I recently saw a couple (husband and wife, I presume) wearing red tee-shirts on the backs of which was boldly printed - “The church for people who don’t like to go to church.” I can’t begin to tell you the shudder that ran through me when I read those words.
The “seeker friendly movement” has gone beyond viral and, sadly to say, is now alive and well in nearly every city and town across this country. “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” - Exodus 3:5.
There are three things that every professing Christian MUST acknowledge or their faith is merely lip service (1) God is the holy of holies; (2) Men, by our very nature, are debased sinners; and (3) because we are sinners, we must approach God with reverent, contrite, and humble spirits. “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” - John 4:23-24. With this in mind, we can see that it is not enough that we worship God - the way we worship Him must meet the standards that God Himself has set forth for us - “Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” - Psalm 29:2.
Dr. John MacArthur once wrote, “The worst extremes usually start with a slight deviation.” Why not bring in a little extra musical flavor? Maybe a clavinet, a Moog synthesizer, or a drum machine. A little hooting and hollering couldn’t hurt; after all, we’re doing it for Jesus!
The reason for such irreverent additions to modern evangelical services has but one source: the desire by these charlatans claiming to be preachers to add numbers ($$$) to their congregations. Remember, they are out to recruit people who don’t like to go to church. Make the service entertaining enough and the problem is solved.
What these “pastors” have either forgotten or never knew is that a church is the house of God! What goes on there is a reflection of our response to His holiness - “Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.’ And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!’” - Genesis 28:16-17. Fear and awe describe Jacob’s realization. Once he realized that the Lord is in this place and this place is God’s house he was filled with the proper reverence, respect, and humility!
Where is the humility that demands of us - “Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” - Psalm 95:6. Have we forgotten the admonition of Paul so soon? Have we abandoned that which God seeks? “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” - Romans 12:2.
Reverent worship isn’t something begun by John Calvin despite his warning that “God disapproves all modes of worship not expressly sanctioned by His word.” But how do we know that God prefers one form of worship over another? Genesis 4:4-5 explicitly defines God’s preference as does His holy word - “You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord.” - Leviticus 19:30.
Are we going to church to be entertained or are we attending services with humble repentance in our hearts to worship the holy God of our faith? “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” - Hebrews 12:28-29.
If finding a church that uses contemporary “new and improved” praise music is at the top of our list for choosing a place of worship, finding a church isn’t our biggest problem. Proper worship of God is a doctrine that cannot be ignored or placed on a back-burner. If our doctrine of worship is wrong, where else have we missed the mark? God has made it clear - “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” - John 4:23-24. True reverent worship cannot, must not, be replaced by clanging cymbals and scorching guitar riffs. We must be mindful of God’s profound and holy desires and His sovereign commands - “Take away from Me the noise of your songs, for I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.” - Amos 5:23
May the way we worship our heavenly Father always reflect the spirit and truth with humility and reverence for His holy house.
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