"Come Worship and Sin!"

  Amos came preaching God and cried out to God's people: "Enter Bethel..." I'll stop there. Bethel was an ancient place of worship and Amos was calling for the people to come to Bethel. Let's finish the verse: "Enter Bethel and transgress." (Amos 4:4) What? How jarring it must have been for a prophet and preacher to say in effect: "Come worship and let's sin!"

  That was the message from this preacher of God to God's people. Here's the whole of it: "Enter Bethel and transgress; In Gilgal multiply transgressions! Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days. Offer a thank offering also from that which is leavened, and proclaim freewill offerings, make them known. For so you love to do so, you sons of Israel," 'Declares the Lord God.' (Amos 4:4-5)

  These strong and straight forward words of this preacher was urging God's people to attend services and be fully participating in all their religious activities in order that they might increase their rebellion against the Lord! What brought all this on? The Lord calls their hand because of the motivation of these worshipers. Their real concern was to enhance their own reputations by being present and displaying their personal generosity!!

  This leads me to wonder. Do I (or you) attend worship to be drawn into a closer relationship and fellowship with the Lord? Or is there a different agenda? Are we really there gathered around the feet of the Lord or are there other motives involved? Is worshiping God something you do just for your personal satisfaction? "...because you come together not for the better but for the worse. For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part I believe it." (I Cor. 11:17-18) We too can come together and transgress! Just look at how people treat one another and we don't think the Lord is aware? If our motives and oneness does not prevail in our worship, it becomes a worship of sin and rebellion. Where does it leave such? "For this reason many among you are weak and sick and a number sleep." (I Cor. 11:30) Our attitudes in worship can really be killing us. "Come worship and sin!"