Its Not Over Yet! Ezekiel 37 :1-15

 The bones represented all of Israel. The bones were dry and lifeless and upon seeing them one might think that God has cast final judgement on these bones. The text is a healthy reminder that the bones also represents our issues, our problems and our concerns.

The bones of family drama, medical issues, heartbreak and loneliness.

Dry bones of bad finances, unemployment and the driest bones of all, spiritual conflict.

 

Ezekiel foresaw in the Spirit the coming restoration of Israel. He sees their return to their home land, what has already started, and more clearly the return of God and the acceptance of the Messiah. The restoration is prophesied in ch 36:24-38 and it is seen as fulfilled in ch 37:11. The bones are the house of Israel.

How does it evolve?

a.       Israel coming out of the graves v.12

b.       Their entrance into the land of Israel v12

c.       They are filled with the Holy Spirit v.14

1.       What is the context of this prophecy?: Ezekiel was in the Spirit of the Lord, as John later (Ezek 37:1; Rev 1:10). Only in his Spirit we understand the spiritual things. First, God takes us out of the tumult of the world to a place we are alone with him, then he gives us his revelations.

2.       What did Ezekiel see?: A valley full of bones, therefore without hope. Men who walk away from God, like Israel, end up separated from God and are dead to Him. This is the image describing contemporary Christianity (Rev 3:14-22) To the church in Laodicea they are neither cool nor hot and the Lord will spit them out of His mouth. They think they are rich when in essence they are poor. They think they know but they do not know God; they are wretched, miserable, poor and blind. The Lord says in Rev 3:19 “Be zealous therefore and repent.” The Lord is knocking at your door!

3.       God’s critical question (v.3): “Can these bones live?”. Those enslaved in the flesh do not understand it, but men with open eyes see this disheartening field work. They will act only if they feel and suffer it as God does.

4.       Ezekiel’s answer (v.3): “ Lord, you know”. Only God can bring life back. In this field human efforts do not have power. Only God can resuscitate the spiritually dead (Eph 2:1). So Ezekiel 37 insists that if the bleached skeleton that is Israel is to live again, God will have to enliven her.  If broken relationships are to somehow rise from the dead, God will have to raise them to life.

                             So Son of Man, can these bones live?  Only, insists God, if God’s Spirit blows into them through God’s prophet speaking God’s word to them.  “I will make breath enter you,” God tells the skeletons through his prophet.  “And you will come to life.”  And just as God promises, Ezekiel watches those skeletons somehow miraculously come together.  The skeletons noisily take on tendons, flesh and skin.

               But something is still missing. Some relationships, for instance, have a kind of flesh and skin on them.  Family members exchange pleasantries with each other.  Friends talk about the weather or sports.  Family members may even sing the songs and say the prayers to God.  Yet a kind of deadness lingers; there’s no real life.

             What raises dead bones of all sorts to life is the Spirit of God.  And so when Ezekiel invites that Holy Spirit to blow into the valley’s dry bones, they do, in fact, come to life.  With a rush of the Spirit, “they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army.”

5.       The divine action: It will come only when we perceive the misery and are compassionate. How did help come? Ezekiel did what God had commanded:

a.       He prophesied to the bones (v.7)

b.       He called on the divine breath (v.9)

Saying it in a different way: he preached to the spiritually dead the word of life. The preaching of the word and prayer always were the means for the new birth. In response to such obedience, the divine answer comes promptly (v.10).

Death may surround, fill and even chase us.  But God is in the business of restoring hope by raising the dead to life and breathing new life into people, relationships and even communities.

You may be going through difficult moments and think you are like the dry bones. There are ten promises God gives in this text. Ten times God promises to do something about the dry bones:

1.       “I will cause breath to enter you”;

2.       “I will lay sinews on you”;

3.       I “will cause flesh to come upon you”;

4.       I will “cover you with skin”;

5.       I will “put breath in you”;

6.       “I am going to open your graves”;

7.       I am going to “bring you up from your graves”;

8.       “I will bring you back to your land”;

9.       “I will put my spirit within you”; and 

10.   “I will place you on your own soil.”

