Worship HeartCries

Do We Always Have to Learn Lessons the Hard Way?

2012-05-09T09:33:00.001-05:00

When I was about 13 or 14, I reached into oven to retrieve a cast iron skillet my mother had asked for to make some cornbread. I had already turned on the oven some time before, and without thinking grabbed the handle with the force I knew it would take to pick up the heavy cast iron. Unfortunately, I forgot, or was not thinking about the fact that the skillet would be hot and proceeded to burn my hand. Obviously, a foolish thing to do, but I can assure you that I have never repeated that mistake.

We don’t always have to learn the “hard way,” but can learn from the mistakes of others so that we don’t have to “burn our hands” with every task that we are called to accomplish. I have been working through the lives of Saul and David in my personal Bible study time and the Spirit of God keeps bringing me back to some lessons that He wants me to learn by observing the failures in the leadership of Saul. I am deeply concerned that those who lead worship lead in such a way that glorifies God and avoids the tragedies exemplified in the lives of so many in Scripture. I would like to add four more lessons we can learn by understanding the failure from Saul, Israel’s first king.

1. Saul confused manipulation with leading by a positive example. After Saul is crowned king, he received the news that the Ammonites were going to attack Jabesh in Israel [1 Samuel 11]. Notice Saul’s response in verses 6-8:
“When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he burned with anger. He took a pair of oxen, cut them into pieces, and sent the pieces by messengers throughout Israel, proclaiming, ‘This is what will be done to the oxen of anyone who does not follow Saul and Samuel.’ Then the terror of the Lord fell on the people, and they came out together as one.”

Saul is filled with the Spirit of God, but rather than saying that the pagans were defying the Living God [as David has done with Goliath], or even just sending pieces of the oxen out to everyone, he added a threat. In this initial call to arms, the fear of God came on the people and they follow “Saul and Samuel.” God used Saul to win the victory in spite of the method of his recruiting troops, not because of it. This fear was initially motivated by the fear of losing their own cattle. [Already God had touched the hearts of some men to follow Saul [1 Samuel 10:26], but in this case Saul doesn’t see them as enough, and Scripture is silent as to how many these early followers were.] Saul’s relationship with God seemed to be secondary in that it was through Samuel, not one based from a personal walk with God. Saul could not lead by example, he had to default to manipulation and fear. Unfortunately, there are very few signs that his leadership skills ever surpassed these methods.

Worship leadership that stoops to manipulation and threats to “lead and motivate” others only proves that it can do neither: lead nor motivate. Such behavior reflects only great gaps of character and immaturity in their relationship with Christ.

2. Saul confused winning a battle with winning the war. After Saul defeated the Ammonites, there was a shift in Saul’s battle plans. Where at first he responded in a defensive manner, his next move was offensive in character. In 1 Samuel 13, Saul and Jonathan made an unprovoked attack on a Philistine outpost and have incurred the wrath of the pagan army. Over confident in his own abilities as commanding general, his initiative proves his undoing. As the armies of the Philistines began to amass, fear overwhelmed the Israelite army, and Saul’s soldiers began to scatter. Tired of waiting on Samuel the prophet and God’s direction, Saul offers the sacrifice himself. This breach of practice was not a mere desire to have God’s blessing and thus couldn’t wait, it was direct disobedience to God’s command.

Following God’s instructions was not just an option, but an absolute necessity for the leader that God chooses. One victory doesn’t guarantee future victory, and such assumptions are foolish especially when done outside the direct command of God. One poor decision only leads to another.

3. He shifted his focus to from defending the people to defending his position. Saul continued making poor choices, even when God gave him another opportunity by bringing retribution on the Amalekites for what they had done to Israel in the past. Unfortunately, Saul caved into his own fear of the men, and for shows his lack of leadership again by not being able to control his own soldiers. The prophet condemned the kings and pronounces his fate:

Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?” “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” ... As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.” [1 Samuel 15: 17-23, 27-29]

Saul’s focus began to shift from this point on looking for the one that God had chosen to replace him as king. On numerous occasions Saul attempted to kill David. The longer he was in power, the more effort he put in chasing down David to take his life.

When some leaders sense their position and power are being threatened, their focus changes from doing what needs to be done to self preservation. God is the ultimate protector of our reputation. The One who placed the leadership in the position they are in is well able to protect them or remove them as He sees fit.

4. He confused the mercy and grace of God with the approval of God. Perhaps one of the most bewildering things of all in this biblical account is that God left Saul in power for 40 years. Saul’s life was marked with a few great military victories and a series of tragic failures as a leader. He had lost the respect of those under him as well as the moral authority to lead. All he did have was the position. The longer Saul stayed in power, the more he assumed everything he did was right. He became his own standard for right and wrong. He misunderstood the mercy and grace of God that allowed him countless times and opportunity to repent and respond correctly.

God had even anointed David as the new king, but David does not take any initiative to remove Saul, allowing God to do this on His timetable. [Speculation that David was too young and lacked experience might be a valid consideration, as well as the fact that God was building His character into David by allowing him to go through the years of hiding from Saul. David needed to learn that God was his fortress and shield when being chased, he needed learn to seek God in discouragement, etc. Some of the most endeared psalms were written during these years. These may be valid, but only God knows why He did what He did.] Saul just never understood.

We must never confuse God’s mercy and grace with His approval. Sometimes God blesses us to bring us to repentance; sometimes he disciplines us to bring us to repentance. Saul’s life ended tragically, and ironically after a failed attempt at suicide, at the hands of an Amalekite. His great battle victories forgotten, Saul leaves a legacy of failures in character and leadership.

Do we always have to learn lessons the hard way? What is the “take away” from the life of Saul as a leader? We must learn from the mistakes of leaders like Saul to help us avoid repeating similar failures. -We must lead by positive example, above reproach, never manipulating or in unethical ways.
-We must not confuse one or two major victories and think that we are invincible.
-We must focus on what God has called us to do, not on how to keep our power and position.
-We must never confuse God’s mercy and grace with His approval.

{This is Part 2 of a Character Study on the Life of Saul. The first part is found at: Worship HeartCries: Are There Sheep Bleating in Your Ministry? http://www.edsteeleworship.com/2012/04/are-there-bleating-sheep-in-your.html }

Who Decides What Is Good?

2012-05-07T15:52:00.002-05:00

The truths in God’s Word are inexhaustible. I was reminded greatly of this in a Bible Study led by Dr. Bob Cole at our church recently. I have been reading the Bible through each year for nearly 40 years and have heard countless sermons on Genesis, Adam and Eve, etc., but I had never heard some of the truths I heard just two weeks ago. Dr. Cole, who did his doctoral in Hebrew, shared how the writer of Genesis would add the commentary “and God saw that it was good” after God would speak into existence different aspects of creation. God also defined that “it was not good” that man should be alone, and so a helpmate was formed from him. From the very beginning, God was the one who determined what was good and what was not.

When the serpent tempted Eve, the temptation dealt in questioning God and God’s Word. The back side of the temptation was getting Eve and eventually Adam, to reject God’s design and set their own standard for what was “good.” Scripture states that “when Eve saw that the fruit was good, she took some of it and ate.” Up until that time God alone had set the standards of determining what was good. The rebellion in the garden was not just about going against the direct command of God, but establishing one’s own standard for what was good. The application is simple, anytime we come to the place where we bypass God and set up our own standards for what is good for us, we have fallen into the same temptation as the first two in the garden of Eden. Choosing to make our own decisions about what is good is tempting because it appeals to our pride. We want, in our fallen selves, to make our own decisions. It is somehow degrading to have to take someone else's (even God's) advice. Dr. Cole shared much more, but I will narrow the discussion on the above, and honestly, I am still processing as the Spirit of God is working the applications in my own life. The implications for worship leadership are our focus at the moment. God has declared what pleases Him, what He has declared as good, He has declared what is not good. Correct worship style and musical taste are not specifically clarified in Scripture; the object and focus of worship are. The focus of worship is God and God alone. Obedience is better than sacrifice and the attitudes with which we approach God are important. These are only basic, foundational concepts.

When we begin to define what God accepts as "good" by our own standards and not God's, then we are falling to the same temptation as Adam and Eve. Remember God's admonition to Samuel when looking to anoint a new king: "man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart." Our natural tendency is to assume God approves of what we have defined as good, worshipful, and meaningful, which many times is based on our feelings or emotional response. Worship is our obedience response to the revealed nature and character of God, and without that obedient response our worship is incomplete. If we ignore obedient response, we are redefining what Scripture teaches about worship and succumb to the same temptation as Eden's first pair.

The question is, "Who decides what is good in worship for you?" Keeping these thoughts in mind can make a world of difference as we plan and as we function as "lead worshipers."

Common Traits of Those Who Fail in the Ministry

2012-04-28T21:32:00.000-05:00

No one goes into the ministry planning to fail, their expectations envision success. Being sensitive to some common causes of failure can help avoid a ministry going down in flames.

1. Wrong thinking patterns:
•    “My value, worth comes from my performance”: Our worth as individuals comes from what Christ has done for us, not how well we perform. We dare not confuse talent with self worth, or functional ability with acceptance before God.
•    “Victim mentality”: There are those who seem to see the glass always as half empty, and believe that everyone is after them, that others are always picking on them, and that the dark clouds just seem to follow them around.
•    “I can not be wrong” and “fear of failure”: The issue here is insecurity. A fear of failure means loss of self esteem or a sense of worth as an individual, or an issue of pride, and a resistance toward humility.
•    “I have all the answers” : The “know it all” attitude can stem from over confidence, or a false sense of superiority. Sometimes the underlying reason is insecurity, but also can be just outright arrogance.

–What can be done? Paul in Romans 12:1-2 gives us great help: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.” [emphasis added] Patterns of wrong thinking are common even among those who name Christ as Savior. So how do we “renew our minds” so that we can be “transformed?” Again, Paul gives us some great help in Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” We must change the focus of our thinking.

Another great help is to articulate the truth of the situation. The truth is that we don’t have all the answers, only God does; that everyone isn’t out to get us, since “he that began a good work in you will carry it on until its completion” [Phil. 1:6]. The truth is that our worth as individuals comes from what Christ has done for us, not how well we perform. The truth is that failure is the confirmation that we are not perfect. Everyone fails at something. We chose to think in certain ways and develop patterns of thinking that are not healthy nor biblical. Choosing to think in other ways takes deliberate effort and practice, but is a biblical principle that can change our lives.

2. Those who fail in the ministry have tendencies to rationalize their actions rather than understand the reasons for them and they provide excuses for why and what they have done, rather than true explanations. Sometimes this is accompanied by an inability to accept responsibility. Unfortunately, rationalization becomes the pattern of justification for an inability to complete a task, or to admit wrong. Time was not taken to think through issues involved or to seek council about implications of a course of action, resulting in poor outcome at best, or failure at worst. More time is spent in making excuses for what went wrong than the time it would have taken to adequately prepare in the first place. Rather than preparing, life becomes a series of reactions to one life event after another.

What can be done? Careful preparation, thorough considerations of issues related to the problem, and seeking wise counsel can go a long way in preventing such disasters. Proverbs 15:22 says: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” If there is a deficiency in one of these areas, then asking for help and accountability from others can help retrain old patterns of response.

