Why Empty-Handed Worship Is Not Real Service to God

It was the only time a teacher paddled me. I was in first grade. I had either taken my reading book home and forgotten to bring it back to school, or I had lost it. I don’t remember which. I didn’t have it as I sat at my desk that day.

The teacher called on another student to read, but he didn’t have his reading book. She paddled him. Then she called on me. Can you smell the fear? She had to treat me as she had treated him. Because I sat at my desk empty-handed, I paid the price for it.

I read in my devotions that the LORD said, “No one is to appear before me empty-handed” (Exodus 34:20 NIV). The context was the necessity to redeem the firstborn because the firstborn belonged to God. The Israelites were not to neglect to give God what they owed Him. Neither are we.

In Deuteronomy 16:16-17, we see the same warning. God required the men of Israel to appear before Him at the Festivals of Unleavened Bread, Weeks, and Tabernacles. He insisted that they bring a gift in proportion to how much He had blessed them. Appearing before Him empty-handed wasn’t an option. It reeked of ingratitude. So does professing to be Christians while living for ourselves.

Mark recorded the parable of the tenants that Jesus had told (Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19). The gist of the story is that a man had rented a vineyard to some farmers and sent a servant to collect some of the vineyard’s fruit.

The tenants mistreated the servant and sent him away empty-handed. The owner sent many others to collect what they owed him, but the tenants beat or killed all of them.

The owner finally sent his son, expecting the tenants to respect him. They didn’t. They killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. The owner in the parable represented God, the prophets were the servants, Jesus was the son, and the leaders of Israel were the tenants.

The religious leaders of Israel knew Jesus had spoken the parable against them. They were the ungrateful, uncooperative tenants who didn’t respect the son. They were unfaithful stewards who hadn’t given God what they owed Him. God would turn to others who wouldn’t come to Him empty-handed.

John 15 explains that Jesus’ followers owe the Father much fruit. “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:8 NIV). Loving one another was part of the fruit He expected, revealing that they followed Jesus (v. 17).

Jesus didn’t appear before the Father empty-handed. He presented Himself as the atoning sacrifice for human sin. Following Him means denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily (Luke 9:23).

The Apostle Peter wrote that Jesus’ sacrifice redeemed His followers from the empty way of life their ancestors handed down to them (1 Peter 1:18). Jesus died for us to transform the empty way of living for self into the fruitful life of living for Him (2 Corinthians 5:15). Since we call on a Father who judges everyone impartially, we are to live in reverent fear (1 Peter 5:17).

The parable of the talents teaches that God expects a return on His investment in us (Matthew 25:14-30). Let’s not appear before God empty-handed, but let’s use the resources He has given us to glorify our Father in Heaven. See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians.  #discipleshipresources #evangelismresources #christianleadershipresources 

See free spiritual growth resources for Christians at https://www.christiangrowthresources.com

God has empowered me to write His Power for Your Weakness—260 Steps Toward Spiritual Strength. It’s a free, evangelistic, devotional, and discipleship e-book. Pastors have used it in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia to lead 6,090 people to Christ and teach the basics of Christianity to 15,150 people. I invite you to explore and use it in your setting.  

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