So these nations feared the LORD and also served their carved images. (2 Kings 17:41a ESV)
Idolatry on Sunday Mornings, Pt. 1
What is our greatest hindrance in worshipping God? We could come up with a number of potential answers.
“Our worship leader isn’t very experienced.”
“The services are too planned/spontaneous.”
“The songs are too complex/simple.”
“The band/orchestra/organist/guitarist sounds bad.”
“There are too many new/old songs.”
“Our church is too big/small.”
Ignoring for a moment that all these statements refer to a meeting context, they reveal a profound misconception about the hindrances to true worship. Contrary to what we might think, our greatest problem doesn’t lie outside us, but within our own hearts. It’s the problem of idolatry.
The passage above from 2 Kings describes a situation that existed when Samaria was resettled by the king of Assyria. It’s a situation which can potentially exist in our church services today. We can fear the Lord externally, engaging in what we perceive to be all the proper elements of worship – singing, giving, praying, kneeling, listening to God’s Word, etc. – and be actively serving false gods in our hearts. God makes it clear in Exodus 20 that he will not tolerate any competition for the allegiance and affections of our hearts. “You shall have no other gods before me.” That succinctly describes idolatry.
When someone mentions idolatry, we can picture some tribesman in New Guinea bowing down to statues of wood or metal, and think, “Thank God I don’t struggle with THAT.” Idols, however, are far more pervasive, insidious, and deceptive. Idolatry is attributing ultimate value, authority, or supremacy to any object other than God.
We foolishly think idols can provide for us what only God can give. They tempt us every day, all day. It’s not surprising, then, that even my ten year old daughter, Mckenzie, deals with idols. One of her primary idols is “not taking showers.” Otherwise known as the idols of control and pleasure. She confessed to Julie and me today that for the past three days she’s only been pretending to take a shower. (For some reason, most ten-year-olds find taking showers as appealing as scratching a chalk board for ten minutes.) After working through a tearful confession with my wife, and learning of her discipline (no playing with friends for three days), we talked about her heart. I explained to her that not taking a shower was an idol for her. She thought that remaining dirty would bring her happiness. Instead it led to deceiving those she loves the most and dishonoring the God Who created her for His glory. And it definitely didn’t deliver on the happiness promise. Ultimately, idols never do.
Over the next few days I’ll be sharing thoughts on some of the more prevalent idols we deal with as we gather to worship our Savior each Sunday morning.
Idolatry on Sunday Mornings, Pt. 2
I tried to come up with a shocking title for these posts to alert us to the difference between a “professed” God and “functional” god. That is, the God we say we believe in, and the god that actually governs our desires and actions.
As I mentioned in my post yesterday, idolatry can be active in my heart even as I’m outwardly worshipping God. That’s a sobering thought. Whenever I think I can’t worship God unless “X” is present, I’m making a profound statement. If “X” is anything other than Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, I’ve moved into idolatrous territory.
Idolatry is always evil, but the idols we pursue aren’t necessarily evil things. They are evil for us because we value them over God. Pages could be written on each of the potential idols I’m about to cover. Most, if not all of them, touch on areas that can and should be used with discernment to serve God’s people as we gather to sing His praise. Some of them are more important them others. But all of them are meant to exalt God, not replace Him.
Music – Musical styles for congregational worship have caused quite a stir in recent years. Actually, they’ve been causing a stir for centuries, and for good reason. Music is a powerful medium that can affect us positively or negatively. However, the root of the division is often (though not always) people insisting they know what kind of music God likes. It hasn’t helped that “new music proponents” are often arrogant, insensitive, selfish, and impatient. However, we can make an idol out of what’s old and familiar as easily as we can make one out of what’s new and creative. Music must be wisely chosen for its ability to serve both the lyrics and the congregation in order to truly honor God. But thinking that we need a certain type of music to truly engage with God is, at its root, idolatry.
