Unless They Are Happy Your Worship Is Unacceptable

Jeremiah 7:4
Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!”

Jeremiah 7 is a harsh passage. Jeremiah speaks harshly to worshippers. God tells Jeremiah to go to the temple gates and address worshippers who go in and out of the gates. God is not happy with the way the worshippers conduct themselves and He has rejected their worship.

When worship is rejected by God it is as good as you didn’t worship. When worship is rejected by God it means your relationship with God is broken. When worship is rejected by God, you are staring into a godless and hopeless uncertain future. We should all worry about our worship being accepted or rejected.

Jeremiah 7:4 tells us that it is deceptive to think that because the temple belongs to God then any worship there is accepted. You may be in the right church with the right teaching but your worship is rejected. This temple belonged to God, but God told them He has rejected the worship taking place there.

Jeremiah 7:5 God tells them to change their ways and act justly if they expect their worship to be accepted. Jeremiah 7:6 for worship to be accepted no foreigner should be oppressed. For worship to be accepted the fatherless and widows must be treated very well. Unless the less privileged are happy no worship will be acceptable.

Two conditions for worship to be accepted is treating the less privileged well and having a good relationship with God by keeping off idol worship. What captures our attention is that worship can be rejected because the less privileged among us are unhappy. Unless they are happy your worship is unacceptable!

Your Bible interpretation may be perfect but if the less privileged are unhappy, your worship is unacceptable. Your praise and worship session may be powerful and lit, but if the less privileged are unhappy, your worship is unacceptable. Your song session may be outstanding and uncomparable, but if the less privileged are unhappy, your worship is unacceptable. Your prophecy lessons may be up to date with world events, but if the less privileged are unhappy, your worship is unacceptable. Your health message may be protecting you from Covid-19 and other diseases, but if the less privileged are unhappy, your worship is unacceptable. Unless they are happy your worship is unacceptable!

1 John 4:20 is clear that you cannot love the God that you don’t see yet you hate the brothers and sisters you see. Worshiping a God you don’t see must be preceded by having loved the less privileged around us. Matthew 25:45 if we mistreat the less privileged we are mistreating God. Unless they are happy your worship is unacceptable!

Matthew 26:11 and Mark 14:7 reminds us that the poor will always be with us. The less privileged give us an opportunity to demonstrate what God has done to us. If we can’t demonstrate it, our worship is a waste. The less privileged will always be with us and worship will always depend on how we treat them. Unless they are happy your worship is unacceptable!

Dear God, forgive us for mistreating the less privileged. The fatherless, the widows, the poor, the marginalized groups, the less educated, the physically challenged, among many others. Teach us to love as you love us in Jesus’ name, Amen!