Tag Archives: worship

Reverence

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by David E. Moss

There is quite a variety of worship styles these days – all the way from very quiet to very excited. Some prefer the more formal atmosphere while others insist that excitement during a worship service is much more appealing. The illustration is offered of a football game.

“If we can shout and cheer and jump up and down and wave our banners in support of a ball team, why shouldn’t we be just as excited about our salvation and our God?”

Is this analogy Biblically correct? If it is, we might have to ask the question then, “What about the tailgate parties before the game? Are our activities before worship like a tail gate party?” Unfortunately, I think they are. Our church auditoriums (or sanctuaries, if we can still call them sanctified places) are often as noisy five minutes before service time as a football stadium during warm-up exercises. I guess we are stirring up the adrenalin so we are ready for our sanctified cheers.

Our focus even in worship has become man centered rather than God centered.

I do not mean to belittle the sincere spiritual sacrifices that people offer to the Lord. My concern is not really one of volume or emotion. Both may very well have appropriate places in a worship context. My concern is one of motive and objectivity. It seems that even our worship has become man centered rather than God centered. So many aspects of worship that are excitable to human emotions are used not because God necessarily benefits from them, but because they help us feel good about ourselves and about what we are doing. On the other hand, what is it that God wants most from our worship?

Is worship about what we humans get out of it, or is worship about what we humans are giving to God?

This is the serious question we must consider: Is worship about what we humans get out of it, or is worship about what we humans are giving to God? The Hebrew word for worship, Shachah, means to “bow down” or “prostrate oneself before.” The Greek word, Proskuneo, means essentially the same thing. It even adds the humble imagery of the bowed individual kissing the hand in the same fashion a dog would lick the hand of his master. Noah Webster said way back in 1828 that worship was

“Chiefly and eminently, the act of paying divine honors to the Supreme Being; or the reverence and homage paid to him in religious exercises, consisting in adoration, confession, prayer, thanksgiving and the like.”

It appears to me that the predominant, if not the exclusive, thought in the concept of worship is giving – not getting.

Key Word

If there is one word that can summarize this for us, it is the word “REVERENCE.” Both the Hebrew and Greek concepts of reverence consist of fear, an overwhelming sense of awe, shamefacedness and bashfulness, none of which lends itself to the showmanship so often a part of contemporary “worship.” Psalm 89:7 says, God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and had in reverence of all them that are about him.

When we come together in one place as the Body of Christ, it is an opportunity for us to demonstrate the unity of our faith to Almighty God who deserves our corporate praise and adoration.

The antithesis to this key word is “ENTERTAINMENT.” As a society, we have become immersed in the desire to be entertained. Our heroes are those who can perform spectacular feats and thrill us with their talent or their courage. This has so completely been soaked up in the Christian community that the church with the greatest “show” gets the biggest crowd. We advertise our newest innovation in the Newspaper or on Radio vying for our portion of the floating congregation waiting to be teased with the most enticing “performance” of the week.

Confession of an Old-Fashioned Preacher

I have a confession to make. I happen to believe that the type of format we use for our Worship Services at the North Hills Bible Church is the kind of format conducive to reverent worship. I am committed to preserving this format. This includes the use of the old hymns that glow with reverence as well as doctrinal substance and wonderful harmony.

Granted, this is not very progressive. It may not be appealing to the unchurched masses and it may not be very entertaining.

But while I am confessing, let me go a step further. I believe it is wrong for the church to change so that we will be more attractive to people who are reluctant to attend church services. It ought to be the other way around. The church ought to be that place of stability, demonstrating the awesome unchangeableness of the Almighty whose name is holy and reverend (Psalm 111:9): to which wayward souls pursuing the restless and unfulfilling pleasures of the flesh can turn for refuge. Instead, the church has chosen to appeal to those same useless instincts of the flesh to draw the unsuspecting in hopes of capturing their hearts.

Conclusion

When we come to church on Sunday, it ought to be our desire that God receive the greatest benefit from all that transpires. Let me suggest some ways we can work to this end.

  1. Begin preparing for worship on Saturday. Pray throughout the day for cleansing so that you can be a vessel capable of beautiful sounds on the Lord’s day. Saturday evening, think about what you will be doing the next day and ask God to prepare you.
  2. Set your alarm early enough for Sunday morning so that you do not have to be frustrated by the rushof getting ready on time. During that pre-church time, concentrate on the worship that is to come and practice spiritual Christian character toward everyone with whom you have contact.
  3. Between Sunday School and church, practice quietness. Go into the auditorium, be seated quietly, read over the Scripture passage for the morning and pray.

Then, when it is time to worship, you may be surprised at the high level of emotion within you. But it will be different – selfless, giving, adoring, reverent. You may discover real fulfillment for the very first time.

Old-Fashioned Church

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by David E. Moss

An old Doonesbury comic strip portrayed a conversation between one of the characters and a Minister:

Man: “So how’d your new church get started Rev.?”

Minister: “Aerobics.”

Man: “Aerobics?”

