Sermon #76 Series: Isaiah

Title: Vain Worship

Text: Isaiah 29:13-14

Subject: Carnal Worship and Its Consequences

Date: Sunday Evening - May 26, 1991

Tape #

Introduction:

The Son of God tells us that, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). But it is ever the nature and tendency of fallen man to pervert the worship of God. We have been blessed with ordinances of divine worship. But rather than using the ordinances to worship God in spirit and in truth, we pervert them into carnal ceremonies, services and rituals, without regard to God. We content ourselves with the bodily exercise of outward worship and neglect the inward reality of spiritual worship. All men by nature prefer gaudiness to godliness! Paul said, “Bodily exercise” (the mere outward motions of divine worship) “profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” - (I Tim. 4:8).

You and I are impressed by, pleased with and dedicated to outward religion. “But the Lord looketh on the heart” (I Sam. 16:7). And “that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God” - (Luke 16:15).

Now understand what I am saying - Outward public worship and the outward service of God must never be neglected. But if outward worship is all we have our worship is vain worship! And that is my subject tonight - Vain Worship.

Proposition: The absence of a true heart, the absence of heart faith in Christ and heart devotion to the glory of God, makes all outward acts of religion vain worship.

Read - Isaiah 29:13-14 - In Matthew 15:1-9 our Lord applies this text to the Pharisees of his day and to all in our day who pervert the worship of God into nothing but hypocritical, outward religious service. Read Matthew 15:1-9.

· The Pharisees added to the Word of God the traditions of men, and insisted upon obedience to their traditions - (Matt. 15:3).

· And they perverted the commandment of God to suit heir own self-serving, self-righteous, hypocritical religion - (Matt. 15:5-6; Mk. 7:6-13).

Note: “Corban” - means a gift dedicated to God that cannot be used for any other purpose - Yet, they did! They used traditions, their pretentious religious taboos as an excuse for their hardness, but never fulfilled their claims. They would never give “Corban” (their vowed gift) to their needy parents. But they never gave it to God either!

· The Lord Jesus declares that all such religion is both vain and hypocritical - an abomination to God!

I. All outward religion that does not involve heart worship is VAIN WORSHIP.

“This people draw near to me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me.”

· They prayed and called upon the name of God.

· They professed to be the people of God.

· The believed the doctrine of God.

· They practiced the ordinances of God.

· But their hearts were far removed from God - and God regarded their vain worship as an abomination - a mere form of godliness! (Isa. 1:10-18; 66:1-3).

II. All acts of divine worship, precepts of righteousness and doctrines imposed upon the church by the traditions and customs of men are but VAIN WORHSIP.

“Their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men!”

· Romanism!

· Infant Baptism!

· Legalism!

· Separatism!

· Free-willism!

· Religious Activities!

· Religious Ceremonies, Programs, etc.!

· Sabbath Days, Holy Days, Solemn Seasons!

III. ALL TRUE WORSHIP IS A WORK OF THE HEART - (John 4:23-24; Phil. 3:3; Rom. 10:9-10).

· Faith is a Heart Work.

· Repentence is a Heart Work.

· Singing is a Heart Work.

· Praying is a Heart Work.

· Preaching is a Heart Work.

· Hearing is a Heart Work.

· Baptism is a Heart Work.

· Communion - The Lord’s Supper - is a Heart Work.

It is not the bodily exercise of religious service that God requires, but godliness - God wants our hearts! “My Son, give me thine heart.” If he has our hearts he will accept our services of divine worship for Christ’s sake. But if he does not have our hearts, God will never accept our services!

IV. If we attempt to fool God with the hypocrisy of VAIN WORSHIP, God will leave us to the folly of vain religion - (v. 14).

· The Jews.

· The Religious World (II Thess. 2:10-12).

Application: Joel 2:12-14.

“Rend your heart, and not your garments!”