False Worship
Dr. Charles Stanley emphasizes that attitude is everything when it comes to worshiping God. In his teaching on “False Worship,” Stanley defines true devotion and outlines the three fundamental errors that lead believers astray, using the biblical example of Cain and Abel.
True spiritual health requires recognizing that whatever holds preeminence in one’s life—be it business, pleasure, or self-will—is what is truly being worshiped, often displacing the Almighty God.
Defining True Worship: Outpouring, Overflowing, Occupation
Worship is not merely an activity; it is a profound state of being that must include three essential elements:
- Outpouring: Worship is an outpouring of a person’s heart toward the object of devotion, pouring themselves, their energy, and all they possess into that thing.
- Overflowing: It is an overflowing of our spirit toward a given object.
- Occupation: It is a total occupation with something in particular, which ought to be Jehovah God.
If anything occupies your mind, time, thought, and desire above God, you have yielded preeminence to that object, making it “God in your life”.
The Three Deadly Errors of False Worship (The Mistakes of Cain)
Stanley analyzes Cain’s failed offering and subsequent rage to identify the three core mistakes thousands of years later that continue to plague people.
1. Assuming God is Different Than He Really Is
False worship is founded on a flawed assumption about God’s character. This error allows people to live sinfully “like the devil all week long” and then approach worship on Sunday, assuming God will overlook their disobedience.
- The Immutability of God: God’s character is immutable (absolutely unchanging in every facet), regardless of how He works in different generations.
- Law vs. Convenience: Cain believed God should condescend to meet his desires and accept his offering of crops, which was convenient for him, rather than the blood sacrifice God required for sin. God, however, does not operate on the basis of convenience, but on the basis of His law.
- The Emergency Button Myth: Many assume God is merely a “sweet little loving heavenly father” who acts as an emergency button to be pushed only when they are in trouble. They assume they can turn their back on Him the rest of the week. You cannot worship a God you do not know.
2. Not Realizing How Important Worship Is to God
People often substitute what they think God wants for what He truly desires. God does not need our service or our money, as He is totally self-sufficient and provides for all needs globally.
- What God Truly Wants: God desires our love, praise, and worship, wanting us to make Him number one, acknowledging Him and obeying Him because we respect, believe, and honor Him completely.
- The Conflict of Sin: True worship is impossible when a person rationalizes and tolerates sin. This creates an internal conflict and a divided mind, making occupation with a holy God impossible. The Holy Spirit prompts the believer to get the sin “straightened out” before genuine worship can occur.
3. Assuming Sin to Be Less Serious Than It Is
This error stems from failing to recognize the profound seriousness of sin in God’s eyes. When God corrected Cain’s worship, Cain responded with anger and self-pity, minimizing the gravity of his disobedience.
- The Danger of Rationalization: People rationalize sin by noting that consequences are not immediate (“God isn’t striking me dead”) or by saying, “Everybody’s doing it”.
- Sin is Crouching: God warns that if you “do not do well” (do what is right), sin is crouching at the door, and its desire is for you. Rebellion and an angry spirit will lead to regret. Cain’s unchecked anger led to first-degree murder, proving God’s warning was serious.
- God’s Hatred of Idolatry: God “absolutely divinely hates despises sin” to the point that He has promised to destroy every evidence of it (referenced by the severity of judgment in Revelation 20). Stanley cites the example of the Baal Peor incident, where God commanded the execution of 24,000 men because their worship involved prostitution and idolatry. This severe judgment was necessary because God was protecting the future, the law, and the testimony of the nation of Israel.
