Vain Worship

The Son of God tells us that, "God is 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" (1 Timothy 4:8).

Our fallen, depraved, self-righteous nature is impressed by, pleased with, and dedicated to outward religion; "but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 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 religion is useless religion and our worship is VAIN WORSHIP!