The Pastor’s Responsibility in Discerning Worship - by David de Bruyn

Found here. Our comments in bold.
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The author wants to teach his tradition, not the Bible. He likes the old hymns and the traditional worship service. He does quote a couple of relevant Scriptures, but explains them in terms of his preferences, not for what they actually teach.

His greatest fear is that people might worship emotionally. He cites no Bible verse regarding this supposed danger, but he's absolutely certain it is dangerous. And, his remedy is to obligate the overworked pastor to keep the musicians in line.

What is the real purpose of this article? Well, actually, to admonish pastors to keep modern worship music out of their churches. This music is upsetting, it sounds worldly, and it doesn't have enough theology in it.

Because the author does not draw his conclusions from the Bible, we must deem this Bad Bible Teaching.

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Worship is more than music, it is theology set to melody. (We think it's more accurate to say that musical worship is prayer set to melody.

Also, one can worship without music. Worship specifically is the bowing down low before a Holy God, extolling His virtues and celebrating His goodness. Music is not required in order to do this.)

In an age when the aesthetic often overshadows the theological, the pastor’s role as a discerning shepherd in worship has never been more critical. (False choice. We should not be condemned for wanting to worship via beautiful music, and, we don't need to choose between that and theology. We can have both.

In fact, worship music is not the place to teach theology. Worship music ought to be theologically correct, but the purpose is worship, not theology.

Lastly, most churches have a worship leader/pastor. A biblical church leadership structure is a plurality of elders, of which the worship leader should be a part. That is, the worship leader should be an elder. 

Therefore, this man ought to possess the ability and authority to make decisions regarding his area of responsibility. The elders should have confidence that one of the eldership, the worship leader, will properly lead.)

While preaching rightly claims the lion’s share of pastoral focus, (There is no verse in the Bible that tells us pastors preach.)

the worship service is not limited to exposition alone. (The author is not referring to worship, he's referring to the order and process of a Sunday morning church gathering, which includes music and a sermon.)

The songs we sing and the visuals that accompany our worship carry formative power, shaping minds, stirring affections, and subtly teaching doctrine. (We agree.)

Pastors therefore must not abdicate oversight of worship music and art. (This is not the logical derivation from the author's statement.)

These elements are not peripheral, they are catechetical. (Undefined term.)

They train the hearts and imaginations of the people of God. What we sing on the Lord’s Day soon becomes what we believe on Monday morning. (We agree.)

Pastors must guard what enters the sanctuary, ensuring that the worship of God is offered in reverence and truth. (But he drags pastors into the equation again.)

Why Biblical Worship Is More Than an Emotional Experience (Who has claimed that biblical worship must only be emotional?)

Modern evangelicalism has often reduced worship to emotional resonance. (No, it hasn't. Since the author offers no documentation, we simply reply contrarily.)

Biblical worship is not grounded in sentiment, it is anchored in truth. (The author offers a false choice.)

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,” Paul exhorts in Colossians 3:16, “teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

Here we find the essential framework for evaluating worship, it must teach, and it must teach the truth.(We can read this for ourselves, sir. This verse does not say that worship teaches. We are to teach and admonish one another, we are to sing psalms, etc., and we are to be thankful.)

Paul also writes, “I will sing praise with my spirit, and I will sing with my mind also” (1 Cor 14:15). (Hmmm. Maybe we should quote a little bit more of this passage: 

1Co. 14:14-15 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.

Paul was instructing on praying in tongues, not worship. He was not condemning emotion or the need for intellectual processes. 

The author severely misrepresents this Scripture. In fact, he as a cessationist and doesn't even believe in tongues.)

The Psalms call us to glad reverence, “Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness” (Ps 96:9). Emotion has a right place, (A refreshing admission.)

but never without truth that feeds and forms the soul. (??? Where do we find this in the Bible?)

Music and art in worship should move the heart and nourish the mind. (Oh. The author is stating a personal standard, not a biblical precept.)

Emotional fervor detached from doctrinal clarity is spiritual malnourishment. Worse still, it can become a gateway to subtle error or even false worship. (These are simply bare assertions, statements of opinion. The author needs to teach the Bible.)

