Much of modern Christian music is missing the fullness of the Gospel.
I was grabbing coffee with a young man this week who writes music, plays in a Christian band, and deeply loves Jesus. Amidst the conversation, he commented that most of today’s Christian music is focused on love, grace, or how I feel—it’s about me and making me feel good.
Silas is only sixteen, yet his concern was profoundly mature—we are missing the fullness of the Gospel and truth of Christ. God does love us and gives us grace … but He also wants to convict us of sin and make us holy. And modern music has missed this important point.
It reminded me of A.W. Tozer who had a passion for true worship and often spoke out against the “god of entertainment” he often found in churches (and that was more than fifty years ago). Here is a pithy quote:
“The church that can’t worship must be entertained. And men who can’t lead a church to worship must provide the entertainment.”
Painful … yet sadly true.
Here are two more:
“Worship is no longer worship when it reflects the culture around us more than the Christ within us.”
and
“I wonder if there was ever a time when true spiritual worship was at a lower ebb. To great sections of the church, the art of worship has been lost entirely, and in its place has come that strange and foreign thing called the ‘program.’ This word has been borrowed from the stage and applied with sad wisdom to the public service which now passes for worship among us.”
What about you? Do you go to church for entertainment or to gather with other believers to truly worship the living God?
Do you wholeheartedly worship or merely sing the words on the screen?
As my friend Silas pointed out, worship is NOT about us. Christian music shouldn’t be about making us feel good but rather about turning our gaze upon Christ and reminding us of truth … even if that truth hurts and convicts.
As you gather with other believers this weekend, don’t seek to be entertained or merely sing some songs. Worship the Lord your God. Worship Him in spirit and in truth.
Know I am praying for you and cheering you unto that end.
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