Worship Training #1: Draw Others to Jesus
In order to lead worship effectively, we need to understand one of our most fundamental roles as worship leaders: to draw people to the glory and grace of God as seen in the person of Jesus so they can respond in worship.
Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
One of the biggest potential struggles a worship team might face is drawing more attention to themselves rather than drawing attention to God. To overcome this, you have to be intentional about drawing people to Jesus. Here are four things we need to understand.
Jesus Is The Focus
The book of Colossians makes it clear that Jesus is central in the course of human history as well as in our lives in a very personal way:
Colossians 1:15-17 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
Clearly, Jesus is to be glorified and exalted above all other names for his might, power, and majesty. Unfortunately, as imperfect humans, one of the deepest parts of our sinful nature is the natural inclination toward pride. If we’re not careful and intentional, leading worship can become about our own glory rather than God’s. John the baptist understood this very well. People were attempting to give honor and glory to John instead of Jesus, so John made it very clear that it wasn’t about him.
John 3:30 He must become greater and greater and I must become less and less.
This is the attitude every worship leader must adopt. Every time we make it about ourselves, we take the attention off of God and put it on ourselves. It is wise to be vigilant with your teams and in your personal life to make sure you guard your heart against pride and give the glory to God because he alone is worthy of worship and nothing else deserves that praise. Therefore, one of the primary roles of worship leading is to get the attention off of ourselves as quickly as possible and onto God, for he alone is worthy of all worship!
It’s also important to note that pride prevents us from doing what we are meant to do on this earth: enjoy relationship with God, glorify him, and lead others into that same relationship. We desire to build up the body of believers but to also reach those who do not yet have a relationship with God by drawing them to the person of Jesus and showing them what he has accomplished through the work of the cross. By focusing on the person of Jesus and showing God’s love to the world through his life and death, we can help as many people as possible to pursue God.
Worship Is A Response To God
Isaiah 25:1 O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.
When people encounter the truth of who God really is and what he is like through seeing the person of Jesus, it evokes a desire from deep within to worship him. Our goal as worship leaders is to see people respond with all of who they are in worship. Once again, one of the primary ways we do this is to get the attention off of ourselves as quickly as possible and onto God. As worship team members, we must encourage people to respond to God’s truth with all of their being (Deut. 6:5).
God has done and will continue to do many great things in and through our lives. Our response to God should always be to give him the honor and praise he deserves. When we see God for who he is, we can’t help but respond in heartfelt worship with all of our lives.
Cultivate A Welcoming Environment
Cultivating a welcoming environment is a critical component of drawing people to Jesus and helping them to pursue God. There are many ways to do this, but the first and most important component to cultivating a welcoming environment is showing people God’s love.
John 13:35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.
Aside from modeling to others what it looks like to love one another, one of the most loving things we can do for others is to put our agendas and preferences aside for the sake of drawing them to Jesus and the cross. The cross is the place where visitors can most readily see the grace and love of God. In doing so, it is imperative to create a welcoming space where people can pursue God without distractions or feeling singled out. We want people to have their view of God unclouded by confusing and oftentimes unattractive elements of Christian culture that Christians oftentimes don’t stop twice to think about. In other words, it can become more about the members of a church than those who don’t know Jesus. This is not what God desires!
Our worship services are a great opportunity to reach guests who very likely do not know God yet, so we need to make sure we’re making the most of the opportunity, being gracious and likable in our interactions with them. A good way to gauge how you are coming across as a leader on stage is to put yourself in a visitor’s shoes, and ask the question: “how would I see this if I were a visitor”? As you do this, remind yourself to make lasting positive impact upon them by being aware of your countenance and reflecting joy as you serve God through being on a worship team. You are in one of the most visible roles of leadership at your church. As you do these things, remember Paul’s words of encouragement when creating an environment that will be encouraging to others:
Colossians 4:4-6 Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.
Minimize Potential Confusion
As you put yourself in the shoes of a guest and look for ways to show them God’s love, another important thing you can do is to avoid elements that might cause confusion in their pursuit of God.
1 Corinthians 14:9 If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into empty space.
Paul goes on to encourage the church to refrain from activities that will be confusing to the seeker, and to do everything in order and with self-control. Sometimes what is normal for Christians can appear very abnormal for a guest. For a worship leader, avoiding confusing service elements might mean avoiding being overly expressive or emotional in worship, forcing the congregation to interact in certain ways, or making the congregation feel bad if they don’t participate.