How Pastors Can Discern Faithful Worship Music and Art

A pastor need not be a musician or an artist to lead faithfully here, (Why should he lead in an area he knows nothing about? Where does the Bible say that pastors lead anything?)

but he must be a theologian who cares deeply about what is sung and seen. This is not a matter of personal preference, it is pastoral fidelity. (More undocumented pronouncements.)

Practical ways to cultivate discernment:

• Engage with Church History.
• Read the hymns and poetry of ages past. Let the voices of Watts, Newton, Wesley, and Toplady recalibrate expectations for theological richness.
• Test Music Theologically.
• Does this exalt Christ? Is it faithful to Scripture? Is it clear, rich, and reverent?
• Shepherd Your Worship Leaders.
• Equip those who lead musically with theological clarity. Worship leaders are spiritual shepherds, not merely skilled performers.
• Avoid Trend-Driven Worship.
• Discernment often means resisting what is popular. Seek what is faithful and enduring.

(How about 

• Read the Bible
• Spend time with the worship leader as a peer
• Spend time with musicians
• Be part of a leadership team that picks its fellow elders wisely
• Let the leaders you choose do their job)

The Dangers of Shallow or Theologically Weak Worship

Where discernment in worship is lacking, confusion will follow. Pastors who fail to evaluate the theological substance of their worship risk leading their people into doctrinal shallowness, or worse, into error dressed in melody. (For worship leaders, this is good counsel.)

Pastoral neglect here is not neutral, it is dangerous. It shapes a congregation that feels deeply yet believes lightly. Remember, error rarely announces itself at the pulpit, it often slips in through song.

(Apparently the pastor's duties never end. He can't be a part of a competent team that is able to make these decisions. The CEO pastor must keep his thumb on the worship leader, and presumably the person who makes the coffee and shovels the sidewalks as well.

What a mess.)

Worship as a Witness to the Watching World

Worship is not only for the edification of the saints, it is a public witness to the glory of God. (Worship itself is primarily directed to God Himself. There may be secondary effects, but if the worship is not directed to God, it is not worship at all.)

A watching world sees our God through our worship. (We aren't familiar with any part of the world that cares about what happens in a church on a Sunday morning.)

When worship is God-centered, Christ-exalting, and biblically rich, it becomes a living testimony of the gospel.

Let services be filled with beauty, not the sentimentalism of pop culture, but the solemn splendor of truth. (Here we have it. Solemn, serious, reverent. Don't get out of line, don't be joyful, don't weep, don't shout out. Have respect.)

Let them echo with the voices of the redeemed, proclaiming not vague spirituality, but the crucified and risen Christ. (Why do we have to endure these continual false binary equations?)

Believers, your songs shape your loves. Sing truth on Sunday and carry it into Monday. Pray for your pastors and leaders as they guard what the church sings and sees. Receive rich lyrics and reverent forms with gratitude, since God uses them to mature your faith. (Worship is not done for our benefit, it is for God's pleasure.)

A Call to Reformation in Worship

Pastors, consider what you are leading your people to sing and behold. Does it reflect the majesty of God? Is it doctrinally faithful and spiritually nourishing? Does it flow from the Word and point to Christ?

We need a reformation in worship, not merely of style, but of substance. A return to worship that is theological, reverent, and beautiful. Let us not leave our people vulnerable to every musical trend and artistic whim. Let us lead with discernment, and in doing so, adorn the gospel with beauty and truth.


David de Bruyn has pastored New Covenant Baptist Church in Johannesburg, South Africa since May 2003, serving as lead pastor since December 2005. He is also Professor at Shepherds Seminary Africa, teaching church history and biblical theology, and has hosted a weekly radio program, Bible Perspective on Radio Pulpit, since 1999.

David earned a Diploma in Media Studies (Radio Broadcasting) from Rand Afrikaans University (now University of Johannesburg), a B.Th. (Hons.) from South African Theological Seminary, a Master of Arts in Theology from Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Minnesota, and a Doctorate in Theology (Christian Spirituality) from the University of South Africa. He is one of the G3 Pastor-Theologians.

He is the author or contributor of multiple books, including The Conservative Church, The War on Words, Strange Lyre: The Pentecostalization of Evangelical Worship, and 31 Days of Worship With Charles Spurgeon. His blog, Churches Without Chests, addresses worship, the affections, and Christian discipleship.

David is married to Erin and they have three children — Jack, Karissa, and Katelyn.