OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO WORSHIP PT.3.

MAR. 30TH

TEXT: Matthew 15:1-11King James Version (KJV)
1.  Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,
2.  Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
3.  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
4.  For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
5  But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6.  And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
7.  Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8.  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9.  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10.   And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11.   Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Can you remember any worship experience that was so awesome you were not in a hurry to leave? What do you think is the reason behind such glorious manifestations? Take some time to ask the Father to cause His will to manifest on earth as it is in heaven as we worship.

CONTEMPLATION
It is unfortunate that the presence of God has been limited to special programs and events. The presence of God is in short supply over many gatherings because, most of the time we are busy doing our own thing.
All through His earthly ministry, Jesus wanted the glory and presence of the Father to be seen, but each time Jesus showed up, the religious leaders in the days of His earthly ministry were ready for a showdown (see Matt. 15:1-6). It is the desire of the Lord to overshadow us again and again with His awesome presence, but some of us have reduced worship encounters to academic exercises or some philosophical opinions. The opinion of Karl Max which gave birth to Communism and anti-Semitism, is one ugly result of mere religious form devoid of the power and presence of God. We are responsible for the degree of glory made manifest in our generation. Until we are ready, the glory of our God is veiled to our generation (see John 4:23b and Ezekiel 22:30).

PRACTICAL ISSUES
The name of a denomination over a place of meeting is not a guarantee that you will encounter the glory of God. The glory is made manifest wherever the heart of men cry out in sincere hunger and thirst to God (John 7:37-39).
We often overemphasis our tradition and method of worship because we lack the true fire that stirs the soul to worship, and if it is not working, we begin to threaten and curse those who do not comply. This is an error.