---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: we have gotten confused about who’s doing…"
description: "\"“we have gotten confused about who’s doing what in worship: we think of worshipers as an audience; pastors as entertainers; and God as the prompter. In..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/david-jeremiah-990_giving-money_we-have-gotten-confused-about-who-s-doin_2306238.jpg"
---

#  we have gotten confused about who’s doing what in worship…

![“we have gotten confused about who’s doing what in worship: we think of worshipers as an audience; pastors as entertainers; and God as the prompter. In fact, worshipers are performers; pastors are prompters; and God is the audience. When we gather for worship, whether with a handful in a storefront…” quote by David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/david-jeremiah-990_giving-money_we-have-gotten-confused-about-who-s-doin_2306238.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/david-jeremiah-990_giving-money_we-have-gotten-confused-about-who-s-doin_2306238.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/david-jeremiah-990_giving-money_we-have-gotten-confused-about-who-s-doin_2306238.jpg)

> ““we have gotten confused about who’s doing what in worship: we think of worshipers as an audience; pastors as entertainers; and God as the prompter. In fact, worshipers are performers; pastors are prompters; and God is the audience. When we gather for worship, whether with a handful in a storefront chapel or with thousands in St. Peter’s Square, we perform a drama with different parts—speaking and singing and praying and giving money and baptizing and eating bread and drinking wine—all for the delight of God.””

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Worship is a collaborative performance where believers, leaders, and God each have distinct roles, emphasizing active participation.

**In simple terms:** Worship is a shared performance.

Key Takeaway

Engage fully in worship.

Themes

faith community leadership spirituality

Mood

reflective inspirational

Type

theological motivational

When to use this quote

- church services
- small group meetings
- online worship
- mission trips

Key Concepts

theology participation ritual role reversal

Questions to Reflect On

- What role do you play in worship?
- How can worship stay authentic?

A Different Perspective

Risk of over‑theatricality reducing reverence.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Audience Pastors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience-pastors-5462499/) [Giving money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-money/) [Light Of God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light-of-god/) [Performers Pastors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performers-pastors-5462497/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Think Worshipers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-worshipers-5462500/) [Worshipers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worshipers-616846/) [Worshipers Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worshipers-audience-5462498/)

## Related quotes

> [When we gather for worship, whether with a handful in a storefront chapel or with thousands in St. Peter's Square, we perform a drama…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/when-we-gather-for-worship-whether-with-a-handful-in-a-storefront/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yet-a-time-is-coming-and-has-now-come-when-the-true-worshipers-will/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [God doesn't need anything nevertheless He wants worshipers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-doesn-t-need-anything-nevertheless-he-wants-worshipers/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [“Some of these leaders are devil worshipers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dida-mohamed/some-of-these-leaders-are-devil-worshipers/)

[Dida Mohamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dida-mohamed/)

> [I'm the devil's advocate. We have our own worshipers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/i-m-the-devil-s-advocate-we-have-our-own-worshipers/)

[Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/)

> [The man-worshipers, in my sense of the term, are those who see man's highest potential and strive to actualize it. The man-haters are those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/the-man-worshipers-in-my-sense-of-the-term-are-those-who-see-man-s/)

[Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/)

> [Worshipers never leave church...we carry our sanctuary with us wherever we go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/worshipers-never-leave-church-we-carry-our-sanctuary-with-us-wherever/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [God wants worshipers before workers; indeed the only acceptable workers are those who have learned the lost art of worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-wants-worshipers-before-workers-indeed-the-only-acceptable/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [I believe a very large majority of church goers are merely unthinking, slumbering worshipers of an unknown God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/i-believe-a-very-large-majority-of-church-goers-are-merely-unthinking/)

[Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/)

> ['To worship or not to worship' has never been the question for all of God's created beings are inherently worshipers...it is more consistently a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judson-cornwall/to-worship-or-not-to-worship-has-never-been-the-question-for-all-of/)

[Judson Cornwall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judson-cornwall/)

> [“Rest makes us better workers and better worshipers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacquelle-crowe/rest-makes-us-better-workers-and-better-worshipers/)

