Motive Is Everything
Pastor Erickson preaches from Amos 5, Psalm 100 and Romans 12:1, teaching that God looks at the motive behind our worship and that singing without a holy life is only noise to Him. He calls the church to come to God through prayer and repentance, to hunger and thirst for His presence, and to worship Him for who He is rather than for the song or the style.
The message in 6 points
Noise or a joyful noise
He reads Amos 5, where God says He will not hear the noise of Israel's songs, and Psalm 100, which calls us to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. His point is that when it comes to worship, motive is everything.
55:14The altar of incense
In the Old Testament the altar of incense filled the holy place with a sweet aroma that drew God's presence. In the New Testament it is replaced by prayer and vocal praise, and he says what matters is not the style or genre but the worshipper.
57:57A new song and a holy life
God asks for a new song so worship does not turn into ritual, because He wants relationship, not religion. Worship is a daily lifestyle of holiness, and without holiness even lovely music is only noise to God. Only clean hands and a pure heart can stand in His holy place.
1:02:21Hungry and thirsty for God
From Psalm 42, Psalm 63 and Jesus' promise of living water, he says true worshippers hunger and thirst after God. He longs for a move of the Holy Ghost and wants that well to spring up and overflow into every part of his life.
1:13:53Raising a generation under covenant
Before Israel's young generation could take the promised land, Joshua had to circumcise them as a sign of the covenant. Parents today, he says, must teach their children not only how to praise but how to worship and live holy, because only one deserves worship.
1:20:42No strange fire
Nadab and Abihu died for offering strange fire, because the fire for the incense had to come from the altar of sacrifice. Worship must begin with prayer and repentance. He admits that as a choir director he can get caught up in the details, and calls everyone to worship God for who He is.
1:32:23
In his words
“Worship without holiness is nothing more than an empty sound. And God didn't hate Israel's song because they sounded bad. It was because their hearts were cluttered with sin.”
“There's so much more to worship than there is to praise. You can praise anything. You can praise anybody. You can praise a football team if you want to. But there's only one that deserves worship.”
“Because you can't worship a God you don't pray to. It doesn't work like that.”
Taken word for word from the video, with punctuation added.
Scripture
He reads
Amos 5:21-23
21I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. 22Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. 23Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols.
King James Version.
Psalms 100:1-2
1Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. 2Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
King James Version.
Psalms 96:1
1O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
King James Version.
Psalms 29:2
2Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
King James Version.
Psalms 96:9
9O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
King James Version.
Psalms 24:3-6
3Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? 4He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
King James Version.
Psalms 42:1-2
1As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
King James Version.
Psalms 63:1
1O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
King James Version.
Psalms 143:6
6I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
King James Version.
Psalms 107:9
9For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.
King James Version.
Matthew 5:6
6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
King James Version.
John 6:35
35And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
King James Version.
John 7:37
37In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
King James Version.
Joshua 5:1-5
1And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites, which were on the side of Jordan westward, and all the kings of the Canaanites, which were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of Jordan from before the children of Israel, until we were passed over, that their heart melted, neither was there spirit in them any more, because of the children of Israel. 2At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time. 3And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 4And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt. 5Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.
King James Version.
Leviticus 10:1-2
1And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. 2And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
King James Version.
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