Listen to God: Sacrifice Without Obedience Week 19

We are in Psalms chapter 50 if you want to turn over there. Psalms chapter 50. And um we kind of introduced it last week and so we're going to continue on. And last week in verses 1-6 we talked about the judgment and uh that that we have from the Lord and it talks about the judgment and it it uses the three names of God in verse number one. Mighty God, even the Lord and the mighty is L, God is Elohim and Lord is Jehovah. just putting on all three of those uh aspects of it and uh talking about the judgment especially looking to the judgment that will come at Christ's return, his second coming. Um, but we're on number two now and look at verses 7-15 and the sacrifices.

And in verse 7, it says, "Hear, oh my people, and I will speak, oh Israel, and I will testify against thee. I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee, for thy sacrifices are thy burnt offerings to have been continually before me. I will take no bulock out of thy house, nor he goes out of thy folds, for every beast of the forest mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee. For the Lord is mine, the world is mine, the fullness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?

Offer unto Godsgiving and pay thy vows unto the most high, and call upon me in the day of trouble. I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. And so, what we see here is a couple things. Letter A there. What does the word hear in verse number seven express? Hear, oh my people. And and the idea that is he's saying, "Listen, you need to stop talking and listen. You need to stop talking and listen. Hear me." Uh we got our grandkids staying with us right now. One of the things that they're real good about is is I, you know, I'll say something and they don't pay attention to me. I'll say, "Listen, stop what you're doing and listen to what I have to say."

Uh they've got to stop everything and pay attention. That's what God's saying here. That's the idea of that that word. Look at Romans chapter 3 and verse number 19. Romans chapter 3 and verse number 19. Romans 3:19, the Bible says, "Now we know that what things soever the law saith is saith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and the world may become guilty before God." He said, "Listen, I don't want to hear any arguments. I don't want to hear talkback. I I I want you to stop talking and listen to what I have to say." Look at Acts chapter 7 and verse number 57. Acts chapter 7 and verse number 57.

Acts 7:57. The Bible says, "Then they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord." You know, they just uh I I I I don't think I've ever had anybody actually plugged their ears when I'm when I'm preaching. But but if if their face tells me anything, it's that they're not listening. Um you know, and uh they just shut me out completely. And and this is what happened with these people. They didn't want to hear what God had to say. And God is saying, "Listen, you need to hear this. You need to pay attention to this." Uh look at Zechariah 7 and verse number 11.

Zechariah 7 and verse number 11. Zechariah 7 and verse 11. But they refused to hearken and pulled away their shoulders or stopped their ears that they should not hear. You know, he's describing I was a school teacher for a number of years and you could see in body language the kids that weren't listening. They kind of pull themselves back, you know, and they didn't want to hear what was being said and and they refused to listen and you could see it in their in their body language even. And and God is saying, "Listen, you need to stop. You need to listen to what I have to say because this is important."

And he wants you to pay attention to that. So going back to Psalms chapter 50, what he says is I I will testify against thee. I'm God, even thy God. He said, 'Listen to me. I'm your God. And verse number eight, I will not reprove thee for the sac thy sacrifices. I burnt offerings to have been continues before me. So he he's not rebuking them for their offering. He's not saying it was wrong for them to bring their sacrifices. It was wrong for them to bring their offerings. Look at Matthew chap 23. And verse number 23, Matthew chapter 23. And verse number 23, it says, "Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay tithe, the mint and annice and coming and have omitted the weight of your matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.

These ought you to have done and not to leave the other undone." A lot of people when they quote this verse is like, "You don't have to give your money. You don't have to give your tithes." And that's not what God's saying. He says, "You ought to give your offerings. You ought to give your tithes. you ought to give your sacrifices. That's not that's what I'm upset about. But as you left out the more important things uh and and and you left out the weightier things, the the love and and the the judgment and the mercy and faith, these are ought you have done. And so he doesn't want us to stop giving.

He just says, "Listen, do it with the right attitude in the right way." And and so going back there to Psalm chapter 50 then he says listen I but he said I will take no bullock out of the house nor he who goes out of the fold for every beast of force mind the cattle upon a thousand hills. Then look down at verse number 14. Offer unto God the giving and pay thy vows unto the most high. And so God says there's things that are more important than your sacrifice. And don't give me your sacrifice if you're not giving me these things. And um and so let's look at some things that are more that please God more than sacrifice.

