Tag Archives: Authentic worship

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Voyeuristic Worship

Reject Performance Based Worship and Just Sing to the Audience of One

Don’t be a voyeuristic worshiper. Next time you’re in a church service, forget the music style, the song choice, the smoke and mirrors, and the talent on the stage leading the singing. Shut all that out and give your heart in praise to the Audience of One.

Read: Psalm 145 // Focus: Psalm 145:21

“My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.”

I had occasion to be in another city some time ago where I attended a worship service. From all outward appearances, the church seemed to be thriving. The building was attractive and innovative, the guest services were effective, the publications were outstanding, outreach opportunities were plenty, the mission of the church was cleverly stated, the people were great looking, the worship band was hip, the songs were the latest—the “cool factor” of this church was extremely high. Oh, I almost forgot, they were even observing the 11th Commandment: Thou shalt have a cool café that serves Starbucks coffee and blueberry scones!

But I was bugged. As I looked around, I noticed that people were not engaged in the worship. They were watching, enjoying, applauding after each song that was performed perfectly by the band. And that, I think, was what bugged me: It was a performance—or it appeared that way to me. The congregation was really a “concert crowd” and they were watching and enjoying “worship” as it was performed onstage by their band of spiritual “rock stars”. Worship was happening voyeuristically.

Then it hit me! As I was looking around at everybody else and judging the authenticity of their worship, I suddenly realized that anybody else in that crowd could have looked at me “rubbernecking” and made the very same assessment: Voyeuristic worship. I wasn’t worshipping, I was watching.

It was in that moment that the Holy Spirit reached down and dislocated my heart—ouch! So I decided to worship. I literally whispered this prayer, “God, you deserve worship, and if I am the only person in this place that will do it, I will worship you with all of my heart. You’re going to get worshipped today, and I am going to be the one to do it!” And to the best of my ability, I did.

Now I’ve got to tell you, once I made that choice, and even though I didn’t particularly like the style of music or the song choices, I ended up having one of the greatest experiences of worship I’ve ever had. I came into God’s presence and experienced the joy of giving my love to him, basking in his goodness, and experiencing his presence. And guess, what? When I opened my eyes, I saw a different church—there were lots of worshipers.

What changed? Not the church so much; it was me that had changed. My perspective was different. My heart was softer. And my experience of worship came close to what I think God wants it to be for me whenever and wherever I gather with his people to praise him: Worship from the heart of the worshipper. I made the choice to worship—style of music notwithstanding—and I experienced God!

That’s what David is doing here in this psalm—finding reason to give God the worship he deserves. That’s what this psalm is calling for from you and me. So the next time you have occasion, join David—and me—by making that choice to worship the God who deserves our very best worship. There are plenty of reasons, you know!

And if you are the only one willing to do it—which you are probably not—make sure that God gets worshipped!

Making Life Work: The next time you are in a worship experience, close your eyes, forget about everybody else, forget about the style of the music, forget about you, and just sing a love song to the Audience of One.

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God Made In Man’s Image

Being With Jesus:
John 4:21-24 (NLT)

Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

The Samaritan woman who encountered Jesus at the well of Sychar was subconsciously looking for a god made in her image—a god to her specifications. This was fairly common among worshipers not only in Jesus’ day, but in ours as well. It occurs when we attempt to come to God on our terms rather than his; when we make worship more about us, and what we like, than about God, and what he likes; when, in effect, we recreate God in our image rather than approaching him as beings created in his image.

That was the problem with the worship of the Samaritans. They had corrupted worship to fit their own needs to the point Jesus said, “You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship.” (John 4:22, NLT) They had become Burger King worshipers. Do you remember the old Burger King advertisement? “Hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us. Have it your way.”

That little jingle is fitting for what we modern day “Samaritans” are doing with our experience of worship. We love a customized church experience. We expect worship services to be tailor-made just for us. We expect the praise, programs and preaching to satisfy our preferences. We want church designed to meet our needs, music tuned to our exact tastes, preachers crafted to our specifications, messages that mesmerize, and a made to order God—a “Burger King God” who says, “Have it your way”.