Ten times God promises life and wholeness. Ten times God promises return and homecoming. Ten times God promises that the dry bones of this valley are not our final reality. Throughout those ten promises – at the beginning, the middle, and the end – God says, “and you shall live.” “You shall live” is the river of reassurance that flows through the valley of dry bones. 

God says it three times:

1.       “And you shall live”;

2.       “And you shall live”;

3.       “And you shall live.”

Those promises and reassurances are the path we walk in this valley. So when you are filled with challenges remember the promises and the reassurances of God. Listen to the rattling of the bones; bones to bones. They are dead dry bones but they still make sounds.

That rattling sounds like faith, hope, and love. It sounds like courage and a refusal to be ruled by fear. It sounds like people praying Psalm 23. It sounds like church bells ringing in remembrance. It sounds like helping those who have lost jobs or work hours. It sounds like patience, gentleness, and compassion for others and ourselves. It sounds like support and care for healthcare providers, first responders, and essential workers. It sounds like people asking, “Are you ok? Do you need anything?” It sounds like people smiling and laughing as they connect on Friday Bible study. It sounds like a text message saying, “All shall be well.” It sounds like an openness to the future. It sounds like life, and life abundant.  So let’s rattle this valley. Let’s rattle this valley like it’s never been rattled before.

The unfinished Benediction Luke 24:44-53.

 

We titled this message the unfinished Benediction of Jesus because as Luke records it; while Jesus was blessing the disciples he was lifted up into heaven. Perhaps the blessings was still on His lips as He took His seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high? Maybe it is continuing even now, and will only know its final “Amen” when He physically returns for His own?

The Ascension of Christ places us in a field of absolute victory. Our Lord had defeated death and the tomb. After his resurrection he wandered for another 40 days on earth and manifested himself frequently. He still intended to clarify many things his disciples had not understood before his death. On that day they walked with him physically for the last time.

• His departure was unparalleled (unequaled, supreme).

• Others leave this world on the day they die;     • He stayed around for 40 days.

• Others leave this world because they are dead;  • He left very much alive.

• Others leave their bodies behind;  • He took his own body with him.

With these great miracles of Jesus, the disciples still needed to understand certain truths about Jesus. So they needed an open mind (vs 45)

I. It Is Not Enough to Simply Hear the Word of God

Paul reminds us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” ( Rom. 10:17 NKJV). But not everyone who hears the sound of a gospel word listens to the voice of the Spirit. In many ways our culture has become gospel-hardened. We have been inoculated (immunized, injected) with a sufficient dose of the good news to make us immune to authentic Christianity. John 3:16 printed on placards and bumper stickers is the modern equivalent of carelessly casting away the pearl of gospel truth.

II. The Resurrection Was Not Enough to Open the Disciples Minds

The disciples had been with Jesus from the beginning of his public ministry. They had witnessed the many miracles. Now the resurrected Lord had appeared to them, but that alone could not generate faith. We cannot be cajoled into listening to the Spirit.

III. Only the Lord Can Enable Us to Listen with an Open Mind

Luke tells us that the resurrected Lord opened the minds of the disciples as he reminded them of the Hebrew Scriptures that testified about him. How did he do this? We want a method, an approach, a program, or a formula to follow. We are not told. Surely the disciples had heard Jesus expound the Hebrew Scriptures before. Perhaps the difference was in themselves—for once, they appear ready to listen. What Jesus shared with them was not new; they had heard about the Messiah before. It is in the mystery of their encounter with the risen Christ that their minds were opened. When you encounter the risen Christ, your life too is risen, your thoughts are revived.

