There are a handful of verses in the holy Scriptures that haunt and trouble good pastors. James 3:1 speaks of a greater judgement for those who teach the body of Christ. A pastor is teaching the Word of God and the values of God three to four times a week. See what I mean? Three to four times a week there is a greater judgment for a pastor, a greater standard resting on a pastor's shoulders. I'm also troubled by the verse in 1 Corinthians 9:27 where the great Apostle Paul worries about being put aside, "a castaway," because he needed discipline to run the race for the gospel. It's hard to imagine Paul being sidelined by God, but Paul knows it's a reality. How are you doing with your spiritual disciplines, fellow pastors?
Shut The Doors
One of the most frightening verses in all of Scripture for me personally is found in the last book of the Old Testament. Malachi 1 is quite literally a "rant" by God who, as you can see, has become disgusted with how His people are relating to Him. Quite often when God is trying to get our attention while we're in sin, He will ask questions. The first sinners in history, Adam and Eve, dressed in the original Mossy Oak, er, "mossy fig," heard this question while they hid in a bush: "Adam, where are you?" In Malachi 1, God asks the spiritual leaders: "If I am a master, where is My respect?" The spiritual leaders were presenting defiled offering unto the Lord in the temple. Blind and sick lambs, molded grains and fruits were being brought to the priest and offered to the Lord. And sadly, the priests were offering them. God asks the priests, "Would you bring that to the local governor and if you did would he be grateful or thankful for your gifts?"
Verse 10 is the most frightening of all for me. God the Father says, "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates...I am not pleased with you." God didn't want anyone to visit Him in the temple or offer anything to Him. Here we see God saying 'I would rather you shut the doors than pretend to worship me.' Pastors, I implore you to let those words sink in for a minute...or for a lifetime. God has no interest in fakers or pretenders. When people showed up to "worship" God without any real sacrifice, it offended the Lord of Hosts. God goes on to say that it "profanes" His name and insults Him. This makes me wonder about the thousands of services I've helped lead and wonder if any of them insulted the Lord because I did not bring my best.
Verse 10 is the most frightening of all for me. God the Father says, "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates...I am not pleased with you." God didn't want anyone to visit Him in the temple or offer anything to Him. Here we see God saying 'I would rather you shut the doors than pretend to worship me.' Pastors, I implore you to let those words sink in for a minute...or for a lifetime. God has no interest in fakers or pretenders. When people showed up to "worship" God without any real sacrifice, it offended the Lord of Hosts. God goes on to say that it "profanes" His name and insults Him. This makes me wonder about the thousands of services I've helped lead and wonder if any of them insulted the Lord because I did not bring my best.
Not In The Temple
You can perhaps feel better about this Old Testament passage if you relegate it to the old style of worship. This is how Israel used to connect with God and honor Him. We don't have to do any of that today. "Stan, we meet in churches and not temples and we never have to bring lambs!" You're right. But the principle of this passage travels all through the New Testament. The people who irritated Jesus the most on planet Earth were not the demonic, the greedy tax collectors, or sinners. The so-called "religious leaders" of Jesus' day, who were pretending to follow His will, even tithing from their spice racks (Matthew 23:33) were a dangerous "brood of vipers" according to Jesus. In fact, if you keep score on name-calling in the New Testament, the Pharisees (those religious leaders) indeed win the award for Most Names Called Out By Jesus.
The big issue that Jesus has with them is that they are all show and no substance. The religious leaders of Jesus' day look good on paper. As they walked through town to pray or sacrifice at the temple, they were quoting Scripture and supposedly modeling righteousness. Jesus tells them that they strain at looking good and putting on a show, but neglect justice and mercy and faith. In other words, they're all show and no substance. People who worked hard to look religious and righteous, and yet did not love their neighbors, offended Jesus. Do you remember His story of the Good Samaritan? The religious men ignored the needs of a half-dead traveler dying in a ditch. The Samaritan (a despised sub-cultural group of people) had mercy and compassion.