Look at Psalms chapter 69 and verses 30 and 31. Psalms chapter 69 and:es 30 and 31. I will praise the name of God with a song and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or a bulock that hath horns and hoofs. So God says, "What's better than your sacrifice is that you praise me with your singing." Uh your song is a sacrifice of praise unto God. And uh we should offer the sacrifice of the praise of our lips. It tells us in Peter and and so we need to give him the sacrifice of praise. He said that's more important to me than any bullet that any sacrifice any animal that you could bring.

And then look at Psalms chapter 51. Psalms chapter 51 and verses 16 and 17. For thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it. Thou delightst not in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken a contrite heart. Oh God, thou will not despise. So God says, I what I want is I want a broken spirit. I want a contrite heart. I want you repent and get right with me. That's more important than any any sacrifices you can bring. Any any check you can put in the offering basket is more important than that. You know what amazes me as a pastor is how many people pay their tithe even though they're not right with God.

I know people that don't go to church and still send their tithe to this church. They don't go to church, but they send their tithe in. It's like I got to send my tithe or God's going to judge me. And God says, listen, I don't want your tithe if I don't have you. I remember when we were in the building down here. We used to be in the building next to Wendy's in Cycle City. There's another building with hump roofs on it and that's what we were from 2000 to 2010. And um that's right next to the we after we moved in there, they built that motorcycle shop next door. And I remember the first year of that motorcycle shop uh we had a secretary church and uh Mrs.

Caner and I was gone. And she told me later on she said uh this the office our office was right next to the it was facing the motorcycle hop and she said this guy came in and said there's this big black guy named and his name was Bear and he comes into the office and he says I'm here to pay my tithe. Now he didn't come to our church. She didn't recognize it. Said well I don't know who you are. So why are you coming to pay your tithe? He says but I'm because I'm going to go over there. I'm going to buy a motorcycle. And God told me if I buy that motorcycle and don't pay my tithe, that I'm going to have a crash and be killed.

And somehow he got that to his mind. And and so he said, "I'm here to pay my tithe." And and he wanted to pay the tithe for almost a year. So it was going to be a big check. And uh Mrs. Caner said and and she was telling me, she said, "I told him he couldn't pay it." And I said, "How much was he going to give us?" You know, and she said, "I told him he couldn't pay it." And she I said, "Why'd you tell him that?" She said, "I told him, you got to come to church. if you don't come to church, no good paying your tithe. And he came to church, he ended up getting saved and got baptized and uh and uh so it was a real blessing.

But you know, he got in his mind, I've got to pay my tithe. And God says, I don't want your tithe. I want you. I want you to get right. I want you to get saved. I want you to come to church. I want you to do the right things to give me praise and glory. And then look at 1st Samuel chapter 15. 1st Samuel chapter 15. and verse number 22. 1st Samuel chapter 15 and verse number 22. And Samuel said, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey as better sacrifice, to hearken than the fat of rams." Saul the king had overstepped his boundary.

He had he was uh he was waiting for Samuel to come to offer the sacrifice. And Samuel being a probably a good Baptist was late and uh and and so Saul was afraid the people were going to quit and leave and and so he uh went ahead did the sacrifice and um and along with that he did some other things that he wasn't supposed to do and um he was told by God when he when he conquered this nation that he was destroy everything and he saved the best of the sheep and the cattle everything and and when Sam Samuel confronted him he said well you know people made me do it. You know, they twisted my arm and made me do it.

That's always a good argument, right? And uh and and and God and Samuel says to Saul, "Listen, you can give as many sacrifices as you want, but when you don't obey God, God doesn't accept your sacrifice." He said, "Obedience is better than sacrifice." And God would rather have our obedience than our sacrifice. And then Amos chapter 5 and verses 18- 27. Amos chapter 5. Still getting used to my new Bible turning to their faces. So give me a moment here. Amos chapter 5 and verse number 18- 27. Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord. To what end is this is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness and not light.