IV. We Have Been Entrusted with a Treasure to Be Both Lived and Shared

There is more to being a witness to Christ than simply mouthing truths. Jesus did not rewind a mental tape player with a canned sales pitch every time he encountered someone seeking the kingdom. He modeled and shared a witness to truth that was personal and appropriate for a variety of situations. No two people are treated in exactly the same way. We must incarnate the truth and share an appropriate word of witness as we are empowered by the Spirit.

The ascension day is a great day because it is a day of

1.      Blessing (vs50). Jesus lifted his hands, blessed the disciples and gave them the ultimate mission as seen in mark 16:15-17. He goes further to say those who believe shall have signs which follow them. He says “In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them and that they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.

The disciples had seen Jesus many times lifting his hand to bless. On this occasion, he blessed them with special authority. It was a full blessing. It was as if he was saying:

a.      All that is mine is yours (Luke 15:31)

b.      I give you my life, my blood, my spirit, my power, and also my glory (Eph 2:1-10)

c.       This was like the closing of his life on earth as jesus came to bless and save. After doing this benediction it was time to depart.

2.      Diligent hands. The wounded hands that paid the price of our sins is the same diligent hands lifted for us. The same hands that lifted us from the mud of sin are continually guiding us

a.      They guide his church. He walks among the golden lampstands (Rev 2:1)

b.      They prepare us for the heavenly home (John 14:2)

c.       We will see these hands on the rapture day. Then we will see him as he is (1 John 3:2)

d.      Through those hands Israel will recognize their Lord (Zech 12:10; Rev 1:7)

And in the very act of blessing them, “He was parted from them and carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:51). He went as the forerunner, ‘to prepare a place’ for us (cf. John 14:2). He went as High Priest, ‘ever living to make intercession’ for us (cf. Hebrews 7:25).

This was no sad parting. The disciples “worshipped Him” there. Then, as instructed, they returned to Jerusalem: “with great joy” (Luke 24:52). Thereafter they were “continually in the Temple worshipping God” (Luke 24:53).

Luke’s Gospel had begun in the Temple, with Zacharias’ vision, and now ends right there. The place where heaven and earth meet. The place where God met with man. An appropriate base to endow the church for their world-wide mission.

SPIRITUALLY

Luke’s account of the Ascension places us in the shoes of the disciples. There they are with eyes uplifted, as Luke records the scene so vividly, "gazing into heaven as he went" and all too soon the ascending Saviour disappeared from their sight. Then Mark takes up the story. He writes from the viewpoint of our Lord’s destination. Through the inspiration given to him we are allowed to share the secrets of heaven itself. Only the Holy Spirit could have revealed the scene to Mark: "Jesus was received into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God" (16:19). What a homecoming! The crown of thorns was changed into a crown of glory!

The Scripture clearly says that Jesus would return in glorious splendor.

Stephen at his trial in Acts chapter 7 says He saw Jesus standing at the Father’s right hand, something which absolutely enraged the Jews. This was seen as a claim of Jesus’ divinity. In this they were right. The implication is that the Jews had not just crucified a mere man, they had crucified God. This seemed utter blasphemy. They stopped their ears, rushed Stephen and stoned him to death.

The standing of Jesus means He rose up from His throne at the right hand of God to receive Stephen home. The Book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on High. This means that the work of redemption was finished. There was no further need of animal or any other sacrifices for sin. There were no seats in the Temple in Jerusalem. The work of the priests there were never done. Nor could they ever be done. But now they would no longer be necessary. It was an old garment, torn and waiting for the trash to be burned. The ascension of Jesus tells us this important fact. That the new high priest has finished all the work of redemption. Would you receive this high priest into your life?

As we continue to worship and serve Him in this world, may the Lord bless us with continuing understanding of what He has accomplished for us.

May we fulfil our mission in the power of the Spirit and see fruit for our labours in this present ‘waiting’ time.

And to His name be all the praise and honour and glory.

