Some trends are developing in worship services in the Lord’s church today that are aimed at pleasing those who are proposing to be worshipping and not to serve as worship to God. God didn’t leave us “in the dark” about what He expects of us, and that includes our public worship services.
These modern “added” trends in the Lord’s church are not very far from us. My wife and I attended a service of the Lord’s church within 25 miles of here and we had our eyes opened. Teenage girls stood at the back of the auditorium and led the public singing along with a group of young men. There was handclapping and so much disorder from the young folks that we looked up elders after the “service” was over and attempted to talk with them about it. Basically, we were told to mind our own business. These modern trends are popping up in congregations all around us.
So many seem to want to express their worship by handclapping, foot stomping, swaying and much loudness. They are expressing their emotions by their spirited display of worship. I certainly want to worship God in the proper way, that is, in the way He has directed, and I don’t find any of these things demonstrated in details of the way early Christians worshipped nor do I find them commanded or demonstrated in the New Testament at all. Those who do such things in worship seem to be doing it for show to draw attention to themselves; the focus is on them and not on God.
God doesn’t command us to be boisterous in worship or any other time. Paul said, “I exhort, first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings and for all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and gravity” (1 Timothy 2:1ff). He was not expressing a desire to see an outward display of godliness but to see people living godly lives in a quiet and peaceable way. In addressing the Thessalonian brethren, Paul even mentioned “how holy, justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you” (1 Thessalonians 2:10). Paul was reiterating that, when they went to Thessalonica to preach, their conduct was above reproach. They didn’t do things that would draw attention to themselves, but they did what demonstrated that they walked “worthy of God” (verse 12).
When I was preaching at another congregation, there was one man who never prayed until he got down on his knees. Knowing the man, I was certain he never did that as a public display, but he always strove to humble himself before God. That’s what getting down on one’s knees does! “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
God desires us to be humble and quiet before Him, not proud and loud. That kind of worship is inward, not outward. True worship should never cause one to do things that would bring a public display of attention to oneself but do the things that will glorify God. The scribes and Pharisees had a problem with this, and Jesus said “all their works they do to be seen of men; they make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments and love the uppermost rooms at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues and greetings in the markets and to be called of men, Rabbi” (Matthew 23:5ff). Jesus condemned them for doing all these things to draw attention to themselves, and He condemns us for that too!
Paul said, “If I yet pleased men, I would not be the servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). He continued by saying, “We speak, not as pleases men, but God Who tries our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4). We must strive to please God with our lives and our worship, rather than strive to please ourselves or any human being!
