Worship. It’s such a simple thing. But it has become anything but.
It’s a production. It’s a career. It’s a paycheck. It’s a song. It’s a feeling. Sometimes I wonder if Jesus is knocking on the door of our gatherings, waiting on the outskirts of our singing for us just to be…with Him.
But hold on a second. It’s too easy to write blog posts lamenting the state of modern worship. Anybody else tired of that?
It’s too easy to take cheap shots at artists and music industry executives.
The problem with blaming anybody for the state of modern worship is that it’s my fault. It’s our fault. Because worship is a responsibility.
But our worship culture has many idols. I have to be on guard every single day. I have to fight with everything inside of me to keep my heart fixed on what matters.
In the next few moments I want to bring to light some of these idols (which I’m sure you’re familiar with). Then we’ll talk about how to overcome them in a daily fight for the glory of God.
This isn’t so much about pointing the finger as much as it is shining a light upon our heart’s propensity to wander. We treasure that which is not treasure. We long for that which cannot fulfill.
The Bible tells us this:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46).
We’ll talk about the pearl in just a minute. But first, let’s identify the excuses for our distracted hearts.
8 Worship Culture Idols
Here are some idols I’m fighting:
1. Compliments – Isn’t it sad that our hearts can be more set on what people think of us rather than what God says? Compliments can become such an idol. We stress and we strive to get positive feedback from people. The more we get it, the more addicted we are. When we don’t get it, we’re completely derailed.
2. Excellence – Excellence is a good thing, right? Sure it is…in its proper context of serving people in their pursuit of God. But excellence can also be an idol when we strive for it because it makes us look good.
3. Fame – Of course, we don’t have to wrestle with the kinds of fame issues that Chris Tomlin deals with. But fame is fame nonetheless, whether it’s global or local. The local church isn’t our stage and its congregants our fan club. We lead worship to serve people and to make the name of Jesus known.
4. Approval – Oftentimes we can do what we do simply to please our leaders. There’s nothing wrong with having their approval. Most of the time that’s a good thing. But when we obsess over it at the expense of our hearts drawing near to Jesus with abandon, we are out of balance. Heaven’s approval is all you need to be a success.
5. Celebrities – We all have people we look up to. But when do we cross the line from worshiping God into worshiping Christian celebrity culture? Nobody talks about this issue better than my friend Malcolm DuPlessis. Make sure you listen to this podcast. You’re welcome.
6. Feelings – I love the feeling I get when a great band and a great singer perform my favorite song. But when I wake up on Monday morning with my disease and the deafening silence away from the crowds, I need to have something to say. That is where my worship is tested. Great songs are a soundtrack to a life of worship, not an end in themselves.
7. Creativity – I love new ideas. Innovation. Creativity. But I can love it so much that I see it as an end in itself and call it worship. Local church creativity needs to serve the gathered church in her pursuit of Jesus.
8. Myself – Sometimes I wonder if our corporate worship is about loving God or loving our own worship. It’s reflected in the songs we sing. I know I can at times be more focused and impressed with my own passion for God in worship than I am with God Himself.
How do we fight these idols?
The lure of idols decreases as we immerse ourselves in the glory of God.
The more we see of Him, the less everything else shines. The more we experience of Him, the more satisfied our hearts will be. The more of His goodness we meditate on, the less we’ll think about ourselves.
The more of His will we walk in, the less our hearts will wander.
I find it really hard to be impressed with myself when I see Him. Nothing else compares to the greatness, the beauty, the majesty of Jesus.
He is the pearl of great price. Nothing compares to this treasure.
See Him. Love Him. Make it your life’s aim and your daily todo.
So let’s talk this out, friends.
What would you add to this list of “idols”? What tends to draw your heart away from God?
Let’s talk about it in the comments. It’s just better that way. You can leave a comment by clicking here.
[ois skin=”Beyond Sunday 2″]
Hey David, thanks for this post! So often I find that idols come in the form of making penultimate things into ultimate things. Most of our idols are good things when they function as servants to the ultimate goal of glorifying God and building his church, but if they become the ultimate ends in themselves, they become idols.
I’d like to offer one alternative perspective on the parable of the merchant and the pearl. What if the merchant is God rather than a person? What if the kingdom of God is like Jesus giving his entire self for the pearl of his people?
Just another possible interpretation, but again, thanks so much for your post and your continued investment in the building up of worship leaders!
Dude, so well said. Penultimate into ultimate. Love that. And that’s a great perspective on the parable! We probably need to get some theologians over here to give us the true interpretation 🙂
This was a much needed!! I always need to be reminded of this and I think more people need to be reminded of these things as well. Thanks for writing this, David!
Awesome! Thanks Nikki.
David. All church leaders need to read your encouragements here. Thank you.
They reminds me of the spider web that persistently grows back after we broom it down.
“Contemporary” worship and “old time” alike spin their pestering webs by:
1-Creating an atmosphere of concert and performance as a preference.
2-Expecting human beings, Christian or not, to survive and thrive in this as a worship environment. (over and over)
These persistent spider/idols go away when the spider dies, not when we keep feeding it with our pseudo religious “experiences” carefully presented as “all for Jesus”.
Possible Solutions:
1-Do true concerts in which musicians and enthusiasts can freely perform and forget about calling it a “worship service”. Let it be what it is. It feels like the individual battling weight gain by attending weight loss classes at the local pastry shop. Atmosphere matters. Our classes work better when we put food in its rightful place as for the body and not body for the food.
2-Put the musicians off to the sides in public worship. If their starving, fragile egos show up, don’t be surprised, just begin teaching true Christ-like humility and discipleship and be kindly stubborn about it..
3-Put the music in it’s rightful place. Pastors, musicians and music leaders/directors are responsible for the subservient role of music in, to and for worship. It is out of control folks as long as leadership doesn’t believe this is a lasting principle.
4-Abandon the title of “Worship Leader”. This misgiving alone is responsible for the ego-person-centered leadership we endure. It is a false directive. We can lead the people of God to worship Him, but worship defies our “leadership” just as grace refuses our futile attempts at salvation through our best efforts.
Freedom to worship is when we put music in its rightful place as for man and not man for music. We are then free from music and musicians who don’t get it.
Our spider is of a stubborn and virile variety. The fight can end here but we have to get rid of more than the webs.
Ouch. This was excellent!
Thanks Deb! Hope it wasn’t too painful 😉
I know that as the lead guitarist at my church, the idol can be G.A.S., or gear acquisition syndrome. It’s a well know joke in the P&W forums, the ever ellusive tone. But it’s a real, and it can take over your bank account quickly. There are tons of toys and they’re shiny and they sound great. We want to sound our best, but it can get out of hand/idolized very easily.
It’s true.
This article has brought light into my heart.
So well said! Thank you for your posts!