The Problem of Worship

The Problem of Worship

In the passage following we have a two brothers worshipping God and the conflict that emerged from that worship. Worship, conflict and brother killing brother are still conditions that exist today as people all around the world meet to seek God but end up doing harm to themselves and others. So what are some of the problems of worship? Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, "I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD." Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell. (Genesis 4:1-5) NASB

One aspect of worship is our giving, which is expressed as offerings in this passage. The idea of worship is what we give to God, how we show Him of affections. Offerings are a complicated set of rules and gifts offered at different times for different conditions. Offerings are complex, as they deal with the condition of the heart, emotions, order, and following detailed instructions. The passage above is early in our history. The phrase "in the course of time" reveals that some time has passed. Days, decades or hundreds of years may have passed, we don't know. But enough time has gone on that God assumes both Cain and Abel have a grasp on their relationship to Him and offerings. Yet even for those who walk and talk with God, offerings have their problems.

 Problem 1 - Worship is a battle ground 

Worshiping God is a battle ground. Free will, repentance, compliance and trying to earn a favor are a few of the conflicts that occur. As we approach God we tend, in the course of time, to think that God thinks like we do. We assume that He will except what we except, enjoy what we enjoy and excuse what we excuse. We struggle to freely give more than we want and to fully surrender our will to His will. We often want to give an offering to earn a reward, to be seen as better than we are or to prove to ourselves and others that we are excepted by God.

 Problem 2 - Worship reveal our relationship with God 

 As we offer worship to God our real relationship with God surfaces. We may give, offer but do so in anger or anxiety. When giving of our service, time and talents we may feel the offering is costing us, and struggle with trusting the Lord as we give what we want or need away. In many of these cases we lace faith that trusts God to provide for us. At other times our gifts are service are ways we are "paying God off" so that we can take care of ourselves. Add to this the anger some feel in giving and it is revealed that there is little or no joy in the relationship these people have with God. Do I worship because I have a relationship with god or because I'm trying to get one?

I believe four foundational elements are revealed in both worship and the offering system; trust, love, freedom and joy. Trust (faith) reveals how dependable you see God, how much weight your relationship with God can endure. How much love you have for God is revealed in your passion to obey, even in sacrifice. Love compels us to give. A lack of love often is the source of clinging to and controlling. If you want God to love you, but are not involved in the love/obey reality of a relationship with God, you are most likely going to feel an absence of god's nearness on a daily basis. Freedom is expressed in the absence of control and the ability to do what so inclines a being. Freedom allows both God and humans to be creative, expressive and establish limits. Choosing reveals both extravagance and selfishness. And finally joy, the active inner peace and security we should have in Christ Jesus. Joy is tested in those situations where we are in pain and suffering, or required to sacrifice. Our level of joy can also be revealed when we are challenged to compare ourselves with others, as the above passage illustrates.

 Problem 3 -Worship and redemption 

 Worship involves what we give to God. These offerings tell the story of redemption throughout the Bible. What we give to God and others also reveals our place on the highway of redemption. To the degree we are totally following Jesus with all our heart is the measure of our devotion. Having personal issues or areas of our life not surrendered and obedient to Christ Jesus are not just struggles, they are stronghold warring against our redemption. Worship involves a death, a cross and a hope. 

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 16:24-25) NASV 

 The grace of God is being used by some to "opt out" of being redeemed by God. In some strange way people are choosing to call grace a gift of God that voids the work of redemption, not empowers it. The grace of God empowers us to totally obey, fully yield, freely give our all and enjoy a life of walking with God. For each one of us there is grace to pick up our cross and follow Jesus every day. The daily battle to do that is the real life problem of redemption.

 Problem 4 -Envy and Anger in Worship 

 How one worships and what offerings they give are often the point of comparison. Something within the natural person feels like they should be rewarded according to performance, sacrifice or effort. While God loves each of us He often uses our good to train us in the best. This training involves the problem of envy and anger.

In the passage above God had regard for Abel's offering but did not regard Cain's offering. Cain's response to this situation was depression and anger with His brother, and with God, I believe. Cain's response could have been one of concern, or seeking instruction or submission to the ways of God. But that is not what the text reveals. What is seen is that Cain must now deal with the problem of envy and anger.

God, fathering this son of man, told Cain that if he did right his depression would leave but if he did not master it, sin was going to come in and master him. The problem of envy and anger is that they must be mastered, not neglected, excused or tolerated.

Envy can appear as self-righteousness, seeing ourselves as more righteous than others and thus empowering our inner voices that we are better than others. Even those who verbally portray themselves as merciful can be inwardly wrestling with the problem of envy. Envy often tries to sound like justice or reason in our thoughts. When this happens we just can't understand why someone would act a certain way or do certain things. This inability to have a broader perspective is judgment narrowing our vision and justifying our position. Judgment loves to partner with anger and gives energy to thoughts, making them powerful, even more just and in the end, the only possible right perspective.

There are more than four problems that come with offerings but I wanted to touch on these. So, what are we to do?

Solution 1 - Embrace Conflict 

Conflict is a place God disciples us, or at least it is the place where we are most likely to see God working. Most of us overlook God on the good days. We tend to look for God and call on Him when things are conflicting. When we embrace conflict as God speaking and working we start to see our inner turmoil in terms or redemption. Lack of peace and the presence of anger is not a time to enter into self-love or frustration, it is a time to press harder into God, abandoning all confidence in the flesh to produce a life worth living. To have great worship you need to master great conflict.

Solution 2 - Mature in Freedom 

Freedom is not "doing whatever you want." Freedom involves living rightly under the laws that exist. Just as a person lives under the law of gravity and should not seek to express their freedom by trying to walk off the edge of a tall building, so those who live under God's laws of mercy and grace, do not seek to sin and test God. Maturity in freedom is like a teen becoming an adult, a person comes to maturity as they gain the ability to enjoy giving their life away. Both joy and freely giving are a part as Christ Jesus shows us through His won crucifixion. Worship involves freely living under the rule of God.

Solution 3 - Stop trying to earn approval 

Many of us have such a bad relationship with God that we are continually trying and gain His approval. This often happens when we live in a spiritual community that talks about God's love for us, but we feel little or no love from God. In many such communities today, sound instruction on sin and how it separates us from God is absent. A person is left to choose to pretend God loves them or to strive to earn His love through giving and offerings. Money, fasting, sacrifice and prayer are all used as tools to earn some tender emotions from the Lord. Repentance leads to refreshing, this truth has been proven faithful since the cross.

We all should read the story of Cain and Abel often. God does not intervene in Cain's life and allows Cain to kill his brother and curse himself. The same can happen to us too. God warns us to master sin and if we do not we must reap what we have sown. For many today, what they are reaping is a life separated from God while they are continually reading their Bible, praying and attending religious meetings. To have the depression of separation from God lifted, we must do what is right. There is grace for this, grace to empower us to live holy, true and just lives.

In Hebrews 11:4 it says that "by faith Abel offered to god a better sacrifice than Cain." For hundreds of years the people of God have held onto the simple saying of "trust and obey." The word for "faith" is the same word for "trust" in much of the New Testament. Rather than a continual looking at yourself, at your own life, look to God. Develop the lifestyle of trusting and obeying Him and you will soon discover you have increased in your ability to overcome the problems of offerings.