The Calling, Values, Philosophy, and Leadership Requirements of Vineyard Worship Our Past As A Voice To Our Future? 1
1. Introduction a. Hebridean Revival story, all that was left was the history (and some legalism), they d lost the heart, but kept the structure. b. What I want to do today is to remember, and if I can, revive something of that heart of what God has given us in worship, it is not new but it does require to be rediscovered. c. So where are we today. d. First of all let me just unpack the call to worship as it pertains to the Vineyard e. Then I will unpack the philosophy. f. Eddie Gibbs Quote it is no accident that the Vineyard was started by a musician, not a theologian 2
2. Call to Worship a. Values are the foundations, unseen, but shape everything. b. Philosophy the house we live in shaped by the foundations. c. Leaders raised up and anointed, very visible (gifted and often popular), live in the house. d. Songs written by God for his church to sing back to God. My phrase is From the church for the church 3
3. The Values a. Intimacy (story of JRW with Mike Coleman of Hosanna Integrity in your face praise, JRW responded we in the Vineyard aim a little lower and a little higher, the human heart and the heart of God). AW Tozer all pursuit of God must ultimately lead to intimacy b. Integrity - (more that Sunday, a life of worship lived everyday, integrity with holiness and obedience, integrity with the scriptures) c. Accessibility (they cant sing what you can sing, the sing-ability is key to success, they don t have your musical ear). 4
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4. The 5 Phases Of Worship a. Phases in the heart - Not only is it helpful to understand why and how we worship God, it is also helpful to understand what happens when we worship God. In the Vineyard we see five basic phases of worship, phases through which leaders attempt to lead the congregation. Understanding these phases is helpful in our experience of God. Keep in mind that as we pass through these phases we are headed toward one goal: intimacy with God. I define intimacy as belonging to or revealing one's deepest nature to another (in this case to God), and it is marked by close association, presence, and contact. I will describe these phases as they apply to corporate worship, but they may just as easily be applied to our private practice of worship. i. The first phase is the call to worship, which is a message directed toward the people. It is an invitation to worship. This might be accomplished through a song like, 'Come let us Worship and Bow Down'. Or it may be jubilant, such as through the song, 'Don't you Know it's Time to Praise the Lord. The underlying thought of the call to worship is 'Let's do it; let's worship now.' Song selection for the call to worship is quite important, for this sets the tone for the gathering and directs people to God. Is it the first night of a conference when many people may be unfamiliar with the songs and with others in attendance? Or is it the last night, after momentum has been building all week? If this is a Sunday morning worship time, has the church been doing the works of God all week? Or has the church been in the doldrums? If the church has been doing well, Sunday worship rides on the crest of a wave. All these thoughts are reflected in the call to worship. The ideal is that each member of the congregation be conscious of these concerns, and pray that the appropriate tone be set in the call to worship. ii. The second phase is the engagement, which is the electrifying dynamic of connection to God and to each other. Expressions of love, adoration, praise, jubilation, intercession, petition - all the dynamics of prayer are interlocked with worship - come forth from one's heart. In the engagement phase we praise God for who he is through music as well as prayer. An individual may have moments like these in his or her private worship at home, but when the church comes together the manifest presence of God is magnified and multiplied. iii. The third phase is the expression. As we move further in the engagement phase, we move more and more into loving and intimate language. Being in God's presence excites our heart and minds and we want to praise him for the deeds he has done, for how he has moved in history, for his character and attributes. Jubilation is that heart swell within us in which we want to exalt him. The heart of worship is to be united with our Creator and with the church universal and historic. Remember, worship is going on all the time in heaven, and when we worship we are joining that which is already happening, what has been called the communion of saints. Thus there is a powerful corporate dynamic. 1. Often this intimacy causes us to meditate, even as we are singing, on our relationship with the Lord. Sometimes we recall vows we have made before our God. God might call to our mind disharmony or failure in our life, thus confession of sin is involved. Tears may flow as we see our disharmony but his harmony; our limitations but his unlimited possibilities. This phase in which we have been wakened to his presence is called expression. 2. Physical and emotional expression in worship can result in dance and body movement. This is an appropriate response to God if the church is on that crest. It is inappropriate if it is whipped up or if the focal point is on the dance rather than on true jubilation in the Lord. 3. Expression then moves to a zenith, a climatic point, not unlike physical lovemaking (doesn't Solomon use the same analogy in the Song of Songs?). We have expressed what is in our hearts and minds and bodies, and now it is time to wait for God to respond. Stop talking and wait for him to speak, to move. I call this, the fourth phase, visitation: The almighty God visits his people. 6