3. Failing to develop a servant and learner’s heart and failing to love people. Leaders that fail often lack love for those to whom God has called them to minister. As someone as said, “People don’t care about what you say, until they understand how much you care.” Jesus was the supreme example of the servant leader, washing the dirty feet of disciples too proud to even do it for themselves. Leaders that fail are also those who are unwilling to learn from others. God provides a myriad of opportunities for us to learn from those around us, even from those who do not know Him, but we must we willing to be taught.

4. Failure to keep on growing: spiritually, musically, physically, relationally, and intellectually. Living things that cease to grow and develop often die. Leaders that fail have stopped growing spiritually, too busy or tired to maintain the personal spiritual disciplines necessary for an intimate relationship with Christ. Regular physical exercise and healthy diet rarely are high their priority list. Investment in relationships and continued study never seem to find their way into the scheduling process. They are driven by the tyranny of the urgent, lost in a sea of activities that seem out of their control.

Learning to make healthy boundaries for one’s own spiritual life, family life, health and ministry can revolutionize one’s life and effectiveness and provide a healthy model for families with whom they minister.

Are there bleating sheep in your ministry?

2012-04-18T10:57:00.001-05:00

In 1 Samuel 15, Scripture relates the story of Saul’s failure to completely follow God’s instructions to completely destroy the Amalekites and how he allows the men to take the spoils, allowing the king of the Amalekites to live. When questioned by Samuel the prophet of God why he disobeyed, Saul only attempts to justify his actions. By calling his partial obedience a completed task, refusing to admit any wrong doing on his part, and blaming others for what had happened, Saul totally fails the true test that God was giving. The test was not just a call for an elimination of an old enemy of the Hebrew people, but a test to see if Saul would wholeheartedly follow God’s command. Saul failed in several areas:

First, he failed to see that partial obedience is disobedience.
Second, he confused the task to be done for the lesson to be learned. By only focusing on the goal of winning the battle, he never asked himself if God might have a higher purpose in the assignment.
Third, he allowed fear to motivate his actions, rather than faith, because he defined who he was by what he did more than who God had called him to be.

Let’s briefly look at each one of these. I was reminded of this first issue while visiting with our daughter who was correcting our grandson. After not doing all of what his mother has asked him to do, I heard her give some instruction and completed her statements with the phrase, “partial obedience is disobedience.” I was completely impressed, for this is a lesson that really must be learned from childhood.

In God’s sight, partial obedience is disobedience. This may seem cruel and cold at first, but look at it this way. Suppose that the surgeon who is about to operate on you asks the nurse, “Has the scalpel been sterilized?” and she replies, “Yes, all but this one tiny part.” Would you want the surgeon to use it? Of course not, for regardless how small that “one tiny part” may be, there could be enough bacteria to kill the patient. If this is true in our physical world, in the spiritual realm only God can see what lingering “bacteria” is left by our partial obedience, and such sin separates us from open fellowship with the Father. In the case of Saul, God’s commentary is tragic: “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” [1 Sam. 15:11] Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the LORD all that night.” [Notice that Saul’s disobedience was a grief to Samuel, who had anointed him as king. Our failures rarely affect only ourselves.]

As finite creatures we are incapable of understanding the infinite mind and purposes of God. However, that does not mean that God does not want or allow us to discern some of the purposes of His actions. The most obvious revealed purpose is why He sent His Son to redeem man, – “for God so loved the world.” Other areas of God’s actions and will may not be so clear. Sometimes what God has called us to do is not as important as the character quality He is developing in us in the process of doing it. I remember in the movie, “The Karate Kid,” the older master tells his young apprentice to paint the fence, but in a very specific way. Later, he has him polish a car, again in a very specific manner. The confused teenager obliged, but did not understand and finally in frustration tells the man that he came for training in karate, not to paint fences. Then the master shows him that the motions he gave for painting the fence were actually a part of a specific defensive move in karate. The activity was painting a fence, but the lesson was detailed training in defense. Saul had confused the task to be done with the lesson to be learned.

After Saul had defeated the Amalekites, he proceeds to set up a monument to himself. This is revealing in that he [1] takes credit for what God had done, not realizing that God had only used Saul as the instruments of His will, and [2] Saul was defining who he was by what he had accomplished, not by his character. Understanding this is key to the conversation that follows with the prophet in 1 Samuel 15:13-34. Rather than cite the entire passage, I just refer to specific parts. When Samuel finds Saul, probably in front of the monument he had set up for himself, Saul greets him, saying, “The LORD bless you! I have carried out the LORD’s instructions.” [v. 13]. The prophet does not mince words in his reply: “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?” Which is to say, “Saul, if you had obeyed I wouldn’t be hearing what I am hearing. The proof of your disobedience is all around you.” Saul then tries to shift blame: “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” [v.15] Saul did not understand that disobedience is disobedience, regardless when attempts are made to spiritualize it. He could not own up to his own failure of responsibility to oversee the actions of his troops.

Samuel does not allow for excuses or justifications, his reply is swift and clear: “Enough!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” God doesn’t play our games of trying to justify our actions. Samuel again confronts Saul with the truth: “Why did you not obey the LORD?” Saul fails to see this as an opportunity of grace and forgiveness on God’s part and again tries to defend his actions: “But I did obey the LORD,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the LORD assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.” [v.20-21] Saul just does not get it. Only when judgement falls does Saul begin to reveal the truth. Samuel’s response to Saul’s excuses are words that we must take to heart if we are going to have effective ministries. Listen first to Samuel’s response to Saul’s rationalization of his sin:

“Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has rejected you as king.” [1Sam. 15:22-23]

The tendency is try to explain away our sin, to push the rationalizations in which we have used to delude ourselves on God in a feeble attempt to justify our actions. When Saul refuses to respond to the grace of God and admit guilt, judgement falls. Saul’s rebellion against God was like idolatry in that he had set himself up as his own authority, worshiping the image of himself for what he had done. Saul had even taken that mental image of himself and turned it into a physical monument for him admire. However, now it was too late, his unrepentant attitude has been judged by God and with one quick word, God has rejected Saul as king. Disobedience, especially among the leaders God has placed in power, has serious consequences.

The tragedy of the situation continues to unfold: “Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the LORD’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD.” [v.24-25] When Saul finally admits he is wrong, it is too late. God has already chosen another leader, one whose heart would follow after His. With his confession he revealed the motivation of his action: fear. Since Saul understood who he was only by what he did, that is, king and leader of the army, he feared doing anything that would reduce their numbers, thus, weakening his image and potential. He was not depending on God for his battles, but sheer numbers of men. So, when the men wanted to take the plunder from the battle, Saul did not have the courage to trust God, to set the standard of complete obedience based on God’s command to destroy everything. In short, he failed to see that his worth was not based on the size of his army or the battles won, but on the what God had called him to do and be. [This is clearly seen later in the battle when David kills Goliath.] The price he paid was very costly, for though he continued to reign as king, he did so without the blessing of God, and he grew more self-centered and suspicious until he finally commits suicide on the battlefield.

Let’s returning to the original question, “Are there any bleating sheep in your ministry?” Bleating sheep can be any area of our lives in which we settle for less than complete obedience, any time we confuse the task to be done for the lesson to be learned, and any time we allow fear to motivate our actions, rather than faith, defining who we are by what we do more than who God had called us to be.

{This is Part 1 of a Character Study on the life of Saul. Part 2 may be found at Worship HeartCries: Do We Always Have to Learn Lessons the Hard Way? http://www.edsteeleworship.com/2012/05/do-we-always-have-to-learn-lessons-hard.html }

“...God has turned His back on me...”

2012-04-14T11:38:00.000-05:00

Strong words, sometimes more felt, than allowed to pass from our lips, yet many feel this way when going through very difficult circumstances. Listen to the words of Naomi: “It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’s hand has turned against me!” [Ruth 1:13 b, NIV] The International Standard Version reads, “the Lord is working against me!” Naomi had traveled with her husband and two sons to Moab in search of food for survival. After staying there for some time, her sons married Moabite women and later her husband and two sons died. Now left alone with no male survivors, that is, protectors and providers, Naomi was feeling totally abandoned. In that moment she felt as if the covenant keeping God [LORD or Yahweh] had forgotten His own covenant and she was left like a leaf in a wind storm.

We know the story and long to be able to whisper in her ear, “I know it’s bad, but God has something so incredible for you, just trust Him!” We know that God was using all these circumstances to bring Boaz and Ruth together, to supply for all her needs, to bless her with grandchildren, and eventually a king for Israel. Naomi did not live to see her great grandson, David, become king of Israel and had no idea of the great things God would bring about through the tragedy. On an even greater level, nor could she have perceived what God would do through this linage: the birth of God’s Messiah, Jesus!

It is good for us to have reminders of God’s providence, His power, His love, and how though it may seem as though He may have abandoned us, that injustice rules and God has forgotten to keep His promises, He still is in control. Words like that are easy to write and fly off the tongue quite readily, but believing them in the midst of feelings of abandonment are not that simple. I know with my head what God has said, but my feelings of loneliness seem to mock my beliefs. I must come to a decision to believe God regardless of my feelings or external circumstances and know that He is in control and that He is working on His plan and schedule. I must conform to His plan, not that He changes the universe for mine. If God allows, I may see His purpose, if not, I will see it when I stand before Him in glory. We can always think of others who are in more difficult situations than our own, and though those kind of thoughts may change the perspective somewhat, when it is all said and done, we are still in pain and still blaming God for not working on our behalf. We need something more than just a reminder that there are others in worst circumstances.

One thing that we can do is to reassign meaning to what is happening: to realize that God is working out is plan and that He is giving us the privilege of being a part of it and using it to help grind down the rough corners of our character so that they reflect His character. Giving thanks to God “in all things” [not “for”, but “in”] is a great first step. I really believe that Jesus was reassigning the meaning of what was happening on the cross when He said, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” More than just a statement of complete anguish, though He was definitely going through indescribable agony, Jesus was quoting from Psalm 22, for in that psalm those Jews around Him at the cross would have been well familiar with the rest of the text and how it describes the suffering He was going through at that moment. Through His pain Jesus was shouting to the crowds, “Listen, look, God is fulfilling His Word before your very eyes!” He was trying to help them reassign meaning to the tragedy of the moment. To help them see that even in death, God would gain the victory.

In similar fashion after the resurrection, when the disciples were in complete disarray and confusion, when He appears to them, Jesus reassigns meaning to what they were going through. Luke 24:25-27 records Jesus explaining what had happened to two on the road to Emmaus: “He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Jesus reassigned meaning, though it wasn’t until he did what they had no doubt seen Him do many times, break bread and give thanks, that their eyes were opened.

We may not be able to discern what God is doing, but we can ask Him to help us reassign new meaning to what is going on, confident that He is in control and that He has a purpose that will be for our ultimate good and His glory!

Gideon’s Lessons for Worship Leaders [Judges 6-8]

2012-04-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

1. Size and importance doesn’t matter. By Gideon’s own comments, he was from the “weakest family in Manasseh and the youngest in his family”. Being useful for the Lord, is not dependent on the size of the group to which you minister, or if you are serving “in one of the great congregations” of the area. God’s understanding of “greatest” is not measured the way our culture measures it.

