GOD IS ANGERED BY EMPTY WORSHIP!

HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR HEART?

READ PSALM 50

Psalm 50:1

The Mighty One, God the Lord,

speaks and summons the earth

from the rising of the sun to its setting. 

In this psalm, the author presents God as the righteous judge, the one Who has the right to call every creature on earth to judgment. No one escapes the right of the Lord to judge.

Psalm 50:3

Our God comes; he does not keep silence;

before him is a devouring fire,

around him a mighty tempest. 

God’s judgment is clear and consuming. Nothing is hidden from His sight.

Psalm 50:4

He calls to the heavens above

and to the earth, that he may judge his people: 

The heavens are His witnesses of His judgment against His people. His judgment is not against the sacrifices they make, but against the attitude behind their acts of worship.

Psalm 50:7-9

7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak;

O Israel, I will testify against you.

I am God, your God.

8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;

your burnt offerings are continually before me.

9 I will not accept a bull from your house

or goats from your folds. 

God is looking for His people to have an attitude of thanksgiving.

Psalm 50:14-15

14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,

and perform your vows to the Most High,

15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;

I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” 

God’s words are clear: gratefulness and humility are what God is expecting, and then He will deliver them in the times of trouble.

As we rehearse our own lives, do we recognize the same unacceptable traits that the children of Israel displayed so often?

Do we recognize God as the One Who has the right to judge all? Do we remember that He is interested in our hearts, and not our empty acts of worship?

It’s easy to live a life of ingratitude and still show up for church, as if all is well. At times we have allowed sin to find root in our hearts, although we sing heartily on Sunday. We know that we have unresolved issues with others, yet come to worship, assuming that God is satisfied with our verbal assent.

Nothing is hidden from God. He is not interested in our hypocritical worship. Jesus said it clearly:

Matthew 5:23-24

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 

The Apostle spoke very clearly of the sin of participating in the Lord’s Supper without being purified:

1 Corinthians 11:17-18, 27-29

But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you… Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

We tend to repeat the same sins Israel did, don’t we. We approach God with carelessness, forgetting that the Lord sees our heart and is therefore not pleased at all by our external rituals.

Lest you think that the solution is to just avoid worship, so you will not incur the judgment of God, I want to remind you that the only wise and Godly solution is to repent and make sure that your heart matches your actions.

God desires our sincere gratitude. The Lord loves our worship when it is the expression of a submissive heart. He loves to succor us in our times of trouble.

Why don’t you stop and check your heart? Make sure that it is right before God, and then worship Him in a way that truly honors him.

WHAT SHOULD YOU LEARN FROM THE CERTAINTY OF DEATH?

READ PSALM 49

DEATH, THE GREAT EQUALIZER

Psalm 49:1-3

1 Hear this, all peoples!

Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,

2 both low and high,

rich and poor together!

3 My mouth shall speak wisdom;

the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. 

This invitation is for all people to come and listen, for what will be announced is true for all, rich and poor, of any social position in society.

Psalm 49:5-9

5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,

when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,

6 those who trust in their wealth

and boast of the abundance of their riches?

7 Truly no man can ransom another,

or give to God the price of his life,

8 for the ransom of their life is costly

and can never suffice,

9 that he should live on forever

and never see the pit. 

The psalmist asks a very penetrating question: Why should I fear evil people who really have no power to purchase life? With all their money they cannot keep anyone from dying. They trust in their power and wealth, but have no true, lasting power.

Psalm 49:10-12

10 For he sees that even the wise die;

the fool and the stupid alike must perish

and leave their wealth to others.

11 Their graves are their homes forever,

their dwelling places to all generations,

though they called lands by their own names.

12 Man in his pomp will not remain;

he is like the beasts that perish. 

Death is the great equalizer. Wise and foolish, rich and poor - all die, leaving all behind. They all end up in the grave; their earthly power does not make any difference.

Psalm 49:13-14

13 This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;

yet after them people approve of their boasts. Selah

14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;

death shall be their shepherd,

and the upright shall rule over them in the morning.

Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.

Those who have placed their confidence in their strength in this life, even though they might still be praised by some people after their death, are nonetheless dead forever.

Psalm 49:15

15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,

for he will receive me. Selah 

The psalmist reminds himself and us that God is his hope after death, that God will ransom him and receive him. We should not fear in life or in death.

Psalm 49:16-20

16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich,

when the glory of his house increases.

17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away;

his glory will not go down after him.

18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed

—and though you get praise when you do well for yourself—

19 his soul will go to the generation of his fathers,

who will never again see light.

20 Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish. 

How could the psalmist state it more clearly? Everyone will die, and their status while on earth will have no eternal value. The writer of the letter to the Hebrews echoes this, as well:

Hebrews 9:27

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 

What should we learn from this psalm?

- Never envy those who seem powerful today - their power will end with their death.

- Do not fear man – his power is temporal.

- Death is the great equalizer – all die and are buried.

- Only Christ can give true hope – He is the Redeemer.

- Accumulating wealth on earth has no eternal value – you will leave it all behind.

- Eternal values are the only ones worth living for – they make an eternal difference.

- Do not become distracted by the temporal – you will be working hard for things that do not make a difference.

Dear friend, look at your life right now…

Is your time driven by the temporal?

Are your thoughts captivated by things that have no eternal value?

Are you worrying?

Are you envying others or always hoping that your situation might change?

Do you fear men?

May this psalm drive you to biblical thinking.

Live in light of eternity, driven by eternal goals, and rejoicing that you have a Redeemer. Christ is alive today, may our lives be centered on Christ and may our desire be to dwell with Him forever!

10 REASONS WE SHOULD NEVER STOP PRAISING

READ PSALM 48

OUR PRAISE REFLECTS WHAT WE THINK ABOUT GOD!