Minister: “I needed something to attract folks from the community. The focus group suggested an aerobics class. It worked, so I added yoga and bingo, and then a few 12-step programs, and then we opened a soup kitchen, which led to cooking lessons. Before I knew it, I had my own denomination.”

Man: “Wow… so that’s how religion spreads.”

Before you dismiss this as a mere spoof on the church, consider this. In the early 1970’s, a young man and three friends conducted a door-to-door survey “to find out what people wanted in a church.” With results in hand, they began to construct a church based upon the opinions and interests of unchurched people. This was the beginning of a dramatic change in the way churches “minister” to their communities. With a theater-like atmosphere, and a come-as-you-are invitation, church services are becoming more like television variety shows. This is necessary, it is argued, because traditional forms of worship have become boring and predictable and consequently do not appeal to people where they are.

The flaw in this philosophy is in believing that what goes on inside the church should be driven by the experience of people outside the church. Worship, they say, should include elements of daily cultural experience so that people can relate to a spiritual message in a context they understand.

Proponents of these changes are the ones who do not understand. What good is a church that is patterned after the world? The church should be a place that stands in stark contrast to the world, offering itself as a refuge from all that is wrong. Instead, it is becoming a place in which each person who attends can find some element of compatibility with his personal experience.

  1. The Culture Gospel

    Nearly a century ago, Christians were concerned about the Social Gospel. Instead of being a light house for lost souls, the Church became a soup kitchen.

    Now, in the latter part of the 20th century, Christians need to become concerned about the Culture Gospel. Instead of being an oasis for the spiritually desperate, the Church is becoming a play house of cultural relevancy.

    Traditional forms of worship are disappearing as if they were dinosaurs. An atmosphere of reverence is nearly extinct. An expectation that people attend church services dressed respectfully for the occasion is frowned upon as archaic and old fashioned — as if there is something wrong with being old fashioned.

    Popular wisdom prescribes observing the cultural elements of people’s daily experience, transcribing them into a liturgical format, and presenting a Christian message in a vernacular setting. The more diverse the demographics of the community, the more diverse “worship” becomes. Something must be included to appeal to every segment of society. Baby Boomers, Generation X, Singles, ethnics, and an infinite list of other special interest groups become targets with new innovations. The activities of “worship” are fabricated with great sensitivity to all the people who may enter the refurbished halls of the Church.

    There is a very simple explanation for this phenomenon. The Church used to be focused on God. Now, it is focused on itself.

  2. Real Worship

    Traditional forms of worship are being discarded because of a misconception about their origins. The movement of Multiculturalism contends that European culture is oppressive and chauvinistic, preventing the free expression of other cultures. The carry-over into Christianity leads to a claim that traditional forms of worship are too restrictive because they originated within European culture. The conclusion is that they must be replaced with forms of worship that are more culturally inclusive.

    If truth be told, traditional forms of worship are not rooted in culture at all. It is mere coincidence that they were developed in a European cultural context.

    Traditional forms of worship are actually based upon a set of beliefs. 1. God is holy. 2. Those who approach God should do so in a manner which acknowledges His holiness. 3. This requires reverence, respect, order, mannerliness and a decorum honoring the station of Godliness. 4. Worship is the act of approaching God. 5. Therefore, worship is a sacred activity in which man conducts himself appropriate to the occasion.

    The effect of this is to bring people from all cultures into a uniform approach to the Almighty. Culture becomes irrelevant in worship because worship has nothing to do with where man is, and everything to do with where God is. The objective of worship is not to help man find himself, but to help man find God.

    1. Respect

      Respect is a primary ingredient of worship. It is demonstrated by attitude and appearance.

      One should enter a church service quietly and thoughtfully. This is so, not because the building is a hallowed place on the order of the Old Testament Temple, but because the gathering of the believers for the purpose of worship is a hallowed occasion.

      One should also dress appropriately for such an important event. Clothes communicate our attitude toward our activities. In the secular world people dress up for appropriate occasions. Business men wear suits to work, women wear evening gowns to banquets, and teens rent formal wear for graduation parties. But along comes the church with an invitation for people to attend the most sacred activity imaginable, dressed in clothes more suitable for the playground.

    2. Reverence

      Reverence is another primary ingredient of worship. It is demonstrated by our conduct.

      A worship service should be characterized by activity that shows the Lord God, our Heavenly Father, we understand who He is. One’s deportment in worship should communicate a reverence for the importance of the person to whom sacrifices of praise are being made.

      Entertaining ourselves ought to be the furtherest thing from our minds in a worship service. Sensuous music, lewd gyrations, hilarity and applause have absolutely no value in reverencing a holy and sacred God. They are totally man-centered activities. Worship should be completely focused upon the Lord God.

  3. Old-Fashioned Church

    There is a great deal of pressure on local churches to conform to the new ways. Not only is there competition from the secular world of entertainment, now churches are competing to create the most effective appeal to a demanding, self-indulgent community.

