How can we ensure our worship aligns with God's standards in Ezekiel 20:29? The Issue Highlighted in Ezekiel 20:29 “Then I said to them: ‘What is this high place to which you go?’ And to this day it is called Bamah.” • “High places” were sites of self-chosen, idol-mixed worship. • God’s question exposes worship invented by people rather than required by Him. God’s Standards for True Worship • Exclusivity: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3) • God-chosen place and method: “You are to seek the place the LORD your God will choose…There you are to bring your offerings.” (Deuteronomy 12:5-6, 13-14) • Spirit and truth: “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24) • Reverence and awe: “Let us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29) Practical Steps to Align Our Worship • Submit every element of corporate and private worship to Scripture. • Eliminate syncretism—songs, symbols, practices, or teachings that contradict biblical truth. • Center gatherings on Christ’s finished work: preaching the Word (2 Timothy 4:2), prayer (Acts 2:42), the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). • Pursue holiness before participation (Psalm 24:3-4). • Guard the Lord’s Day from consumer-style entertainment (Isaiah 58:13-14). • Test every “new” trend: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits.” (1 John 4:1) Heart Attitudes God Seeks • Whole-hearted devotion: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) • Obedient sacrifice: “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1) • Humility: “These are the ones I will look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit.” (Isaiah 66:2) Warnings and Encouragement from Other Scriptures • Vain worship: “In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.” (Matthew 15:9) • Double allegiance condemned: “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons.” (1 Corinthians 10:21-22) • Promise of acceptance: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8) Summary Commitment Reject every modern “high place.” Build worship on God’s Word alone, offer it with pure hearts, and His presence will honor the assembly. |
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