Sermon Central
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No Cost Religion
Contributed by Ivan Casteel on Apr 11, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: There is a cost to be paid to worship God
DATE
NO COST RELIGION!
1Ch 21:14 So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.
15 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
17 And David said unto God, Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued.
18 Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David, that David should go up, and set up an altar unto the LORD in the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.
19 And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spake in the name of the LORD.
20 And Ornan turned back, and saw the angel; and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.
21 And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out of the threshingfloor, and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.
22 Then David said to Ornan, Grant me the place of this threshingfloor, that I may build an altar therein unto the LORD: thou shalt grant it me for the full price: that the plague may be stayed from the people.
23 And Ornan said unto David, Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all.
24 And king David said to Ornan, Nay; but I will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost.
25 So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight. (KJV)
INTRODUCTION: David’s purpose in this scripture is to prepare a place of worship. A place of worship can be anywhere. It can be in your quiet time place at home. It can be in your car on the way to work. It can be here at church. No matter where it is, it is a place of great significance, and God expects something of each of us when we come into His presence.
Notice David’s words of the same account in 2 Sam 24:24, “….neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing….” David was not going to lower himself nor the Person of God by omitting or missing a great opportunity to worship God. A sacrifice that cost nothing was of no value to David. We have so many today that want a religion which costs nothing. David said, “Not me!” David is saying, “When I worship I expect there to be a cost attached.”
There is a large number of religious people alive today that attempt to go into the presence of God as though they would any other function of their daily life. Going to meet God is different than going to Wal-Mart. It is to be different than going to the lake to fish and play. Meeting with God is not the same as going to a football game, or to our kids soccer match. It is not the same as taking the children to the amusement park. When we set out on the path to the House of God He expects a different appearance and a different attitude than the normal places we go.
Let me add this: Neither are we admonished to make our acceptance based on our dress or appearance.
Also, if you go to God’s house to show your clothes or your fashion ability then you have missed the purpose of worship, and your worship will be void.
More and more we are seeing churches rise up with the contemporary flag. I don’t think we should call them contemporary. Don’t give them some pretty name – call them what they are – apostate. The Bible warns of the apostasy of the latter days, and we are certainly seeing it today.
