It would stand to reason that those who worship a God of justice, righteousness, and mercy would practice these virtues. But that is not always the case with God’s people. True worship should not be inconsistent with the character of the One being worshiped.
In this lesson, we note that when God’s people turned to idol worship their concern for others was lost. We are encouraged to consider seriously the fact that worship of Jehovah includes a covenant relationship in which He works through His followers to demonstrate His values, among which are mercy and selfless service for the oppressed. We are reminded that religious sacrifice and routine, as well as heartless and meaningless offerings, are no substitute for mercy and justice toward those less fortunate. Furthermore, in studying the message in Isaiah 58, we learn that God defines the true fast as selfless service to “loose the chains of injustice,” feed the hungry, provide shelter to the homeless, and clothe the naked. He will not hear prayers that arise from self-centered worship. He will not approve of His people dragging self-centered worship into the Sabbath. Looking at His example, we become aware of Jesus’ ultimate concern that the worship of His followers will result in a passion for meeting the needs of others.
Teacher’s Aim:
Explore with your class the meaning of “worship integrity,” which suggests that our lives must match what we know in order to be true to God. Thus, we must worship in spirit and in truth.
Part II: Commentary
Illustration: Hurricane Irene struck the Caribbean and the East Coast of the United States with fury in late August 2011. After Irene left a path of destruction in the state of New Jersey, members of a nearby Seventh-day Adventist Church distributed relief goods for two days to the victims in their neighborhood. Who in your neighborhood needs your help? In the story of the good Samaritan, how does Jesus answer the question: Who is my neighbor (Luke 10:25–37)? It has been said that our neighbor is anyone in our sphere who needs our help. What can your church do to meet the needs of the people in your neighborhood? How does serving the needs of others help to deepen our worship experience with our Creator?
Scripture: In Pursuing the Passion of Jesus, Dwight Nelson explains that Isaiah 58 has two bookends: The Day of Atonement (judgment/ cleansing of the sanctuary) at the beginning of the chapter (Isa. 58:1) and the Sabbath at the end of the chapter (Isa. 58:13, 14).1
The Feast of Trumpets marked the beginning of 10 days of consecration and repentance before the Day of Atonement. Trumpets were blown on the first day of the seventh month in preparation of the Day of Atonement on the tenth day of the seventh month. (See Lev. 23:23–27.)
“My people” (God’s people) in Old Testament times and today embrace the judgment and the cleansing of the sanctuary.
The second bookend, the Sabbath, is another belief claimed by God’s people.2 God’s complaint is not about His people’s neglect of either of these important beliefs—the Sabbath or the Day of Atonement. Rather, He vehemently objects to their blatant neglect of what comes in between the two bookends—true “fasting” and showing mercy to the poor and oppressed.
As Isaiah lays out the characteristics of the true fast, two words summarize the issues covered in Isaiah 58: orthodoxy and orthopraxy. These terms can be defined as thus:
“Orthodoxy [Greek: orthos—right, and doxa—opinion] thus, ‘right-thinking’ or ‘right-believing’
“Orthopraxy [Greek: orthos—right, and praxis—acts] thus, ‘right practicing’ or ‘right behaving.’ ”3
Another way to define orthodoxy is knowing the truth, and orthopraxy is showing (living, practicing) the truth. Discuss this statement: “The passion of orthodoxy must be wedded to the compassion of orthopraxy.”4 Then discuss: Where are orthodoxy and orthopraxy shown, or not shown, in Isaiah 58?
Now read the end-time parable in Matthew 25, followed by this commentary on the story from The Desire of Ages:
“Thus Christ on the Mount of Olives pictured to His disciples the scene of the great judgment day. And He represented its decision as turning upon one point. When the nations are gathered before Him, there will be but two classes, and their eternal destiny will be determined by what they have done or have neglected to do for Him in the person of the poor and the suffering.”—Ellen G. White, p. 637, emphasis supplied.
How do believing and practicing the right doctrines relate to the final judgment in Matthew 25?
Scripture and Illustration: Read John 2:12–16, Matthew 21:12–17, and Isaiah 56:7. In Jesus’ time, the central place of the worship for God’s people had become a place of injustice.
We can use our church buildings and our Sabbath worship services in our churches to foster an atmosphere of hope and help for all people.
Discuss with your class how your worship service can promote hope and compassion. During the last 15 minutes of class time, ask your class members to begin planning a sample worship service that fosters biblical mercy and help for the poor and the oppressed. Below are some ideas to get them started:
Remember the oppressed in your prayers.
Read Scripture that focuses on biblical mercy and justice. There are more than two thousand verses from which to choose.