Tradition – Every church, even those that claim to be non-traditional, has traditions. A tradition is simply something you’ve done more than once. Can traditions serve God’s purposes in the church? Absolutely! Paul encourages the Thessalonians, "“So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.” (2Th. 2:15, ESV) But are our traditions today equal to Scripture in authority? Absolutely not! Every generation is responsible to examine whether or not the traditions they’ve inherited (or are seeking to establish) are biblical and truly help people exult in God’s worthiness and works. The complementary idols of familiarity and comfort are often revealed in the words, “We’ve never done it that way before.”
Creativity – Lest this list seem one-sided, NEWNESS can also be an idol. We’re convinced that some fresh, different, never-been-done-before idea will make our congregational worship more effective. Or powerful. Or appealing. Maybe it’s lighting…or a new stage set up…or a video clip…or candles…or banners…or “interactive artistic activity.” Creativity is never our goal in worshipping God. It’s simply a means to the end of displaying and seeing the glory of Christ more clearly. New forms or mediums of communication can give us a different perspective, causing the truth to have a greater impact on us. But if we walk away from a time of corporate worship more affected by our creativity than our Savior, or think that the Word of Christ is old news, God help us.
I’m aware what I’m writing may offend some. I pray that’s not the case, although what we perceive as an “offense” might be the Spirit’s conviction. It could just as well be my poor communication.
But this I know: God is committed to receiving all the glory, honor, and praise each time we gather as His people, redeemed through His Son’s atoning sacrifice. He will have no rivals. “I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols.” (Is. 42:8, ESV)
Each time we meet to worship the triune God, HE should be the all-consuming center of our attention and affections. His greatness and splendor should become bigger in our minds, hearts, and wills. His desires and commands should become more precious to us. Jesus Christ and His atoning work should be more glorious and amazing to us.
Tomorrow, I’ll share more idols I’ve found myself worshipping on Sunday mornings. In the mean time, I pray you're encouraged by the Father's costly love for us.
Idolatry on Sunday Mornings, Pt. 3
It’s helpful to remember that the world, the devil, and our flesh actively oppose our desire to give God the glory He alone deserves. The real worship wars aren’t about music styles, forms, and practices. They’re secretly waged in our hearts, as idols try to rob us of our passion to exalt God above everything. If we aren’t aware of those worship wars we’ll have a difficult time understanding or experiencing worship that honors God, no matter what we’re doing on the outside.
Speaking of experience, here are a couple more idols that can tempt us on Sunday mornings.
Experience – As I paged through a Christian magazine last year, I noticed one ad for a new worship CD mentioned “experience” six times. We all love “worship experiences” with God. Experiences aren’t evil. But the concept of worship as an “experience” is fairly foreign to Scripture. I say “fairly” because there are times when worshipping God was definitely an experience! (2 Chron. 5:11-14; Acts 4:31; 1 Cor. 14:23-25) However, the goal of gathering as God’s people is not to feel something but to see and remember something. That “something” is the Word, works, and worthiness of God, especially as He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. (2 Cor. 4:6) If I pursue goose bumps or heightened emotion during a meeting, God becomes simply one of numerous options I can choose to seek them from. This doesn’t minimize the importance of pursuing encounters with the living God characterized by profound emotion and awareness of the Holy Spirit’s active presence. Scripture is filled with examples of longing for, pursuing, and delighting in God’s presence (Ps. 84:1-2; 1 Chron 16:11; Ps. 16:11) But I become aware of God’s nearness by dwelling on His nature, promises, and acts, not by pursuing an emotional fix.
Liturgy – Forms and practices are significant when we meet as God’s people to worship Him. Everything must be done decently and in order. (1 Cor. 14:40) However, God has been vague (painfully so) in His Word regarding what that “order” actually looks like. How many songs do we sing and when do we sing them? What words should we use when we pray? When and how often should we celebrate the Lord's Supper? Christians throughout history have argued about and divided over such issues, claiming to offer a liturgy that was truly biblical. Of course, church splits are not always wrong, as some of the biblical truths and doctrines we treasure most were purified through the fires of conflict. However, there is no “liturgical perfectionism” we can achieve that will ever make our worship more acceptable to God than it already is in Jesus Christ. The sad fruit of this idolatrous mentality is churches that have a form of godliness but lack true spiritual power. Our goal is to do in faith what magnifies God’s glory in Christ most effectively and Scripturally. We can and should use biblical elements and proportions in corporate worship. But liturgies should serve us, not rule us. Since God has seen fit to allow freedom in form, so should we.
