Maybe you’ve heard the story about the old farmer who went into the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home that afternoon and his wife asked him how it went. "Well," said the farmer, "it was good. They did something different, though. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns." "Praise choruses?" said his wife, "What are those?" "Oh, they’re sort of like hymns, only different," said the farmer. "Well, what’s the difference?" asked the wife. The farmer said, "Well it’s like this - If I were to say to you: ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well that would be a hymn. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you: ‘Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, Martha, MARTHA MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, the CORN, CORN, CORN’!!! ‘Oh, Oh, Ooooooooh, yes, it’s true, the whole herd is in the awesome corn, yes, it’s true, the whole herd is in the awesome corn, --- weeell, it’s true, the whole herd is in the awesome corn!!! Alleluia! - That would be a praise chorus."...
Probably the one topic that has gained more interest than any other within the world-wide church over the last several years has been the subject of worship. There has been an outpouring of this new praise chorus style of music dedicated to leading us in worship. We sang a couple of those newer songs this morning. A large number of musical artists, both new and old, have made worship the focus of their music. Entire CD’s are dedicated to worship. I have gone to a concert looking forward to hearing the musician sing the songs that made him famous but ended up participating in a worship service. Churches have been born out of a desire to focus on worship. Movements have started with worship as their center-piece. Worship has taken on a massive role in the church world today.
Personally, I feel that this is a good thing in many ways. I enjoy a lot of the modern worship music. I enjoy listening to it. I enjoy singing it. But also, and this may have something to do with the fact that I’m the son of a worship pastor, but it always bothered me when I would hear preachers call the singing part of a church service the “preliminaries.” In days past I think worshipping is music was overlooked as non-important when compared to the preaching. I think we’re coming out of that mindset. I think we’re beginning to realize in a new way the importance of lifting our voices together in worship to our God. I think this focus on worship has been good for us. After all, it is what we’re going to be doing for all of eternity.
But I also feel as though there are some negatives to it. I think in many circles worship has become no more than just a bunch of people, in love with this church entertainment, jumping up and down like a bunch of monkeys. It’s become a lot of empty noise; a lot of meaningless words. It’s kind of like the little boy that knelt at his bedside after coming home from church one night and prayed, “Dear God, we had a good time at church today—but I wish you had been there!” In many cases I feel as though the church has become simply a place that someone could go to once a week and feel good to some enjoyable music. While it’s going on, because it feels so good, we feel like God has been there. But when it’s all said and done, His presence wasn’t even close. In fact, the whole scene was sickening to Him. I think maybe in this effort to revitalize worship in our churches we’ve kind of lost out on the whole meaning of worship.
This morning, I want to talk with you for a little while about this subject of worship. And I want us to consider the kind of worship that God accepts. I want us to look together at a passage that most everybody is probably familiar with. Turn with me to 1 Samuel 15:12-31...
You’ve heard this story. Samuel comes to King Saul with a message from God to go and destroy all of the Amalekites. Every man, woman, boy, girl, beast, crop, and possession is to be destroyed. Nothing is to be allowed to live. So Saul summons over 200,000 men to go with him to fulfill this command from God. And they killed everything that breathed... every man, woman, boy, girl, beast, and crop... except for the best of the cattle and sheep, they let them live. They were gonna take these animals home with them. Oh, and they allowed the king to live as well. This is where we pick up with our reading. Vs. 12, Saul is coming back home from this great victory.
And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place, and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal. And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed be thou of the Lord: I have performed the commandment of the Lord. And Samuel said, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed. Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on. And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel? And the Lord sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed. Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the Lord? And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and have gone the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in Gilgal. And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king. And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice. Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord. And Samuel said unto Saul ,I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord hath rejected thee from being king over Israel. And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent. And Samuel said unto him, The Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, that is better than thou. And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he is not a man, that he should repent. Then he said, I have sinned: yet honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God. So Samuel turned again after Saul; and Saul worshipped the Lord.
In this story we see a picture of a man who is not a good example to follow when it comes to knowing how to offer acceptable worship to God. But I think from this story we can see from His failures, three important ingredients to acceptable worship. Let’s look at them together for a while.
