“And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,” (Isaiah 29:13, ESV)
In my years as a Christian, I have observed church folk from both the pulpit and the pew. What have I seen? It is interesting. I observed people who participated faithfully every week, joining in the corporate worship, not forsaking the assembling of themselves together. I have also seen the empty seats, those who take long sabbaticals from the fellowship, disappearing for weeks on end without any apparent legitimacy.
From the years of observation, I concluded that there must be two types of people in our churches. There were those fully devoted to God and those who were not. However, I was wrong. There is a third type. What is this third type of person? Isaiah describes this person in verse 13. It is a person who is there, but then again is not there. This is the legalistic participant.
God pronounced a judgment upon Jerusalem, called “Ariel” (Isaiah 29:1, ff.). What was their problem? We see the explanation in verse 13. While they formally worshipped God, as prescribed, they did not worship from the heart. They were more interested in their appearances than the heart of God and the principles of His Law.
The pattern we see in Jerusalem in this passage characterizes this third type of person we see in our churches today. This type of person worships God with his mouth and honors Him with his lips, while his heart is far from Him. In other words, his body is in the corporate worship, but his heart is not. This person may be entrenched in every aspect of the church, from passive participant in the worship, to serving in varied church offices, to teaching, and even preaching.
How do we determine if we are this third type of worshipper and what do we do about it, if we are? First, we should ask ourselves a question. Do I participate in the church because I have to or because I want to? People may participate because they have to for a variety of reasons. It may be because they have a job in the church. It may be because they know that the elders, deacons, or others will call if they are not there. In both cases, the issue is one of legalistic obligation as opposed to having true devotion.
Well, what should people do if they find themselves doing church because they have to? I most certainly do not want this group to drop out of the corporate experience. However, I also do not want them to worship due to man-made or self-imposed rules. I wish for everyone to worship God from a heart of true devotion. Devotion is the key point. Do we have a heartfelt love for God? If not, how do we turn this situation around? Here are some steps to take.
First, confess this lack of devotion to God. He says, “If we confess our sins, he will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Second, we should ask God to renew our hearts towards Him. The Lord can and will answer a sincere and humble prayer for renewal.
Third, one of the largest problems with our lack full devotion to God and our resultant lack of heartfelt participation in corporate worship is a failure to worship God throughout the week. Take some focused time every day to consider the awesome wonder of God and all that He has done for you. Remember, Jesus died on a cross to do something for you that you could never do for yourself. He paid the penalty of your sin and gave you eternal life.
Renewing the Heart 