Jude,
who was the half-brother of Jesus, warned us about three ways that worship can
be corrupted. He wrote, “Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have
rushed headlong into the error of Balaam,
and perished in the rebellion of Korah”
(Jude 11).
1. The Way of Cain
(Worshiping apathetically) Cain was the
first religionist and didn’t understand how to worship God correctly. Cain went
through the motions of worship but didn’t have true faith in God (Heb. 11:4).
He didn’t live righteously like Abel but was evil in his behavior. First John
3:12 says, “…Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his
brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil,
and his brother’s were righteous.” Cain
represents the person who regularly attends church and goes through the motions
of worship, but his heart isn’t right with God and lives an unholy life.
2. The Error of Balaam
(Misusing authority for financial gain) Balaam
was a prophet who tried to use his prophetic gift for personal financial gain. He
compromised his integrity because he “loved the wages of unrighteousness” (2
Peter 2:15). Balaam was so despicable to God that he is mentioned in eight
different books of the Bible (Numbers 22, Deut. 23:4-5, Josh. 24:9-10, Neh.
13:2, Mic. 6:5, 2 Pet. 2:15, Jude 1:11, Rev. 2:14). Balaam represents deceptive pastors, evangelists, and ministers who use
their positions of authority to manipulate their congregations to gain personal
wealth. God will expose their motives on the Day of Judgment.
3. The Rebellion
of Korah (Usurping godly authority) Korah
led a rebellion against God’s leader Moses, who was the most humble man on the
face of the earth (Numbers 12:3). He wanted to overthrow Moses as leader
because he refused to submit to godly authority (Numbers 16). Korah represents rebellious church members
who try to overthrow godly pastors and force them out of the church. This
is a very serious sin and will bring harsh punishment from God.
Make
sure that you stay away from these three traps and worship God in Spirit and
truth (John 4:24). www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com
www.makinglifecount.net (Over
200 printable Bible studies and sermons)
Making Life Count Ministries
P.O. Box 680174
Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174
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discipleship ministry.
Contributions to Making Life Count Ministries are tax-deductible.
Contributions to Making Life Count Ministries are tax-deductible.