Sermon Series 3: Worship is giving our entire self to God’s use. Rom 12:1

 

Romans 12:1 is one of the better-known uses: “I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship.”

Worship is the giving of our entire self, our thoughts and our emotions, to God’s use. All of life is an act of submission, an act of worship. Our service to God is not centered on a time or a temple, but is done whenever and wherever we are, because we are the temple of God. The emphasis is taken away from ceremony, seasons, places and rituals, and is shifted to what is happening in the inner person. Worship should invade our entire lives. The test of worship is not only what happens at church, but what happens at home, on the job and wherever we go.

Paul used another word for worship in Romans 1:9: “I serve [latreuo, one of the Greek words for worship] God with my whole heart.” How? “…in preaching the gospel of his Son.” A similar thought is in Romans 15:16: “God gave me the grace to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”

In these verses, preaching the gospel is an act of worship. Paul was not a Levite, but he had a priestly duty, and that was to worship with all his heart by preaching. In our worship services today, the sermon is just as much a part of the worship as the songs are. Whenever the gospel is preached, worship is being done. God’s greatness is being proclaimed. Worship is in the listening, too, as people seek to learn what God wants us to be doing. A worshipful attitude toward God is one that respectfully listens to what he may be saying to us.

Every act of obedience is an act of worship. It declares that God has worth. And whenever we share the gospel with someone, we are declaring God’s worth. We are engaging in the priestly service of preaching the gospel, the worship of being a witness to God’s grace. We tell what a great thing God has done in Jesus Christ, and how that has been good news in our life. We are declaring his worth. We are giving worship in everyday life. We don’t have to wait for a church service.

Romans 15:27 uses this word: “If the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to minister to them” — literally, to give liturgy to them — “with material blessings.” Paul uses this word for worship to describe financial help. This seemingly ordinary service to the saints was actually an act of worship, a religious activity.

We see a similar thing in Philippians 4:18, which Paul wrote after receiving financial help from the Christians in Philippi: “I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” And in 2 Corinthians 9:12, he wrote, “This service – this liturgy – that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” The people were worshipping with their money, which we can do with our offerings today, as well.

Hebrews 13 combines two New Testament forms of worship. “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise — the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased” (vv. 15-16). Some worship is given in words of praise, and some worship is given to God when we help one another.

 

Summary

Worship is the giving of our entire self, our thoughts and our emotions, to God’s use. All of life is an act of submission, an act of worship. Our service to God is not centered on a time or a temple, but is done whenever and wherever we are, because we are the temple of God. Therefore;

1.    The test of worship is not only what happens at church, but what happens at home, on the job and wherever we go.

2.    Whenever the gospel is preached, worship is being done. God’s greatness is being proclaimed. Worship is in the listening, too, as people seek to learn what God wants us to be doing. Ro 1:9;15:16

3.    Every act of obedience is an act of worship.

4.    Giving your material things or money to help others or for ministry is an act of worship. Ro 15:27

Sermon series 2: WORSHIP IN THE TRUTH (second sermon) John 4 :22-26

 WORSHIP IN THE TRUTH (second sermon) John 4 :22-26

Intro:

Last week we saw that worship is a response of Gods revelation to us. That it is God who initiates worship by revealing who He is to us. We also saw that to worship in the truth we must reject strongholds; whether they are places, people, our ego, etc. The question I ask myself is how was worship before the time of Moses?

·         First, no one needed a priest to worship God

·         Secondly, there aren’t many commands about the worship that the patriarchs did

·         Third, not much is said about method – the people could pour out wine or oil, totally incinerate an animal, or roast it and eat part of it.

One thing was important – probably the greatest commandment about worship: You shall worship no other gods. All allegiance and all worship go to Him alone. From our text we see that true worship must recognise the saviour.

