10月20日

標　　題：預備敬拜

經　　節：祂必坐下如煉淨銀子的，必潔淨利未人，熬煉他們像金銀一樣；他們就憑公義獻供物給耶和華。（瑪拉基書三章3節）

敬拜的質量不是基於活動的本身，而是基於敬拜者的品格。教會可能誤以為：音樂愈好、教會建築愈宏偉、講道愈感動人心、敬拜經驗愈豐富，就有愈好的敬拜。但事實上，真誠的敬拜是由心靈生出的。如果與神的關係不健康，我們所做的事不過是宗教虛飾的外表。

利未人是當代帶領敬拜的領袖，他們的任務是為百姓獻上祭品。神過去曾經宣告他們要以公義獻祭。祂首先要以祂的火煉淨他們，潔淨他們的罪污。就算是教會全職事奉人員、負責教會聖工、並且參加敬拜儀式，都不能保證這些宗教的行為能夠被神所悅納。

我們現在的傾向是著重於一些外在的事，來加強我們的敬拜。然而，敬拜真正的質量是基於敬拜的一群人。如果不肯讓神先來潔淨我們，我們的敬拜不會擁有祂的同在。如果沒有一顆清潔的心，我們所獻上的奉獻不會被神所悅納。參加宗教性的崇拜，並不能保證我們與神相遇。

如果你不滿足敬拜的質量，不要馬上責怪環境，要先查看自己的心。允許神煉淨你的心，直到討神的喜悅為止。如此一來，你將能自由地敬拜祂，這是神本來要給予你的。

Prepared for Worship

He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness. (Malachi 3:3)

The quality of our worship is not based on our activities but on our character. Churches can mistakenly assume that the better the music, the more impressive the building, and the more eloquent the preaching, the more worshipful the experience will be. Genuine worship, however, originates from within our hearts. If our relationship with God is not healthy, all these things are nothing more than religious pageantry.

The Levites were the worship leaders of their day. Their task was to offer sacrifices on behalf of the people. God declared that before they could worship Him in righteousness, He would first refine them with His refiner’s fire, purging them of any impurities. Merely being members of the religious profession, having official responsibilities in the temple, and going through the rituals of worship, did not guarantee that their religious activities would be acceptable to holy God.

Today, we tend to look to external things to enhance our worship. The true quality of our worship, however, rests within us. If we have not allowed God to purify us first, our worship will be void of His presence. If we do not have a pure heart, we may give offerings, but they will be unacceptable to God. Attending a religious service will not automatically ensure an encounter with God.

If you are not satisfied with the quality of your worship, don’t be too quick to blame your environment. Look first to your own heart. Allow God to refine your heart until it is pleasing to Him, and you will be free to worship God as He intends.