Dangers in Worship : Self-Made Religion

WORSHIP/DEVOTIONAL ARTICLE | Sean Cavender | Bald Knob, Arkansas

One of the greatest privileges given to the children of God is the opportunity to draw near the LORD to worship Him. God is the object Whom we center everything around, most notably our worship (Psalm 150). We should always be eager to worship God and should do so with enthusiasm and zeal! We should invite others to worship the God of heaven. Our worship of God appears as a sacrifice before the throne of heaven (Hebrews 13:15). Worship will involve our emotions, but it must also engage our minds! Our prayers and singing should be the result of careful meditation of the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 14:15). We must worship God by following the truth revealed in the word of God.

Worship is a tremendous blessing. We can draw nearer to God through worship. However, many people seem to think it does not matter how we worship, so long as we make some effort to worship. This assumption treats God as if He were under obligation to accept our worship. A friend of mine once told me all that mattered was that we worship God; how we worship God did not matter. Nadab and Abihu made the same indignant mistake when they offered unauthorized worship (Leviticus 10:1-2). Sadly, it is not uncommon for people to treat God and the blessing of worship the same way today.

Paul warned the Colossian brethren, “These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence” (Colossians 2:23, NASB95). Worship is something that can be abused if we are not careful. It is easy to confuse self-centeredness for our good intentions to worship the Creator (cf. Philippians 3:19). Religion that is motivated by selfishness is easy to become involved in but can be difficult for us to change. We must be humble and honest with ourselves as we look within our hearts and minds.

Worship According to Our Invention

Paul warned about “self-made religion” and worship based upon the will of human beings and not upon God’s word. Self-made religion is when we worship according to our thoughts and our inventions. There are many specific examples we could point to which demonstrate these selfish inventions (examples include instrumental music, preaching that is politicized or more like motivational speeches). However, this article will look at the subject more broadly. We want to understand the underlying principles of why such practices are wrong.

When we worship God, we are worshiping the Holy One (Isaiah 47:4). In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel forsook the worship of God and turned to idols. They attributed the power of the One, True, and Living God to idols of gold and silver, crafted by the hands of men. They treated gold, silver, and wood as if it were on the same level as God! This demonstrates one of the most significant faults in self-made religion: we treat God as common as earthly materials. When we treat God as common as earthly materials, we will treat Him casually. When we treat God casually, it will ultimately lead to treating Him no different than how we treat other people. Therefore, God loses any special place of honor.

How do we treat God casually and as something familiar? The amount of time that we spend preparing to worship God reveals how special we think God is. When we want to succeed at a business opportunity or to make a good impression with someone, we will prepare ourselves. We will try to better ourselves, look presentable, be rested, and ready to make a good impression. Worship is an intentional act — it does not happen on accident. If we do not prepare ourselves for worship, then it indicates that we view God as someone ordinary. Whether it is our intention or not, by our lack of preparation, we are communicating that we do not have time to honor the Lord who loved us and saved us.

Preparing our minds and bodies is essential for proper worship. Being prepared for our Bible classes and worship services is vital if we are going to please God with the fruit of our lips. It can begin by getting a good night’s rest before worship. Dressing in a way that gives honor to God is integral to showing the Lord honor. While the way we dress is not about a specific dress code and requiring people to worship God in a three-piece suit and a fancy dress, it is about looking at how much time and thought we put into preparing ourselves for worship. We must not treat God casually, as if He were just as common as lounging around the house in our slippers and pajamas.

Another dangerous and destructive element in worship is when the worship service reflects more of our interests and desires than it does about God. Worship, at its heart, is about sacrifice. God becomes the very center of our worship. He is the only One worthy of being praised and worshiped. Therefore, when we worship, we should focus on pleasing Him. However, if we are not careful, it can be easy to divert our attention away from God without realizing we have done so.

Preaching and teaching should be focused on God’s word. The pulpit is not to become a social commentary for current events, politics, and social justice. It is not wrong to refer to current events and contextualize the application of God’s word. Still, the work of teaching is a work to point people to God, which involves turning away from this world.

Still, another example might be in our singing. The spiritual songs that we sing in worship should be filled with edifying, thought-provoking lyrics. A catchy tune certainly does not hurt, and familiarity with the song is helpful, especially in a congregational setting. But we sometimes focus so much on singing the same songs because “everyone knows them” that we forget that worship is about praise and thanksgiving to God. It is possible to sing a new song or an unfamiliar song and still worship because we are not singing to ourselves — we are singing to God.

Let us be careful not to become centered on ourselves; the LORD must be the center of our worship. It is God who sent His Son to this world to die for our sins. God and Christ deserve honor and praise (Ephesians 1:12).

Worship According to God’s Word

Worship in harmony with God’s word will be worship that magnifies God as holy and special, not common and casual. And our worship will be centered around God and Christ — their roles in salvation and the instruction of God’s word.

Jesus taught that true worship is done in spirit and truth. We want to be people who are committed to true worship. However, true worship does not happen without intention and careful preparation. We must be people that understand God and His word. We must be committed to following Him.

“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people, the Father seeks to be His worshipers. ‘God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth'” (John 4:23-24, NASB95)

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July 2020 | GROW magazine