There may be someone in your congregation who is designated as a worship leader, but pastor—you are the lead worshipper! Someone may have the duty to direct the music, but the preacher needs to inspire others by his model of participation.
Heaven will be a place of praise. Songs of worship will fill the air. We see it in Revelation 15:2-4. If we will do it in eternity, then why not tune up on earth?
The pastor should plan for worship. Spontaneity is fine to an extent. Yet, we are not perfect; we are not in heaven, yet. Now, we deal with time and space, so to be most proficient, we ought to plan. Whoever directs the music ministry, the pastor needs to meet with them and be involved. I loved coordinating music with my message.
The pastor should prepare for worship. Our hearts should daily delight in God. If personal worship is the order of our week, then we will have no difficulty worshipping God with the congregation on the Lord’s Day.
The pastor should insist on principles in worship. We are reminded here of the principle of the glory of God. Those who lead and sing are to magnify God, not seek applause from men. Another principle is the Word of God. These sang the songs of Moses and the Lamb. This suggests songs that are filled with truth from the Old and New Covenants—the entirety of Scripture. If the lyrics are not thoroughly Biblical and theologically sound, then it does not matter if they are popular or emotionally stirring—they are not worthy of being in the worship of God by His people. No one is better positioned to give this oversight than the one designated overseer of the church—the elders who are called to promote sound doctrine.
Pastor, sing joyfully, enthusiastically, loudly. Before a sermon is spoken from your mouth, may there be a song that is sung from your heart!
No comments:
Post a Comment