The Exaggeration of Grace. We live in a world and a time where people can get away with evil. What used to be shocking now has entertainment value; what was once evil and harmful must in some cases be tolerated, and tolerance is a must nowadays. We see in the media how an innocent word or comment can offend certain groups of people if taken out of context; we see how everyone seems to make an effort to be nice in the name of political correctness. People learn that it's just not okay to offend someone, and it doesn't feel good to be offended. This also has an effect on the way people worship God. People will find it easy and right to love and worship a God who is kind and merciful to them: a God who does not offend moral standards and a God who is kind to sinners . And when there is an unbalanced focus on God's grace, many find it difficult to accept that a benevolent God can send people to hell. A merciful and kind God is easy to worship, easy to love, and easy to welcome. He is friendly towards people and harmless. This is also a kind of idolatry because it causes people to create a false image of God in their minds: a God they desire for themselves. When songs speak of God's comfort, forgiveness, and unconditional love, people tend to be more engaged in singing than when songs speak of His sovereignty, justice, and holiness. It is also easy to worship Him when things are going well, but He is still worthy of worship when He holds something back or allows suffering to grow. He is worthy of worship even when we feel the pangs of His discipline because of our sin. The problem with overstating grace is that it is a contradiction to the very nature of grace. Michael McClymond explains it perfectly when he says, “the effort to extend grace to all people ends up undermining grace toward everyone.” The culture of living here and now. Thrill seekers are very familiar with the acronym “YOLO” (You Only Live Once) and many make it a slogan to live by. Life should be lived with passion, and as time passes quickly, it is important to enjoy and not miss the precious moments of life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay However, it is dangerous to focus only on the present and not have an eternal perspective. God has placed eternity in the hearts of men; there is a natural longing for the idea of forever, that there must be more in life and after. Unfortunately, people can get so caught up in the excitement of good things happening in their lives that they no longer hope for an unimaginably better life in heaven. At the other extreme, people may feel stuck in a moment of despair or depression and no longer have any hope for tomorrow. Both extremes will influence worship because they can push a person to adopt a naturalist worldview. For a naturalist, life is focused only on the present, only on the natural. Although many people who attend church profess to be believers, the sad truth is that these same people may be living as naturalists. Modern times have taught people to enjoy the conveniences of the world brought by advancements in science and technology. If left unattended, this can lead to a lack of need for God. Likewise, the difficulties and evil of the present age can also cause a person to question the existence of God. Who needs God when everything is within reach? How can one look at heaven when this world becomesincreasingly attractive and comfortable? How can you say God is real when there is so much evil and suffering in the world? It's scary how the times have shown how Christians only turn to atheists because they don't have an eternal perspective. In Albert Mohler's discussion of the natural mind, Charles uses three conditions of belief: from a time when disbelief in God was impossible, to a time when there is the possibility of unbelief, to a time when there 'It's the impossibility of believing. It seems we live in the third condition, and for worship ministry, it will always be a challenge how to move people to worship when there is a threat of unbelief. The culture of consumerism. Just as self-worship has increased in the recent past, the culture of consumerism has also grown. In an effort to be relevant and improve attendance, churches may tend to undergo changes, and these changes are seen in the way church worship is conducted. To maximize the worship experience, many churches think about what people want, treating the congregation as consumers with special interests in the goods they offer. Some churches have adapted the changes to the way they worship in their Sunday service. Now, lights, set design, choreography, and many other devices are part of the planning and execution of a worship experience, all aimed at appealing to the interests of the congregation and the people they are trying to reach. This has also led people to view the church as a store, and the decision about which church to attend and engage in may be based on where they can get the best "deals". Which church is more attractive, livelier, has more programs and has a nicer staff? And with these things in people's minds, it may be possible for churches to act as competing stores in the same mall. Because of their number and influence, megachurches are leaders in setting standards for stage design and presentation. The Sunday services seen in the videos increasingly resemble concerts and nightclubs rather than a church. Churches were a place for family and people of all ages and backgrounds. But who can see it with all the dim lights and amazing light shows? Nowadays people seem to judge the success of a worship experience based on audience attraction and the use of modern technology to enhance the experience. I believe that churches can and should do their best to offer the best worship to the Most High God, whether through the use of musical instruments, lights, dances, etc. But one must be cautious in using these things to ensure that they do not distract attention from the main point of worship: giving glory to God. Ultimately, what leaves the greatest impact on the congregation? Is it an encounter with the character of God or the truth of His word? Or was the congregation in awe of the entire technical presentation? Flawed cultural worldviews aside, issues related to dualism also challenge the ministry of worship. There is a strong divide between the secular and the sacred among some people in the church. Christian or secular songs? Some churches strongly encourage their members to listen to only Christian music because secular music can contaminate minds with its ungodly and suggestive lyrics. However, there is no denying that some age-old songs have clean, well-written lyrics and catchy melodies. And the problem arises when Christian artists use a secular song, "wash out" the secular lyrics, and replace the words to contain a Christian message. Some examples of these are Fix You by Coldplay and Perfect by Ed Sheeran. Both are huge hits by very popular secular artists. Christian artiststhey seem to exploit the popularity of these hits, then change the lyrics and use them to spread a gospel message. These and some others are easily accessible via Youtube. Young Christians in the church see it as a safe song choice and feel less guilty about it, even though these songs clearly come from secular origins. I believe the Church must teach members to apply wisdom in choosing good music, not based on the labels “Christian or secular,” but on the qualities they can use to evaluate the music or artist. Christian artists also need to put more effort into creating original material. After all, as image bearers of God, they should reflect originality, creativity, and excellence in creating music or writing lyrics. Christian or secular musicians? Like the issue mentioned above, some people interested in developing their musical skills and techniques to serve in the ministry of worship also experience discomfort in learning from secular musicians. The church must try to correct this problem by teaching that skills are just what they are and that God can use anyone to teach us. As long as people do not imitate a person's wrong lifestyle or share his or her mistaken beliefs, there should be no problem with having secular musicians as indirect mentors for aspiring ministers. Spiritual or emotional/physical well-being? God did not create robots; man was designed to respond to life situations with the help of emotions. Ministers of religion or the faithful are not protected from tragedy, difficulty, pruning, discipline and pain. And sometimes, when grieving because of a certain situation they go through in life, people can be so quick to judge that they can't minister by singing or playing their instrument because it might "taint" the atmosphere. While it is true that ministers should be careful and responsible in how they behave and manage their emotions, it is also important that the church is informed that emotions come from God and can ultimately be used in worship. We can worship God in our sadness, disappointment, pain, failure, as much as we can in joy, triumph, hope, and expectation. There is no need to deny the reality of a person's emotions. God is to be worshiped and is worthy of worship, regardless of the state our hearts are in. There should be transparency before God during worship, and people should not act as if God is only interested in the condition of our spirits. We are to worship Him with our whole being (Matthew 22:37). Spirit or skill? Some churches may go to extreme lengths to rely on the work of the Holy Spirit to have anointed worship. However, skill development is equally important and part of good stewardship as a minister. In fact, over-spiritualizing things and viewing the skill as unspiritual can make musicians lazy and irresponsible with their gift. The worship ministry must present a balanced view of these two aspects when serving in the church. The Christian Worldview and the Ministry of Worship Ministers of worship are at the forefront of the church not only because they are among the first people the congregation and attendees see, but also because a significant amount of the first knowledge people have of God that they worship will come from theology is found in the lyrics of the songs they sing. People are more likely to remember a line from a program song than a point from a sermon outline. Visitors who come from a different faith or who do not profess any profession of.
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