RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2021-06-25	Should An Unbeliever Participate In Church On The Worship Team?
		Many churches today desire to have a professional-sounding praise and worship service. This has led to allowing, or even hiring, unbelievers to play instruments or sing in the worship team. It is understandable that churches want skilled musicians in their music programs. But the placement of unsaved people in a position of helping to lead worship raises many issues. First, an unbeliever singing in a church worship team is inherently hypocritical. Unbelievers cannot truly worship the Lord. Without Christ they have no relationship with God. So, the worship lyrics they sing are nothing more than empty words having no significance to them. Scripture speaks quite negatively of hypocrisy. Jesus warned of people who honor God merely with their lips (Mt.15:8-9). Mat 15:8 'THESE PEOPLE DRAW NEAR TO ME WITH THEIR MOUTH, AND HONOR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME. Mat 15:9 AND IN VAIN THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.' " For one who does not know the Lord to presume to lead others in worship, as if he did know the Lord, is hypocrisy. Second, as you would expect, we find no examples of unbelievers leading Christians in public worship. Those who stand in front of others in a church service are, by their very presence there, inviting emulation. Emulation is an effort to match or surpass a person or achievement. So, if someone is on the stage, we should follow their lead. Some may argue that we could emulate their professional skill. But that is not the purpose of worship. The purpose of worship is to promote WORSHIP. Unless the worship leaders on stage are believers engaged in the worship of Christ, then there is really nothing worth emulating. Third, the public ministry of a church is representative of that church. Whenever someone is serving in a ministry within a church, he or she is in effect representing the values of the congregation. For an unbeliever to help lead a church’s worship service is to send mixed signals and may foster confusion as people question what the church truly values. Fourth, Local congregations must take seriously the idea of protecting the honor and reputation of both the church and Jesus. The church represents Jesus. As Paul says, “what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2Co.6:14). That friend who may be the best in town on that instrument, if he is an unbeliever, should not participate in the worship team. If this is happening at your church, you should pray for those in charge of making decisions. Schedule a meeting either with the pastor or leader and express your concerns in a loving manner. Regardless of the outcome, purpose in your heart to maintain a close relationship with the Lord and to personally worship Him in spirit and in truth. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

An Evangelical Free Church of America

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