iv. The forth phase, the visitation. This visitation is a by product of worship. We don't worship in order to gain his presence. He is worthy to be worshipped whether or not he visits us. But God 'dwells in the praises of his people'. So we should always come to worship prepared for an audience with the King. And we should expect the Spirit of God to work among us. He moves in different ways- sometimes for salvation, sometimes for deliverances, sometimes for sanctification or healing. God also visits us through he prophetic gifts. v. The fifth phase of worship is generosity, the giving of substance. The church knows so little about giving, yet the Bible exhorts us to give to God. It is pathetic to see people preparing for ministry who don't know how to give. That is like an athlete entering a race, yet he doesn't know how to run. If we haven't learned to give money, we haven't learned anything. Ministry is a life of giving. We give our whole life; God should have ownership of everything. Remember, whatever we give God control of he can multiply and bless, not so we can amass goods, but so we can be more involved in his enterprise. 1. Whatever I need to give, God inevitably first calls me to give it when I don't have any of it - whether it is money, love, hospitality, or information. Whatever God wants to give through us he first has to do to us. We are the first partakers of the fruit. But we are not to eat the seed, we are to sow it, to give it away. The underlying premise is that whatever we are is multiplied, for good or for bad. Whatever we have on our tree is what we are going to get in our orchard. 2. As we experience these phases of worship we experience intimacy with God, the highest and most fulfilling calling men and women may know. 7
5. The Who - Servant Leaders (In hearts, in attitudes and actions) a. Highly visible and very popular leaders. Often worship leaders are very popular because they are associated with joyous time. They are significant leaders and need to come under scrutiny and observation. Gifting gets you on to the stage, character keeps you there. b. People who are elders i. (Eager to serve, lovers of the church, humble, their lives are examples to others, they are blameless both in the church and the world, self controlled, temperate, gentle, not argumentative or hot-headed, married to one spouse and manage their home well and have obedient children, mature believers who are both holy and disciplined. [1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:2-4] c. People who are long term You don t want a lot of roving or short termers. d. Not Caught up in the rock and roll paradigm ( the paradigm of Rock n Roll is if you are bad it is good ) i. My Name (Gen 11:4) Stay on the cutting edge of industry and being known Versus ii. His Name (Acts 4:12) no other name iii. My Will (Luke 15:12 Prodigal Son) Versus iv. His Will (Matt 6: 10, 26:39ff) v. Serve Me (Luke 15:12, Matt 20:26, 25:26) Matthew 20:26 (NIV84) 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, Matthew 25:26 (NIV84) 26 His master replied, You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Versus vi. Serve Him (Phil. 2:5-7 Luke 17:10) Philippians 2:5 7 (NIV84) 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8
6. Profile Qualities Of A Worship Leader a. Men and women who are: i. Called and commissioned to serve (Paul in Acts 9:15, 11:25-26, 13:1-3), whether volunteer, part-time or full time, paid or not, temporary or permanent. We are not interested in artists but in servants (artists have other avenues) Acts 9:15 (NIV84) 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. Acts 13:1 3 (NIV84) 1 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. ii. Willing to render humble service, service that is sacrificial in nature. (Luke 17:10) His ministry is the equipping ministry. Luke 17:10 (NIV84) 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty. iii. Willing to conform to church discipline and eldership requirements (1 Tim 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9) To lead the people to God you ve got to go there first, then they can follow. b. Some additional characteristics i. Worship Leaders are highly visible; therefore we seek those who are: 1. Team players 2. Able to take correction. You find out if you re the pastor when you endeavour to correct them. Correct know the difference between correction and punishment. 3. Able to see the larger picture and not just the worship picture 4. Able to hear from God, leaders and others 5. Able to worship and lead others into worship 6. Able to equip and raise up equippers 7. Able to understand and to communicate to others about Vineyard worship 9
7. Things I am concerned about in the future 10-20 years (John Wimber 1994) a. The Propensity toward moving from the simple to the complex: i. In songs we are writing ii. In the way we are presenting them (i.e. arrangements, performances, etc.) iii. The tendency toward inner focus over and against upward b. Leaving the congregation in the state of an audience That s where we found them and we don t want to leave them there. I am not interested in entertaining people in our church. I want to lead them back to Jesus c. Performing to please others (models, people, etc.) d. That senior pastors and VCUK&I will not step up to be fathers. e. VRUK will maintain its role it doesn t generate songs but publishes them. 10
