Vain Oblations — E.A. Johnston

Isaiah's Rebuke of Vain Oblations

In the book of Isaiah, we read in chapter 1 beginning in verse 12. When you come to appear before me. Who hath required this at your hand. To tread my courts. Bring no more vain oblations. Incense is an abominable.

Unto me the new moons and sabbaths the calling of assemblies. I cannot away with it. It is iniquity. Even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts. My soul. Hated they are troubling to me.

Prayers Rejected Because of Unrepentant Sin

I am weary to bear them and when you spread forth your hands I will hide my eyes from you. Yay. When you make many prayers I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes.

Cease to do evil. I will stop their friends. This sad and pitiful description of the Jews in the days of the prophet Isaiah is a picture of a people of God who had become out of touch with the God. They worshiped God with their lips, but their hearts were far away from God.

A Personal Experience of Empty Corporate Worship

They were a sin and religious people whose prayers went unheard and whose worship was Rejected by Almighty God himself. They had a form of religion without a intimate knowledge of God. I'm just gonna report friends my own recent experience of going to church this last Easter and you can draw your own conclusions friends for Easter.

I Visited a Reformed Baptist Church with a young pastor and that morning I wasn't feeling well, so I asked the Lord Jesus to Undergird me so I could attend church to worship them corporately. I said Lord, will you come with me to church today so I can worship you there after all?

It's Easter Sunday. And you're a risen Lord and I can't wait to sing praises to you to the one who is worthy to be praised. But you know Lord, I'm a sick old man with heart trouble and I'm feeling kind of low.

Will you ride with me in the car beside me and will you keep me company? Will you walk into the church building with me and give me courage to meet some new people? And if I may so speak the Lord Jesus said he would be glad to do all that for me.

The Neglect of Visitors in the Assembly

So we drove to church and on the way there. I spoke hopefully to the Lord. I said maybe Lord. I'll even make a new friend today. Well when we got to that church I had to park my car way around the corner or the back of the building and walk a very long way.

Because the parking lot was full and there was no visitor parking. We entered the sanctuary Where several hundred people were milling about and chatting with their friends and we stood there Waiting to be seated by an usher since there were no empty seats.

But no usher was around and everyone just ignored us as if we were invisible. Well, that was true for Jesus. And I guess it might have been true for me for an old man by himself Is invisible in a crowd to most folks anyhow.

But this was supposed to be visitor friendly Easter Sunday, but none of them were friendly to us. There was a little bench at the back wall of the church and that is where we sat ourselves. There was only room for two on it.

Entertainment Replacing Reverent Worship

Just Jesus and me the service began and after some man-centered worship by worship team the young pastor came out and got things started by Telling a funny story that wasn't funny at all, but he thought it was funny.

Then he put up on two big screens three or four Visual jokes until he got his audience Roaring with laughter. I thought this is Easter Sunday. I stared at the ground. I was embarrassed for Jesus. Then after he had warmed up his crowd with entertainment.

The Road to Emmaus and the Trivializing of Christ

He then read a brief passage of scripture of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. And he mentioned something about discouragement. And he then he made this comment. He said Jesus came alongside them to show them.

He was their buddy. That's what he said. He called God a buddy and I turned to the Lord and Apologized to him by saying I'm sorry Lord that he referred to you as a buddy. You're the great God of heaven and earth.

But he put you on man's level and this being Easter Sunday and all I'm so sorry Lord. Then the young pastor proceeded to read a long quote by Tim Keller and I turned to Jesus and again, I Apologized and said I'm so sorry Lord.

This is embarrassing especially on Easter morning. Then Jesus stood and said to me come along. It's obvious We are not welcome here and we got up and turned our backs on that crowd of Religious people and left the building, but they never missed us.

Churches Under the Judgment of God's Withdrawn Presence

The terrible crime taking place in America today friends is not out on the streets of our cities. Through violent crime, but inside our churches where worse crime is taking place. Our churches have been hijacked by men who treat things the things of God lightly.

And it's a crime shame when you take time to go to church to worship a holy God. And because of the carnal fleshly atmosphere, you're not given that opportunity. Worse you have to endure the Lord Jesus being dragged through the mud of base.

Entertainment of funny stories and jokes by pastor. Who's more like Jay Leno than a prophet of God and we wonder why? The church in this country has no authority in his powerless in under the remedial judgment of the withdrawn presence of God or vain Oblations are not acceptable Unto him and we've driven the spirit of God away from among our assemblies through compromise with the world and Conformity to the flesh our churches have become more houses of entertainment Instead of houses of prayer and God is not welcome in many of our churches anymore.

The Need for Heaven-Sent Revival

Only a heaven-sent Revival can pull us up and out. Oh the muck and mire and mess. We have made that we call church today in this once great land That used to fear God and had a sense of reverence for God.

A Call to Discernment Without Condemning Every Pastor

I know there's godly pastors out there. I'm not trying to lump all of them together because I know some of these godly pastors personally. But there are few and far between Listen friends. Am I the only one?

Having trouble finding a church today. Are you having trouble too? Or is it just me? I wonder.