1.    True worship erupts in the soul of one who understands that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away sin. (Jn4: 26)

2.    True worship comes out from a heart that repents of sins. (Jn4:16-18)

Our sinfulness becomes grossly obvious upon the recognition of Christ's holiness

Worship before the time of Moses

Before Moses we read of several forms of worship that the patriarch exercised. In Genesis 4 we here that Cain and Abel brought an offering to the Lord. We are not told why they did. Few chapters ahead we read that Noah build an altar to the Lord and sacrificed an animal on it after the flood.

Abraham made sacrifices where he built an altar in Shechem, another at Bethel, then at Hebron, and at Mount Moriah. As part of his worship, Abraham also prayed, circumcised and tithed. Isaac built an altar at Beersheba and he prayed. Jacob set up a stone pillar at Bethel and poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it as some sort of worship. He built an altar at Shechem, and one at Bethel. He vowed to tithe and he prayed. What conclusions can we draw from this?

• First, no one needed a priest. Everyone built their own altars, sacrificed their own animals and did their own worship. The head of the household acted as the religious leader for the family. We see that in the book of Job, too: Job made sacrifices on behalf of his children. There was no special priesthood. Each person could worship without a priest.
• Second, there aren’t many commands about the worship that the patriarchs did. God sometimes told his people where to build an altar and what to offer, but for the most part, the altars and offerings seem to have been initiated by the people. There’s no mention of special times or special days or special seasons. There doesn’t seem to be any restriction on place, either. The patriarchs stayed away from Baal worship, but other than that, they worshiped the true God wherever and whenever and however they wanted. Before Moses came!
• Third, not much is said about method – the people could pour out wine or oil, totally incinerate an animal, or roast it and eat part of it. Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not limited by time, location or method. The key word is flexibility. The detailed rules that God gave through Moses did not apply to the patriarchs. They were not restricted by rules about special places, people, rituals and days.

One thing was important – probably the greatest commandment about worship: You shall worship no other gods.

When God dealt with Jacob, he was not concerned about how he was worshiped – his primary concern was that Jacob worship the true God and no other gods. God demands exclusive worship, 100 percent allegiance. Only that can do justice to his worth. There’s no room for loving any other gods even 1 percent. We cannot allow anything to get in the way of our worship relationship with God. We cannot let money, self-consciousness, busyness or anything else get in the way. Worship is to be our highest priority.

During the time of Moses; You just can’t walk up on God every day. You had to be a very holy person on a very holy day in order to walk into the Holy of Holies, and you had to go through special rituals in order to do it.

There was a priesthood between the people and God. For many acts of worship, the priests had to perform the actions. There were also holy animals and holy plants. Every firstborn animal was holy, dedicated to the Lord. The first-ripe fruits were holy, set apart for worship. There was a holy incense formula, too, and if anyone made the same formula, they were supposed to be expelled from the nation. It was that special. It was reserved for worship. It was holy.

There were holy times. Every week, one day was holy. Every year, some extra days were holy. Every seven years and every 50 years, a whole year was set apart for special use.

Most of those details are obsolete, but the most important principle carries over into today’s worship, too. Only God should be worshiped. It’s not that he should be worshiped more than other gods are. It’s that he is the only God worthy of worship. He is so great, nothing else is even close. There is no god like our God. Nothing can compare with him, so we give him exclusive worship. We do not divide our loyalties between him and Baal, or between him and Mammon, or between him and self. All allegiance and all worship go to him alone.

II. Recognize the Savior (John 4:26)

After Jesus exposes the false assumptions of worship, He guides the Samaritan woman into an amazing recognition of His glory and His mission to save people from their sins. True worship erupts in the soul of one who understands that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away sin. He is the living water that cleanses and quenches the deepest thirst of one's soul. Using water as the metaphor for eternal life, Jesus opens her eyes to see Him as the promised Messiah and Savior.

