Churches are often distracted by the influence of the world and stray from true worship of the Lord. Being aware of these signs can ensure you help your church come back to the truth.
Worship can be done in various ways throughout your life. While many people believe worship is only done through music and song, it can also be done in your daily actions and words. Obeying God and following what He says in the Bible in one of the many ways you can worship Him.
When we look at worship in the church, you should be obeying God and following Him in your life, yet you also need to look at how you are corporately worshiping the Lord. Look at the motives of your heart when you are praising the Lord along with your fellow believers. Are you focused on God or are you focused on other things?
1. More Focused on the Music Than Worship
If your church is more focused on music than worship, your church could have a problem. Music is great, but it shouldn't be the main focus of Sunday morning worship. The main focus should be the Lord, worshiping Him, and praising Him.
The Bible tells us, “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2). Praise God and worship with your entire heart. Focus on Him, His blessings, and the promise of His presence. All glory and praise belongs to God forever!
2. Individuals Are Picky Over Who Can Join in For Worship
Churches are prone to allow only specific individuals to join the praise and worship team. Usually this means you have to be a skilled singer or a musician. Sadly, this can cause many people to be excluded from worshiping the Lord. If your church has a pattern of picking only trained musicians to be a part of worship, then your church is getting worship wrong.
Everyone can worship the Lord, regardless of their skills. Even if you cannot sing the best or play a musical instrument doesn't mean you cannot worship the Lord. God delights to hear your praises and songs. This is shown to us in the Bible, “Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).
3. Worship is Separated by Age
Many churches tend to separate individuals into age groups. You may have seen this in your own church: children are taken out to a different area to worship the Lord, teenagers are removed to another area, and all other adults are left in the main chapel. This is not how worship is supposed to function. Everyone is supposed to worship the Lord together.
This is how worship is spoken of in Heaven, “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9). Pattern your worship after Heaven rather than the practices of the world.
4. Entertainment Focused Rather Than Praise Focused
Sadly, a large number of churches believe Sunday service should be an entertainment show. Rather than having a heart of true worship, the church focuses on pleasing the congregation. Elaborate band performances and eloquent singers grace the pulpit each Sunday.
This is not true worship. God wants you to lift your voice up in praise. You don't have to perform an elaborate dance routine or get every note right. Churches need to make a change to be focused on God rather than focused on the world. High-grade entertainment will bring a crowd, but it won't bring anyone to the foot of the cross.
5. Worship is Based on Facts, Not Feelings
Far too many churches base worship on feelings over the truth of the Bible. When emotionalism or sensationalism begins showing up in your church, it is a sure sign that something isn't going right. Look over what could be done and how you might be able to bring the church back to the truth. Talk with your pastor and worship pastor about your concerns.
Worship needs to be based on the truth of the Bible. God is completely worthy of your praise and worship. If the church only worships God when they feel like it, there might be months or even years where no worship is being carried out. This is why it is crucial to worship God regardless of your own feelings.
6. Worship Feels Like an Obligation
Maybe you have been going to church for months now and you feel something is off. This could be because the church’s heart is just not in it. If this is true, there is much you can do to help your church return to a proper form of worship. Pray over the matter and then talk with the congregation about your concerns.
Encourage your fellow believers to worship God from the depths of their hearts. Even if they don't want to sing out loud, they can make music in their hearts to the Lord. Worship might not look the same for everyone, but it should not feel like an obligation. Feeling as though worship is an obligation is a sign that your church is not doing worship correctly.
Point other believers to the truth of worship and help them to also be aware of any signs that their church is getting worship wrong. With the proper awareness and correction, more churches will be able to properly worship the Lord with a sincere and thankful heart.
