Worshiptainment
Worshiptainment
The first mention of “worshiptainment” I am aware of was almost a decade ago. Worshiptainment is the co-mingling of worship and entertainment. With the rock concert atmosphere, lights, and enthusiastic approval, Worshiptainment is a self-centered and industrious undertaking that fails to safeguard that which is holy from that which is profane.
Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. —Ezekiel 22:26 (KJV)
The atmosphere in these places is so akin to that of a rock concert that the only thing missing is a sea of lit cigarette lighters. But, throw in a couple of Hallelujahs, the name of Yeshua and, POOF, it is now a worship service.
Where did the Church ever get the idea that the Scriptures allow the Church to downgrade what is supposed to be God-focused worship into mere entertainment?
God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth —John 4:24.
In both the tabernacle and later the temple, the “holy things” of God were not to be treated as unholy. “Holy things” were never to be used for personal pleasure or entertainment. Not even the incense was to be duplicated for personal use or enjoyment under penalty of death (Exodus 30:37,38). Even the incense was sacred.
The sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, died because they burned incense using “strange fire” (Leviticus 10:1ff). The “strange fire” which Nadab and Abihu used was fire not taken from the brazen altar where God had commanded (Leviticus 16:12). The brazen altar was the place of sacrifice for sin. Only our thankfulness for being cleansed from our sin can be the fire which ignites our prayers, our worship, and our praise. It was, therefore, mandatory to follow God’s instructions. To deviate from God’s specific instructions was to dishonor God. After God killed Aaron’s sons, Moses reminded him with these words:
It is what the LORD spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.’ (Leviticus 10:3)
God also killed Hophni and Phinehas, sons of Eli the High Priest, because of their irreverence in worship. Their irreverence in worshiping and ministering before God displeased him (1 Samuel 2:12ff). Because of the manner in which they treated the sacrifice and worship, God said they despised them. They were irreverent by not following God’s instructions and taking unto themselves what was exclusively God’s.
In similar fashion today, people are showing that same spirit of irreverence by ignoring God’s instructions. Apparently people today believe that worship in the New Testament is boring. Because unless the worship satisfies their own senses, they are simply not interested. Many times I have people make a statement like, “Worship was not very good today; I did not get much out of it.” If worship is ever “bad” it is always the fault of the one doing the worshiping. If you did not get anything out of a worship service, then maybe, just maybe you did it right. Worship is something you GIVE to God. You are not SUPPOSED to get anything, you are supposed to GIVE everything you have in your heart to God.
It is like going to someone’s birthday party and complaining that the party was not very good because YOU did not get something. At the worship service it is God who is ENTITLED to receive, not those doing the worshiping.
Worship, in the sense of our response to God’s “worth-ship,” is strictly and wholly for God. Worship is not entered into so that we may RECEIVE something. God alone is to be the sole recipient. Our position in true worship, “in spirit and in truth,” must be one of giving...giving to the one whose worth-ship we recognize and dote upon. If we receive anything from our “service” demonstrating God’s worth-ship, it must be only in a derived sense, and not as our singular goal.
All that comes into the presence of God has to be holy. Every sacrifice, every prayer, everything has to be holy. Before the Old Testament priests could minister before God, they could not even approach him until they had been cleansed, and then clothed with holy garments. And every sacrifice that came before God was explicitly prescribed by God, and could only be offered in the way God commanded.
Too many churches today offer entertainment and call it holy music. They offer infotainment, psycho-babble, and self-help lessons and call it the Gospel. What was supposed to be holy is no longer holy. More on this later.
According to the Bible, it is possible to worship God in vain (Matthew 15:7-9; Mark 7:6,7). Our worship is made vain when we elevate man-made doctrines to the level of God’s will. Entertainment based “worship” is aimed directly at the less spiritual part of man.
Because worship to God is a personal exercise, there is no way to ensure that everyone is worshiping in the right spirit. However, that does not relieve the Church of its responsibility to provide the only environment where that can happen. The Church today must do what the Church of the New Testament is supposed to do, and the New Testament Church should follow the examples and principles laid down for us by Yeshua and the New Testament writers.
