EP 55: Discerning Sound Music
Hey, sister! How’s it going?
I’m really excited for our chat today. We are going to be talking about worship music, specifically how to determine whether or not what we are listening to and participating in is sound and truly honoring to the Lord. I’m also going to be providing some brief examples and tangible takeaways to help you walk away with what I pray will be helpful tools for you to discern whether or not something is worth consuming.
Before we get started, I just have to tell you that the fall collections for the Daughter of Delight Boutique are now available! I am SO excited about these beauties! You’ve got three collections to choose from: Give Me Jesus, Thankful Grateful Blessed, and Pray More Worry Less. Each collection offers a short sleeve, long sleeve and fleece sweatshirt option with a comfortable unisex fit and several colors to choose from with each apparel style. I think my personal favorite design this go around is Pray More Worry Less. It’s a super fun font with bold terracotta like fall colors, and I absolutely love it on the white sweatshirt! You can read more about each collection at shopdaughterofdelight.com. While you’re there, I’d love for you to take 10% off your purchase with the code PODCAST10 at checkout. Just a special thank you from me to you for being a podcast listener. I’m so thankful you join me for these conversations! You can find the link to shop and the discount code in today’s show notes. So excited to ring in the fall season with these beautiful pieces!
Alright, are you ready for today’s discussion on discerning sound worship songs and Christian-affiliated music? Let’s do this!
This is going to be a pretty jam-packed episode, but I genuinely believe everything we are covering in our time together today is SO important. Even if you don’t agree with everything I say today, I hope you will choose to stick around and be a part of the entire conversation.
That said, if questions come up as you are listening to this that you would like to hear my feedback on, please feel free to write them down and email them to me at hello@daughterofdelight.com. I will email you back!
You may also want to make a cup of coffee or tea, get comfortable, and plan to take notes. Lots to cover here today :)
Worship Music is Not a Salvific Issue, but It Is Still a Matter to Consider & Discuss
First thing first- I think it’s important for me to preface with the fact that I do not think worship or Christian-affiliated music is a salvific issue. I would place worship music within the second doctrinal tier, which belongs to matters that determine local church practice and ministry.
Let me give you a quick back story in regards to how I came to carefully view and value worship music.
I was raised in a Christian household and in a church that valued singing hymns acapella style. Listening to everyone’s voices sing in harmony and unison remains one of my favorite memories. And then there’s my youth group experience. My youth group worship music experience was less about hymns and more about contemporary Christian worship. I loved it! We had instruments, a screen projector that put the lyrics on one of the walls in our youth group space, and whole team of teens leading us in our worship experience with one Hillsong lyric after the next….which ultimately led me to discovering and enjoying other worship bands like Bethel Music and Elevation Worship.
I didn’t really start to care about or pay attention to the worship music I was consuming until after I had graduated college and was dating my now husband, Michael. Michael and I went to separate colleges but we both had incredible college experiences. Something we like to do often with one another is reflect on college memories.
Not All Worship Music is the Same
Many of Michael’s favorite memories took place through the campus ministry organization he was a part of, RUF. This stands for Reformed United Fellowship. Michael was heavily involved in RUF and also played guitar for them at the weekly campus ministry gathering. The RUF minister at the time, whose name is Jeff and, fun fact, is also the minister who married us almost 5 years ago now, was a really formative figure to Michael’s faith. One of Michael’s favorite conversations that he and Jeff shared at one point in time was about worship music and how the songs got selected for the weekly RUF campus ministry gatherings.
While in the process of answering Michael’s question, Jeff said something along the lines of, “If you can replace Jesus’ name with your girlfriend’s name, you should probably take a second look at it.”
I remember when he first told me this I cracked up. I thought it was hilarious! But the more I thought about it, the more I realized the truth behind his words.
When Jeff said this, here is what he was getting at:
If the song is not talking about God’s divine attributes--if it has no mention of these things--then it is worth examining the lyrics and what the song itself is actually saying.
Are theological truths being sung? Or, are we singing our emotions, life experiences, and expectations of who we believe God to be?
This was the beginning point of my coming to understand that not all Christian music should be considered worship music. I don’t know if you have ever considered this, but it was a pretty big revelation for me.