All these things can be discouraging to a guest, let alone the regular church attender. Remember, as Jesus said, the things of the spirit will have the expression of an easy yoke and a light burden. Therefore, we don’t want to impose any sort of man-made expectations on others based on our own preferences in worship but rather, demonstrate the same attitude that God has toward us: grace, acceptance, patience, and love. If our services are unintelligible, confusing, strange, or needlessly offensive, then guests are missing out on seeing the love of God because of all the distractions around them. Sadly, this could cloud their vision of who Jesus is and his desire to lead them into a relationship with the Father.
In order to help others pursue God to the maximum extent, we should do everything we can to make sure our worship services are responding to the truth of who God is, drawing people to Jesus — not ourselves, and making everything as understandable as possible to those investigating God. In doing so, we are actively embracing the role of what it means to be a diligent, effective, and fruitful worship leader.
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- Why should Jesus be the central focus in worship? Do you agree with this concept?
- Read John 4:23-24. Where do we discover truth about God? Why is truth so important when it comes to worship? Why is worship the right response when we see the truth about God?
- In one or two sentences, how would you define worship? What have been the primary sources that have shaped your understanding of worship?
- Read Hebrews 12:1-2. What are some of the “weights” that can slow us down when it comes to worshipping God on stage? What about off stage?
- How is being a part of a worship team potentially dangerous for our pride? How can we practically guard against pride and keep the attention on Jesus?
- How can you practically show love to those in your church body by being part of a worship team?
- How does love motivate us as believers to see things from someone else’s perspective in order to help them encounter God?
- After reading this, what are some things you are now aware of in a service which might be awkward to a visitor that you might not have thought of before?
- What positive changes can you make in leading on the worship teams so that guests feel welcomed and not alienated in the service?
- Read Colossians 4:5-6. Describe what does it mean to act wisely toward outsiders?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
Worship Training #2: Be An Authentic Worshipper
It’s not enough to simply sing songs and hope people sing along. We must worship authentically. We live by the encouragement found in John 4:24 to worship God in spirit and truth — to worship God out of a response of who he is and engaging in that truth from the core of who we are. In other words, we need God’s truth to get down deep into us so we can respond appropriately: passionately authentic worship.
Psalm 51:6 Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.
While there are many things that can help develop authenticity in a person’s life, here are three key things we can focus on that will help us greatly in the journey.
Develop A Worshipper’s Heart
We can’t lead others where we haven’t first gone. If we’re going to engage people in a whole-life response of worship to the truth about God, we have to both experience and model that worship in our lives first. This worship begins with recognizing our brokenness apart from God’s grace and receiving His gift of salvation and responding in gratitude.
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
This gratitude can often take the form of times of personal worship throughout the week where we connect in meaningful ways with God. This might look like times of musical worship on our own by listening to a worship cd, playing an instrument as we worship God through music, spending time in prayer, reading the Bible, or journaling to God.
These are some ways to cultivate personal devotion and worship throughout the week and keep our hearts focused on God.If we as worship leaders are not fully engaged in genuine worship in and through our own lives, however, then the people we’re leading will not likely be either. As a worship leader, it’s especially important that we are actively seeking to throw every distraction aside and fix our eyes on Jesus. This takes place everywhere we go, both in our own time of worship to God and also in public. Therefore, worship occurs in two primary places: on the stage and off the stage.
Worship On And Off The Stage
We can’t lead others where we haven’t first gone. If we’re going to engage people in a whole-life response of worship to the truth of who God is, we have to model that worship in our own life. If we as worship leaders are not fully-engaged in genuine worship, then the people we’re leading will likely not be either. When leading worship at church, we should work at playing the music to the best of our ability, but music shouldn’t be our only focus; God should be. It is just as important to worship God while we are off the stage, too. As a worship team member, we hold a great deal of influence in our church. Remember to live with integrity, understanding that worshipping Christ is much more than just singing in a church service, it is a whole life response. This includes how we conduct ourselves at home, at work, at the grocery store, with our neighbors, etc. God calls us to be holy and live lives that honor Him because He is holy.
Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
As we focus on worshipping God through our whole life and not just when we get up to lead musical worship for a service, our obedience to God and our focus on him in our daily lives will contribute to an undeniable passion for Him. This passion is essential to leading others well on stage as well as off stage. It communicates to others that there is something profoundly different and real about having a relationship with God that changes people’s lives. God is worth passionate pursuit in worship.
