Liturgical Wantoness

Continuing the theme of my last two posts I want to now start bringing some lucidity to this discussion of liturgy. Keeping in mind that liturgy is the operations of the congregation in obedience to God on the Lord's Day we must spend some time at the foundation of liturgy. I'm not speaking here of how many songs to sing, when to have children forward for a short message, standing, sitting, and the like. No, here I wish to address congregational sin that God finds appalling no matter how fluid and Scripturally supported the order of events follow.

I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts.

Amos 5:21, 22

Is it possible for God to hate a gathering that takes place in his name? Absolutely. We learn from the prophets that in the Old Covenant era the peoples would gather together offering up sacrifices and incense that God despised. But didn't he command them to offer these? Indeed he did but God has always desired obedience over sacrifice. Saul learned this after disobeying the word of God concerning the destruction of the Amalekites. He was instructed to destroy everything but Saul thought it good to take the best of the land and offer it to God as sacrifice. This cost him the kingdom. The prophet Samuel declared to him, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15:22). Consider Saul in this situation. It was not as though he had done something that God had not elsewhere permitted. "But the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall eat the enemies’ plunder which the Lord your God gives you" (Deut. 20:4). So why was this such a great sin? Well, there is in the law a particular condemnation against Amalek. “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. Therefore it shall be, when the Lord your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget" (Deut. 25:17-19). So we see that Samuel was communicating God's word as it had already been given. Saul was not up on his bible studies. This too is why elders are held to such high expectations. Sure, sure, the Bible says "Judge not that you be not judged." How many times has that been exploited? Churches that allow this verse to silence matters like adultery or homosexuality are doing just what Saul did. How? Because the Bible also says, "Do you not judge those who are inside?"

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
Revelation 2:20

When elders abdicate or even act on good intentions (such as "judge not") to not adjudicate real and actual sins in the congregation they are following the path of Saul and not Paul. Such direct pastoral malpractice invites Jezebel's into the church who easily persuade others to follow her adulteries. "For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him" (2 Cor. 11:4). These are the types of churches that put up with and tolerate the gods of this world in their gatherings and cause the servants of Christ to be partakers of the table of demons with their idolatry. Christ warned churches against such practices. Has he changed that today he will turn a blind eye? Oh that we would repent from our wantonness and turn to be healed!

Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the Lord.
Jeremiah 7:9-11

Our incense to God is our prayers (Rev. 5:8) and our sacrifice to God is our praise (Heb. 13:15). If our songs are sung, and our prayers are offered but we tolerate Jezebel and erect Asherah poles in our congregations will God smile at this? I am vexed within because of so many churches tolerating the new morality of the day and allowing these idols to be welcomed in their midst. Winking at adultery, accepting homosexuality, smiling at transgenderism, scowling Reformed doctrine, and welcoming the pagans in to determine the sermons, liturgy, and classes. Such sacrifices of praise and aromatic prayers will not cover the stench and foulness behind them. Woe unto you! "Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock" (Ezek. 34:3). When idols are allowed in the service it is not long until acquiescence is furthered. Any Pastor out there who still wants to say he can't say much because he still has logs in his eyes to remove needs to step down and put his hands to other work. Pastors aren't supposed to have logs in their eyes, that's why they are called to help remove specs. If it can't honestly be said of you that you are worthy of following you are not qualified. Stop getting fat off the sheep, repent, seek healing in Christ and mature in the faith. If we will ever come to a place where our services are to be such a blessing to God we must start with those sins most obvious. We can worry about Boss pedals and stage lights later.

Psalm 102A The Book of Psalms for Singing