service and ministry

The Balance of Emotion and Truth in Worship

/ Richard Bargas / Leave a comment

“Now David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their strength, even with songs and with lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and with trumpets.” (1 Chronicles 13:8, LSB) 

The modern evangelical church faces numerous challenges. Passion and “vibes” aren’t lacking, though. In fact, the modern evangelical movement emphasizes and showcases its emotional focus, often displaying its energy and excitement as proof positive that they love God. I’d argue that loving God with our hearts just as much as our minds is a biblical principle that many churches need to be reminded of. However, I’d also contend that too many churches ride the wave of emotionalism, believing that the outward expression of these “worship experiences” is God’s primary concern. It’s not.  

Now, if I were part of this movement of emotional excess, swaying to the moody singing with the lights down low and hands raised high, I wouldn’t need to provide any proof. After all, how I feel is enough. But I want to argue against that, and so I will offer biblical proof, the only true proof that really counts.

The passage from 1 Chronicles 13:8 is part of an intriguing section of the Old Testament. It is often cited to support emotion-driven worship. First, let me emphasize that God is concerned about us worshiping Him in truth. In John 4:24, Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24, LSB). I am not suggesting that we must choose between emotion and truth, but truth takes precedence over emotion. To worship the Lord in error, even if we are excited and passionate about it, is egregious. 

Along with truth, we must realize that God is holy and not like men. Hosea 11:9 says, “For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, And I will not come in wrath” (Hosea 11:9, LSB). In Isaiah 12:6, the Lord states, “Cry aloud and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 12:6, LSB). Holiness doesn’t only mean sinless; it also means not creaturely. Although Jesus came as a man, He is the God-man. He is unique and not created.

First Chronicles 13:8 describes the passionate and energetic worship of a small group of worshippers as they attempted to bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. However, if you read a little farther in the chapter, you will find a shocked and terrified king standing beside a dead man. What happened? God struck down one of the men in the procession, named Uzzah, for daring to touch the Ark with his hands when it appeared to be falling from the cart it was being transported on.

Didn’t God see their passion? Didn’t God see that Uzzah only meant well? What happened? Again, God is more concerned with truth and His holiness than energy and passion. In chapter 15, we see that the lesson was learned. Verse 2 says, “And David said, “No one is to carry the ark of God but the Levites; for Yahweh chose them to carry the ark of God and to minister to Him forever” (1 Chronicles 15:2, LSB).

David had given up hope of moving the Ark of God, so he placed it in a nearby farmhouse after Uzzah died. It remained there for a time, but he wanted to bring it to Jerusalem again. This time, however, he remembered that God wants to be worshiped in truth and holiness as well as passionate energy. When he made his plans, he didn’t place the Ark on an ox-cart as he had done before. Instead, he enlisted the Levitical priests and informed them that this was how Yahweh chose to have his Ark moved. 

As he spoke to the priests, he ensured they were prepared to encounter this holy God. He instructed them: “and said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; set yourselves apart as holy, both you and your relatives, that you may bring up the ark of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it” (1 Chronicles 15:12, LSB). 

We also read how David arrived at this conclusion in the next verse: “Because you did not carry it at the first, Yahweh our God broke out against us, for we did not seek Him according to the legal judgment” (1 Chronicles 15:13, LSB).

Some within modern evangelicalism dismiss all of this, believing that truth and holy reverence stifle emotion and passion. They’re mistaken. It channels those feelings properly toward God and away from ourselves. Worship isn’t meant to be performative, yet it often is in the church today. Instead, it should elevate the heart to God, humbling us as we offer ourselves in reverent love as His people.

