PAGAN SPIRITUALITY: THE WORSHIP OF THE CONTEMPORARY CHURCH

There is a paradigm shift that is occurring within that of the Church today: that of its transitioning of traditional worship into contemporary worship service. What is meant by contemporary worship is the attempt to usurp the true worship of God as to the worship of Self: that of its brazen form of New Age Spirituality (Col. 2:23; 2 Tim. 3:5). The philosophical presupposition of the New Age movement is that of monism: "All is God; God is all." The manifesto of the doctrine of monism: that of created beings or individuals who are created in the image and likeness of God can create a "god" of their own cravings: that of the worshipping the creature more than the Creator (Rom. 1:23, 25). For example: It is evident of the prosperity-faith movement that create the "god" of its appetite for the sole purpose of "decreeing and commanding" at the beck and call of the Faith believer (Mk. 11:23-24; Heb. 11:2). Also along with the Faith teaching on the "divinity" of humanity is that of the idea of "being in the presence of God" is none other than the divine influx of receiving what is revelatory knowledge: that of its mystical way of knowing things (Col. 2:18, 19).

The inspiration and authority of scripture is clearly denied by many evangelical churches, especially within the context of African American "Word of Faith" movement churches for such mundane emphasis of having a "relationship" with God through Revelation Knowledge, thus deny personal faith in Jesus Christ for salvation (John 3:36). Also the whole of the biblical doctrine of salvation have been totally perverted to such a degree that people are made to believe that it is a matter of works; not grace. The more "revelations" one receives the closer that person's relationship with God becomes more intimate (contrast, Eph. 2:8-9). For whomever the church worship is to whom it will serve.

The apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossian believers warns concerning individuals who have "indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility (Col. 2:23). The elementary principle of Gnostics in the professing Church today is childish: that of the A, B, C's of theological mysticism so as to be in rebellion against the true worship of God by what is revelatory (Col. 2:8, 18, 19; Jud. 8). The pseudo-knowledge or "gnosis" amongst mystics who have "indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and [false] humility is fleshly; not spiritual (Phil. 3:19).

There are several things that needs to be pointed out concerning the nature of pagan spirituality which in fact have ripped the Church, especially contemporary African American churches of its true genuine worship of allegiance to God as its Source of worship and adoration (John 4).

Pagan Spirituality: Polytheistic Monism

The nature of pagan spirituality associated with that of polytheistic monism is that of the plurality of "gods": that all of humanity, plant life, and animals are the embodiment of the theistic God. There is only one true and living God (1 Cor. 8:4, 5, 6). The philosophical theism of the doctrine of monism: "All is God; God is all" is at the heart of pagan spirituality or that of the New Age movement. Even though pagan spirituality is at the root of the New Age movement, but it have reached into the annals of the professing Church today with its brazen form of statement, "The god in you" typology, or theory that humanity is God (John 10:34). The age old lie of Satan in suggesting to the woman Eve, "You shall be as gods knowing god and evil." (Ge. 3:3-5)

Also the pathway of theological mysticism is "oneness" with the All Encompassing Spirit so as to declare that all of humanity is God. So as "little gods" recipients of pagan spirituality can "tap" into the innerness of one's own Self: that of recognizing the divine "spark" from within which is the avenue of true salvation (knowledge, "gnosis") by which the human spirit have been incarcerated through ignorance. Thus neo-Gnosticism understanding of salvation is knowledge that is secretive as to its union with the transcendent "god" from within so as to deny personal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:22; Eph. 2:8-9).

The Root of Pagan Spirituality: The Worshiping of Self

The creature is worship than the Creator (Rom. 1:25). Man is incurably religious and he or she seek to worship something or Someone outside of themselves so as to fulfill the spiritual void in their own lives whether it is through promiscuousness, sexual orgies, chemical dependency, or merely the worshipping of Self through self conceit. Man will desperately do anything to fill the void or the "black" hole in their own lives at whatever cost through pleasure seeking.

