Worship that is Pleasing to God Part Two By: Ptr. Jesse Amiel A. Ramoso

 Relationship to God Matters In Worship

           Jesus devalued the strict worship service of the religious icons of his time “Pharisees, experts of the law, ascribes and Priests” and redefined it to the “how much LOVE to God and to Neighbors/Enemies”. It is because they rather prioritized on ways and order in the temple rather than relationships to the people and to God by doing injustice to society. Jesus redirects the purpose of worship, it is not how good and how expert you are to comply about worship, but it is how much love content in your worship? Love to God, love to yourself of course and love to your to your neighbors, because you cannot love your neighbors if you don’t love yourself. Again, I will say it again; our end purpose is not to worship God, but to loving God. We cannot worship and we cannot glorify God without loving Him first. We might do excellent worship like the Pharisees and Priests in the temple but without loving God. Yes, its true that we must worship and give glory to God but this is not final, without love it is impossible to comply this. When I say love, love that is defined by Jesus His relationship to the Father and us through His d eath on the cross. We can replicate the same attitude of Pharisees, Scribes and Priests that was outwardly awarded as an expert in performing worship and yet was rejected by God. We do great worship service but without personal relationship to God which bound us together to his LOVE we might be disqualify to God. Our worship does not bring closer to God, our ways and our expression does not bring closer to God if this is for show only. Many actors and actress can do the same, pretending that they worship and pretending they are holy yet not. But our love God will bring us to ourselves who we are in front of people and to God, be don't need to pretend were okay, and yet not. Our worship does save us, our worship does not glorify God and our good action and service does not glorify God without His love and without loving Him.  That is why the Bible says, ...if I give my body to death but without love its nothing” 1 Cor 13:3. There is no perfect worship and there is no perfect Sunday service, though our worship is failing but if our heart the Love God and the expressions of our love overflows even to our enemies then the imperfect worship becomes perfect.

       Relationships matters to God, God forgives and God is gracious and He is merciful loving Father. He tolerates sins and overlooks offenses as long as you’re in relationship with Him “Loving Him and His Love is in You” is still binding. This is the kind of love that interlocked us to secure our salvation. No any kind of circumstance, situations, sins, offenses, or what so ever to separate us from the Love of God Rom 8. If our love interlocks with Gods love, this will push us to love our enemy, even to death. This is also the kind of love to push us to choose relationship over possessions and positions. That is why the rich young man in Matt 19:20-23 went sorrowful after hearing Jesus telling him; You lack one thing;... “go sell all your possessions and come follow me”. Obviously this guy owned a perfect worship but he does not have the love of God.

         This will separate us from a perfect worshiper to a true worshiper of God in the church. Sad to say, the definition of true worship or our true love of God can be tested in the area of finances how much we give God through the poor and how much we follow Jesus through His Word. It is not easy for us to follow Jesus and to give our money to the poor but having relationship with nothing is impossible. Same thing with the parable the good Samaritan; Mr. Samaritan does not express his love to God in a cashless basis and say I will just donate service or labor, by carrying this man to an inn and take herbals along the way so that he may heals. No! Mr. Samaritan; pay it with the price, with money, wasting time and labor/service and resources just to serve his mortal enemy. That is why Jesus commented in the book of Matthew 19:20-25 “It is hard for the rich to inter into the kingdom of God”, it is not because they are rich; obviously it is because the love issue “Love of Money more than God”. Much to the poor people who are also lovers of money more than God, they cannot escape also from this sin. 

         Again, if we truly love God, and the love of God is in us then we are safe. These are the test to find out how much we love God. How much do you give to Him? How much do you love your enemies and serve them like a good Samaritan, how much you value God above all else; if the answer is (everything including my life), then you are truly saved and all things are possible for you. Then we can worship God in Spirit and in Truth anywhere, anytime, as long as God in with us. The worship that is pleasing to God is the worship that is motivated by love of God. God Bless. 

More explanation of love of God click here...... The True Disciples of Jesus