2. He was faithful and brave in little things. When God calls out Gideon for service he is threshing wheat in a wine press, a place that he could help provide food for his family, but in a way that the enemy would not see.

3. He was called of God to do what he did; he didn’t dream it up on his own. Gideon did not have dreams and aspirations of becoming a great general and winning fame and riches for himself . He had no delusions of grandeur. After attending a mega meeting and seeing all the glitz and fame some worship leaders seem to have, it is easy for that to become an attraction and for some to want to desire that for themselves. That is not a call from God, only an ambitious desire.

4. When he realizes that it was an angel of the Lord that had been speaking to him, his first response is worship, not boasting about what had happened. Judges 6:23 states that after the angel of the Lord had vanished from his sight, Gideon cried out in fear, but God tells him not to be afraid. His first response was to build an altar, which he names “The Lord is peace.”

5. Before he could do great things for God, he had to deal with the idolatry in his own household. He worship experience is followed by obedience to what God tells him to do. God then instructs Gideon to tear down the altar to Baal that was on his father’s land and offer a sacrifice using the wood from the idol, which he does. Even though he is ridiculed for what he did, he remained obedient.

6. The Spirit of God did not come upon Gideon until he had been obedient in what God had called him to do by tearing down the idol of Baal. Obedience in the little things is prerequisite before we are useful for the larger tasks. As Jesus said in the parable of the talents, he that is faithful in little, will be given more. There must be a willingness to do what seems to be insignificant jobs with an uncomplaining spirit, before we are entrusted with greater tasks.

7. He was humble, and needed reassurance that this was what God wanted him to do. There have been many sermons on the weaknesses of Gideon’s “throwing out a fleece,” or asking God for proof for what God was calling him to do. And in one sense, it is true, because of a lack of faith, he did ask for confirmation. However, Gideon is listed in faith’s “Hall of Fame” in Hebrews 11, so there must be something more here. Consider, that he did probably did not have easy access to scripture, and no prophet is even on the scene until Samuel, years later. He was well aware of his inability to accomplish the task. He did not doubt that God could do it, only his own involvement in the task.

8. God looks for those who will give Him the glory. God reduced the number of soldiers from 32,000 to 300, which is a great study in itself, but we’ll save that for another time. God’s desire was to work in such a way that the Israelites would not say that is was by their own skill and strength that they defeated the enemy, but that would realize that it was by God’s hand alone. Such is a model for our ministry in leading worship: it must be for God’s glory, not done in such a way that we become the focus of attention, or used as a stepping stone to a “better situation.”

9. Once Gideon acts on faith, God provides a sign to reassure Gideon that the victory was God’s. The first sign, the fleece, was at Gideon’s request, but the next, Gideon’s overhearing the enemy’s soldier’s conversation [Judges 6:9-15] was God’s initiative, showing Gideon that He was already working on his behalf. Notice that Gideon’s first response to God’s sign, is worship.

10. Gideon followed God’s plan, and taught others to do what he was doing. When it was time, Gideon tells the 300 men under his charge, “Watch me, and do what I do.” [Judges 6:17]. Worship is not something we tell other to do, it is something we do and ask others to follow in what we are doing.

11. God brings the victory for Himself as Gideon was obedient to do what God had instructed. The army was defeated, God was glorified, all because Gideon was obedient, and believed what God had promised.

12. Gideon was persistent. The battle that followed was tough. The previous night’s destruction had left 120,000 men dead, but 15,000 had fled. Gideon didn’t say that his part was over, but took his 300 men after them. Even when denied help [Judges 8:4-9], he kept on pursuing until he had captured the kings of the enemy.

13. The reminder of his victory, became an idol unto itself. Gideon refused to become Israel’s king, stating that only God was their king, but did take a ring from each of his men’s share of the war booty. With this he made an ephod, a gold woven garment, similar to what the priests wore. This symbol of Israel’s victory over the enemy became an idol that they worshiped, rather than the God that had given them the victory. Any victory we might experience, any experience we might have can become an idol in and of itself and take us away from the very One who gave the victory or experience.

I trust these lessons can be of help to all of us who lead in worship.

Jesus Knew Who He Was...

2012-04-03T21:53:00.000-05:00

Dr. Norris Grubbs, Associate Dean over our Extension Centers for NOBTS as well as Greek professor for Leavell College, shared some insights during Faculty Devotions this week that helped crystalize some ideas that had been swirling around my head. Referencing Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in John 13, Norris shares the following:

“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come form God and was returning to God; so he got up ...” John puts this at the start of this story, and I think it helps us understand a little bit of how Jesus was able and willing to perform this lowly duty of servanthood that night. He understood who he was.

So often, I think we define ourselves by what we do. The problem with that approach is that we will never serve others especially something degrading like Jesus does here because we will be afraid others will think that is who we really are. But the Bible clearly shows that we are not defined that way. Jesus knew what the Father had given him and that he had come from God and was going back there. I wonder if sometimes I fail to serve as I should because I have forgotten all that God has given to me and that I am his no matter what I do.

Good words, Norris, good insight.

Jesus was not concerned with the loss of image or the opinion of the disciples. His overarching purpose of living out the nature and character of God for them in that moment was more important than the passing judgements of those who might base their opinions on what others think or define themselves by what they do. Go back and mediate on the phrase, “He understood who he was.” We need to stop and unpack that a little more.

Too often we allow ourselves to be defined by others, whether these “others” are voices from the past that told us that pronounced words of failure {“You’ll never amount to anything}, defeat {You never do anything right!}, or even praise {You’re so good at that...}. The problem with those statements is that those statements fail to adequately describe who we are, because we are more than what we do. It is dangerous to attempt to live trying to disprove words of failure and defeat or live up to words of praise, since they depend on the approval of others. In the long run, we will be defining ourselves by a measurement that is sure to collapse and fail.

The biblical truth is our identity comes from what God in Christ has done for us, not from what others might say or think. If we are in Christ, we are CHILDREN OF GOD! There is no higher or more honorable name that might describe who we are. God gives me my worth, not because of who I am or what I’ve done, but because of whose I am and what He has done!

Jesus knew who He was. We need to realize whose we are and not pay attention to those who would attempt to redefine who we are by their own standards. The longer I am in the ministry, the more I realize how easy it is to forget this basic truth and fall back in trying to define my worth according to the pleasures and displeasures of others. I am a child of God, not worthy of anything, but by the grace of God granted favor to be called His child. In Christ, I can know who and whose I am! Thanks, Norris, for the reminder; I know I needed it.

Poisoned by Bitterness

2012-03-28T12:41:00.000-05:00

“For I see that you’re being poisoned by bitterness and you’re a prisoner of wickedness!” [Acts 8:23, ISV]

The story of Simon in Acts 8 is a fascinating story: after having public attention and admiration for his occult practices and “magic,” he hears the Gospel being preached by Philip, believes and is baptized. In Acts 8:13 Luke records that “he [Simon] became devoted to Philip.” It is not unusual for a new convert to latch onto the one who led he or she to Christ, but there seems to be more here than gratitude for having shared the message of salvation. Simon is overwhelmed by the miracles he witnesses. He has spent his life making money from his “magic” and now he is witnessing something more than just magic and is having a difficult time processing what is going on.

Later, when Peter arrives and lays hands on these new believers, they receive the Holy Spirit. Simon’s natural [old self] response is to offer to buy this new “magic,” for no doubt, that is how he had learned many if not all the “magic” he had practiced. But the Holy Spirit opens Peter’s eyes to see the motivation behind his request. Listen to Peter’s reply in verses 20-23:

“But Peter told him, ‘May your money perish with you because you thought you could obtain God’s free gift with money! You have no part or share in what we’re saying, because your heart isn’t right with God. So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven you. For I see that you’re being poisoned by bitterness and you’re a prisoner of wickedness.’”

Strong words. The fame and attention he once had had now faded and these “new guys” with this “new magic” were taking the city by storm. He has been left out and now wanted back in and was willing to pay good money for a chance at the opportunity. This was more than a simple misunderstanding. This was greed. He was bitter over the loss of income, prestige, and certainly confused about how things in the Kingdom of God were handled. If it had only been this confusion, I don’t think Peter would have said what he did. The Holy Spirit of God goes to the root of the problem, his greed, his jealousy, his bitterness and candidly shares with him what is wrong.

Bitterness was poisoning him. He was a prisoner of old habits, old desires, and he had to come to the point where he realized what he was doing. At that point, God sends Peter, the restored leader of the apostles, who shares openly and directly. “You’re a prisoner of an unholy life and the bitterness in your heart is like poison and will kill you, Simon.” Simon’s response is a plea for Peter and Philip to pray for him for deliverance.

So, what’s all this have to do with worship? Great question.

Like many in public ministries, Worship leaders are put on pedestals, looked up to, etc. It is very easy to begin to believe all the positive comments people make [while trying to forget the other ones], and bask in the limelight. Then something happens, and all the attention begins to fade, and we are left with a choice: to believe that our real and ultimate approval comes from God and not from others, or to worry and become bitter over the situation.

In the case of Simon, perhaps the first problem was that he seemed to be more anchored in Philip than in Jesus. When we make other believers more than God intended, we are setting ourselves up for major disappointments. We can never receive from another person that which only God can give: acceptance and approval. Only God can meet those deepest needs in a relationship with Him. Simon had fixed his eyes on Philip more than Jesus. When we set our focus on others to meet our needs of acceptance and love we are setting both of us up for ultimate failure.

But that is not all. Simon had reverted to his old ways of thinking and acting. I will not try to debate whether or not he had truly been converted; Scripture only says that he had believed and was baptized, and the words used there are the same ones for others that had truly believed. Based on that, it seems that he had believed. But what had been a lifetime pattern of thinking was going to take some time to change. Old thought patterns have to be rooted out, named, and abandoned by replacing them with new one. If not, these older patterns of thinking would poison him.

Bitterness works like poison, choking out the life and joy of the individual until nothing of the former self remains. Worship leaders can become bitter from a multitude of issues: change of roles, change of financial conditions, changes of personnel, even changes in leadership and in the process lose the joy of rendering service.

What can be done? First, we need to be careful that we are “devoted to Christ,” not individuals. There are many wonderful men and women of God who can offer wonderful encouragement in our walk with God, but we must remember that even they have “feet of clay.”

Second, recognize bitterness for what it is: poison to your system. Admit your hurt to God, since He is only one that can change the situation if He so desires. Confess your bitterness and hurt to Him.

Third, repent, ask for forgiveness, for help. Bitterness breaks our fellowship with God, makes focusing on Him difficult because our minds keep replaying the hurt or words we would like to say over and over again. Ask God to help you refocus on Him, His power, His love. Thank Him for what He has done, for His great forgiveness and grace, even though we do not deserve it. Pray for those that might have been the cause.