The big issue that Jesus has with them is that they are all show and no substance. The religious leaders of Jesus' day look good on paper. As they walked through town to pray or sacrifice at the temple, they were quoting Scripture and supposedly modeling righteousness. Jesus tells them that they strain at looking good and putting on a show, but neglect justice and mercy and faith. In other words, they're all show and no substance. People who worked hard to look religious and righteous, and yet did not love their neighbors, offended Jesus. Do you remember His story of the Good Samaritan? The religious men ignored the needs of a half-dead traveler dying in a ditch. The Samaritan (a despised sub-cultural group of people) had mercy and compassion.
In The Church
So what about our fellowship. Do we gather for show or substance? Is our worship all about how we look? Do we as pastors spend excessive amounts of time making sure that we look and sound good? So much is written these days about how millennial families want an entertaining music set, high-end coffee stations in the lobby, and a worship leader who can rock a stylish pair of skinny jeans. It's easy to get caught up in show and neglect the substance. As spiritual leaders, we must focus on the substance of our worship meetings and prayer meetings over the external issues. As pastors, we must make sure that the content of our messages contains strong, Bible-based truth and strong values taught through the Scriptures. We should regularly evaluate our service order and elements to be sure that it hasn't become ritualistic. As pastors, we don't want to offend the Lord to the point that He would want to close our doors. Obedience, substance, is always preferred to a show. Let's all be vigilant so that we do not offend the One who paid for the privilege to worship Him.
A.W. Tozer wrote in 1962, "It is scarcely possible in most places to get anyone to attend a meeting where the only attraction was God." So the question becomes: Who are you showing off and highlighting in your worship service? Are the singers, musicians, and technicians receiving all of the praise? Let's make sure that the One whom all praise, honor, and glory should be given is the true focus of our services. (Revelation 4:11)
People can come to church to show off. In the deep south where I serve, some people come to make sure others know that they are "good churchgoers." Some come out of a habit, but they have lost their first love. (Revelation 2:4) The gathering of the local church, whether big or small, is supposed to be a gathering focused on Jesus. Consider why you go and ask yourself about your motives for attending. Are you seeking favor with God for your own gain? Are you attending church in order to protect your reputation within the community? Are you trying to network with people who might be good for your career or job advancement? Let's get honest with ourselves. God prefers substance over show. He's offended when we show up at His place with a half-hearted purpose or sacrifice. Let's not insult the Lord week after week. Return to your first love and seek to honor Him with every part of your life. Make your offerings count.
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." — Colossians 3:23 (NASU)
At 6.14 Ministries, we deeply value the local church. If you need some encouragement, revitalization, support, or renewal, please reach out via the Contact Page here on my blog or by e-mailing us directly at 614rebuild@gmail.com. We can offer counsel, direction, evaluation, vision, and teaching as needed. We absorb the costs of our services whenever possible.
A.W. Tozer wrote in 1962, "It is scarcely possible in most places to get anyone to attend a meeting where the only attraction was God." So the question becomes: Who are you showing off and highlighting in your worship service? Are the singers, musicians, and technicians receiving all of the praise? Let's make sure that the One whom all praise, honor, and glory should be given is the true focus of our services. (Revelation 4:11)
People can come to church to show off. In the deep south where I serve, some people come to make sure others know that they are "good churchgoers." Some come out of a habit, but they have lost their first love. (Revelation 2:4) The gathering of the local church, whether big or small, is supposed to be a gathering focused on Jesus. Consider why you go and ask yourself about your motives for attending. Are you seeking favor with God for your own gain? Are you attending church in order to protect your reputation within the community? Are you trying to network with people who might be good for your career or job advancement? Let's get honest with ourselves. God prefers substance over show. He's offended when we show up at His place with a half-hearted purpose or sacrifice. Let's not insult the Lord week after week. Return to your first love and seek to honor Him with every part of your life. Make your offerings count.
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." — Colossians 3:23 (NASU)
At 6.14 Ministries, we deeply value the local church. If you need some encouragement, revitalization, support, or renewal, please reach out via the Contact Page here on my blog or by e-mailing us directly at 614rebuild@gmail.com. We can offer counsel, direction, evaluation, vision, and teaching as needed. We absorb the costs of our services whenever possible.
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