What kind of worship and service pleases God? Are good intentions enough? Is sincerity all that God is looking for? Many people in society today mistake sincerity for reality. Many believe that if you are sincere, it doesn’t matter what you believe or how you behave. And although many people [even professing Christians] have bought into this type of thinking, the reality is that you can be sincere and be sincerely wrong at the same time. And we must be on guard against the idea that “sincerity alone” is all that matters in service and worship to God. Sincerity is vitally important only when it is connected with obedience to God’s Word.
When one reads 1 Chronicles 13, it becomes apparent that God is concerned with more than sincerity alone. This passage tells us that David had a sincere desire to bring the Ark of the Covenant from a town called Kirjath-jearim back to the city of Jerusalem. David had a desire to reestablish the worship of God in the city of Jerusalem. This was a good desire that David had. However, when David went to fetch the Ark of the Covenant, the Bible says that “…they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab…” (1 Chron. 13:7). What’s the problem? David’s desire was good and his actions were sincere. That is unmistakable! Was David sincere? Yes. Was he obedient? No. God had specifically told the Israelites that the ark was to be carried only on the shoulders of the priests.
Later in the passage, we find that as the Ark was being transported “…Uzza put forth his hand to the ark; for the oxen stumbled” (1 Chronicles 13:9). The oxen stumbled that were pulling the Ark and the Bible says that Uzza reached out his hand to steady the Ark. What’s the problem? Surely Uzza was sincere when he reached out his hand to steady the ark. Was Uzza sincere? Yes. Was he obedient? No. This act was strictly forbidden by God. No human hands were allowed to touch the Ark. Numbers 4:15 says, “…they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die.” Uzza made a split-second decision to disregard God’s clear command in favor of what seemed right to him and the Bible states that God became angry with him and “…smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God” (1 Chronicles 13:10b). We are reminded here that good intentions do not justify disobedience to God’s clear commandments in His Word.
God was not pleased with the ‘sincere’ worship and good intentions of the Israelites. God was pleased, however, when the Israelites offered up worship and service in both sincerity and obedience to God’s Word. Sincerity in worship or service must never be divorced from obedience to God’s Word. Sincerity and obedience to God’s Word must always be married together.
This passage reminds us that in our worship and service to God, good intentions and sincerity are not enough! Sincerity and obedience to God’s Word are vital for true worship! In John 4:24, Jesus made this clear- “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” God is to be worshipped ‘in spirit’ [sincerely] and ‘in truth’ [Scripturally]. God desires more than sincerity. God desires Scriptural worship and service. He desires His work to be done in His way! The worship of God must be from the sincerity of our hearts and according to the sufficient Word of God.
