Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
In this passage of scripture Christ is showing the superfluity of an abundance of praise, while the plain commandments of God are being trampled upon, or deliberately disregarded. When the teachings and traditions of men are made to usurp the true worship as ordained in the Bible, and when for convenience, popularity, or monetary gain, the worship of God is substituted with man-made inventions and preferences, then it becomes vain and empty, thus making it unacceptable with God.
Jesus goes on to show what kind of worship is ordained by God, so that we may have clarity on the matter. Let's read:
John 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
In spirit and in truth means in sincerity and according to the truths written in the scriptures. This is what king Saul failed to do when he was given a specific command of God to eradicate the Amalekites. After sparing the king of that nation, together with the best of the sheep and oxen that were slated for destruction, he then came to Samuel with the claim that he had saved the cattle in order to worship with sacrifices unto the Lord. Let's read:
1st Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. 15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.
This feeble excuse for his blatant disobedience drew a strong response from the prophet, who understood clearly how a meaningful relationship with God works. When God gives us a plain command and we deliberately disregard it, then any worship that is embarked upon remains unacceptable until the error is corrected. If we insist on pursuing a wrong course of action while claiming to worship God, then our praises become flattery and is rejected until compliance with God's commands are made. This sacred truth, with the baleful results which accrue when it is disregarded, is what Samuel proceeded to explain to Saul. Let's read:
1st Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
In our day there are many forms of worship that have sprung up in modern Christianity, which The Lord neither recognizes or accepts, for they are in direct contradiction to what he has made very plain. In addition to adopting Sunday as a holy day of rest, some Christians now worship with serpents, with disco music, with speaking in tongues, and a host of other practices and traditions for which there is no scriptural authority, yet many erroneously believe that they are enjoying the favor of God, when in reality, His displeasure rests upon such activities.
As Christians we must always be certain to have scriptural authorization for everything we do, while being careful not to impose our own ideas, philosophies, and cultural preferences instead of what God has commanded. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which calls us back to the worship of the true God, and if in sincerity and truth we seek to honor Him, He also will honor and accept us, for the relationship with God sits squarely on the model that regards Him as Sovereign Lord, and we as His creatures, to do His bidding however and whenever He stipulates. Let's read:
Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: 21 Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
May God add His blessing to the study and doing of His word. "Good night" and God bless!