    In spite of this, there may yet be a place in each community for a local church that will resist this tidal wave and maintain an old fashioned form of worship. It can be an oasis for those who are being strangled by the crassness of man-centered worship. It can be a gathering place for the remnant who desire to acknowledge the real God in a worship format that is not based upon a cultural experience, but upon a set of doctrinal convictions. It can be a refuge for those who want to rest in all that God is, instead of relishing in all that man can do. It can be a quiet place of worship, where a soul can rest with other weary pilgrims and escape the disconcerting noise of a confused and disorderly world.

Conclusion

This may sound out of touch. It is. It is out of touch with the wisdom that descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish.

But this is in touch with the wisdom that is from above. Such wisdom is first, above all things, pure. It is only with this wisdom that the Church can offer worship to God that is truly acceptable to Him.

The people of every local church face this decision. Will they give in to the demands of a group of people who are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God? Or, will they stay the course, maintain respect and reverence in their worship, and think first about God and last about themselves? Will they be a modern innovation with a man-centered priority, or, will they be an old fashioned church with one simple objective — approach God on His terms, rather than their own?

Lifting Up Holy Hands

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by David E. Moss

What was once primarily a charismatic practice is now becoming more wide spread among evangelical Christians: that is, the raising of hands while praying or singing during worship services. Those who do it believe they are obeying Scripture, for they read in 1 Timothy 2:8, I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. Certainly, we do not want to cast doubt upon the sincerity of Christians who are trying to be intense in their worship of God by raising their hands. We do, though, want to have a right understanding about the things God has said. If God meant for us to raise our hands in the air while praying, why do so many of us not do so? Are we too lazy? Do we lack the feeling that charismatic worshipers possess? Are we missing out on something God wants us to experience? Or, could it be that God did not use those words in a literal sense and really meant for us to understand them in a figurative sense? Could this phrase, lifting up holy hands, be an idiom?

An idiom is a statement which is not intended to be literal, but to represent a peculiar concept. For example, when we want to describe how nervous a person is before a big performance, we say he has “butterflies in his stomach.” We do not mean by this that he has real physical butterflies flitting around inside his body. We are only drawing a comparison between the nervous sensation he is feeling and the erratic activity of those little animals. In this way, “butterflies in the stomach” serves as an idiom, that is, a statement not intended to be understood literally, but to describe a peculiar concept.

There are many idioms in our English language. Someone who is said to have a green thumb does not really have a thumb colored green. A green thumb is an idiom referring to someone who has a talent for gardening and an ability to make things grow. Similarly, to say someone has “cold feet” means he is nervous and hesitant to proceed. To be an “eager beaver” is to always be ready to work or do something extra. To “hit the bull’s eye” is to make the point of your argument. To be “dressed to kill” is to wear one’s finest clothes. None of these idioms are intended to be understood literally and everyone familiar with the English language understands the figurative implications when such statements are used.

Other languages also use idiomatic statements and the language of Scripture is no exception. When David said in Psalm 6:6, all the night make I my bed to swim, was he saying that his bed was doing the back stroke in the palace swimming pool? Of course not. He used the phrase as an idiom to describe the abundance of his tears. Or, how about when Jesus said, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet (Matthew 7:6)? Was he advising women against throwing their pearl necklaces in a pig pen where they would get squished into the mud? Obviously not. He used the statement as an idiom to show us how unprofitable it is to give the truth to those who have no interest in receiving it.

Among the many idioms that can be found in Scripture is this one, “Lifting up holy hands.” In telling us to lift up holy hands in prayer (1 Timothy 2:8), God did not have the physical gesture in mind at all. He used the statement as an idiom to represent the quality of a man’s behavior. In fact, God’s idiomatic use of hands in Scripture can be substantially demonstrated. And the lifting up of holy hands teaches a particular spiritual principle that all believers should practice.

God’s Idiomatic Use of Hands In Scripture

Some will argue that physical gestures like the raising of hands in worship were literal in the Old Testament and serve as an example for how we should worship in the New Testament era. In doing so they will refer to such verses as Psalm 134:2 which says, Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. On the one hand, it is possible that Old Testament references to lifting up the hands in worship were also idiomatic. On the other hand, the fact that Old Testament saints may have used certain physical gestures in worshiping God is not in and of itself a sufficient argument for New Testament believers to do the same thing. Many of the physical activities of the Old Testament served as pictures for spiritual activity in the New Testament. For example, in the Old Testament, unleavened cakes mingled with oil were offered to God as a sacrifice of thanksgiving (Leviticus 7:11-13). But in the New Testament, the fruit of our lips [itself an idiomatic statement since our lips do not actually bear fruit like apples or oranges] accomplishes exactly the same thing.

Hands are used idiomatically throughout Scripture to represent the activities of a man’s life. For example, Psalm 24:4 refers to clean hands and a pure heart. We easily understand that the word heart in this verse does not refer to the physical organ of the human body, but to the inner man, the person housed in the body. Used here in conjunction with a pure heart, we should also be able to see the idiomatic nature of the term clean hands as referring to outward man, and the things he does with his body. Thus, “clean hands” does not refer to physical hands that have been washed with soap and wa ter, but to the sanctified way in which a man has lived his life.

