TRUE WORSHIP OR DETRIMENTAL WORSHIP

John 4:23-24

Church music today sounds very different from church music of the past. Is our worship superficial or is it substantial? I have nothing against contemporary music. I don't think there's anything wrong with being new in music, the problem is not the difference between old music and new music it's between good music and bad music. Between music of substance and music that is frivolous that is so superficial it may be entertaining for a moment but sooner or later people say is there nothing more. True worship or rather pure worship has substance in the sense that it's not about entertainment but rather everything is about God and glorifying Him. If you listen to the church music today you'll notice that there will be excellent musicians playing. The song will have a brilliant melody but there is no glorifying God, there is no deep reverence of the Lord.

 In these latter days, Satan is infiltrating churches through worship, this is a reality that few have noticed and many ignore. One of the enemy's greatest strategies is to divert the worship that should be exclusively for God. He is doing it so subtly that even the most fervent worshippers don't notice.

What is happening in worship Services? Praise and worship are powerful spiritual tools, the Bible shows us in various passages that praise has the power to break chains and open doors, in Acts 16:25- 26 we read about Paul and Silas who even while imprisoned began to praise God as a result there was a great earthquake that opened the prison doors and loosed the chains of all the prisoners. This demonstrates the profound spiritual impact that praise can have but just as God uses praise to perform miracles Satan tries to pervert this weapon for his purposes he is cunning and knows that praise is a direct connection to God therefore he tries to distort and divert this practice to serve his own goals.

When it comes to contemporary music, one of the things I hear all the time is, we've got to be able to reach the new generation and the old music doesn't do it. Can you imagine designing worship for one generation of people? One of the great things about hymns in church history is that they reach across the centuries and they reach across age groups. Church music is not only for young people it is meant for the whole corporate body. This is something that's very true, look at songs like Amazing Grace or What a Friend We Have in Jesus these hymns do not just resonate with one generation but everyone from the old to the young can relate to this music and the reason for this is because this type of music was not created to attract people but rather to worship God. 

Imagine worship being diverted from its true purpose and becoming an empty performance with no spiritual purpose this happens when praise ceases to be an act of surrender and becomes a display of talent and entertainment, in II Corinthians 11:14 Paul warns us that Satan himself masquerades as an angel of Light this means he can infiltrate seemingly pious practices like worship to divert the Glory that belongs to God. One way he does this is by turning worship into a spectacle when the focus shifts from God to the quality of the performance the skill of the musicians or the sophistication of the production. The true purpose of worship is lost. True worship is about exalting God acknowledging his Holiness and completely surrendering to him. When this is replaced by the desire to impress others or to create a production, worship becomes empty and superficial.

God does not accept all forms of worship that are offered to him. In Genesis 4:1-7 we see that God was pleased with Cane's offering and displeased with Abel’s. What if our worship is not acceptable to him? What if our worship is offensive to him, what if our worship is displeasing to him? If our worship is displeasing to him then we’ve got to change our worship and we’ve got to find out what kind of worship is pleasing to him.

 To understand this infiltration we need to go back to the beginning. Lucifer before his fall was one of the principal Angels responsible for music in heaven in Ezekiel 28:13-15 he is described as being in Eden adorned with precious stones and with instruments prepared for him on the day he was created, this passage indicates that Lucifer had a special and elevated role in The Heavenly hierarchy being directly linked to praise and worship he was a cherub which means he had a level of closeness and responsibility before God that few other angels had. His role involved leading heavenly worship, a function of great honor and importance however his fall was caused by pride and the desire to receive the worship that belonged to God. In Isaiah 14:12-14 we read about Lucifer's arrogance expressed in his declarations of I will ascend,  he desired to elevate his throne above the stars and be like the most high this insatiable desire for self-exaltation and worship led to his rebellion against God.

 Lucifer was not content to be a worship leader he wanted to be the object of worship this excessive pride and subsequent rebellion resulted in his expulsion from heaven after being expelled from heaven Lucifer continued to seek ways to steal worship from God, having lost his original role. Satan uses his former musical abilities and knowledge of the power of praise to deceive and divert the worship of the faithful he knows how powerful true worship is and tries to pervert this practice for his evil ends. Satan's strategy involves infiltrating worship practices in churches diverting the focus from God to other things like performance. Music as entertainment and the exaltation of individuals this attempt by Satan to divert worship from God is a continuation of his original desire to be worshiped, by perverting worship he not only seeks to satisfy his desire to be exalted but also tries to prevent God from receiving the glory that is due to him.

Satan uses his deep understanding of human nature and worship to create distractions and distortions making worship mechanical and devoid of its true spiritual purpose. Today many worship leaders and music ministers may unknowingly be falling into traps set by him, this occurs when the focus of worship shifts from God to performance to producing a show or to the exaltation of individual talents in John 4:23- 24 Jesus emphasizes that true worshippers will worship the father in spirit and truth. When worship becomes a spectacle the essence of true praise and worship is lost and the environment is open to malign influences. The distortion of modern worship can be observed in the way many services have become entertainment events, churches invest large sums in state-of-the-art sound equipment, and sophisticated lighting and productions that resemble music shows more than worship services.

