The Role of Music in Worship-part 4

The Role of Music in Worship-part 4 

       St. John 4:24 states, "God is a spirit: and they that worship [proskuneo 4352] him must worship him in spirit [pneuma 4151] and in truth [aletheia 225]".   This is the New Testament formula for true worship.  Strong says that worship (proskuneo) means to "literally or figuratively prostrate oneself in homage" to Our Savior.  This act of reverent response to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ must be done in spirit [i.e. the Holy Spirit] and in truth [in verity i.e. realness, genuineness and authenticity].

     There is of no use to discuss music in worship until one is ready to prostrate oneself before the Lord in complete honesty.  If worship is not of verity it is not true worship. In fact it is not Christian worship in any form!  Verse 23 of the same chapter explains, "But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such as worship him."  Note that the Father desires or requires (zeteo 2212) those who desire to HONESTLY worship Him to do so in spirit and in truth and furthermore, he seeks for those who will meet the qualifications mentioned above.  

        Many people let their theology get in the way of honest worship, i.e. their beliefs about relationships, sin, hard feelings, attitudes etc. etc.  Regardless of one’s theological definition of sin, it is absolutely necessary to get rid of it if one is going to worship God in verity!  So, what I am saying is this, if you get to the worship service with sin in your life--get rid of it!  

        There is one more point that we should make from this passage of scripture.  Jesus shocked the Samaritan woman by telling her in verse 22, "...ye worship ye know not what...”  I am concerned that many people who gather to worship and include musicing as a part of their worship, are actually worshiping music instead of God.  They actually worship the creature (music) rather than the creator (God).  Exodus 20:3 states, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me..."  Psalm 81:9 states “There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god."  Music can become a strange god if it is worshiped.