And if a man did flee from a lion and bear met him or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him, shall not the day of the Lord be darkness and not light, even very dark and no brightness in it? And then I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your uh solemn assemblies. Though you offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings will not ex I will not accept them, neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs, for I will not hear the melody of thy vials, but let judgment run down as waters and righteous mighty stream.

Have you offered to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness 40 years, oh house of Israel? But you have borne the tabernacle of your mole and chin chin, your images, the star of your God, which you made yourselves. Therefore, I will cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus, sayeth the Lord, whose name is God of hosts. God is saying to her, "Listen, I'm going to have I'm going to judge you. Your sacrifices, even your songs, remember God would rather have your praise and singing than he would your sacrifices." And and yet he says, "Listen, without that, without judging yourself, without getting right and repenting, go over to 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and verse number 31."

1 Corinthians 11 and verse number 31. For if we judge ourselves, we should not be judged. And that's what God is saying. Listen, before you bring that sacrifice, judge yourself. You know, he tells us, if you have ought against your brother, if your brother have ought against you, don't bring your sacrifice to the altar because I'm not going to accept it. He says, if you want me to forgive you, you got to forgive. Don't bring your act sacrifice to the altar without getting that right. And you got to judge yourselves so you won't have to be judged. So God says before you put that check in the offering basket, before you give God of your time or your talent or your money, judge yourselves.

Am I right with God? And and get that right with him. Have a broken spirit and a contrite heart. So he just he's emphasizing this is listen, stop talking. Listen to me. your checks, your offerings don't do you any good. Now, remember also our checks and offerings really we we're not buying God's love. We're not buying God's love by our sacrifice. He's not going to love us more because we bring a sacrifice, because we put money in the offering basket. God doesn't love you anymore if you give. And God doesn't love you any less if you give. Giving is not about God loving us more or less. Giving is about us loving God more or less.

It's about us because God doesn't need it. And that's what you're going to see here is God doesn't need our sacrifices. So tithing and offering are just giving to God what is his. Look at Psalms 50 9-11. I will take no bullock out of the house for nor he goes out of the fold for every beast of the forest is mine and the cattle upon a thousand hills. You're just giving me what belongs to me. I know all the fowls of the mountains, the wild beasts of the field are mine. Anything you can bring, that's mine. You're just giving me what belongs to me. Look at Malachi uh chapter 3 and look at verses 7-2.

Malachi chapter 3 and verses 7-12. Even from the days of your fathers, you are gone away from mine ordinances, have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, sayith the Lord of hosts. But you said, wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, where have we robbed thee in tithes and offerings? You are cursed with a curse. For you have robbed me, even the whole nation, bring you all the tithes in this storehouse, that there may be a meat in my house. And prove me now, here was what, sayeth the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the window of heaven windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall be room enough to receive it.

and I'll rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, sayith the Lord of hosts." And so he's saying here is, listen, you your tithes and your offering, they belong to God. And God says, listen, you are you going to rob me of what's mine? This is belongs to me. And then look at uh 1 Corinthians chapter 16. 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verses 1 and 2. Now concerning the collection for the saints, so I've given order the churches of glacier and so do ye. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by his store as God prosper.

There be no gatherings when I come. You you often hear people argue over tithes. Well, do we have to give a tithe as you know tithe is an Old Testament thing? Really, tithe is a universal uh principle. It was done before the law. It was done in the law. And it's been done after the law as well. And uh and and I don't believe we we're we're not under the same thing as the Jews with tithing. It's because we are under grace and we don't have to give our tithe. We should want to give our tithe. Um if you figure out what the Jews gave, uh they gave more than 10%. When you add up all of their required offerings, I I forget exact number.

something like 20 something percent is what they end up giving when you put it all together, what was required of them besides their love offerings above and beyond that. And and so if that's what they had to do under the law, how much more should I want to do it under grace? And and [cough] it talks about in in Malachi that if you rob God, you're going to be the loser because, you know, he's not going to bless you in your fields and your crops. In the Old Testament, when you gave, God blessed you financially. In the New Testament, the Old Testament, he blessed you with grapes. In other words, better crops.