While technical excellence is not harmful in itself the problem arises when these elements begin to overshadow the true purpose of worship which is to glorify God. The central message can be diluted when the congregation becomes more spectators than active participants, moreover, the content of worship song lyrics often reflects this distortion lyrics that should be theologically deep and rich in spiritual meaning become superficial and focused on human emotions. Worship that should exalt God's holiness and sovereignty shifts to emphasizing the personal experiences and feelings of the worshipper this not only diverts the focus from God but also leads to a misunderstanding of who God is and his character. The quest for popularity and acceptance also contributes to this distortion. Worship songs are often created to please a broad audience which can lead to theological compromises the pressure to produce hits that go viral on social media platforms can result in the prioritization of catchy melodies and emotionally resonant lyrics that lack biblical depth. This Focus can turn worship into a commercial product rather than a genuine spiritual offering.

Another aspect to consider is the exaltation of worship leaders and musicians when the congregation begins to idolize those on stage putting them on pedestals the purpose of worship is again distorted instead of pointing to God. Worship starts revolving around human personalities this subtle idolatry can lead to a cult of personality where God's presence is secondary to the presence of Christian celebrities.

An additional point is the content of worship song lyrics often lyrics can be theologically shallow or even incorrect diverting worshippers from a true understanding of who God is and what he has done for us.  Colossians 3:16 instructs us to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly as we teach and admonish one another with Psalms hymns and spiritual songs if the lyrics of the songs do not reflect biblical truth they can become a tool in the hands of Satan to divert Hearts. The theological depth of worship song lyrics is essential to ensure that worship aligns with the truth of God's word when lyrics are superficial or contain doctrinal errors they not only fail to adequately glorify God but also can lead worshippers to a misguided understanding of the Christian faith.

The Bible repeatedly emphasizes the importance of correct teaching and sound doctrine in II Timothy 4:3-4 Paul warns that the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine but instead to suit their desires they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. Worship music has a significant impact on the practical theology of worshippers. The songs that are sung repeatedly during worship services help shape the understanding and spiritual experience of the people, if these songs contain weak or erroneous theology they can contribute to a superficial or distorted faith. Moreover, Worship lyrics that excessively focus on the worshipper’s emotional experience at the expense of God's glory and Christ's redemptive work can lead to man-centered worship. When the focus shifts to human emotions and experiences the center of worship is displaced Psalm119:105 tells us that God's word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path therefore worship song lyrics should illuminate God's truth and guide worshippers into a deeper understanding of who he is.

Theological integrity in worship lyrics is also vital for evangelism and discipleship, new believers and those still exploring the Christian faith may form their first impressions of God and the gospel through the songs they hear. Well-grounded biblically sound lyrics can help teach and reinforce the truth of the gospel while theologically incorrect lyrics can create misunderstandings and barriers to genuine faith in Titus 2 Paul exalts to teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine a principle that should be applied to the content of worship songs. Worship leaders have an enormous responsibility they are the guardians of worship in the congregation and must be constantly vigilant against any deviation that may occur James 3:1 reminds us that those who teach will be judged more strictly therefore worship leaders need to be deeply rooted in God's word and committed to true.  Worship leaders need to discern and avoid anything that might divert the glory that belongs to God. Their role goes beyond leading, they have the responsibility of guiding the congregation in authentic god-centered worship this requires deep theological understanding and a constant life of prayer, they must be examples of godliness demonstrating in their lives the Holiness and devotion they proclaim. Through music, their influence can shape the spirituality of the congregation so they must be aligned with Biblical truth and sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s direction. The worship leader must lead with humility always seeking to glorify God rather than highlighting himself.      

The worship leader needs to be attentive to the spirit's direction during the service being able to adjust plans according to divine guidance this requires an open mind and heart to hear God's voice and the courage to follow his instructions even if it means deviating from the original plan.

Without God's presence worship becomes merely an aesthetic activity lacking the power to transform lives. The Bible says in James 4:8 draw near to God and He will draw near to you God's closeness does not depend on external circumstances but on the sincerity of our hearts. John 4:23 Jesus said that the Father seeks worshippers who worship Him in spirit and Truth this means that God is not interested in how sophisticated our production

is but in how sincere and pure our worship is. True worship comes from a heart that recognizes the greatness and Holiness of God regardless of external conditions.

True worship creates an atmosphere where faith can grow and flourish; when people see and experience God's power in action their faith is strengthened, when we worship God in spirit and truth we attract his presence and release his power in our lives and circumstances. True worship is not just a religious activity but a powerful spiritual weapon that can change the course of situations and bring God's kingdom to earth.

 Think about the importance of music in your own Life. Music softens our hearts and allows God to speak to us; music is a channel of divine blessing, comfort, and strength even in the depths of suffering. Have you ever stopped to consider the power of music? Music is a powerful force; it gets our attention, grips our hearts, and changes our souls. Exodus 7:46 “And he said my presence will go with you and I will give you rest”, every time we pray, every time we open the word of God, every time we open our hearts and worship we are creating an atmosphere, we are inviting God's presence to be made known among us and when he does, it has power. The presence of God chases away every evil and unclean Spirit. It brings peace, it awakens our spirit it fills our hearts with joy.