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May my words exhort and encourage you as we seek a deeper level of communion with the Lord. The heart that recognizes and wholly honours the Living God is extremely precious and sought after by the Father. Every part of our life is able to reflect our heart, whether it be one of faith and praise to the Lord, one of fear and doubt, one that is hungry to grow, teachable and eager to learn and to know the Lord, eager to be changed by Him, a heart that is generous in its capacity to give, one that is also willing to receive. May we choose to live lives that daily give Him glory.
Music is one of the most amazing emotional and physical vehicles that we have on this earth. True worship leaders are like diamonds extremely rare and those who have submitted their talents and wills to the Lord for His glory are like well cut diamonds of great worth. They are crafted in the Masters hands for His glory alone.
I have an extreme conviction in my spirit about the heart of worship Leaders. They either lead people to uplift the Lord in the midst of the Congregation through the confession of love and faith, through songs of worship, or they are thieves and deceivers stealing this glory from the Lord. The position to lead others into this presence of the Lord is not to be taken lightly. The responsibility is weighty before God. Many covet and gain position without confirming that the appointment was God given.
We as humans know exactly what we like that suits our flesh nature. Pride becomes the greatest stumbling block. But consider this. The chief musician who was cast out of heaven to this earth that we live on was Lucifer. He is expert at sound and emotional manipulation and programming through music on this Earth. His authority was stripped from him by our King through the cross, and though satan masterfully deceives and exploits multitudes he has no dominion over you as you present yourself a living sacrifice, and offering of worship to the Lord of All.
Never be confused. Jesus is Lord of all.
Jesus is the New sound of Music, which very few people can hear because there flesh is caught up in the midst of the new generation sound of worship. God warned that there would be those who would “honor Me with their lips..But their hearts are far from Me.” (ref. )
Jesus revealed “that the Father seeks those who will worship him in spirit and in truth.”
(ref. )
Emotionalism and legalism, bad doctrine, spiritual immaturity, have become hallmarks of this brand of worship. The modern worshipper vibrates to a different drum.
True worship is birthed through the heart of an individual that is repentant of sin, dependent upon the Lord and incredibly thankful one who is determined to change for the glory of the Lord. When this kind of heart is heard through an instrument or a microphone then the Lord Himself gains access to His people in a greater way. This is after all, the entire purpose for the worship leader. Worship is that amazing place of intimacy and exchange.
There are no pop stars in heaven; there are servants to the Most High God Our Heavenly Father. Contrary to current trend and popular belief talent or skill is not the first criteria for selection as a leader of worship. Remember, it is man that looks on the outward, but God looks on the heart.
I exhort you to study the lives of William and Catherine Booth, Finney and John G. Lake and even Charles Parnham and there are many more who were extreme pioneers of the faith in generations past who come from many nations. Their testimonies inspire you to walk more closely to the Lord and to be more yielded to Him. They developed fully committed hearts.
These saints were forged through fire and faithfulness desiring only to up lift the name of the Lord in the hearts of the lost. The songs that were written and sung then were birthed through trials that tested their faith and proved the faithfulness of a loving God to their hearts. Rarely was a song sung that would focus upon the human condition apart from the saving work of Calvary. The worship and magnification of the Lord was paramount to building faith, sustaining hope, focussing the heart, and working consecration. “I must have Jesus!” was the cry of the hungry heart. Vanity gave way to humility and adoration of the King of Glory.
To keep ourselves honest and vessels of honour we must always consider the words we sing in worship. The Lord has told us that we will give an account of every idle word spoken. What we sing and apply our faith to has powerful results to lead and influence others so we must make sure that our hearts are established in the Word of God and we are in agreement with His Holy Spirit when we open our mouths.
Sadly, I have been to all too many churches influenced by worship leaders who lead them to sing songs that are actually in opposition to the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The latest sound and image and look has taken precedence over nurturing hearts that can carry His presence and welcome His glory and hear His voice. This is to our shame Church. Even the Gospel from the so called ‘modern’ church is watered down.
Sin is Sin. There is no ‘I’ factor in worship. It is either all for Jesus or all for satan. “We cannot serve two masters.” Jesus said (ref. ).The result of this influence is a destabilising of the spiritual life. The pathway to intimacy with Christ as a body of believers gets clouded over and restricted. It is dangerous to remove the standards set in the word or to blur the boundaries. People are then more easily led into bondage. Worship is a unique time where the Lord has access to free souls from weights and bondages. Shouldn’t we then allow the Lord who is Lord access to do as He wills? I believe the Lord is calling us back to that wonderful place where our hearts are once again enthralled with Him, our eyes opened lives consecrated, souls yielded, and joy full!
Worship Leaders can only lead people to the Lord in the measure they have determined to surrender to him. It is vital to guard and to check your motivation. Are you yielded to the will of the Lord..is your desire to give Him the reins or is there a measure of need in you that desires the attention the power the accolades the control? In what measure am I surrendered today? This must be the compass question before you open your mouth of take your instrument in hand. This requires discipline and sensitivity and a dying to ‘self’ so that the Lord’s grace is what you rely upon, and the results will be as the Lord determines. Because ‘self’ is allowed to rule the will, few worship leaders take you past the door step into the inner sanctuary. Do not allow yourself to be named among them. Talent does not equal maturity and the Gifts of the Spirit being in operation do not equal strong character in the life. Consider the Church of Corinth in the scriptures. They lacked in no spiritual gift, yet morality and holiness were hard to find. It is absolutely imperative as leaders, as believers who honour the Lord, to grow up! We must grow up spiritually and in the knowledge of the Lord. As leaders of worship we must never allow pride to convince us that we are expert or that we have arrived. On the contrary, the more that we know Him, the more that he reveals to our hearts that there is so very much more to know. This place of humility and awe is the counter weight for our conscience. Stir up your hunger for the Lord. Allow Him to continue His deep work in your life and let the songs flow from the revelation that He brings to you from the midst of this fire. He is with us to lead us. His own Holy Spirit is our teacher and He shall correct us if there be any of us at any time do err.
Let’s keep our hearts soft easily pricked, staying alert that the enemy of the cross and of Our king take no place and gain no advantage over us, thereby stumbling many. The very gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church built upon the rock of the revelation of Jesus the Christ!
I trust this has encouraged and challenged you to be excellent. May the Lord Jesus be glorified in and through your life!
It is time for us to enter in to the abundant life that He has purchased by His blood.