Lastly, act in the power of the Holy Spirit to minister to someone in need. Remember what Paul said in Ephesians 4:31 “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice,” as well as what the writer of Hebrews said in 12:15, “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Mobile Church: Your Cellular Congregation

2012-03-25T21:20:00.001-05:00

I was wondering what would happen if in an attempt to push technology beyond the normal you could now attend “Mobile Church” a Church whose only connection was through cell phones. Sit back, and enjoy this spoof of perhaps how it might go:

[Phone Receptionist] Welcome to Mobile Church: Your Cellular Congregation. If this is your first time to call us, push “1", if you are already a member, press “2"
-Beep-
You have pushed “1". Welcome to Mobile Church: Your Cellular Congregation. Welcome to the latest in cell phone spiritual guidance and connection, all in less than one hour. If you would like to begin with just a prayer, push “1" if you would like both a prayer and a song press “2", if you would just want the sermon, press “3".
-Beep-
You have pushed “2" you wish to have a prayer and a song. If you would like a long prayer press “1" or a short prayer press “2"
-Beep-
You have pressed 2, short prayer. If you would like a traditional hymn press “1" if you would like a contemporary song press “2", if you would like a Southern Gospel Quartet, press “3", if you would like a full choir singing stately classics press “4"
-Beep-
You have pressed “2", If you would like older contemporary press “1" , if you would like the latest on the CCLI top 25 charts press “2",
-Beep-
You have pressed 1. If you would like a commercial break for an offering, press “1", if you do not want an offering, press “2"
-Beep-
You have pressed “2, no offering. For the “no offering” category you only have two choices for sermons. Press “1" if you would like a long dry sermon or press “2" if you want a long funny sermon. If you would like to reconsider the offering press “3" and get the option for the short sermon.
-Beep-
You have pressed “3" . How much would you like to give? Please punch in the amount on your phone, followed by the pound sign. -Beep--Beep--Beep- Please enter your credit or debit card number -Beep--Beep--Beep--Beep--Beep--Beep--Beep--Beep--Beep--Beep--Beep--Beep-
Thank you for your support of Mobile Church.
If you would like to start your sermon after the song press “1", if you would like to hear your sermon first, press “2".
-Beep-
You have pressed “2". I’m sorry, you no longer have enough time left to hear the sermon. However, we look forward to hearing from you next time.
Good bye and God bless.
Buzz.............[line disconnects]

Three Questions that Can Change How You Plan Worship

2012-03-15T21:44:00.001-05:00

When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation.all of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. 1 Corinthians 14:26

I am greatly indebted to Drs. Terry York and David Bolin in their book, The Worship Matrix, for the basic idea of this blog. I would consider this a "must have" for all those who plan and lead worship.)

In Paul's letter to the church at Corinth, that Apostle addresses several problems in which the believers were having. Disorder in worship was one of those issues. The passage above is descriptive, not prescriptive, that is, this is a historical account, not a general commandment for all Christians for all time. That is to easy that we should not take this passage to mean that in every church, every believer should have one of the five activities for every time they might meet, then as well as right now. While that is true that the passage is not prescriptive, there certainly is more to the passage than a historical account of how Paul dealt with a particular problem. We can ask ourselves if there are some general principles that might be applied to our present situation. I believe there are. In the following paragraphs I would like to suggest a few, not that these are the only ones, but they might serve as a start.

First, there seems to be an assumption of regular corporate worship in which congregational participation is the norm. The focus of activity seems to be sharing among the congregation, not just the activity of the leadership. In Paul's context, these congregations would have most likely been groups meeting in homes, and not very large. For that reason it would have been a small enough so that everyone could have participated. So, what might be a general principle be in this case?

For one, congregational participation is vital to worship. It is easy for worship leaders to build a service more around what they can do and hope the congregation joins in, than to build into a service maximun participation. If we are not careful in our planing how to involve the congregation, it will be easy for the service go become "entertainment" and not worship. One of the key words for 'worship' in the Greek is the word 'lituguria,' which means 'the work of the people'. If there is no 'work of the people' we may rightly ask, "Has there really been worship?"

Another important part of the passage is the reason given why it was done that way: "all of these must be done for the strengthening of the church." Priority is given for the edification of the church as a whole, not just the personal preferences of any one group or persons. As we look at how this might apply to to us, it is crucial that we hear the words of the Apostle that all that is done is done to strengthen the whole body, not ignore a segment, because of age, preference, etc. A key question to ask ourselves as we plan is, "Does this service edify the whole church body?" This is not an easy question to answer honestly, and and even more difficult one to accomplish.

Some questions for us to ponder are: How many of our people really participate in the worship services we plan? Are there enough varied activities that provide ample opportunity for such widespread participation? Is what we are doing in worship focused more on a single group, or are we consciously planning for the building up of every member?

I am grateful to both York & Bolin for helping me think through these issues, and I pray that they will be a help to you as well.

Ten Lessons from the Exodus

2012-03-07T10:18:00.000-06:00

Yes, there are many more than ten lessons that we can learn from the Israelites trek to the promised land, but here are ten for starters.

1. Through not around. One of the first ways God showed His power after the 10 plagues, was to lead His people through the Red Sea, not around it. At times, we see a hopeless situation, but God sees a way to reveal His nature and power.

2. We can get so accustomed to the blessings and provisions of God we complain even about the miracles. No one on earth had ever been provided for like the Israelites in the desert with the manna. Day after day, God literally gave them their daily bread, yet when they began to take it for granted, they complained, and their ungrateful spirit had deadly consequences.

3. Analyze and study your options. The 12 “spies” were not rebuked for studying the landscape and getting to know what they were to be facing, but their lack of faith that God would do what He said He would do.

4. When God closes a door, don’t try to break it down. Once the Israelites had been told the results of their lack of faith and disobedience, that is, 40 years in the desert, then they decided that they would obey. Too late. They attempted to force their way into to promised land, which proved to be a colossal failure.

5. Review your mistakes. After the 40 years, all of those over the age 20 had died, except Caleb and Joshua, so Moses reviewed with them their history. He began with their disobedience and why they had to spend 40 years in the desert, and continued telling the story so their would be no doubts as to why things were the way they were. He even shared his own failure, revealing why he would not be allowed to enter with them.

6. Review what God has done in your life. Not only did Moses review their failures, but he recalled the great things that God had done on their behalf. Tracing the history of God’s goodness is a great way to renew confidence in God during difficult times and when facing unknown circumstances.

7. Step out on faith. The waters of the Jordan river did not part before the priests stepped into it, as did the Red Sea. God may not always do things exactly the same way twice; in fact, He probably won’t. Our response is to obey and step out and be confident that God will do what He said He would do.

8. There is a reward at the end. In the midst of so hardships and trials along the way, it is easy to forget that there is a glorious future promised to God’s children. A good reminder for us is that heaven will not be a place where we finally get what we always wanted, but the place where our wants will finally be as God desired. The central focus of heaven is the Lamb of God on His throne, not my wishes fulfilled.

9. Receiving the promises of God requires obedience on your part. Moses was a man of God, one who spoke to God “face to face,” yet because of his disobedience he never was permitted to enter the land promised.

10. Commitment to do right means that sometimes you will stand alone. Joshua and Caleb stood alone in the midst of the majority of public opinion, because they were committed to believing God regardless.

Perils of an Unbalanced Ministry

2012-02-24T13:18:00.000-06:00

I will never forget my first car, a 1967 Mustang, and even though it was not the muscle car version – it was a 6-cylinder automatic– I loved the car. Traveling back and forth from college to the church where God was allowing me to serve as worship leader was a joy, at least most of the time. The longer I had the car I began to notice something unusual, the car began to pull to one side and wouldn’t just stay straight on the highway. I later found out that the car had probably been in an accident and the frame was slightly bent. In learning how to maintain the car, I also began to notice that the tires were showing odd signs of wear. Of the many lessons learned from that first vehicle, one that stands out was how quickly good tires become bad when things are out of balance.

Keeping things in balance is also a basic principle in God’s creation. When a specific species of insect gets too numerous and begins to devastate its natural source of food, the other life forms dependent on the food source become affected. Eventually when the food source is decimated, the over populated species dies out and gradually things return to normal. If they fail to do so, permanent damage is done to the delicate ecosystem. The world God created works best when kept in balance.

The principle of balance is clear in Scripture as well. When Paul addresses the church at Corinth in the use of spiritual gifts, he emphasizes that the body of Christ is comprised of many members which are interdependent on each other. The various gifts were designed by God to work in harmony with each other so that body would function as He intended. We can be grateful that the body is not just one giant foot, hand, or nose. Though some may have gifts in one area, the biblical mandate is not to neglect or ignore the gifts of others. Within the unity of the body of there is balance.

How does worship fit in this discussion? Glad you asked. Let’s look at some applications.

1. The balance between biblical worship and outreach. The Bible is explicit in its teaching about worship. Worship is centered on God alone, anything else is idolatry. When the body of Christ gathers for worship the central purpose must be centered on our obedient response to the nature and character of God. Within that response are the elements of recognition of who God is, who we are, repentance, obedience, thanksgiving, and praise. Also in Corinthians, Paul encouraged believers make sure that what is going on is understood by those attending. If there were a message from God in another language, there had to be someone there to interpret. One of the points Paul makes, is sensitivity to those in attendance. It is crucial that in an attempt to be sensitive to those unchurched we do not derail the biblical purpose of worship. Worship is primarily to God, and for God, and only secondarily for us.

Statements like, “I didn’t get anything out of worship,” betray a possible misunderstanding of the primary purpose of worship. We do not worship for the purposes of self gratification. The prevalent influence of secular western culture and its insatiable appetite for entertainment has so infiltrated the church that not only do a large portion of the membership in our churches attend expecting to be entertained, but many worship leaders have assumed it to be the norm. I appreciate greatly what the late A. W. Tozer said, “The church that can’t worship must be entertained. And men who can’t lead a church to worship must provide the entertainment.” Undeniably, there are benefits for the believer in worship, we just cannot make those the primary focus.

The major factor that drew non-believers to worship in the early church was the love and care that was demonstrated among the members, not entertainment. Those leading as well as those participating must understand that what is done from the platform is not designed for entertainment. In entertainment, the focus is inward pleasure; in worship the focus is pleasing God. The two are polar opposites. When we depend on entertainment to draw people to worship we can expect the results to be measured in terms of how pleased the audience was with the “performance” of those “on stage.” When we depend on a biblical God-focus in worship, then we can expect the results to be measured in how obedient God’s people in response to His Word. We cannot meet with God and leave the same as we entered. Sensitivity to the non-churched does not mean that we jettison priorities, but that we help make biblical truth understandable. As Marva Dawn has stated, we “reach out, without dumbing down.” We don’t have to become drug addicts to be able to share with drug addicts the gospel, but we do need to be sensitive to their needs.

Being sensitive also must include the various generations that participate on any given Sunday. Having various worship services to accommodate the preferences of various groups is one method of addressing the problem, however, the strength of the body of Christ is best reflected in the unity within diversity. The model of worship given in heaven is every tribe, tongue and nation, young and old focused in worship around the throne. In reference to venue worship, I appreciate the way Dr. Joseph Hopkins, Dean from the School of Arts at Samford University puts it, “it’s not so much that we have a table for every place, but a place for everyone at the table.” Balance must be maintained if we are to be effective.

