The other day I stumbled upon a video that’s been circulating on Youtube, which is rarely a good idea! Perhaps you’ve seen this video in one iteration or another. The one I saw showcased a youtube commentator or host and he discussed whether or not Pentecostal/Charismatic forms of worship were “true” worship or not. In fact, the title of this video was, “This is NOT worship.” In the video clips from worship services at mega churches like Transformation Church, Elevation Church, Hillsong, and Gateway Church are played. The clips feature the worship band and (sometimes) pastors jumping and shouting, sweating, throwing their hands up in the air, etc. The video then plays a clip from a sermon preached by Voddie Baucham regarding “true” worship.
Perhaps you’ve not seen this exact video. Perhaps you’ve seen any number of videos that feature the sermon from Voddie Baucham and his teaching from Ephesians chapter 5. Regardless of which video you might have seen (or if you’ve seen them at all) the message of this video and Voddie’s mesage is that exuberant worship is closer to Paganism than it is “true” worship. As a Pentecostal scholar, who’s grown up within the Pentecostal framework of worship, I have a few thoughts that I would like to express.
First, let me say Voddie Baucham’s sermon was used out of context in the specific video I saw. The crux of his sermon was that worship is about more than just the songs we sing. Worship is more than a 3-4 song set that occurs on a Sunday morning. The host uses Voddie’s thoughts to exert that Pentecostal/Charismatic worship is not true worship and even goes as far as claiming Steven Furtick is preaching a false doctrine. The host is allowed to have his thoughts regarding any one of the churches he lists in his video, but I do not believe Voddie Baucham’s intent was to lambast these churches, but to expand his listeners concept of worship beyond a Sunday morning experience.
Second, in his message, Voddie Baucham does compare Pentecostal/Charismatic worship to paganism, where the worshippers attempt to manipulate or appease God. This assessment, I have issue with. The conclusions drawn about the intent and heart of Pentecostal/Charismatic worshippers are out of place. As a Pentecostal worshipper, anytime I found myself in a worship service at a Reformed or Calvanistic church, it was foreign to me to see an entire crowd standing or sitting stoicly…no one singing, no one clapping or raising a hand. A sea of people looking more like glassed over statues than children of God. I could find verses about our love waxing cold and other verses about returning to our first love in and weaponize those verses against the crowd, stating, “The heart of reformed and calvanist worshippers has waxed cold.” But I don’t….I stop and remember 1 Sam. 16:7. “Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart”. I think 1 Sa. 16:7 is a critical verse for all of us to remember.
I would like to address the question of whether or not loud, exuberant, and sweaty worship is “true” worship.
Voddie Baucham, utilizing Eph. 5:1-19 states that worship is communion with God and each other tethered to the doctrine of adoption. I agree with this statement 100%. Worship is about more than a song set on Sunday mornings. Jewish tradition teaches us that our entire lives is “worship” to God. Everything we do is an offering of worship to Him. Our obedience is worship. Is. 58 tells us that clothing the poor and welcoming the foreigner is worship. The Pentateuch speaks of artisans and craftsman building the furnishings for the tabernacle as worship. When I give my giftings and my talents to God, that’s a form of worship. When I give my resources to God, that’s offering. Paul himself says his life was poured out like a drink offering in Phil. 2:17. Our sacrifices are worship. Our obedience is worship. Voddie Baucham is correct, worship is much bigger than the songs that we sing.
Where I am personally struggling is the idea that exuberant worship is more closely linked with pagan practices than true Biblical worship. A loud, exuberant, flashy, sweaty, and passionate worship experience is NOT the end-all and be-all of worship. However, it still has a place in the framework of “true” Biblical worship. We see example after example of people in scripture stopping to sing songs and experience a passionate outpouring of emotions and worship expression to God.
Side Note: I think it is wise to draw a distinction between worship and worship expression. Worship is the communion between God and man based upon God’s goodness and man’s gratitude. Worship expression is the human manner in which humans express their gratitude to a good God.