[Jacquelle Crowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacquelle-crowe/)

> [We're here to be worshipers first and workers only second](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/we-re-here-to-be-worshipers-first-and-workers-only-second/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [“Human beings by their very nature are worshipers. Worship is not something we do; it defines who we are. You cannot divide human beings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-david-tripp/human-beings-by-their-very-nature-are-worshipers-worship-is-not/)

[Paul David Tripp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-david-tripp/)

> [“Our worshipers have met this British agent before. Do not attempt to convert him; bring him alive before Us. He will be of great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/our-worshipers-have-met-this-british-agent-before-do-not-attempt-to/)

[Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/)

> [Lead worshipers: Our primary task is simply to help others worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-baloche/lead-worshipers-our-primary-task-is-simply-to-help-others-worship/)

[Paul Baloche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-baloche/)

## More by David Jeremiah

> [What comes to mind when you think of heaven? Heaven is referred to in fifty-four of the Bible's sixty-six books, and the final two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/what-comes-to-mind-when-you-think-of-heaven-heaven-is-referred-to-in/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [All the Christmas presents in the world are worth nothing without the presence of Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/all-the-christmas-presents-in-the-world-are-worth-nothing-without-the/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [“Love is not about what we feel for others— it’s about what we do for others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/love-is-not-about-what-we-feel-for-others-it-s-about-what-we-do-for/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [Don't let obstacles along the road to eternity shake your confidence in God's promise. The Holy Spirit is God's seal that you will arrive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/don-t-let-obstacles-along-the-road-to-eternity-shake-your-confidence/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [Trust God for the impossible-miracles are His department. Our job is to do our best, letting the Lord do the rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/trust-god-for-the-impossible-miracles-are-his-department-our-job-is/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [If you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you already have the Holy Spirit living within you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/if-you-know-jesus-christ-as-your-lord-and-savior-you-already-have-the/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [“When you find yourself in need of courage, remember that it is your faith, not your spine, that needs strengthening! And your faith will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/when-you-find-yourself-in-need-of-courage-remember-that-it-is-your/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [“PROVE RBS 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/prove-rbs-1-7-the-fear-of-the-lord-is-the-beginning-of-knowledge-but/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [God is no further from you on your worst day than He is on your best day. Just open your heart to receive Him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/god-is-no-further-from-you-on-your-worst-day-than-he-is-on-your-best/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [No circumstance, person, or difficulty can stop the plans and the promises of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/no-circumstance-person-or-difficulty-can-stop-the-plans-and-the/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [“A baby is a small member of the home that makes love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, the bank roll smaller, the home happier,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/a-baby-is-a-small-member-of-the-home-that-makes-love-stronger-days/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [“God’s past faithfulness and compassion toward us is a heritage upon which we build our faith in the future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/god-s-past-faithfulness-and-compassion-toward-us-is-a-heritage-upon/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [“My study of prophecy convinces me that God intends knowledge of future events to help us "occupy" with a sense of urgency until the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/my-study-of-prophecy-convinces-me-that-god-intends-knowledge-of/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [Trust is an act of the mind, while obedience is an act of the hands and feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/trust-is-an-act-of-the-mind-while-obedience-is-an-act-of-the-hands/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

> [It's also important to develop a burden for the lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/it-s-also-important-to-develop-a-burden-for-the-lost/)

[David Jeremiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

[Explore all 311 David Jeremiah quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/)

## More Giving money quotes

> [Having, First, gained all you can, and, Secondly saved all you can, Then give all you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/having-first-gained-all-you-can-and-secondly-saved-all-you-can-then/)

[John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/)

> [“I think that everything he did, feeding the poor, giving money to friends in need, it was all a way of redeeming himself. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-think-that-everything-he-did-feeding-the-poor-giving-money-to/)

[Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/)

> [ \[Hillary Clinton\] is giving money to N.I.M.H. \[National Institute for Mental Health\] ultimately to conduct more experiments on two- to four-year-olds. What they're going… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-breggin/hillary-clinton-is-giving-money-to-n-i-m-h-national-institute-for/)

[Peter Breggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-breggin/)

