Churches usually start off well. Then slumber. Then they fall back (85% of US churches, plateau).
In Malachi 3:13-14 they were criticizing God for not blessing them—yet look how "religious" they were! They went to the temple and they made sacrifices. It was brazen arrogance and audacity to question God! This is the spirit of the natural man with his outward show of religion. His heart is far from God, and his way is wicked.
The veneer of godliness is nauseating to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord said to the Laodicean church, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Rev. 3:16).
This is the attitude of the Lord Jesus to a lot of churchianity in our day.
[J Vernon McGee]
The Lord desires worship from a broken heart! Real worship that reflects a committment to love, please, and serve the Lord! Isaiah comes from this place when he writes Isaiah 58.
Outline:
The Absence of Real Worship (Isaiah 58:1-5)
The Character of Real Worship (Isaiah 58:6-7)
The Rewards and Responsibilities of Real Worship (Isaiah 58:8-14)
REWARDS (Isaiah 58:8-9)
REQUIREΝΤS (Isaiah 58:9-10)
REWARDS (Isaiah 58:11-12)
REQUIREMENTS (Isaiah 58:13)
REWARDS (Isaiah 58:14)
