Should Christians Sing Worship Songs From Hillsong, Bethel & Elevation?
Pastor Leslie Chua
“God is spirit, and those who worship him
must worship in spirit and truth.”
The worship songs from several megachurches in the U.S. such as Hillsong, Bethel, and Elevation are extremely popular. Many churches around the world use these songs for worship in their weekly services and small group meetings.
However, the usage of these songs has also been roundly criticised and even condemned in some Christian circles.
Should Christians sing the worship songs from Hillsong, Bethel, and Elevation?
I was asked this question time and again, occasionally in the past and again recently.
The Objections
Some Christians who object wonder whether they will get spiritually defiled by singing these worship songs while most cite theological concerns as the primary reason. Not so much with the lyrics of the songs but the problematic theology taught in these churches.
They contend that singing these songs equates to endorsing the questionable theology of these churches. They also argue that Christians who like these songs might check out the sermons from these churches online and become unduly influenced.
I checked online to get a sense of the common objections. Among the better-written articles, the finger is invariably pointed squarely at the wrong theology of worship embraced by these churches, which are rooted in Pentecostalism.
There would be more credence to their concerns and criticism if they had just pointed out the theological flaws of these churches. I have some concerns too. But to drag the Pentecostal and Charismatic theology of worship through the mud Is both naïve and counterproductive. It is also arrogant.
In this reflection, I am going to give a biblical response to whether we should or should not sing worship songs from churches that have questionable theology.
In general, I would argue that there is nothing wrong with singing these worship songs.
Here are my thoughts.
The Heart of Worship
Jesus said ‘true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’(John 4:23)
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We must worship God in spirit. It simply means to worship Him with a proper heart attitude. The emphasis is placed on our inward heart posture and not on any external religious forms and rituals.
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Worshipping God in truth means to worship Him according to His revelation in Scripture regarding how He wants believers to worship Him.
God will not accept any other ways of worship as indicated by the word, must. We must worship God in spirit. It simply means to worship Him with a proper heart attitude. The emphasis is placed on our inward heart posture and not on any external religious forms and rituals.
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As you can see, the posture of the believer’s heart in worship is what really matters. Any other considerations are external and secondary.
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Didn’t God also say? – “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2).
As you can see, the posture of the believer’s heart in worship is what really matters. Any other considerations are external and secondary.
Given that, a proud, sinful, or insincere believer singing a worship song laced with theologically rich lyrics will not be pleasing to God even if it originates from a spiritually impeccable source.
Conversely, the worship of a believer who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at His word will always be pleasing and acceptable to God. He could be singing a simple song with simple lyrics. It does not matter. His worship will still be a sweet aroma to God.
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As for the source, it should not be a point of contention unless it has deviated from the fundamentals of the Christian faith and its position is reflected in the lyrics.
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While good lyrics are important and helpful, it is secondary. Of course, the lyrics must be biblically sound. As for the source, it should not be a point of contention unless it has deviated from the fundamentals of the Christian faith and its position is reflected in the lyrics.
Conflating the Composer with the Questionable Church
Next, do not conflate the composer of the song with the church that produces the song. It is not always wise to do that.
The church might have certain teachings that are debatable. But it does not necessarily mean that the composer subscribes to those supposedly flawed theological ideas. Most songwriters are not trained in theology and their lyrics are usually simple expressions of love for God and commitment to Him. The lyrics reflect these basic biblical truths and they are fine.
Conversely, I am sure there are songs produced by respectable songwriters and mainstream churches with questionable lyrics.
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I suggest that we take a simple approach to assess the appropriateness of worship songs. As long as the lyrics are fine, we should not cry foul and dismiss the songs altogether.
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Have you ever thought that some well-known and popular songwriters from sound mainstream churches might be living a sinfully wretched life of immorality but nobody knows? Yet, we are singing his songs and using them for our weekly services.
Therefore, I suggest that we take a simple approach to assess the appropriateness of worship songs. As long as the lyrics are fine, we should not cry foul and dismiss the songs altogether.
Guilt by association is an overly simplistic approach.
The Pharisees and scribes played this game with Jesus. They dismissed and rejected Him for associating with sinners, tax collectors, and prostitutes. It was not only a wrong decision but also a bad move on their part.
There are some very good worship songs written by people in some of these churches with debatable teachings. Do not throw out the baby with the bathwater.