> [Americans still believe they are cut out to be successful-in everything: love, love-making, luck, luck-giving, money-making, sense-making, cancer-avoiding, clothes-wearing, car-driving, and so on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/americans-still-believe-they-are-cut-out-to-be-successful-in/)

[William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/)

> [Those silly girls had no idea what they were really celebrating. They had no idea what it took to bring Agatha and her friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-addison-allen/those-silly-girls-had-no-idea-what-they-were-really-celebrating-they/)

[Sarah Addison Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-addison-allen/)

> [Heaven is not a place for those who are afraid of hell; it’s a place for those who love God. You can scare people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/heaven-is-not-a-place-for-those-who-are-afraid-of-hell-it-s-a-place/)

[Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/)

> [“If you don't understand the principles of giving, money will make you poor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alin-sav/if-you-don-t-understand-the-principles-of-giving-money-will-make-you/)

[Alin Sav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alin-sav/)

> [If you have a line of business - I know this as a CEO - or if you have a teenager - I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carly-fiorina/if-you-have-a-line-of-business-i-know-this-as-a-ceo-or-if-you-have-a/)

[Carly Fiorina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carly-fiorina/)

> [“Akin to the idea that time is money is the concept, less spoken by as commonly assumed, that we may be adequately represented by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/akin-to-the-idea-that-time-is-money-is-the-concept-less-spoken-by-as/)

[Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/)

> [“The odd American idea that giving money to political campaigns is free speech means that the very rich have far more speech, and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/the-odd-american-idea-that-giving-money-to-political-campaigns-is/)

[Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/)

> [I'm not trying to push my political agenda on anybody. I'll do that like any other citizen by giving money to a party or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sydney-pollack/i-m-not-trying-to-push-my-political-agenda-on-anybody-i-ll-do-that/)

[Sydney Pollack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sydney-pollack/)

> [“variety of kinds of practices of generosity are positively and significantly associated with five important good life outcomes. Giving money, volunteering, being relationally generous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-smith/variety-of-kinds-of-practices-of-generosity-are-positively-and/)

[Christian Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-smith/)

> [You don't boost growth by cutting taxes, you do that by giving money to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-banerjee/you-don-t-boost-growth-by-cutting-taxes-you-do-that-by-giving-money/)

[Abhijit Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-banerjee/)

> [The best philanthropy is not just about giving money but giving leadership. The best philanthropists bring the gifts that made them successful-the drive, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/the-best-philanthropy-is-not-just-about-giving-money-but-giving/)

[Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/)

> [I have a thing: I will always put money in for any street musician anywhere in the country, anywhere in the world. It's like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-grammer/i-have-a-thing-i-will-always-put-money-in-for-any-street-musician/)

[Andy Grammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-grammer/)

[Browse all 107 Giving money quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-money/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“we have gotten confused about who’s doing what in worship: we think of worshipers as an audience; pastors as entertainers; and God as the prompter. In fact, worshipers are performers; pastors are prompters; and God is the audience. When we gather for worship, whether with a handful in a storefront chapel or with thousands in St. Peter’s Square, we perform a drama with different parts—speaking and singing and praying and giving money and baptizing and eating bread and drinking wine—all for the delight of God.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "David Jeremiah"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/we-have-gotten-confused-about-who-s-doing-what-in-worship-we-think-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Giving money"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/we-have-gotten-confused-about-who-s-doing-what-in-worship-we-think-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/david-jeremiah-990_giving-money_we-have-gotten-confused-about-who-s-doin_2306238.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/david-jeremiah-990_giving-money_we-have-gotten-confused-about-who-s-doin_2306238.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce2/david-jeremiah-990_giving-money_we-have-gotten-confused-about-who-s-doin_2306238.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“we have gotten confused about who’s doing what in worship: we think of worshipers as an audience; pastors as…” — David Jeremiah",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "David Jeremiah",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-jeremiah/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“we have gotten confused about who’s...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/we-have-gotten-confused-about-who-s-doing-what-in-worship-we-think-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-jeremiah/we-have-gotten-confused-about-who-s-doing-what-in-worship-we-think-of/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
