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Worship Not Entertainment
“But everything that is done must strengthen all
of you” (1 Cor. 14:26).
Obviously, countless people attend church for social interaction more
than they come to seek God. Rather than spend
time duly in prayer, they would rather assemble
over a cup of coffee and a pastry, hearing all of
the local town gossip or catching up with their
friends concerning a fabulous fishing trip or
spectacular sporting event. While many people
engross themselves in their own festivities and
affairs, God is not looking for the next great
event planner or social butterfly. He is looking
for people who will worship Him in spirit and in
truth. Jesus said, “‘A time is coming and has now
come when the true worshipers will worship the
Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are
the kind of worshipers the Father seeks’” (John
4:23 NIV). This verse is not speaking of ancient
biblical times, but it is speaking of the here
and now. When we worship in spirit and in truth,
God will seek us. He is seeking sincere
worshipers this very moment.
Through the years, many different people have
called, texted, or emailed me. Others have
stopped me in the grocery store or visited my
place of work. Some have even traveled to our
home for food and fellowship after receiving an
invitation from my family. While I appreciate all
of the relatives, friends, and acquaintances whom
God has blessed me with, there is no one I would
rather hear from than my Father in Heaven. My
primary purpose in life is to please the Lord in
all I do. As Psalm 19:14 says, I pray the words
of my mouth and the meditations of my heart will
always be pleasing to the Lord. When I ponder the
fact that God will seek me when I worship Him, my
heart is overwhelmed with a special kind of joy
that mere words cannot fully explain. I could not
imagine refraining from worshiping my Lord and
Savior, for nothing else satisfies my soul like
praising His excellent name.
I can only vaguely recall the first time I ever raised my hands in
worship as a young child. Yet, even though I have
worshiped the Lord countless times since, each
time is special, like a precious gift bestowed
upon me. The privilege of worshiping the One who
loves me more than I could ever imagine holds a
greater value than the rarest jewels a person
could find. One of my most beloved experiences in
life is to stand in a sanctuary filled with
thousands of other Christians, calling on the
name above every name, Jesus Christ. When we join
our hearts in one accord, it seems as though God
blesses us with a miniscule preview of what
Heaven will be like.
In recent times, I was especially pleased when a friend sent me a
message. She said she and her family would love
to have the opportunity to worship with my dad
and me when we visited her church. Her focus was
not on increasing church membership nor was it
centered on the possibility of all of us having
the chance to catch up over dinner after the
service. Instead, she understood the purpose of
going to church. Psalm 26:8 says, “I
love your sanctuary, Lord,
the place where
your glorious presence dwells.” Notice this verse
does not say the place where people socialize or
the place where people go to fulfill their weekly
duty. David wrote about the Lord’s “glorious
presence.” How many churchgoers today would tell
you they go to church because the Lord’s presence
dwells there? Although there would be some, I am
afraid the numbers would be few.
When I enter the doors of a church sanctuary, I
want the presence of the Lord to overwhelm me to
the point where everything and everyone else
around me takes a backseat to worshiping the
Lord. Several months ago, I was standing near the
front of a church sanctuary, waiting for the
service to begin. Playing softly in the
background was the song, “Psalm 23 (Surely
Goodness, Surely Mercy),” written by Shane
Barnard and Shane Everett. My mind was completely
in tune with the lyrics of the song. I was so
focused on the beautiful melody and inspiring
message found within this song that I did not
even notice a dear friend of ours walking up to
me. Once they were directly in front of me, I
finally noticed them. While it was a true
pleasure to speak to them, I love the way I was
not looking for people, but I was searching for
God. How special it was to be so lost in His
presence that I temporarily lost track of what
was going on around me. Like King David, I love
the place where God dwells. The joy and peace in
my heart was so very great. All because I allowed
the Holy Spirit to work in my heart and mind, and
usher me into the sweet presence of the Almighty.
Worship is such an extraordinary part of my life, so I cannot truly grasp
the reasons why some people would not want to
commune with our Creator. God made us in His
image (Gen. 1:27), yet some people have no desire
even to talk to Him much less give Him glory,
honor, and praise. It saddens my heart to know
that many people miss such a tremendous blessing.
