{"id":4481,"date":"2019-02-28T08:50:42","date_gmt":"2019-02-28T14:50:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nafwb.org\/?p=4481"},"modified":"2019-02-28T08:50:42","modified_gmt":"2019-02-28T14:50:42","slug":"the-pastors-role-in-worship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/the-pastors-role-in-worship\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pastor’s Role in Worship"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Randy Sawyer<\/strong><\/p>\n

In his recently released book, The\u00a0Coming Evangelical Crisis<\/em>, John MacArthur Jr. recalls a character\u00a0that comedian Flip Wilson used\u00a0in his entertainment repertoire.\u00a0The pastor’s name was the Reverend\u00a0Leroy and he pastored The Church of\u00a0What’s Happenin’ Now. That was certainly\u00a0food for religious humor in the\u00a0early 1970s but no longer. In fact, numerous\u00a0churches dot the ecclesiastical\u00a0landscape today that could rightly\u00a0be known as the Church of What’s\u00a0Happenin’ Now.<\/p>\n

Adopting a postmodern philosophy,\u00a0many church leaders feel that to\u00a0become relevant, we must address\u00a0the “felt needs” of a disillusioned society.\u00a0Tradition, therefore, must be\u00a0discarded in lieu of an undated version\u00a0that is less offensive to the\u00a0boomers, busters, generation x, and millennials.<\/p>\n

The consumer is king, the pastor\u00a0and pastoral staff are salesmen, and\u00a0the church is a shopping mall, complete\u00a0with cafeteria offering a variety\u00a0of dishes that will appeal to the palate\u00a0of any would-be customer. This “marketing\u00a0the church” approach is seen\u00a0in many areas of church life, especially\u00a0with regard to worship.<\/p>\n

Mega-church pastor Rick Warren\u00a0models this concept more effectively\u00a0than most. In Purpose Driven Church<\/em>,\u00a0he argues that no style of worship is\u00a0correct. “Your preferred style of worship,”\u00a0he writes, “says more about\u00a0your cultural background than your\u00a0theology.” He adds, “The truth is,\u00a0there isn’t a biblical style of worship.”<\/p>\n

How do we respond to this line of\u00a0thinking? Is there a biblical theology\u00a0of worship? Does anything go?<\/p>\n

Biblical Worship <\/strong><\/p>\n

In John’s Gospel we find perhaps\u00a0the most significant New Testament\u00a0passage regarding worship. The text\u00a0(4:20-26) contains three specific characteristics\u00a0of worship as taught by\u00a0Christ.<\/p>\n

First, true worship is found not in\u00a0its form but in its focus. This is not to\u00a0suggest that the form is unimportant,\u00a0but that it is always secondary. True\u00a0worship above all else recognizes\u00a0the centrality of God.<\/p>\n

This would, of necessity, eliminate\u00a0the consumer-oriented, needs-based\u00a0philosophy. \u00a0Worship is to be God-centered,\u00a0not man-centered.<\/p>\n

Second, the passage teaches that\u00a0true worship is found not in an external\u00a0display, but in an internal reality.\u00a0“ln Spirit” means that worshiping is a\u00a0part of who you are as a human being.\u00a0Artificial gimmicks cannot stimulate\u00a0this kind of worship; it comes\u00a0from who you are and what you are.<\/p>\n

Third, John 4:20-26 stresses that\u00a0true worship is found not though a\u00a0subjective experience, but through an\u00a0objective understanding. To worship\u00a0“in truth” requires a growing knowledge\u00a0of the word which increases\u00a0one’s appreciation of God’s worth.<\/p>\n

We can program a worshiper to\u00a0respond to certain stimuli, yet that\u00a0stimuli may be altogether contrary to\u00a0truth. A song may strike an emotional\u00a0chord, while presenting a message\u00a0that is theologically erroneous.<\/p>\n

Scriptural Authority <\/strong><\/p>\n

Much of today’s worship is\u00a0commendable in its emotive aspects,\u00a0but the general lack of biblical content\u00a0is its greatest weakness. The church\u00a0today, in fact, exists in a theological\u00a0vacuum. What we believe is deemed\u00a0unimportant, how we feel becomes\u00a0paramount. The Christian community\u00a0treats experience as the final voice of\u00a0authority. True worship, on the other\u00a0hand, demands a balance between\u00a0the emotional and psychological.<\/p>\n

In the same text, John 4, Jesus informed\u00a0the Samaritan woman that God is a spirit. As an invisible, immaterial\u00a0spirit, God cannot be known\u00a0unless He reveals Himself. It is a fundamental\u00a0axiom of Christianity that\u00a0only God can reveal God and He has\u00a0done so in scripture.<\/p>\n