Once David had everything in order, according to God’s prescribed rules for worship, the Ark was moved. Was it somber? Was it more like a funeral march because truth and reverence were required? Absolutely not. Joy was evident. In verse 25 we read, “So it was David, with the elders of Israel and the commanders over thousands, who went to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from the house of Obed-edom with gladness” (1 Chronicles 15:25, LSB). That passion spread, and we read in verses 27-28, “Now David was clothed with a robe of fine linen with all the Levites who were carrying the ark, as well as the singers and Chenaniah the leader of the singing with the singers. David also wore a linen ephod. Thus all Israel was bringing up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh with shouting, and with sound of the horn, with trumpets, with loud-sounding cymbals, with harps, and lyres” (1 Chronicles 15:27–28, LSB).

What we observe is that even while adhering to the law, there was still joy, passion, gladness of heart, and a celebration of God. There wasn’t the wild and unregulated worship that the pagans practiced. Instead, the One True God was worshiped as He desires, in Spirit, Truth, and Holiness. 

Balancing Toughness and Tenderness in Pastoral Care

/ Richard Bargas / 2 Comments

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he brings all his own out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they will never follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” (John 10:1–5, LSB)

This passage about Jesus being both the Good Shepherd and the door of the sheep pen conveys a sense of toughness and tenderness. The sheep are cared for, protected, and guided by this good shepherd. Meanwhile, the thief and robber attempt to gain access to the sheep to steal, kill, and destroy them. However, they cannot do so as long as the Good Shepherd watches over His own.

Christians cling to such imagery because it reminds us of the loving care and protection the Savior gives to us, His sheep. As a pastor, I also appreciate the picture because it reminds me of the dual nature of being a pastor as I try to model my care after Christ’s. Being tough and tender are essential elements in every biblical elder’s life and ministry.

Like many things in life, it is all too easy to fall into extremes. I see fellow pastors struggle to be tough. They are soft on sin, fail to confront, delay, or ignore the need for discipline, and tolerate false doctrine under the guise that they want to be humble. All of these are troubling and can lead a church into very dangerous situations if ignored for too long.

What I observe more frequently nowadays is the opposite extreme. I notice many younger pastors who are trying exceptionally hard to appear tough. They speak harshly and project an image of being strict about sin, particularly concerning the sins of those who don’t completely agree with them on every doctrinal issue. I witness toughness in their congregations, where any disagreement is perceived as dissent and division, met with a severity that is alien to the way Jesus dealt with his own. This portrayal is especially unappealing when found on social platforms like X, where the negativity of chest-thumping and public shaming has escalated to an alarming level. How did we get here?

Jesus used both tender and firm hands with those He encountered, even unbelievers. He understood when it was necessary to be firm and when to be gentle. He rebuked “that fox,” Herod, yet was gracious to the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery. He wasn’t being lenient on sin. He wasn’t condoning their life choices. Jesus never turned away when sin needed to be addressed. It’s not “tenderness” when we compromise by allowing sin to continue without confrontation or resolution. 

But Jesus didn’t always “bring down the hammer” when He saw sin in others. After all, everyone He met was guilty in some way or another! “If You should keep iniquities, O Yah, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, That You may be feared” (Psalm 130:3–4, LSB). Instead, Jesus aimed for the hearts of those He walked among. He was more direct with the hard-hearted, and He was gentler with the bruised and broken (“A crushed reed He will not break And a faintly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will bring forth justice in truth” (Isaiah 42:3, LSB).

The Good Shepherd was both tender and tough. Regardless of our natural tendencies, we must strive to embody the heart of our Good Shepherd, who was neither lenient toward sin nor harsh with the broken and weak. By doing so, we will more closely reflect the heart of our Master.

Pastors or Shopkeepers?

/ Richard Bargas / 2 Comments

“The pastors of America have metamorphosed into a company of shopkeepers and the shops they keep are churches. They are preoccupied with shopkeeper’s concerns-how to keep the customers happy, how to lure customers away from competitors down the street, how to package the goods so that the customers will lay out more money. The marketing strategies of the fast-food franchise occupy the waking minds of these entrepreneurs; while asleep they dream of the kind of success that will get the attention of journalists.” —Eugene Peterson

Peterson’s statement strikes at the root of the modern evangelical church today. Don’t speak on controversial issues. Make sure your social media strategy keeps up with the latest trends. Watch where the “market” is driving the tastes of the most “customers” and shift your marketing strategy in that direction. God help us.