I’ll continue these thoughts in a later post. Tomorrow is Q&A Friday, and next week I’ll be recommending some songs and CD’s that focus on the Incarnation of our Savior.
By the way, my mother-in-law (see this post) is doing much better. Thanks to those of you who prayed.
Idolatry on Sunday Mornings, Pt. 4
I’d like to continue addressing a topic I began a couple weeks ago, that is, identifying the idols we may serve in our hearts even as we gather to worship God with His people.
In previous posts we looked at music, tradition, creativity, experience, and liturgy. Here’s one more (well really, two).
Biblical Knowledge - I hesitate to include “biblical knowledge” as a potential idol. The reason I do is that we can wrongly pursue a knowledge of doctrine that is distinct from a knowledge of God Himself. We have to acknowledge this possibility or we easily fall into the error of the Pharisees, who took more pride in their “rightness” than in their relationship with God. We too, can be more impressed with the accurate theology in our songs than the fact that God has shown us mercy in Jesus Christ. Doctrine and theology, humbly studied and applied, always lead us to fear, love, and worship God more, not less. For that reason, Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for pursuing a knowledge of Scripture that didn't lead to Him.
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40, ESV)
As we grow in our understanding of and love for God’s Word, it should always produce a corresponding humility and godliness in us. How tragic that those who defend certain ways of worshipping God most vocally often disgregard the humility God esteems most highly. (Is. 66:2)
Biblical Ignorance - On the other side of the coin, we can exalt our ignorance of Scripture as we worship God, claiming that “words get in the way of worship.” At some point in the future I plan to share on the primacy of God’s Word in our worship. For now, it’s enough to say that when we don’t intentionally value God’s Word as the controlling influence and primary substance of our worship, other authorities rush in to fill its place. We are not more spiritual, nor closer to God, nor more mature if we think we don't need words to communicate with God. God has always placed His Word at the center of our communion with Him, whether that be through song, prayer, or preaching. Through God’s Word we best come to know Who He is, who we are, and how we are to relate to Him. (Ex. 20; 1 Kings 8:9; Ex. 34:6-7; Josh 1:7-8; 2 Chron. 31:2-4; 34:29-33; Ps. 119; Ps. 19:7-11; Mt. 15:8; Acts 13:48-49; Col. 3:16; 1 Tim. 4:13)
I’ve received numerous encouraging e-mails and comments recently. Thank you for taking the time to read and respond this Blog. Your encouragement is meaningful and an evidence of God’s kindness to me.
Idolatry on Sunday Mornings, Pt. 5
We can’t escape noticing the number of times God addresses idolatry in his Word. He hates it when we pursue, serve, or are emotionally drawn to other gods, which are not really gods at all. Idols enslave us (Ps. 106:36), put us to shame (Is. 45:16), and ultimately conform us to their image (Ps. 115:8). But God’s intention is that we be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29).
Like the Psalmist, we should hate them and those who pay regard to them. (Ps. 31:6). Too often, though, we find ourselves to be the idolaters. Today, I want to share another idol that looms large when we worship God corporately. It particularly applies to musicians.
Musical Excellence – Offering God our best has biblical precedent. (Ex. 23:19; Num 18:29-30) In today’s culture, that “best” is often defined as music marked by skill, complexity, or even sophistication. So four part harmonies edge out unison melodies, orchestras trump upright pianos, and full bands with choirs replace solo guitarists. We become more concerned with making corporate worship bigger, better, and more involved. We balk at the thought of someone without extensive musical training and study leading congregational worship. In the process, we lose sight of what makes our offering acceptable in the first place.
