I’m sure we all, including myself, as we have read the descriptions of the fallen motivations, we feel convicted in one way or another with our own struggles in what motivates us and how we respond. I know we have seen or been in churches before and seen these results in some way or another. If you view the above scenarios as symptoms, the ultimate disease at their root is what I like to call motivation idolatry. Because of sin and the temptations of the world or culture, we sometimes find ourselves giving into and responding to motivations that are not only off track, but act as idols. Greed, fame, fear, acceptance, image, style, excellence, technology, you name it; if we aren’t careful we allow an idol to slip in silently to motivate how we respond as a worship pastor in our church.
What if instead of music, emotions, inclusivity, or any other motivation the worship pastor was motivated by something that was intangible? A “mystery,” if you will. What if the heart of the worship pastor were not driven by a man-made or fallen-nature concept? What if the worship pastor had the perspective not from the world up, but from heaven down? I propose that the foundation of the “worship pastor” is a motivation driven purely by the greatest mystery of all time. Allow me to explain.
The word “mystery” is a buzzword. It is a term that, in secular society, science tries to strive for an answer, and in religious society, can spark contention and debate. There are entire ministries and organizations whose purpose is combating the world’s views towards particular perceived “mysteries” that may indeed not be a mystery. Take for example, the world’s perceived mystery of the creation or age of the universe. Secular science (i.e. naturalistic science) stretches its limits trying to find solution after solution for this “mystery.” On the opposite side of the fence, this is not a mystery to a person who believes God’s word in Genesis 1.
What about a mystery that has no answer and is truly, by definition, a mystery? The only controversy here is that as a human, the mind just cannot fathom a correct answer to the question brought up. Take the mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ as the subject of discussion and the foundation of motivation for the worship pastor.
In Paul’s epistle to the church in Ephesus, he provides a dismal view of the status of humanity in chapter two.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. [1]
This chapter begins with what would seem to be a hopeless humanity facing certain doom. The mystery of which this study is focused on appears as the first two words of verse four: “But God…” It is an amazing thing that in amidst the fallen and hopeless reality of humanity God would step in and provide a means of mercy as a gift of His own doing. It is a mystery that God, because of His nature and holiness, demands judgment of sin and even though His holiness does not demand Him to give mercy, He freely gives it anyways! Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, and Andrew Sach emphasis this thought this way:
…for God to punish sin means he upholds his own goodness and truthfulness that were manifest in creation in the beginning. By contrast, for God to fail to punish sin would mean denying his own truthfulness and thus exacerbating the very problem of decreation to which he must respond.
Having outlined the problem that faces humanity, we can begin to discern the shape an adequate solution must take. The disastrous consequences of our false faith must be put right. Salvation must be and act of illumation, for we have changed the truth about God for a lie, worshipping idols instead of the true God. Salvation must be an act of liberation, for we are captive to the delusions of our false faith, and cannot save ourselves. Salvation must be an act of divine grace, God’s work from the beginning to end, for the desires of our hearts are set against God – we do not even want to save ourselves.[2]
The question and the focus of the mystery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and motivation of any worship pastor is this: Why would God choose to give mercy to a hopeless people? And what form was that mercy given? See, the mystery of the Gospel is foundational on the fact that Christ, God’s only son, the second person of the trinity, was the gift of mercy to a hopeless people, namely the Jews, and including the Gentiles. It is essential here to reference God’s Word through Paul in the third chapter of Ephesians,
When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. [3]
Again, the mystery IS God’s gift of mercy, not only that, it is His faithfulness to His covenant people, Israel. But, God also made His mercy, as an open door as such, to stretch into the realm of those not included in the Old Covenant distinction:[4] the Gentiles. The questions that now forms is, why did God choose to give mercy to His people Israel, as prophesied over and over as the “messiah,” but on top of that, why then would He be gracious enough to include in that mercy those outside of the original covenant: the Gentiles? It is God’s love that motivates His gift of mercy that is Jesus Christ (John 3:16). But what motivates God’s love? Why did God choose to love a fallen humanity leading Him to provide mercy and redeem and reconcile them through Jesus Christ, His only son, the spotless lamb, the perfect sacrifice? H.D.M Spence puts it this way:
According to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself. The whole phraseology denotes that, in this transaction, God was not influenced by any external considerations; the whole reason for it sprang from within. The threefold expression brings this out: (1) according to his good pleasure (see ver. 5); (2) he purposed, or formed a purpose; (3) in himself, without foreign aid, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?” (Rom. 11:34).[5]
[2] Steve Jeffery, Michael Ovey, and Andrew Sach. Pierced for Our Transgressions. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2007.) 125.
[4] The Old Covenant refers to the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 15, identifying Israel as God’s chosen people. The Davidic Covenant in 2 Samuel 7 solidifies that out of God’s chosen people, particularly the line of King David will come a king that will be eternally established over God’s kingdom.
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