2. The balance between the immanence and transcendence of God. Throughout the history of Christianity there has been a continual swinging of the pendulum between emphasizing the nearness of God and the awesome holiness of God. The understanding of the need to accept Christ as our personal Savior and the biblical example of Jesus being the “friend of sinners,” can be pushed to the extreme, exemplified in the “Jesus is my boyfriend” type praise songs. On the other hand, growth in seeing the holy, awesome Creator of the Universe, all powerful, all knowing, everywhere present, Lord and King of all can push God so far away, we may forget the grace and mercy that allows us to be in His presence.

The truth is that God is both near, desiring an intimate relationship and that He is high and holy in “unapproachable light.” The mystery of the paradox of God may not be understood this side of heaven, but it is true, regardless. Problems arise when one or the other is pushed out of balance. In fact, some scholars trace most heresies of the church to a truth or part of a truth that has been pushed to an extreme. Many times we discover a truth that is life changing for us and soon we begin to see and define everything around us by this one truth. It is not surprising, then to see the truth become pushed to an extreme. Once God has brought us through a situation and we have gained new insight, we must be careful to remember that this is but one small truth among others. If we are not careful, we will make the one facet of the diamond, the only facet that all must see.

3. The need of both corporate and personal worship. This is not so much a balance, but just a reminder that one tends to grow out of the other. The personal worship of believers whose lives have been daily bathed in God’s presence during the week naturally overflows into corporate worship on Sunday. Their focus is already on who God is and what He has done, their desire is to be obedient in all He commands.

We must maintain balance in all of life so that we can be effective followers of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The “Myth” of Leading Worship

2012-02-18T20:24:00.002-06:00

I realize that referring to leading worship as a myth may cause some concern, but hang in there and let me stop and explain. As we understand the depth of worship and the implications of the priesthood of the believer, I believe it will help us come to a better understanding as to what is mean by “leading worship” and how to help others in worshiping. First, let's clarify some terms.

There are a myriad of definitions for worship, but the one that has been most beneficial to me is one that is simple, yet deep as it is unpacked: “Worship is the obedient response to the nature and character of God.” I will not try to elaborate on this since I have covered the idea in another blog post, but will just summarize some main points. [ see “Isaiah 6: Descriptive or Prescriptive?” http://www.edsteeleworship.com/search/label/Isaiah%206 ]

It is imperative that we realize that God initiates worship: the bush was burning before Moses ever arrived. The implications are many, but a key element that we cannot bypass is that worship is not something we “drum up on our own.” Another key to understanding worship is that God reveals Himself, His nature, His character. In worship, we are overcome by the awesomeness of who He is and what He has done. Our natural response to our understanding of God’s holiness is repentance. We cannot see the glory of Holy God and not see our unholiness. As we confess and repent, we receive the forgiveness that is offered and are then able to hear the voice of God. In the case of Isaiah, it was a call to proclaim. Is it possible that the reason so few worshipers today hear the voice of God is because they are not prepared to hear Him? Worship does not end with the hearing of God’s voice, but with the obedient response to God. Worship is not so much the emotion of the moment, but the obedient life that follows. We also know from other passages that worship involves thanksgiving and praise.

Understanding worship is vital to leading worship, but another aspect that is often passed over in the discussion of worship is that of the priesthood of the believer. [Since entire books are on this subject, I will not attempt to elaborate, but just summarize.] We do not need a “mediator” to pray for us on our behalf, we can approach the throne of grace directly, we can go to God directly, and He can speak to us directly. God speaks to us through His Word and as He illumines His Word in application to our lives. [We must mention that though God speaks to us directly, it is imperative that we realize that our understanding of what He says must always be consistent with His revealed Word. Our understandings are not “updated versions” of Scripture.]

This leads us to an interesting question: Since God initiates worship and believers can go to Him directly and that He can illumines His truth to us directly, what is the role of a “worship leader?” The role of the worship leader, better understood as “lead worshiper,” is not to drum up excitement, manipulate emotions, or provide performance opportunities. To help us understand this, we need to talk about corporate worship.

Corporate worship is a local body of Christ’s believers who have gathered to focus on the nature and character of God, to worship, serve, honor, glorify, and proclaim Christ. Though that is true, they enter as individuals with myriads of needs and concerns, heartbreaks and joys. The lead worshiper is simply one who aids individuals in focusing on Christ . Leading worship is best described as a “reflective ministry,” that is, one in which the attention is reflected away from itself, to Christ.

It is not a “personality centered” ministry. The only personality that should receive focus is that of Jesus Christ. For this person to do this, he or she must be prepared, for they cannot lead where they have not been. Prepared in what ways? Obviously, there must be a biblical understanding of what worship is, but there must be an understanding of corporate worship as well. Corporate worship is an overflow of private worship. If those that lead fail to have a vital private worship, there can not be an overflow into corporate worship.

In leading worship, we ask the Holy Spirit to allow us to be usable channels to direct honor and glory to God in the corporate setting. He alone can do this. He alone touches the hearts of His children to respond to Him. In that sense, we do not “lead,” but become “available vessels” that He can use. An available vessel must be “usable” and becoming usable requires the preparation that we mentioned earlier.

Those that desire to “lead worship” must realize that it is not a casual past time, but an outgrowth from a passion for God, for someone whom God has called out to Himself for that purpose and for someone who is willing to make the preparations necessary to learn how to lead. The Holy Spirit leads through the preparation, planning, and persons involved so that everything that is done is for the glory of God.

---

For a broader discussion on these issues, the following are some helpful links that I trust will be helpful:
What is congregational worship? http://www.edsteeleworship.com/search/label/congregational%20worship

Preparation for worship
http://www.edsteeleworship.com/search/label/preparation%20for%20worship

Reconciliation with others
http://www.edsteeleworship.com/2010/04/worship-and-reconciliation.html

For those that are involved in the musical part of worship, there are other aspects of preparation necessary:
http://www.edsteeleworship.com/search/labe /worship%20leader%20preparation
as well as:
http://www.edsteeleworship.com/search/label/worship%20leader%20training

Leading worship must also involve teaching the congregation what worship is and is not.
http://www.edsteeleworship.com/search/label/teaching%20worship

Cotton Candy Worship

2012-02-03T21:57:00.000-06:00

Cotton candy is a favorite at fairs, festivals, and other places where recreational activities are featured. The treat consists of mostly air, spun out sugar crystals, and food coloring. Although the size can be fairly large, its true solid content is small and is almost always sticky or messy to eat. One might ask, “Why even bother with something that is mostly air and is messy?” The most common answer relates to the sugar it contains. Cotton candy appeals to our “sweet tooth” and addiction to sugar.

Some worship services could be described in the same way: focused on our addiction to entertainment, lots of external fluff, but very little solid content, and anything to make the service more attractive. What might be the signs that we are falling into the patterns of Cotton Candy worship? I’m sure there are more, but I will list a few:

1. The highlight of the service is entertainment. The temptation to entertain during worship has been in existence for years, but our culture has been so ingrained by an entertainment industry that in many cases the church has seemingly lost its voice of worship to an “American Idol” mentality of worship leaders. Worship and entertainment are on opposite ends of the spectrum. The measure of entertainment is how well it pleases the audience; the measure of worship is if it is pleasing to God. One is “me focused,” while the other is focused on God.

2. Big production, big splash, but little true content. There may be big promotions of sermon series that yield very little solid biblical content, but are filled with great catch phrases and sound bites that tickle ears. The Word of God can be comforting, but at the same time convicting. If the weekly message from the pulpit becomes just another session of inspirational motivation, alarms need to be sounded. Just as cotton candy has little nutritional value, so does the weekly feel-good sound bites.

3. The unwritten theme of the church is “have it your way.” When the music for worship is based solely on the likes and dislikes of those attending, when personal comfort becomes more important than the mission for which Christ has commissioned us, then we need realize we have surrendered to cotton candy worship.

4. When the burden for those who do not know Christ is lost. Subtle substitutes for personal involvement in service and outreach are evident in phrases like, “that what we’re paying ‘them’ for...” True, there are members who are not physically able to be very involved in reaching out and sharing the gospel, but the more common problem is not that people are not capable, but simply unwilling, or driven more by fear and apathy.

As we evaluate what we do, we need to be sure there is substance in the content and that along with the content we include what the truth of the content looks like in our lives when we apply it. We need to remember that worship is that obedience response we give to God to His revealed nature and character, not just the number of goose-pimples we might receive in with the music. We must remember that we have been commanded to make disciples, not just send out substitutes.

Two Approaches to Worship

2012-01-28T14:50:00.000-06:00

I am indebted to Dr. Jon Duncan, the Music and Worship Specialist for the Georgia Baptist Convention for his insights in our recent “Crescent City Praise” Conference at the Seminary. Jon is a gifted musician, administrator, and theologian with keen insights into worship and how biblical principles play out in the local church. Of the many truths that he shared with our students recently, there were two that caught my attention and have begun to make the wheels in my mind turn and really begin to think through their implications. The first truth was the confusion of “Practice verus Performance,” which I will reserve for another blog, and the other was the difference between approaching worship from the standpoint of a consumer or a disciple. Jon’s thoughts became the seed bed for the following.

Matthew 28:18-20 clearly dictates that as we go that we are to “make disciples,” but listen to the difference the following change makes: “Go into all the world and make consumers, teaching to that God exists to cater to their every desire.” I don’t know about you, but as I thought about that statement, I wasn’t sure if I should laugh, cry, or scream in anger. The church is the Body of Christ through which those who have surrendered their hearts and lives to Christ as Lord fulfill His command to make disciples. Disciplemaking is part of the obedient response to surrendering our wills to Him, or as also can be said, disciplemaking is part of the obedient response we give to God as we worship Him. As we deepen and develop a vital relationship with Christ that transforms our character so that it reflects Christ’s own, we also as a fruit of that relationship begin to work with others to help them along in the journey and to introduce them to the Savior who can transform their lives. One key sign of healthy worship is healthy discipleship.

“Worship” by definition finds its center in God, and its unconditional surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As we grow in obedience to the will of God we must be involved in discipleship, that is, reaching those who do not know Christ with the Gospel and training them in the faith. The central focus of worship that is approached from the standpoint of discipleship is an obedient response to the revealed nature and character of God.

Contrast that with the “consumer” mentality of approaching worship: Worship is primarily the means to an end, to get the product [the Gospel] to as many consumers [the lost] as possible. Consumers’ tastes and preferences dictate what is sung, said and done. The “have it your way,” mentality of Burger King gets carried into the worship service and everything is pandered to the “consumer” in the way that pleases the individual. The pastor functions as CEO, more than shepherd of the flock. One result is the new convert is led to expect that everything evolves around their likes and dislikes, and if that changes, then they simply go somewhere their preferences are met. A consumer mentality approaches worship for what “I can get out of it,” and if “I don’t get what I want, I’ll just go a place where I can.” Worship for the “consumer” is approached like someone going to a vending machine, rather than the with the understanding that they are meeting with Almighty God, a God that loved so much that He sent His only Son to die in our place.

A discipleship approach is one that is committed to the teaching and training the demands of Scripture. A consumer approach produces growth by addition; a discipleship approach produces growth by multiplication. The goal of discipleship is reproducing the nature and character of Jesus Christ in ourselves and others by the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father. It is slower and more difficult, and doubtless will draw less attention in the media, but carries with it the promise of hearing the words “well done, my good and faithful servant.”

