Worship Styles and Idolatry

I grew up in a musical family. My Dad directed church choirs and led congregational singing in churches most of his life. He had me singing solos in church when I was almost too small to hold a microphone. I love singing in church, and like every American Christian, I have my preferences or tastes, concerning style and genre in worship, but I have come to the realization that musical style or genre has about as much to do with worship as frying eggs has to do with what color of spatula you use. Jesus said in John 4:24, "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth." True worship requires a correct knowledge and expression of who God is, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of God's people, not a particular musical style. Furthermore, singing and the playing of instruments are only two of many Scriptural expressions of worship, including prayer, fasting, the preaching of God's word, the Lord's Supper, giving, and the exercise of love and good works.

If you are quarreling or fighting with your brothers and sisters in Christ over what particular style or genre will be used in the public worship of your church, I encourage you to take a look at the desires of your heart no matter which "side" you are on. It may be that in your allegiance to a particular style, you are worshiping the experience or the pleasure that music brings you rather than worshiping God.

James wrote to the church, "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war . . . (James 4:1-2). When James speaks of "murder," he seems to be referring to the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus said that not only those who murder will be in danger of the judgment, but even he who is angry with his brother without a cause or calls his brother a fool will be in danger of the judgment and the fires of hell. In other words, James is referring to murder of the heart--anger, hatred, complaining, division, and quarreling that results from our selfish desires for pleasure, when we do not get our way. Could it be that you are "murdering" your brothers and sisters in Christ for the pleasure of music or a "worship experience?"

James continued in v. 4, "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." James is clearly referring to spiritual adultery or idolatry. If our love of musical style and the pleasure it brings us takes precedence over our love for God and our love for one another, our priorities are mixed up. We are guilty of spiritual adultery, which is idolatry. We are just like the world, worshiping the creation rather than the Creator. Music is a god of the world, not the God of the church. We are supposed to worship the One who created music. We are supposed to use music to worship Him. But is God pleased with our worship when there is bitterness in our hearts? Does he even want our sacrifice of praise when we are at war with our brothers and sisters?

Jesus said, "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23-24). Jesus does not want our sacrifice of praise, if we are not willing to obey His commandment to love one another as He loved us (John 13:34). He does not want to hear our "traditional worship," or our "contemporary worship," or even our "blended" praise, when there is murder and dissension in our hearts.

Often people on one side or the other of the issue will argue that the church needs music that will appeal to those outside the church so that they will feel comfortable coming to church, or that the church needs music that is appealing to a particular generation or age group. Then they will argue that the particular style of music that they prefer is the best suited to draw people into the church. I do not think there is anything inherently wrong with using music as an outreach tool, but that is not the purpose of music in public worship. The purpose of music in the church is two-fold: 1) to praise God; and 2) to encourage or edify believers. Paul said, "be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:18-19).

Furthermore, the Bible never instructs us to use music as an evangelistic tool, or as a means of getting people to come to church. Rather Jesus commanded the foolishness of the preaching of the Gospel and the exercise of love and good works as the means of advancing His kingdom (1 Corinthians 1:21; Romans 10:14; Mark 16:15). Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16) In other words, people in the world will not be drawn to God by our music, but by our good works and by the work of the Holy Spirit in opening their blinded eyes to the truth of the Gospel that we proclaim, which is "foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 1:18; John 6:44; Romans 1:16; 10:17).

Jesus also said, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). What does the world think when they see us fighting over music. Often in the world, music brings people together. Many who love music in the world are open-minded to different expressions and genres. I wonder what they think when they see that music is a source of division in the church? Do they recognize us as the true disciples of Jesus when we bicker and quarrel over our personal preferences? Do unbelievers see anything that distinguishes us from the world based on the way that we treat one another? The world already has music! They can have it anyway they want it, and the church cannot compete and should not try to compete with the show of music that the world puts on. If we do not have the love of Christ, we have nothing to offer them (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). But if we do have the love of Christ, we have everything to offer them!

Think of it! Jesus left the majestic music of heaven and the worship of the angels surrounding His throne to hear the humble music of the bleating of sheep and the lowing of oxen in a filthy, earthy cave where animals were kept. That is what the Son of God heard when He was born. There was no fanfare written to celebrate His arrival. For our salvation, He "made Himself of no reputation," and "humbled Himself" by becoming a man, a bondservant, and by becoming "obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Philippians 2:5-8). He did this for us! And He has commanded us to love one another as He loved us (John 13:34). If any principle in Scripture should govern our selection of musical style or genre in the church, it should be Philippians 2:2-3, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." Brothers and sisters, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:4). Put the preference of your sisters and brothers above your own! And if you truly want to reach the world with the Gospel, "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:14-15).