The Way We Worship Will Offend You

Exodus 8:26 – But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us?(NIV)

Exodus 8:26 – Moses said, “That would not be wise. What we sacrifice to our God would give great offense to Egyptians. If we openly sacrifice what is so deeply offensive to Egyptians, they’ll kill us.(Message Bible)

Exodus 8:26 – But Moses said, “It is not right [or even possible] to do that, for we will sacrifice to the LORD our God what is repulsive and unacceptable to the Egyptians [that is, animals that the Egyptians consider sacred]. If we sacrifice what is repulsive and unacceptable to the Egyptians, will they not riot and stone us?(Amplified Bible)

Pharaoh is struggling with decision making. He has rejected to release Israelites as God ordered but the pressure from plagues is weighing him down. He doesn’t want to release Israelites yet he has to release them for his own good and the good of Egypt.

Pharaoh eventually suggests that Israelites can remain in Egypt but now with liberty to worship their God while in Egypt. Israelites don’t need to leave Egypt. If they are leaving Egypt to go to a place where they are free to worship their God, then freedom of worship has been granted. Therefore they don’t need to leave Egypt and plagues can now stop and everyone is happy!

Moses responds to Pharaoh and tells him that the Israelites way of worshiping will offend them. You will not like how we worship. You may give suggestions and we won’t follow. You may want to improve our worship and we will refuse. Since you are a boss, you will be offended when we don’t obey you when you order us to change our worship.

Moses tells Pharaoh that if they witness how Israelites worship, they will get offended. If they witness the entire worship process it will generate a wider hatred of Israelites because it is offensive to them. The way we worship will offend you!

During that time, Israelites worshipped by sacrificing animals. Killing animals and setting them on fire as part of worship. This seemingly wanton death and cruelty against animals would trigger hatred against Israelites. Moses tells him that, the way we worship, will not be acceptable to Egyptians, they will be offended!

If our worship is highly attractive and acceptable to those who are not of faith, then the worship is not of faith. Real worship totally contradicts the world and its standards. Real worship is offensive to those who haven’t chosen Christ as their Saviour!

Our music in worship does not have anything in common with entertainment music. Our worship music will bore you. Our worship music is not accompanied by dance. The way we worship will offend you!

Our preaching in worship will offend you. While preaching we teach, but we also rebuke, correct and train. Our preaching will rebuke you and seek to correct all your misgivings. This preaching is the climax of all worship services. The way we worship will offend you!

Our dressing in worship will offend you. We are not the first ones to jump into a new fashion trend. We are not the last ones hanging onto an obsolete clothing style. We are in the middle. We dress in a way that it will not be noticeable. We dress in a way that if someone tries to remember that we met, they will only remember what I said and not how I was dressed. This dressing is part of our worship. The way we worship will offend you!

Our worship includes giving money to the church treasury. You will be offended that even people with basic unmet needs are struggling to give ten percent of their meagre income. It will offend you that we collect lots of money on the premise that God will bless the givers. You may misunderstand this to be exploitation of the poor, yet it is an unchangeable way of worship. The way we worship will offend you!

Our Bible stories will offend you. They sound impossible but they are real. It’s true the Red Sea opened. Its true Jonah was swallowed by a fish. Its true Peter walked on water. Such truths can be offensive to people who doubt the Bible. Yet these Bible stories are part of our worship. The way we worship will offend you!

Our principles and values can be offensive. They are absolute yet the world likes things that are not absolute. Yet these are the principles and values that we promote in all our worship services. The way we worship will offend you!

Our hope will offend you. We don’t hope for a long better life on earth. We are looking forward to life in heaven with God. We are preparing to do our best in this life and in the world to come. This is the sustained hope in our worship. The way we worship will offend you!

Therefore, we will not worship in your presence knowing very well that it will offend you. We will not trigger your hatred then we cry out that we are being persecuted. We will wait to get out of your sight and then we will worship. The way we worship will offend you!

We will not play high volume preaching and music knowing you will be offended. We will not pretend that loud music and preaching is how to reach people. We will get an organised way to deliver the gospel. Otherwise if you manage to listen from a distance through our PA system, the way we worship will offend you!

As much as possible we would want to avoid offending you as we worship. We will only offend you if it is inevitable. We will not engage in worship knowing very well that you will be offended. We will avoid a situation where our worship offends you. However, we will not stop worshipping for fear of offending you. After taking into consideration all matters that could offend you, we will proceed without any reference to you. If you are offended, so be it. 

The way we worship will offend you! May our worship be acceptable before God and remain hated by the world. May the world remain offended by our worshipping and in this contrast see the uniqueness and be drawn to Christ. Save us from compromising our faith by seeking to please others. May our worship be what God wants, In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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