I. Acceptable Worship Comes from a Heart of Humility (vs. 17)
The first thing I want you to notice is that the worship God accepts comes from a heart of humility. Samuel looks at Saul in verse 17 and says, “Was it not when you were little in your own eyes that God honored you?” If you look back in the life of Saul, you’ll find a time when he did not think very highly of himself. We first see Saul in chapter 9 of 1 Samuel. The Bible tells us he was an impressive young man without equal. He was much taller than any other Israelite. His father was a wealthy man and of good social reputation. But all through chapter 9 we see Saul as a man of humility. When his father’s donkeys are lost, Saul is not to proud to go looking for them. When they can’t find the donkeys and Saul’s servant suggests they go to the man of God and ask him to direct them, Saul is not too big to take the suggestion of a servant. When Samuel tells Saul that he is God’s choice for king, Saul is not puffed up and he doesn’t say, “Yeah, I thought so.” He says, “What in the world are you talking about? I’m a member of the smallest tribe in all of Israel. And not only that, I’m a member of the clan that is least among all the clans of Benjamin.” Then later, in chapter 10, when it comes time for Saul to be presented to the people as their new king, he was not found riding into town riding a white horse telling everyone what to do. He was found hiding among some baggage. Saul had been a man of humility.
But now, in chapter 15, we see him after a great victory, and he is a man filled with arrogance. He openly defies the command that the Lord gave him. God told him to destroy all living things of the Amalekites. But he didn’t. Why? Well, think about it. Do you realize the kind of trophy it must have been for a king to bring back an opposing king captive after a successful war? I mean... just imagine the cheers of the people as they see Agag walking bound behind the chariot of King Saul. That would have been huge. And the cattle and sheep... what kind of king would go to war and not bring back any spoils? Saul had conquered the Amalekites. Their cattle now belonged to him. Boy, was he going to look good with all these fat cattle and sheep trailing behind him. And of course, that would be a tragic waste to kill all those animals. And so he comes home with the spoils of war and the trophy every king would wish for. But that’s not all. Upon his return, Saul goes Carmel, where he had been inaugurated and builds a monument to himself. That would be sort of like me coming up here and hanging a picture of Farmer Ben on the front of the pulpit. But Saul no longer was a man of humility.
Ps. 138:6... Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. Prov. 16:5... Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be held innocent. James 4:6... Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Listen to me, if you come before God with a proud heart hoping that he will honor you and your worship then you had better think again. If you come before God saying, “Man, can I sing good or what? God, you better be glad that you have me on your praise team,” your worship is going to stink in the nostrils of God. If you come to church thinking, “Lord, I’ve done so much for you. I’ve brought so many people to you. I can’t imagine what you’d do without me. I hope you’re proud of me, cause I sure am,” the Bible tells us that God is going to resist you.
A young woman asked for an appointment with her pastor to talk with him about a besetting sin about which she was worried. When she saw him, she said, "Pastor, I have become aware of a sin in my life which I cannot control. Every time I am at church I begin to look around at the other women, and I realize that I am the prettiest one in the whole congregation. None of the others can compare with my beauty. I have become so proud. What can I do about this sin?" The pastor replied, "Young lady, that’s not a sin, why that’s just a mistake!"
You can’t expect God to honor and accept your worship if it is coming from a heart of pride.
Do you know why that is? Do you know why God hates pride so much? It’s because pride is that thing in your heart that says, “You know what, I’m doing pretty good on my own. Look at all the things I’ve accomplished. I don’t need God. I never did need God.” Pride is that thing in your heart that says what G. Gordon Liddy said... "I have found within myself all I need and all I ever shall need. I am a man of great faith, but my faith is in George Gordon Liddy. I have never failed me." At the root of the sin of pride is the sin of ingratitude. “I can do it on my own. What has God done for me that I should lower myself to honor Him?”
When we come to worship God we must come with a heart of humility, recognizing that it is because of God that we’re where we are. It’s because of God that we have what we have. It is because of God we can sing like we can sing. It’s is God’s grace that saved us. It’s God who brought us out of sin.
If only Saul could have remembered back to the time that Samuel found him out looking for donkeys. If only he could have remembered that if God hadn’t chosen him, he would probably still have been living back home with daddy. If only Saul could have remembered that it was because of his humility that God had honored him in the first place.
Acceptable worship comes from a heart of humility. And the truth is, if we see God for who He really is, and we see ourselves for who we really are, we won’t be able to help but be humble. Someone once said, "They that know God will be humble, and they that know themselves cannot be proud." Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly.