Psalm 48:1

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised

in the city of our God!

His holy mountain, 

In this psalm the Lord is praised, as well as His beloved city, Jerusalem. The worthiness of God to receive worship and praise is magnified, as the city of God is blessed by the Lords’ protection and care.

God has demonstrated His power, having miraculously protected the city from the enemy’s armies. The beneficiaries of His protection and care are overwhelmed by His unfading, unending, and perfect love. They recognize God’s righteous control over the beautiful city they inhabit.

As they watch God’s work, they are joyously grateful, and will proclaim to the next generation the wonderful deeds of their Lord.

Psalm 48:12-14

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,

number her towers,

13 consider well her ramparts,

go through her citadels,

that you may tell the next generation

14 that this is God,

our God forever and ever.

He will guide us forever. 

Today, although most of us look at God as our wonderful Lord, we do not look at our country as a place where God dwells or that He blesses in a special way, as He did Jerusalem.

But we do know that He indwells the believer and that He blesses and protects us. We should be continually amazed and grateful for these privileges we have, in Christ.

1 -We have been saved by grace

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

2 - We are secure in our salvation

Romans 8:31-35

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

3 - We have the Word of God

Psalm 119:97-100

how I love your law!

It is my meditation all the day.

Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,

for it is ever with me.

I have more understanding than all my teachers,

for your testimonies are my meditation.

I understand more than the aged,

for I keep your precepts. 

4 - We have the Holy Spirit in us

John 14:16-17

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 

5 - We are perfectly loved

Romans 8:38-39

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

6 - We have the privilege to pray

Philippians 4:6-7

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

7 - We have the church where we fellowship

Colossians 3:15-16

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 

8 - We have God-appointed leaders that guard over our lives

Hebrews 13:17

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. 

9 - We are constantly recipients of God’s grace

Romans 5:1-2

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

10 - We have received every spiritual blessing

Ephesians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

We certainly could think of many more truths that should cause us to praise God and to proclaim this truth for the generations to come!

In the midst of the cares of this world, let us be continually encouraged by having an eternal perspective upon our eternal blessings in Christ!

DO PEOPLE KNOW HOW GREAT YOUR GOD IS?

CAN YOUR FRIENDS SEE HOW GRATEFUL YOU ARE TO GOD?

PSALM 47

Psalm 47:1-4,

1 Clap your hands, all peoples!

Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

2 For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,

a great king over all the earth.

3 He subdued peoples under us,

and nations under our feet.

4 He chose our heritage for us,

the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah 

The psalmist’s invitation is clear to the children of Israel and all of us: we must come to praise and worship our God! He is the Lord, the Most High. No one deserves praise as our God does. We should say that no one deserves praise at all, compared to our God.

Our God is the king all over the earth. All was created at His command, and all is sustained at His word. Every person, every nation, every ruler is under His meticulous sovereignty. His purposes are eternal and righteous. How do we dare question them and arrogantly think that things should be different, believing that what we think is better?

Those men and women who do not praise are, in fact, asserting by their disdain that God is not wise, that what is happening does not have a good purpose, or that God really is not in control, and that the world is running free without restraint.

Psalm 47:5-7

5 God has gone up with a shout,

the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!

Sing praises to our King, sing praises!

7 For God is the King of all the earth;

sing praises with a psalm! 

The psalmist continues his urgent commands to praise God, reminding us that He is our King! Not only does God deserve our praise, but since He is indeed our King, He can and does demand our praise.

It is not a surprise that the world does not praise God. They don’t recognize Him as their Master. They have rebelled, and have set up themselves and their own thinking as the authorities of their lives. It is important to remember that all those who do not believe exclusively and completely in the God of the Bible are worshiping another god. The god of the Mormons, of the Muslims, and of every other religion on the earth are inventions of man. We are not calling the same God by different names; we are not worshiping the same God at all. There is only one true God and it’s the One who has revealed Himself through Scripture. He is a jealous God, who will not share His glory with man or any invented deity.

Why do we not praise our God as we should? We have certainly allowed other things to distract our attention. Seeds of distrust and displeasure have crept into our hearts, and they tempt us to rebel against our God.

But our attitudes or thoughts do not change the eternal truth that God is reigning; He is in total control.

Psalm 47:8-9

8 God reigns over the nations;

God sits on his holy throne.

9 The princes of the peoples gather

as the people of the God of Abraham.

For the shields of the earth belong to God;

he is highly exalted! 

The hosts of heaven worship Him continuously. They see His perfection and holiness, they marvel at His sovereignty and are in awe of His tender care of His chosen ones. They are aware of His grace and love. And they rejoice when another soul comes to understand the grace of God and bows before Him with faith.

I trust that you and I are not going through a season of rebellion, but that our failure to praise is only the result of being distracted. We should stop now and rehearse the many reasons we have to be grateful: His care for us is meticulous and particular. In other words, His protection and attention to our lives is so careful that nothing escapes Him, and His work in us and around us is perfectly controlled for our benefit. God’s care for the world does not leave us with second best, for He is working perfectly in every life, at all times and at the same time. That thought, alone, should leave us stunned and amazed!

At times, we praise God because our situation is not as bad as it could be. We look around and see people who are worse off than we are, thinking that only that fact should encourage us to worship God. I would like to invite you to embrace the fact that your praise for God should be the result of understanding and believing that your plight is what God intends and desires for you, and that ultimately it is the best for you.

Our God is reigning today with limitless power. His work is meticulous, driven by His perfections. He is holy, righteous, perfect, wise, loving… and so our praise should be continuous. Our gratitude should be overflowing.

What should you be praising God for right now? May those around you be attracted by your God, and may the Lord use your praise to bring glory to Himself!