Unfortunately, many churches are straying from
worship the way it used to be. Even as a child, I
can recall church services where the praise and
worship music lasted far beyond a few hymns or
choruses. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit would move
in our midst, and praises to our Heavenly Father
could continue to the end of the service. Now,
the praise and worship segment of a service may
range from nearly non-existent to something akin
to a rock concert complete with elaborate
lighting and fog machines. While many of the
contemporary songs beautifully bring honor to
God, there surely must be room for more than one
era of worship music. It disappoints me when I
visit churches where they no longer sing some of
the familiar songs I grew up with, such as “Glory
to His Name,” “I Love You, Lord,” and “What a
Friend We Have in Jesus.” Nevertheless, things
are not as they used to be, considering the fact
that true worship is often an afterthought in
many church services today, and memorable
melodies and theologically sound lyrics are being
replaced by repetitious lyrics, generic melodies,
and millennial whoops.
Even though his circumstances were different than my own, I echo the
words of the psalmist David who wrote,
“My heart is breaking as I
remember how it used to be: I walked among the
crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing
for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a
great celebration!” (Ps. 42:4). The entire event
known as “going to church” has drastically
changed, even in the last couple of decades.
Instead of church being seen as a way to renew
one’s spirit and sing praises to the King of
kings and Lord of lords, it is now often
considered a place to “do one’s duty” by making a
feeble effort to attend church. For some people,
it makes them feel like a better person if they
go to church. Others might be looking for a way
to erase some guilt, and still others may attend
church services simply to avoid sitting home
alone for one hour per week. Whatever a person’s
reasons for attending church, it certainly seems
as if reverence to God often falls pretty far
down on the list.
For many people, worshiping God is more of a
spectator sport. Other individuals believe
worshiping God is about putting on airs for other
people to see. It is disheartening to know that
many people have the outward appearance of
worshiping God, yet they do not actually worship
Him in their heart. The Lord said, “‘These
people come near to me with their mouth and honor
me with their lips, but their hearts are far from
me’” (Isa. 29:13 NIV). Some people come to church
with an enormous smile on their face, singing the
praise songs proudly and raising their hands to
the heavens. In reality, though, it is all for
show. They want to
look like a Christian. They want people to think they know how to
worship, when they really have no concept of
meaningful worship whatsoever. Their performance,
if you will, is simply to draw attention to
themselves as opposed to giving God the
consideration He deserves. Worship must always be
God-centered.
Jesus said, “‘You must love the Lord your God with
all your heart, all your soul, and all your
mind’” (Matt. 22:37). Notice He did not say we
should love the Lord our God a little bit or only
with one piece of ourselves. We are to love the
Lord with everything within us. God did not
create us so we could split our praise between
our favorite sports team, movie star, or
recording artist, only reserving a small amount
of praise for the Lord on Sundays. God created us
so we could worship Him exclusively. If we love
God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, then
there will be nothing left over for other
entities our earthly flesh may desire to honor.
Rather than giving recognition to people, places,
or things, which have no power to save us, we
should give all of ourselves to God. He is the
One who merits all of our praise.
Nonetheless, some people do not understand the
importance of worshiping God. They feel worship
is only something to check off the list once per
week by going to church. Sadly, many people only
darken the door of a church building on Christmas
and Easter. These “holiday Christians” certainly
fit the category of duty-led church attendance.
The intricate decorations and frequently
extravagant holiday pageants attract huge crowds
largely because of their entertainment value. Of
course, these individuals may just be living
under the pretense of what a person
should
do, as opposed to anything they may actually want
to do themselves. How disappointing it is to know
that some people sitting in the pews on Sunday
mornings literally have no clue about the meaning
of it all. One pastor put the estimate at
approximately sixty percent indifferent. Even
sadder is the fact that some pastors are in the
same predicament, leading a flock of congregants
yet failing to realize why they are leading their
congregation in the first place. In the midst of
their confusion and frustration, many of them are
leaving their churches at a rapid pace, with a
large number of pastors departing the ministry
every single month.
While these individuals are struggling to cope with
the daily disappointments of life, they could
take a lesson from God’s creation. The psalmist
David wrote about the way all creation proclaims
the greatness of God on a daily basis in Psalm
19:1-4: The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue
to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.
All day and all night long, God’s marvelous
creation makes His presence known. Unlike many
people in the world today, they do not grow weary
of bringing glory to the Creator. The birds do
not get tired of flying and decide to take an
extended break. The stars do not determine to
turn themselves off, ceasing to light the night
sky. The flowers and trees do not coordinate a
protest against growing beautiful fragrant blooms
and luscious fresh fruit. Not at all, for the
sun, the moon, and all creation continuously
displays His perfect majesty. Yet, in all of
their radiance, the book of Psalms tells us,
“Their voice is never heard.” That is one thing
that sets us apart from all of God’s other unique
creations. Men, women, boys, and girls are the
only ones who can worship the Creator by speaking
His name aloud. We have exclusive rights on
worshiping God through words. We are the only
ones who can declare His most holy name, sharing
His amazing love with everyone we meet. It is up
to you and I to proclaim the name above all names
with a voice others can hear throughout the
earth. God created us to worship the Lord in all
we do, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ day
after day, night after night.
