Leaders, Ministry Leadership, Worship Leading
What Worship Is Not (Show #51)
#Jesus (Video Below)
3.5 min read
What Worship is Not.
Worship is not confined to the one-hour event. It’s not a music trend and not about who/what is on stage. Worship is love to God expressing itself through action; but how are our actions really expressing themselves in Christ honoring worship?Also, how is that worship led in such a way that the one and only true focus is God? When we truly offer ourselves to Jesus, our vision and purpose of worship changes to the centricity of God.
He doesn’t want half, he wants it all – not our leftovers. Worship is not an emotional state, but an authentic state of an honest heart. Worship and music are not the same. Worship is a response – giving worth; music is an expression and gift. When worship is led by an authentic heart by the Holy Spirit, the leader becomes invisible, and the power of God becomes visible.
Jesus is clearly seen through the person. Worship becomes more than just a song and it is no longer about the person leading it, but does become more about the people, as worship is centric to the Church. This kind of corporate worship, helps lead others into a daily response of worship. Worship is not 1/7 but 24/7.
What Worship Is?
Worship is a response to God. But how does one respond, is it only by mere singing or music making? It’s also praying, bowing, meditating, painting, reaching, building, and making, but also, serving, speaking, moving and working. Worship is also through the hearing of God’s word being spoken and preached. It’s listening to the voice of Scriptures. Also, it’s hearing a good word being spoken by a friend or loved one being used by God. This is why worship and music are not synonymous.Worship is everywhere. It’s in the singing of the birds, surveying the mountain tops, the rain that falls softly and the Scripture of God heard in the winds. It is also a melody that is sung and an encouraging message that is shared.
Listening to the sounds of what God created is also the hearing worship, as we listen to God speak. Next time when you’re in a service, don’t let the worship stop when the singing is over. Let it continue upon everything else to give God praise. Worship is not confined to the one-hour event.
“Worship doesn’t stop when the singing is over.” @BranonDempsey
What Is Not About Leading Worship?
Are you leading worship or egos? Leave your differences at the door. You are one team as God called. Your cohesion as a group does not hinge on one person. No one is this critical, yet each of us is replaceable. God chose you under His grace. With this in mind, it is a privilege to serve, not a right to serve. Be the team. Be the Body. Be Christ to one another. You are not a solo or an independent member, you are a unit. So worship and serve in the unity of Christ. [tweetthis]Leading worship is not about your music, it’s about His worth.[/tweetthis] “For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, That all of them may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder. Zeph3.9 It’s not about how a person serves, but how you serve in unison together. As you do this, the church will notice and witness the harmony.
This alone will raise the barometer of worship in the room. Be the attitude of Christ, not the ego of man. Lead worship unto the Father as He draws all people to Himself. He is the center of our worship.
On or off stage, you are still a leader.
Regardless if you are on the platform or not, you are still a worshiper and a leader. God’s called you to minister to all and to guide his people in praise. Importantly, He’s called you to Himself (Isa. 43.1). Aside from being on the worship team, there is more to your identity than what you realize. When I first began worship ministry, I firmly believed that my first calling was to be a worship leader. But as I was graded upon every week and searched for deeper significance, I realized that my identity was not fully resting on Christ Himself. I was simply clinging to the title. When I wasn’t leading, I felt disconnected and even placed aside.
Sometimes, I wondered if I was even on the right path. The truth is, when we put self and our ambitions ahead of Christ, we stand on another foundation that will suffer loss (1 Cor. 3.10-13). Know this worshiper, you are His kid first. Just as a child looks to his earthly father for provision, we look to our heavenly Father for eternal dependency.
When we tap into our identity in Christ, allowing this to absorb the fiber of our very being, God renews our minds, transforms our senses and shapes our will (Rom12.2). As we are changed, our desires change and our priorities change to Jesus.
Theme of the week:
#Jesus
Make it More of Jesus and Less of You
When we as leaders lead from this foundation, we become transparent, real and genuine with people. We give the example that worship is an act of will, an act of giving ourselves freely to the Lord; it is an act of an authentic response to God Himself. Our Christ-like attitudes serve as a pathway to help usher people into worship. Aside from your position on the team, your service in the church, your talent unto God, your identity is first found in Christ.It’s up to each of us to seek out and follow His will, as Proverbs 3 indicates, He will direct our paths. When we do, we can be comforted of His presence and mindful that each of us are an instrument of his grace. When we oversimplify worship, we take away the offering that is fully right for Him.
No matter if we are in the action of leading worship, or taking part in worship among the church, we are instruments of His grace. Did you know that both of these are one-in-the-same because it involves relationships?
I love this quote from Jack Hayford: “The inevitable fruit of vital worship will be a transformed people who become transforming instruments of God’s grace and deliverance to the world.” In those times when you feeling undeserving about your position on the team, or uneasy when you’re not on the platform, be reminded of your identity of who you are in Christ and not in what you do for Christ. God works his ministry through you to impact other people.
You are worth to God, and he has enlisted you to serve not based on your own merit, but by His grace. Worship is not confined to a worship service; it is everyday living. God wants all of our hearts, so He may do all things according to His purposes. Worship is a response.
It’s not a style, not an LED light and not a stage. Worship is love to God expressing itself through action. Worship is based on Who He is and what He has done and is doing through Scripture. Make your worship and leading more about Jesus and less about the things worship is not.
@BranonDempsey @worshiptt
WATCH SHOW #51!
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