Pure Worship

Aaron saw how excited the people were, so he built an altar in front of the calf. Then he announced, “Tomorrow will be a festival to the LORD!” The people got up early the next morning to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. After this, they celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry. [Exodus 32.5-6]

This may be a lesson to Christian leadership...

Aaron evidently had a bit of a problem being a leader. It seems he was unable to stand his ground regarding right and wrong. When the people turned against Moses and demanded other gods, Aaron submitted to the will of the people in a mistake of epic proportion. It got out of hand quickly.

Notice however that Aaron tried to preserve some semblance to genuine worship in declaring the next day a "festival to the LORD." Right here is where Christian leaders go awry: when they allow popular opinion to prevail while they console themselves that "some" recognition of God in the meantime makes it acceptable. That is what Aaron did in declaring their blatant turn away from God "a festival to the LORD."

Do I need to name the areas in the Church where this very thing has taken place? I will simply give a hint: pop culture is the very breeding ground for error. 

Here is another clue where Israel failed and where the modern church fails: revelry. Revelry, by nature is pagan because it, again, by nature, is proud and boisterous - attributes unacceptable before Holy God. Pop culture, generally speaking, promotes revelry and boisterousness. Contrary to some religious beliefs, there is no instance in the Bible where Jesus was proud or boisterous. He performed remarkable miracles and taught with unmatched authority but He never reveled in it. He never proudly thumbed his nose at evil (sin, curses or Satan himself) but instead firmly addressed evil with God's Word.

The Church today needs to pay particular attention to what it has allowed in the worship of God. I like to think we should be focused on what Jesus said in Luke:

It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ [Luke 24.47]

Ours is a good message of forgiveness for those who are repentant. There is simply no place for revelry in this attitude. Forgiveness is however what it is - every miracle at Jesus' hand for people was the result of forgiveness. There was no pride involved.

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. [John 5.19]

I can imagine Jesus thought often of His Father's own words to Moses:

The LORD passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The LORD! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.” [Exodus 34.6-7]

While I will likely have no affect in changing the way the Church does today, I can control what I do.

Father, may I be found humbly bringing Your forgiveness and all its benefits to all I encounter.