There are many individuals that attend a church Sunday after Sunday as consumers rather than as disciples because they never received the proper followup, or for a host of other reasons. It is essential that we teach new believers [as well as everyone else in the church] the demands of following Christ and what worship is, as Paul told those in Thessalonica that they would face persecution and sure enough they did. [I Thes. 3:1-9] Persecution was no surprise to them, and knowing what to expect helped prepare them to remain faithful. As we teach these new believers what biblical worship is, we can help them confront the culture that tells them otherwise.

He Call Us to Himself

2012-01-21T15:34:00.000-06:00

“Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.” Mark 3:13

When Jesus began his ministry as recorded in the Gospel of Mark, there had already been a series of miracles and large crowds following Him before he chose the twelve. Jesus gave time for the twelve to see and observe what following Him would be like before He asked for a commitment that would change their lives. The International Standard Version, states that Jesus call them “to Himself.”

Notice that the call was first to “Himself,” before it was a command to go and preach, teach, or heal. His was a call to commit to a relationship, to get to know Him, to spend time with Him, long before there was any ideas of them being set aside as a group that would change the world. Christ called them to Himself before there was violent persecution, beatings and the cross that would destroy their hope. He called them to Himself before He ever shared that the “Son of Man would suffer, be killed, and rise arise on the third day and to wait in Galilee.”

Being called “to Himself” meant that they would be leaving their former lives behind, their goals, and their understanding of who had final authority in decisions. For the next three years they would see things that only those who were close to Him would see and hear. Before they would be sent out to preach that the “Kingdom of God was at hand,” they had to realize that they were called to Him, first.

What can we take away from this account? Jesus has called us to Himself. He has called us to commit to a deeper relationship, one of trust, even when things are difficult. He calls us to Himself, when we would want to question why we are going through hardship, difficulties, and stresses that seem to crush us completely. Only when we have nothing do we really find Him sufficient. Only when we have lost the security in our own abilities can we discover Him as Rock and Refuge. Only when we run out of our own answers do we find Him as Teacher. Only as we have been completely broken in grief do we discover Him as our Comforter.

He calls us to Himself, first. Before the crowds and calls of ministry, before the confusion and craziness of everyday life, before our attempts of doing, He calls us to Himself. As we draw close to Him, we worship, we surrender, and we yield to Him our personal agendas of glory, fame, and success defined by the culture around us. He has called us to “be,” not just “do.” As we draw close to Him, there is a transformation in character. As we focus on Him, He can realign our thoughts and give us discernment in choices.

As our classes have started this semester, I have already spoken with several students whose main goal is to complete their studies as quickly as possible, so they can go out and “do” what they sense God calling them to do. I have two words that I would want them to hear. First, God has called them to Himself, to be with Him and to get to know Him before they attempt the doing of ministry. Secondly, if they are not doing what God has called them to do now, it is very doubtful that they will be doing it later. Obedience is not later, obedience is now, where we are in the way that is possible now. God is calling them to Himself, to be with Him and to get to know Him before they attempt the doing of ministry.

He has called us to Himself. Are we learning at His feet like Mary, or are we busy in the kitchen like Martha? The growth and depth of our relationship with Christ depends upon it.

Spiritual Coronaries

2012-01-14T12:30:00.000-06:00

Heart disease is one of the major causes of death in the United States, and one of the sources of this illness is the plaque that builds up in the arteries and slowly begins to block the flow of blood. Though it might take years of eating the wrong foods and poor health habits, sooner or later the blockages take their toll on the heart and the person suffers a heart attack or the symptoms of lack of energy, shortness of breath, begin to show themselves and blocked arteries are discovered through a physical exam. What was not seen was the gradual reduction of blood flood to vital organs until finally it was too late, resulting in a catastrophic event.

Our spiritual lives operate in much the same way. From the daily devotional times in God’s Word and in prayer flow the spiritual nurture to our soul and spirit. Consistent times of worship are essential for spiritual health. Yet, within our nature exists another self that resists the commands of God and seeks to undermine everything godly and holy. Most of the time we are aware of the major assaults; we may get angry, but certainly will not kill or take another’s life. But, much like a terrorist that sneaks in to infiltrate and cause mayhem, little sins that are not addressed take up lodging and bunker down into the spiritual veins slowly choking off our spiritual lifeblood, until a catastrophic event occurs.

Oddly enough, we can continue to function externally and many times go through the motions of worship, even though the warm blood the relationship with God has grow cold or has slowed to a trickle. Unconfessed sin, unresolved conflicts, and unforgiveness, all seem to have choked the life until worship loses its meaning and what might have been meant for God’s glory suddenly seems meaningless.

Solomon warns that it is the “little foxes that destroy the vines” [Song of Songs 2:15]. The same is true with our sensitivity to God’s Spirit and hearing Him: as we allow the little things to go unattended, we will wake up later only to notice that things are in disarray. What can be done?

Biblical worship is that obedient response to the God’s revealed nature and character. True worship requires focus on the nature and character of God. Such a focus will reflect how less than like God we are in our nature and character and lead us to cry out for forgiveness, to open our hearts and minds to be able to hear God’s Spirit and respond to Him in obedience. Regular worship cleans out the cobwebs of sin that gather day by day in our lives.

The Psalmist said, “Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws.” [Ps. 119:164] Though in the context, this was probably more an expression of completeness, than a literal numerical count, it would not be a bad practice to emulate. Daniel is another excellent example: “Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” [Daniel 6:10] The point is that worship can aid in keeping our relationship with God fresh and intimate. Failure to do so could very well lead to a spiritual coronary.

The Myth of Multitasking

2012-01-03T11:34:00.000-06:00

Multitasking is simply doing a number of things at once. Our bodies could not function if the brain were not capable of controlling heart rate, breathing, etc., at the same time. However when it comes to active thought processing, the capability for our brains to handle or focus on more than one thing at a time isn’t there. We sometimes pride ourselves in our ability to “multitask,” but the reality may not be what we think.

“The Myth of Multitasking” is the title of a recent article in Forbes’ online by Carol Kinsey Goman, (http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2011/04/26/the-myth-of-multitasking/) who quotes John Medina, the author of Brain Rules: “To put it bluntly, research shows that we can’t multitask. We are biologically incapable of processing attention-rich inputs simultaneously.” ( http://brainrules.blogspot.com/2008/03/brain-cannot-multitask_16.html )

Goman states: “Technology has so many advantages, but some devices that were designed to make us more productive, are now creating a new set of productivity problems. When laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cell phones are close by, attendees at workplace meetings struggle to keep their focus on the speaker. It’s just too compelling and easy to check email, text messages and surf the web instead. Of course these workers think that they are multitasking. But, when it comes to the brain ability to pay attention, the brain focuses on concepts sequentially and not on two things at once. In fact, the brain must disengage from one activity in order to engage in another.”

What does this have to do with worship and those that lead in worship? Let’s focus on two: a technical and a spiritual.

On the technical side...
At any one time in a given worship service, there are a myriad of activities for which we are ultimately, if not directly responsible: sound, lighting, playing, singing, etc. The reality is that for us to focus on worship, we have to focus on worship. That can only be done if we have properly prepared for the other responsibilities, so that we can focus on worship. Last minute, thrown together services in which those involved are handed their lead sheets right before the service may by the grace of God come off smoothly, but there will be a high toll of stress on those responsible for carrying on the details. Since we cannot truly “multitask, ” those playing and leading are forced to focus just on the basics and are robbed from having the opportunity to prepare. A steady diet of such practices only leads to a high turn over rate for those involved in the ministry.

Wise planning and preparation allow for rehearsals to work out the bugs and help everyone get on the same page. Assigning different tasks to specific individuals will allow each party to focus on a single task and giving them what they need to do their job with enough lead time to be comfortable with the process is a must. [Though it is possible for a single person to run the sound and video as long as they are not having to make simultaneous changes, training another person it is ideal.]

On the spiritual side...
True worship demands focus, single-mindedness. If the leader is still attempting the learn the music for the worship set and “lead” at the same time, it is doubtful that the leader can focus to worship. Hours of preparation and practice are required so the leader can “lead” without being tied to the lead sheets. [This is not the place to repeat a topic already discussed, so please refer to a previous post on “Worship Leader or Lead Worshiper,” http://www.edsteeleworship.com/2010/07/lead-worshiper-or-worship-leader.html ]

The point is if we are constantly concerned over lighting, mic levels, chord changes, and video issues, we will become distracted and not worship. Personally, I have found that it is very easy for me to become distracted. Each week I make deliberate, conscious decisions to help me focus on that “obedient response to God” so that I will not just be standing in front of a congregation, but worshiping as well. For those leading in worship, what we do must not just be a “face we put on” when we are leading, or an artificial “stage presence,” but an encounter with the Living God. [see these articles for related helps: http://www.edsteeleworship.com/2011/01/what-to-do-when-you-are-having-problems.html and http://www.edsteeleworship.com/2010/05/six-questions-those-that-lead-worship.html ]

One aid in focusing, is to go back over the basics. The first step is to become aware that we are distracted in the first place. It is just too easy to be carried away and lose the precious moments that were supposed to be dedicated to God to issues of lesser importance. [I’m not saying that you should ignore problems; if the sound system goes down, you have to address the issue. But, these are more the exceptions than the rule.]

Once we are aware of being distracted, we need to go back and think through what worship is, that is, our obedient response to the nature and character of God. Then, we need to focus on those attributes, and give God thanks and praise, asking Him to help us refocus. These times of refocus are generally brief moments, that may even occur during a song. There may be many of these “mid-course adjustments” during any one service, depending on how distracted we are. We must focus and continue to do so, if we are going to make worshiping a true priority in our leading. Remember worship is not an activity in which we attempt to multitask, but a focus of all that we are.

Worship is not a "Program"

2011-12-19T23:02:00.000-06:00

[Not long ago, Rev. Jerry Bass a former pastor and a local hospital chaplain, and I were sharing about worship, a subject in which we both are passionate. I am grateful to him for the genesis of these thoughts.]

One of our problems in so many of the published multi-week studies is that we want to take a process and turn it into a program. Programs are fine in their place, but sometimes great truths and principles learned through trial and difficulty are summarized or simplified into a program so that more people could participate or that what was learned could be “massed produced.” The idea has great intentions: if a dear brother or sister learned these principles that changed their lives, what might be done so that everyone might learn the same things? The problem lies in the things that are “lost in the transition” from principle to program.

How are things lost? Let me give one example. Let’s take a simple Bible study lesson. For far too long we seem to have confused “content understood” with “content applied.” Just think of the average Sunday morning Bible study class: the typical teacher fights to get through all the material, that is, “the content,” and then finally admonishes the class to do what the Scripture says. Many of our church members have logged in so many hours of “Bible study,” that if they had been given for credit they would have had multiple doctorates by now. Yet, many times, they will spend their entire lives as “students” in some class and never go on to become the teacher or mentor to another person. What is missing? There are multiple answers to the issue because it is not just a simple problem, but many times the teacher never really explains how to apply the particular truth being studied and what it really looks like when it is lived out on a day to day basis. To make things more difficult the Bible study may have been “content heavy” to begin with and weak on the application.