What might look like “market dominance” and “success” in this false narrative for so many of these types of ministries will turn out to be more like cotton candy. Appealing to the eyes and the flesh, and yet truly amounting to just a little bit of colored sugar spun into a frenzy that appeals to children and those who hunger for flash over substance.

Give me a church where men stand before their congregation and open up their Bibles and thunder, “Thus says the Lord.” They aren’t harvesting social media followers or their brand. They aren’t gathering up lieutenants who are loyal to them more than to Jesus. No, these men and the churches they lead are content to be faithful and be forgotten.

These types of men aren’t tending to their shops, strategizing how they can better market to the masses under the guise that they are doing evangelism. These men are more on their knees than on TikTok, more in the Word than on Instagram. Instead of selfies they are selfless. Instead of harvesting followers, they are walking with the Savior in humble obedience.

It’s not flashy. It’s doesn’t draw a crowd. But the world doesn’t need a phenom, or a CEO. We need pastors who will gently lead us to Jesus.

No Lone Rangers in Ministry

/ Richard Bargas / Leave a comment

“Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 (LSB)

Christians need one another. I state that knowing that there are still a lot of Christians who have not returned to church since they left during the COVID restrictions temporarily closed churches in 2020. Christians who somehow function without other believers are as unnatural as people who live in total isolation. It is spiritually unhealthy and among many consequences, I would say that it will eventually lead to the spiritual demise of anyone who continues in this state for extended periods. My quick response is simple–if you have stopped attending church “in person,” get back to church!

With that said, my main focus for writing today is not concerning the need for the average Christian to be involved in church, but rather that the leaders of the church need to stop behaving in similar ways by forsaking assembling with other Christian leaders because they are “independent.”

Look, I believe that the Bible supports the understanding that a local church is supposed to function under the authority of the Spirit, the Word of God, and godly, biblical leadership, namely elders, within the local church context. I admit that there may be problems when a pastor or church “goes rogue” since there isn’t an overarching synod, or denominational structure to hold them accountable, but my conviction is that since these man-made structures aren’t seen in the New Testament, they shouldn’t be present in the church today.

Having been a part of independent churches my whole life (as a member and a leader), I can say that our strength of independence can also be our greatest weakness. The pastor of an independent church can become so independently minded that he refuses to seek wise counsel and encouragement from other men who are like-minded in faith. Like the church member who thinks that he can get all he needs from his study, online articles, podcasts, and YouTube videos, some independent pastors do the same regarding their own spiritual needs. It’s a “me and Jesus” mentality that can lead to loneliness, discouragement, and warped unbiblical ideas. We need to get out of our echo chamber and allow others to hone our swords through good Christian relationships.

Pastor Alex Montoya has reminded independent pastors of this danger for many years by pointing to the romanticized idea of a lone wolf howling alone in the light of a full moon. The reality, he says, is that a lone wolf is a dead wolf. Wolves are pack animals, and they need each other. The strength of the wolf is the pack. We cannot be “solo lobos,” Montoya says. If one of our members told us that they were going to be fine all on their own and didn’t need the church, we would scoff. We would warn of the dangers of a solo Christian. We would point to the reality that there is no such thing as a solo Christian that is outside of the local assembly in the New Testament. And we would be right. But we must also look at our own isolation. Are we guilty of being a “solo lobo?”

Before Covid struck, our society was already rapidly moving toward self-imposed isolationism. Before iPhones were invented, there was the Sony Walkman, a music device that removed listening to music from a group experience to a personal one. Then came the Walkman, allowing teenagers all over the planet to retreat to their own little world. The iPod replaced the Walkman, and then the little computer in our hands moved the whole world’s focus to one foot in front of its face. This internalization of attention has possibly been one of the most destructive changes our society has faced because it provides a false sense of social interaction for people. Social media has made us increasingly isolated and lonely.

