Seven Myths About Worship
Mr. Smith went to church on Sunday morning. He heard the organist miss a note during the prelude, and he winced. He saw a teenager talking when everybody was supposed to be bowed in silent prayer. He felt like the usher was watching to see what he put in the offering plate and it made him boil. He caught the preacher making a slip of the tongue – not once but five times in the sermon – by actual count. As he slipped out through the side door during the closing hymn, he muttered to himself, "Never again, what a bunch of clods and hypocrites!"
Mr. Jones went to church on Sunday morning. He heard the organist play an arrangement of "A Mighty Fortress" and he thrilled at the majesty of it. He heard a young girl take a moment in the service to speak her simple moving message of the difference her faith makes in her life. He was glad to see that this church was sharing in a special offering for the hungry children of Nigeria. He especially appreciated the sermon that Sunday – it answered a question that had bothered him for a long time. He thought as he walked out the doors of the church, "How can a man come here and not feel the presence of God?"
…Both men went to the same church, on the same Sunday morning. Each found what he was looking for. What do we look for on Sunday morning? Do you look for God? Do you look to see how God is working through people and in people? Do you look to see how a perfect and holy God – works through an imperfect a flawed people – and in the process – He is glorified?
Worship Is An Imperfect People Worshiping A Perfect God
One characteristic of most of the churches that are experiencing dynamic growth is that God is exalted in worship. Someone has said, “If we haven’t learned to be worshipers, it doesn’t really matter how well we do anything else”. The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever – or simply put – to worship God! In Revelation 4:11 we read, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” However, if we wish to worship God we must, “worship Him in spirit and in truth.” Many times there are many falsehoods – many myths that get in our way of worshiping God. Today I want us to examine seven of those myths.
MYTH #1
Worship is where we talk about God
- Truth #1: Worship is when we encounter God
Worship is not when we come together to just talk about God:
Worship Is When We Encounter God
Now our conversation – the context of what we say – should be about Godly things. But what is more important is that we encounter God. Look at what the Psalmist says in Psalm ninety five:
“Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.” Psalm 95:6 (NASV)
And again:
“Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing.” Psalm 100:2 (NASV)
Worship should be much more than a conversation about God – it should be an encounter with God. We should come before Him with gladness. We should bow down in His presence.
I heard the story of a pastor who went to visit an older member of his congregation – though rarely seen in church. The older man said, “For many years now I have taken to going to church less and less because I find so little there of what I hunger for most. It is a sense of seeing the presence of God.”
The pastor asked the man, “Do you think God has moved?”
After a long pause the older man replied, “No – but perhaps as I have gotten older – my eyesight has faded.”
Folks – there are times that we can miss things – even when they are in plain sight. God has promised you that if you are a Christian – “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” When is the last time that you encountered God? When is the last time you had a conversation with Him? When is the last time you heard Him speak to you? Jesus said:
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:27-28 (NASV)
God has not moved. He has not disappeared. He wants you to do more than just talk about Him – He wants you to encounter Him.
MYTH #2
Worship must be conducted in a certain style
- Truth #2: God likes variety
Folks many of us are creatures of habit. Most of us get up on the same side of bed every morning. (Some of you may have got up on the wrong side.) We get up at the same time every day. As we get dressed we put on same shoe first every morning – it could be the left one or the right one. We get into patterns and when we come to church we usually sit in the same seats. We are creatures of habit. So is it any wonder that we get use to a pattern in our worship? But here is the danger. When we think that “our” style of worship is the “right” style of worship – beware.
Our worship is for God and to God
Folks – worship is not about us and God likes variety.
I heard a story about a man who died and went to heaven. As he got to heaven St. Peter was there to welcome him. St. Peter said, “Let me take you to your room.” So St. Peter took him over to an elevator and said, “Well let me explain how this works. On each floor we have a different group. I will take you up to the floor where you belong.” So the elevator starts heading up and as you make your way up the floors – at the first floor the man heard all kinds of shouting and clapping going on. As they pass the floor St. Peter looks at the man and says, “Pentecostals.” They get to the next floor and they hear grand and glorious organ music coming out. As they pass the floor St. Peter turns to the man and says, “Episcopalians.” Before they get to the next floor they start to hear piano music being played and “Amazing Grace” being sung. St. Peter turns to the man and puts his finger up to his lips motioning to man to be very quiet. After they pass the floor St. Peter turns to man and says, “Baptist – they think they are only ones here.”
Folks we fall into real danger when we start thinking that our style of worship is the “correct” way of worship. God loves variety and to say that one style is the “right way” – to the exclusion of others – is ridicules. The Psalmist tells us:
“One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to meditate in His temple.” Psalm 27:4 (NASV)
Any type of music that honors God – is Godly music. God loves variety. You can see this fact in the way that God gives gifts to his children. Paul tells us that God loves variety in First Corinthians when he says:
“Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful…” 1 Corinthians 12:7-8 (MSG)
Worship is To Honor God – Regardless of the Style We Use
MYTH #3
Good worship happens when I am pleased
- Truth #3: Good Worship happens when God is pleased
Ephesians chapter five and verse ten tells us:
“Determine what pleases the Lord.” Ephesians 5:10 (ISV)
The Message Bible says it this way:
“Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.” Ephesians 5:10 (MSG)
Most Christians believe that they are the audience – this is far from the truth.
