Threats to True Worship
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· 44 viewsThere are threats to true worship, and Moses would have God’s people avoid them.
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Text: Deuteronomy 12:29-14:2
Theme: There are threats to true worship, and Moses would have God’s people avoid them.
Date: 04/03/21 File name: Threats_to_Worship ID Number: OT05-12
“Spectating” has become the most popular entertainment event in America. Americans love spectating — watching an event, and sometimes even vicariously living their lives through what they are watching. This has been true for a long time. Twenty-five years ago, the National Commission on Civic Renewal, a private organization headed by former Education Secretary William Bennett, produced a report entitled, "A Nation of Spectators." The report lamented then that Americans are increasingly dropping out of civic organizations, to disengage from public involvement, and to be increasingly satisfied in watching others “do their thing” whether it’s entertainment, or sports, or politics. We’d rather watch than engage.
Unfortunately, Americans have brought this mentality to church. We’ve become addicted to entertainment. We want to see a “good show” — even in worship — and so we come to church expecting worship to be an inactive experience instead of an interactive experience. We’ve become a people uncomfortable with participation.
This is not a new problem. More than 100 years ago, Danish philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard, compared worship to a drama with actors, prompters, and audience. His complaint was that people have been cast for the wrong parts. He wrote that in this play we call “church” the worship leaders have become the actors, God is the prompter, and the congregation the audience. Kierkegaard called for a recasting. The real actors should be the worshiping congregation, the worship leaders should be the prompters, and God should be the audience.
In the early half of the 21st century, our spectator mentality remains a threat to true worship. But there have always been threats to true worship. Moses was deeply concerned that nothing should deprive the people of God of the blessings offered by pure worship of the True and Living God.
Once they had settled in Canaan, Israel would be susceptible to pagan influences which would seek to seduce them. If they were not careful in separating themselves from the pagan practices of Canaan’s inhabitants, they would be tempted into spiritual adultery. They had already flirted with spiritual disloyalty once when they created and worshiped the Golden Calf. As a precaution against possible apostasy, Moses warned Israel of the snares to which they must be alert when it came to their worship. There are threats to true worship, and Moses would have God’s people avoid them.
I. UNDESIRABLE CURIOSITY IN OTHER RELIGIONS IS A THREAT TO TRUE WORSHIP
I. UNDESIRABLE CURIOSITY IN OTHER RELIGIONS IS A THREAT TO TRUE WORSHIP
““When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, 30 take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ 31 You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. 32 “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.” (Deuteronomy 12:29–32, ESV)
1. God’s warning here is explicit do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?
A. CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT AND ENSNARES THE BELIEVER
A. CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT AND ENSNARES THE BELIEVER
1. God commanded that the shrines of the Canaanites were to be destroyed
a. even the people themselves were to be annihilated
2. to us — who have been raised in a pluralistic society where respect of all religious beliefs, and even those with no beliefs is a basic creed of our society — that seems harsh and unjustified
a. why did God declare such an extreme judgment upon the prior inhabitants of the Promised Land?
1) 1st, the Canaanites were an extremely wicked people who made other pagans around them seem virtuous by comparison
a) one Canaanite group, the Amorites, are mentioned all the way back in the book of Genesis
“As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”” (Genesis 15:15–16, ESV)
ILLUS. In the Book of Leviticus (Lev. 18:24-28), Moses writes that they are such a vile people that if the land in which they reside could vomit them out it would.
