Worship Matters
A couple years back, I read the book Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin. I recently revisited this book as I was thinking about worship and was reminded how impactful the book was on my ideas of worship. I have no musical bone in my body. I am the type of person who cannot sing and clap at the same time because I will get off beat. Yet, I love worshiping on Sunday morning. I am grateful to Paul and the worship team as they prepare and lead worship in a God-centered way. This book was written to those who read worship, but I found myself examining my own life as I read. Here are the top eight concepts I gleaned from reading this book.
1. We serve idols if we love the object more than we love God (21). This holds true for every person sitting in church on a Sunday. Worship can easily become an idol if we elevate style over the Person we are worshipping. I have heard many people complain about worship at church. The complaints are never about the music being theologically shallow but it’s always about style. They didn’t like the hymn or they didn’t like the new contemporary song that was sung. Many people leave church because of the worship style. Every person in the congregation needs to check their heart when it comes to worship. Worship is not about us but about Jesus. We need to check our hearts when it comes to worship.
2. Can our songs be sung by someone from another religion (62)? This applies directly to worship. This statement hit me hard. Do I like theologically rich songs or do I prefer more shallow songs? Would a Muslin, Atheist, Buddhist, or a person from any other religion get offended if they listened to my worship playlist? Our worship songs should be filled with lyrics that set us apart from other religions. They should be a hideous noise to those who are perishing, but a beautiful sound to those who know Jesus.
3. We worship because of what Jesus has done (71, 77). One way to set our worship apart from other religions is to talk about Jesus. We don’t want to just sing about how Jesus loves us, which is true, but we also want to sing about Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Our songs should tell of what Jesus has done for all of us. Our songs should share the gospel. Our songs should tell of the pain in life and give us hope in a Savior who promised eternal life.
4. We all need the Spirit. Kauflin says, “worshipping God is impossible without the enabling power of the Holy Spirit (156).” I easily neglect this crucial part of worship. How often do I go to church without meditating on the truths of scripture or praying for our hearts to be ready to worship? I normally go to church tired from the night before because I stayed up too late watching a movie. Instead of cultivating a heart ready to worship, I walk in groggy. I am sure this is how many others enter into the worship service as well. We need the Spirit and we need to prepare for worship on a Sunday morning.
5. Our worship does not bring God’s presence near (139). In the past I have heard people invite God’s presence through our worship. Or worship songs saying, “you are welcome in this place.” Kauflin tells us that it is not our worship that brings God’s presence near, but the gospel. If we think this way, then worship turns into a work for God to draw near to us. God draws near through the work of Christ.
6. Our worship should be expressed both internally and externally (170). I once went to a conference where the speaker said, “if you are not clapping or raising your hands, then you are not praising God.” That statement didn’t sit well with me at that time and it still doesn’t. Clapping, raising hands, dancing, and bowing are all external expressions of worship but they can be done with a heart that is far from God. Worship is expressed both internally and externally and we need to live in that tension.
7. Our worship needs to be God-centered (177). Kauflin says, “Biblical worship is God-focused, God-centered, and God-exulting.” Everything is about God. He is the reason for our worship. If we don’t come in with the right heart, worship can easily become about us. If our worship songs are not rooted deep in doctrine they can easily become about the beat and tempo instead of God. Prior to reading this book, I was guilty of criticizing the worship at church. My criticism was coming from a hear that desired my preferences to be met, not a God focused heart.
8. Worship is for both believers and unbelievers (202-204). It is easy for churches to neglect either the believers or unbelievers. I have heard multiple debates about who should be the focus of why we have worship services. The church service is for both. The gospel should be proclaimed through all our times of worship. This is done through song and scripture reading. As a person sitting in the congregation, it is my job to reach out to new people. I have the opportunity to enter into their life and hear their story. There is probable a reason they are at church. They will benefit from watching believers love each other, worship an authentic way, and live out the gospel in community.