We Cannot Accurately Worship the Lord in Spirit & Truth if We Do Not Accurately Know Him
We are going to get into the difference between the two here in just a minute, but I think one of the main issues with the songs we hear on the radio, and even many churches now, too, is that they are lacking flavor. They are very surface-level and about what we are doing or what we are feeling. It has more of an emphasis on self and a little focus on God. I’m not saying this is necessarily a bad thing, but songs like this should be avoided within the corporate gathering.
The issue and lack of desire to put in the work to know the Bible and the truths of God that saturate its pages is a huge problem within the church. This isn’t anything new. But it is sad, and there are several contemporary worship songs and Chrsitian-affiliated music that has and continues to contribute to the problem. We need rich, truth-saturated lyrics that point us to our sovereign God.
John 4:24 tells us, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
But here’s the thing: We cannot accurately worship the Lord in spirit and truth if we do not accurately know Him. And that’s just the fact of the matter.
What is Worship?
I think this is a good time to talk about what worship actually is.
The word itself is oftentimes used to equate with music, but worship is so much more than that, too. Worship is having a heart that is prostrated before the Lord. Worship is prayer. Worship is living our lives in such a way that demonstrates our longing and desperate need for and reliance upon Christ through denying self and doing what it takes to live with the Lord our God at the forefront of it all. Worship is not an act here and act there that points us and those around us to the One above us. Worship is our lifelong call and duty to value and treasure God above all things.
And it’s based on a right understanding of His character and nature. The more we know who God is, the more we are satisfied in Him, and the more we can worship Him and respond to Him with a right heart. When we know Him truly, we can worship Him in ways that are right, good, and pleasing in His sight. In ways that bring honor and glory to His holy, holy name.
Paul charges the Lord’s people in Romans 12:1 with these words: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
In Ephesians 5:18-20, he says, “Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (ESV).
And in Colossians 3:16, he says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (ESV).
So, again, let me take a moment to reiterate here: in order to worship God accurately, we must know Him accurately. How do we do that? Through His holy, infallible Word.
Worship Music vs. Christian-Affiliated Music
Let’s take the next few minutes to address the difference between worship music and Christian-affiliated music. Because the two are not interchangeable, in my opinion.
When I use the term worship music, I am referring to the music that is sung in corporate worship. When I use the term Christian-affiliated music, I am referring to the music that we hear on Christian radio stations. The music that we enjoy jamming out to on our own-- perhaps we could call this individualized worship!
The worship music we partake in through corporate gathering should always be focused on God. Always. The purpose of it is to remember and rejoice in the truths of God and who He is. Worship is not about us or intended for us to sing about what we are doing for God, but rather what God has done and is doing for His sovereign glory and His people. Worship is an act of devotion toward the one, true God.
Christian-affiliated music, however, typically has a strong emphasis on self and a somewhat weak emphasis placed on the Lord. Therefore, it should not be used in corporate worship. But please hear me when I say that this is NOT to say all Christian-affiliated music is heretical or blasphemous. Do I think there is a lot of heretical music out there? Yes, I do. But do I think it’s all heretical? No, I don’t. I enjoy Christian music outside of church, but I also do my best to research the lyrics and make sure I don’t continue to listening to something that may not actually be theologically sound just because it’s catchy.
Which leads me to this: It is so important for us to ask ourselves, “Are theological points being sung?” when it comes to what we are listening to and participating in. In fact, I would argue it is one of the most important questions we need to ask ourselves when worshiping at church and listening to Christian music.
The danger in not asking a question like this is the lack of accountability we are offering ourselves with the music we consume. There is a LOT of Christian-affiliated music out there, but it’s not all worship. It’s just not. But it can be easy for us to get caught up in the catchiness of a song that is filled with theological errors.
What’s worse is when we realize that it’s not theologically correct, but we look past it anyway in order to keep consuming it because it’s just that catchy. One little mess up doesn’t matter because I know the truth, right? Well, wrong.
I know that I have personally been guilty of this, so I’m speaking firsthand here when I say to be cautious of what you are filling your heart and your lips with. We may like the ways these songs move us and make us feel, but at the end of the day if they are not theologically correct, we are treading in dangerous waters.
Oftentimes, we see that Christian-affiliated songs--many of which are even sung at church gatherings--leave out the name of God or the message of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Both of these things result in a lack of the glory of God on display. When this happens, chances are the lyrics are confusing and lacking in clarity as a whole. These songs can often come across as a love song for a significant other. There’s a lot of lover’s language usage and “You” instead of “God.”
