Holy WarsHollywood or Holiness?Idolatry's SeedTags: Church Growth, Church Growth Movement, Church growth consultants, worship leader, Hollywood, idol worship, Satan, Lucifer, Isaiah, Adam, Eve, Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, Babylon, Babylonian, Apsotle Paul, Barnabus
Idol worship began in the heart of the
Great Deceiver, Satan. A strong argument can be made that before his fall Lucifer was the
chief worship leader in heaven. When describing Lucifer’s fall Isaiah wrote,
“All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your
harps.” (Isa Lucifer had everything. He was the head
angel and a great musician as well. But having everything was not enough for him. He
wanted more. While haunted with the desire to have what he could not possess Lucifer
diverted from worshipping God to exalting himself. Therefore Isaiah continued, “You
said in your heart ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars
of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred
mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most
High.’” (Isa 14:13-14 NIV) When Lucifer fell from heaven his
musicianship fell with him and he has been tempting men to worship him through music ever
since. Self-adulation stemming from pride obviously comes directly from Satan and it is
this very thing that the first temptation of Adam came from. Like Lucifer, Adam had
everything that he needed in the garden. But once again everything was not enough. It is
interesting, therefore, that Satan tempted Eve with the same lie that caused his fall. So
he declared, “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened,
and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. . .” (Gen 3:5 MKJV) Satan was
calling the world’s parents to worship “self” so that they would ultimately
find themselves bowing down at his feet. Self-worship, therefore, is nothing other than
the adulation of Satan.
“Then a herald cried aloud: ‘To
you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the
sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music,
you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set
up.’” (Dan 3:4-5 MKJV) So here we have a clear biblical example
of music being utilized directly for the purpose of the exaltation of man, idolatry. This
very same idol worship is that which has become so prevalent in our There was a talented young pastor once,
for example, who was very good at preaching and especially adept at evangelism. He was
very popular in the church and it eventually got the best of him. Like Nebuchadnezzar the
young pastor began to revel in the adulation of his followers. Eventually he got involved
in counseling a woman regarding her marriage. As the counseling sessions progressed the
emotions grew hot and adultery was the inevitable result. He lost his ministry over it. Because the tendency everywhere is to lift
up and exalt people it is imperative that church leadership remain very cautious with
regard to who to put in significant leadership roles in the church. As a result of the
nature of the contemporary worship and praise medium, it is very common to put someone
very young, immature and inexperienced in front of the congregation every Sunday morning
leading the worship team. One pastor did exactly that. It was all a
matter of convenience. A Church Growth consultant had convinced the pastor that he needed
a full on praise band and to both of them a particular immature musician seemed to be the
most available talent at the time. The young man was not mature enough to handle the
affection that was to come his way. Low and behold within a year the kid was having an
affair with one of the praise team singers. Idolatry blossomed into lust, which was
eventually conceived as sin. Years later the senior pastor continued to
complain how the immature worship leader had let him down. Yet instead of listening to the
advice of men, the pastor should have heeded to the word of God that states, “Do not
be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself
pure.” (I Tim 5:22) The fact is it was the senior pastor who ignored the council of
God’s Word while installing an immature person to a place of authority. It was the
senior pastor who let the young man down. It was the result of the pastor’s folly
that the young minister fell “into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.” (I
Tim 3:7b) “But each one is tempted when he is
drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth
to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (Jas 1:14-15 MKJV) As is
usually the case, the whole ordeal threw the entire church into turmoil and many people
ultimately left as a result. It can be very difficult at times for
Christian leadership to keep it all in perspective. When you receive the praise of so many
people, it is imperative that their attention is turned to God even as they seek to lift
you up. When Paul and Barnabus were faced with the worship of the crowds “they tore
their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, ‘Men, why are
you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you
that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the
earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all
nations to walk in their own ways.’” (Acts 14:1b-16 MKJV) These two servants of God refused to
receive the praise of men. But the babble of Stay Tuned for More!!!! If you liked this CLICK HERE or call Author House @ 888.280.7715 to purchase a soft or hard cover copy of Don Wigton's book "Holy Wars" upon which this blog is based.Click Here to purchase the E-book edition for only 99 cents!
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