“My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.”
Over the years I have attempted to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ as honestly as possible. I make every attempt to stay away from preconceived theories and to allow the Word of God speak for itself. In other words: “Jesus said it, I believe it—that’s good enough for me.”
From time-to-time I have observed people who go through the “motions” of spirituality, but “motions” are the size of it. One lady took me to task for being too spiritual in my preaching. Hello? Is anyone home here?
It seems that the message that the Lord was sharing with Ezekiel was that there will be people who attend services for reasons that are not spiritual. It may be that they want to impress people with their seemingly righteous life.
Remember that God knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. In Psalm 139:4 we read: “Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O LORD.” It may be possible to fool the preacher, those sitting next to you or even yourself, but you will never be able to fool God.
Let’s take it out of the area of church attendance and apply it to other Christian activities. When you listen to Christian music is it to worship God in the beauty of holiness or to be entertained?
When you read the Bible, is it to impress others by your knowledge of the Bible or is it to have the living Word of God speak to you? When today’s Scripture speaks of greed for unjust gain it is not limited to the “stuff” of life. It can equally apply to striving for the approval of others. BEEEP! Wrong reason!
Since our hearts are deceitful, it is necessary to examine them frequently. We are to do this before we receive the Lord’s Supper, but we should make it a practice to do this as frequently as possible—even several times a day.
My prayer is that we will come closer and closer to the Lord. I pray that we will have a sincerity that does not put on a show of spirituality, but that we will come to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.
Blessings dear hearts! Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
Insights on John is part of the 15-volume Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary series. This newly revised and expanded edition draws on Gold Medallion Award–winner Chuck Swindoll’s 50 years of experience with studying and preaching God’s Word. His deep insight, signature easygoing style, and humor bring a warmth and practical accessibility not often found in commentaries.
ECPA Gold Award – Jesus taught with hands-on lessons and illustrations. TheHands-On Bible uses the same experience-based learning to communicate God’s Word in an active, understandable way. With hundreds of fun, memorable activities, the Hands-On Bible is packed with activities and experiences that invite kids to crawl inside the Scriptures and do God’s Word!
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