In the New Testament, God blesses you with grace. Now, folks, I'd much rather have grace than grapes. And I'm not here to promise you, you give to God, you're going to get 10 times back what got you what you gave to God. Um, I do believe that God always outgives us. uh he's got a bigger shovel and uh no matter how much you shovel in, he's going to shovel more out and you can't outgive God. But at the same time, that's not our reason for giving. Now, I found over the years as we have tithe and we have given, God has blessed us financially. Um, but there have been times of great struggle where that giving that tithe and that offering was a challenge financially and it was a struggle financially especially under on a pastor salary and a struggling new church and everything and um the challenge of that but God has never failed in in Philippians chapter 4 where he says my God supply all your need for his riches and glory by Christ Jesus.

He's never failed us in that. It hasn't always been on our timing, but he's always provided for that. When we first started the church, our support when we first started the church was $700 a month, and that was back in the 80s. Now, that's, you know, 80 is a different time than today, but it still wasn't a lot of money. Our rent was more than that. I I did work part-time as well, but we were nowhere in near the income. So, basically, when the bills came up, I'd lay them out, say, "Lord, we're serving you. We're trusting you. we give and we're faithful to you and we we trust you to be faithful to us and provide it.

And God would do that over and over again. In fact, I remember there came a point where the church got big enough to actually pay me a a living wage. It wasn't a big number, but it was definitely a money that was we could budget and live on. And I remember the first time the bills came in and I kind of laid them out there and again I started praying to the Lord, Lord, you need to take care of these bills and and it was the Lord doesn't speak in an audible voice, but sometimes you feel like you hear them. And it's like he said to me, I gave you the money. You figure out how to do that. You budget, you know, and I I kind of looked I kind of looked up and I said, "Lord, can we go back to faith?"

It was it was more exciting to be lived by faith. It was more more of a blessing to see how he's provided. But he has always done that. He's provided for us in the house we have and and just, you know, we shouldn't be in that house, but God provided that. And God blesses financially, but that's not the reason I give. And if that's the reason you're going to give, you're not going to be I don't think you're going to see the blessings. You don't give, you know, a lot of times you evangelize, you send me $100, God will give you $1,000. That's not the motivation God gives us, okay? He says, I'm going to bless you with grace.

But he does bless financially and he takes care he's promised to take care of our needs. Not always of what we want but our needs. But he's going to bless you with grace. And that's what God wants to give you is that grace. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 8. 2 Corinthians chapter 8 and verses 1-5. 2 Corinthians chapter 8:es 1-5. moral brethren, we do the way of the grace of God bestowed in the churches of Macedonia, how that in great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded the riches of their liberality. For to their power I bear record, yay, and beyond their power, they were willing of themselves.

Praying us was much a treaty that we received the gift, take upon us the fellowship of the ministry of the saints. And this they did, not as we hope, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and onto us by the will of God. Here was a church that out of their poverty they gave. And and then you go on to chapter nine. Look at verses 6 to8. But this I say, he which seweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly. And he which seweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according he purposed in his heart solely of give not grudgingly or necessity. For God loveth a cheerful grace giver. And God is able to make all grace abound towards you.

that you always having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work. Again, God outgives us. And the thing he gives us today is not just the grapes, but he gives us the grace. And that grace will abound when you're faithful to give. But it's not I'm going to give so God blesses me. It's I'm going to give because I love God. And and that's what he was complaining about back in Psalms chapter 50 to the nation of Israel. Says you're giving for all the wrong reasons. If you bring it in, you think that you're bribing me. You think that somehow you're going to get something out of me instead of doing it because you love me.

And um and so we need to give out of a cheerful heart, out of a love for God, out of our poverty to give sacrificially. So what was the motivation for bringing their sacrifices? Going back to Psalms chapter 50, look at verse number 12. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee, for the world's mind the fullness thereof. Look at Psalms chapter 8 and verse number four. Psalms chapter 8 and verse number four. What is man that thou are mindful of the son of man that thou visits him? Somehow we do our giving in a way that we think that God is dependent on us or he's obligated to us. I gave now you're obligated to do this for me.

