The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”

Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:19-26)

One of the enduring legacies of “market-church” Christianity is “entertainment worship.” Gen Z and many millennials are turning away from popular churches because they feel the worship is fake. Often it is. Overly rehearsed performances—to the point of rehearsing what is intended to look like spontaneity—produce a worship similar to the multitudes of fake foods that occupy our grocery stores. In many cases these young people are abandoning the contemporary evangelical service for the mystical liturgy of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

Leaving one false form for another is not the solution, and all churches need to take a long hard look at what they do and why. This should include fundamentalist churches that pride themselves in traditional worship. “Fake” can be another expression for empty worship—going through the motions without real mental or spiritual engagement in what is happening.

One worship tradition over another is not the test of genuine worship. Both can be fake. Enthusiasm is not a measure either. People can sing the right kind of music enthusiastically and still be nowhere near true worship. Consider some biblical essentials for true worship. …

Read the rest of the article here: Fake Worship is a Problem Everywhere – Proclaim & Defend (or just listen to the podcast).

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