A STRANGE FIRE: 'WORSHIP-TAINMENT'

Church worship is not entertainment. It's not to be used FOR entertainment or to be entertained BY. This is the responsibility of both those who are worship 'leaders', and congregation members.

Entertainment in worship, or worshipping by entertainment is tantamount to the strange fire worship talked about in the Word. It is not acceptable to the Lord because it is idolatrous worship: it places men as the centre and focus of attention rather than the Lord. It also, by its very nature, mixes and divides the adoration, love and attention that should only be going to the Lord, to men as well. The Lord does not allow His worship to be mixed, for no man is worthy of worship, and the worship that should only be His.

'Entertainment worship' is also deceptive, for it claims to be a worship of the Lord, and done as unto God. But God will not accept worship which includes an adoration of ourselves. Again, this is STRANGE FIRE--idolatrous worship. Notice the scriptural difference between Holy and unHoly worship:

Leviticus 10-
23Moses and Aaron then went into the tent of meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. 24Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.

1Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to his command. 2So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. 3Moses then said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke of when he said:

“ ‘Among those who approach me
I will be proved holy;
in the sight of all the people
I will be honored.’ ”

The worship of the Lord is a very particular and sacred thing. God's main concern is that we do it in Spirit and truth, from the heart, in sincerity, according to the Word, and only to Him. This is a worship which must make VERY sure that it is not mixing the spiritual with the fleshly. It must make very sure that worship is not done to feed our own pride, for position, power, influence, glory, love, attention or sexual desire etc: all these things are the desires of our fallen and fleshly nature (even sexual desire for the wrong reasons and in an inappropriate and ungodly use). Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu thought they'd take the HOLY THINGS and WAY of worship for their own gain (their own glory, attention and standing amongst the people of Israel). They wanted to share in the honour God alone should have, and He alone deserves. Not only that, but they thought His worship could be done THEIR WAY. God showed them that this could not be, and they were struck down before the people of God. This should show us just how IMPORTANT and how CRUCIAL it is to the Lord that we should only worship Him, that we should not allow this worship to be shared, not done for alterior or mixed motives, and not done in a way that misrepresents who He is--and what the truth and His way is all about (the Spirit, not the flesh or sin).

God is also jealous for His name and for the representation of who He is. An 'entertainment worship' or a worship done partly for entertainment is an inaccurate representation of who He is, and a misrepresentation of His person, character, Holiness, deity and divinity. Jesus did not come to the world to entertain it, but to save it and reveal the truth to men; He never once compromised the name or representation of God the Father before His disciples, the people of God, or the world by revealing worship to be about amusement or a diversion from the truth or a sole focus on God. Those that 'lead' worship should be very careful to represent the Lord Almighty in a Holy and righteous way. They should also be extremely careful not to bring any adoration to themselves that should only be the Lord's, especially while claiming to worship God themselves. They should be very careful not to tempt anyone to worship via entertainment, as a part of entertainment or for the sake of entertainment. Such worship leaders should also realise that they are giving an example to others of what worship really is, and so they be responsible to not give a wrong example and to not lead others in a fleshly and idolatrous way.

Dictionary definitions-

Entertainment:
'the act of entertaining; agreeable occupation for the mind; diversion; amusement'

Worship:
1- 'reverent honour and homage paid to God…'

2- 'the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a diety'