2) 2nd, God knew that it was still possible for the Hebrews to imagine that there was something of value in the pagan religions they would encounter
a) after all, what if the Israelites reasoned that their God was not the only god around?
b) why take a chance of “offending” that gods of a people you’ve just conquered?
b. such curiosity might lead to inquiry, and inquiry might lead to interest, and interest might lead to experimentation, and experimentation would lead to adoption of pagan beliefs
ILLUS. I had been a Christian only a couple of months when I went off to college in Kirksville, MO. I was spiritually immature, and ripe for the enemy to come in with falsehood. One day while at the Laundromat, I noticed a religious tract lying on one of the folding tables. With nothing to do while my cloths washed I began to read it. It told how archeologists had discovered that the great Mezo-American empire — the Incas, they Mayas, and the Aztecs — were descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. They had reached the Western hemisphere on papyrus boats, and had established enclaves among the peoples already here. The tract also told how Jesus Christ had appeared to them in the New World after his resurrection, and instructed them in the faith of the Church. I was fascinated. Even then I loved history, and was fascinated by archeology, and these were things I’d never heard of before. Why had I never learned this in 10th grade world history? I was intrigued and read through the tract several times.
I took the tract with me and showed it to a Christian friend who had befriended me at the Baptist Student Union. I shared with him my excitement at this new truth I had discovered about the Christian faith. Clay literally gasped in horror. The tract that had so fascinated me was from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. My curiosity had been peaked by what I now know is a pseudo-Christian cult that has beguiled and snared countless true believers.
This dear Christian brother immediately began me on a crash course in Biblical orthodoxy, and Baptist beliefs.
1) it’s a part of my testimony I usually leave out simply because, fifty years later, it’s still a little embarrassing to confess to — that I would be so gullible
3. this is one of the reasons I cringe when I hear, usually well-meaning Christians, soft-peddle the gospel when they say, “We’re all trying to get to the same place. There are many roads to it. You’re on your road to heaven, and I’m on mine.”
a. well hooey ... you all know what Jesus said about roads — there are only two, and only one leads to eternal life, and it’s the one Jesus is at the end of
b. religion will not get anyone to heaven
1) only the shed blood of Jesus Christ can save a person from their sin
2) only an acceptance of Christ as Son of God, Savior will take a man to heaven when he dies
c. religion is man’s attempt to reach out to some god he has invented
d. Christianity is God reaching down into the miry pit, and pulling man out of his sinful predicament
B. THE ANSWER TO UNDESIRABLE CURIOSITY IS TRUTH
B. THE ANSWER TO UNDESIRABLE CURIOSITY IS TRUTH
1. Moses sought to deter the Hebrew’s undesirable curiosity in pagan religious practices by giving them an example of the depravity of Canaanite worship
“You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the LORD hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods.” (Deuteronomy 12:31, ESV)
2. Moses is referring to what we now know as the Cult of Moloch
ILLUS. Moloch was an Ammonite god who’s image was depicted with the body of a human, but the head of a bull. In their temples, the Ammonites erected life-size images of their God cast I bronze as though seated on a throne with its hands outstretched as it to hold something. The back of the idol was hollow so that a fire could be built inside. During their worship, the idol would be heated until it was red-hot, and then a baby would be placed upon the lap of the idol. The priests drums, so that the people might not hear the screams of pain, and so that their hearts might not be moved. Even Greek and Roman historians of that day were appalled at this. Hebrew prophets are universal in their condemnation of the practice.
a. for these kinds of abominations, the Canaanites were judged by God, and destroyed
3. but Moses’ warning against undesirable curiosity fell on deaf ears
a. 500 years later, Israel was taken into captivity and exile by her enemies for participating in these awful pagan practices
C. CHRISTIANS NEED TO STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH AND AVOID UNDESIRABLE CURIOSITY IN OTHER RELIGIONS
C. CHRISTIANS NEED TO STAND FIRM IN THE FAITH AND AVOID UNDESIRABLE CURIOSITY IN OTHER RELIGIONS
1. curiosity in pagan, satanic, and new age cults, and religions have led many believers astray
a. the use of spirit-channeling, crystals, chanting and Eastern meditation have all made their way into the lives of professing Christians
b. these folks truly believe that they are worshiping God in truth and the Spirit, but instead they are worshiping in error and the flesh
2. one of the greatest dangers are the pseudo-Christian cults
a. these are groups like the Latter Day Saints, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventy-day Adventists, and Oneness Pentecostals that are nothing more than heretical sects that have a veneer of Christianity, but are totally distorted or even denied the deity of Christ
b. what was true of Israel can be true of True Israel if we are not careful ... curiosity might lead to inquiry, and inquiry might lead to interest, and interest might lead to experimentation, and experimentation would lead to adoption of pagan beliefs
3. Christians need to avoid idols
“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:20–21, ESV)
ILLUS. The early church father Augustine wrote, “Idolatry is worshiping anything that ought to be used, and using anything that ought to be worshiped.”