II. Acceptable Worship Comes from a Heart of Obedience (vs. 22)
The second thing I want you to notice is that acceptable worship comes from a heart of obedience. In verse 22 we find a question that we’ve heard quoted many times... Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice.
You see, God had given Saul a direct order... kill everything and everyone. They were going to war to bring God’s retribution. It was not a war designed to enrich Israel. They were to destroy everything. And what does Saul do? He spares the life of Agag, the king, as well as the lives of all the good animals. 1 Samuel 15:9 says that they destroyed everything worthless and despised but that they were unwilling to destroy anything that was good. And Saul meets up with Samuel and says, “God bless you, Samuel. I have done what God told me to do. I have carried out His orders.” The funny thing was, the sound of the sheep and cattle was louder than his words. Samuel said, “What’s all that bleating of sheep I hear?” “Oh, that... well... we brought them back so we could sacrifice them to God.”
You know, it’s funny how Christians can disobey God and then feel good about trying to rationalize their disobedience. “Well, God, I know I didn’t quite do what my parents said, but you know how stupid their rules are.” “Yeah, I know I didn’t quite follow Scripture on that one God, but my intentions are good.” The thing is, God knows the truth. And no matter how much we try to rationalize our disobedience, God knows the real reasons. “Well, God, I did most of what you told me to do.” I don’t know if you’ve ever heard this before or not, but partial obedience is not obedience at all.
“Well, I know I don’t really live like I should during the week, but hey, I go to church every Sunday and sing and lift my hands and praise and pray and tithe and give to missions, and man, I even teach a Sunday school class.” Obedience is better than sacrifice. I get so bothered seeing people who live like the devil all week long and then come to church and jump up and down and praise God. Listen, God isn’t after your praise. God doesn’t want your money. He doesn’t want your attendance in Church. He doesn’t want your breakfast or your dinner or your midnight snack or whatever meal you decide to fast. He doesn’t want your pulpit…or your pew…or your purse. It’s not enough. He wants an obedient heart. He wants you. Fully. Completely. All of you. Not just your voice. Not just your Sunday mornings. He wants your obedience. He wants someone that takes His word for what it says. Nothing more and nothing less. Someone who listens for the will of God in every aspect – the most minute details—of their lives. Someone who will follow His will and do what he commands. He doesn’t want ritual, He wants obedience.
Well, you say, “I read my Bible every day. I even have memorized some Scripture. I can tell you the books of the Bible. I can tell you the names of the 12 disciples. I can even quote the fruits of the Spirit.” You know, when it comes time for the judgment it won’t matter how much of the Bible you know. What will matter is whether or not you obeyed it.
Imagine that you work for a company whose president found it necessary to travel out of the country and spend an extended period of time abroad. So he says to you and the other trusted employees, "Look, I’m going to leave. And while I’m gone, I want you to pay close attention to the business. You manage things while I’m away. I will write you regularly. When I do, I will instruct you in what you should do from now until I return from this trip." Everyone agrees.
He leaves and stays gone for a couple of years. During that time he writes often, communicating his desires and concerns. Finally he returns. He walks up to the front door of the company and immediately discovers everything is in a mess--weeds flourishing in the flower beds, windows broken across the front of the building, the gal at the front desk dozing, loud music roaring from several offices, two or three people engaged in horseplay in the back room. Instead of making a profit, the business has suffered a great loss.
Without hesitation he calls everyone together and with a frown asks, "What happened? Didn’t you get my letters?" You say, "Oh, yeah, sure. We got all your letters. We’ve even bound them in a book. And some of us have memorized them. In fact, we have ’letter study’ every Sunday. You know, those were really great letters." I think the president would then ask, "But what did you do about my instructions?" And, no doubt the employees would respond, "Do? Well, nothing. But we read every one!"
Saul disobeyed God. And then he tried to rationalize it. But how can God accept the worship of
someone who isn’t obeying Him? He doesn’t. Matt. 15:8-9... This people draweth nigh unto me with
their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me, but in vain they do worship
me. God speaks even stronger in Isaiah when He says "I’m sick of your sacrifices. I’m sick of your
sabbaths and holy days." Isaiah 1:11-17: I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.... Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations – I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates.... When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.
The people were doing rituals, bringing animals, keeping Sabbaths and festivals, even praying, but despite all that, there was something seriously lacking in their worship.