Thankfully, there are devout Christians who
continue to be witnesses for the Lord, always
sharing the Gospel everywhere they go.
Furthermore, there are churches, which serve as
lighthouses within their communities. They have a
common goal of reaching the lost, fulfilling the
Great Commission as they share the Good News with
everyone (Mark 16:15). One such church exists in
the heart of downtown Brooklyn, serving as a
godly refuge amid the hardened streets of New
York City. God has blessed this ministry in a
tremendous way, due to their sincere commitment
to intercessory prayer and their focus on the One
who matters most. Pastor Jim Cymbala often says
the choir is singing to an audience of one, Jesus
Christ. Everything they do is to give all glory
to God, for He is the One who deserves all
praise. They acknowledge the fact that a church
service is not an entertainment venue, but a
place for individuals from every tribe and tongue
to magnify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
An Audience of One
“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence,
Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the
Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve”
(Matt. 4:10 KJV).
Although the appearance of many church platforms
would suggest otherwise, worship is not
entertainment. When an individual stands on the
platform at church, his or her goal should not be
showing off their fashionable new clothes,
flashing a beautiful smile at the camera, or even
desiring people’s applause. They should have one
goal, and that is to point everyone in the
congregation to Jesus Christ. Likewise, as
congregants, we should not be gazing at the
worship team or choir members, but focusing our
eyes on Jesus. We are not there to sway to the
music or impress the people around us; we are
there to sing to an audience of one, Jesus
Christ.
I fondly recall a video my dad and I once watched
online of a remarkable organist in California by
the name of Derrick Jackson. He played a
marvelous medley of gospel songs with expert
accuracy and musical interpretation. At the end,
the congregation who had been worshiping the
Lord, stood and enthusiastically applauded his
efforts. Rather than accept the praise given to
him, he did something more surprising and
profound than his skilled musicianship. He turned
his back to the congregants, folded his hands,
and humbly gave God all of the glory. He
understood that his place was not to entertain
the people, but to exalt the Lord.
In the fall of 2019, my dad
and I had the opportunity to attend The Brooklyn
Tabernacle Music Conference. Phil Wickham was the
guest artist for this special event. After he led
the conference attendees in a selection of praise
and worship songs, he began leading everyone in
singing the beloved hymn, “How Great Thou Art.”
In the middle of the song, he did something very
few musical recording artists would even
consider. He put his guitar down and walked off
the platform. He did not stay for applause, nor
did he seek recognition of any kind. He simply
walked off stage quietly as all twelve hundred
voices joined in harmony, lifting praises to the
King of kings and Lord of lords. Instead of
making worship about Phil Wickham, he made
worship about Jesus Christ. This example is one
we should all strive to follow. Worshiping the
Lord is not about having impressive stage
presence; worshiping the Lord is about glorifying
the wonderful name of Jesus Christ with
everything that is within us.
In my inspirational autobiography,
When You’re
in the Sunset, There’s Sunshine Awaiting You,
I shared the story of a gentleman my dad and I
had the privilege of hearing sing in the Great
Smoky Mountains. I pray my account of this
touching example of someone who wholeheartedly
worshiped the Lord in spirit and in truth will
bless you.
Several years ago, my dad and I visited a church
in Cherokee, North Carolina. During the service,
one of the members of the congregation sang a
special song. This elderly gentleman poured his
heart into every single note. Although it may not
have been a performance deemed “good enough” to
grace many prominent stages in the world, it was
something I will always remember. The zeal and
love for our Lord that he expressed through this
single song embodied a greater message than a
month of sermons could convey. His aim was not to
please the congregation, but to please his Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. As he sang, he held
nothing back. He passionately sang of his
anticipation of seeing Christ. He gave everything
he could to the delivery of this song, so that it
might be pleasing to our Heavenly Father. Through
his ministry, I know God used him to touch
people’s hearts. How do I know? I know because
his song touched my own heart in a special way.1
To this very day, I can
clearly recall the goose bumps that covered my
arms as this Native American man humbly delivered
this song of praise to the Lord. Affectionately
known as Brother Squirrel, he could certainly
teach all of us about what it really means to
worship. He was not concerned with the
congregation or what they thought about how he
sang. He was in tune with Jesus Christ throughout
the entire song, giving all of the glory to the
One who is most deserving of all praise. Brother
Squirrel unreservedly knew the purpose of
worship. Worship is not about pleasing people;
worship is about pleasing God.