II. FALSE PROPHETS ARE A THREAT TO TRUE WORSHIP
II. FALSE PROPHETS ARE A THREAT TO TRUE WORSHIP
““If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him. 5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, to make you leave the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.” (Deuteronomy 13:1–5, ESV)
1. the Christian faith has always had its share of charlatans and crazies
2. in these last days, we should not be surprised that the Church is plagued by fake prophets, false teachers, and unscrupulous preachers
A. FALSE PROPHETS SOUND GOOD BUT PERVERT TRUTH
A. FALSE PROPHETS SOUND GOOD BUT PERVERT TRUTH
1. many lost men, and even some true believers, have been deceived and led astray by impressive performances and fancy packaging or half-truths and out-right lies
a. Moses warned his people about false prophets
1) he said that false prophets would arise and try to deceive the people
b. Jesus warned his disciples about false prophets
“For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” (Mark 13:22, NIV)
c. Paul warned the Church about false prophets
“For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.” (2 Corinthians 11:13–15, NIV)
ILLUS. In recent years, self-described prophets have proliferated across the country. They are stars within what is now one of the fastest-growing corners of Christianity: a loose but fervent movement led by hundreds of people who believe they can channel supernatural powers — and have special spiritual insights into world events. They operate primarily online and through appearances at conferences or as guest speakers in churches, making money through book sales, donations and speaking fees. One of the most notorious of today’s false teachers is Kat Kerr. You can recognize her by her pink hair. She claims to regularly visit heaven in dreams and visions, and then spins wild tales about it.
She says that Heaven is full of 20-foot-tall sasquatches — i.e. ‘bigfoot’. It’s also full of unicorns.
She describes Almighty God the father is a huge Caucasian man with a neat moustache on whose lap she sits while eating ice cream.
Jesus is a tattooed biker with his own brand new Harley Davison motorcycle.
God and Jesus regularly play golf up there.
John Wayne is in heaven still making cowboy moves, which God simply loves to watch when he gets time.
There is a chocolate milk water fall in heaven much bigger than our Niagara Falls down here.
There is a whole town made of jello which kids run around eating as they go.
The Holy Spirit is a cool dude blue in color very handsome and muscular who told dear Kat Kerr to dye her hair pink and call him cupid.
1) there is no end to this woman’s lunacy
2) she is a dangerous liar who needs to be exposed for exactly what she is — a deliberate fraud, a fake, and a charlatan making huge amounts of money by selling her inane nonsense to desperate gullible people!
2. the question, of course, is how do we recognize a false prophet?
