Couple of GREAT worship thoughts from Jeremiah to share today. (It looks like a long blog, but it's mostly scripture - dig in!)


Jeremiah 7:4 says this: "Do not trust in deceptive words, saying, 'This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.' I find that fascinating that there is that repetition there - it even sounds empty as it's being read.

And here's why - the people were not offering to God the worship that He Himself desired. Check it out: "For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly practice justice between a man and his neighbour, if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. (Jeremiah 7:5-7)"

Sounds to me like the reason that God is bringing this up is just because these thing are not happening the way He wants them to. And if you read the rest of the book (or even the chapters leading up to this point), that is exactly the message - that the people were worshipping God on their own terms, and not the way He both deserved and required. (It's extremely reminiscent of Isaiah 58, too....)

Check the last part of this section out: "Behold, you are trusting in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other gods that you have not known, then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, 'We are delivered!'--that you may do all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen it," declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 7:5-11)

I love the fact that God calls His people on the fact that they are saying "We are delivered" and "Peace, peace!" (Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11) when in fact they are absolutely NOT delivered, NOR is there any peace upon their nation. They are utterly deceiving themselves and ignoring God's commands and His pleasure.

I like, too, the distinction that God makes just a little later in the chapter where He says, "For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.' (Jeremiah 7:22-23)" God wasn't looking for ceremony, He was looking for obedience. The "day that He brought them out of the land of Egypt" was the same time that He actually did give Moses the 10 Commandments and all the rest of The Law for the Israelites, but here God makes it clear that He wasn't looking for just the sacrifices and the rituals to make Him happy, but rather the relationship and the obedience. I love that He so plainly says that here in Jeremiah.

So am I just revelling in Old Testament theology and wording? It sometimes happens, but in this case, nope. Can you see the parallel for us in our times today? Do we ever enter the temple saying, "Hey, we're in church, we must be good people"? Or, "Hey, we did the singing thing and handed out sandwiches tonight, we must be good people and OK with God"? Have we ever said, "We are delivered" simply because we used the words "Forgive me" without really repenting, and in fact just ended up heading back out to do the same things again and again? We deceive ourselves with this fake confession, and we need to realize that we are not forgiven when this is what we do.

God is looking for more depth, more truth, and hearts more passionate about finding out what pleases Him and then doing it.

Let's be Biblically solid in our worship and find out what pleases HIM, and not just us.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. (Ephesians 5:8-10)

Let's be truthful in our confession, and rigourously examine our lives to ensure that we are not deceiving ourselves with unrepentant sin.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5)

God is pleased with worshippers who worship in spirit and in truth - not just ceremony, not just outward appearance, not with deceptive and empty words. They are worshippers who speak truth, act in obedience, and preserve God's justice - worshippers who truly pursue HIS pleasure.

"But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24)