Close Enough To Sing, Far Enough To Miss

Opening Scripture:

Matthew 15:8–9 NLT

‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”

Jesus was quoting from the Prophet Isaiah

In the Eastern (Jewish) world of Jesus’ day, honor and shame were the primary moral values. 

What people did publicly—especially in religious acts—was intended to bring honor to God and their community.

Public religion was everything. Pharisees and teachers of the law placed heavy emphasis on ritual purity, washing, fasting, and reciting prayers publicly.

External honor sometimes masked inner decay. A person could appear devout—praying loudly, fasting visibly, giving publicly—but have a heart far from God (see also Matthew 6:1–5).

Jesus challenges that norm. In this honor-shame system, He declares that God is not impressed by outward appearances but desires inward devotion—something revolutionary in that context.

When Jesus says “their hearts are far from me,” He’s saying their entire person was disengaged from God.

Their lips moved, but their hearts didn’t—worship without relationship.

When worship is governed by tradition rather than transformation, it “misses the mark.”

The Meaning of True Worship

John 4:23–24 NLT

But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

In Greek, the word for “worship” (proskuneo) means “to bow down” or “to kiss toward.” It implies intimacy and reverence.

True worship integrates the two—it’s a whole-life act of love and obedience, not performance.

Our Worship to God becomes clouded when we become distracted…

Our Worship to God becomes clouded when we become misguided due to lack of understand of what true worship is..

True worship comes from as an act of reverence for the Lord

True worship comes as an act of genuine obedience to the Lord

Your Worship Is Sacrificial

Romans 12:1 NLT

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Our Obedience is the most pleasing way to Honor & worship God

Our bodies is a temple for the Holy Spirit

Through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit we have the very presence of God dwelling on the inside of us.

By taking care of our bodies we take care of our temple — Be good stewards over your health

By bringing harm to your body by neglecting your health, giving into sexual sin, or giving into addictions sins against God because you are neglecting His temple.

To Truly Worship God we MUST be willing to fully surrender everything to the Lord.

The Substance of Worship

Ephesians 5:18–20 NLT

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit gives our Worship Substance

Jesus gives our worship substance by filling us with the Holy Spirit — Reconciling us to God through the completed works of the cross and through the resurrection so that we can COMMUNE with Him.

Christ Centered Reflection gives our worship substance by instilling within us a heart of gratitude for all that God has done within our lives and beyond.

God have give us all that we need to worship Him the way that He should be worshipped, in Spirit and in Truth.