Some time ago, Los Angeles Magazine ran an article called “God For Sale”. The author said, “It is no surprise that when today’s affluent young professionals return to church they want to do it only on their own terms. But what is amazing is how far the churches are going to oblige them.” Newsweek Magazine added, “They’ve developed a pick and choose Christianity in which individuals take what they want and pass over what does not fit their spiritual goals…”

Nothing can be further from the “spirit and truth” worshiper of verse 24 that Jesus said God the Father is seeking. When it comes to God, and the way you worship him, you need to start saying, “Have it your way”. Me too!

If you will learn what it means to do that, you will drink water from an altogether different kind of well—and you will never thirst again!

“Worship changes the worshipper into the image of the One worshipped” (Jack Hayford)

Getting To Know Jesus: Honestly evaluate your worship expectations. Do you approach worship asking God how he prefers your worship? Or do you tell God, albeit in not so many words, “this is how I want it”? If it is the latter, a little repentance is in order.

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Worship: Exalting God or Feeling Good

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Galatians 4
Meditation: Galatians 4:9-11

“You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.”

Shift Your Focus… Every so often a well-intentioned Christian will strongly suggest to me that the church ought to incorporate a certain practice within our worship. These people are usually passionate about Jesus and are committed to personal discipleship, but they are convinced that if we don’t observe this new worship expression—often rooted in some obscure Old Testament passage—then we aren’t truly worshiping and will not experience the presence of the Lord among us.

Over the years, I have seen everything from “Jericho marches” to “holy laughter” to “slaying in the Spirit” just to name a few.  Years ago, I had a close ministry friend who was convinced that since our church didn’t participate in the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles, we were under God’s judgment. At about that same time, a Bible teacher in the church had come to believe that it was wrong of us not to include a Passover Seder during Holy Week. At various other times I have had people tell me that we should be waving flags during our singing or blowing a ram’s horn as our call to worship. I could probably fill a chapter in a book with the variety of things that, according to these folks, we should be incorporating in our worship expressions. Sometimes I wonder what the next craze-phase will be: Ritual circumcision? Sacrificing goats? Reconstructing the Ark of the Covenant?

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t think these ideas are completely weird—except for those last three; they’re pretty weird! I do think that sometimes it is helpful to incorporate some of these things into our worship as a way of teaching the roots of our faith and giving us a stronger foundation for our worship. What I have trouble with, however, is when people insist those expressions are necessary to true worship.

The Apostle Paul was pointing out that to do so was to slip back into the tutelage of the law. It was to willingly give up our freedom in Christ and come again under the domination of that from which Christ’s death and resurrection has set us free. The only scriptural requirements I can recall for those of us who live under the new and better covenant are pretty broad—and strategically so.

Jesus himself addressed this issue with the woman at the Samaritan well. A discussion was being had about the proper place and style of worship when Jesus made this declaration about new covenant worship:

“The time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24)

If you want to observe a feast, go ahead. If you want to wave a flag, go ahead. Just don’t make it into a law. And don’t draw attention away from Christ and on to yourself when you do it. Remember, worship is about exalting Christ, not feeling good, although you will feel good when your exalt Christ. Whenever you worship, wherever you worship, in whatever way you worship, just remember that the Father wants your heart. As Lamar Boschman said,

“When I worship, I would rather my heart be without words than my words be without heart.”

God is still seeking men and women who will worship him out of sincerity of the heart rooted in the foundation of his new covenant truth.

“Worship is first and foremost for His benefit, not ours, though it is marvelous to discover that in giving Him pleasure, we ourselves enter into what can become our richest and most wholesome experience in life.”  ~Graham Kendrick

Prayer… Father, keep me from backsliding into law. May grace and truth always season my worship. May you find in me a worshiper who gives you my heart and who stays cemented in your truth.