Sometimes believers make mistakes when we worship. I don’t want to go as far as saying that we become ungodly, disbelieve or unsaved when this happens, but we should be aware of our mistakes to prevent them from cascading from a simple mistake to something much worse. The incident of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4 provides the clearest example of worship mistakes causing one to go completely off the rails.
For today, I’m more interested in which mistakes occur (using the Scripture as our guide) and how we adjust to them. I deal with the mistakes of Cain elsewhere.
Doubtful worship
One of the most common mistakes Christians can make entertains doubt about God when we worship Him. The disciples gather to Jesus after His resurrection with mixed results:
When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.
(Matthew 28:17, NASB)
These men would become the witnesses to His resurrection, but some of them doubted it. Not sure what they were thinking but notice that Jesus doesn’t reject them. He works with our doubts (and the limits of our faith) as long as we remain open to Him. The Gospels document how each of the disciples goes through a process of shock, denial and acceptance. On resurrection Sunday, they think the women who come from the tomb are crazy. Eventually, they investigate for themselves. When Jesus confronts them, the begin to come around.
When we worship God, many Christians come to Him with their doubts, fears and struggles. They wonder whether God will accept them and help with their problems. I remember going through these cycles for decades until I discerned how to see God in each situation. I don’t doubt nearly as much about the hard times because I can see God working in my life.
Our worship may benefit from the kind of reflection that sees the big picture for each individual. God moves us from phase to phase while we pick up new skills and reasons to trust Him more.
Mistaken worship
Occasionally, our worship totally misses the mark like John:
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.”
(Revelation 22:8-9, NASB)
I can imagine John’s embarrassment at this moment. He is befuddled by everything he experiences during the visions and signs of the book of Revelation. He doesn’t realize that it’s an angel speaking to him at one point when he just falls down to worship.
The answer to this kind of mistake isn’t faith or trust. It’s just stop! Brush yourself off and focus on God for worship.
We can get caught up in the moment and find ourselves in love with a dynamic speaker or singer. Something about them just sweeps us off our feet and we find ourselves worshiping a fellow creature and servant of God.
One can tell the real Christians from the phony ones because the real believers come to their senses and correct their behavior. Also, one can discern the real servants of God from those in business for themselves because they direct worship to God rather than focus the spotlight on themselves. It’s a hard balance to stand in front of the congregation performing at one’s utmost while pointing to God.
Overlooked worship
Gideon makes the opposite mistake of John (in Revelation) by failing to worship God:
When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the Lord, he said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.” The Lord said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.” (Judges 6:22–23, NASB)
The “angel of the Lord” is an expression used in the Old Testament (especially early stories) that distinguishes angels from God (in angelic form). From the very beginning, believers in God realized that He was spirit and thus invisible to our eyes. When God desired to speak to us, He might come in a dream or vision, or He could utilize a physical manifestation (visible, audible and mechanical). God could send an angel in these cases who would appear (visible), speak (audible) and touch (mechanical).
When three men appear before Abraham (Genesis 18-19). Abraham sees them (visible), hears them (audible), and watches them eat (mechanical). Two of the men proceed to Sodom to find Lot. They pull Lot in the door to save him from the crowd gathered around his house (another example of a physical touch). These are angels – messengers from God, but not worthy of worship. Same as the angel in John’s account from Revelation.
However, Gideon (and Abraham) see the angel of the Lord. This is God taking an angelic form. He manifests physical traits just like the angels. The angel of the Lord touches Gideon’s meal offering with His staff. Gideon prepares the meal to test the manifestation’s reality (and mimics Abraham’s encounter with angels). When the angel of the Lord burns the meal rather than eat it, Gideon is surprised. His meal was a sacrificial offering, not a snack.
At this point in their encounter, Gideon realizes that this is no mere angel, but God Himself. Gideon worries that his respectful behavior was still insufficient decorum in the presence of the Lord God Almighty. He should have worshiped God and offered the correct sacrifice according to Mosaic Law (whatever that would be).
Notice, that God doesn’t require worship, but simple obedience to the instructions He gives to Gideon. Gideon could trust in God’s mercy to excuse any potential violation of protocol. God knows that we make mistakes.
When we innocently miss an opportunity to worship, don’t sweat it. He has angels to worship Him 7x24.
However, never ignore a chance to obey God. It’s not just a matter of sin vs. righteousness. God’s instructions produce freedom, victory, blessing and an experience of His power when we obey Him. That can lead to more genuine worship in the long run.