extravagant worship

"By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks." - Hebrews 11:4

The faith of Abel was the faith to offer an acceptable sacrifice. An acceptable sacrifice. Clearly that means there can be an unacceptable sacrifice. I have a theory. Maybe it isn't so much what Abel brought, but the condition of his heart when he brought it that made his an acceptable sacrifice. 

“Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me" - Isaiah 29:13 

It wasn't the Israelites lack of sacrifices that made God mad at them. It was their lack of acceptable sacrifices that upset Him. The were good at making sacrifices. They weren't as good at letting their hearts grow near to God and sacrificing out of that intimacy and closeness. 

"For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." - Hosea 6:6

God wants our hearts more than our sacrifices. However, I have found that when the heart draws near to God, when there is a depth of intimacy and relationship there, that not only does God ask us to sacrifice things to Him, but we desire to make an acceptable sacrifice to Him. 

An acceptable sacrifice. Perhaps this phrase could also mean an extravagant act of worship. Sacrifices were always part of worshiping God, so wouldn't making an acceptable sacrifice before God also be lavishing Him with worship.

"Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.” - Matthew 26:6-13

Sometimes people look at our worship and say why this waste?! But God looks at the heart. He sees the heart of the sacrifice, the heart of the worship, and He honors those who make acceptable sacrifices. To make an acceptable sacrifice, to worship Him extravagantly will always cost you something. It may just be the expense of the item. It may be the ridicule you will receive because of your act. It may be the jealousy of the one who didn't offer an acceptable sacrifice. To worship God is costly, but the reward is so much greater.

The reward for making costly sacrifice, for having extravagant worship, is growing in faith. It gives deeper faith, greater trust, and a more sensitive and tender heart. Sacrifice done rightly with the correct attitude of the heart will usher you into a deeper relationship with God, and that always makes the sacrifice worth it.