True Worship P2- Approaching the Altar

Last week, we started a series on “True Worship.” This week’s message delves into a bit more detail on what constitutes true worship. What is worshiping “in Spirit and Truth” supposed to look like?

In Gen 4:2-7, we read of two young men who bring an offering to God. At first glance, both offerings seem acceptable. They are both the results of the hard work of these two young men. I remember as a young Christian having great difficulty understanding why God would accept Abel’s offering and not Cain’s. To find out, one has to look beyond the offering itself to the attitude and posture of the two worshipers.

Cain brought an offering symbolic of his hard work in his chosen profession of tilling the ground. There was a curse on the ground due to the sin of Adam and Eve in breaking God’s command by eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, so Cain would have had to make a concerted effort to grow his produce. Of this, he was proud and he offered the first fruits of his labour to the Lord. He brought to God an offering symbolic of his pride and his works.

Abel, on the other hand, also brought an offering from his chosen profession as a shepherd. However, his offering foretold of the coming Redeemer who would wash his sins away by the pouring out of His blood. Abel offered his sacrifice in faith and it typified the Messiah who was to save all mankind from their sins. Cain did not offer his sacrifice in faith, so to him it became sin. (Rom 14:23). The Lord’s response to Cain: “if you do well, will you not be accepted?” gives us the clear message that there was a standard for offering sacrifices to God and Cain was not true to that standard. God is no respecter of persons – if Cain had brought the right offering with the right attitude and posture of worship, it would have been accepted! (Rom 2:11, Col 3:25)Cain’s attitude when His sacrifice was not accepted demonstrates his attitude in bringing the sacrifice in the first place! If it was mere ignorance that had caused him to bring a sacrifice of the wrong nature, he would have immediately repented and asked his brother for a lamb to offer to God. Instead, he was driven to wrath and fell prey to the heinous sin of murdering his brother.

The same issue was at the forefront in Jesus’ day when the Pharisees prayed aloud on the street corners, but their hearts were far from God, and the poor publicans who asked for mercy and rested on the promise of the Messiah to atone for them, were vindicated .(Luk 18:9-14)

Our tithes, offerings, praise and worship to God are not acceptable unless they are of the right nature, and brought with the right attitude and not one of hypocrisy or trusting in our own works for salvation. We should not compare our sacrifices of praise to that of other worshipers, for God looks at the heart of those who worship Him. Forgive each other before bringing gifts to the altar. Let the older ones be an example to the younger, teaching them true worship!

"Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."-Matt 5:23-24

"And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 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? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."-Gen 4:2-7

"And he [Jesus] spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."-Luke 18:9-14

What kind of brother are you?

The story in Luke 15 tells of a young man who demanded his inheritance so he could start a life of his own. After much deliberation, his father is forced to accede to his request as his son refuses to see the error of his ways. The son squanders his inheritance on riotous living, and soon is left empty - handed. Friends desert him as his inheritance dwindles. Eventually he is alone, left to fend for himself in an unfamiliar and hostile world. He possesses little skill or wisdom as he refused to use the time spent with his father to learn a trade or help in the family business. As a young Jewish lad he eventually finds himself hired as a keeper of swine, a job that in his culture would have been viewed as unclean and despicable.

Eventually he comes to his senses and returns home, planning to beg the forgiveness of God and his father and to secure a place among his dad’s hired labourers, as he is no longer worthy to be called his son. The magnitude of his sin weighs heavily on him as he walks the dusty road to his village. Suddenly from afar, he sees a figure running toward him, robes flapping ridiculously. He immediately recognizes his father, arms outstretched and looking less than dignified as he dashes toward his son to embrace him, kissing him on the neck. With tears in his eyes, he commands that the best robe be put on his son, sandals on his feet and the signet ring of authority on his right hand thus restoring him to the position of honour he once held as his son.

Meanwhile the older son who had remained with the father came in from the fields after a hard day’s labour and was less than impressed with the reason for the great celebration the father had arranged. After his brother had left home, he had to carry the workload of two men and he had no time for fun or celebration. He reasoned that he was better than his brother. After all he had sacrificed much to remain with his father. He felt unappreciated, and his grudging obedience to the father was taking its toll on him.

As part of the church of Christ, what kind of brother are you? Are you happy when your brother in the Lord comes home, sinful though he may be? Remember, you have sinned too. Take the example of Jesus to heart. As our elder brother, He chose to leave the glories of Heaven to risk all to save us. Now that we are safely home, he commands us to do the same. We are to go into the world, looking for straying children of our Father for He longs to welcome them home.

Scripture references: Luke 15:10-32