Heb 13:16 “And do not neglect~| to do good and to share what you have, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.”
The psalmist said, “I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name” (Psa 138:2NKJ).
It is wonderful to exalt His name in praise, but He wants His word exalted in serious obedience, even above His name!
The writer of Hebrews had just described the beauty of praise, saying, “Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name” (13:15NKJ). The psalmist wrote, “I will praise You, O LORD, among the peoples, And I will sing praises to You among the nations” (Psa 108:3NKJ).
Paul said that one of the purposes of a transformed life is the capacity to generate more income than before coming to Christ, so that giving generously becomes a goal: “The one who steals must steal no longer; rather he must labor, doing good with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with the one who has need” (Eph 4:28).
The main reason God will help someone prosper is to make him a source of giving or an example of sacrifice in order to help the rest of the body of Christ.
Just as Jesus’s life of praise to the Father would have meant little to the world were it not for His sacrifice on the cross, so our vocal praise will mean little to God or to the world unless we sacrifice ourselves to benefit others.
It was unimaginable that a Jewish worshiper in the Old Testament times would come to the temple without offering a grateful sacrifice to God for His blessings and presence. This principle carries over into the New Testament with this call to generously sacrifice and share whatever God has given to you.
The command to “stop neglecting” literally implies the readers had neglected this phase in their worship style.
Worship is not music; it is sacrifice! David refused to “offer burnt offerings to the LORD [his] God with that which costs [him] nothing” (2 Sam 24:24). Empty worship is mere words or songs without sacrifice, but genuine worship is sung from a cross . . . your cross!
“Lord Jesus, keep me alert today to the needs of those around me. With every contact, make me curious to how each person might be helped. May my devotion to others seem as a sweet savor to You.”