TO WORSHIP YOU I LIVE

Worshipping Jesus

As a musician, singer and worship leader I presume that the main focus expected from me is “sung worship” but I feel it’s important to start by referencing this scripture.

Romans 12:1 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship”.

Sung worship should be an outpouring from a life fully given over to the Lord, full of gratitude, awe and expectation, even if the song choice or band style isn’t to our taste.

Many of you will have heard me say that our times of sung worship should be inspired by the knowledge that we have the awesome privilege of ministering to the Lord!!

Acts 13:2 says "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Many translations replace ministered, with worshipped, as this is almost certainly what they were doing. I prefer the more literal translation ‘ministered’ or ‘served’, which reveals that far from just singing a few songs, there was an understanding that their sung worship ministered to God. He’s involved, it’s a two-way intimate exchange, which in the case of Acts 13:2 resulted in prophetic direction!

“Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

We also see in Psalm 100 how our worship serves (ministers) the Lord.

"Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God;It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves."

Again, we are encouraged to serve the Lord with gladness, which in context relates to Thanksgiving, praise and worship.

The last line feels appropriate at this moment in our society. It’s important that our approach to worshipping the Lord is on His terms and focused on serving and blessing Him. We will of course be blessed in return, but I do wish there were more songs that are what I call revelation songs, were we sing to God directly and proclaim He’s worthy, Holy, great, wonderful and everything else that He is and has done.

There have been a few recently and I find that encouraging!

Corporate worship times can be so powerful

An Evening That Changed Everything

About 13 years ago myself and my wife Sue set out for a meeting on the other side of England in the city of Hull! It was a meeting hosted by Jarrod Coopers stream of churches and featured an evangelist, Nathan Morris. We had heard of good things happening in Hull and went with expectation; however, we had no idea of what was about to happen.

The meeting began as expected with a time of sung worship, it was great and followed the usual band focused and vocal led singing of songs including occasional spontaneous singing from the stage. There was definitely a sense of God’s presence and many of the band in particular were kneeling or prostrate on the floor.

As the sung worship time drew to a close, the only musicians left playing were a keyboard player and violinist (Ben who I recently played with at Momentum) and they were dutifully helping the ‘transition’ as Nathan Morris was introduced.

Time for the healing ministry to start then? I was surprised that as Nathan arrived on stage, he encouraged the congregation to continue worshipping. With the piano and violin accompaniment, but no vocal leadership at all, the room began to fill with singing. Now I’ve been in many meetings where the room has sung in the Spirit, but this was different!

For a start it went on and on and on, but not in a continuous way but rather like waves round the room of singing, applause, laughter and sounds I don’t even know how to describe. I felt like I was going to burst and didn’t care. I was convinced if I opened my eyes, I’d see angels all around!

I changed that day, certain things began which have continued to this day and my hunger for a deeper understanding of sung worship began.

It reminded me of an article I’d read when I was first baptised in the Spirit written by a leader in the late 1970’s/early 1980’s, who’d been involved in bible meetings (conferences) were similar things had happened. I remember it because he had made a statement that shook me at the time.

“Worship leaders should help lead a congregation into the presence of God and then step back!!”

Maybe that’s extreme but there are times when Holy Spirit just wants the room.

Unity Makes A Difference

In 2 Chronicles 5, as Israel is dedicating the temple they begin to worship in unison, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple!

I’m sure there will have been the odd person on that Hull evening that left wondering what on earth they’d come to and finding it not to their taste, but for the vast majority of us it was an evening of encounter, which I feel certain ministered to the Lord as He ministered to us.

And that, I believe, played a part in the glory of the Lord filling the temple.

There is a corporate anointing!

As Psalm 133 says How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.

Unfortunately, this also is true for disunity or apathy. We have a choice to add our voice in unity or not! One will encourage heaven the other quench it!  Even if we don’t realise it, we make a difference!

Kneeling before the Lord in prayer

I know there are times when circumstances make it difficult to add our voice in unity. I know something of that myself recently, but I’m intrigued by Peter when he’s been asked to pray for Tabitha

who has died in Acts 9

But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.”

If he turned to the body to raise Tabitha he must have had his back to her during the prayer time. I like to think that Peter deliberately focused on the answer with his back to the problem. I think Peter wanted to hear from heaven before facing the problem, and then when he did, all that’s required is “Tabitha, arise.” 

I’ve had a number of occasions when I’ve brought a ‘sacrifice of praise’ to the Lord, despite difficult circumstances and found real breakthrough as I’ve focused on the answer, Jesus.

For His Pleasure

Revelation 4:11. "The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sits on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are, and were created." 

Finally, can I encourage you to remember that we were created for His pleasure and our sung worship is a privilege which serves Him and somehow to ministers to Him, the God of Love who desires to have relationship! I love that in Revelation 4 there is emphasis on “for Thy pleasure they are” present tense “and were created” past tense.

He still has pleasure in us and our worship!!

God Bless

Steve Brooke