The Weight of Worship Leading Pt. 2

Carrying the Weight of a Worship Leader

The Role of a Worship Leader

-Part 2-

What is the role of a Worship Leader?

Judging by the two words "worship" and leader", the title itself speaks to your duty and role. Primarily, a worship leader is responsible for leading God's people into worship. They are expected to direct a body of gathered believers into the throne of God, by navigating the people from the outskirts of God’s presence into the inner courts of God’s glory! Every time you come to the front line to operate as a Worship Leader, your task is to invoke people into a true encounter with God. As a worship leader, you must command (control) atmospheres; even those atmospheres that seem impossible to break through. When it seems 

The worship moment is predicated on our sensitivity to the voice of God, our skillfulness, and our preparation. In a corporate worship setting, whenever the worship leader fails to gain access to God’s presence, it results in a missed God-moment. The consequence of a missed God-moment means that God's agenda for the worship gathering won't be accomplished or He has to use someone else to do what the worship leader failed to do. Do you see how vital it is for you, as a worship leader, to know your role and to execute the duties thereof without fail?  You are the spiritual GPS system that God uses to navigate His people into His presence. You are who God expects to set the stage for a performance by Him. The liability is on you. Not anyone else.

A considerable portion of worship leaders today have gotten to the place that they blame everyone but themselves. They will blame everyone, and in some instances, everything--- the band, the sound, the sound technicians, the media staff, the microphones, and the like. In fact, some worship leaders will boldly play the blame game while “leading worship”. Have you ever been in a worship setting where the person leading would say things like: “I’m trying to take us there but ya’ll ain’t trying to go...”, “You could have stayed home if you were just going to come and sit on God”? Some will even go so far as to scold their praise team/band members, whilst the worship experience is in progress, just to make it appear as if they are the hindrance.

You MUST Navigate!

To be very frank about the matter: the only person to be blamed, is the one who has been given charge over the worship encounter. Again, as the authoritative figure of the worship, it is your duty to navigate! Worship Leader, you have been given the authority from God (and your pastor) to situate the atmosphere in a way that God’s agenda can be fulfilled. If God desires to release the anointing of healing into the atmosphere, you as the worship leader must make the atmosphere conducive to receive that anointing. Sometimes, while you’re in the act of leading worship, you will find yourself warring in the spirit. When this happens, don’t resort to negative speech. Instead, begin to intercede and gracefully release the Word of God into the atmosphere, or pray in the spirit until something shifts. When you are given an assignment, you are also given the anointing to operate within that assignment. Use what you have been given!

Worship Leaders: Cease from the tendency to find fault in everyone and everything. Be accountable to your assignment. You are the one whom God has selected to lead. He's given you the authority and the anointing needed for your assignment! If you fail at navigating, own it. After all, it’s rightfully yours to own. If the people opt not to follow, that’s not for you to worry about. Don’t force people to worship. Worship must be a willing enterprise. Endeavoring to force someone to enter in makes you a bully. You have been tasked to lead...not bully! 

David pens in Psalm 27:4, “One thing I ask of the Lord, that will I seek after...” What David desired from the Lord, he was determined to seek after. No matter what others are doing around you, continue to seek after God and flow as He leads you. Refrain from letting people's response dictate the effectiveness of your leading. Be concerned with God's response! Furthermore, always let your desire for God’s presence be fueled by your determination to get into His presence. Never exhaust yourself by trying to lead individuals to a place that they have no desire to go. If they desire to "go in", they will express that desire by participating in the moment. And if they don't, they simply won't! Whenever that's the case, be okay with it! God has no desire to force Himself on anyone unwilling to fellowship with Him.

The Weight of Worship Leading

Carrying The Weight of a Worship Leader
The Objective of Worship
-Part 1-

In order to effectively carry the weight of being a Worship Leader, you must first understand the objective of worship. It is equally important to know what your role is as a worship leader. Each of the two hold significant value.  In learning both the objective and the assignment, you will build the necessary strength to effectively carry the weight of your calling. As well, these fundamentals create a sturdy foundation upon which you can build and continually grow. One thing pertaining to carrying out any assignment holds true: foundation matters! The foundation determines the fulfillment, effectiveness, and duration of one's assignment. When your foundation is sturdy and sure, the success of your assignment is secure.

The Object of Worship

Overtime, there have been many philosophers, theologians, seminarians, and worship leaders who have defined worship in a particular way. Some base their definition and objective of worship on personal experiences. Others base it on learned behavior. In either case, there are a plethora of definitions and objectives floating around, most of them making the idea of worship and its intent complex. However, the Bible gives simple instructions about worship. 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" 

Before the foundations of the earth, we were deemed to be worshipers. Although, we all have various callings on our lives, our ultimate purpose is to show forth the praises of our God! This purpose must be the priority of all Christians. Worship is what we have been chosen to do, by God, and for God! This is only attainable once you agree to carry out your predestined role in the earth, and then, you must acknowledge God’s worth.

Very simply, to worship is to acknowledge God’s worth and then, to respond to His worth by uttering "yes" in all that we do. In other words, whenever you are worshiping, be it publicly or privately, you are expressing to God what He means to you. This is what worship involves- chosen vessels communicating the depths of God to God. When you worship, you fulfill your higher calling. Since you have been called by His name, you have also been called to glorify His name in the Earth. Isaiah 43:7 states: “Everyone that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him: I have made him.” This scripture reminds us of God’s intentions for creation. Anytime your life contradicts the declaration God made in this passage, you are living outside of your purpose. And when you live outside of your purpose, you are not living at all-- you’re merely existing.

Worship Leaders: As you carry the weight of your assignment, constantly remind yourself of the objective of your assignment. For those of you who oversee a team of worshipers, whether they are dancers, singers, choir members, minstrels, or a combination of them all, teach them what worship is and continually inform them of why we worship. But don’t just stop at teaching! Go a step further- reinforce it through a consistent lifestyle so they’ll never lose sight of why they do what they do.

To be continued.....