I love the old joke where a mother is trying to force her son to get up and get ready to go to a service. He doesn't get up. She yells at him. He doesn't get up. She goes in his room and yells, "Get up!! You are coming with me whether you like it or not..." He interrupts her and says, "I'm not going going. They don't like me or want me there, so why should I go? Give me two reasons Mom." His Mother replies, "You're 42 years old and you're the preacher."
One time I was sharing the gospel with a young man and in our study he said this to me, "When I was young I was always in 'church' but only because my parents forced me." I'm thinking this morning, how many Christians come to services because they feel "forced" to come? How many come because of their family ties? We need to come to these services because of what God did for us in sending Jesus, Jn 3:16 because of what Jesus willingly did for us, Lk 9:22 & because we need to stimulate love in someone who needs it. Heb 10:24
Showing up isn't enough. Christianity isn't about going through the motions. When we sing praises it isn't an attempt to fill time in the service it's about praising the Lord. Do you sing that way? Ps 96:1 When we give our tithe and offering it's not about paying the preacher's salary. We should give as to show God is first in our lives. Lk 18:18-23 Is your worship service about you or the Lord? Is it about going through the motions or a time that is set aside for your to honor God?
Consider what the people did in our main text from Amos today? They were having commanded festivals, solemn assemblies, giving offerings, and singing praises to God. WOW, that sounds great right? Look at what God said about all of that. He hates the festivals, didn't delight in the assemblies, wouldn't accept or even look at their offerings, and wanted to take away their songs. Some may say, "God is cruel. They did what He said and he rejected their actions." Sorry, but God first said to love him with all our heart. Dt 6:5
You see, they weren't worshiping with all their heart. They were just going through the motions of what God commanded. They weren't having these festivals, assemblies, offerings, and singing because of what God had done for them.
Ask yourself this today, "Do I go to services to worship and praise God for what he has done for me or do I go through the motions?" Many Christians barely fit the one hour Sunday morning into their schedule let alone plan for any other nights of the week. That's a good sign of going through the motions. I hope you never hear, "I hated when you assembled, I never accepted your offerings, and I wanted your singing taken away from me." Let's praise God like he deserves to be praised. Ps 108:1-4 Starting today, if we haven't already been doing so, let's praise God like He created the earth, sent His Son to die for us, and want us to be with him for eternity!!
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?
Hear The Word- Rom 10:17; Acts 4:4
We Must Believe or Have Faith- Heb 11:6; Acts 16:31
We Must Repent- Lk 13:3; Acts 17:30
We Must Confess Christ Before Others- Mt 10:32; Acts 8:37
We Must Be Immersed Into Christ (Baptized)- 1Pe 3:21; Mk 16:16; Acts 2:38
We Must Remain Faithful- Rev 2:10; Acts 14:22
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