Reggie Kidd, in his recent book With One Voice, pinpoints the problem: “In some churches the quest for ‘excellence’ is an idol, regardless of whether ‘excellence’ is defined by standards of so-called ‘classical’ culture or of ‘pop’ culture. Such ‘excellentism’ needs to be replaced with the quest to pursue the likeness of Christ crucified and him alone. As good as it gets this side of Christ’s return, we’re never going to get it completely right. There will always be a flat tenor, a broken guitar string, an overly loud organ, or a poorly placed hymn. But it’s okay. The cross means it’s covered.” (p. 101-102)
Does that mean we don’t need to be concerned about how we play, whether we’re in tune, or what songs we use? Of course not. God commends musical excellence (Ps. 33:3; 1 Chron. 15:22; 2 Chron. 30:21-22). Years ago, my degree in piano performance taught me (painfully) something about the value of musical skill and excellence. But in congregational worship, excellence has a purpose – to focus people’s attention on God’s wondrous acts and attributes.
In corporate worship then, excellence has more to do with issues of edification and encouragement than simple musical standards. Pursuing excellence wisely means continuing to grow in my skill so that I won’t distract those I’m seeking to serve. It means I might play fewer notes to allow more space for people to hear the words. It means I may have to sacrifice my ideas of musical “excellence” to make the truth more musically accessible to my congregation. It means I might not play at all sometimes so that the congregation can hear their own voices clearly ringing out in praise to God.
Musical excellence, defined rightly, is a worthy pursuit. But like all idols, it makes a terrible god.
Idolatry on Sunday Mornings, Pt. 6
I thought I'd finish this series before the year ends. With three days to go and three more topics to cover, it seems like a good fit. In case you missed the earlier entries, I've collected the other posts under the heading of Idolatry on Sunday Mornings.
These last three areas are primarily directed to leaders, although they could apply to anyone. Today I want to focus on the idol of RESULTS.
I'm referring to the mindset that views worshipping God as a means to attain a more desirable end, like increased attendance, evangelism, mutual ministry, or individual experiences. "Results-worship" might underlie comments like these:
"We stay away from certain biblical topics because people just don't like to hear them."
"Livelier meetings keep the guests coming back."
"It didn't seem like God was with us this morning because all we did was sing, share the Lord's Supper, and hear God's Word preached."
"We make it a goal to have everyone receive a "touch from God" on Sunday morning."
Of course, it's right to want the church to grow, desire to see people saved, provide opportunities for mutual edification, and expect that people will encounter the living God in evidential ways when we meet. However, we want to do all those things so that more and more people will be able to see the surpassing greatness and glory of Jesus Christ.
Ultimately, it's a false dichotomy to ask whether meetings are for God or for us. They are for God in their end, they are for us in their effect. However, when we're talking about ultimate purposes, there's no question. Everything we do, we do so that the glory of God might be seen, magnified, and cherished.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1Cor. 10:31 ESV)
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3:17 ESV)
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Rom. 11:36 ESV)
John Piper has succinctly stated, "Missions exists because worship doesn't." (Let the Nations Be Glad, p. 11) That applies equally to everything else we do. Personal ministry exists because people don't honor God for His power and compassion. The church needs to grow so that more people might honor and love God for His mercy, grace, and truth. We want people to encounter the active presence of God's Spirit so that they might prize Him above every experience, feeling, or sensation. We want every Christian to know the God's steadfast love expressed in the substitutionary death of our Savior is better than life itself.
So, God's glory is the end of our worship, and not simply a means to something else. In the midst of a culture that glorifies our pitiful accomplishments in countless ways, we gather each week to proclaim God's wondrous deeds and glory in his supreme value. He is "holy, holy, holy." There is no one, and nothing, like the Lord.
If you're a leader in God's household, remember that no good can ultimately come from fixing your people's eyes on anything greater than the Savior Himself. The Lamb is the One we will be exalting above all else for all eternity. It's only right that we exalt Him above all else now.
Idolatry on Sunday Mornings, Pt. 7
I'm in the middle of a discussion on idols that can tempt us when we gather to worship God on Sunday mornings. Today, I'd like to talk about the idol of REPUTATION, especially as it's revealed in the lives of leaders.