In 2 Samuel 18:28, Ahimaaz brought news concerning Joab’s victory over Absalom. In his report he said, Blessed be the LORD thy God, which hath delivered up the men that lifted up their hand against my lord the king. Absalom and the men who followed him did so much more than simply raise their hands in the air as a gesture of defiance against David. The phrase lifted up their hand was used idiomatically by Ahimaaz to describe the total movement of rebellion against the king.

In the book of Lamentations, Jeremiah described the great distress experienced by the remnant left in Jerusalem after it was decimated by Nebuchadnezzar. He also directed this little group to finally do what the nation had failed to do up to the very end: turn back to God with sincere repentance. His words were: Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens (Lamentations 3:41). Could anyone really think that he was suggesting a person should remove his physical heart and lift it up to heaven with his physical hands? Of course not. This statement is obviously idiomatic both for the word heart and the word hands. To lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens is to show God the genuineness of our repentance by a change in the behavior of our lives.

Thus in Scripture, as the heart often represents the inward man, the hands often represent the outward man. As in Proverbs 23:7, Solomon said, For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…, referring to the character of a man’s soul, so in Ecclesiastes 2:11 he said, Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought… referring to the activities of a man’s life. Of course, much of the physical activity of a person involves the use of his hands, whether in writing, or eating, or using tools, or a thousand other things. The hands are thus the logical part of a man’s body to be used as an idiom in referring to his behavior.

God’s Use of Hands In Making Spiritual Applications

The Bible is consistent in using the terms heart and hands when evaluating a man’s life. The heart represents the internal part and the hands represent the external part. Genesis 20:5 says, Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. Abimelech offered this statement as a defense for nearly taking Sarah to be his wife. The integrity of his heart described the motive of his inner man and the innocency of his hands described the actual deed. Abimelech used these two idioms together to say that both in motive and deed he was guiltless in his conduct toward Sarah.

This perfectly illustrates how the hands are used throughout Scripture to evaluate the activities of a person’s life. The following list of Scripture verses gives additional evidence that this is so.

Regarding evil or irresponsible activity:

  • Deuteronomy 31:29 – …because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.
  • Psalm 7:3 – O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands…
  • Psalm 9:16 – …the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
  • Psalm 26:10M – In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.
  • Proverbs 6:10 – Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep…
  • Proverbs 21:25 – The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.
  • Ecclesiastes 10:18 – By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.
  • Isaiah 59:3 – For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity…
  • Mark 9:43 – And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off:…

Regarding good or responsible activity:

  • 2 Samuel 22:21 – The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
  • 1 Chronicles 12:17 – …seeing there is no wrong in my hands…
  • Job 16:17 – Not for any injustice in my hands: also my prayer is pure.
  • Job 17:9 – …the righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.
  • Job 22:30 – He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.
  • Psalm 18:20 – …the LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
  • Psalm 18:24 – Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
  • Proverbs 31:31 – Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

The Idiom of Lifting Up Holy Hands

Following a consistent practice in Scripture, God uses the phrase lifting up holy hands as an idiom in order to teach a spiritual principle. He uses these words to say that a man’s prayers to God should be preceded by holy living. God, after all, is a holy God, and those who approach Him in prayer and worship should do so worthily: in a manner that shows respect and honor for the nature and character of His Divine Person.

In Isaiah chapter one, God confronted the nation of Israel for the impurity of their worship. In verse 13 He called their oblations vain, their incense an abomination and their solemn meetings on the Sabbath iniquity. But their worship was filthy only because their lives were corrupt. In verse 4 He said, A sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. The only way their worship could be pure was for their lives to be clean. So, in verse 16 He says, Wash you, make you clean: put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes…

In the Old Testament, God put a great emphasis on cleansing in preparation for worship activities. In Numbers chapter 8, He gave instruction to the Levites regarding this. In verse 6 He said, Take the Levites from among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. He explains in the chapter that this is necessary because the Levites have been set apart to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation (verse 19). No one who had not been properly cleansed would be allowed to participate in this service. Approaching the holy God was and is serious business and must not be attempted without appropriate preparation.

This same concept of cleansing in preparation for worship is carried over into the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 11:17-31, Paul confronted local church members for failing to properly prepare themselves for the observance of the Lord’s Table. He said in verse 29, For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. He then suggested that some of them were experiencing physical infirmities, even physical death, because of their failure to be properly prepared before approaching God in worship. He said in verse 28, Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. And in verse 31 he said, For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. In other words, a time of self examination and confession of sins is a prerequisite to acceptable worship because God wants those who approach Him to be clean.