You might be asking yourself by now, what does this have to do with worship? If we are not careful we will take the truths about worship and attempt to force them into some kind of program. There are no “5 easy steps to perfect worship.” God refuses to be placed in a box. The truth is God initiates worship, not us. There are some biblical truths that we must obey, but these are not “steps.” Worship is our obedient response to the revealed nature and character of God. Worship requires preparation. What we seek in worship is not an “experience,” but relationship with God. When we seek an experience in worship, more than we seek the Christ of worship, we are worshiping how we feel, not the Lord who gave His life for us; it is a subtle form of idiolatry.
In that obedient response God draws us to Himself.

Biblical worship can never be reconstructed into a program. The principles in Scripture are there, but we must be careful to avoid the temptation to reduce everything to “5 Easy Steps.” Obedient responses are seldom “easy,” and it is too easy to get caught up in a checklist of “dos and don’ts,” rather than the awesomeness of holy God. As I complete my own book on worship, I am writing this to myself, lest I miss the point and try to push a program, rather than share the principles of the process.

Reflections on the Year

2011-12-17T21:15:00.003-06:00

I started the semester with “Ten Things I Wanted My Students to Learn This Semester.” While I had goals for the students with whom God had entrusted to me, God had things He wanted me to learn, and in many ways it has been life changing. This year has been a difficult one, which included the passing of my father in January and other major struggles throughout the year. There have been many passages from God’s Word that have been instrumental in this year’s survival, but I would like to focus on just a few.

A song that ministered greatly to our spirits this year has been Dr. Benjie Harlan’s paraphrase of Psalm 139 entitled “Know My Heart,” which was recorded by the ministers of music of Louisiana. Out of the notes of this anthem came the assurance of God’s presence and His watchful eye. There were many times this past year when all I could do was listen and cry. Maybe the first lesson God was trying to teach me this year is God not only is aware of what I am going through, He is there, His Spirit lives in me.

Philippians has always ministered to us in so many ways. There really isn’t space to reprint everything God has taught us from Paul’s letter. Let's at least look at 4:4-9:
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Just a few points:
-Rejoicing is an act of the will, not emotions.
-There is a choice to respond in gentleness.
-There must be a constant awareness of the presence of God
-We must exchange our fears for gratitude and prayer
Then God’s peace guards our hearts.
-We must learn to direct our thoughts, choose to focus on
what is the real truth of the situation,
and focus on what is good.
-We can take encouragement from godly mentors.
Then God’s peace will be with us.

Another passage that has been helpful has been Psalm 73. Again, I won’t try to go through the entire psalm, but just focus on a few points. The psalmist is questioning why it seemed that good people suffer and evil people don’t. We don’t have to read far in any newspaper or other news source to be able to identify with the psalmist. Why doesn’t God just wipe these evil people out? [This is not the place to try to deal with the problem of suffering and evil. There are some wonderful resources, such as Ravi Zacharias and his apologetics ministry that I would encourage you to follow.] The basic issue is there are times when the things that are happening around you do not seem fair or seem consistent with the character of God. In those times we need to ask to see things from God’s perspective. The psalmist, confused over such problems, finally enters the temple to mediate on the nature and character of God and realizes that [1] God is still in control and [2] He will bring things to a final justice. His final conclusion is found in Psalm 73:28: “But as for me, God’s presence is all I need. I have made the sovereign Lord my shelter, as I declare all the things you have done.” [NET]

We begin and end with trust in God’s nature and character, His presence, His love, and the promise of His provision. So if I were to summarize what God has been trying to teach me this year it would be found in this statement: “Responding as He desires is more important to God than what I may be going through, for His desire is to make me holy, not happy.” Our true happiness can only be found in Him. God doesn’t leave us on our own, He is with us, He loves us. Remember the promise of Isaiah 43:2-3: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior”

When all else seems to fail, we need to go back to the truth that we know: God is love, God is in control, what may happen will be for His glory and my ultimate good.

Blinded Worship

2011-12-03T19:25:00.000-06:00

One of the projects I assign students a project to plan worship services in both contemporary and blended formats. Not long ago a student submitted one of these projects with a typo in the title: “Blinded Worship.” Of course the student intended to say, “Blended Worship,” but the error began to stick in my mind. How many times have we participated in a “blinded” worship service, that is, one in which no one knows where it is going, not even the one leading. No planning. No preparation, –just flying blind, throwing a bunch of songs together and seeing what happens. Things might end ok, but it was certainly not a result of the methodology of the leader of worship, rather the mercy and grace of God.

Blinded worship can come from more than just a lack of proper planning, it can be a result of the leaders being blind to what is going on around them. I was talking recently to a couple who were sharing about a particular disastrous worship service they had witnessed. The saddest part of the story was that one of the leaders was oblivious to the situation. Personally, one of the most difficult things for me to do on a Sunday is worship with all the other things that have to be done and coordinated just so everyone else can worship. This is not a complaint, just a reality. I have to really focus on worshiping. At the same time, I must be aware when things are deteriorating, I must know what to do to fix the situation before it causes problems for everyone. Blinded worship leaders never see it coming, don’t forsee the dangers and don’t plan ahead.

Blinded worship can come from more than just a lack of proper planning, or being blind to what is going on around them, it can also be a result of the leader being blind to his or her weaknesses. All of us must have quality personal time with God on a daily basis, but as leaders in worship we must constantly be trying to improve our technical skills as musicians, as well as our communication skills with others and in front of the congregation. A “blinded” worship leader is one who is blind to the need to keep growing in musical skills, and blind to learning how best to communicate effectively and concisely, so that the congregation doesn’t feel like they have stood through two or three mini-sermons before the pastor stands to speak. “Setting up” or introducing a song can quickly turn into something that sounds like a frustrated preacher wanting to get his opportunity to speak, rather than a preparation for the message of the song. I share with worship leaders “to look in the program and see if your name is down to preach the sermon, if it’s not there, then don’t.” A blinded leader is also one who refuses to admit personal issues. Many times this stems from a leader who is insecure on the inside, but outwardly portrays an attitude that they know how to handle everything. Unfortunately, this attitude prevents the person from being open to getting help they so desperately need.

One of the best solutions for these kinds of “blindness” is a spirit of honesty, humility and transparency as well as a trusted friend with whom you can confide, pray, and receive the feedback that is needed. I praise God for many pastors and friends God has sent my way through the years as well as a loving wife and children who helped so me some of my “blindness.” I pray that God will provide for this need for those that might be struggling with this now.

Discipleship and Worship

2011-11-08T20:07:00.000-06:00

Would it make a difference in our churches if, as part of the discipling of new believers, we invested a significant time in teaching a biblical understanding of worship?

This question has been front and center in my mind recently, and I find myself mulling over its implications. I realize that there are many really good materials already in existence designed to help new believers in their daily walk. Many of these actually incorporate some basics of worship as part of the material on how to have a daily devotional time with God. I praise the Lord for them, but what I am talking about is a little more in depth. We tell new believers, and even those who are well established in church life, that worship is important. We encourage them to worship daily and to participate in corporate worship, but do we tell them how to do it and show them what it looks like?

Once someone accepts Christ as Savior and Lord, we must bring them along side another believer to help them learn how to have a daily walk with the Lord, to learn how to begin to discover for themselves the riches of God’s Word and how to pray; to help them become part of a local body of believers and be nourished in fellowship and encouragement; to help them learn to discern how Satan beguiles us with temptations; to help them learn the importance of daily surrender of the will, surrender of goals, to seek His direction, to give and to realize that part of the mandate of a relationship with Christ is to carry the Gospel to every tongue in every land. We must teach them. We have to. Not to disciple a new believer is like having a baby and leaving it in the kitchen to learn to feed himself. We must do these things.

As part of these essentials of the faith, shouldn’t we include a biblical understanding of what worship is and is not? Shouldn’t we include how to prepare for worship, both personal and corporate? Shouldn’t we show them how and model worship for them?

What would happen if we did include such training? Is it possible that we could raise up a generation of believers that base their worship experience on an obedient response to God and not emotions? Is it possible that we could raise a generation that is not dependent on a specific style of music, because worship has been confused with what is being sung? Would it be possible to raise a generation of believers that does not confuse entertainment and worship?

I think the worship wars could have been avoided in part, entirely, if years ago a deep overall understanding of what worship is and is not had been taught. As I look back at many of the worship controversies in church history, many of them might even have been avoided. Biblical worship unifies and brings together. One of the reasons that Rehoboam placed the golden calves at either end of the newly divided kingdom was to keep the ten tribes from returning to Jerusalem to worship, because he feared that worship would reunite the people. The picture of worship in heaven is people from every tribe and nation [multicultural] and all ages [multigenerational] around the Lamb on His throne [one central focus]. Worship in the church should be much like the spokes on a wheel, different yet all connected to the hub; true unity in diversity.

Worship is too important to hope that somehow new Christians will learn what to do, or that it is enough to tell people that they need to do it. Including the practical aspects of worship as part of discipleship would help us develop a more holistic approach in training new believers and aid in the stopping the spiral of dissension and splitting that has been so pervasive in our past. I firmly believe that when we get both our heads and our hearts right about worship, we will see both the growth in outreach and growth in unity among the members.

His Yoke is Easy... But What About Ministry?

2011-11-05T20:26:00.000-05:00

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Look at Matthew 11:28 again from the Amplified version
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] 29Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. 30For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne."

Who of us in ministry cannot hear these words from Christ, longing for some rest. “Over scheduled, over committed, snowed under,” — these are but a few of the expressions that come out of our lips. Before we look into the specific applications of passage, let’s remind ourselves of the context.

In Matthew 10, Jesus summoned the 12 and gave them instructions before sending them out. As they were leaving, he addressed the crowd and told them about the John the Baptist and his ministry. He then denounced the cities that had rejected his message and prayed the well known prayer [11:25-27]:

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Then, to address those around him he then said: “Come to Me...” Notice what he had just said: “and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” For Jesus to say only those whom He chose could see the Father, and then say “Come to Me, all...” opened the door for everyone or “whoever will.” The door of salvation is open to those who hear the open invitation.

Jesus’ invitation is for all those burdened, weary, tired. [Know anyone that fits that description?] Jesus calls out to the worn out, but what is His promise? “I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.” What a promise!

After teaching all week, Wednesday evening choir practice, and playing catch up with around the house things on Saturday, Sunday starts at church early and ends late. Many times coming in from church means a time of collapsing in a recliner, and trying to get some other things done before going to bed. I know that I am not alone in such a schedule. Bivocational ministers, as well as those in full time positions often feel like they can only come up for air between activities. We need to come to Christ for rest, but how can we have it? We can’t just stop at that part of the verse, we must go on. Jesus makes a statement that seems out of place and it is the condition for finding rest: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

You might ask, “What does a yoke have to do with rest?” A yoke was made for work, but this is not just any yoke, it is His yoke. Scripture says His yoke is “easy,” or one that “fits perfectly, one that is “useful, good--not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant, and My burden is light and easy to be borne.” The yoke was placed on a beast of burden to plow and to pull heavy loads. Rightly placed, the strain of the load was evenly distributed and allowed more effective results. Putting on God’s yoke, His will done His way fits rightly, brings rest, or “relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet.”

