LESSON TWO 2 Going through the Motions Worship is our response to God s tremendous acts on our behalf. Yet too often our gratitude subtly becomes a casual obligation or a meaningless ritual. Worse still, our habit of insincere worship can blind us to unconfessed sin in our lives. This lesson will reveal the consequences of improper worship and will challenge you to evaluate your motives and attitudes as you come before God. STARTER 1. How would you describe what worship is, and is not, to a new Christian? 2. With what attitude do you typically enter God s presence?
L E S S O N 2 10 STUDY Read the following three sets of Bible passages and application notes. Answer the questions for each set before moving on to the next. Genesis 4:3-7 KJV And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? NIV In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain, Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? NLT At harvest time Cain brought to the LORD a gift of his farm produce, while Abel brought several choice lambs from the best of his flock. The LORD accepted Abel s offering, but he did not accept Cain s. This made Cain very angry and dejected. Why are you so angry? the LORD asked him. Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you respond in the right way. The Bible does not tell us why God rejected Cain s offering, but it was probably because Cain s attitude was improper or his offering was not up to God s standards. In Proverbs 21:27 we read, The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable how much more so when brought with evil intent! (NIV). God evaluates both our motives and the quality of our worship. He does not accept improper worship. Cain s false worship destroyed his relationship with God and eventually led him to murder his own brother. When we do not give God the worship he deserves, our relationships with him and others suffer. 3. For what reasons might God reject our worship?
11 L E S S O N 2 4. Why is it so easy simply to go through the motions when we worship? 5. How would you characterize a sacrifice offered with evil intent? 6. How do you think your worship of God affects your relationships with others? Leviticus 10:1-2 KJV And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD. NIV Aaron s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. NLT Aaron s sons Nadab and Abihu put coals of fire in their incense burners and sprinkled incense over it. In this way, they disobeyed the LORD by burning before him a different kind of fire than he had commanded. So fire blazed forth from the LORD s presence and burned them up, and they died there before the LORD. Nadab and Abihu abused their office as priests in a flagrant act of disrespect to God, who had just reviewed with them precisely how they were to conduct worship. In response to their care-
L E S S O N 2 12 less worship, God destroyed them with a blast of fire. Performing the sacrifices was supposed to be an act of obedience, but they did not take their duties seriously enough. We are all in danger of making the same mistake Nadab and Abihu did when we treat lightly the holiness of God. Do not forget that the opportunity to worship God is based on his gracious invitation to an unworthy people; it is not a gift to be taken for granted. 7. What can we learn from this passage about the kind of worship God demands of us? 8. In what ways, even unintentionally, do we show disrespect for God in the way we worship? 9. What is one way we can humble ourselves before God in worship? 10. What truths in this passage can help you prepare to enter God s presence this week?
13 L E S S O N 2 Isaiah 29:13 KJV Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men. NIV The Lord says: These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. NLT And so the Lord says, These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. And their worship of me amounts to nothing more than human laws learned by rote. The people claimed to be close to God, but they were disobedient and merely went through the motions. Therefore, God would bring judgment upon them. Religion had become routine instead of real. Jesus repeated Isaiah s condemnation when he rebuked the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day (Matthew 15:7-9). We can also slip into lifeless routines when we acknowledge God but fail to give him our love and devotion. If we want to be called God s people, we must worship him honestly and sincerely. 11. Why did Jesus hold the Pharisees up as an example of how not to worship? 12. How can believers fall into a habit of empty, meaningless worship? 13. How do our motives and attitudes toward worship affect our worship? 14. How can we make sure that the way we worship is pleasing to God?