Does it seem logical then, that a\u00a0God who has specifically and carefully\u00a0revealed Himself at the same time\u00a0has chosen not to inform us as to how\u00a0we may approach or truly worship\u00a0Him? The fact is, the self-revelation of\u00a0God not only enables us to know who\u00a0He is, but offers definitive instructions\u00a0on how to approach Him. Scripture\u00a0alone must be allowed to regulate our\u00a0worship.<\/p>\n

Pastoral Responsibility <\/strong><\/p>\n

Responsibility for worship in the local\u00a0church, therefore, rests with the pastor, his life, and teaching. Today’s trend\u00a0is clear to shift the role of the worship\u00a0leader to musician or song leader. This\u00a0paradigm rests on a false dichotomy.<\/p>\n

The assumption seems to be that\u00a0music is worship while preaching is\u00a0something different. It is evident from\u00a0scripture, however, that both singing\u00a0and preaching constitute worship.<\/p>\n

It is the pastor’s duty to make absolutely\u00a0certain that worship has a solid\u00a0scriptural foundation. He should\u00a0keep abreast of various trends in music\u00a0and worship, and evaluate each by\u00a0God’s standard. His involvement in\u00a0planning the service can also go a\u00a0long way toward insuring that there is\u00a0Bible-centered worship.<\/p>\n

Furthermore, the pastor is to expound\u00a0the scriptures so that in reality\u00a0the Lord of the church is holding a\u00a0conversation with His people.<\/p>\n

“Word and worship belong indissolubly\u00a0to each other,” writes John\u00a0Stott. “All worship is an intelligent and\u00a0loving response to the revelation of\u00a0God. . . . Therefore acceptable worship\u00a0is impossible without preaching.”<\/p>\n

Finally, the pastor is to model true\u00a0worship before the congregation. Being\u00a0preoccupied with the details of\u00a0the service or his sermon notes will\u00a0not only affect the quality of his worship,\u00a0but the congregation’s as well.<\/p>\n

Observations<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is but a brief look at one of\u00a0the many passages that provide specific\u00a0guidelines for effective worship.\u00a0The fact is, there is a theology of worship\u00a0that is thoroughly outlined in\u00a0scripture. The principles of worship\u00a0advocated by Christ in John 4 require\u00a0that there be balance between “Spirit”\u00a0and \u201ctruth,\u201d and the focus must always\u00a0be “The Father.”<\/p>\n

If we continue to allow cultural\u00a0forces and personal preferences to\u00a0shape the way we worship, we will\u00a0find ourselves in a “constant state of\u00a0nervousness,” never knowing what’s\u00a0next and tragically misleading our\u00a0people with trends and fads which\u00a0God never intended. May God grant\u00a0His church a generation of leaders who\u00a0will search the Scripture and discover\u00a0a biblical-centered approach to\u00a0worship, worship God themselves\u00a0and lead others to do the same.<\/p>\n

Article adapted from Contact\u00a0<\/em>magazine, October 1996.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Randy Sawyer In his recently released book, The\u00a0Coming Evangelical Crisis, John MacArthur Jr. recalls a character\u00a0that comedian Flip Wilson used\u00a0in his entertainment repertoire.\u00a0The pastor’s name was the Reverend\u00a0Leroy and he pastored The Church of\u00a0What’s Happenin’ Now. That was certainly\u00a0food for religious humor in the\u00a0early 1970s but no longer. In fact, numerous\u00a0churches dot the ecclesiastical\u00a0landscape today that could rightly\u00a0be known as the Church of What’s\u00a0Happenin’ Now. Adopting a postmodern philosophy,\u00a0many church leaders feel that to\u00a0become relevant, we must address\u00a0the “felt needs” of a disillusioned society.\u00a0Tradition, therefore, must be\u00a0discarded in lieu of an undated version\u00a0that is less offensive to the\u00a0boomers, busters, generation x, and millennials. The consumer is king, the pastor\u00a0and pastoral staff are salesmen, and\u00a0the church is a shopping mall, complete\u00a0with cafeteria offering a variety\u00a0of dishes that will appeal to the palate\u00a0of any would-be customer. This “marketing\u00a0the church” approach is seen\u00a0in many areas of church life, especially\u00a0with regard to worship. Mega-church pastor Rick Warren\u00a0models this concept more effectively\u00a0than most. In Purpose Driven Church,\u00a0he argues that no style of worship is\u00a0correct. “Your preferred style of worship,”\u00a0he writes, “says more about\u00a0your cultural background than your\u00a0theology.” He adds, “The truth is,\u00a0there isn’t a biblical style of worship.” How do we respond to this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pastors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4481"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4481\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4482,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4481\/revisions\/4482"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}