1. You’re Following a Performer, Not a Pastor
Let’s cut the chords and get real for a second.
Just because someone strums a guitar, belts a few Jesus lyrics, and makes you cry during your morning drive doesn’t mean they’re a spiritual authority. It just means they know how to manipulate emotion—and maybe pitch.
Michael Tait is the current wake-up call we all needed. You probably know him from DC Talk or Newsboys. He was the guy you grew up blasting on your Discman during youth group car rides. But now? He’s under fire for a laundry list of sins—grooming, drugs, a double life kept secret for decades. It’s tragic. But it’s not surprising.
Why? Because he was never your pastor.
He wasn’t shepherding a local body. He wasn’t held accountable by elders. He wasn’t preaching sound doctrine or giving an account for your soul. He was a brand. A platform. A product.
And we let him become a priest.
2. No Oversight, No Holiness
If your favorite Christian musician has more tour dates than church gatherings, guess what? They’re probably not walking closely with a local congregation. And if they aren’t under the authority of elders, if they’re not surrounded by people who will call them out, challenge them, pray with them, rebuke them—then they are spiritual freelancers.
And freelancers don’t fare well in the kingdom of God.
The Bible doesn’t call celebrities to lead. It calls qualified men, proven in character and doctrine, to shepherd the flock (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, Hebrews 13:17). If that sounds boring compared to your favorite worship set—maybe your worship needs reexamining.
3. Emotion Is Not Theology
Let’s talk about the real danger: when people start building their theology off song lyrics instead of Scripture.
You know what I’m talking about. That person who says, “God just wants you to know, you’re enough”—because they heard it in a worship anthem that made them cry. Not because Jesus said it. Spoiler alert: He didn’t.
If your theology comes from Top 40 Christian hits instead of the Word of God, you’re not worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You’re worshipping a therapeutic deity stitched together by marketing teams and auto-tune. That’s idolatry with a clean chorus.
4. Feel-Good Isn’t Gospel
Here’s a spicy truth: a lot of modern Christian music is just paganism with a cross necklace. It makes you feel good, but it doesn’t confront sin. It doesn’t exalt Christ. It doesn’t preach the cross. It just mirrors your emotions back to you and calls it worship.
But real worship is grounded in truth (John 4:24). Real worship says, “I am not enough. Christ is.” Real worship doesn’t need fog machines. It needs the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 1:23 doesn’t say, "We preach a vibe." It says, "We preach Christ crucified."
If your playlist is more doctrinally influential than your pastor—something’s broken.
5. Michael Tait Is a Symptom, Not the Problem
Let’s go back to Tait for a minute. The problem isn’t that one guy fell. The problem is that we set him up as a spiritual leader when God never did. We gave him authority because he made us feel something. And now, people are hurt. The witness is tarnished. And the world says, “See? Another fake.”
But don’t miss this: this isn’t about Tait. This is about us. Our discernment. Our idolatry. Our hunger for spiritual experiences that bypass the hard work of Scripture, sanctification, and submission to a local church.
6. The Church Isn’t a Concert
You weren’t meant to be discipled by strangers on a stage.
You were meant to be part of a body—known, loved, corrected, exhorted. Your shepherd isn’t supposed to be a trending voice. He’s supposed to know your name, your story, your struggles.
Hebrews 10:25 doesn’t say, "Don’t neglect tuning into your favorite worship influencer." It says, “Don’t neglect meeting together.”
If your spiritual growth is based on downloads, not discipleship—you’re not growing. You’re just consuming.
7. What Now?
Let’s not just complain about the problem. Let’s kill it.
- Audit your playlist. What’s shaping your theology—Scripture or Spotify?
- Get under godly leadership. Stop floating. Find a church. Join it. Submit to it.
- Stop idolizing artists. They’re not special. They’re sinners like the rest of us.
- Know the real gospel. Read Romans. Read Galatians. Read the red letters. See Jesus.
Your faith isn’t a feeling. It’s a blood-bought reality. Stop chasing vibes. Start chasing Christ.
8. Final Word: Reclaim Your Worship
Don’t let your affections be hijacked by people who aren’t held accountable.
Don’t let your doctrine be spoon-fed by voices that weren’t sent by God.
And don’t let your worship be defined by emotion instead of truth.
Christ deserves more than choruses. He deserves your life.
Shut off the noise. Open the Word. And sing something true.
Thanks for reading.
