Worship Pharmaceuticals

Mohler writes on page 108 that a prominent reason given by Christians for switching churches is that the church style didn’t “meet their needs” or “allow them to worship.” This notion really saddens me because that statement carries so much more weight than a simple overvaluing of stylistic means. Those statements stem from a wholesale upheaval of what should be the center of a believer’s life.

Peter tells us that we have been given all we need for life and godliness. Where do we find all this? Scripture. If a church isn’t meeting our needs, it isn’t an issue of music or service order or whether or not people are wearing ties. Our needs are going to be met by scripture. If our needs aren’t being met by a church, and we just simply run to the next church peddling the newest “thing” in the church-style-trend-roller-coaster, we’re only going to ultimately wind up more in need. The need is scripture, and our churches need to place that in the forefront.

Often people leave churches because they don’t feel like they “fit in.” People with messy pasts and imperfect, rough around the edges, faiths often feel like they aren’t a part of the churches they attend. They’re still “outsiders” so to speak. They feel like they aren’t accepted. The reality is this, we don’t need to be accepted. We ARE accepted. That’s the beauty of the gospel. “It is the power of God unto salvation to anyone (that means you) who believes.” Where better do we find truths about our acceptance in Christ than scripture?

Mohler writes that “preaching is indispensable to Christian worship.” Scripture centrality is the cure for our worship ailments. New stylistic environments can provide temporary relief for the needs that we have, but ultimately stylistic changes are a painkiller. They make you feel better, but it doesn’t really solve the problem. The root of the problem still exists, and as we use and abuse these style-narcotics, we find ourselves needing more and more to actually alleviate our discomfort. Style is a drug, and if you aren’t careful, you’ll get addicted. Let’s actually solve the problem rather than numbing ourselves to it.