It is for this reason that He said in 1 Timothy 2:8, that He wants people to lift up holy hands when they pray to Him, with more emphasis on the word holy than on the word hands. He wants people to present a clean life to Him when they intercede for others and make their requests known to Him. To approach God any other way seriously jeopardizes the chances God will respond affirmatively. As James 1:6-7 says, But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. God told the Israelites virtually the same thing in Isaiah 1:15: And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

Conclusion

Think about this logically for a moment. A person meanders through life during the week, moderately living by biblical principles, working a little, playing a little, but not really setting the world on fire by his faith. !n fact, occasionally he commits a little sin and causes his unsaved acquaintences to wonder about the genuiness of his profession. Then on Sunday he goes to church. He is greatly moved by the music and the excitement created in the worship setting. As the songs begin to affect his mood, he becomes very sentimental about God. He raises his hands above his head, closes his eyes, and slightly sways his body back and forth, feeling very spiritual because of the experience. In such a situation, has the raising of the worshipers hands really enhanced his approach to God, and has he gained any advantage that he would not have been able to secure without this physical gesture? Is God worshiped more effectively by raised hands than if the hands are not raised? After all of God’s rebuke to Israel for showy worship without substance (Isaiah 58, for example) are we to believe that He is pleased with such sentimental exercises while little attention is given to sanctification in the worshiper’s daily life?

A reverent posture in worship is certainly advisable. But even if we were to concede that raising the hands in worship was appropriate, there is another way that it can be done besides the charismatic model. By bending the arms at the elbows, a person can raise his hands to his chest and fold them together. With hands raised in this manner and with his head bowed, a person can assume a very reverent, respectful, and biblical worship posture. For all through the Bible, you find true worshipers bowed, fallen prostrate, and humbly subdued when in the presence of the Almighty. No where do you see them swooning sentimentally to visceral music.

But without a clean life to present to the Lord, no posture of the body is of any consequence to Him. Certainly, He Wants people to pray to Him. Certainly, He wants people to worship Him. But when they do, He wants them to seriously consider the divine majesty of the One they are approaching and to present themselves worthily. So He says, I will that men every where pray. But when they do, remind them to lift up holy hands. I want to see hands that are without wrath: that is; a life that is without violence and anger and offensive behavior. I want to see hands that are without doubting: that is, a life that is characterized by a vibrant faith and unwavering trust. I want people to pray to Me who have prepared themselves with holy living, showing by the daily conduct of their lives that they know and respect who I am.

So when you pray, lift your life up to God, not just empty hands. Let Him see how you have prepared yourself to meet with Him in holy communion. In doing so you may enter into a fellowship that is filled with joy and rejoicing because there is harmony between your spirit and God’s. How could it be that God would desire any less? How could it be that we would want to give God any less? How could it possibly be that God would be satisfied with a few sentimental physical gestures? We ought to know that His interest in us goes much deeper than that.

An Introduction to CCM

Literature, , , ,
(Contemporary Christian Music) – or – Should We Be Introduced to It at All?

by David E. Moss

Part 1

Music will never die as an issue in the church because it is too much a part of what we do in worship. We must, therefore, keep ourselves informed as to the trends, philosophies, and influences which are constantly being pressed upon Christian music in our modern world. Otherwise, our ignorance may allow us to be led down a path that irritates God.

Contemporary Christian Music is the industry that predominantly determines those trends and philosophies that influence Christian music today. Its primary emphasis is to produce and promote secular music that has been Christianized. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary defines the word “contemporary” as meaning in one sense “happening, existing, living, or coming into being during the same period of time, simultaneous.” But the same dictionary gives another sense to this word as “marked by characteristics of the present period, modern.” It is in this second sense that promoters of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) identify their product. In other words, CCM is not just Christian music that has been written in our times, but it is “Christian music” that is characterized by the culture of our times.

This is exactly what CCM claims for itself. In a statement taken from an internet website titled “The Almost Definitive Contemporary Christian Music Hot Page,” the promoters of this industry put this definition in their own words.

What is Contemprary Christian Music?

Christian Music has been around in some form for almost 2000 years, since the time of Christ. But what exactly is Contemporary Christian Music? Before the early 1970’s, Christian Music could be categorized as either Traditional Hymns, Southern Gospel or as Traditional Black Gospel styles. From the Peace Movement of the late 1960’s came a time of Christian revival for young people across the country. This concurrent movement was known as the Jesus Movement. From the Jesus Movement, came many new Christians who were anxious to tell others about Jesus, but found the traditional methods of sharing and worshiping restrictive and out-dated. Many of these Jesus People started developing new worshiping and witnessing styles. An effort was made to write music which was culturally relevant or contemporary. The desire was to create music that would appeal to the current searching generation. Thus was born Contemporary Christian Music. From the early days of the Jesus Movement, new Christian singers such as Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill and Chuck Girard emerged to reach their generation. The name Contemporary Christian Music was coined to distinguish this style of music from the more traditional forms of religious music. The word contemporary has proven to be an appropriate description of this music over the last twenty years, as the styles have kept up with its secular counterpart. The ever evolving state of C.C.M. includes such diverse and contemporary styles as rock, jazz, blues, dance, metal, rap, alternative, new age, grunge, punk, thrash, death, gothic and industrial [etc.]. Yet regardless of the form, the essences of all Contemporary Christian Music is the same – to share God’s love to the current generation in a way that can be both understood and enjoyed. This Contemporary Christian Music Hot Page is designed to be a current guide of the different C.C.M resources on the Internet. Any current information would be welcomed and encouraged to help keep this place, contemporary. As far as whether or not you agree or disagree with the particular spiritual condition of some of the artists listed here — Sorry — Deal with It!