God commends a good reputation in Proverbs:
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. Prov. 22:1
That means God wants our lives characterized by virtues such as godliness, integrity, and faithfulness. However, I'm never to seek my good name at the expense of God's name. I must never be more concerned about my reputation than God's.
The idol of reputation is subtle. It's masquerades behind holy acts, but reveals itself in unholy responses or thoughts. It's sad, sobering, and scary that I can use the act of worshipping God to try to make myself look better in people's eyes. I've done it countless times.
Here are a few ways I've seen this idol express itself through the years...
"I wonder if anyone will notice that outstanding piano fill..."
"My voice is SO much better than hers."
"That was a GREAT song selection I made this morning!"
"What do you mean you want the singing time to be cut short by five minutes?!"
"Why don't they ask me to sing more?"
"I don't need to rehearse like everyone else."
"I could NEVER sing in the choir. I'm a soloist."
These are the more obvious self-exalting kind of thoughts. I've been guilty of all of them. However, the same root can manifest itself in anxiety and self-deprecation as well.
"I wonder if people will like the worship today."
"My stomach is tied up in knots before every meeting."
"Worship was just terrible this morning."
"Don't ask me to sing or play solo."
These responses are often rooted in the fear that we won't get the credit and acclaim we crave. Because we're afraid we won't be honored, we make excuses, we aim low, we nurture unbelief, and give in to anxiety. In short, we fail to honor God.
In both cases, our goal is the same - to improve what others think of us, rather than what they think of our Savior.
While musicians and pastors are no more sinful than anyone else, we do have particular temptations that we need to be aware of. Since much of what leaders do takes place in front of people, we can be tempted to steal glory from God. That is what I mean by serving the idol of our reputation.
Of course, non-leaders can serve the same idol. As we sing praises to God, we can wonder if we're singing in tune, if we look passionate (or contemplative) enough, or if the people around us are REALLY worshipping God.
Years ago, I was in England at a large Christian conference. During one seminar, we were led in corporate worship by a guitarist whom I thought was average in every respect. As he finished what I would describe as a sorry time of worship in song, the elderly gentleman to my side turned my way. With a glowing smile, he asked, "That was simply lovely, wasn't it?" I wanted to say no, but the Holy Spirit caught my tongue before the answer slipped out.
What I realized was that only one of us had been worshipping God during that time. And it wasn't me. I was busy worshipping myself, exulting in my knowledge of worship, my experiences, my training, my background. Needless to say, God wasn't impressed.
But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. (Is. 66:2b ESV)
May God grant us grace to truly seek His reputation above our own each time we meet to worship Him.
Idolatry on Sunday Mornings, Pt. 8
This is my final post in this series. It’s a little longer than the others, but it’s actually much shorter than it could be…The last idol I want to speak to is the idol of RELEVANCE.
Churches can become irrelevant for any number of reasons. Spiritual pride can keep us from considering that non-Christian guests may not understand our highly developed "Christian-speak." Administrative incompetence might make it difficult for people to find us, or to enjoy being with us once they do (possibly due to crowded conditions, erratic temperature control, musty smells, etc.). A faulty understanding of what it means to be "in the world but not of the world" may result in a narrow interpretation of what external practices constitute godliness. Churches that don't use electricity are one example that comes to mind. Each of the churches I've described here would bring greater glory to God by becoming more "relevant."
However, the idol of relevance is rooted in the fear that people may not like us because we seem different from them. We want them to know we eat at the same restaurants, watch the same TV shows, listen to the same bands, laugh at the same jokes, and go to the same movies that they do. Our greatest fear is being perceived as out of touch.
Obviously, there are many times we’ll engage in the same activities as non-Christians. It's one way that we maintain a conversation with and presence in the world. However, we're fighting a losing battle when relevance becomes our aim - to convince the world we're just like them. There are aspects of our culture that we clearly want to set ourselves apart from, simply because they contain so much that is opposed to glorying in Jesus Christ.