And we we give transactionally instead of given out of love. You know a gift is given with a motivation I'm going to get something from you is not a gift. And and so we need to give not with the motivation or call controlling God. Somehow you need God doesn't need, you know, we're getting ready to celebrate our 40th anniversary and I'm looking back and and one of the things that in this church over and over again is God has blessed us financially. I mean, it's amazing what this church can do. The size of the church, the average income of this church and paying $23,000 a month in lease on the land and paying the kind of salaries that people need to live on here in Hawaii, paying for electricity and water and all the other things that have to happen with this church.

It is just absolutely amazing to me how God is is just provided over and over again. And sometimes we think, well, God needs my check. And I never want to come across with that. God doesn't need your check and God doesn't need your giving. You need to give to God. You need it. And and God just blesses when you get to be a part of that. When you get to see what God is doing. You know, one of the things I'm going to challenge the church on for our 40th anniversary is that we give a $40,000 offering to the Lord above and beyond our normal giving. And um just in praise him, $1,000 for each year of his blessings.

And and and and that's not because we're asking for anything. is because we're saying, "God, you're good to us." And it reminds us of the goodness of God. It reminds us in that giving of God's goodness to us. And um we have now uh you can give online. And I think probably at this point more people give online than they give uh in check and and envelope form uh in their giving. Now, let me say something. By the way, if you give online, don't do it by credit card. first of all that you shouldn't be charging your giving. Okay? It's just not a good idea. You're paying interest on your giving. Uh don't do it by credit card.

Plus, we get charged a fee for that. We don't get a charge of fee if it's a by debit or by check online giving through your account, direct deposit, things like that. So, keep that in mind. But, you know, the thing I'm afraid people miss when they do it online, and there's some people actually have it as an automatic payment. We get checks in the mail all the time. It's an automatic payment for the checking account. Every month that that tithe is paid automatically. And that's a good thing to do. But what what you don't have is the sacrifice of giving. There's something about taking that envelope and put it in the offering basket or putting the offering box that is a sacrifice.

Lord, this is for you. And we don't pass the offering basket anymore. We stopped doing that at COVID and we just didn't start it up again. We have the offering boxes and even that I I I don't like I I just liked part of my worship to God was my giving and writing that check. [snorts] It just reminded me that hey I can write a check this large and and still God takes care of me. You know some people say how can you give 10% and live in a white because God is good and and writing that check. So if you give online or you give uh by direct positive like that, let me encourage you take time each week to say God, think about stop and think about it.

This is a gift for you. Don't let it become just something it's done for you and you don't even stop and think about it's a sacrifice. So they were bringing their sacrifice saying, "Well, God's hungry and we're going to feed him and that's going to make him happy. You know, we're going to we he needs us." And and then look at Hebrews chapter nine. Hebrews chapter 9 and verses 11-14. Hebrews chapter 9 and and verses 11-4. But Christ being come on high a high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands that is saved not of his building neither by the blood of goats and cast but by his own blood.

He entered in once to the holy place, having attained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and goats, the ashes of a hepher, sprinkling unclean, sanctify the purified flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. It it a lot of people give thinking somehow that's going to get me grace with God. And and they think their giving is going to get them points to get into heaven. and is not is the blood of Christ. Uh go over to John chapter 4 and verse number 24.

John chapter 4 and verse 24. God is spirit and the worship of worship in spirit and truth. And and so again our our giving does not any way improve our chances of going to heaven. It doesn't any way prove you know that that God's going to bless me more. Now, God does bless and my giving allows him to bless me because I'm doing that. But, but it's not buying his obligation to me. And that's what we have to remember. I give not because I'm going to get something back, but because that's what God wants me to do. And that's how I show my love for him. Um, go back to Psalms chapter 50 and look at verse 14.

It says, "Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most high." One of the things in this Bible study I always encourage you is if you got a good study Bible, you have cross references. And there's some cross references for this verse, you probably should have there next to verse number 14. And um I'm going to give you some of them. Let's take a look at them. Start with Deuteronomy chapter 23 and verse number 21. Deuteronomy chapter 23 and verse number 21. When thou shalt thou a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it, for the Lord thy God shall require it of thee, and it would be a sin unto thee.

