In Amos 5:21-24, the Lord expressed how He wanted to see His people practicing true justice and righteousness, rather than going through half-hearted motions of worship. Churches can all too often fall into meaningless worship routines, and the reason why is because they get bogged down in tradition and consumed with meaningless busy-work. Allow me to explain further.
Believers can get so focused on what’s happening in the existing membership and within the church walls, that they become blinded to what’s happening on the outside; and thereby, fall short in carrying out the Great Commission. They can also become so task-oriented that they fail to become God-oriented; and can often grow more concerned about “busy-ness” than true kingdom “business.”
This observation has left me with a question in the back of mind, which is this: “Would we even know how to worship God and do what He expects of us, if all our traditions, music and programs were completely stripped away?” In the praise song “The Heart of Worship,” worship leader Matt Redman expressed this same concern, sharing the following words:
When the music fades, all is stripped away; and I simply come. Longing just to bring, something that’s of worth; that will bless Your heart. I’ll bring You more than a song, for a song in itself; is not what You have required. You search much deeper within, through the way things appear; You’re looking into my heart.
I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You; it’s all about You, Jesus. I’m sorry, Lord, for the thing I’ve made it, when it’s all about You; it’s all about You, Jesus.
Matt Redman was leading worship at his church called Soul Survivor, which is located in England, whenever he wrote the lyrics to “The Heart of Worship.” Joel Harris shares the story concerning how this well-loved song came to be:
Over the course of several years, Soul Survivor’s worship had made a lot of headway . . . [but] the spark was gone, and the people were going through the motions without really giving their hearts in worship. Eventually they realized that they had become spectators of the worship service, simply an audience, grading it with scores out of ten. They had forgotten the fact that they were all supposed to be performers, performing for an Audience of One.
They had lost sight of the truth that biblical worship involves sacrifice. All of us are called in God’s Word to bring sacrifices in worship, called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices – our spiritual act of worship, and to offer up sacrifices of praise.
Mike [Pilavachi, the pastor], realized something drastic needed to happen. The church needed to be brought back to the place where each person was bringing their own contribution to the worship, not simply to watch the band. They needed to come back to understanding that worship is all about God, not about what we get out of it, or what our personal musical tastes are. So the pastor “Banned the band, and sacked Redman!”
They sat in circles and waited for someone to bring their own sacrifice of praise. At the start, no one did, and they sat in virtual silence! They had to learn not to rely on music, but eventually it began to happen. They had sweet times of worship, as people brought prayers, readings, prophecies, praises and songs. The excitement and passion returned, for they were no longer having church, they were meeting with God.
Having learned their lesson, they brought the band back, and Matt Redman sang the song that he had written out of the experience.
Now, getting back to the plight of Israel; in Isaiah 58:2-3a, the people claimed they wanted to know God and do His will. The Lord stated, “They seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways . . . They take delight in approaching God. ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’” The Lord’s response reveals that their worship and declarations of praise and allegiance to God could not be backed up through deed. Listen closely, as I share the Lord’s reply in Isaiah 58:3b-10:
In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, and exploit all your laborers. Indeed you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, to make your voice heard on high. Is it a fast that I have chosen, a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord?
Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness. If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday.
The true fast that God has chosen; or rather, the true worship and actions that God expects us to demonstrate, have nothing to do with coming to church on Sunday and evaluating the performance, or doing a certain style of music and number of songs, or offering a specific amount of programs, or even visiting a set number of church members in their homes.
The true fast and worship that God has chosen involves doing the things that really matter in meeting the needs of the community. When we look out beyond ourselves and our own preferences to share the love of Jesus Christ outside the church walls; then we begin doing things that make an eternal difference, and we begin doing what really pleases the Lord. We also enter a place where ministry becomes something fulfilling and meaningful.