Plan a worship service with a mercy-and-justice theme; feature what your church is doing to meet the needs in the community.
Even the offering time can be focused on mercy and help. Collect special offerings for a specific social need that is spotlighted during some point in your service.
Analyze your church’s worship practices. Are they just? Are they meaningful to the poor? To the least? To all races? To young children and the elderly? To visitors from off the street? Are other cultures and languages included? Is there signing for the deaf? Ramps for wheelchairs? How does the sermon sound to the homeless, to the abused, the infirm and ailing, to children, or to someone with AIDS?
Later, discuss with your church leaders ways to regularly incorporate biblical mercy into your church’s worship services.
Evaluate your church. Is it a place of healing or oppression? How so? What can be done?
Illustration: If the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal is available, read with your class the words or sing hymn number 581, “When the Church of Jesus.”
Fred Pratt Green wrote this hymn at a time when the church was criticized for being overly concerned with its own life and failing to be engaged with the world around it.5
Discuss how your local church measures up to the challenge of this hymn.
Part III: Life Application
One church has posted a sign at the exit of its parking lot. As the worshipers leave the church lot into the community around the church, they pass this sign that reads: “Service Entrance.”
If our Sabbath “worship service” is true worship “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23, 24), we will leave the worship place ready to serve God in the way that He calls us in the world. True worship is “of the heart, rather than worship consisting essentially of ritual forms conducted at some particular place.”6 “In spirit and in truth” means “in all sincerity, with the highest faculties of the mind and emotions, applying the principles of truth to the heart.”7 If we have truly worshiped, we will not only be closer to our God but closer to the objects of His tender regard—those who are poor, needy, and suffering.8 “Come close to the great Heart of pitying love, and let the current of that divine compassion flow into your heart and from you to the hearts of others. Let the tenderness and mercy that Jesus has revealed in His own precious life be an example to us of the manner in which we should treat our fellow beings.”—Ellen G. White, Testimony Treasures, vol. 2, p. 255.
Read Amos 5:21–24, Amos 8:4–6, and Jeremiah 7:4–7. These texts show that church affiliation and attendance are not enough.
Ask: Each Sabbath, generally, where is your mind during and after worship? Where is the attention and affection of your mind and heart directed during the remaining Sabbath hours? Discuss intentional ways to convert Sabbath worship into service during the remainder of the week.
1 Dwight K. Nelson, Pursuing the Passion of Jesus (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press®, 2005), pp. 18, 19.
2 Nelson, Pursuing the Passion of Jesus, pp. 18, 19.
3 Nelson, Pursuing the Passion of Jesus, p. 20.
4 Nelson, Pursuing the Passion of Jesus, p. 29.
5 Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White, Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald®, 1988), p. 543.
6 Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5 (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald®, 1956), p. 940.
7 Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 940
8 Dwight K. Nelson, Pursuing the Passion of Jesus (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press®, 2005), p. 86
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It would stand to reason that those who worship a God of justice, righteousness, and mercy would practice these virtues. But that is not always the case with God’s people. True worship should not be inconsistent with the character of the One being worshiped.
In this lesson, we note that when God’s people turned to idol worship their concern for others was lost. We are encouraged to consider seriously the fact that worship of Jehovah includes a covenant relationship in which He works through His followers to demonstrate His values, among which are mercy and selfless service for the oppressed. We are reminded that religious sacrifice and routine, as well as heartless and meaningless offerings, are no substitute for mercy and justice toward those less fortunate. Furthermore, in studying the message in Isaiah 58, we learn that God defines the true fast as selfless service to “loose the chains of injustice,” feed the hungry, provide shelter to the homeless, and clothe the naked. He will not hear prayers that arise from self-centered worship. He will not approve of His people dragging self-centered worship into the Sabbath. Looking at His example, we become aware of Jesus’ ultimate concern that the worship of His followers will result in a passion for meeting the needs of others.
Teacher’s Aim:
Explore with your class the meaning of “worship integrity,” which suggests that our lives must match what we know in order to be true to God. Thus, we must worship in spirit and in truth.
Part II: Commentary
Illustration: Hurricane Irene struck the Caribbean and the East Coast of the United States with fury in late August 2011. After Irene left a path of destruction in the state of New Jersey, members of a nearby Seventh-day Adventist Church distributed relief goods for two days to the victims in their neighborhood. Who in your neighborhood needs your help? In the story of the good Samaritan, how does Jesus answer the question: Who is my neighbor (Luke 10:25–37)? It has been said that our neighbor is anyone in our sphere who needs our help. What can your church do to meet the needs of the people in your neighborhood? How does serving the needs of others help to deepen our worship experience with our Creator?