And then look at Job chapter 22. So if you vow, pay that vow. Job chapter 22 and um verse number 27. Job chapter 22 and verse number 27. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. You know, if you promise to pay God a certain amount, or you say, God, if you'll do this, then then uh I'll I'll take I'll do something. Uh look at Psalms chapter 76 and verse number one. Psalm 76 and verse number one. Uh Psalm or 11, I'm sorry. Psalm 76:11. bow and pay unto the Lord your God. Let all that be round about him be bring presence unto him that ought to be feared.

And then look at Ecclesiastes chapter 5. Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and verses four and five. When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it, forth no pleasure in fools. Pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is that that thou should not bow, that thou shouldest bow and not pay. Throughout the scriptures, one of these God says, listen, you don't have to make a vow. You don't have to make a promise. And and and I think generally as Christians, it's a good idea not to do that. And and our yay should be yay and our nay should be nay. If if I say, God, I'm going to do this. I I don't have to, you know, buy, you know, I'm going to do this by God.

I'm going to, you know, we don't have to make any kind of promise of vow that we're going to do it. Just do it. But when you do make a vow, fulfill it. When you make a promise, I I'll be more faithful to church. I'll I'll do this. I'll do that. I'm going to read my Bible or whatever, fulfill that vow. Fulfill that promise. You know, we do a faith promise for missions giving every year at the beginning of the year. We we ask people to make a commitment to give to the missions above and beyond their tithe. and uh to make that as a promise. It's not a pledge because we don't come collecting it. We're just trusting you to keep your promise.

And and part of that what we challenge you to do is hey, take time to pray about it, to seek God, and ask God to give you the number that you can do. Now, sometimes that number's hard. We've made certain commitments in our giving and sometimes those give that those commitments are hard to do because our finances at that moment. But we made a vow. We made a promise to God. We've got we got a promise of what we're going to give to missions every month. We've got a promise and we've committed to the Lord that we're going to tithe uh on all that he gives us. And we've also promised we give we give money every month for anniversary offering because we know it's coming.

And rather than make one big offering at that time, we kind of break it up over the year and giving. And these are vows and these are commitments. And sometimes it's really hard to keep that vow and to keep that commitment. But you know what? God has always blessed us in that. And that's what he's trying to get across to them. Listen, I don't need your offerings. You need it. This is for you. This is not for me. All right? And then going back to Psalms 50 and verses 16- 23, it it talks about their religion. Uh verse 16, but unto the wicked, God saith, what hast thou do my statutes or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth?

Seeing that thou hatest instruction and cast my words behind me. When thou sawest a thief, then thou cons contest with him, and has been partaker with adulterers, thou givest giveth thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frame of deceit. Thou citizen speakest against thy brother. Thou slandesteth thine own mother's son. These things have thou hast thou done, and I kept silence, that thou thou test um that I was all thou tested I was allto together such such a one as thyself. But I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider this that you that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver.

He said listen I in verse 23 whosoever prays unto glorify me and to him that orders his conversation right will I show thy salvation to God. God is saying listen I don't need your check in the offering basket. I don't need you to sing to me if you're not going to live the life that you need to live. If you're going to backbite and devour and if you're going to complain and whine and you're going to do all these things then then you're that's not what religion is about. And and he's he's rebuking them again. He's saying listen you guys have got this all wrong. You think by you know sometimes people think well I go to church that makes me right with God.

That does not make you right with God. And we need to understand that. So look at verses 16 and 17 again. But unto the wicked God say, "What hast thou to to do to declare my statutes? Or that thou shouldest take my covenant thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction and cast my words behind thee?" So a New Testament passage, look at Romans chapter 2. I always like comparing scripture with scripture. When I'm studying my Bible, I'll use my cross references. I'll also use my own memory. There was a verse about this or verse about that and other sources to help me look at what other scriptures says.

So Romans 2 17- 24 behold thou are called as you and rest in the law and make as I boast of God and knowest his will and approvest things that have are more excellent be instructed out of law and are confident that thou thyself are a guide of the blind and light of them which are darkness instructor of the foolish a teacher of which has the form of knowledge and the truth and the law. Thou therefore teaches another teacheth thou not thyself. Thou that preaches a man should not steal, dust thou steal? Thou that sest a man should not commit adultery, dust thou commit adultery? Thou that abhored idols, does thou commit sacrilege?

