God Centered Worship: The Importance of Singing Truth

Soli Deo Gloria: The Erosion Of God-Centered Worship

Wherever in the church biblical authority has been lost, Christ has been displaced, the gospel has been distorted, or faith has been perverted, it has always been for one reason: our interests have displaced God’s and we are doing his work in our way. The loss of God’s centrality in the life of today’s church is common and lamentable. It is this loss that allows us to transform worship into entertainment, gospel preaching into marketing, believing into technique, being good into feeling good about ourselves, and faithfulness into being successful. As a result, God, Christ and the Bible have come to mean too little to us and rest too inconsequentially upon us.
God does not exist to satisfy human ambitions, cravings, the appetite for consumption, or our own private spiritual interests. We must focus on God in our worship, rather than the satisfaction of our personal needs. God is sovereign in worship; we are not. Our concern must be for God’s kingdom, not our own empires, popularity or success.

We reaffirm that because salvation is of God and has been accomplished by God, it is for God’s glory and that we must glorify him always. We must live our entire lives before the face of God, under the authority of God and for his glory alone. We deny that we can properly glorify God if our worship is confused with entertainment, if we neglect either Law or Gospel in our preaching, or if self-improvement, self-esteem or self- fulfillment are allowed to become alternatives to the gospel.
THE CAMBRIDGE DECLARATION of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals April 20, 1996



Quotes from Bob Kauflin's book "Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God":
"singing and preaching aren’t incompatible or opposed to each other in any way.  Both are meant to exalt the glory of Christ in our hearts, minds, and wills.  Then whole meeting is worship; the whole meeting should be filled with God’s Word.  And the whole meeting should be characterized by the Spirit’s presence." (Pg  89)

"Songs are de facto theology.  They teach us who God is, what he’s like, and how to relate to him.  ”We are what we sing,” one man said.  That’s why we want to sing God’s Word.' (Pg 92)

"Singing God’s Word can include more than reciting specific verses in song.  If the Word of Christ is going to “dwell in [us] richly” (Colossians 3:16), we need songs that explain, clarify, and expound on what God’s word says.  We need songs that have substantive, theologically rich, biblically faithful lyrics.  A consistent diet of shallow, subjective worship songs tends to produce shallow, subjective Christians. (Pg 92)
.......Too often we can be tempted to choose songs because of the music rather than the theological content.  We need to realize that when words are combined with music we can be deceived.  Music can make shallow lyrics sound deep.  A great rhythm section can make drivel sound profound and make you want to sing it again." (Pg 93)
Related Posts:
Genuine worship is a response to divine truth as God has revealed Himself in His Word
What Kind of Worship God Desires From His People ?
Finding Joy in Worship – Psalm 100 by Dr. Arturo G. Azurdia

If We Confess Our Sins

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1Jn 1:9
1Jn 1:8-10 (Matthew Henry Commentary on 1 John 1)

Here, I. The apostle, having supposed that even those of this heavenly communion have yet their sin, proceeds here to justify that supposition, and this he does by showing the dreadful consequences of denying it, and that in two particulars: - 1. If we say, We have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us, 1Jo_1:8. We must beware of deceiving ourselves in denying or excusing our sins. The more we see them the more we shall esteem and value the remedy. If we deny them, the truth is not in us, either the truth that is contrary to such denial (we lie in denying our sin), or the truth of religion, is not in us. The Christian religion is the religion of sinners, of such as have sinned, and in whom sin in some measure still dwells. The Christian life is a life of continued repentance, humiliation for and mortification of sin, of continual faith in, thankfulness for, and love to the Redeemer, and hopeful joyful expectation of a day of glorious redemption, in which the believer shall be fully and finally acquitted, and sin abolished for ever. 2. If we say, We have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us, 1Jo_1:10. The denial of our sin not only deceives ourselves, but reflects dishonour upon God. It challenges his veracity. He has abundantly testified of, and testified against, the sin of the world. And the Lord said in his heart (determined thus with himself), I will not again curse the ground (as he had then lately done) for man's sake; for (or, with the learned bishop Patrick, though) the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth, Gen_8:21. But God has given his testimony to the continued sin and sinfulness of the world, by providing a sufficient effectual sacrifice for sin, that will be needed in all ages, and to the continued sinfulness of believers themselves by requiring them continually to confess their sins, and apply themselves by faith to the blood of that sacrifice. And therefore, if we say either that we have not sinned or do not yet sin, the word of God is not in us, neither in our minds, as to the acquaintance we should have with it, nor in our hearts, as to the practical influence it should have upon us.
II. The apostle then instructs the believer in the way to the continued pardon of his sin. Here we have, 1. His duty in order thereto: If we confess our sins, 1Jo_1:9. Penitent confession and acknowledgment of sin are the believer's business, and the means of his deliverance from his guilt. And, 2. His encouragement thereto, and assurance of the happy issue. This is the veracity, righteousness, and clemency of God, to whom he makes such confession: He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 1Jo_1:9. God is faithful to his covenant and word, wherein he has promised forgiveness to penitent believing confessors. He is just to himself and his glory who has provided such a sacrifice, by which his righteousness is declared in the justification of sinners. He is just to his Son who has not only sent him for such service, but promised to him that those who come through him shall be forgiven on his account. By his knowledge (by the believing apprehension of him) shall my righteous servant justify many, Isa_53:11. He is clement and gracious also, and so will forgive, to the contrite confessor, all his sins, cleanse him from the guilt of all unrighteousness, and in due time deliver him from the power and practice of it.

