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  BEAUTIFUL ABOMINATIONS
  by Thomas Brooks
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Summary: Having the right motives and ends is crucial in pleasing God
and ensuring our services are not void.

Topics: "True Worship", "Intentions of the Heart"
Scripture References: Isaiah 1:13

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DESCRIPTION
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Thomas Brooks emphasizes that regardless of a person's outward religious
practices and fervent desires, if their intentions are misguided, their
actions are ultimately meaningless, described as 'beautiful
abominations.' He illustrates this by comparing the righteous acts of
David and Daniel with those of the Pharisees, who performed similar
duties but lacked the right motives. Brooks warns that without proper
aims, all efforts in prayer, fasting, and giving are futile and lead to
spiritual loss. The sermon serves as a call to examine the heart behind
our actions, stressing that God values the intent behind our service.

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CONTENT
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Let a man's profession be ever so glorious, let him be

ever so abundant in the performance of duties, let his

desires after this and that holy thing be ever so strong

--yet if his ends and aims are wrong, all his pretensions

and performances are but beautiful abominations.

Did David pray three times a day? So did the pharisees.

Did David and Daniel fast? So did the pharisees--and

that twice in the week. Did Cornelius give alms? So

did the pharisees. Did Abraham pay tithes? So did the

pharisees; they tithed their very mint and rue. But their

ends and aims being wrong--their time was lost, and

their pains were lost, and their duties were lost, and

their alms were lost, and their souls were lost--and

that forever. God writes a zero upon all those services

wherein men's ends are not right.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/thomas-brooks/beautiful-abominations/
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