[Emphasis theirs.]

Thus, CCM consists of taking whatever style of secular music is currently popular in the world and attaching “Christian” words to it. As a result, we have people adorned in 1960’s dress and attitudes [you just have to deal with their lack of a spiritual testimony which is not relevant to the music] playing drums and electric guitars leading the worship services in our churches.

The promoters of CCM argue that all styles of music are morally neutral. By this argument they seek to nullify the traditionalists’ objections based on the biblical principles of not loving the world (1 John 2:15-17) and not touching the unclean thing (2 Corinthians 6:17).

For too many well meaning Christian people this rationale has worked. They have given in to the pressure and either have provided an alternative contemporary service for those who desire it, or have incorporated contemporary elements into the regular worship service. Once again, the word contemporary is used in this context not as meaning chronologically concurrent, but as meaning culturally relevant. Thus church worship services have come to look and feel exactly like secular or worldly gatherings and events.

For those of us who recognize that loving not the world, neither the things that are in the world includes worldly music, what can we do to prevent this from happening to us? We must have a commitment to the sacred traditions of hymns and gospel songs. We must draw the line earlier rather than later, and stop the incremental change in our music before it gets started.

Granted this is not easy because the change is usually unnoticeable in the beginning. You do not usually show up for services one Sunday and find out that your local church has completely converted to contemporary worship. It generally comes about in small steps. It begins with the introduction of a very lightly pop styled song. The difference between the new song and the traditional gospel song is sometimes so slight it is nearly imperceptible even to those who have some knowledge of music. This new song is enjoyable and seems harmless. No one gives it a thought. But then comes another song that is a little more pop styled. It is not much different than the first new song. It is, however, a little more noticeably different from the traditional gospel song than the first new song was, but the conditioning process has already begun. So the second new song is readily accepted also. Then another new song comes along
that goes a step further. And so the process continues, gradually conditioning a congregation to accept ever increasingly worldly songs into their worship services. Then one day, someone wakes up and says, “How did we get where we are?”

We have gotten where we are because we did not draw the line early enough. It is not easy to draw the line early in the process because at that point there does not seem to be a problem. It is just like the frog who was set in cold water and very gradually boiled to death. When was the water too warm? When was it too late for him to jump out? But perhaps a better question is, Why was he in the pot in the first place?

Part 2 – Choosing Our Values for Music and Worship

The issue of music is a never ending one among Christians and it is being discussed everywhere. Recently, there was an article published in a newsletter from a Christian health care concern stating that their staff had not been able to reach a consensus on the subject even after hours of wrangling. It is quite interesting that such an organization would print a statement like this. It is not a local church or even a para-church ministry, but the differences in music values among their staff had become a hot issue and for some reason they wanted everyone to know about it.

Because music is so important to the life of the church, it is imperative that we understand the issues involved in this continuing debate so that we are able to make wise choices in the music we use to worship the LORD. We need to lay a foundation of good biblical values in music and learn how to apply these values in specific practical ways as we mold the worship services of our local church.

Competing Models For Worship

A model is a pattern of something to be made or copied. For example, developments often have model homes. No one actually lives in the model home, but it is built exactly like a home someone could build for themselves. It is provided as an example or pattern for prospective home buyers to observe. This term “model” is used also for patterns by which programs or organizations are structured. It is used in this article to refer to different types or styles of worship.

There have always been different worship models in the church. Some models are very ritualistic while others are much freer and spontaneous. Some worship models are very orderly and reverent, while others encourage the expression of unreserved emotions. Among
evangelical churches there are two basic worship models being used today.

The Traditional Worship Model

The traditional worship model came out of the Reformation. Prior to the Reformation, the Catholic church had placed the “altar” as the central feature of the platform in church buildings. This made ritual and liturgy the most important element of worship. But the most significant development in worship during the Reformation was the replacing of the “altar” with the pulpit. The purpose of giving the pulpit this place of honor was to elevate preaching to the most important part of worship. To this day, preaching continues to have a significant part in the traditional worship service. Sermons are Bible based and teach doctrine and godly lifestyle principles. Other elements in this worship model include Scripture reading, prayer, congregational singing from a hymn book of traditional hymns and gospel songs as they were originally written, choral music of traditional hymn arrangements and scriptural anthems, and special music by individuals or small groups, vocal and instrumental, typically with live accompaniment on the organ or piano, consisting of traditional Christian music.

The characteristic atmosphere of this worship model is reverence. The belief is that as Christians gather to worship God, He is to be revered in a manner that shows deferential respect in an orderly manner.