The doctrine of utilitarianism is to psychologically avoid pain and suffering through the degree of pleasure that brings about its stimulation; the whole idea of hedonism is a pleasure seeking religion that comes in the form of the prosperity theology (3 John 2). The latter for an example is to "numb" the pain of a person's past through chemical dependency (i.e. "pleasure") to avoid taking responsibility for their own actions. The former of course comes through the prosperity-faith movement (i.e. "pleasure" seeking religion) so as to accumulate material wealth and prosperity (2 Tim. 3:6). The impulse is the satisfying of Self at the exclusion of worshipping the true God of the Bible (John 4:24).

It is a tragedy that many of evangelical churches, especially within the context of contemporary African American "Word of Faith" movement churches whose worship experience of God is fleshly; not spiritual (Col. 2:23). Man is exalted; God is demoted as to be the Object of true worship (v. 24). For whomever the Church worship is to whom it will serve (Phil. 3:19). Such cult worship involves spiritual, psychological, and physical dependency (2 Tim. 2:26). There are "spiritual" junkies in the professing Church today who seek similar spiritual "highs" to maintain their connectedness with the worshipping of Self in not feeling detached from the "god" within. For professing believers to feel a sense of detachment is to be abandoned by God.

Aesthetic Worship: Replacing the Bible

Today's churches today have replaced the Bible in exchange for such esoteric form of worship. In so many words "liberal" Protestantism and neo-evangelicalism denial of the authority of scripture experiential religiosity is over against the objective truth of God's Word (2 Tim. 3:15, 16).

The ideal of the preaching of the Word which is central to church worship is at the bottom of the self for such mundane emphasis of contemporary church worship (Col. 2:23). There is also attack  upon "traditional" hymns, songs, and spiritual hymns that are based upon scripture as to be outdated and is suggested by "revisionist" of false spiritual leadership within that of the professing Church that such "traditional" hymns and songs must be "upgraded" in order to appeal to a worldly, secular culture of today (Rom. 12:2).

The tragedy is that instead of the Church influencing the culture; the culture have in fact influenced the Church through such pragmatism (2 Tim. 3:7; 2 Pet. 2:14; Jude 12).

For the Church to experience the worship of God in spirit and in truth is to place the Bible at the seat of its platform so as to have its hymns and spiritual songs saturated by the Word of God. That is what is Reformed worship.

Contemporary Worship: Displacement of "Traditional" Hymns

Apostate Christianity have displaced that of "traditional" hymns for contemporary worship. This in and of itself is the epitaph of spiritual apostasy (1 Tim. 4:1). The remedy of apostasy is God's judgment (Jude 3).

Many of "traditional" hymns and songs within the Church today have been diluted with Hellenism or Greek mythology: that of its "spirited" elevation in imposing upon the literal context of the Bible (2 Tim. 2:17-18). How is it possible to sing songs in a strange land where there are facets of pagan Greek gods that seek to sway the attention of the people in the worshipping of their goddess cult? There are futility gods that worship the god of orgies and ritual prostitution. There is such an indictment upon the professing Church today that have in fact been spiritually promiscuous in their own futility cult of worship in singing songs that is foreign to the Bible so as to systemically distort the true biblical concept of the worship of God (John 4). But in retrospect to the Church being who Christ intended for it to be is that it is littered with Gnostics that have sought to change the character and nature of the church today for example through the form of "The Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International" spearheaded by Bishop Paul S. Morton whose cultural and religious upbringing of the "sect" of The Church of God in Christ, Inc. founded by the late Bishop Charles Mason out of Memphis, Tennessee (Matt. 16:13; Acts 5:35, 36-37; 29:29-30).

It is true that the displacement of "traditional" liturgy of worship in songs and spiritual hymns have been replaced in favor of prolonged upbeat music, chant, esotericism, speaking in tongues, incantation, and amphitheater as it way of worshipping God is paramount to the apostasy that is plaguing the Church today (1 Tim. 4:1; Jude 5, 6).

The Church's worship today must be both Christ-centered in its theology and practice which is true biblical spiritual worship (John 4:24).

Rev. Darryl L. Miller is president and Chairman of Georgia based Darryl Miller International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia and travels extensively throughout the United States and the continents. As an apologist, Senior researcher/Editor, pastor, evangelist, and lecturer he is in great demand both in the United States and around the world. Darryl lives with his wife Vivian outside of Atlanta, Georgia.


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