Martin Lloyd-Jones addressed the desire of preachers to be "relevant" in his book, Preaching and Preachers. His point is applicable to worship leaders as well.
"Our Lord attracted sinners because He was different. They drew near to Him because they felt that there was something different about Him. That poor sinful woman of whom we read in Luke 7 did not draw near to the Pharisees and wash their feet with her tears, and wipe them with the hair of her head. No, but she sensed something in our Lord – His purity, His holiness, His love – and so she drew near to Him. It was His essential difference that attracted her. And the world always expects us to be different. This idea that you are going to win people to the Christian faith by showing them that after all you are remarkably like them, is theologically and psychologically a profound blunder." (p. 140)
Jesus possessed an "essential difference" that people, both religious leaders and prostitutes, were aware of. That difference included a profound humility, an unshakeable joy, and a servant heart. Ultimately, it was a refusal to bow to the god of this world, and an unyielding commitment to love His Father and obey His will. (Jn. 2:24-25, 5:30)
Jesus related to sinners because He had come to give His life as a ransom for them. He hung around the "low-lifes" of his day enough to be accused of engaging in their sins (Lk. 7:34), yet we never get the impression he attended parties to prove that he was just like everyone there.
I could provide links to a number of church websites right here that would illustrate pursuing the idol of relevance. (After poking around the Internet, I'm convinced that truth is definitely stranger than fiction.) I decided not to do it, though. Like me, you may find it's too easy to be tempted to self-righteousness, uncharitable judgment, or false accusation.
I think the following description of the church in Acts succinctly communicates the distance that exists between the church and the world, and how God adds to His people in spite of it - or perhaps because of it.
None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women. (Acts 5:13-14 ESV)
What I believe every Christian pastor and leader needs to answer are questions like these: Are people who visit our church more aware of how different we are or how similar we are to them? Are the people in my church growing in their likeness to the values of Jesus Christ or the world? Do the songs we sing and the references we make communicate the supreme treasure of God's Word or the godless pride of our age?
On a more personal note, as a leader I want to carefully watch my own intake. It's revealing to measure how much time I actually spend reading, studying, and observing the thoughts of non-Christians for the purpose of being "relevant." How much is necessary for me to enable meaningful contact with the world around me? That's a question I need to answer from the Lord's perspective, not mine or the world's.
I’m in the middle of reading Os Guiness’ book Prophetic Untimeliness: A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance. It’s an excellent read. I think this quote says what I’d like to say better than I ever could:
“By our breathless chase after relevance without a matching commitment to faithfulness, we have become not only unfaithful but irrelevant; by our determined efforts to redefine ourselves in ways that are more compelling to the modern world than are faithful to Christ, we have lost not only our identity but our authority and our relevance. Our crying need is to be faithful as well as relevant.” (p. 15)
Father, by your grace make us faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ - in our words, our deeds, and our thoughts. And like the early church, we trust that more than ever believers will be added to the Lord.
By Bob Kauflin, director of worship development for Sovereign Grace Ministries (www.sovereigngraceministries.org), from the Worship Matters blog (www.worshipmatters.com). Copyright 2005 Sovereign Grace Ministries. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Bob Kauflin serves as a pastor and worship leader at Covenant Life Church and directs worship and music development for Sovereign Grace Ministries.
As a piano performance major at Temple University in the '70s he helped to found the Christian band GLAD. He departed GLAD in 1985 to pursue a full-time role with what is now Fairfax Covenant Church. In 1990 he and his family moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, to help launch a new church—what has become CrossWay Community Church. Bob received the call in 1997 to relocate to Gaithersburg and lead the Music and Worship Ministry of Covenant Life Church.
Bob plays a multi-faceted role today by training pastors and worship leaders in the theology and practicals of worship, leading others to exalt and encounter God in corporate worship, and participating in recording projects through Sovereign Grace Ministries. He is also the author of the weekly Worship Matters column which is occasionally reproduced at worship.com.
Bob and his wife Julie have six children, two of whom are married. The family lives in Montgomery Village, Md.
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