Showing posts with label Joseph Mattera. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joseph Mattera. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

10 Reasons Some Worship Leaders May Be Spiritually Bankrupt

10 Reasons Some Worship Leaders May Be Spiritually Bankrupt




How can you tell if your worship leaders are spiritually bankrupt?
How can you tell if your worship leaders are spiritually bankrupt? (Facebook)

The Pulse, by Joseph Mattera
The past several years there has been no shortage of prominent contemporary Christian leaders denouncing Christ either with their words or their actions. One time I ministered to a young man involved in the gospel music scene, and he confided in me that he almost lost his faith because of what he experienced when he went on tour with a band. (He said other gospel music performers regularly propositioned him!)
That being said, as a pastor and trans-local minister for more than three decades, I have come to the conclusion that many involved in Christian worship seem to have a very superficial relationship with the Lord and His Church. (I thank God we have had a strong process for ministry involvement in our local congregation. Hence, we usually have worship leaders with a solid walk with the Lord.)
Also, I write this in the context as one who was a professional musician who served on the worship team of our local church for more than 25 years.
The following are some of the reasons I believe why many worship performers are spiritually bankrupt:
(Based on my personal observation, not based on hard data)
1. Many are hirelings and not committed members to one church.
I have been shocked and dismayed to see how many large churches just hire out their worship team members, even if they are not committed Christians or committed to their local church. Consequently, when a gifted singer or musician first comes to Christ, they are sucked into a culture of play for pay and go where the dollars are rather than where the Lord is truly leading them.
2. Pastors do not enforce the same standards upon talented singers and musicians.
Many pastors turn the other way when it comes to the immoral or unethical behavior of their most talented musicians and singers. The reason for this is obvious: These performers help draw crowds into their congregation. 
3. Often talented people get ahead without being deeply rooted in Christ.
Many people in this field find they get promoted, idolized and celebrated in their church merely because of their talent. Consequently, they have a superficial lifestyle and rarely see the need to die to self, seek God and allow God to penetrate their soul.
4. Gifted Christian performers are idolized in the church.
We, evangelicals, have created a culture of entertainment that empowers and promotes the most gifted among us. These very gifted singers and performers are admired and celebrated for their abilities in a way that is not different from "The Voice" or "American Idol." With all this adulation in the environment, it is no surprise that many Christian bands and performers are lifted up with pride and never mature in their faith.
5. The focus of worship is more about them than about Jesus.
The church usually puts talented singers and performers front and center during Sunday services. Hence, a service is largely judged by how good the band performed. This is the kind of setting that engenders man worship instead of Jesus worship. Worship leaders and performers often have big egos to match their talent and many subconsciously (and erroneously) think that the service is all about them.
6. They often don't sit under the Word after they perform.
I am amazed with how often I see many worship team members leave the service after they perform. I guess they think that the highlight of the service was their performance and everything else that ensues, including preaching, is a letdown.
7. They perform but do not worship from the heart.
When the pastor and congregation only care about the talent and effect of the worship experience, they perpetuate a culture of performance more than a culture of worship. Consequently, band members and singers will then focus more on performance than on worship. This result is band members programmed to equate worship more with performance than with drawing close to God.
8. They are overly sensitive and do not easily receive correction.
In my opinion, many in the music world are overly sensitive, ego-driven megalomaniacs. (I know, because as a professional guitar player for many years, I was or am guilty of this!) Folks like this are very competitive and have a hard time admitting they are wrong. This does not make it easy for a pastor to bring correction to them since their identity is rooted more in their ability than in their God.
9. They do not study the Word but rely upon performance sessions in church for their walk.
Many years ago I was shocked to realize that many of the worship leaders I got to know had no prayer life and rarely cracked open the Bible for personal study! Often they depended upon worship practice or the Sunday services to try to connect with God. It alarmed me that many worship leaders were not themselves worshippers!
10. They do not have a spiritually mature worship person leading the team.
All of the previous points mentioned could be dealt with if the worship leader held them accountable. Of course, this will only happen if the worship leader is not a diva but a real disciple of Christ. Leaders set the culture of a team, and if he or she is a spiritually immature "performer," then most likely the whole team will be more about performance than worship.
In conclusion, I pray pastors and leaders will have the courage to sit down talented but prideful, worldly worship team members, so that Jesus will once again be the center of our worship.
Joseph Mattera is overseeing bishop of Resurrection Church and Christ Covenant Coalition, in Brooklyn, New York, and author of numerous books including Ruling in the Gates: Preparing the Church to Transform Cities. Follow him on Facebook or visit him online at josephmattera.org.
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Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Why God Doesn't Care if You're Happy