Why didn’t God like their worship? He does not say they were keeping the wrong days or doing the rituals incorrectly. The problem was that their lives were full of sin. So Isaiah counsels: “Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean.... Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!”
Their sacrifices, prayers and praises were not accompanied by performance in their day-to-day lives. They had worship rituals, but they did not obey God’s commands for how to treat their neighbors, and the result was unacceptable worship. As Jesus said, their worship was in vain. It was hypocritical to do the worship if it wasn’t changing the other aspects of their lives. Listen, God demands obedience from His people. And your obedience is absolutely necessary if you want your worship to be honored and accepted.
III. Acceptable Worship Comes from a Heart of Sincerity (vs. 30)
Lastly and quickly, this morning, I want to point out to you that acceptable worship comes from a heart of sincerity. Look at verse 30. Then Saul said, I have sinned: yet honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God. Here Saul was, he had just received the verdict of God; his kingdom was to be stripped away from Him. His disobedience had been found out. All his rationale had been shut down. And all he was worried about was making sure he still looked good in front of the people. He didn’t want to worship the Lord because he loved Him and could do nothing but bow in His presence. He wanted to put on a show for the people and avoid an open break between himself and Samuel in front of them. This was no sincere act of worship. He was just wanting to make sure he came out looking good.
Let me ask you something... why do you worship? Do you worship God out of a sincere heart of love for Him? Or do you worship out of a desire to make everyone think that everything is OK between you and God? Do you worship Him because you can’t help but kneel in His presence... do you worship Him out of reverence and awe? Or do you worship Him just so you can fit in with the rest of the church-goers? Why do you worship? Are you sincere in your worship? Is your worship the kind of worship that is just between you and God, or are you always concerned about everyone else?
Deeply immersed in meditation during a church service one day, Italian poet Dante Alighieri failed to kneel at the appropriate moment. His enemies hurried to the bishop and demanded that Dante be punished for his sacrilege. Dante defended himself by saying, "If those who accuse me had had their eyes and minds on God, as I had, they too would have failed to notice events around them, and they most certainly would not have noticed what I was doing."
Sincere worship is focused solely upon God. He is the one we are trying to please. He is the one that we are offering our praises to. He is the one who deserves our worship. So therefore, He is the one who deserves our focus and attention.
Sincere worship comes from an attitude of surrender. “Lord, here I am. This is all of me. I give you myself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to You.”
Sincere worship extends from the pew into a lifestyle. Sincere worship is something that goes beyond the doors of our church. It’s something that becomes more than just the words we sing during a time of congregational singing. Sincere worship is a lifestyle.
And finally, sincere worship is that which is done in spirit and in truth. John 4:24... Jesus tells the woman at the well that true worshippers will worship God in spirit and in truth because God is spirit. What does it mean to worship God in spirit and in truth? Probably the best thing I can do is read to you Adam Clarke’s comments on this verse. He says, “A man worships in spirit when, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, he brings all his affections, appetites, and desires to the throne of God; and he worships Him in truth when every purpose and passion of his heart, and when every act of his religious worship, is guided and regulated by the word of God.” So to worship God in spirit and in truth is to worship Him with everything that is in us, under the direction of the Holy Spirit and to worship Him in truth is to worship Him under the leadership of His Word.
Saul’s worship was not sincere. He was more interested in looking good than he was in pleasing God. And as a result, his worship was not accepted by God.
This morning, as we’ve looked at this story of King Saul, I hope that I’ve been able to express the importance of offering to God our acceptable worship. Maybe during this time here the Holy Spirit has been speaking to you about an area in your life. Maybe your worship has not come from a humble heart. Maybe it’s been more of a “look at me” sort of thing. Maybe your worship hasn’t come from an obedient heart. Maybe today you’re not walking in the light that God has shed on your pathway. He’s told you to do something and you haven’t obeyed. He’s told you to refrain from doing something, but you continue doing it. Maybe your worship hasn’t been coming from a sincere heart. Maybe your desire has been more to make people think you’re where you need to be spiritually than it has been to honor and adore God.
If God has been speaking to you this morning, would you step out and allow God to do His work in your life. He loves for His children to worship Him. He makes His dwelling place in our praises and in our worship, the Bible tells us. But if we are trying to worship God while living in pride or disobedience or if we’re not sincere in our worship, it is nothing more than a disgust to Him. Has God been speaking to you? If He has, this altar is open for you.
