Yes, God is critical of worship.

Amos 5:21 opens with a strong comment: “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies” (ESV). God hated their worship. They offered Him all the burnt, grain, and peace offerings, played the songs, and struck the harps, but God was repulsed. The context makes it clear why, they were unfaithful in their devotion to Him, and in some ways, they had never been faithful. 

He accused them of carrying false gods to serve even as far back as the wilderness wandering (Amos 5:25-27). This is the great injustice that was done, that they did not honor God as God, nor did they serve Him as He deserved (cf. Rom. 1:21-23). 

We don’t think of worship and justice as complimenting one another, but the Bible would argue that they do. To worship God is to practice what is just or right. Thus, empty or perverted worship is an injustice, a violation of what is just.

We can corrupt and pervert the simplicity of worship to such a degree that our worship becomes despised in God’s sight, the Subject of our worship. 

God doesn’t want empty songs and rote worship from His subjects, He wants what is just and right, God-honoring, God-prescribed worship. Such honors Him and rejoices in His awe-inspiring nature. 

Are we critical of our worship before our holy God? I’m not encouraging that we become critical of those who lead us, at least not personally. However, we should gauge our worship individually as a participant and collectively as a congregation, to see if what we are doing is the best we can do. 

NOT: “He leads the longest prayers in the history of prayers.” 

INSTEAD: “Did I give God my best?” “Did I sing with fervency?” “Did I listen and think of ways to apply the sermon?” “Did I focus during the prayers, and refuse to get distracted?”

There is a time and a place to investigate our collective activity, but it starts with me and my heart first. From there, I should ask, “What can be done to glorify God in the best way?” 

God is critical of worship. Are we?