We will get into examples here in just a bit, but let me reiterate something here:
Because the focus of Christian-affiliated music is more so fixated on feel-good emotions, life experiences of self and what we are doing for God rather than rejoicing in the nature of our true and sovereign God and what He has and continues to do for us, it is not meant for corporate worship. True worship is meant to treat our holy God the way we are commanded to treat Him--which we see all throughout scripture. True worship is grounded in orthodoxy.
Hopefully, you’ve got a pretty good understanding of the difference between the two at this point.
Now, if you can listen to songs that do this without your faith being harmed by it in any way, then that is okay. That is your decision. Like I said earlier, I don’t think the worship and Christian music we participate in and consume is a salvific issue; but that doesn’t mean it isn’t harmful, which is why we must be careful.
That being said, if you support the worship music of a heretical church, then I urge you to stop.
I personally have a strong conviction when it comes to churches like Elevation, Bethel, and Hillsong. You may not. My conviction came after years of consuming what these churches were putting out. I was ignorant because I was biblically illiterate. And now that I know what I know, I simply cannot in good conscience listen to them. I won’t get into all the details here, because I just don’t have enough time to for this episode, but I do want to make it a point to say this:
While I was figuring out how to process my conviction and what it meant for me moving forward, a question I had was, “Well, if the church is heretical but some of the songs they put out seem to be okay theologically, is it still an issue?”
The answer I landed after pondering this was yes, it most certainly is. To be honest, this question stemmed from the desire to keep the way these songs made me feel around. I didn’t want to give the feel-good feelings up. Maybe you’re in this place right now.
This story I just shared with you is one reason why it is important that we do our research and not simply consume what certain churches are putting out just because it’s catchy and makes us feel good. It is our responsibility to ensure the Christian music and worship songs we are enjoying are biblically sound and focused on our gracious and loving God.
One way to know whether or not a church whose music you enjoy, or whose music your church incorporates within its worship service, is heretical or not is by going to the church’s website and doing your research. This opened my eyes when I was sitting in the conviction of certain music I was consuming on a regular basis! Read their statement of belief and their mission; listen to a sermon or two; read the content on their website; talk about it with someone who deeply values theology and living in obedience to God and are therefore trustworthy in your eyes; take advantage of the leadership at your church by seeking counsel from your pastor or an elder. We have many options at hand to help us discern. May we use them wisely!
If, after doing research, you believe that a church’s teaching is heretical and you are still tinkering around and listening to their music, you are still supporting them and helping their music become more popular with each stream, as well--which means you are contributing to the amount of people being reached by this church. So, sister, I urge you to let it go.
Let’s get into some examples here:
Alright, so a great example of a song for corporate worship is Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me by CityAlight.
Let’s take a look at some of it together. Listen to just how focused the theologically rich lyrics of this song are on Jesus.
“With every breath I long to follow Jesus
For He has said that He will bring me home
And day by day I know He will renew me
Until I stand with joy before the throne
To this I hold, my hope is only Jesus
All the glory evermore to Him
When the race is complete, still my lips shall repeat
Yet not I, but through Christ in me.“
I wish I could read all of the lyrics to you because they are seriously so rich and beautiful and good. The message is clear, Gospel-centered and focused on the hope we have in Christ. This is a song that is sung at my church and one of my absolute favorites! I love the way it points me to Christ, and I love the tune of it, also. I highly recommend you give it a listen! That’s Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me by CityAlight.
Alright, now let’s take a look at the song, “No Longer Slaves” by Bethel Worship. This is a very popular song, so my guess is that you have heard it before.
Let’s take a look at the bridge of this one together:
You split the sea, so I could walk right through it
All my fears were drowned in perfect love
You rescued me, so I could stand and sing
I am a child of God
At surface level, this doesn’t feel off. But there is nothing in the bridge or the song as a whole that points to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ- and that’s a red flag for me. It points to us being children of God, sure, but it doesn’t point to the One who made a way...it doesn’t point to the Gospel message itself. And when a song claims the things that we just read, the Gospel message should absolutely be included. This is why I would not recommend singing this in corporate worship.
We just read, “All my fears were drowned in perfect love. You rescued me, so I could stand and sing…” but what exactly is being referred to here with the usage of rescue? Because, again, Christ is nowhere to be found in this song. Thus, I can only assume the word “rescue” here is not referring to being rescued from sin, death, and God’s wrath that Jesus’ death made way for…but rather, we have been rescued from fear. And this fear was drowned in God’s perfect love. How are we set free from fear? And what exactly is perfect love? Well, it doesn’t say. We just are…because God is.
