And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of … More J. C. Ryle: Why take our bodies to church, if we leave our hearts at home?
What kind of sacrifice does God desire? I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. Spurgeon comments on Psalm 69:30-31 Here he puts dishonour upon mere outward offerings by speaking of the horns and hoofs, … More Horning, Hoofing or Thanking?
Jesus quoted Isaiah in Matthew 15:9-10 “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” John Piper preached a sermon, “Worship is an End in Itself” based on this passage, and here is the concluding paragraph. He … More John Piper: Only worship is an end in itself. Only worship should not be done as a means to achieving something other than itself.
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, … More Worship God!
They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds; for grain and wine they gash themselves; they rebel against me. John Calvin commentary on Hosea 7:14- Now the Prophet says here that the Israelites had not cried to God, which is yet the chief thing in repentance. But this … More Cry from the heart!
John Piper on worship: So you can see what is happening in the New Testament. Worship is being significantly de-institutionalized, de-localized, de-ritualized. The whole thrust is being taken off of ceremony and seasons and places and forms; and is being shifted to what is happening in the heart – not just on Sunday, but every … More Worship Happens in the Heart, Every Day and all the Time
John Piper on Philippians 1:21 ….the inner essence of worship is cherishing Christ as gain – indeed as more gain than all that life can offer – family, career, retirement, fame, food, friends. The essence of worship is experiencing Christ as gain. Or to use words that we love to use around here: it is … More The Inner Essence of Worship
“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”….After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the … More At the beginning of Matthew we still have a “come-see” pattern. But at the end the pattern is “go-tell”.
Dr. John Piper on Matthew 15:8-9- “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Our problem…..is that we do not realize that there is no genuine worship where feelings for God are not quickened. There is not true … More NO true worship where the heart is far from God
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 