The last time our high school students met for chapel, the Spirit of God really moved in a great way in the service. Scores of students came forward to pray and to worship together. uninvited, a senior guy stepped up to share what God had instructed him to say. With a broken spirit, he pleaded with his peers to consider how God wants 100% of each of them, how much God can do when a person surrenders, and how important it is for each of the students to get serious about walking with God. He closed his short exhortation as he dropped to the floor and prayed for the school. Several others rushed from their seats to join him in prayer. Others separated to a different place to pray privately. One thing was certain: the Spirit of God was touching hearts and changing lives.

Let’s back up earlier in that chapel service. After our praise team led the students in a moving rendition of “Victor’s Crown,” I stopped the music and asked students to meet me on the floor to sing the song once more if they truly believe Jesus is their Lord and Savior and if they desire to worship Him. I do not expect or ask our students to worship in any certain way. I’m aware that while some of our students have been raised to worship expressively others have been raised to worship more intimately, less expressively. However, I felt it necessary to encourage our student body to unite in corporate worship in which no one should be ashamed to sing forth or to direct his attention to our Lord! After I asked, a majority of the high school students came forward and met me on the drama center floor to sing. It was truly a refreshing sight to see students sing forth without worry of what others would think or concern for if it would be embarrassing.

Yet, such an event proves to be a serious stumbling block for many unbelievers and even some Christians. There were plenty of students who sat in the bleachers watching this event unfold and surely recognized that some of those who came forward to worship were students who have vulgar mouths, who participate in inappropriate relationships, who seem unashamed about the sin in which they dabble, among other questionable things. Hence springs the idea of “hypocrites.” I’m sure some wondered: “How could this guy talk the way he talks every day and say the things he says every day and now raise his hands toward heaven as if he is a Christian?” or “How could this girl be so promiscuous then act like she’s godly when we’re at chapel?” Good question.

The truth is: We’ve fostered an environment where being hypocritical is the norm, where being hypocritical has been perfected. Please don’t forget what the word hypocrite means. When Jesus called someone a hypocrite, the word meant “actor.” In a previous blog entitled “You are fake!”, I mentioned how good we are at acting. It’s a fair statement to say that most of our students have learned how to play this game by watching adults.

Many adults are (sometimes) dragging to church because “it’s what Christians are supposed to do.” Some are praying at meal time or bed time because “you’re supposed to.” Think about it-we sound like good actors. We determine what a Christian is supposed to look like, what a Christian is supposed to do, the things a Christian is supposed to like, the rituals a Christian is supposed to follow. So much of our religious activity is based upon tradition, ritual, and the idea of following some set of rules. That’s not worship. In many cases, that is acting. We are playing the part of Christian without being a Christian. Our children have mastered the concept.

Our students have bought the lie that simply singing a song or raising their hands is worship. When the word “worship” is used in your Bible it is speaking to a blended idea of humility and adoration! The last command in Scripture is found in Revelation 22:9–“Worship God!” In Greek, this “worship” means to fall down on one’s face in adoration. Even a simple modern dictionary defines worship as reverent honor toward something one adores. At the time many linguists believe the English language was at its purest state, “worship” meant to prescribe worth. One could make a valid argument that worship happens more in our daily life than in our Sunday morning services. But back to our chapel service.

Were many of our students hypocrites during that service? Were many of our students acting? Undoubtedly, yes. Our students were acting in a similar way to how we act. Have you ever been mad at the world, running late, spilled your coffee, mad that you need to run in the bank to make a deposit, just threatened to knock your children out if they do anything foolish while you’re in the bank, simply put just mad at the world and ready to blow a gasket, and now you see someone you know in the bank? Oh yeah, you know what I’m talking about. Now, you’re smiling; you’re more patient; you’re magically cheerful; you answer the familiar question with “I’m doing great. How are you doing? …Oh, that’s great. Ok, good to see you. Have a great day! God Bless!”

Wow, we’re good actors!

So too are our children.

Consider this blog post as a warning. I believe with all of my heart that God plans to rock our school. I believe He is going to move in such a mighty way that not a single person will be able to reasonably deny He is moving. I am praying and believing that God uses Friday’s chapel in a great way. The Lord has given me a sermon on hypocrisy. I will be dealing with the idea of how hypocritical Christians have become. Lord willing, I will be discussing our student body’s response to my previous invitation to come worship corporately. We will consider what represents true worship. Your student will be challenged to leave chapel with a desire to be real. It is possible that your student will approach you to confess about issues in his/her life. It might hurt to hear the seriousness of your student’s struggles. You might even rather keep believing your child is a saint than help him be accountable about the sin in his life. I implore you to get on your knees this week and join me in asking God to break down walls in our student body and to do a great work and to prepare us to help these students as the Holy Spirit moves them.

God forbid that any of our students commit to being real Christians who worship and bring glory to God with their lives while their parents, teachers, pastors, etc. aren’t.