L E S S O N 2 14 SUMMARY This lesson looked at three biblical examples of people breaking their covenant with God through improper worship. Their stories reveal the serious consequences of false worship. While true worship nurtures love for God, false worship erodes our relationship with him! Examine your current worship habits. If you find yourself only going through the motions, ask God to forgive you and to reveal the joy of true worship. 15. How can you avoid the trap of simply going through the motions in your worship of God this week? SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS Read Leviticus 7:37-38. God gave his people specific directions to follow when they worshiped. All of the rituals symbolized deeper spiritual truths. But over time, the people became indifferent to the meanings of these rituals and to God himself. Many churches today observe rituals that have lost relevance to worshipers, but others have revitalized their worship by rediscovering the meaning and purpose behind their customs. Whether you are struggling with private devotions or stale public worship, a rediscovery of the Scriptures and of the actions of faithful Christians can breathe new life into old forms. 16. What rituals or traditions does your church include in worship? 17. How can you discover the meaning or purpose behind those traditions? 18. What custom or practice in your church s worship is most meaningful to you? Why?
15 L E S S O N 2 Read 1 Samuel 4:1-11. The Israelites rightly recognized the great holiness of the ark, but over time they began to regard the physical presence of the ark itself as a god. God wanted the ark to remind Israel to worship him, not the ark. They treasured it as a good-luck charm, expecting it to protect them from the Philistines. Their neglect of spiritual matters lulled them into a false sense of security and idolatry. It also led to military defeat and oppression. The consequences of Israel s sin would linger for several years. 19. When have you seen spiritual failure result in other far-reaching consequences? 20. How can religious customs crowd out our worship of God? 21. How can we make sure rituals and customs point us to God s presence without their becoming objects of worship themselves? Read 1 Samuel 15:1-31. This is the first of numerous places in the Bible where the theme to obey is better than sacrifice is stated (see also Psalm 40:6-8; Proverbs 21:3; and Matthew 12:7). A sacrifice was a ceremony that allowed humans to express praise or show sorrow for sins; God would grant forgiveness based on the sacrifice. But if the person s heart was not truly repentant or he did not truly love God, the sacrifice became a hollow ritual. All religious ceremonies or rituals are empty unless they are centered on love for and obedience to God. 22. Do you think Samuel was saying that sacrifice is unimportant? Why or why not?
L E S S O N 2 16 23. How do you think the quality of our worship is related to our preparation for worship? 24. How can you show obedience as you worship this week? Read Jeremiah 7:1-11. The nation of Judah worshiped, but it did so in a way that ignored its apathy and sin. Therefore, God sent Jeremiah to the temple gates to confront the people about their false worship. We can easily do the same as the Judeans did. Attending church, taking Communion, teaching Sunday school, and singing in the choir are good in themselves, but they should not replace devotion to God. The busy pace of life can cause us to be satisfied with the mere performance of religious duties. 25. What usually motivates people to participate in church activities? 26. What activities or ministries are you involved in at your local church? 27. How can you participate in those activities in a way that honors God? Read Malachi 1:7-14. Malachi confronted God s people about their false and profane worship. God s law required that only perfect animals be offered, but the priests were allowing the people to offer blind, crippled, and diseased animals to God. The priests knew what God required, yet their sacrifices were unworthy and their worship was insincere. They were lazy, arrogant, and insensitive. God charged the priests with failing to honor him to the point of showing
17 L E S S O N 2 contempt for his name. If we give God only our leftover money, time, and energy, we follow the same path as those worshipers whom Malachi criticized. 28. What is an example of an unworthy offering today? 29. How freely do you give your time and money to God? 30. What can you give to God next Sunday as an act of worship? Read Mark 7:7. A hypocrite is someone who acts a part. He pretends to be something he is not and holds others to a standard he has no intention of meeting. Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites because they appeared to be devout religious leaders but had no love for God in their hearts. Their worship was motivated by a quest for status, wealth, and admiration. We become hypocrites when we are satisfied with playing a part and follow certain rules of worship while allowing our hearts to remain distant from God. 31. In what ways can we be hypocritical in our worship? 32. Why are we so reluctant to face our hypocrisy? 33. How can genuine worship overcome the hypocrisy in our lives?