When we’re leading worship at church, we need to work at playing the music to the best of our ability, but music shouldn’t be our primary focus; God should be. We should actively seek to fix your eyes and worship Him while on stage but it is just as important (or more) to worship God while you are off the stage. As a worship team member, we hold a great deal of influence on your church. It is for this reason that we should live with integrity, understanding that worshipping Christ is more than just about singing in a church service. It is a whole life response.
Cultivate Joy And Passion
Joy is a natural response in our relationship with God. If we are not joyful, it’s a clear sign that our focus is on ourselves or other things rather than God. This creates problems for us in life as well as in leading others in worship, for we worship whatever we focus on. Let’s be worshippers who are full of joy because of our connectedness to God. Of course, challenging seasons will come, but that is the beauty of joy: it is not dependent on circumstances. As we seek to make the most of every opportunity in leading worship, we will greatly impact others lives for eternity. What a great responsibility and privilege!
Philippians 4:4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!
Along with joy, passion is the other thing that really stands out to others but even at that, we don’t do it to put on a show or to impress people. Again, passion is our heartfelt response to who God is and is a natural byproduct of thankfulness for what God has done for us on the cross. As we passionately pursue God through musical worship, we model to people and help them see the main point of why we worship in the first place: to love and honor God with all that we are and with all of our lives. This is such an important aspect of the christian life to communicate because it is really the point of our existence!
Our worship services are a great opportunity to reach guests who very likely do not know God yet, so we need to make sure we’re making the most of the opportunity to show them the passion we have for God and the joy a relationship with him brings. The same is true in our everyday lives with those we come into contact with throughout our days. What is the extent of the impact you will have on others for eternity? The choice is yours! Hopefully you will take the invitation to partner with God in the amazing work of building his kingdom by maximizing every opportunity you have with others to the maximum extent possible.
Maximize Every Opportunity
As we reflect on all God has done for us in gratitude, we won’t be able to help but share this love and good news with others. In fact, this is one great way we can worship God with our lives — sharing God’s love with others and telling them about Jesus and His work on the cross for them.
The reality is that In this life we only have a limited amount of opportunities to make a positive influence on those around us before our time on this earth is up. This is especially true of us being on the worship team since we are in such a visible role of leadership. How we present ourselves on stage as well as off stage is such an important responsibility to positively represent the God we serve. We have an amazing opportunity to plant seeds of life, truth, hope, and faith in those we lead by being in tune with God’s spirit and leading others in worship.
Practically, we can do this with our words, smiles and body language — essentially our demeanor. Through these things we help create an atmosphere of joy, faith, and hope in worship as we pursue God with others.
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What does authenticity mean to you? How does this relate to being on a worship team?
- In your own words, describe what a worshipper’s heart looks like.
- How might you grow in developing a worshipper’s heart?
- Do you carve out time in your week to spend “leading yourself in worship?” Why or why not?
- What is the most important thing God looks at when we worship him? Why?
- What are some ways we can practically lead on and off the stage?
- What are some things you can do to maximize your positive influence on others while serving on a worship team?
- Read Philippians 4:4. Why is it important to convey joy? How do you convey joy when you aren’t feeling joyful?
- What do you think contributes to passion in your life and walk with God? Why is passion an important part of the Christian life as well as being a worship leader?
- Do you live every day with eternity in mind or mostly focused on the here and now? After going through this training, what, if anything, would you like to change about your eternal focus?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
Worship Training #3: Maximize Your Gift
If we are on or helping lead a worship team, in part it’s because we have some musical ability and skill. But, while we already have some level of competency, it’s important to always seek to maximize our ability for the glory of God.
Luke 12:48 … When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
As a worship team member, it is important to always be growing in our gifts both spiritually and musically. There will be times when we are tempted to grow stagnant and plateau as a musician. If we have musical ability, that is a gift God has given to us and we should seek to use it well so He can receive the glory. The good news is that we are only responsible for the potential that we have! We do not need to compare that to anyone else and can do the best we can with what we have been give to honor God with it.
Here are a few practical ways we can maximize the gifts we have been given:
Our Gifts Are From God
First and foremost we need to understand that God has gifted each of us with our abilities. He is the giver of everything and nothing comes from ourselves. We are caretakers and managers of all His creation, and this includes our musical talents.
1 Peter 4:10-11 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.…Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen
Each person on a worship team has been given a unique gift, and we have the opportunity to use our gifts to benefit those on our teams, as well as those in the congregation. God is very clear that He wants us to be selfless in how we use our gifts. In other words, we were blessed with our gifts in order to be a blessing. We have been gifted by God for his glory, and He wants us to use these gifts to glorify Him. If we recognize our talent is from God and use it to benefit others, we are using our gifts well.
