3. God commands us to worship. Worship is not an optional activity for the believer. The Bible is filled with scripture commanding us to worship. “Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water.” Exodus 23:25 “All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.” Psalm 86:9
4. Worship involves surrendering your entire life to God. “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.” Romans 12:1-2
Here are 13 things you should think about when leading worship. Leading worship, for me, starts when I leave my house and ends when I get in my car to come home.
1. Think About Magnifying God
Avoid substituting Worshipping God for Worshipping Art forms and performance by remembering the foundational principles of worship. Worship is about God not us! This will eliminate self-promotion. “O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.” Psalm 34:3 “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3
2. Think About Others
The second part of the Great Commandment is to love your neighbor. It is so important to have love for others on your mind as you lead worship. Consider these verses: “So let us then definitely aim for and eagerly pursue what makes for harmony and for mutual up building (edification and development) of one another.” Romans 14:9 “Let all things be done for building up.” 1 Cor. 14:26b “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” 1 Th. 5:11 “We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up” Romans 15 “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 1 Cor. 9:22
3. Think About Recruiting
Watch the crowd … look for musicians. Greet your congregation before and after the service. One of the primary roles for the worship leader is to be the Manager of God’s Musical (Artistic) resources in the church and give opportunity for others to use their gifts in worship! Romans 12:6 says, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.” Rather than asking people to come and help me do my thing using phrases like: “Oh please help us.” Or “We need help.” I offer opportunities for people to use their gifts for God. Most of the time, people are interested in opportunities that benefit them personally. There is NOTHING more fulfilling than using your gifts for the glory of God.
4. Think About Excellence
Always give your best … physically, spiritually and musically. When we are well prepared we are more available to people and not tied to the “score.” Plan for excellence. You cannot be better than your material so choose service elements wisely and program them well.
I think about excellence but I don’t worship it. Excellence is a good value but not the goal of a worship service. Connection is the goal! The Bible is filled with verses about giving your best. Romans 12:8 says it like this: “If we are leaders we should do our best.”
5. Think About Thanksgiving, Praise and Joy
Worship needs to be enthusiastic. Enthusiasm has nothing to do with volume preference. All hymns were not written to be sung slowly and certainly none without passion. Tempo and dynamics are often thought of as synonymous … but they are not. Further, a slow song does not have to be void of energy. For that matter fast songs don’t have to be loud. The point is that every song used in Christian worship should be presented from a heart of thanksgiving, praise and joy. “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!” Psalm 97:12 “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God.” Isa. 61:10
6. Think About the Holy Spirit Leading
“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty—you will succeed because of My Spirit, though you are few and weak.” —Zechariah 4:6 TLB
Listen to the voice of God while leading worship. The Holy Spirit is the BEST worship leader.
Moses and Aaron relied on the leading of God for their ministry. God said to Moses, “Talk to him (Aaron), and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do.” Exodus 4:15 And Jesus said: “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” John 4:23
