Eza 3:11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord,
"For he is good,for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel."
And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. (ESV)
Which is most important in worship: that it is biblical; that it is orderly; that it is from the heart? That's like saying which side of a triangle is the most important: the base or one of the sides? Without any one of the sides it is not a triangle. It's just an angle. In this chapter of Ezra we find all three aspects of worship.
If worship is not biblical it is not worship. It becomes something else. It becomes ritual, formality, dance, group singing, or a dozen other things, but it's not worship.
If worship is not orderly then it does not honor God. "Let all things be done decently and in order" was the Apostle's instruction to the Corinthians. We cannot expect an orderly God to be honored by disorderly, even chaotic "worship." Baal's prophets cried and pled; they cut themselves and threw themselves upon the altar. Elijah presented his offering in an orderly manner and prayed a simple prayer.
If worship is not from the heart it cannot be called worship. It becomes dead ritual. Jesus told the woman at the well in John 4 that true worshippers worship in spirit and in truth. Jesus instructed his disciples, in the Sermon on the Mount, that sin was not just what we do, but what we think. Adultery can be committed in the heart. Worship also begins internally.
Father, forgive me for too often settling for ritual instead of true worship. I can't say that I recall ever being disorderly in worship, but at times I have certainly settled for something less than biblical worship from the heart. May I never be willing to settle for something less than true worship.
By His grace,
Rick Weinert
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