Having perfect pitch will
not earn you salvation. Playing an innovative
rendition of a beautiful song will not save you.
Preaching a well-written sermon will not get you
into Heaven. If you are living your life strictly
to provide entertainment or to enjoy amusement of
some kind, then you are not fulfilling God’s
purpose for your life. My dad wrote,
“Unfortunately, many preachers and pastors focus
too much attention on comedy, storytelling, and
showmanship.”2 God did not create us
for entertainment. He created us to proclaim His
praise (Isa. 43:21). We are not on this earth to
extol one another, nor are we here to bring
attention to ourselves. Our Creator purposefully
designed us to give Him glory. Our lives should
be a living testimony of His grace and mercy,
whether we are sitting with a few of our
colleagues at our workplace, catching up with
dozens of relatives at a family reunion, or
standing in front of hundreds or even thousands
of congregants in church. Everything we do should
bring honor to God.
When we stand on the
platform at church or any other location on this
planet, we have an important reputation to
uphold. It is far more than our personal
reputations, for we are the ones representing the
King of kings and Lord of lords. Second
Corinthians 5:20 says, “We
are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his
appeal through us.” Our mission in life should be
to shine forth the love of Christ everywhere we
go. Consider this: what if your employer asked
you to give a presentation at a prominent
business meeting, which would influence the
direction the company would take for the next
five or ten years? Surely, you would make careful
preparation, doing all you could to ensure you
upheld the company’s image. By comparison, we
should diligently labor to ensure our lives
demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ every day of
our lives. Sharing His love with people whom God
places in our paths could be the determining
factor in whether they choose to accept Jesus
Christ as their Lord and Savior. If we put
ourselves before Christ, we could be the one
thing standing between them and the Lord. As
opposed to having a five or ten-year impact on a
corporation, each time we speak to other people
has the potential to influence their life for
eternity.
Nevertheless, some people seem to gloss over this
vital truth, acting as if nothing they do could
possibly have an effect on another person. To
complicate matters further, they live as if they
are on this earth for the sole purpose of making
themselves happy. Rather than give their lives to
serving others, or most importantly, serving the
Lord, they focus on themselves, neglecting the
notion that their testimony of God’s faithfulness
in their life could save someone on the verge of
suicide. Recently, someone emailed me and said
they thought ending their life would make them
feel okay. They did not contact me so they could
hear the latest weather report or even to hear my
life story. Nor did they reach out to me, hoping
I would simply tell them to go and live their
best life. They emailed me because they needed
encouragement from the Word of God, reassuring
them that there is hope beyond their
circumstances. They needed someone to tell them
that God created them for a purpose, reaffirming
the fact their life is valuable. They needed
someone to remind them that Jesus Christ loves
them more than they could ever begin to imagine.
I will always remember our visit to Nanortalik, a
small fishing village in southern Greenland. With
a population of less than twelve hundred,
Nanortalik Church singlehandedly serves the
spiritual needs of the entire community. As we
walked through the doors of this historic church
built in 1916, a small group of native
Greenlanders was singing hymns of praise to God.
After the concert, we gave them some Gospel
tracts we had written to encourage them. My dad
also had the opportunity to play their organ,
which featured hand-carved wooden keys. The
chance to encourage these fellow believers was
truly special. We spoke to many people throughout
the town as well. Seeing the downcast faces of
young and old was heartbreaking. Although a small
number in this remote area serve the Lord, the
lack of adequate sunlight during the year coupled
with the struggling economy causes many people to
succumb to depression and alcoholism. Greenland’s
suicide rate is reportedly among the highest in
the world. The people living in this region do
not need someone to entertain them or to offer a
five-step program designed to help them achieve
success. They need the eternal hope that only
comes from knowing Jesus Christ.
People do not need a parade of motivational
speakers or flashy entertainers. There are
already plenty of those in the secular world.
Even so, many churches spend millions of dollars,
striving to provide a family-friendly
entertainment venue as opposed to a beacon of
hope to a lost and dying world. Not too long ago,
someone told me of a visit to a friend’s church
near Atlanta, Georgia. As they summarized their
experience, all they said was that there were
many lights on the platform and loud music. Yet,
this worldly display did not intrigue them a bit,
despite the fact they are a member of the younger
generation and a previous member of a rock band.
