Vicar Jacob Kieselhorst • February 25, 2024
Rethinking the Worth of Worship
Person A never attends worship. He can’t see the point. Person B attends every week out of a slavish sense of obligation. Her mind wanders during the services, for she views the activities of worship merely as tasks for her to complete. Who is worse off? Rather than debating the point, let us just admit neither understand the true worth of worship. And that is exactly what Satan wants.
Many think worship is about what we do for God. It is the other way around. As we gather around Word and sacrament, the Spirit moves us to love and trust in God above all things. Moved by the cross of Christ, we bow down before our God. We commune with him. And that’s exactly what God wants.
When we use God's name flippantly...when we take God's reputation lightly...when we are apathetic about his Word...when we have little interest in the spiritual rest he offers...we demolish the Commandments. That hurts us way more than it hurts God. Disobedience of the Commandments are attempted acts of spiritual suicide. If we continue in this rebellion, we are guaranteeing that hell is our eternal home. So, this week, we ask the Spirit to give us the ability to sincerely pray, "Lord, have mercy, for demonstrating irreverence for your name and despising your Sabbath rest."
I recognize my inability to defend myself against spiritual enemies. The world is against me, but I look for ways to imitate it. I try to master my own sinful flesh, but I recognize desires in myself that war against my soul. And when it comes to the devil, I fall into temptation again and again. My impending death proves that I have sinned. I realize that what I really need is a champion. God the Father realized it too. He sent his Son to be my Savior. Through the obedience of the Son of God, I have victory over my enemies.
I recognize my deep spiritual thirst. I long for a good relationship with God and for everlasting life. I am tempted to satisfy that deep thirst with worldly things, a strategy doomed to failure. I realize that my thirst is satisfied only by the one who said, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.” Jesus meets my greatest need.