a. False prophets preach the gospel of prosperity
1) false teachers will lead their congregation to believe that God wants them to be happy and wealthy
2) some teachers even take it further, and declare that if a Christian isn’t financially rich, or isn’t emotionally and relationally prosperous, they just “aren’t praying hard enough” or “need to increase their faith”
3) this type of teaching is dangerous and inaccurate
b. False prophets refuse to call out sin
1) false teachers don’t like to offend anyone, so they gloss over sin in order to keep their fans happy
2) they often do this by stating a particular controversial sin such as homosexuality, fornication, adultery, gluttony or greed isn’t a sin after all, so there’s no need to worry or change
3) the Bible teaches that sin is a real issue — and a big one
a) it’s what separates us from God ... it’s what condemns us to hell
b) without the intercession of Christ, we would have never been able to get to Heaven or to a right relationship with God
4) this is the message of the Gospel
c. False prophets don’t believe in hell or the need for repentance
1) false prophets are content to preach that hell is figurative
2) they believe there’s no need for repentance because Jesus died for everyone
3) they teach that we should just be grateful and that’s all there is to it
d. False prophets don’t believe Jesus is the only way
1) “Multiple paths, one destination” is a common belief in today’s society
2) for the sake of being tolerant and for fear of offending, false prophets are content to believe that everyone will make it to the same eternal destiny, via whichever religion they choose
3) the problem with this belief is that it directly contradicts Scripture
e. False prophets don’t believe in the authority of Scripture
1) false prophets will teach that the Bible contradicts itself, or is metaphorical or allegorical
a) this simply isn’t true
2) any alleged contradictions in Scripture are a misunderstanding on the part of the reader or are an intentional spin away from the proper context in an attempt to deceive
3. being a prophet is risky business because the Bible allows for no margin of error
“If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn you from the way the LORD your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.” (Deuteronomy 13:1–5, NIV)
a. God’s people were to be so saturated with biblical truth, that they would recognize when a false prophet was speaking
III. UNCOMPROMISING DEVOTION TO HUMAN RELATIONSHIP IS A THREAT TO TRUE WORSHIP
III. UNCOMPROMISING DEVOTION TO HUMAN RELATIONSHIP IS A THREAT TO TRUE WORSHIP
“If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, 7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), 8 do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. 9 You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. 10 Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 11 Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.” (Deuteronomy 13:6–11, NIV)
1. here is the really tough one
a. God’s abhorrence of idolatry is nowhere more evident than in His commandment for the Hebrews to execute any family member who entices you to turn from the true God
A. COMMITMENT TO GOD MUST STAND ABOVE HUMAN TIES
A. COMMITMENT TO GOD MUST STAND ABOVE HUMAN TIES
1. no matter how strong the ties of affection, and love may be, love for and faithfulness to God must take priority in a believer’s life
““If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26–27, NIV)
2. this is in sharp contrast with popular sentiment that would commend a person for changing his or her values, or his or her faith to please his or her lover
a. loyalty to Christ is too sacred a commitment to betray in the name of romance
3. conviction and commitment should never be sacrificed even if it be for the love of friend or family
ILLUS. One of the things few Souther Baptists know about Lottie Moon is that she was engaged to Crawford Howell Toy, a former teacher who became a controversial figure. He proposed to her in 1881. He embraced European higher criticism of the Bible which denied the supernatural. Lottie broke off the engagement. She could not marry a man who denied the Gospel she love.
IV. EXCESSIVE EMOTIONALISM IS A THREAT TO TRUE WORSHIP
IV. EXCESSIVE EMOTIONALISM IS A THREAT TO TRUE WORSHIP
“You are the children of the LORD your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, 2 for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession.” (Deuteronomy 14:1–2, NIV)
1. Moses is here referring to the pagan mourning practices of his day
a. a great out-pouring of emotion was deemed appropriate in pagan worship
b. to show the gods how great their grief was they would weep and wail, and shave their heads, and even cut their bodies with knives
2. this excessive emotionalism was carried over into the worship practices of the pagan religions
ILLUS. Remember the Prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel? 1 Kings 18:25-29
A. WORSHIP IS A TIME FOR BELIEVERS TO HONOR AND GLORIFY GOD
A. WORSHIP IS A TIME FOR BELIEVERS TO HONOR AND GLORIFY GOD
ILLUS. “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” — William Temple
“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;” (1 Chronicles 16:29, ESV)
ILLUS. I am dismayed by the popular phrase worship experience to describe the church’s corporate worship. Worship has the capacity to transform us, because it focuses our hearts and minds on God ... God seen in one another, in ourselves, and in the world around us. However, the phrase worship experience suggests that worship is important only if it induces feelings of euphoria. In this context worship is focused on the worshiper rather than on the One worshiped.