Jeremiah 7.1-20 “Worship in the Right Place But the Wrong Way”

“Worship in the Right Place But the Wrong Way”

Paul warns God’s people, “For men will be lovers of themselves . . . having a form of godliness but denying its power” (, ). King Josiah ruled Israel in obedience to God calling the nation to revival. Josiah was killed in battle and the revival quickly died with him. The people hoped in the forms of worship – the Temple of Solomon in particular - but had lost sight of God. Their faith was a civil religion disconnected from the living God.

I. The Form of Worship Without Power –

A. Faith in the Temple but not in God –

1. Worship was based on sentiment

2. Not knowing God

3. Using words that make us feel comfortable - “born again,” “Spirit filled”

4. Singing hymns not to worship God but to make us feel secure

B. The purpose of the worship in the Temple

1. Was to examine themselves –

2. Repent, turn from their evil ways –

C. Israel’s hope was rooted in Scripture

1. God’s eyes will always be attentive to prayer made in this place –

2. God will defend Jerusalem to save it –

Faith shifted from God to the Temple. Civic religion such as politicians who say, “God bless America”

II. Not Faith But Presumption –

A. The Temple gives false comfort

1. Freedom to sin –

2. My house has become a den of thieves –

3. Jesus quoted this verse –

B. Shiloh was where God’s presence used to be but no longer because of Israel’s trusting in the Ark and not God ( and ) –

C. Prayer is not to be used for temporary comfort – ;

D. Christ Himself is the Temple –

1. Chinese Christians lost their church building to the Communists in Wenzhou. The congregation of 1,000 divided into house churches.

Wenzhou. The congregation of 1,000 divided into house churches.

2. Christ’s presence dwells in His people –

III. Idolatrous Worship in the Home –

A. Family unity

1. Children gather wood

2. Moms make cakes

3. For “the queen of heaven” – an idol

4. The modern Roman Catholic Church identifies Mary as co-redemptrix

B. Home is to be the center of worship –

1. The place to live and learn Scripture

2. Unity of worship and daily life

C. God is provoked by the therapeutic gospel and churches managed like businesses.

As Os Guinness laments.

“Contemporary evangelicals are no longer people of truth…. A solid sense of truth is foundering in America at large. Vaporized by critical theories, obscured by clouds of euphemism and jargon, outpaced by humor and hype, overlooked for style and image, and eroded by advertising. truth in America is anything but marching on. With magnificent exceptions, evangelicals reflect this truth decay and reinforce it for their own variety of reasons for discounting theology. Repelled by “seminary theology” that is specialized, professionalized, and dry; evangelicals are attracted by movements that have replaced theology with emphases that are relational, therapeutic, charismatic, and managerial (as in church growth). Whatever their virtues, none of these emphases gives truth and theology the place they require in the life and thought of a true disciple.” (Preaching the Word. Jeremiah and Lamentations, Philip Ryken, pp 134-135)

Such idolatry and false worship brings shame to the worshippers ().

Delight yourself in the Lord. He will fill our churches and homes with His presence ()