A few weeks ago our Sunday morning adult Bible Class considered reasons why God is worthy of our worship. We reviewed the fact that God is our Creator, Sustainer, and Savior. He has all wisdom and power. He is just in punishing us for our sins, yet His great love is shown in sending His Son to die for our sins. These are just a few of the many reasons for us to praise and worship God.
Another question needs to be raised and answered regarding this study. We know God is worthy of our worship, but is the worship we offer worthy of God?
In one sense, we can never be worthy of God's greatness. The best we have to offer God is like filthy rags before His righteousness (Is. 64:6). However, there are times when God found man's worship to be acceptable and times when He found man's worship to be unacceptable. It is in this sense that we ask the question, "Is our worship worthy of God?"
God has always demanded the best. The Law of Moses would not allow men to offer unto God as a sacrifice any animal that had a defect, a blemish, was blind, broken, maimed, had a scab, an injury, or uneven limbs. Any such animal was not acceptable (Lev. 22:19-25; Deut. 15:21).
The Jews of Malachi's day were offending God by offering such sacrifices (Mal. 1:6-14). He asked, "Where is My honor... Where is My reverence" (v. 6)? They would not insult their governor by offering such to him (v. 8). If they were going to continue this practice, God's request was that someone would shut the doors so that they would no longer offer such sacrifices. He was not accepting any offerings from their hands (v. 10).
These words have been written for our instruction. We may live under a different covenant which no longer requires animal sacrifices, but we are serving the same God. He still demands and deserves the best. Are we offering our best to God when we worship Him? Our singing is a sacrifice that is offered unto God (Heb. 13:15). Are we making melody in our hearts unto God (Eph. 5:19), or are we mindlessly mouthing familiar words while our hearts are focused on something else? Are we praying with the one leading the prayer, or are we thinking about something else? Are we listening to God's word as it is being preached, or are we entertaining ourselves with something else? Are we cheerfully giving as we have purposed in our hearts, or are we saving the money for something else? Are we partaking of the Lord's Supper in a worthy manner, or are we eating and drinking judgment to ourselves (1 Cor. 11:23-29)?
God would not accept the worship offered in Isaiah's day because the hands of the worshippers were covered in sin (Is. 1:10-15). They were told, "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil" (v. 16).
Do we approach God in the worship assemblies with unrepented sin in our hearts and lives? If so, we are unworthy worshippers who are offering unworthy worship. We must first seek God's forgiveness, and then we can bring acceptable worship with pure hearts.
God is worthy of our worship, but we must realize He is worthy of the best we have to offer. Nothing else will do because nothing else will be accepted by God.