Scripture: In Pursuing the Passion of Jesus, Dwight Nelson explains that Isaiah 58 has two bookends: The Day of Atonement (judgment/ cleansing of the sanctuary) at the beginning of the chapter (Isa. 58:1) and the Sabbath at the end of the chapter (Isa. 58:13, 14).1
The Feast of Trumpets marked the beginning of 10 days of consecration and repentance before the Day of Atonement. Trumpets were blown on the first day of the seventh month in preparation of the Day of Atonement on the tenth day of the seventh month. (See Lev. 23:23–27.)
“My people” (God’s people) in Old Testament times and today embrace the judgment and the cleansing of the sanctuary.
The second bookend, the Sabbath, is another belief claimed by God’s people.2 God’s complaint is not about His people’s neglect of either of these important beliefs—the Sabbath or the Day of Atonement. Rather, He vehemently objects to their blatant neglect of what comes in between the two bookends—true “fasting” and showing mercy to the poor and oppressed.
As Isaiah lays out the characteristics of the true fast, two words summarize the issues covered in Isaiah 58: orthodoxy and orthopraxy. These terms can be defined as thus:
Another way to define orthodoxy is knowing the truth, and orthopraxy is showing (living, practicing) the truth. Discuss this statement: “The passion of orthodoxy must be wedded to the compassion of orthopraxy.”4 Then discuss: Where are orthodoxy and orthopraxy shown, or not shown, in Isaiah 58?
Now read the end-time parable in Matthew 25, followed by this commentary on the story from The Desire of Ages:
“Thus Christ on the Mount of Olives pictured to His disciples the scene of the great judgment day. And He represented its decision as turning upon one point. When the nations are gathered before Him, there will be but two classes, and their eternal destiny will be determined by what they have done or have neglected to do for Him in the person of the poor and the suffering.”—Ellen G. White, p. 637, emphasis supplied.
How do believing and practicing the right doctrines relate to the final judgment in Matthew 25?
Scripture and Illustration: Read John 2:12–16, Matthew 21:12–17, and Isaiah 56:7. In Jesus’ time, the central place of the worship for God’s people had become a place of injustice.
We can use our church buildings and our Sabbath worship services in our churches to foster an atmosphere of hope and help for all people.
Discuss with your class how your worship service can promote hope and compassion. During the last 15 minutes of class time, ask your class members to begin planning a sample worship service that fosters biblical mercy and help for the poor and the oppressed. Below are some ideas to get them started:
Evaluate your church. Is it a place of healing or oppression? How so? What can be done?
Illustration: If the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal is available, read with your class the words or sing hymn number 581, “When the Church of Jesus.”
Fred Pratt Green wrote this hymn at a time when the church was criticized for being overly concerned with its own life and failing to be engaged with the world around it.5
Discuss how your local church measures up to the challenge of this hymn.
Part III: Life Application
One church has posted a sign at the exit of its parking lot. As the worshipers leave the church lot into the community around the church, they pass this sign that reads: “Service Entrance.”
If our Sabbath “worship service” is true worship “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23, 24), we will leave the worship place ready to serve God in the way that He calls us in the world. True worship is “of the heart, rather than worship consisting essentially of ritual forms conducted at some particular place.”6 “In spirit and in truth” means “in all sincerity, with the highest faculties of the mind and emotions, applying the principles of truth to the heart.”7 If we have truly worshiped, we will not only be closer to our God but closer to the objects of His tender regard—those who are poor, needy, and suffering.8 “Come close to the great Heart of pitying love, and let the current of that divine compassion flow into your heart and from you to the hearts of others. Let the tenderness and mercy that Jesus has revealed in His own precious life be an example to us of the manner in which we should treat our fellow beings.”—Ellen G. White, Testimony Treasures, vol. 2, p. 255.
Read Amos 5:21–24, Amos 8:4–6, and Jeremiah 7:4–7. These texts show that church affiliation and attendance are not enough.
Ask: Each Sabbath, generally, where is your mind during and after worship? Where is the attention and affection of your mind and heart directed during the remaining Sabbath hours? Discuss intentional ways to convert Sabbath worship into service during the remainder of the week.
1 Dwight K. Nelson, Pursuing the Passion of Jesus (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press®, 2005), pp. 18, 19.
2 Nelson, Pursuing the Passion of Jesus, pp. 18, 19.
3 Nelson, Pursuing the Passion of Jesus, p. 20.
4 Nelson, Pursuing the Passion of Jesus, p. 29.
5 Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White, Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal (Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald®, 1988), p. 543.
6 Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5 (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald®, 1956), p. 940.
7 Nichol, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 940
8 Dwight K. Nelson, Pursuing the Passion of Jesus (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press®, 2005), p. 86