No Perfect Vessel
Here is another thing to consider. There is no perfect vessel. All of us are sinners saved by grace. We also have to acknowledge that we will continue to be flawed vessels. Nevertheless, God still uses us.
King David is a perfect example. Despite his many failures throughout his life, God considered him to be a man after His own heart and He used him to compose many beautiful psalms.
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So, be mindful not to dismiss or reject any worship songs simply because that songwriter or the worship leader who popularises the songs falls into some kind of sin.
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Can a flawed man or woman be loved and used by God mightily? Yes, certainly!
So, be mindful not to dismiss or reject any worship songs simply because that songwriter or the worship leader who popularises the songs falls into some kind of sin.
Their songs are not tainted by their sins.
Worship Involves the Whole Person
I mentioned earlier about the criticism on the Pentecostal and Charismatic theology of worship. The main objection is contemporary Christian tunes and those from Hillsong and Bethel tend to stir our emotions during worship.
Put simply, they contend that worship is a spiritual act that emanates from the heart. Therefore, any attempt to engage human emotions is manufactured and it adulterates the worship experience.
I find such comments ludicrous. It is out of touch with the Bible.
Didn’t Jesus command His followers to love God with “all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”? (Mark 12:30-31).
To love God with all our souls involves our emotions. Essentially, God wants us to love Him with all our being, including our emotions.
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So, it is not a problem for worship lyrics and tunes to be crafted in such a way as to engage worshippers in their emotions. Having said that, the best worship songs are those that engage us in our hearts, minds, and emotions.
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Read the Psalms, and you will notice that David expressed his feelings openly in his prayer and worship. Sometimes, he talked to God normally. Sometimes, he shouted and danced in joy. Sometimes, he cried aloud and went into lament. Sometimes, he prayed angrily against his enemies. At other times, he just kept quiet in the presence of the LORD.
So, it is not a problem for worship lyrics and tunes to be crafted in such a way as to engage worshippers in their emotions. Having said that, the best worship songs are those that engage us in our hearts, minds, and emotions.
A Matter of Personal Conviction
Considering all that has been said, this matter is clearly not a fundamental gospel issue. Instead, it is a matter of personal opinion and conviction.
As such, no one should push his conviction on other believers or the church. No one should label those who disagree with them as undiscerning or compromising.
The apostle, Paul, told the Roman believers not to quarrel over personal opinions and convictions. He said – “One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him… One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God” (Romans 14:2-3, 5-6).
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Considering all that has been said, this matter is clearly not a fundamental gospel issue. Instead, it is a matter of personal opinion and conviction.
As such, no one should push his conviction on other believers or the church. No one should label those who disagree with them as undiscerning or compromising.
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Paul is saying that it is inappropriate to impose one’s opinions and convictions on others.
It is unhelpful and counterproductive. Doing so only serves to create confusion, dissension and disunity.
Legalism
Avoid focusing on all these trivial matters as it may lead to legalism if you are not careful.
The Pharisees are a case in point. The Pharisees started their sect with good intentions. They were concerned with the erosion of faith in Israel. The nation’s faith in God was politicised and morality was on the decline. They were desperate to preserve the purity and integrity of worship.
As time went by, they fell into the error of majoring in the minor. They focused on trivial and the inconsequential things. They introduced rules to regulate even the minutest details of religious practices and imposed them on everyone.
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Most of these songs from the supposedly questionable churches are fine. There is no need to exclude them.
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Jesus came along and He was aghast with the heavy yokes and burdensome traditions that the Pharisees placed on the people. That is why the Lord often criticised them.
So, be careful. Do not fall into the same trap as the Pharisees. Most of these songs from the supposedly questionable churches are fine. There is no need to exclude them.
Here is another thought on legalism. There is no end to it. Today, you say that certain worship songs must not be used. Tomorrow, you will say that we must stop using modern musical instruments such as drums and electric guitars because these instruments are not mentioned in the Bible. On another day, you will say, “Let us sing acapella.”
Worship instruments change over time and churches in different cultures use different instruments for their worship. Musical instruments are neutral. They are neither holy nor profane. So, we should not make a fuss of it.
Church Policy
Let me conclude this reflection by stating our church policy regarding singing songs from Hillsong, Bethel, and Elevation.
We will continue to use these worship songs as long as their lyrics are biblically sound. This policy applies to both our Sunday services and Community Group meetings.
You may hold to your personal conviction but you must not impose it on others.