As a worship leader, I have trouble wrestling with the fact that some people just don't want to worship. They don't want to sing or lift their hands in praise and adoration to God. Now that doesn't mean they are less of a Christian than the person next to them who is singing their heart out and raising their hands because the person next to them may just be there under pretense. Although I do think that a person's understanding of doctrine immensely influences the response of a person to God through music (and life, but I want to focus specifically on musical praise to God). As a worship leader, I can do all I can to make the environment perfect for an emotional drawing of a person, but without understanding great doctrine (like who God is, the Gospel, regeneration by the Spirit, the sinful state of man, grace, mercy, redemption, adoption of the children of God, etc.) we have nothing to base our praise and adoration of God on (this is a perfect reason to sing songs that have deep, meaningful doctrine).
Too much effort is being placed on making the environment the main influence to help people praise God. There are moving lights, laser lights, fog machines, animated slides for lyrics, and rockin' bands with sweet guitar licks and drum solos. Are these wrong to implement into a worship service? No, but if they are the main instrument used to influence people to worship, then yes, it is wrong. Are we worshipping, praising, and adoring God or the coolness of the environment?
My fellow Christian leaders, If we are not teaching our brothers and sisters about how great our God is, they will never be able to worship Him! If we never elaborate on the person and characteristics of God, how can they worship Him? If we put most of our focus the environment influencing the people, how is that not robbing them of praising God? How is that not robbing God of praise? No wonder the people don't worship and complain when the worship service wasn't perfect or wasn't exciting enough! Teach them of the greatness of God! Teach them of His holiness, His righteousness, His justice, His love, His grace, His mercy, His faithfulness, His patience, His kindness, His beauty, His majesty, His authority, His power, His wrath, His making a way for people to escape that wrath through Christ's sacrifice on the cross, and the list goes on and on! Understand that it is not the environment that causes people to worship God. It is the relationship they have with Him that causes them to worship. God isn't impressed by our feeble attempts at making worship look cool. His delight is in the worship-filled, praise-filled hearts of His people that adore Him. If we don't teach this to the Church, they will never know what the purpose of worship is. They will never come to the understanding that musical worship is not about how cool everything looks or how entertaining it's supposed to be.
Brothers and sisters, God is great and mighty. He is a fortress of strength and power. His authority knows no boundaries. His wrath is infinite against sin, but His love, grace, and mercy are infinite towards those in Christ. He is forever our King and Friend. He will forever be our Savior. He never stops interceding for us all day and night. He never stops carrying us through our struggles. He never stops holding us when we are weak. He never restricts His hand of mercy upon us. He never ceases to be great! He never ceases to be majestic! He never ceases to be holy! He never ceases to be righteous! He never ceases to have control over all of His creation! Who is like our God!
Who is like our God!
So why don't people worship? Because they don't realize the greatness of their God. They don't sing songs magnifying the greatness Him, songs that tell of who He is and what He has done. Leaders, take your people to the throne of God and leave them in utter amazement and awe of Him.
Blessings,
Nick
