Whose Throne Are We Actually Building?

I’ve been privileged to serve the local church body in worship ministry for over 2 decades.  A lot has changed in that span, for better or worse.  Unfortunately, there’s a pervasive trend in worship that’s unsettling.

If you happen to follow college football at any level, you’re familiar with the term NIL, standing for Name, Image, and Likeness.  In short, college football players in recent years have sought to leverage their popularity for revenue of some kind.  Promoting themselves and their successes on and off the field via social media and branding ventures has led to the deluge of young adults making a lucrative income, much less a complete overhaul of the sport as we once knew it.  Regrettably, I don’t think this issue is limited to college football.  Individualism and self-promotion are prevailing ideologies in our culture and have likewise crept their way onto the stages of our churches.  As worshippers, we are supposed to be building a throne of praise for God to dwell on (see Psalm 22:3).  But whose throne are we actually building: God’s or our own?

In 1992, Integrity’s Hosanna! Music released Ron Kenoly’s Lift Him Up, a pioneering worship project for many reasons (and a defining album that shaped my early teenage years and influenced my call to worship leading, I might add). However, one of the groundbreaking concepts for this record was that it was the first worship album with the worship leader’s face donning the cover.  At the turn of the century, CCM artist Micheal W. Smith released his Worship album (2001), marking an unmistakable shift to the model of worship artistry.  Around the same timeframe, popular talent show, American Idol, made its debut in 2002.  All these influences (and certainly more) have contributed in some way to a “celebrity” culture in worship, an ideology that has placed a priority on platforming worship leaders and has led to the monetization of worship music: a multi-billion dollar industry.  It seems we’ve turned praise into a profit, focusing more on relevancy, branding and marketing, and stage presence than offering our worship up to the Lord with humbleness and integrity of heart.  Sure, we enjoy the benefits of the worship industry:  excellence in worship music quality, advances in technology to make our craft easier, and an uber-saturated and highly accessible worship song market.  But at what cost?  What is our true motivation?

Of course, the fight for fame in worship dates back well before the late 20th century.  It’s a war that has been waged since the dawn of time.  Lucifer, an angel and the worship leader of heaven, let glory go to his head:

“I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mountof the congregation, in the sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14, emphasis added).

In an effort to elevate himself, Lucifer’s pride was his demise, getting cast out of heaven by God Himself:

“So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.  Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth…” (Ezekiel 28:16-17, emphasis added). 

God will not share His glory with anyone…not then, and certainly not now.  So, how can worship leaders push back on ideologies seemingly so ubiquitous in our society? 

In an age of advancement and elevation, it starts with the reverse -- getting lower -- with a heart of repentance and humility.  We have often made worship about self-promotion and building a brand for status and influence, all under the pretense of “advancing the Gospel.”  The Church must determine to abandon its worldly method of self-aggrandizement and get back to exalting Jesus, the Name above every other name – especially our own.  The Apostle Peter heeds the early church,

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6, emphasis added). 

We must position ourselves under the hand of God, not out from under it, striving in our own power to make ourselves known.  God is the one that elevates (lifts us up), giving His psalmists and ministers the opportunity to declare His name and His renown to the world around us.  Our boast must never be on our own efforts, skill, or slick musical arrangements. 

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not the wise man glory in wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:23-24). 

A big splash ultimately loses its ripples and levels out.  Flashiness will one day fade away.  Trophies and accolades eventually collect dust on a shelf or in a box.  Our boast must be on the One that remains -- Christ alone.

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Galatians 6:14).

John the Revelator gives us a glimpse of what this will look like through all eternity. In Revelation 4:9-10, he writes,

“The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ‘You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.’” 

Ultimately, it is the Lord who is seated on the throne as King, not us.  Our response to His supremacy will be to prostrate ourselves in complete surrender and to discard anything of personal gain or significance in light of His holiness. 

Why should we wait for that day?  Even now, we must resolve to promote the name, image and likeness of our Savior, counting our earthly gains as losses to achieve the ultimate reward:

“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  Yes indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness…” (Philippians 3:7-9).

Our prayer should be that Christ would hide us in the Cross.  As the refrain of George Bennard’s timeless hymn declares:

                  So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

                  Till my trophies at last I lay down,

                  I will cling to the old rugged cross,

                  And exchange it some day for a crown.

About the Author

Brian Shaw has served as Worship Pastor at Mt. Olive Ministries in Cleveland, Tennessee, since 2015. Prior to his ministry in Cleveland, he served churches in Springfield, Ohio; Columbus, Georgia; and Kingsport, Tennessee, accumulating more than two decades of full-time music and worship ministry experience.

An Ordained Bishop in the Church of God, Brian also serves on the Tennessee Church of God Music Committee, contributing to the development and advancement of worship ministry throughout the state.

Brian holds a Master of Music in Music and Worship from Lee University (2022) and a Bachelor of Arts in Church Music from Lee University (2002).

In addition to his pastoral responsibilities, Brian has served as part-time faculty in Lee University’s Music & Worship Program since 2023 and serves as the lead sponsor of the Music & Worship Club, investing in the next generation of worship leaders and musicians.

Brian and his wife, Jaime, are deeply passionate about the local church, pastoral care, Spirit-led worship, musical excellence, vibrant choir ministry, leadership development, and mentoring emerging ministry leaders. Together, they are the proud parents of two children, Reese and Malachi.