To drag true “worship” even further into the realm of entertainment, today’s churches no longer place a premium on the Bible. Once the pompoms and instruments are set aside after that robust and energetic worshiptainment session, then begins the “cool down” period where the audio/visual ministry will put up a verse of Scripture on the screen for you, eliminating the need for people to carry that pesky, heavy, cumbersome, controversial BIBLE around.
Even worse, those verses are often in some Milquetoast version such as the Good News or The Way. Gone are the days of learning where the books of the Bible are by actually turning to them. Apparently learning the books of the Bible and how to find them puts too much pressure on people.
What did worship look like in the New Testament? Only the inspired Word of God was read and studied as authoritative. Prayers are directed to God through Yeshua Messiah and no one else. Communion (the Lord’s Supper) is a time of reverent reflection on the meaning of Yeshua’s death. We should take a closer look at our model.
And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them. And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins,( he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day. —Luke 5:17-26
Now here is an amazing passage of scripture. Let me begin by citing the highlights of the passage:
- Yeshua was teaching
- Religious leaders were present
- The power (dumanis, spiritual ability) was present to heal them
Now here we must make an assumption based upon other passages of scripture. We must assume that since the POWER of God was present to heal, that Yeshua was not teaching a class on carpentry or fishing.
Since God's POWER to heal was present, we may look to Romans 1:16 where we are told:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Additional verses which marry the power of God with the gospel, either directly or indirectly are:
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. —1 Corinthians 1:18
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. —1 Corinthians 2:5
By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, —2 Corinthians 6:7
For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. —2 Corinthians 13:4
Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; —2 Timothy 1:8
From these passages of Scripture we may accurately conclude that Yeshua was teaching God’s Word, the gospel. Thus, owing to that teaching, the POWER of God was present to heal, because the gospel was being proclaimed.
None of the religious leaders were healed, even though God’s POWER to heal was present. Only one man, acting in faith, received healing. Before the man was physically healed, his sins were forgiven. After the man had received physical healing, THEY WERE ALL AMAZED, AND THEY GLORIFIED GOD, AND WERE FILLED WITH REVERENCE.
Yeshua is teaching, God’s power is present, a man is healed of the palsy, sins are forgiven, God is glorified and reverenced. All of this spiritual bounty and not one song has been sung. The same sort of pattern is repeated over and over again in the New Testament.
It must be duly noted at this point that, as wonderful and even as needful as worship is, it is nowhere in Scripture declared to be, “the power of God.” And there is a very good reason for that. Worship is not FOR salvation, it is the natural result OF salvation. The unsaved do not worship God, and they certainly do not worship him in spirit and in truth. If worship resulted in our salvation, then salvation would be by works rather than by grace and appropriated through faith.
Worship is NOT for man to enjoy (though man is perfectly free to enjoy it). Worship is for God to enjoy. The purpose of worship, as previously stated, is to make known in thought, word, and deed, the infinite worthiness of God to receive such adoration. It must be understood, therefore, that worship is not simply a few campfire songs; it is not just a sermon or the reading of some scriptures; it is not exclusively prayer, nor praise either.
The life of Yeshua was a life of worship and devotion to the Father. Even though Scripture does not officially declare his worship, we may rightly view ALL that he did and ALL that he said as being a part of his LIFE OF WORSHIP.
We should no longer offer to God the profane by mingling worship with entertainment. Offer the worship that God has prescribed. Worshiptainment is not pleasing to God. We should make every effort to detach ourselves from churches entrenched in worshiptainment and get back to basics. §
The Re-emergence Of The House Church
The Re-emergence Of The House Church
I am not given to making wild predictions or fanciful proclamations. Those things are best left to those who know that they Know that they KNOW they have heard from God. Still I have an ever-present, non-abating sense of urgency regarding the House Church. Therefore, without any claim as having directly heard from God on the matter, I feel compelled to share some thoughts with you concerning the House Church.A Little History
House Churches have existed from the very beginning of Christianity; the apostle Paul frequently wrote letters to “the church in your house” (Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:19; Philemon 2). Beginning in the second century a.d., and forward to this very day, House Churches were gradually replaced by specialized structures built specifically for Christian worship. These structures always required financial resources, and were, indeed still are governed by local regulations. This was especially true for nearly all religious groups during the colonization and settlement of North America.
