"let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire." -Hebrews 12:28-29
If this verse calls us to offer to God "acceptable" worship, does that mean that we could potentially offer Him "unacceptable" worship? The word for "acceptable" here in verse 28 means "a manner that is pleasing to one." Therefore, yes, we could offer God worship that does not please Him. What would that worship be like?
I think we have at least two clues. One is found in the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. Cain killed Abel because God was pleased ("had regard") with Abel's offering, but was not pleased with Cain's offering. Some try and read too deep into this and say that it had to do with Cain not making a blood sacrifice. However, the sacrificial system was not in place yet. I believe the passage itself tells us why God was pleased with one offering and not the other. It says that Abel brought to God the "firstborn of his flocks" while Cain brought "an offering of the fruit of the ground." In other words, Abel brought God the best he had to give while Cain brought to God some of the leftovers.
This is the same scenario we see in the book of Malachi. God is displeased with the offerings made by His people. Why? Malachi 1:8 says, "When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil?" The people were pleased with themselves because they were bringing an offering to God (just like Cain). However, they were not bringing the best of what they had (like Abel did). They were keeping the best of their flocks for themselves and giving God the leftovers. God was displeased with this half-hearted worship.
How does Hebrews 12 define acceptable worship? It is worship that is defined by reverence and awe in the presence of God who is a "consuming fire." I wonder if God would look upon the worship that takes place in many churches on Sunday mornings and wish that they would just all go home rather than give such pitiful praise. I wonder if God would look at my private worship and wish that I would just stop, rather than keep going through the motions.
Yesterday, we talked about actually praying when you pray. Today, let me challenge you to actually worship God when you worship.
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