Worship Leaders

7. Humility

8. Vision

9. Love for Gods Church

Todays Key:

10. Love for Gods Word

Last but certainly not least and maybe the most important of the list.

Psalm 1:2 says “blessed is the man whose delight is the law of the Lord”.

Job 23:12 says “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

Jeremiah 15:16 says “Your word to me was the joy and rejoicing of my heart”

1 John 5:3 says “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome”

His commandments are not burdensome. As worship leaders we must know and have a love for His Word. We must be able to rightly divide the word of truth. It is in His word we find wisdom and understanding of how to lead those entrusted to us. Our team day to day and the congregation on Sunday. Unless we have heard from God we have nothing of value to give.

I’ll leave you with this thought from

Hans Ur von Balthasar:

Harassed by life, exhausted, we look about us for somewhere to be quiet, to be genuine, a place of refreshment. We yearn to restore our spirits in God, to simply let go in him and gain new strength to go on living.

But we fail to look for him where he is waiting for us, where he is to be found; in his Son, who is his Word.

Or else seek for God because there are a thousand things we want to ask him, and imagine that we cannot go on living unless they are answered. We inundate him with problems, with demands for information, for clues, for an easier path, forgetting that in his Word he has given us the solution to every problem and all the details we are capable of grasping in this life.

We fail to listen where God speaks; where God’s Word rang out in the world once for all, sufficient for all ages, inexhaustible. Or else we think that God’s Word has been heard on earth for so long that by now it is almost used up. That it is about time for some new word, as if we had the right to demand one. We fail to see that it is we ourselves who are used up and alienated, whereas the Word resounds with the same vitality and freshness as ever; it is just as near to us as it always was.

Hans Ur von Balthasar, Prayer. Trans. Graham Harrison (San Fancisco: Ignatius Press, 1986)

If we are going to be effective in ministry at any level, or in life, we must develop a love for Gods Word. They are the words of life where else can we go. In the busyness of life and ministry I exhort you to be unbalanced in the time you spend with Him.

Blessings

May

2009

10 Keys for effective worship leaders (9)

7. Humility

8. Vision

Todays Key:

9. Love for Gods Church

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says to Peter “I will build My Church”.

The Church is His. They are His people. We have been asked to steward it until He returns.

The Church is not a place for my self actualization, or primarily an outlet for my gift. I have stated many times as leaders we must recognize, call out, equip, and release people into the fullness of their calling and gifting.

However the Church is not a vehicle to be used by me.

Phillipians chapter two says Jesus divested Himself of any self interest and was obedient to the point of death on a cross “therefore” God placed Him. We must have the same attitude.In order to be placed in the fullness of our calling we must lay down our life for the Kingdom.

We must serve His people.

When we have a proper understanding of our position in the body and our responsibility to serve Gods people it brings perspective and gives us more patience knowing God has our best interest at heart. The desire in your heart was put there by God and He wants it for you more than you want it for you. Lay down your life for the kingdom and watch God do a miracle in the body and in you.

Blessings,

Number ten is here.

Apr

2009

10 keys for effective worship leaders (8)

7. Humility

Todays Key:

8. Vision

Vision is a word we throw around a lot. I always hear people quoting Proverbs 29:18, we have all heard the importance of vision, I just don’t hear much vision casting going on.

Vision is what you see, the end result of what your doing. It’s not a goal or an elevator speech. It can be very long and drawn out. It all depends on what you “see”. The best example I know of is the Hillsong vision, “The Church I See“. Don Cousins asks the question this way. “What will it look like when your done?”.

Every time we stand in front of our people we should be casting vision. What is your vision for the ministry entrusted to you? It needs to be big enough for people to come under and have their own vision flourish. (yes those entrusted to you have their own vision and yours needs to be big enough for theirs to fit into). What is your vision for the service this morning. What is your vision for the event were working on? What are you expecting God to do in this rehearsal?

Lets stop talking about vision and start casting it.

Blessings,

Number nine is here.

Apr

2009

10 keys for effective worship leaders (7)

Todays Key:

7. Humility

Humility is one of the words we have completely mis-defined in the church. Humility is an understanding of my complete reliance on God. John Bevere says real humility is often confused as arrogance. Because real humility is complete confidence in God.

A friend of mine forwarded a quote she heard on the radio. “If your disapointed in yourself it means you were relying on yourself”. We’ve already talked about excellence and preparation. If you have done those things then walking in true humility is easier.

What are your thoughts?

Number eight is here.

Apr

2009

10 Keys for effective worship leaders (6)

Todays Key:

6. A Lifestyle of Personal Worship

Your personal worship time is where it all begins. It is in these times God brings you into the fullness of your calling and speaks to you things too wonderful which you do not know.

Only when we go to the mountain do we have anything of real value to give to the congregation. We cannot take people to a place we have not been.

There are times when I have known exactly what God wants to say to His people. There are other times when He is silent and I have learned when this happens often He is saying “what do you have to offer me this wee”. Either way He is faithful and will meet me where I am and at the same time meet with His people. I am constantly amazed by Him.

Don’t ever allow busyness to take the place of personal worship.

Number seven is here.

Apr

2009

10 Keys for effective worship leaders (5)

Todays Key:

5. Excellence

This is a big one.

I often hear people saying things like “that’s good enough” or “It doesn’t have to be perfect”. We have to be very careful with that attitude. We must always remember we are representing the Kingdom and God always gives us His best. We should offer Him no less than our best.

Excellence does not mean perfection and means something different in every context. What is excellent for your church could be completely different at the church down the road.

It means representing the Kingdom as well as possible with what you have. Offering our best is an act of worship in itself. Everything we do should be well thought out, well prepared, so we will represent the God we serve in the best possible way.

This could go several different ways. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with this idea.

10 Keys for effective worship leaders (4)

Todays Key:

4. A Lifestyle of Obedience

What I’m talking about is obedience to God and His word.

In John 14:15 Jesus says if you love me you will keep my commandments. It’s a comment about fruit similar to saying if your healthy you will have a temperature of 98.6 degrees. John 14:15 is talking about obeying the the Word. those things that are known, written down.

In John 15:14 Jesus says you are my friends if you do whatever I command you. He is referring to hearing His voice. Do what I tell you to do.

If we are going to be effective in ministry of any kind we must have a lifestyle of obedience both to His Word and to His voice.

Blessings,

Number five is here.

Apr

2009

10 Keys for effective worship leaders (3)