On the American frontier, devout husbands or wives would conduct some form of simple worship service in the family home on a regular basis. Generally these house church gatherings involved singing, Scripture reading, prayer, and a brief devotional thought or reading from a religious text.
When there were a sufficient number of believers in the area to invite a traveling preacher to conduct services, the members would begin to make plans to build a special structure for public worship (and often education as well). Frequently the same structure would function as the town hall, the local school and the place for Sunday services. They were more along the lines of a civic center/religious center.
The Long Dark Road
Unless you just landed in America from another planet, far, far away, you are aware of the waning acceptance of Christianity in America, and the ever increasing acceptance of Humanism (yes, it is a religion). There is an ever increasing intolerance of traditional Christian values, and those who cling to those values are labeled as snobbish, arrogant, intolerant, bigots, racist, primitive, and unteachable; Christian fanatics. Little by little, believers have allowed politicians, unbelievers, and aliens to this country to dictate both the means and the extent to which we may openly practice our Christian faith.
However, we have now begun to enter more deeply into the shadows, but there is still enough ambient light to see the path ahead of us. Our faith is strong, our pastors are still in place, and our church building serves us well enough. Today we still have enough light to see ahead, but the farther we travel down this road, the darker it is going to get and soon we may not be able to see ahead of us at all. One day we may be stopped dead in our tracks; the pastor will be gone (or replaced by a Federal Appointee), the building will be more of a military headquarters, and doctrine will be a matter of public policy and no longer a matter of Scripture.
If you are thinking that this is just the ramblings of a delusionist, think about these things for a moment:
Where was your outrage when prayer was removed from schools by an atheist?
Where was your outrage when nativity scenes were made taboo by atheists?
Where was your outrage when homosexual marriages were legalized in your state?
Where was your outrage when the sacrifice of children was declared lawful?
Where was your outrage when Barack Obama declared that the United States is NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION?
It is time to wake up, Church, and smell the brimstone. It is safe to assume that there will be no outrage from this point forward, because the Church has become quite comfortable with being told what to do by those who should have had no voice at all. We have traded in our outrage for “peace” at any price; but there is no peace.
They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. 15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. 16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. 17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. —Jeremiah 6:14-17 AV
Now that I have your attention and (ironically) possibly your outrage, allow me to continue with the original premise — The Re-emergence Of the House Church.
Another Move Of God
Americans have always valued religious freedom, and the twentieth century gave rise to a number of new independent groups and House Churches. Today’s House Churches are not beholden to any particular theological tradition—they may be liberals or conservatives, Holiness, Pentecostal, or charismatic, Calvinists or Arminians. In some instances these House Churches are temporary arrangements to fill in while waiting on a new church building; in other cases they are an answer to prayer for intimacy and community that members have not found in a larger church. Additionally, some groups, like the Old Order River Brethren, regard the House Church as the only biblical model for Christian community and worship. They refuse to use church buildings.
Today, your taste may very well run in the direction of the (now) traditional church building in which a large congregation meets regularly. And to that I must respond, “Glory to Yahweh!” I am most definitely in favor of believers who worship God in spirit and in truth, regardless of where that may take place. My only concern is that you do not get too complacent, too comfortable, with your current mode (and place) of worship; “…for the times they are a changing.”
What is surprising is that a number of people who enjoy Worship Services in a dedicated "Church Building" look askance at those who prefer the more intimate atmosphere of a House Church. It is as if House Church worship of God is somehow inferior or lacking in acceptability.
Pooh, pooh, you say, “There is no way I would ever be so ingrained in my religious observance that I could ever possibly miss a move of God.” Strangely enough, THAT was the precise thinking of the Jews while they were busy not only REJECTING the Messiah, but also CRUCIFYING him.
Seriously, A New Thing
Read your Bible…it is replete with accounts of those who were so complacent that they missed the new thing God was doing or about to do.
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. 20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. 21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise. —Isaiah 43:19-21 AV
There are a good many pastors today who are far more intere$ted in number$ and offering$ than they are in perfecting the $aint$ for the work of ministry. (I already know YOUR pastor is not like that so no need to send me a plethora of emails to set me straight.) The issue, ultimately, has nothing to do with your current pastor; the issue is with you. Are you flexible enough to follow God in a new work? Can you abandon your cherished spot in the second row on the right side of the congregation? Can you take the pressure of not being able to hide in a church of 500; 1500; 5000? Will you be able to survive the close scrutiny of 8-20 believers in a House Church? I am suggesting you think about these things now, before the collapse of your current house of worship becomes a reality.
