Recently I had the opportunity to share from Malachi. I have to be honest and say that I've never really read through this book of the bible. I've heard a couple of it's more famous verses, but thats it really. As I began to study Malachi a couldn't help but sense that God had a big message to share with me about my motivations as I enter into worship.
We see in the first chapter that God has a serious rebuke for the Levitical priests. They had begun to bring sacrifices to the temple that were not up to the standards that God had set for them. The priests would know that these sacrifices weren't up to par, and yet they would continue to offer them in the temple. We can only imagine that these priests had lost their respect for God and were more motivated by how they would be viewed by those around them as they performed their duties.
I know that I like to please other people. I have always been this way. I do my best to make friends with everyone and to never do anything that with make someone think less of me. I also know that I'm not the only person in the world like this; in fact I think most people deal with this trait. The truth is however that many times we treat other people better than we treat God. I think a few of those people were the priests in the days of Malachi. Of course these priests would have claimed to have feared God, and to have not disrespected God's name, however their actions give no validity to what they claim. If I told you that I was a firm supporter of healthy living and yet ate all of my meals at fast food restaurants and never exercised you wouldn't believe me. Essentially, this is the same thing we see with the priests. The claimed to be the representative for the people to God, God fearing men of great character and integrity, and yet would knowingly offer up blemished sacrifices.
In the first chapter of Malachi we see this disconnect between action and claim.
"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the Lord Almighty. "It is you, O priests who show contempt for my name. But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?' By saying that the Lord's table is contemptible. When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the Lord Almighty. - Malachi 1:6-8
Surely the priests would have never offered up a blemished sacrifice to their local governor, but they were willing to sacrifice the blemished animals for the God of the universe! Their motivation was to please those who were watching more than to please the One to whom the sacrifices were being made. Now, before you start to judge the priests I think it's time to look into our own lives and check our motivations as we bring our sacrifices before God.
I want to ask you five questions that will hopefully make you think about your motivation in worship. I know that many times when I enter into worship I don't take the time to think about my motivations. I feel that it is critical to recognize areas in our worship that we have allowed to become more focused on pleasing others than on pleasing God. So as yourself these questions.
Why do you read the bible? Do you read the Bible to grow closer to God, to come to know Jesus, and to realize this will for your life? Or do you read the Bible for knowledge so you can prove a point...or impress someone else...or please your significant other or parents? Maybe you read the bible because you think that by reading it you can gain something...like eternal life, material possessions, or something with selfish intentions.
Why do you pray? Do you pray to humbly connect with God and petition for his will to be done in your life?
"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." - Matthew 6:6
Or should you, like the hypocrites in Matthew 6, be rebuked for praying to be seen or heard?
"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men." - Matthew 6:5
Why do you tithe? Do you tithe to be seen by others, to reveal how much you have, or to boast in your giving? Jesus says that giving must be a representation of the heart and it cannot be the only expression the heart has.
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharasees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices - mint, dill, and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law - justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former." - Matthew 23:23
Giving is an expression of our love and thankfulness for God and how He has blessed us. In Malachi we see that God challenges us to tithe so that we can see the fullness of his character. Tithing isn't something that draws attention to us, but rather is something that draws our attention and focus on the faithfulness of God.
Why do you serve? Do you serve to make yourself feel good? Do you serve to make yourself look good? Do you serve because you think you can earn the respect or love of God? Or do you serve because you want to be an extension of the heart and hands of Christ to people who don't know him?
"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before me, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret." - Matthew 6:1-4
Why do you go to church? Do you go to church to "look good" in the eyes of other people? Do you go to church to be seen? Or do you go to church to enter into the presence of God and to worship Him? Do you go to church to fellowship with other believers and encourage them?
Just like the priests in the days of Malachi, we are tempted at times to perform because of how others will perceive us. We are called to pray, called to tithe, called to serve, called to be in fellowship, and called to study. HOWEVER we are reminded of the purpose of those actions.
"If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised though Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever." - 1 Peter 4:11
Each action that we take is an act of worship through which we should glorify Christ. I wish I could say that I've always been pure in my motivations when I've offered to God my worship, however I'll be honest and say that I have not. I think it is way past time that we begin to take a deep look at who we are trying to please in worship. Lets make an earnest effort to bring unblemished sacrifices to the altar of God.