III. Repent of sin (4:16-18)

Another principle of true worship surfaces in Jesus' instruction for the woman to "Go tell your husband" (v.17). The Lord Jesus, who knows all things, did not assume that she was married. Jesus guides her to confess and repent of sin. Our sinfulness becomes grossly obvious upon the recognition of Christ's holiness. Once this woman recognized Jesus, she humbly acknowledges her sinful past. The prophet Isaiah had a similar experience. When he saw the Lord high and lifted up, he fell down in confession of personal and national sin (Is. 6:5).

 

 

Sermon series: WORSHIP IN THE TRUTH (First sermon) John 4 :19-24

 

WORSHIP IN THE TRUTH (First sermon) John 4 :19-24

In the Bible there are two major kinds of words for worship. The first means to bow down, to kneel, to put one’s face down as an act of respect and submission. Our body language is saying, I will do whatever you want me to. I am ready to listen to your instructions and I am willing to obey. The other kind of biblical word means to serve. It carries the idea of doing something for God — making a sacrifice or carrying out his instructions. There is:

1. worship that involves speaking
2. worship that involves listening
3. worship that involves doing

There is a worship that expresses the heart, and worship that involves the mind, and a worship that involves the body. There is a worship that is giving praise upward, a worship that is receiving instructions from above, and a worship that carries out instruction in the world around us. We need all three types of worship.

Similarly, all talk and no action does not show God the respect he deserves. Actions speak louder than words, and if our behavior isn’t changed by God, then our actions are saying that God isn’t important. Worship should affect our behavior.

Response with all our being

We can’t know God’s worth, much less declare it, unless God reveals himself to us. So God initiates worship by revealing himself to us. The more we grasp his greatness, his power, his love, his character, the more we understand his worthiness, the better we can declare his worth – the better we can worship.

Our worship is a response to what God has revealed himself to be, not only in who he is, but also in what he has done and is doing and will do in the future. Worship includes all our responses to God – including a response with our mind, such as our belief in God’s worthiness, our emotions, such as love and trust, and our actions and our words. Our heart expresses itself in words and songs; our mind is active when we want to learn what God wants us to do, and our bodies and strength are involved when we obey and when we serve.

Both Old Testament and New Testament tell us that our relationship with God should involve our heart, mind, soul, and strength. It involves all that we are. Worship involves heart, mind, soul and strength, too.

In the words we say to one another, in the prayers we say to God, in the songs we sing, we can declare that God is worth more than all other gods, worth more than all other things.

We can worship God all by ourselves. But it is also something we do together. God has revealed himself not just to me, but to many people. God puts us in a community, he reveals himself to a community and through a community, and the community together responds to him in worship, in declaring that he is worth all honor and praise.

Music is important, but worship is not just music – it involves our entire relationship with God, all our heart, mind, soul, and strength – it involves all the ways in which we can respond to God, all the ways we can praise him by what we say and do, all the ways we can demonstrate that God is worthy of all praise and honor and allegiance.

Introduction Message on sunday

What do you purchase as a gift for the person who has everything? Perhaps you have faced that dilemma and walked with frustration through stores hoping to find a special gift that communicates your love and meets a need in the life of the one receiving the gift.

Apply this situation to our attempts to offer God a gift He desires. God knows all things and possesses all the treasures of heaven and earth. He does not need anything. But, there is one commodity that God longs to receive from His followers. God desires for His children to freely, boldly, and passionately worship Him in spirit and truth. John 4 reveals that almighty God possesses an unceasing desire for true worshipers.

I. Reject strongholds (John 4:19-20)

As this insightful conversation develops between Jesus and an immoral Samaritan woman, we learn about strongholds or obstacles that often prevent individuals and churches from experiencing true worship. She struggles with the penetrating issues raised by Jesus by hiding behind the barriers of places and programs. What is that thing to which you are struggling to hide behind? Is there anyone who is your excuse from worshipping God? Or anything; your lack of Job, your husband or wife, your work or business, your children? What is that thing? Or you say in that church they don’t love me, they don’t give me the opportunity to serve God. I said one day that no one can stop me from serving God even the EP cannot stop me.