God’s Gifts Need To Be Strengthened
Though God gave us this talent, we should always look for ways to improve it. In Matthew 25, Jesus told a story about three servants who were given different amounts money by their master to keep while he was gone. The first servant was given five bags of silver and he doubled it to ten through investments and hard work. The second servant was given two bags of silver, and doubled it to four bags through work. The last servant was given one bag of silver, and he went and buried it in the ground, for fear that he would lose the money. When the master returned he was very pleased with the two servants who had worked hard to get more, but with the other servant, he was very disappointed. The last servant had put no effort into growing the amount he was given. In this parable, God is the Master, and we are the servants.
God wants us to put effort into the talents he has given us. Three ways we can strengthen our talents are by committing to regular practice, setting achievable goals, and helping others learn. We should be realistic about how much time we can put into practicing, use healthy goals like the ones above to improve. While this might seem obvious, this can bring out the most practical growth in our talents. How much practice we need will depend on our individual experience and skill level, but everyone needs to practice. As we continue to strengthen our gifts and make this a habit, it will lead to excellence not only in this area of our lives but in other areas as well.
God’s Gifts Should Be Enjoyed
Not only does God want us to recognize our gift is from Him and use it to bless others and build his kingdom and to continue to strengthen it, but He also wants us to enjoy the gifts He has given us. In the book of ecclesiastes, King Solomon, the wisest man to ever have lived believed this.
Ecclesiastes 5:18 Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life.
The level to which we enjoy not only our gifts but our life in general reflects how we view God. Do we see him as a good God who has good things in store for us or as a harsh task master who demands everything of us and gives nothing in return? The answer to the question actually determines everything in your life and how you live on a daily basis.
This is similar to the parable of the talents. The servant with one talent saw his master as a hard man who was unforgiving and merciless. . In the end, he was rebuked and commanded to leave the master’s presence because his inaction in life reflected an inaccurate understanding of his master.’s character. If he had seen that the master had actually given him something good to invest in and benefit from not only in his own life but also in the lives of those around him (blessed to be a blessing), then he would have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to use his talent (gift) to the greatest extent possible.
When we enjoy what God has given us, realizing it all comes from Him, it gives him great joy because we are living out the plan He has for our lives in the way he created us to live. What a great fit it is when we are doing what God created us to do!
Maintain An Attitude Of Humility
As we enjoy our gifts and grow in our talents, we should remember we will constantly need to be on guard against pride. As we grow as a leader, it could be easy to think we’ve got it all figured out and don’t need any correction. This is a very dangerous attitude and can lead to serious problems if not taken care of quickly.
Luke 18:14 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
A big part of displaying humility is receiving constructive criticism. We should never think that we’re above correction or criticism. Now, this may be one of the hardest things for us to do. Often when someone gives us instruction we can feel defensive and want to turn the correction back onto them, but we should always be open to ways we can improve. One way we can welcome constructive criticism is to have an open line of communication on our teams between all team members as well as other church leaders. This displays humility and a willingness to learn. We will be doing ourselves and those around us a huge favor by taking this approach.
As we seek to maximize our gifts in this life, we are not only embarking on the adventure of being who God created us to be and doing what God has created us to do; we are also helping build God’s kingdom in the way that He wants to build it. As we use our gifts, we are building up the body of Christ in an amazing way and having an eternal impact on the world around us. This is a huge privilege and responsibility! Let’s be like the faithful servants in Matthew 25, constantly cultivating the talents entrusted to us, all for God’s glory.
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What gifts do you feel like God has gifted you with? How can you use your gifts for God’s glory?
- Read Matthew 25:14-30. How does this passage relate to serving on a worship team?
- What does it mean to have a servant’s heart? How can having a servant’s heart help you on a worship team?
- Describe something you have worked hard at to improve. Has it been worth the work?
- Why is it important to put forth your full effort on a worship team?
- Read 1 Corinthians 12:7. In what ways can you help others grow on your worship team?
- How does our view of God determine how we invest in our gift?
- Do you believe God wants you to enjoy the gifts and abilities he’s given you? Why or why not?
- What does it mean to be teachable? What is your response to someone when they offer you help/correction?
- What are a few practical ways you can cultivate humility in your own life?
- How might using your unique gifts for God’s glory help build God’s kingdom?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
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