A good evangelical and evangelistic minister mentioned to me that he feels constrained to cater for every taste in worship
songs in his congregation. My fear is that this is an attempt to undermine and then destroy his ministry.
The questions such scenarios stir up for me are: first, where will this
'accommodation' end when it comes to the exercise of his ministry? The
'slippery slope syndrome' comes to mind here. Second, is there not a very real
danger of worship becoming man-centred rather than God-centred? Third, where
in the Scriptures is it ever given to the people to decide how God is to
be worshipped? Surely God has determined how He is to be worshipped
and only such will He accept.
My fear is that attempts are being
made - and it happens in every denomination and church - to turn the
minister from being the shepherd/pastor of the
flock into the 'pet lamb.' This must be resisted at all costs, in my view - and it will cost dearly. Church people like to
control the minister and feel rebuffed when they are not allowed to do
so. However,
churches must be governed by the Word of the Lord
NOT
the whims of
the people.
I appreciate biblical and passionate
ministries very much. But care must be taken to ensure that what takes place
before the message does not undermine your ministry. This has nothing
to do with my personal tastes or anything like that. I am trying to
view all things from a biblical perspective and then to order my life
and thinking thereby. This minister has an excellent God-given and God-honouring
ministry which he must not allow men to undo.
Churches seem to have a
pre-disposition for destroying good ministries. It was the church that stole
my ministry from me, something that it was not theirs to steal
because they did not give me my ministry in the first place - God did. But steal
it they did. Any effective ministry is vulnerable to the same end.
Weak-willed women - of both genders! - within the churches are unable to withstand such
Satanic pressures, so they just 'go with the crowd.'
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