Instead, they were disappointed to find such
goings-on within the church. They had nothing to
say regarding the pastor’s sermon. There were no
comments made concerning the messages conveyed
through the lyrics of the songs sung. They went
to church, watched a show, and returned home. The
whole purpose of assembling for a church service
was lost in translation due to this church’s
desire to be
like
the world instead of being a
light
to the world. As my dad said, “Boats are put in
water. That is their purpose. However, if water
gets in the boat, it will sink. The church should
be in the world; the world should not be in the
church.”
When
individuals walk into a church sanctuary, they
need to find spiritual refreshment. The worship
team and musicians should be leading people into
a spirit of worship, not doing all they can to
provide the latest beat with which people can
mindlessly clap their hands. Likewise, the
purpose of the pastor is not to entertain their
congregants. It is not the minister’s job to
serve as the Sunday morning comedian, or
motivational speaker, but to serve as the
shepherd of their flock. The apostle Paul
summarized the purpose of a worship service when
he wrote, “Let everything be constructive
and
edifying
and done for the good of all the church” (1
Cor. 14:26 AMP). When we gather to worship our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we should have two
goals. One should be to glorify the King of kings
and Lord of lords. Our second goal should be to
provide spiritual strength to our brothers and
sisters in Christ. If congregants do not leave
the church sanctuary feeling revived spiritually,
ready to confidently battle through another week,
then the church has completely failed. As the
apostle Paul wrote, “everything,” meaning the
music, the sermon, the prayer time, and all that
is in-between, must serve to strengthen everyone.
Church should always be spiritually edifying to
everyone in the congregation. The intention of
praise and worship music is not to provide young
people with the opportunity to dance. Preachers
should not deliver sermons in an effort to give
people in the congregation a sense of
self-proclaimed empowerment or attempt to get
people excited by shouting at the top of their
lungs. Children’s ministry programs do not exist
to provide a free babysitting service for parents
and guardians one or two hours per week. Even the
nursery should not be a place for aimless
playtime or naptime, for the Bible says children
should be brought “up in the training and
instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4 NIV). Although
this instruction should originate at home, the
church should reinforce the godly principles
children learn from their parents. Activities for
young adults, senior citizens, widows, and other
specialized groups should all serve to edify the
saints. Church should be a conduit of
encouragement, not a means of entertainment.
Pastors and other church
leaders need to remember that the people who
enter the sanctuary doors are battling the same
trials they themselves encounter each week.
Mothers and fathers enter church services
emotionally and physically drained from the busy
events of the week. Children and teens face all
manner of negative influences throughout the
week, coming from other people, the television,
the Internet, and many other sources. Single
adults could be wondering if they will ever find
a spouse or be alone for the rest of their lives.
Other adults may be seeking God’s purpose for
their lives following retirement, or they may be
trying to adjust to an empty nest. Some people
may be struggling with drug addiction,
depression, or suicidal thoughts. Everyone has a
story. We all encounter difficulties every single
day. As such, the church should serve as a triage
center, providing aid for the diverse needs of
the congregation. People need to know that
someone cares, that someone loves them, and that
they are not alone. As James 1:27 says, this is
part of our worship and pure religion.
This Sunday morning,
someone sitting in the pew in front of you could
be going through a dreadfully dark valley,
needing a shoulder to lean on or maybe even to
cry on. Perhaps they just received a cancer
diagnosis, where the doctor told them they only
have a few months to live. Rather than
considering their own health concerns, they could
be troubled over the fear of leaving behind their
spouse and children. An entertaining sermon or
foot-tapping song is not going to help them all
that much, no more than a conversation about
current events is truly going to lift their
spirits. They need a dose of divine inspiration,
which can only come from God. This individual
needs fellow churchgoers to go to the throne of
grace, praying on their behalf, while reminding
them that the Lord heals all of our diseases (Ps.
103:3). Like the person facing a battle with
cancer, countless individuals are experiencing
equally distressing situations, anxiously
searching for true, lasting hope. We need to be
the ones to tell them that Jesus Christ is the
only source of eternal hope. The church should be
a lighthouse to the community and to the world,
careful to focus on delivering spiritual
encouragement not secular entertainment, for
Jesus Christ is the only One who deserves the
spotlight. He alone deserves all of our praise.
Worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth
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