“Well-intentioned, but overzealous, worship leaders sometimes argue that we should not take people’s concerns into account when designing our worship. Those leaders say that God is the true audience of our worship, so we must direct all our efforts toward his glory.”
—Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Worship
It sounds good, doesn’t it? After all, we worship God, not each other. And yet God is not the only audience of our worship. His Word explains that there are two other audiences for the corporate worship of His Church:
- The world (1 Corinthians 14:23-25)
- The church itself—each other (Ephesians 5:19)
Chapell goes on to write:
“Making God’s glory the exclusive goal of worship sounds very reverent, but actually fails to respect Scripture’s own gospel priorities. Certainly it is true that God is the most important audience member for our worship. But if God were not concerned for the good of his people, his glory would be diminished. He expects us not only to praise his name (Ps. 30:4), but also to teach, admonish and encourage one another in worship (Col. 3:16; Heb. 10:24). God is not only the chief audience of our worship; by his Word and Spirit, he is also the true speaker, singer and prayer.”