Feed The Lord’s Sheep With The Truth: Declaring all the counsel of God

The world out there says there is no such thing as absolute truth. Today, it is much more popular and politically convenient to the world to say no religion has the monopoly to the Truth. However, Truth is absolute. Truth cannot be relative or it becomes meaningless. So when a Christian says that there can only be one and only one Truth from God, a Christian is often labeled as unloving, narrow-minded, closed-minded, arrogant and bigoted. As a result, in Churches where the teachings emphasize a need on love for and acceptance of the world, both Churches and Christians become conscious of offending the world and opt for toning down declaring “all the counsel of God”

Every disciple of the Jesus Christ has to know and believe Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Truth: “Jesus said unto him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6. The Gospel is a very exclusive message pointing to one God and the only Way for sinners to be reconciled to God and be spared from God’s wrath. The Gospel is very clear: Jesus Christ is the only way to God, there is no other way. The Truth to God is found in the person of Jesus Christ alone, there is no other Truth. Eternal life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ, there is no other way to be with God in heaven.

People of God who heard and believed the Gospel must live it and declare it faithfully. We know that “God is Love” (I John 4:8) and it is true. It is very important to know that Love “rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor 13:6). Apostle Paul loved the Lord’s sheep and he wants to present the Church as the chaste bride to Christ the Bridegroom (2 Corinthians 11:2). Paul lived the Truth and wholly preached and fully declared everything he has received from the LORD Jesus Christ. He said, “for I have not shrunk from declaring unto you all the counsel of God.” (Act 20: 27).

Paul recalled, “in all seasons,…and how I kept back nothing that was profitable for you, but have shown you and have taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying…..repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Act 20: 18-21). The focus of his ministry, his joy and his life was very clear to him. The Apostle Paul said, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the Gospel of the grace of God.” (Act 20: 24).

While Paul’s ministry and purpose is to preach, convert and disciple believers for the Lord Jesus Christ, he is well aware that Satan will always be there to try subverting what God has purposed to do. The “wolves” will present a perverted Gospel: watered down Gospel, half Gospel, twisted Gospel. As an under-shepherd who has watered and fed God’s sheep, he reminded the “overseers” of God’s flock to “take heed” because the “grievous wolves” shall enter in amongst the sheep. He was saying very clearly that there will be “wolves” amongst the sheep within the professing believers in the visible church.

He pleaded and urged the “overseers” to do their duty to God: “to feed the church of God” (Act 20: 28). He commended the “overseers” to feed the sheep on “God and to the word of His grace”. Overseers of God’s sheep must desire and work very hard to ensure that every sheep in their care “that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so” (Act 17: 11).

If overseers are not vigilant or do not care to “take heed” and are not preaching and teaching “all the counsel of God”, then God’s sheep are not fed. If God’s sheep are not fed, they will likely follow “wolves”. The character of these wolves is as such: “among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them”.

Paul warned and warned God’s sheep for THREE years DAY and NIGHT. This part of the ministry is no small matter to Paul. “Therefore watch, and remember that for the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears.” Act 20: 31 Today it appears that this “take heed” and “to warn” aspect of an overseer’s ministry is a small matter to many “overseers” within the visible church ? Why ? Why the neglect of “all the counsel of God ” ?

Paul’s plead is that overseers must feed and warn the sheep all the time. All believers must fix our eyes upon God by immersing in His Word seriously “And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.