It May Look Like This
Since you have come this far, why not go all the way and picture what the House Church of tomorrow might look like. Many people participate in an offshoot of their current church; the Home Fellowship.
Many enjoy the Home Fellowship much more than the regular Sunday Worship Service because it is far more intimate; a greater sense of unity. I am going to use this familiar scenario as a basis for what the House Church of tomorrow might look like.
A Loose Format
A song or two, with or without music as the case may be; Bible reading, perhaps a formal teaching (if a teacher is present); prayers and prayer requests; discussions.
While there is certain to be some degree of structure to the assembly in the House Church, it is not likely that it will be of the same nature as that of your current worship service.
Mutual Participation
In a church of 100+, it is simply not possible (or feasible) for everyone to take an active roll in the service. But when the maximum capacity is 8-20 people, 100% participation is easily accomplished.
Furthermore, while timid saints are less likely to participate in larger groups, much of that fear is removed by being in a smaller group, which is generally filled with friends and family.
An Itinerate Pastor/Teacher
It is highly likely that after the collapse (or dismantling) of the typical church building these House Churches will be frequented by an itinerate pastor/teacher (possible even the same pastor you have now). This man (or woman) will bring a more formal message during his/her visitation, answer questions, judge disputes, make suggestions, give encouragement, etc. This will be done on a cyclical, revolving basis; each week visiting a different House Church, rinse, repeat.
Yes, I Mean Underground
If you are wondering if I am suggesting that these House Churches will be of an “underground” nature, the answer is an unqualified, “Possibly!” I have read the Bible from cover to cover several times, and as bad as things are, they are going to get worse. Never forget that! Things ARE going to get WORSE! No amount of prayer, intercession, fasting, pleading, whimpering, or spiritual warfare is going to prevent things from getting worse. Those endeavors may POSTPONE it, but they will not prevent things from getting much, much worse than they are now.
Graciously, that time is not now. But take an honest look around you…it is not as socially acceptable to be a Christian today as it was 50 years ago, 20 years ago, 10 years ago. Yet those whose hearts are filled with love for God and his Messiah cannot abandon gathering with those of like precious faith and worshiping the God of our Salvation.
The Church, Not Judgment
I am not one of those doom and gloom people; honestly I am not. Those people talk about how God is sending judgment on America and the world at large. Doom and gloom, fire and flood, shake and bake, get right or get left; that is simply not me. But I am also not one to sugar-coat the truth either. God is not sending judgment upon America or the world…God sent his Church, the body of Messiah. In the church we find both judgment and blessing. The question now becomes, “Will you minister God’s word when there is nothing but ridicule around you?”
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? —1 Peter 4:17 AV
God is taking a very close look at his church right now. Some adjustments, modifications if you will, must be made. You can resist, rebel, complain, and murmur as Israel did in the wilderness, or you can embrace the changes on the horizon and be a part of the New Thing God is preparing to do. Only one of those options has God’s blessing on it.
All Completely Hypothetical
All of this is, however, completely hypothetical. I mean, after all, your pastor has never told you anything like this before. If something like this were even remotely possible, surely he would have said something to prepare us for it…right?
Think of me as a friendly watchman (this is the time for you to re-read Jeremiah 6:14-17 AV). Or think of me as a poor, misguided delusionist, who has lost his way. In all honesty, it matters nothing what or how you think of me. What does matter is how willing you are to embrace the change that may be (is?) coming, and your willingness to move out of your comfort zone and walk in a new work of God.
Suddenly
The book of Proverbs speaks of calamity coming upon us “suddenly.” It also speaks of those who harden themselves against God’s movement being destroyed suddenly.
Get ready, saints. I say in all earnestness, get ready, be ready, stay ready. I may be completely misguided in my thinking, but even now your heart is understanding what your head is trying desperately to dispel. You owe it to yourself to prepare for a dramatic change in your life as a Believer on the Lord Yeshua of Nazareth. Do not suppose the world knows what is best for you. Do not be caught unprepared. Do not allow God to pass by undetected. §