That thou mayest boast um going to verse 24. That thou mayest make thy boast of the law through breaking the law, dishonest thou God. For the name of God is blasphemy again among the Gentiles, although you uh through you as is written. in in Psalms 50 is saying to the Jews, "Listen, you think because you're Jews that makes you right with me and you do all these things, you know, you're you're not you're not right." And and he's rebuking them uh for that. So looking back here in Psalms chapter 50 and um he says he says that he rebukes them in that passage you know why what hast thou to do declare my statutes or thou wouldest take my covenant in thy mouth.

So why is he rebuking for declaring his statutes? Um a number of reasons I think why here. And basically he's saying listen you're up there preaching and you're not living it. and he says, "That's what's that's what I'm bothered by. That's what that's what you can't just be there and saying it without living it." And and so he's rebuking him. And there's different ways that we we we misuse his statutes. And uh one of them is taking it out of context. Go to Matthew chapter 4 and verse number six. Matthew chapter 4 and verse number six says, "Asa that, if thou be the son of God, cast thyself down, for it's written, he shall give his angels charge concerning over thee, concerning thee, in their hands that they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against the stone."

It's taking scripture out of context. We are so good at that. We take the scripture justify what we want to do and somehow we make it we twist it around to do that. Look at second Peter chapter 1. Second Peter chapter 1 and verses 20 and 21. Knowing this verse that no prophecy of scripture any private interpretation for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake because they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Now he's talking about when they receive scripture, but it's also about us receiving scripture that we can't just interpret it the way we want to. And this is one of the things when we started Ohana, we chose our theme verse Acts 17:11, which says that these were more noble than those in Thessalonica that they received the word with all readiness mind and search the scriptures daily where those things are.

So, and my what I wanted, I want a congregation of people who hold me accountable. You know, I I don't want to take scripture out of context. And I'm so thankful. I'll have different times I'll have people come to me after I preach say, "You quoted this verse and I don't think it's the context you were quoting and here's what the cont and they challenge me on that." But we we tend to take as Christians, we'll take these proof verses out of context and get them to say what we want them to say rather than what God wants us to say. And and that's the challenge we have is is you say, "Listen, you twisted it.

you take it out of context. And then then the other thing is you fail to search and study the scriptures. Um Titus John 5:39, "Search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life and they or they which testify of me." In 2 Timothy 2:15, study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman, not to be ashamed, rightly divide the word of truth. You know, you're supposed to be the religious leaders and you don't even know what the Bible says. And so failing to search and study the scriptures and then emphasis on the wrong things. Look at Matthew chapter 23. We we looked at this before. He said, "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees because you tied that mint and and the coming and uh you you got it all wrong."

He says, "Listen, you you um you you verse 13, but woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, these hypocrites, for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men, for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer them that are entering to go in." You're keeping people out of heaven because you're a testimony. Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you devour widows houses, and for a pretense make long prayer. Therefore, you should receive the greater damnation. And he just goes on there and tears him apart and said, "Listen, you are um emphasizing all the wrong things. They were all about the law and not doing this and doing that."

And you know what that that many times can happen to Baptists. We're Bible preaching church and we're conservative and we believe in in conservatism, but we sometimes we get so focused on the dos and the don'ts that we're not being. You know, I I I have a quote, my favorite quote, and you're tired. I know you're tired of some, you're tired of hearing them, but but you can do all the right things and not be the right person. But you cannot be the right person and not do the right things. And we get to that point. We think if I do this and don't do that, you know, if I don't smoke, drink, or chew, or go with girls who do, I'm right with God.

And we've got all this list of things that we're on. And this is what happened. This is what they were doing, and this is what you rebuke them for. You think because you're doing these things that makes you right with me, and it doesn't. And so that's that's what he's talking about. Okay, we're going to have to stop there. We'll continue on hopefully finish chapter 15 next week. But there's so much in this chapter and that we can be challenged with. And God is saying, "Listen, stop. Listen to me. You think you're doing all the right things, but are you really? You're you're bringing all these sacrifices, but I don't want them cuz you're not praising me. You're not doing the right things. you're you're not doing you don't have a broken contrite spirit. You're not obeying. And he's listen you you got religion but you don't have relationship. And that's the challenge he's given