8. Philosophy of worship [ Worship Leaders Retreat 2014 Jeremy Cook Notes ] a. Biblical foundations i. 660 texts of worship in the scripture were put on 3x5 cards, then colour coded by activity- bowing, kneeling, praise etc. 1. What do the scriptures say -e.g. Colossians 3:16 (NIV84) 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 2. Ephesians 5:19 20 (NIV84) 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 3. Psalm 100:4 (NIV84) 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 4. Psalm 95:6 (NIV84) 6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; i. Worship is, for God, to God, and about God. ii. The song should say everything your heart wants to say. b. Hunger for God i. Desperate for God. That has to be our heart attitude. A realisation of our total dependency. Apart form him we can do nothing (John 15:5). ii. There is always some disappointment and disillusionment in all of our lives, we must seek God to go beyond that to find life again in His presence. iii. God initiates the hunger, but we need to respond (Prov 25:2) iv. Psalm 42:1 where will I go to meet with God. c. About Him not us i. Some songs they sang in the early days every week for 5 years or parts thereof because they said what the continually wanted to say to say to God. Never get tired of telling God you love him (or your spouse for that matter if you are married) ii. Today there are so many songs to choose from, not in the early days. Song selection is so critical. The song should say everything your heart wants to say. iii. Chose bold theological truths and avoid the poor old me songs. d. Variety of ways to express ourselves i. Sitting, standing, kneeling as long as it doesn t undermine the corporate dynamic. ii. Dancing and flags can de distracting if not pastored, If it is done to God then do it at the back so that it may not distract others. iii. JRW - The Pentecostals arrived at Anaheim with tambourines, saying things like we got to get the people up, they have been down all week... They then got out there tambourines - JRW went on to say 1. Tambourines a. Affront to bring them b. Affront to publicly demonstrate they can t play them c. Sad that no one told them they couldn t play them 11
e. Rooted in reverend awe and intimacy i. NT word for worship is (proskuneō; from 4314 and kuneō (to kiss); to do reverence to: bow down(1), bow down before(1), bowed down(1), bowed down before(2), bowing before(1), bowing down(1), prostrated himself before(1), worship(32), worshiped(17), worshipers(1), worshiping(1), worships(1)). ii. It occurs in 60 verses; it is one of building homage, awe and reverence; perhaps as coming into the presence of a king. iii. Intimacy - the case should built elsewhere in the scriptures, 1. Abba is the NT word and means Daddy it is familiar and intimate. 2. Romans -Romans 8:15 (NIV84) 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father. 1. Hebrews the way is opened up to us. - Hebrews 4:16 (NIV84) 16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. 2. Matt 6 The Lord s prayer has a sense of intimacy 3. Galatians 4:6 (NIV84) 6 Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, Abba, Father. 4. Story with the women with Perfume weeping and wetting his feet. ( Luke 7:37). it is a picture of human intimacy 5. The Psalms are full of intimacy toward God. f. More Than A Sunday Expression i. Duet 10:12 key verse for the life of worship. Deuteronomy 10:12 (NIV84) 12 And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ii. We are called not to do our own thing but His thing, all week long, the life of worship. iii. Called to be shaped and formed into a sacrificial life offered to him (Rom 12); worship both forms and informs our lives. iv. From the sanctuary to the streets. We gather to worship and we scatter to gather. g. Holy Expectancy i. The congregation want to both come and, as well as love to worship. It is the expectancy of an audience with the King. ii. A place of meeting God - entering the throne room iii. Expectancy based on the visitation to the throne room of the king, to experience His voice and presence, healing and transformation. iv. Hearts need to be prepared to worship. 12
h. Divine Priority i. Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42), she made it her priority to be at the feet of Jesus. ii. Getting before God must be our first priority. iii. It is the Bible's command and our response must be obedience. iv. A lady on Anaheim church We don t have preacher a just a guy who plays the piano and tells us stories about Jesus. Worship for her was the key. i. Worship in spirit and truth i. Be real 1. Philippians, circumcision of heart, God looks at the heart not at anything external. You can fool your leaders and peers, but not your God. 2. Samuel in choosing David kept looking at the externals, till God corrected him. 3. Nehemiah - Jerusalem was in ruins; to get to the temple from their homes they had to go through the rubble to worship (also Sanballat). We are no different we must press on to find God, as we walk past the rubbles of our daily lives. ii. Remember - It is an act of choice. This day I choose to worship God. This day I leave behind (destroy) the idols, this day I worship and serve the living God. 13