, 
not just mean.”

God wants to bless you, but does your attempt to use God, while living your own way, block the very blessing God wants to give you. If you want God’s blessings then you have to make worshipping God a lifestyle not religious act.

“These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their hearts aren’t in it.
Because they act like they’re worshiping me
but don’t mean it.”