What does that mean? It does not say that there would not be any work or that there would not be any burdens. Jesus calls us to take “His yoke” and to “learn from Him.” We can understand that “taking His yoke” is doing what He has called us to do. The qualification is that we do it as He would do: we must learn from Him, who in His nature is gentle, and humble, then we will find rest for our souls.

When we begin to take up His yoke, to do what He has called us to do and follow in obedience, our normal response is to barge on ahead and just do what needs to be done. It is easy to live in such a way that the goal justifies the means to achieve it. Jesus’ words seems to cut directly across such attitudes. For His example was to do the work as a servant [humble] and without complaining or being harsh [gentle].

As we respond in obedience to what God is calling us to do, we must learn to do it with a learner’s heart, gentle and humble, not complaining, etc. It is easy to see the negative, in fact, for some of us that becomes our focus. One way of refocusing our attention from the negative is to give thanks and consciously focus on what God has provided. We must ask God to help us respond in gentle and loving ways.

How can we say that His yoke is “easy?” A better translation simply means “fits perfectly.” As we are doing what God has called us to do, we will discover that it is not a burden, but a joy. We can actually feel energized rather than worn out. Eric Liddell, who became an English missionary to China, was also the central figure of the movie, “Chariots of Fire,” and won the gold medal in the Olympics for his running. He once told his sister, “God, has made me for China, but God also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure. ” When we are doing what God has called us to do, in His power, and in His character, we too can feel the pleasure of the Lord.

One of my greatest joys and privileges is to teach the worship classes at the seminary. I can be tired, and worn out, but when the opportunity to share the truths of God’s Word about worship, about Who He is and What He has done arises, I can honestly say that I can sense a new energy that I did not have before. Yes, it is the grace of the Lord and His power, but it is also the fact that it is his yoke that is fitting perfectly for that moment.

What are we to do? What does it look like?

1. We must go to Him. As we are serving God, it is easy to get so wrapped up in so many things that they become a burden. We get frustrated, upset. –“Here we are trying to serve God, and look how bad all this is...” In those moments of weariness, He is calling out to us to “Come to Him.”
2. We need to focus on Him, and not the negative things around us. Not to ignore problems, but refocus on giving thanks to God for what He has done.
3. We must ask God to remold our character after His, and respond as He would respond. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart”
4. We need to ask for the Spirit of God to help us, to accomplish what He has called us to do, and not take on what He has not. No one can do it all. We can get so involved that we cannot do anything well. Discerning what God want us to do also involves discerning what He does not want us to do. We need the help of His Spirit to avoid these problems. Sometimes we are worn out because we are doing good things, but not the best things, or those things for which He has called us.

Waiting on God

2011-10-30T15:38:00.000-05:00

Waiting on God is never an easy process. We live in a “I want it now” culture and a world where information is instantaneously available on our mobile phones. Whether it is waiting in line, or at a traffic light, our impatience readily reveals itself when we have to wait another 30 seconds. Another reality is that God is timeless. He spoke the universe into being from nothing and exists outside of the limitations of time and space. Through Jesus Christ, God broke through these limitations to reveal Himself and provide the means by which we can come to know and have a relationship with Him. Everything God does is complete, perfect, and right, for it is His very nature to do so. Scripture says that “in the fulness of time, God sent His Son...” that is, at the exact moment, not a day later or earlier, but at the perfect time. God is aware of our limitations, since He made us.

God works on a schedule and timetable much different than ours; – much different than ours. Which leads us to think at times that He is not aware of our situation. – After all, if He knows everything, why do we have to tell Him and ask Him about our needs in prayer? I make no claims to be able to understand how God works, or to have all the answers. In fact, the very reason that “waiting on God” is the subject of this blog is because I am struggling with it myself. Some much could be said, but let’s remember that God doesn’t want us to ask Him for our needs and tell Him about our condition because He is unaware. He does so that we might realize our continued need of Him, and to build His nature and character into us. (I realize much more need be said, but it will have to wait for another blog.)

One of the passages of Scripture that comes to me when I think about “waiting on God” is Isaiah 40:31: “but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” So I began to study that and related passages for help. (In the process, I did find an interesting article on the subject by J. Hampton Keathley III [http://bible.org/article/waiting-lord] that gave some great background on the biblical understanding of the word “wait” in the Old and New Testaments.) There are several words that are translated “wait,” but the idea in the Old Testament most often is “look patiently, wait, hope, expect, look eagerly, wait expectantly.” In the New Testament the word is most often used related to the return of our Lord. As I continued to study the passage, I looked for the context of Isaiah 40, the chapter of comfort, and focused on verses 27-31:

27 Why do you complain, Jacob? Why do you say, Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God”? 28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Notice that in verse 27 the people find themselves in trouble and begin to question not only “Does God know?” [My way is hidden from the LORD] but, “Does He even care about our circumstances?” [my cause is disregarded by my God]. When we are in distress we often think that God has forgotten us. We think that if God were watching out for me, why would I be going through this difficult period? Remember Mary’s question to Jesus about her brother Lazarus’ death: “Lord, if you had been here, he would not have died..” That is to say, “You didn’t come when I really needed you and now look what has happened!” The truth is that we are never out of His sight. Look at Psalm 139:

1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. 5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. 19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! 20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

After addressing their misconception about God, God reminds them “who” He is in verses 28-29: “28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” When in the midst of a difficult time it is easy to forget who God is. We need to go back and remember what the real truth is about God. Yahweh [LORD] is the relational God, the everlasting God, who has always been here and will always be, He is the Creator of the universe, and creates out of nothing, the All Powerful One who never gets tired. He understands and knows everything. He gives strength and provides for the needs of those who seek Him. Failure to seek and wait on God is saying that God is not sufficient for the problems we face.

Verses 30-31 reminds the people to remember who they are: “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope [wait] in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” The reality of human existence is that we get tired, we get old, we make mistakes. That isn’t a possibility; it is a fact. BUT, those that wait, hope, look eagerly, and wait expectantly in Yahweh, will renew their strength. They will continue to go on, sometimes like eagles, sometimes running, sometimes just walking, but always making progress. Not from their own strength, but from Him who creates out of nothing. That’s good, because we have nothing to really offer; we bring nothing to the table.

Look what the sons of Korah said in Psalm 42:1-5:“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. 5 Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” The word for “hope” here is the same as “wait.”

What can we do when we feel we just cannot go on? What can we do when we feel that God has forgotten that we exist? We “wait” on God. How? For starters go back over what Scripture teaches:

1. Go back to the truth of the situation: God knows me and loves me. Read Psalm 139 and John 3:16 out loud two or three times. Read them slow. Think about what God is saying.

2. Go back to the truth of Who God is. Name His attributes, His character qualities, His names. He is Creator of the universe, creates out of nothing, the All Powerful One, He never gets tired, He understands and knows everything. He give strength and provides for the needs of those who seek Him.

3. Go back to the truth of your own weakness. Only a fool would pretend that he or she never makes mistakes and never has problems, or never grows tired of the circumstances around them.

4. Go back to the truth of God’s promise to those that seek, hope, and wait on Him. The ability to persevere in difficult times is not dependent on us, but power of God’s Spirit in us. It is an act of faith, an act of the will, not emotions. Thank God for Who He is. Thank God for what He has done in the past. Praise God for His unchangeable nature and call out to Him presenting your needs and concerns, but in faith, asking for His perfect will. Believe God to act. Then, “look patiently, hope, expect, look eagerly, and wait expectantly.”

As we learn to wait on God, we grow in our relationship and faith in who God is and leave a heritage of testimonies of God’s faithfulness for those around us.

Worship Leaders: How to Help the Singer with “Stage Fright”

2011-10-21T20:24:00.000-05:00

Working with small music groups in ministry is a joy and a challenge. There is an immense amount of joy in being part of the spiritual growth and encouragement to believers as well as an instrument in sharing the message of the Gospel through music. At the same time, we realize that we are working with volunteers who might have some experience musically, but very few actually have professional musical training. One of the most common problems that I have found with these volunteers is the singer with stage fright, being shy or being overly nervous when he or she has to sing solo in front of a group. How can we help these who are involved in the ministry to overcome the anxiety that can hamper their ability to function effectively? Allow me to share five things that I have found to helpful and trust that they will be helpful to you as well.

1. Realize that our worth comes from what Christ has done in our lives, not from any abilities that we might have. We live in a performance based culture where human worth is based on how much talent one might have or how well one might perform. The value of the individual is equated with his output. One of the problems with this line of reasoning is that we become valuable only as long as we are useful or more useful than others. Such a pragmatic view sees those that have little talent, old, disabled, etc., as less than valuable and are a burden on society. They really have little, if any, real value.

When Christ comes into our lives, He gives us eternal life, forgiveness, and true worth based on His own nature and character. Our value comes from what He has done in and through our lives, and we are freed from cultural limitations and expectations that defines our worth. Whether I can sing as good as someone else, or play an instrument as well as someone else doesn't really matter; what really matters is who God says I am: a child of His. I no longer have to compare myself to others to see if I measure up, because my audience is God, Himself, and He has accepted me through His Son. We have no reason to fear not measuring up to the standards of someone because we have already been accepted through Christ Jesus.

2. Be well prepared. There are no substitutes for the hours of practice. Preparation includes many things: spiritual preparation, mental preparation, as well as the preparation that comes from hours of correct practice. Singers that are nervous because they don't know their music from lack of rehearsal have a reason to be nervous. However, adequate preparation can help alleviate those insecurities. Distractions can come at inopportune moments and the singer who is the least bit unprepared will forget words, etc.

One thing that I have found helpful is to have the person sing in front of a mirror. Although it may be uncomfortable at first for the singer, singing in front of a mirror is generally enough distraction to show how well they know the music and is good practice in how to deal with distractions as they come.

3. Sing small sections as a solo first. Before giving a big solo to an inexperienced singer, help them ease into a solo role by letting them sing a short solo as part of a group song. This can help build confidence burden of being responsible for an entire song.

4. When the singer is going to sing solo, especially for the first time, let them practice in the place where they will be singing, but with no one else around. Let them get used to the area and begin to feel comfortable being out in front and not just part of a group. This may take several rehearsals for them to really begin to relax.

5. Encourage, encourage, encourage! You will be helping and evaluating them during these practice sessions and it is better to find three things to compliment before you even mention one thing they need to correct.

A word of caution. If the Worship Leader cannot find anything to praise them on, then he or she is responsible in at least two ways: [1] they chose the person to do the solo in the first place and should have known better, and [2] they need more training in working with volunteers.

Dr. Frank Stovall, an outstanding voice teacher at Southwestern Seminary while I was a student there once said in class, “if you are teaching a student voice and cannot find anything on which to compliment the student, you have no business teaching voice.” I have never forgotten it. We as “teachers” may have issues of our own that need to be corrected, such as pride, or trying to prove to the person that we know more than they, etc., and need to be more sensitive to the needs of those with which God has called us to work. Look at the posture, their breathing, their enthusiasm, their attitude, etc., but find some things that they are doing and encourage them.

I trust that these suggestions will go a long way to help you when working with volunteer singers, and that God will be glorified in your work and ministry.