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'Worship that pleases God'
Bible Passages:
Deuteronomy 6: 1-9
Mark 12: 28-34
It is striking that at the foundation of the commands of God to humanity, lies the command to 'love' God.
Do you think love can be commanded?
The fact that the Bible repeatedly commands us to love, suggests that indeed it can.
Perhaps this says a lot about the way we restrict love to the arena of feelings and emotions in modern thinking. We speak of 'falling in/out of love', as if we are powerless to stop love developing or declining. The Bible would say that this is not the case. Love is a product of mind, emotions and will. As such, it is fundamentally under our volition as human beings: we choose what, and who we love, and how much.
(Read Deuteronomy 6: 1-9)
v4-9 are what the Jews call the 'Shema', the Hebrew word for 'hear'. They contain the central core of faith, to be recited daily by the pious.
'God doesn't want a part of your life. He asks for all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. God is not interested in half-hearted commitment, partial obedience. He desires your full devotion, not little bits of your life.'
Does this seem a bit too intense of God to ask this of us? If not, why not? How are we to manage this alongside all the other demands for our attention?
'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul'
This means that worship must be genuine and heartfelt. 'It's not just a matter of saying the right words, you must mean what you say. Heartless praise is not praise at all. It is a worthless insult to God'
What are the implications of this for worship? How can we do all we can to make sure that we are being genuine and heartfelt in our praise? How do v4-9 convey, in a number of ways, how we are to make love for God central to our everyday lives? How should we apply this teaching practically to our everyday lives?
(Read Mark 12: 28-34)
Notice, that Jesus adds a reference to loving God with all 'your mind'(v30). Jesus' command to 'love God with all your mind', is repeated four times in the New Testament. 'God is not pleased with the thoughtless singing of hymns, perfunctory praying of cliches. If worship is mindless, it is meaningless. You must engage your mind.'
Notice, also, that Jesus adds to the Shema, the commandment from Lev 19: 18. In effect, he makes it part of the one great commandment. By this Jesus is showing that love for neighbour is an inseparable and integral part of love for God.
How much is your public worship (in way your treat others), backing up your private worship?
'Love God with all your strength'
Worship takes effort and energy. It is not always convenient or comfortable - sometimes it is a sheer act of the will - a willing sacrifice. When you praise God when you don't feel like it; when you're tired; when you're worn out - you are offering a sacrifice of worship to God - that pleases God.
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