1 Corinthians 14:26-33 – How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. …Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

For a traditional worship service, people generally dress up in their “Sunday best” as a gesture of honor to God. While there are times of quietness in the service as the congregation bows before God together, there are times of great passion as well as the hymns are sung from the heart and the preaching is heard with a teachable spirit.

The traditional worship model holds to the belief that the purpose of the assembly of believers is to honor God for all that He is as God and all that He has done for us through His Son Jesus Christ, and to edify and fortify believers for their daily walk in Him. The lost are always welcome, but the hope is that through what they observe they will be brought to conviction and call on the name of the Lord to be saved.

1 Corinthians 14:23-25 – If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.

The Contemporary Worship Model

There is a new worship model that has rippled through Christianity, crossing all denominational lines including evangelical and fundamental churches. This worship model is called contemporary worship. Sometimes you will see the notices on the church bulletin board as you drive by announcing a time for a traditional service and a time for a contemporary service.

The contemporary service has several unique elements. There is often a worship team which stands on the platform, with microphones in hand, and leads the congregational singing. Songs are generally of a style called “praise and worship” consisting of choruses and other songs of lively tempo. The words are shown on an overhead screen and are learned by listening to the worship team sing them over and over. Usually, no written music is provided and no hymn books are used. This song service may last for a considerable period of time. It may include clapping, waving of the arms, and swaying body movements. The music is often accompanied by a “praise band” consisting of drums, electric guitars, tambourines, and other such instruments. Special music is often accompanied by pre-recorded music on cassette tape and consists of songs from the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) repertoire. Interpretive movement (dancing) is becoming a common element of this worship model. (As spirited music naturally generates body movements, this is a logical outcome.) Drama may at times replace preaching, and the preaching that does take place is often abbreviated. The content of sermons generally consists of social issues and relationships matters rather than Bible content and doctrine.

The characteristic atmosphere of this worship model is one of entertainment. The pulpit is either made portable or removed altogether and the focus is on a great deal of activity on the platform which the congregation comes to watch. Every performance is applauded. Many attend these services in casual clothes. The stated objective is to be “seeker friendly.” This means the “worship service” is constructed in such a way as to be non-offensive and inviting to those who are not yet Christians. It is considered spiritually incorrect to call them “lost,” so they are called “seekers.” It is considered a bad thing to offend seekers with direct gospel preaching, so they are lured into Christianity by nice entertainment.

This worship model has several sources. The so called “praise and worship” music came out of the charismatic movement. The use of contemporary music and drama grew out of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, a large church founded on the desire to appeal to the interests of young people and the unchurched rather than biblical principles. This worship model has also been fostered by new-evangelical pragmatism that rejected separation and adopted assimilation as a preferred approach to Christianity.

Basic Values In Music

These differing worship models are based on extremely different values.

Traditional Values

  1. Music comes directly from the heart of God. God Himself delights in singing and He encourages His people to sing.

    Zephaniah 3:17 – The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

    Ephesians 5:18-19 – …but be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and
    hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

  2. Thus music is an important subject to God. He has definite thoughts about the subject which He has communicated in His Word. References to music can be found in at least 393 verses of Scripture in 43 different books of the Bible

  3. Music contains moral elements. It is therefore necessary for us to understand what those moral elements are so that we can include in the music of our worship services and our Christian lives only those forms of music that are acceptable unto God.

    God gave us a principle of primary importance in Ephesians 5:10 – Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

    David played music that drove away an evil spirit from King Saul. The moral elements of David’s new song could not be tolerated by the evil spirit. This illustrates the existence of moral elements in instrumental music apart from the words of a song.

    And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. (1 Samuel 16:23)

    The Bible Speaks of:
    • The song of drunkards (Psalm 69:12)
    • The song of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:5)
    • The song of derision (Lamentations 3:14)
    • The song to a heavy heart (Proverbs 25:20)
    • The song of vanity (Job 35:13)
    • The song of an harlot (Isaiah 23:15-16)
    The Bible then speaks of:

    • The New Song. The new song stands in contrast to the old songs of the flesh listed above. It is a song that has the capacity to praise God.

      And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. (Psalms 40:3)

      Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. (Psalms 149:1)

  4. The words of a Christian song should be biblically accurate, doctrinally sound and edifying for believers.

    First of all we are to maintain soundness in our doctrine.

    Titus 2:1 – But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:

    Secondly, every element of a church service, including the music, is to provide edification to those who attend.

    Psalms 47:7 – For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

    1 Corinthians 14:15 – What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

  5. The musical message of a Christian song should agree morally and spiritually with the message of the words.

    2 Corinthians 6:14-17 – Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

    Psalms 144:9 – I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee. Note: The new song would lose its effect if the old music was the vehicle used to convey the words.

  6. Music is an important part of worship. While the purpose of worship is to honor God and glorify Him, all music used in worship services should contribute to that goal.

    Isaiah 12:4-5 – And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.

  7. It is the Spirit of God that directs us to sing God honoring music. Being filled with the Spirit and with the word of Christ comes first, then comes the musical response.

