Many years ago I remember Frank Sinatra singing a very popular song titled, “I did it my way.” Unfortunately, many in our religious world today worship God “my way.” The purpose of doing it “my way” is so everyone can have the worship they want and enjoy and not what God has authorized or is acceptable. This is selfish rebelliousness. Doing it “my way” includes much which God has not approved and for which He is not pleased. Even in the generation following Adam and Eve, Cain offered to God “my way” of worshipping God. In other words, Cain offered to God worship that pleased himself instead of God. Cain’s worship was his way for his time period. “Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell” (Gen. 4:3-5). Why did the Lord have respect for Abel’s worship, but not for Cain’s? “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous” (Heb. 11:4). How did Abel offer his sacrifice by faith when Cain didn’t? “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Since Abel offered his worship by faith, that is, by the word of God, his worship was accepted. Cain’s worship was rejected since it was not according to God’s word. God has always dictated to man how He is to be worshiped. The idea that worship can be changed to suit each generation is outrageous. In every generation, worship must always be what God has approved in His word. “It is not man that walks to direct his own steps” (Jer. 10:23). Worshiping God man’s way includes: baby dedications, fellowshipping denominations, women leading worship, clapping of hands, waving of arms in the air, swaying from side to side while standing, praise teams, also women in the praise teams taking part in the leading, drama groups, singing groups, mechanical instruments of music, burning candles and incense, etc. Besides all this entertainment during worship, gymnasiums are sometimes added for everyone’s recreation and enjoyment after worship is over. Where is God’s authority for all of this? “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col. 3:17). To do “all in the name of the Lord Jesus” is to do everything by His authority. There is no authority from the Lord for man to worship Him man’s way.

Man’s way of worship is based on what is popular and pleases people at the time and not on what God has authorized in the Bible. The various things done during this type of worship usually have their start in denominations and the congregations of the Lord’s blood bought church “copy cat” them, just as Israel wanted to be “like all those nations” around them (1 Sam. 8:5). Man’s way of worship will usually change when something else new comes along. It is designed to please men rather than God. Paul asks the question, “do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10).

If we want to be true worshipers of God, our worship must be in spirit and in truth. Jesus said, “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. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:23-24). It doesn’t say “God is a Spirit and we can worship Him any way we want.” To do so seems to have the attitude that people don’t seem to care if God is worshiped in spirit and in truth or not. “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (Rom. 10:3). To worship God “my way” is a “feel good” worship mainly concerned with what me, myself and I want, and not what God has authorized.

Man does want what seems right to him, just as Israel’s day when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6). When people engage in worship, which God has not authorized, their worship is vain. Jesus said, “And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mk. 7:7). To worship “man’s way” is to worship God in vain because it is after the doctrines of men and not from God. It is another tool of Satan designed to cause people to lose their soul.