Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Mistakes”
Our Bible verse for today: “What are your sacrifices to Me?” asks the Lord. I have had enough of burnt offerings and rams and the fat of well-fed cattle; I have no desire for the blood of bulls, lambs, or male goats. When you come to appear before Me, who requires this from you – this trampling of My courts? Stop bringing useless offerings. Your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons and Sabbaths, and the calling of solemn assemblies – I cannot stand iniquity with a festival. I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals. They have become a burden to Me; I am tired of putting up with them. When you lift your hands in prayer, I will refuse to look at you; even if you offer countless prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.” Isaiah 1:11-15 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “God hates empty religion.”
As I write this it’s the day before Easter. Tomorrow we will gather to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. It will be a joyful time of celebration and renewal. So what does Isaiah 1:11-15 have to do with Easter?
The Jews in Isaiah’s time had become mostly just a “culturally” religious people. By that I mean that the practice of the Jewish faith had become a routine and somewhat monotonous part of daily life. Attending the services, saying the prayers, performing the rituals, it was all just what was expected of a good upstanding Jew. You did it because everybody else did and you would have stood out if you didn’t do it too. So everybody went to the synagogue, they lit the incense and they offered the sacrifices. And of course, their conversations were peppered with all the appropriate God-talk and religious clichés.
And God hated it. It was detestable to Him. He essentially told them they could take their empty religion and just get on out of His temple. He had no use for it and it was worse than meaningless.
What they needed was genuine spiritual renewal of the heart. It’s what we need too. And that brings us to the subject of our annual Easter celebration. It’s more than just “High Attendance Sunday”. It’s more than just the one day of the year when Billy Bob wears a suit to church. And yes, it’s more than just the annual Easter egg hunt on the church lawn.
Now please don’t misunderstand me, those things are all ok. I’m in favor of high attendance – especially on Easter Sunday; and I think Billy Bob looks good in a suit; and the egg hunt is fun for the little kids; those things are ok in conjunction with Easter – but only in conjunction, not as the main point. You see, one of the most important aspects of an appropriate celebration of Easter is when it becomes for us a day of renewal.
Throughout the year, if we’re not careful, the practice of our worship services can become routine, mindless, and empty. We can become very much like the Jews of Isaiah’s day – just going through the motions. Easter helps to correct that. Although every worship service should be a celebration of the resurrection of our Lord, Easter Sunday is the day of the year when the resurrection is most prominently celebrated.
God hates empty religion. Our celebration of Easter helps to renew and freshen and revitalize our faith. Tomorrow may you be renewed as your worship the resurrected Lord.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 