There Is A Difference Between Following Religion&Following Jesus.“Religion Gave Birth To Twins. One Is Culture;The Other Is Tradition. These Twins Often Keep Men&Women From Becoming What God Designed.

At The Heart of Worship is Worship From the Heart. Some people view the worship service in church as a time for entertainment. We sit in the audience attentively watching the actors on stage. God is the audience for our Worship. What matters most takes place within the hearts of the congregation-not onstage. By focusing on the external of worship, we too miss the point: The Lord is interested in a sacrifice of the heart, an internal attitude of submission and thanksgiving. The goal of worship is nothing less than to meet and please our God.  When the early church prayed, the buildings shook. Today we shake our buildings by turning up the volume of our sound systems. 

The most beautiful place of worship in Jeremiah’s day was the temple in Jerusalem, which King Josiah had recently repaired and restored (2 Chron. 34–35). The people were fixated on the magnificent building (Jer. 7:4), and they foolishly thought that having the temple there meant that God would protect them from their enemies.

Instead, Jeremiah pointed out the sin in their lives (vv.3,9-10). God is not impressed by beautiful buildings constructed in His name if there is no inward beauty in the hearts of those who go there.

He is not interested in an outward legalistic worship that is not matched by inward holiness. And it is wrong to think that God protects people just because of the religious things they do.

You see there is a Difference between Following Religion and Following Jesus.  “Religion gave birth to twins. One is Culture; the other is called Tradition”. These twins often keep men and women from becoming what God designed them and redeemed them to be.

Religion says, Look at your sin God says, Look at my Son. Religion can push you to change what you do, but only God can change who you are.

Religion: Change your behavior & it'll change your heart. Jesus: Let me change your heart & your behavior will change.

Just because we’re reading the Bible, praying, worshiping and having fellowship with other believers doesn’t mean that God is somehow then obligated to do something for us. He cannot be manipulated. The purpose of those external activities is to develop our relationship with the Lord and to help us live differently than those in the world around us.  At The Heart of Worship is Worship From the Heart.

Blessings

J.P. Olson
www.thewordwithjpolson.com