Vain Worship

Could going to church on Sunday morning actually be in vain? I'd like to think not, but according to the Word of God, it very well could be. In the 7th chapter of the Gospel of Saint Mark, Jesus calls out the Pharisees and essentially tells them that their worship is in vain. It makes me ask the question, is that what Jesus is saying about the church today; that our worship is in vain? For years many of us have faithfully and diligently attended worship services at our local congregation, in the name of worshiping the Lord. But I am persuaded saints that what a lot of churches are doing around the country on Sunday mornings is nothing more than Vain Worship.

Let's take a look at some of the challenges Jesus had with the Pharisees that led Him to describe their worship as vain. First off, He called them out for their Hypocrisy. The Pharisees were hypocrites. What is a hypocrite? The popular answer is one who says one thing and then does another. This is incorrect. The accurate definition of a hypocrite is one who uses one standard to judge themselves and then uses another standard to judge others. That is hypocritical. So if I drink (alcohol) and then I say that drinking is wrong, that doesn't make me a hypocrite. What makes me a hypocrite is if I condemn you for drinking alcohol while excusing or justifying myself while drinking alcohol. This is hypocritical, and this is where the modern day church is. The world doesn't have a problem with Christians sinning. Jesus died for our sins (John 3); so that's not the problem. The problem that the world has with the church is our inconsistency. In other words, don't be condemning me, sending me to hell, when you're doing the exact same things that I'm doing. This is the position of the world against the witness of the church. And instead of us confessing that we're sinners just like them but that the difference is that we have a Savior who has died for our sins and forgiven us for our trespasses, we just try to "act better". Wrong. We have to quit being hypocritical, if don't want our worship to be in vain.

Lastly, Jesus called the Pharisees out on something that the mainstream church is definitely guilty of: they made their traditions and rituals the equivalent of the Commandments and Will of God. This, I believe, has really upset the Lord. In the church, we've put emphasis and focus on things that literally have nothing to do with the Divine Will of God. What difference does it make what denomination you are? What difference does it make what you wear to church (as long as it's decent and in order, 1Corinthians 14)? Who came up with all of these boards and committees and councils? All of these "traditions" have churches put together and convinced people that if you don't abide by these religious rituals then you're really not saved and you're not a "true" Christian. This is not the Will of God. God looks on the heart, not the outer man (1Samuel 16). And in the days to come, we're going to see plenty of "church leaders" who look good on the outside and know the right things to say but their hearts are not with God (Mark 7). Saints, it's time to do a Heart Check. Check and see where your heart really is with God. Are you going to church because that's what you've done all of your life, or are you going seeking a deeper relationship with God? Are you going to church because it's the "right thing to do" or are you going because you're looking to answer God's Kingdom Call for your life? Let us make sure that our motives for going to church do not make us victims of Vain Worship.