In Worship God is the Audience
God is watching everything that goes on in your worship and He is more concerned with your character than He is with your comfort. God is in the life change business and one way that He changes a person’s life is convicting them of their sin. How is a person going to stop sinning – if there is no guilt? How is a person going to make a ‘U-turn’ if there is no shame? How is a person going fix something if they are not even embarrassed for what they have done? Folks sometimes worship is to be uncomfortable. Walking into the presence of a Holy God should make all of us uncomfortable. There is an interesting passage of scripture found in Jeremiah chapter six. Follow along with me as I read:
"Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the LORD.” Jeremiah 6:15 (NASV)
Folks, if I have done something wrong I ought to be ashamed of it. I ought to bring it to God for forgiveness. I ought to seek God’s forgiveness. Only then will God be pleased and only then will I find happiness. No – not every encounter I have with God is going to leave me walking on cloud nine – sometimes it leaves me feeling like I have walked through the valley of death – but if it brings me closer to God – if it brings about a life change for the better – let it happen.
MYTH #4
Worship is a spectator activity
- Truth #4: Worship is a life altering experience
Folks follow along with me as I read from Isaiah chapter six:
“In the year of King Uzziah’s death, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory." And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." Then one of the seraphim flew to me, with a burning coal in his hand which he had taken from the altar with tongs. And he touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven." Isaiah 6:1-7 (NASV)
Folks – do think that after this experience that Isaiah life was changed? There is no doubt in my mind that it was. At this encounter – Isaiah’s life was changed forever. I believe that the same God who changed Isaiah’s life is the same God today – that can change your life and my life. He is more powerful than any of your problems. He is bigger than any bad news you could ever receive. He is more comforting than any catastrophe that will come your way. “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” When we come to worship – let us come expecting a life altering experience.
Myth #5
Good worship is dependent on the good music and a good sermon
- Truth #5: Good worship happens in spirit and truth
Folks let me say up front – we ought to strive of excellence in our worship. We ought to do our best to give God our best. Many times we give God our leftovers. This should not be the case when it comes to worship. If you are a preacher – you need to work at your sermon. You should not be looking for a Saturday night special. You should plan your preaching – prepare you preaching and present your preaching so that it has the greatest impact on the listeners. The same is true of our music leaders and anyone else involved in our worship services – however, it is vital that our hearts and lives are in tune with God. You see you can go through the motions – have the most organized worship service on the planet earth – and still not be pleasing to God. Isaiah chapter twenty nine says:
"These people worship me with their mouths and honor me with their lips. But their hearts are far from me, and their worship of me is based on rules made by humans.” Isaiah 29:13 (GW)
I heard a fellow preacher tell a story not too long ago how his church was preparing a flyer to be sent out to the neighborhood. He had worked on the flyer for days – making sure that everything in it was said just the right way and in the right format. A member of the congregation was a printer and so the pastor sent the flyer off to the printer to get it published. When it can back it looked good but all the printing was just a little blurred. When the printer handed the flyers back to the pastor he said, “Here you go pastor. Here are the flyers. There not quite perfect – I would not sell them to a regular customer – but they are good enough for the church.” Folks, I can tell you – those were the wrong words to say to that pastor.
Folks – whatever we do – we ought to strive for excellence – and it is vital that our hearts and lives are in tune with God. Jesus said this:
“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:23-24 (NASV)
MYTH #6
Worship is restricted to a Church Building
- Truth #6: Worship can happen at any place on any day
Worship can happen at any time and in any place. It may be as you are walking around the park on a Saturday morning or sitting in your living room on a Monday night. Anytime we acknowledge the greatness and presence of God it can be an act of worship. Psalm twenty four says:
“The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.” Psalm 24:1 (NASV)
Worship should take place outside of a church building as well as inside of a church building. I need to have a private time of worship as well as a public time of worship.
Psalm ninety five says:
“Come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.” Psalm 95:6-7 (NASV)
Remember Jesus was asked the question about the proper location of worship by the Samaritan woman at the well when she asked: "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." (John 4:20)
You know what Jesus response was:
"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24 (NASV)
Worship is not to be restricted to a certain building.
Myth #7
The main focus of worship is emotional
- Truth #7 Worship is to involve the emotions and intellect
Folks, many of us are willing to jump on the bandwagon if a sermon or a worship service gets us emotionally charged up. God has created us as emotional creatures. Everyone sitting here today has emotions. We feel sadness and gladness. We smile and we cry. We get bored and we get excited. God has made us emotional creatures. But let me tell you a truth – you are not going to be happy all the time – and – in all likelihood – every worship service is not going to give you a quiver in your liver. But, I believe that every sermon should stimulate your thinking. It should broaden your understanding of God. All of us – have a limited understanding of God. Who among us can completely understand the depth and breadth of God’s love and forgiveness? Who among us can truly comprehend the power and purity of God? Who among us can say, “I understand God completely?” There is no one who can say that.
I heard the illustration one time of five blind men who wanted to know what an elephant was like – so they went to the zoo to “see” one. The zoo keeper allowed the men to go into the enclosure where the elephant we kept. One blind man reached out and found the tail and said, “Ah, an elephant is like a rope.” Another man reached out and found the trunk and said, “No, an elephant is like a fire hose.” Another man reached out and grabbed the ear and said, “No, and elephant is like a fan.” Still another found the side of the elephant and said, “No, an elephant is like a wall.” Another found the leg and said, “You are all wrong – an elephant is like a tree.”
We only have a limited understanding of God – yet we can have a relationship with Him. We can call Him – our Father – our Savior – our Lord. He who created the universe wants to have a relationship with you. The Bible tells us:
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9-10 (NASV)
When I come to worship I should stand in awe – and my thoughts should reach for Him. My emotions should be stirred as well as my intellect. Peter tells us to, “Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18) As we worship our Lord we need to worship Him with all that we are. The Bible tells us:
"You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5 (NASV)
As we come to worship we should come with all that we are. Rmember:
Worship is for God and to God
Worship Is An Encounter With God
Worship Is An Imperfect People Worshiping A Perfect God
I want to thank Jim Butcher for the sermon starter idea and Gerald Flury for a couple illustrations.