Why God Doesn't Care if You're Happy




man in prayer
The greatest gauge for a believer's success in life is obedience to the revealed will of God. (Matt Gruber/creationswap.com)
It is evident there are many in the body of Christ who attempt to integrate their Christian faith with the pursuit of happiness. Some have even gone so far as to have a theology of happiness, in which they obey or disobey Scripture based on what gives them the most happiness. Several years ago a prominent pastor in New York City divorced his wife and married someone else in his church because, he said, "God wants me happy!"
Ultimately, If God's highest purpose for us is our  personal happiness then He wouldn't have put us on the earth since Jesus said we would have tribulation in this world (John 16:33).
As believers, our value system should not be based on a temporal paradigm (view) of materialism and earthly significance but on an eternal paradigm based on faith and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Many in the church succumb to the temporal view because it takes a walk of faith to continually surrender our desires to a God we can't see, feel, or touch physically.
In examining this subject I believe one reason believers focus so much on happiness is because of a confusion of the concepts of joy and happiness.
Joy is an inward sense of peace, contentment and even ecstasy due to our righteous standing in Christ and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Joy should be present in all believers in spite of the circumstances or challenges one might be facing. Joy is a supernatural experience that cannot be explained outside of a supernatural act of God. As the song writer said, "The world didn't give us joy so the world can't take it away!"
Jesus told His disciples that He spoke His words to them so that His joy would be in them and their joy would be full (John 15:11). It was for this reason that Paul told us to "rejoice always" (1 Thess. 5:16); even in his sorrow he was able to rejoice (2 Cor. 6:10). Also, Nehemiah 8:10 teaches us that "the joy of the Lord is our strength."
On the other hand, happiness is based on what "happens" to us. Thus, happiness is merely an emotionally good feeling when things go according to our desires. The fact that many Christians live their lives based on the pursuit of happiness–instead of cultivating the joy of the Lord in obedience to God and through faith in the blood of Christ—is an indictment of the shallow theology in our midst. This shallow theology has succumbed to the worldly ideal that equates success with material prosperity, comfort, and the ability to live a life of ease.
As a minister for over 30 years I can't count how many so-called disciples of Christ have uprooted their families from our church and moved to another state merely for economic leverage or to escape the winter season—all without hearing from God or first researching where their families could find a good church. Obviously, they were more led by a belief system based on the pursuit of happiness rather than pursuing the mind of Christ for their God-given purpose. (Of course, it goes without saying that most of these people either fell away or never maximized their purpose in Christ.)
As a follower of Christ for over 30 years, I would say more than half of the things I am called to do are very difficult—things that don't make me happy. Things like paying close attention to details, endless meetings, conflict resolution between leaders, dealing with tragedies in families, financial challenges, persevering in the ministry in spite of discouragement, and, hardest of all, the continuing challenge of dying to self and putting on the Lord Jesus Christ instead of choosing immediate pleasure and taking the easy roads presented in life.
I often tell believers, if you want to always be happy, don't get married, don't have children, don't get involved in the ministry , don't work and don't have important responsibilities –because, you will continually deal with adverse relational situations that will intrude upon your happy thoughts!
When Jesus told His disciples that He must suffer many things and spoke of His pending death and resurrection, Peter began to rebuke Him. (Perhaps Peter equated God's will with happiness at this stage of his development in Christ.) Jesus' response was so sharply opposed to Peter's perspective that He called him Satan (Mark 8:31-33)! Jesus then used this interface with Peter to teach His disciples that following God involves taking up their crosses. Following God sometimes involves suffering, not just happiness—and sometimes happiness, not just suffering.
Those who use happiness as the greatest gauge to tell if they are in the will of God have totally missed it! The greatest gauge for a believer's success in life is obedience to the revealed will of God, not fleeting emotional sensations that accompany happiness.
Finally, Paul the apostle said he was delivered from the "mouth of the lion" (Satan) when he stood defending the faith before Caesar. He then said he knew the Lord would deliver him from every evil attack, in spite of noting in this same passage his imminent martyrdom for the faith (2 Timothy 4:6-18). How could Paul, in the same sentence, say that both God would deliver him from every evil attack (verse 18) and yet also that his life would soon be taken (verse 6)? Because he knew that all of the evil satanic attacks against him were meant to stop him from obeying the Lord; it had nothing to do with happiness or living a long, comfort-filled life without conflict or pain.
May God deliver us from the false notion pervading the church that happiness is equal to godliness!
Joseph Mattera is overseeing bishop of Resurrection Church, Christ Covenant Coalition, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Visit him at josephmattera.org.