Pastor, you can see the effects this has had on others. Where are you being sharpened and honed? Do you have a group of godly men that you can interact with, pray with, challenge, and be challenged by? The spiritual war hasn’t ended, and we will need to be strong and focused as we prepare for the next stages of the conflict. That means we need each other more than at any other time.

If you want this sort of interaction–iron sharpening iron–and you don’t know where to begin, might I offer you one option? IFCA International, the ministry I am privileged to lead, has many such opportunities to sharpen one another–for churches, pastors, missionaries, Christian leaders, and Christian organizations. If you aren’t already finding this type of fellowship where you are serving the Lord, I want to invite you to look into IFCA to see if we can help bridge that gap and help introduce you to godly, independent Christian men who want to be sharpened by others. Interdependence that doesn’t sacrifice convictions. Find out more at www.ifca.org

Forsaking Our Rights for the Sake of the Gospel

/ Richard Bargas / Leave a comment

“Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense to those who would examine me. Do we not have the right to eat and drink? Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.”

(1 Corinthians 9:1–19, ESV)

Living in America, the lens that I and most Americans look through is determined largely by our own experience in a nation that has determined certain rights and freedoms for its citizens. It is largely a privilege and blessings to living in the United States and to enjoy the freedoms that were won and defended for us.

And this outlook of freedoms and rights makes for a particular challenge at times when it comes to understanding the tension between being an American citizen and being a Christian. The Apostle Paul understood the unique opportunities that were afforded to him as a Roman citizen, and at times he made good use of those rights in order to carry out the ministry he had received from God. But at other times, Paul understood that asserting personal rights is not the way of Christ, and that sometimes the Christlike thing to do is to forego those rights in order to serve others and the gospel.

In the passage above found in 1 Corinthians 9, Paul is writing about the claims made by the false teachers who were benefiting financially from the church. He is turning their claims on their head in order to show the contact between Paul’s servant attitude and the self-serving attitude of the false apostles.

Paul had not taken advantage of any of the reasonable advantages, such as support of a wife, and financial support; although the false teachers had done so. Since Paul was their father in the faith, he not only had the right to financial support as their pastor, but even more so as the one who was the founder of the church in Corinth.

Yet, as he says in the second half of verse 12, the Apostle has been willing to forego this rightful claim because he loves the church too much to risk there being any sort of obstacle to the gospel. This truth extends Paul’s words of exhortation about the need to give up liberties in the name of love, and it further shows his heart as compared to the hearts of the false teachers. “Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ” (1Cor 12:9b).

Paul’s liberty refused, he goes on in the rest of verses 10-19 to demonstrate that his self-sacrifice and self-constraint is one more way that he can see the progress of the gospel go forth with greater vigor. Every obstacle, including denial of support and marriage, was worth it for Paul since it meant greater gospel effectiveness. Paul doesn’t say that all must do this, but he is compelled by zeal for Christ and joyfully gives up his rights for the Corinthians. How then could they say that Paul was the one who was “using” the church?

Paul was on a mission, in the truest sense. He wouldn’t let anything deter or damper progress for the sake of the gospel. For Paul, onward and upward was his motto and his aim was pure and his desire true.

Today in many ways it feels like the ministers of Jesus have lost much of this same focus and zeal. Administration, programs, buildings, budgets, church politics, self-promotion, and all other sorts of distractions have filled our time and stolen our focus. Paul was willing to leave it all behind in order to see people come to know Christ as Savior. Do we do the same? If we stripped back everything other than gospel ministry, what would be left? Maybe we should ponder this question as we prepare to enter into a new year, praying that the Lord would help us to “lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us,” and let us once again run with a freedom and with endurance the race that our Savior has set before us. That is true freedom.