WHAT MAKES WORSHIP AN ACCEPTABLE AND PLEASING SACRIFICE

Proverbs 23:26 “O my son, give me your heart. May your eyes delight in my ways of wisdom” NLT
Ezekiel 36:26-27 “And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you, obedient heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command.” (NLT)

I wrote in my previous blog that giving and expecting a reward is sinful. It feeds on the selfishness, greed, and sinful desires of the heart which are the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life (1 john 2:16).

What is the underlying principle in biblical giving?. There is a lovely saying which says “You give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” The other principle in biblical giving is obedience. We read in Exodus 25:1-2 “And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they may bring me an offering: of every man that giveth with his heart ye shall take my offering. This the first time we read that God commanded Moses to take an offering for the making of the tabernacle. But it took Moses sometime in the Holy Mountain communing with God. The people became restless with nothing to do. What shall they with the offerings of gold, silver, and bronze? They forced Aaron to make a god for them from the offerings they brought. The celebrating people were horrified when Moses angrily threw the tablets of stone and broke it. The terror of God’s people killed thousands of them. It is wrong and sinful to use God’s offerings for an ungodly works. Life must go on to a new beginning. New tablets of the Ten Commandments were given to Moses for the people to obey and observe. They were again asked to make an offering. We read in EXODUS CHAPTER 35:4—5;21-22; 29 “And Moses spoke unto all the congregation of the children of Israel saying, ‘This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying; Take ye from among you an offering to the LORD; whoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it to the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass … and the children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD.”

What we learn is God asked for an offering and the people responded willingly and obediently
if they do not listen and obey. Moses was a great leader yet he never demands or threatens. Even as he speaks for the LORD he says “Whosoever is of a willing heart” and the people responds with reverence, love, and obedience. “and they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning” (Exo. 36:3b).The overwhelming response of the people made Bezaleel come to Moses with the report “The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make. and Moses gave commandment … Let neither man nor woman make any more work offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.” (Exo 36:5-6.) Thus the work on the Tabernacle prospered as they build together.”

People built temples to express their highest desire to worship God. The builders have learned the virtue of building together. The leadership conceive the plans, show the plans to the people, the people responds and give their willing involvement and support, godly and qualified (gifted) artisans working together build to glorify God. God is pleased with their work and dwells among them.

WHY WE GIVE AN OFFERING TO GOD

Genesis 1:31 “Then God looked over all that he had made, and he saw that it was excellent in every way” (New Living Translation).

From Day 1 to Day 5 we read after each creation day :And God saw that it was good.” The sixth day of creation after created man in his own image and likeness “God looked over all that he had made and saw that it was excellent in every way.” In Genesis Chapter 2 verse 7 God breathe into his nostril the “breath of life and man became a living person.” This alone is what distinguishes man from all other created things. Of the all the livings things in the Garden of Eden man alone has the ability to commune with God. In a very clear graphic story God and man had a wonderful fellowship and enjoyed each other’s company. Psalm 8 verse 6 describes this wonderful and lovely relationship “You put us in charge of everything you made, giving us authority over all things -.” Psalm 24 verse 1 declares “The earth is the LORD’s and everything it. The earth and all the people belong to him.” Psalm 50 verses 10-11 the psalmist acknowledges the ownership of God “For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.” So what does men have which God do not have?
“Together we build” is the theme of the financial campaign to build a new and bigger Filipino Christian Church. Members are encouraged to give as much as they can to support the campaign. A book that encourages members to give has become the manual to guide and educate members to give more and God will reward them more than what they will give.
No amount is too much for the LORD God to give. It is His pleasure to pour out Hiss blessings in great abundance. Jesus said “Ask, and it shall be given you” (Matthew 7:7). “…Ask using my name, and you will receive and you will have abundant joy” (John 16:24NLT). “If you give you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more and running over. whatever measure you give – -large or small—it will be used to measure what is given back to you” (Luke 6:38 NLT) The giving is unsolicited, voluntary, from the heart, and without conditions. This is true biblical giving.
Giving on condition of a reward is sinful. It comes from a heart full of selfishness, greed, and sinful desires. It is the outcome of sin when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. The Devil lied and seduced Eve to disobey God. “You won’t die!” the serpent hissed. “God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing both good and evil.” The woman was convinced. The fruit was so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband who was with her. Then he ate it, too.” (Genesis 3:4-6ff NLT) From that fateful day to the present the fruit of the sin of disobedience has increased and multiplied. Men in his sinful nature always grasp anything he desires. He always wants to have more. He only gives when he can receive back more than what he has given. This is sin in operation. Well meaning Christian leaders particularly those in the prosperity gospel always emphasize rewards to people who give liberally to their funds campaign. The gullible givers and their money are soon parted. What makes the offering in worship and acceptable and pleasing sacrifice

The Blood ofJesus

Is the cross the gateway to the holy of holiest? when the curtain which separates the holy place from the holy of holiest was destroyed when Jesus Christ died at the cross did God elevate the cross to take the place of the curtain which was destroyed from top to bottom? I believe that Jesus Himself, as the high priest of the New Covenant carried his own blood in his hands as his offering to God for the forgiveness of our sins "once and for all." The efficacy of the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus is non-transferable and non-repeatable or duplicable by human and ecclesiastical authority

There is no evidence in the holy Scriptures that the cross is now the entrance of man to the Presence of Almighty God. Jesus himself said "I am door" or "I am the Way."Jesus blood was shed at the cross "once and for all." Is it not blasphemy to teach that man even if redeemed and cleansed by the shed blood of Jesus at the cross
can turn around and "apply the blood of Jesus" for the forgiveness of the sins of others and for any other needs and conditions affecting man". While it is true that the "people of God is a "royal priesthood" but only Jesus Christ remains our chief High Priest forever. He is eternal. He alone can stand in the presence of God.