Many Christians have settled for cheap imitations of true worship. Some relegate worship to a particular event or building. Often, worship is considered to be the music in a corporate service that is followed by the preaching. An entire style of music has been labeled "praise and worship" in an attempt to distinguish music from traditional hymns.

While music is an integral part of worshiping God, we should note that Jesus does not mention singing. When the apostle Paul spoke of Christ-honoring worship in Romans 12:1, he challenged believers to become living sacrifices. True worship rejects the strongholds that prevent followers of Christ from responding to God with heart, soul, mind, and strength in loving recognition of God's glory and love.

 

Worship before the time of Moses

Before Moses we read of several forms of worship that the patriarch exercised. In Genesis 4 we here that Cain and Abel brought an offering to the Lord. We are not told why they did. Few chapters ahead we read that Noah build an altar to the Lord and sacrificed an animal on it after the flood.

Abraham made sacrifices where he built an altar in Shechem, another at Bethel, then at Hebron, and at Mount Moriah. As part of his worship, Abraham also prayed, circumcised and tithed. Isaac built an altar at Beersheba and he prayed. Jacob set up a stone pillar at Bethel and poured a drink offering on it, and he poured oil on it as some sort of worship. He built an altar at Shechem, and one at Bethel. He vowed to tithe and he prayed. What conclusions can we draw from this?

• First, no one needed a priest. Everyone built their own altars, sacrificed their own animals and did their own worship. The head of the household acted as the religious leader for the family. We see that in the book of Job, too: Job made sacrifices on behalf of his children. There was no special priesthood. Each person could worship without a priest.
• Second, there aren’t many commands about the worship that the patriarchs did. God sometimes told his people where to build an altar and what to offer, but for the most part, the altars and offerings seem to have been initiated by the people. There’s no mention of special times or special days or special seasons. There doesn’t seem to be any restriction on place, either. The patriarchs stayed away from Baal worship, but other than that, they worshiped the true God wherever and whenever and however they wanted. Before Moses came!
• Third, not much is said about method – the people could pour out wine or oil, totally incinerate an animal, or roast it and eat part of it. Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not limited by time, location or method. The key word is flexibility. The detailed rules that God gave through Moses did not apply to the patriarchs. They were not restricted by rules about special places, people, rituals and days.

One thing was important – probably the greatest commandment about worship: You shall worship no other gods.

When God dealt with Jacob, he was not concerned about how he was worshiped – his primary concern was that Jacob worship the true God and no other gods. God demands exclusive worship, 100 percent allegiance. Only that can do justice to his worth. There’s no room for loving any other gods even 1 percent. We cannot allow anything to get in the way of our worship relationship with God. We cannot let money, self-consciousness, busyness or anything else get in the way. Worship is to be our highest priority.

During the time of Moses; You just can’t walk up on God every day. You had to be a very holy person on a very holy day in order to walk into the Holy of Holies, and you had to go through special rituals in order to do it.

There was a priesthood between the people and God. For many acts of worship, the priests had to perform the actions. There were also holy animals and holy plants. Every firstborn animal was holy, dedicated to the Lord. The first-ripe fruits were holy, set apart for worship. There was a holy incense formula, too, and if anyone made the same formula, they were supposed to be expelled from the nation. It was that special. It was reserved for worship. It was holy.

There were holy times. Every week, one day was holy. Every year, some extra days were holy. Every seven years and every 50 years, a whole year was set apart for special use.

Most of those details are obsolete, but the most important principle carries over into today’s worship, too. Only God should be worshiped. It’s not that he should be worshiped more than other gods are. It’s that he is the only God worthy of worship. He is so great, nothing else is even close. There is no god like our God. Nothing can compare with him, so we give him exclusive worship. We do not divide our loyalties between him and Baal, or between him and Mammon, or between him and self. All allegiance and all worship go to him alone.