Like the stone David slung toward Goliath, the below truth hit me right between the eyes this week, and I am still seeking to recover.
There is no modern worship, and there is no ancient worship. There are no worship styles, and there are no worship preferences. There are only worship postures and worship practices, both of which are universally applicable to every generation.
Now there may be varying styles of music, but music in and of itself is not worship. There may be varying styles of singing, but singing in and of itself is not worship. There may be varying kinds of instruments, but instruments in and of themselves are not worship.
Worship, in Scripture, is wholly and finally a matter of the heart.
Cain brought God some of the crops he had harvested, keeping the firstfruits for himself.
Abel brought God the firstborn of his flock (an undefiled offering), and its fat portions (a valuable offering), giving God the very best of what he had.
Scripture comments on Cain and Abel saying that Cain was “of the wicked one” and Abel was “righteous” before God, thus introducing the concept of good and evil worship.
Abel chose good worship, giving God the very best. Cain chose evil worship, giving God what he could scrape together from the leftovers.
Time-money-resources-whatever: when you eat the steak for yourself and give last Thanksgiving’s leftovers to God, you are guilty of evil worship. But when you choke down last Thanksgiving’s leftovers so you can give God the best, your worship is fully and completely pleasing to God.
When our heart is right, we can worship right. “If you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