Can you see how the Gospel message is being skipped over here?
Now, God did rescue us...that’s true! And it’s true that because of His rescue we have nothing to fear...but that fear isn’t because our problems are all of a sudden gone. The truth is, our sin still exists, death still reigns in our mortal flesh, and the Wrath of God will be poured out when Jesus Christ returns to judge the living and the dead. But we don’t have to fear what the next life holds because, and only because, of what Christ accomplished for His own!
The most important message, the Gospel message, is the very message that makes what is being claimed in these lyrics true, and it’s nowhere to be found.
What made the rescue we read about in these lyrics possible was the sacrifice of Jesus, God’s one and only Son. Jesus is the ONLY hope of our salvation! In His death, He bore the full wrath of God against all sin, and His resurrection silenced the enemy and secured everlasting life for us in Him.
And this is just the bridge of the song. So, it’s a no go for me. But I listened to this song for years before I came to this realization and had the desire to look into the theology and overall message that sat beneath the lyrics I was listening to and filling my heart with.
My personal conviction with Bethel is that it preaches a false gospel, a counterfeit spirit, and a different Jesus. And it pains me to say that. Even if the lyrics of their songs don’t seem to contradict the Bible, what they believe does. Bethel Church does not point to Christ, preach repentance, or touch on the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, I do not support them. If I do not believe that church's theology is biblical, then I am not going to sing what they put out. And that is because I want to be extremely discerning when it comes to what I am lifting up to God.
Even though it was a struggle for me to step away from consuming Bethel’s music, the Lord sweetly aided me in coming to the realization that Truth is Truth, whether we agree with it or not. And sometimes Truth is hard. And I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to sacrifice Truth just because it’s difficult sometimes. I want the Truth and nothing but it, so I am extremely thankful the Lord opened my eyes to the dangerous, heretical teachings of Bethel.
To wrap our time up together today, I want to share some tangible takeaways for you to walk away with as you seek to discern what you should and should not be consuming- both in the church and outside of it.
Like I said earlier, if you are wondering about a song that is being sung in church, look up the church online. Read their statement of faith and mission, listen to a few sermons, and take a look at their blog and social media channels. If you have any questions regarding anything you may find, don’t be afraid to email or call the church office in order to ask for clarity. If you are wondering about a song on the radio, look them up on social media. Search the internet for interviews they may have been a part of-- whether it be via a blog or podcast. If you still can’t decide after that, take it to church leadership and have an elder or pastor help you discern.
Whether it’s a song in corporate worship or a Christian artist you enjoy listening to on your own, the next thing I would recommend is to look up the lyrics of some of their songs and examine the lyrics against Scripture. As you do so, have these questions in mind: Are the lyrics I am reading theologically sound? Do they rejoice in the attributes of God? Do they reflect opinion or what God has revealed to us through His Word? Do they proclaim the truths of the one, true Gospel? Do they point me to my need for Christ?
Finally, look to see who the artist or worship leader associates with and admires. Check out their Twitter feed. Look at who they are following on Instagram. This will help you determine whether or not they associate with false teachers and thus a false gospel overall.
Phew, alright, there you have it sister! How are you feeling? That was a lot, I know...and at the same time we could have covered so much more. But I think this is a good start. If you would like to email me to continue this conversation in any way, please do! Whether it’s a question you have or another viewpoint you would like to offer, I’m all ears.
As Paul says in Philippians 4:8-9,
“8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Mmm, yes,. May we think about such things! Amen, amen, amen.
Thank you so much for tuning in to today’s conversation on discerning sound music.
If anything, I pray this episode challenged and encouraged you to be more cautious, prayerful and intentional so that you can truly fill your heart with rich, God-honoring lyrics rooted in orthodoxy that will help you go before the Lord with a right heart in your worship.
If you are enjoying the podcast, please do me a favor and leave an iTunes rating and review. A lot of time and effort is put into producing the show, and leaving a review is a special way to say thank you. And with that, I want to say THANK YOU for being here!
I look forward to being back with you Wednesday, September 22. In the meantime, be sure to check out my weekly series, Ask Elle, where we explore questions you submit in regards to theology and the Christian life on the podcast every Tuesday. Talk with you soon, sister!