My response to SECULAR WORSHIP

This is my reply to a very annoying blog (http://greatnessnow.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/secular-worship/#comment-1710);that I read by a certain pastor in which he tries to justify the use of secular tunes during worship. I am not a pastor but I will not see guys perpetrate a lie and just stand by and watch. In fact the fact that the person has a huge number of followers and is misleading them is what annoys me most. I could say so much but this is not a church service, just a blog.

First of all, worship is spiritual and not just an act or a religious obligation. Worship goes and extends beyond the music and performances. The physical is just a method through which we express worship artistically. In fact, let me say this, WORSHIP IS NOT AN ART. Worship is simply a reverence for a being, a reverence that compels us as human beings to act in a manner that shows that we put value in the opinion of that which we revere. That is why worship is a lifestyle, whether you are a believer or not. Worship is a response to that which we HAVE EXALTED IN OUR LIVES. So whether we like it or not, we are always in worship, it just depends on whom or what we are worshipping

Now that worship has been clarified simply for what it is, my second point is this: does the being we revere have a certain expectation as to how we respond to its attributes or as to how we worship it? Now I cannot answer for all the millions of gods out there but I can say this about the God I worship (Jehovah). Yes there is a manner in which God expects us to respond in worship towards Him. Not just anything will just go into the presence of God. When you read the bible especially when He prescribes the sacrifice of animals, He DEMANDS that the animals shall be unblemished or in other words pure. Now according to the chemistry I learnt, when we speak of pure elements, it means that these elements have not been cojoined with other elements, that is purity. PURITY IS NOT SO MUCH A STATEMENT EXPRESSING CLEANLINESS BUT A STATEMENT DENOTING SINGULARITY. God is not in the business of receiving impure worship. God even in psalms 24 states that he who has clean hands and a PURE HEART (a heart that is singular in motive) is the person who will ascend the hill of the lord and stand in his holy place.

Now onto my next point, John 16:7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

It is for God, through the Holy Spirit to convict a human being of sin. People do not get saved because of a good sermon or a good session of praise and worship, but because the Holy Spirit used such an avenue among many others to convict the person of sin. I personally know of a friend who was convicted in a pub thus showing clearly that God does not need our cleverly carved out ideas to do His job. He even goes further to say in Romans 11:34 For who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?

Clearly it is not the work of praise and worship to convict the world of sin.

It is for God, through the Holy Spirit to convict a human being of sin. People do not get saved because of a good sermon or a good session of praise and worship, but because the Holy Spirit used such an avenue among many others to convict the person of sin. I personally know of a friend who was convicted in a pub thus showing clearly that God does not need our cleverly carved out ideas to do His job. He even goes further to say in 

Romans 11:34 For who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?

God does not need our ideas to call men unto himself, a vessel does not plan how to be used, a vessel just submits to the will of the one who holds it. We cannot claim that due to change in culture, we need to show God how to do ministry. He is the creator, the alpha and the Omega. He is all-knowing and has no need for our advice for His principles do not change. He knows change and has ordained change and if we seek the mind of God, He will show us how to adapt to change.

The subject of using secular songs or tunes in worship.

Romans 8

⁵ For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds onand ^[a]pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and ^[b]seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.

⁶ Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that^[c]comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].

⁷ [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot.

⁸ So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.

The mind of the flesh will always cogitate excuses and every other sort of fallacy that will promote the satisfaction of the carnal man. Let me say this without apology now, THE GOSPEL IS OFFENSIVE, and if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. We cannot promote carnal actions and still offer that as our worship to God. To be carnally minded in that manner means that as a person, you do not revere the Holiness of God, have no revelation of it and still oppose the message of Holiness. The bible clearly states that we have been set apart for God's purposes and we should leave the things of the world.

James 4

⁴ You [are like] unfaithful wives [having illicit love affairs with the world and breaking your marriage vow to God]! Do you not know that being the world’s friend is being God’s enemy? So whoever chooses to be a friend of the world takes his stand as an enemy of God.

⁵ Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love?

We cannot claim to have fellowship with the Holy Spirit if we entertain the promotion of such carnal ideas. There is a reason why we call him HOLY Ghost or HOLY Spirit. HOLINESS is a must in worship and that means purity. Not the nonsense of mixing carnal ideas with those of the spirit. We cannot do what we please and expect God to accept that. God will only accept what He has put in His word and nothing else for He has exalted His word ABOVE himself.

So at the end of the day, do we know who we are worshipping?