:: Belize Readings, Tues: Mission – living acts of worship ::

Read Exodus 20:1-6; Amos 5:11-15, 21-23; Matthew 25:31-46

One of the most significant changes that you made in the lives of his followers is the kind of sacrifice in the kind of worship, that we give him. In the Old Testament for example, one of the most common forms of worship was a sacrifice of animals or grain as a “pleasing aroma”; an offering to God. But in Romans 12:1 Paul writes about a new kind of sacrifice that Jesus wants from us; a new form of worship: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” No longer is our sacrifice a dead animal; instead it's our very lives, living out the purpose for which he made us, which is to glorify him.

Interestingly though, this is not really just a New Testament concept. In fact, the first two commandments we find in Exodus 20 are really asking God’s people for the same thing. In our remembering the goodness of God, and in not worshipping things other than God, God is asking for our very lives to be dedicated to him in worship and service. In light of these commands in Exodus 20 and Romans 12, then, there are a few verses in the Old Testament book of Amos that are very striking and should raise questions for us.

In Amos 5:21-23, God rebukes his people, telling them just the opposite of everything we read so far. He does not want their offering; he does not want their worship. Why would God do this? Why has God rejected the sacrifice of his people? The answer is found just a few verses earlier starting in Amos 5:11. While God's people may be singing to him, they're neglecting the oppressed. While they may be offering up sacrifices to them, they're not serving and loving their neighbors. In fact, in the previous chapter, God calls his people “cows of Bashan,” which were animals known for their beauty, but also for their fatness and laziness. Essentially what God is saying in these verses, is “I have blessed you in order that you will bless the nations, and care for the poor and oppressed, and you're not carrying out your spiritual act of worship. So your songs are empty to me, and your offerings are meaningless.” These are strong words from the Lord of the universe, but in them. He teaches us a little bit about true worship.

In the words of the book of James, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” This is religion; this is service; this is worship. It seems throughout the Bible, that there is an inseparable link between pure worship and ministry to the poor. Jesus himself make the most clear in Matthew 25. The reward given that this judgment isn't based on the fact that the sheep went to church, or that they tithed, or even that they sang songs of worship. The reward given is because they served “the least of these”; those who couldn't serve themselves.

The truth today is that if your saved, it's going to make a difference in your life. This week, your meetings some practical, physical needs of those who can't provide for themselves. Your loving “the least of these.” And some of them may already know Christ; some of them might never be saved. But maybe on some level, that's not the issue. Maybe the issue is that you’re loving them, because you are saved. And while our deepest hope is that the work we do this week will have a great impact for the kingdom of God, there's also a great rest in hope in knowing that as you give of yourself, you are serving. You’re meeting practical, physical, as well as spiritual needs. You’re loving others as God first loved us. You're sacrificing. And in doing so, you're living out the Bible's description of pure worship.