Take me to your chambers? Your fragrance is intoxicating? Kisses from above, let the heavens drip? This is not worship it is borderline soft-core pornography. Yes there will be a Wedding Supper of the Lamb but you will not be going on the honeymoon. Don't think for a second this does not affect impressionable girls, especially younger ones in the faith. I have seen women posting on Facebook about Jesus as their lover or husband and how they do not need men because of how deep their love is for God. Regardless of intent the innuendo associated with lyrics such as these should be evident to all willing to see. The overarching point is how is any of this worship? How does this exalt the name of Christ? It doesn't. It creates a false Christ in the hearts of women by combining the worldly elements of romanticism with an imaginary Jesus who can fulfill all those longings man never can meet. With the "buddy-Jesus" it creates a false Christ in the hearts of men that we can relegate to the role of advisor instead of Lord. The benefit there is we get to keep living like hell while believing we are going to heaven.
The second form of false worship I see all the time now is what I like to call "petulant-worship." Now we must understand that it is not surprising to see this phenomena when the bless me theologies of the world are what is saturating mainstream churches across this country. Whether it is "love wins", "grace alone", "purpose driven" or "emergent church" -- it is all based on unscriptural foundations that stem from such infamous false movements such as latter rain, name it and claim it, word faith, and the more traditional prosperity doctrines. The main message is always that God wants everyone blessed and happy and don't worry about all those pesky do's and don'ts. I once saw Joel Osteen tell 34,000 people that this was going to be their year of supernatural blessing -- all of them. As if life is not a series of mountaintops and valleys. As if no one was going to get sick that year or possibly pass away. It is not surprising that this is the message that is wanted and sought after. Who doesn't want to hear that this is their year!
For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. -- 2Timothy 4: 3-4 (NLT)
And they are chasing after myths in worship as well. The difference is this. When we chase after false teaching, we are spectators but when we chase after false worship we are speaking the falsehoods directly to God Himself! We are singing them to Him! This bless me theology has resulted in worship songs about the blessings of God and how we are entitled to them. Across America are congregations filled with believers petulantly screaming out to God for what they feel they are entitled to from Him and it is being called worship. Consider these lyrics:
I can feel the presence of the Lord and I'm gonna get my blessing, right now!
The head not the tail - above not beneath - a lender not a borrower - Get your inheritance! Get your inheritance!
These are from two very popular and quite catchy praise songs. The first one is obviously wrong because we are essentially shouting at God and telling Him that we are going to get our blessing. The second one however has far deeper problems. The phrase head and not the tail and the reference to being a lender not a borrower comes from Deuteronomy 28. The condition for how we become the head and not the tail and a lender not a borrower is if we were able to keep all of the Mosaic Law -- which no one was able to keep. In fact, after these references, the remaining portion of the chapter -- all 53 verses -- deals with the curses for disobedience and they are quite severe. The reality is modern theology would rather focus on portions of Scripture taken out of context than deal with the more difficult topics of obedience.
Again however, the larger point is you are singing this directly to God Himself. Picture yourself standing before Christ and screaming at Him that you are going to get your blessing -- right now! Can't see it? Just picture yourself singing this song during worship because it is the same thing. What are we saying when we sing to Almighty God? This is not a show. It is not entertainment. This is supposed to be our hearts connecting with His. Here are the words of God regarding this:
"I hate all your show and pretense--the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won't even notice all your choice peace offerings. Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. -- Amos 5: 21-24 (NLT)
In another part of the Bible God says that we honor Him with our lips but our hearts are far away. This is not what worship is supposed to be. In the key verse we see the response of Jesus to the Samaritan woman at the well. This was after she had asked about a disagreement that existed back then between the Samaritans and the Jews. The Samaritans believed the only place to worship God was on Mount Gerizim and the Jews felt the only place to worship Him was in Jerusalem. Jesus dismisses the pettiness of the argument and leads us to the key verse. There are two conditions that have to be met for authentic worship. It must be in spirit and in truth. Let's deal with "in spirit" first. John Gill's Exposition of the Bible says that this means " in opposition to all carnal conceptions of him." How fitting indeed. When we see Jesus as an oversexed lover, a willing ATM machine, or our buddy from the bar we must realize that these are all carnal conceptions of Him. These are versions of Jesus we want or desire but it is not the real Jesus. The Bible makes it very clear that there are evil spirits in this world beloved and they are pitted against us. If we are not worshipping God in His Spirit -- then we are employing other spirits. When I see some of the sexual Jesus lyrics I see the spirit of lust at work. When I see the bless me bless me lyrics I see the spirit of greed and mammon at work. There may be worship going on there but it is not worshipping God. Not without His spirit!