    Ephesians 5:18-19 – And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

    Colossians 3:16 – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Contemporary Music Values

  1. God made music and everything God made is good. Man is, therefore, free to enjoy all forms of music as a gift from God.

    Note: When God created the earth, he saw that it was good. But when sin entered the world, a curse was placed upon creation that will be eliminated only by the making of a new heaven and new earth. Man has perverted many of the good things God made and music is one of them.

  2. Music is morally neutral. There are no moral elements in music.

    Note: This is often illustrated by playing one note on the piano and asking, what can possibly be immoral about that note? The rationalization then is that all music is merely the compilation of individual notes that are morally neutral. However, consider a contrasting illustration. If you point to one letter in the alphabet, you can say that one letter is morally neutral by itself. Following the above logic, it would then be impossible to have any immoral literature, because all writing would be merely the compilation of individual letters that are morally neutral. It is possible, though, to take the same group of letters and arrange them
    into entirely different messages. For example, the letters e, i, l, and v can be arranged to say “live” which is good, or “evil” which is bad. The same is true about the arranging of individual musical notes. Depending upon how they are arranged they can convey a moral or an immoral message.

  3. All forms of music are acceptable unto God in our worshiping Him. Because I am His child, whatever I do glorifies God.

    Note: The Israelites learned that God did not accept everything they did in worshiping Him (Isaiah 58). It was the lesson of Cain all over again. Cain brought his offering to God in a very sincere manner, but God rejected it. Just because we say we are worshiping God does not mean that God accepts our worship. Whatever we do is not acceptable unto Him simply because we are doing it.

  4. Music is a means by which we can be drawn into the spirit.

    Note: When music is used as a means to draw people into the “spirit,” all it does is create an emotionalism that is called spiritual, but in reality is not. True worship can be very emotional, but emotions are to be the result of and not the cause of true worship. The proper approach to worship will produce godly emotions. The improper approach will produce fleshly emotions.

  5. Contemporary Christian music is a good thing because it draws young people to church and some even get saved.

    Note: This is classic pragmatism in which the ends justify the means. But in God’s eyes it is never right to do wrong, even if the goal is a noble one.

  6. The purpose of worship is to bring people into fellowship with one another.

    Note: This makes worship man centered. However, the Bible never suggests that worship is about man. Worship is about God and ascribing to Him the worth of which He is worthy.

Making Choices

In light of these values, what are some of the choices we must make in order to preserve the traditional worship model in our local church? Some churches do still use the traditional worship model exclusively, but they are becoming fewer all the time. The pressure is on to change and change is occurring everywhere. Some churches use the contemporary worship model exclusively. Some churches have two different services, one traditional and one contemporary. And some churches seek to blend the two worship models together using some elements of each in the same service. What is the right thing for us to do?

We must desire first and foremost to please God and not men. Contemporary thoughts on music and worship make worship to be man centered. Worship services, they say, must appeal to those who participate. However, worship is not about us as humans; it is about God. If we can keep our focus on pleasing God and not men, our choices in worship will become much clearer.

We must choose values in music and worship that are biblical and acceptable unto God. These will serve as our foundation in making good choices regarding how we worship God. This requires a constant reminder of what God says about music, to keep our senses exercised in discerning both bad and good.

We must maintain separation from the world. Since the basis of contemporary Christian music is the assimilation of worldly music, if we can keep our commitment to remain separate from the world, a lot of musical choices will automatically be eliminated. This principle includes separation from music companies which make a great deal of profit from the production and sale of worldly music on “Christian” labels. If we do not purchase music from those who produce contemporary Christian music, we will also protect ourselves from the influences of that industry.

Those who participate in the music of the church should be those who are walking in the Lord and growing in His Word. Their testimony outside the church should be in harmony with the testimony of their participation in the worship of our Holy God and Precious Savior who bled and died and rose again to rescue them from sin and the world. The desire of the heart of every participant must be to please God and not men.

We must determine the limits beyond which we will not go in specific musical selections. Sometimes this may be difficult to maintain. Sometimes questions are raised which seem to suggest gray areas where compromise is reasonable. For example, is a particular song by a particular song writer which is produced by a particular recording company and sung by a particular musical artist okay as long as this particular song seems to meet our music policy even if other songs from the same source are not okay? Do we throw a “good” song out just because of its associations? Is a particular song not okay just because a few notes are a little over the line? How many notes does it take to make a song bad? Besides, aren’t there some songs in our hymn book that go a little over the line? Do the words of every song have to be absolutely from the Bible? Granted the details of musical elements can become very involved and complicated and tedious at times to consider.

But our rationalization should never be — how far can we go and still be okay. Rather it should be – what are the choices we must make to insure that we are never guilty of compromising the glory of God.

Some simple choices like these will preserve a traditional worship style that honors God and shows Him true reverence. It will encourage a worship style that will edify believers and bring true conviction to those who have ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts to understand. As time goes by, making these choices will be increasingly difficult. But as the contemporary Christian music and worship movements gain momentum, we must be ever more conscious of the care we must take in preserving that which is acceptable unto God.