The Worship Pastor's Motivation (Part 3)

 It is given multiple times in Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians that Christ’s work in the lives of the believer are out of an outpouring of God’s grace. Those who trust and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ then become the objects of God’s mercy motivated by grace (4:7, 2:8). The Holman Bible Handbook affirms this thought referencing Ephesians 2:4-6.

By His grace He has granted new life to believers (2:4–6). The basis for the new life is God’s great love and mercy. Believers have been united with Christ in His resurrected life. Formerly people apart from Christ were dead, enslaved, and objects of wrath. In Christ believers are now alive, enthroned, and objects of grace.^[1]

To get a better understanding of the work of Christ, it is best to understand the person of Jesus Christ outlined in this epistle. In the Trinitarian relationship between the Father and the Son, the Father has willingly exalted the Son as ruler and authority over all things, particularly the church; the body of Christ.

…according to the working of his great might ²⁰ that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. ²² And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. ^[2]

Christ is exalted and reigning as the head of the body (5:23), and because we are members of his body (5:30), he (the Father through Christ) graciously blesses us and gives to us all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places, choosing us as his own, so that we may be holy and blameless all for the glory of God the Father (1:3-6). Christ is the chief cornerstone that holds everything together (2:20 cf. Ps 118:22, Isa 28-16). Because Christ is the glue, if you will, that holds all things together, the people that are drawn together in His one body, the church, are peacefully aligned. The worship pastor would do well to take that bit of information and chew on it at length. In fact, as a ministry staff, the idea that Jesus is the glue holding the church together ought to be meditated on and kept as the foundation of any endeavor that that team pursues in their ministry.  In Ephesians 2:14 it says that He “himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility…” Where Jew and Gentile were thought never to coincide, Christ brings together in unity.  Can you see how this very truth is what makes an argument about any sort of style or form futile if in the context of church growth?

It is only in response to the cross of Christ (called faith in 2:8) that peace exists vertically between humans and God and horizontally between humans. This new society, called the church, is depicted at the end of chapter 2.

The church is pictured as a nation (“fellow citizens,” 2:19), a family (“a household”), and a “building” (2:21). This new building is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone” (2:20). The purpose of the church is for believers to be “built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (2:22).^[3]

As the head of the body, Christ is the master (6:5-9).  It is such terminology and understanding of Christ as master, that James, in his epistle, addresses himself as a “servant (James 1:1).”  Having this mindset motivates a believer in a life of obedience, seeking to honor their master with their actions. In fact, Christ, is referenced in Ephesians as the “light” and “teacher.” He is the “light” that exposes sin in the life of the believer (5:10, 13-14), encouraging and teaching the believer then in the truth as motivation for purity and righteousness in Him (4:21, 6:4). So the view of Christ as a “Slave master” in contemporary connotation would be negative, but in the gracious nature of our Lord, it is the most positive of terms. See, Christ is THE loving master, both in terms of a ruling authority, but also a gracious and merciful healer and encourager to the believer who has a constant struggle with sin. Christ acts as the light to expose that sin, and then the teacher to instruct and lovingly admonish the believer on the track towards righteousness, that is sanctification IN Him. 

It is the person of Jesus Christ, as “light,” as “master,” as “ruler,” as “teacher,” and as the embodied “peace” that unites all believers, that is implicit to His works. Ephesians 2:18 says, “For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” Those who have access to the Father, in the Spirit, and through Christ then are gifted with every spiritual blessing through Christ (1:3-14)! Why? Again, this is the mystery of the Gospel and the chief motivation of the worship pastor charged with cultivating a biblical culture of worship.  Why would God choose to love, freely give mercy, reconcile unto Him, through Christ’s sacrifice, those who were lost and hopeless through the receiving of the gift of faith in Jesus Christ?  There is no answer that man can comprehend, but that doesn’t stop us from responding accordingly to the truth of it.

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⁹David S. Dockery, Trent C. Butler, Christopher L. Church et al., Holman Bible Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1992), 714.

¹⁰The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Eph 1:19–23.

¹¹David S. Dockery, Trent C. Butler, Christopher L. Church et al., Holman Bible Handbook (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1992), 715.

"You're the music guy right?" An introduction.

“You’re the music guy right?” I hear from behind me after a morning worship service at our church.  In effort not to get into title particulars, I politely answer back while turning to greet him, “Yea I guess.  That was me up there.” 

“Oh dude, you are an incredible piano player! I haven’t heard music this good in church since [insert name of late 80s/early 90s Christian artist here] came to town in concert. In fact, you kinda sound like him! Has anyone ever told you that?”

            Trying as hard as I can to force a genuine smile, but resorting to a fake one, I replied, “ Well I appreciate that. Praise God.  I’m glad you enjoyed it”

            “Hey, if you really want to get some good worship going in this place, you should start playing more music by….”

            If you’re a worship pastor, worship leader, or music director of a church, you have had this conversation in one form or another.  The people who approach you after a worship service certainly are not intending to deflate your “spiritual high” or self worth, but that’s exactly what happens isn’t it? Very heated statements and questions start firing away in your mind, “He thinks I sound like who!?” “What the heck is he talking about, ‘get some good worship going…’ pshhhh like he knows anything about good worship music.” “Did he not worship!? Why did he focus on my piano playing more than seeking to draw near to God?” “This is his first time visiting and he thinks he can prance in here and tell me what music I should do in my church!? Really?”

            How many times have we allowed pithy or petty statements from one congregant, visitor or not, to become a foothold for the devil to use in seeking to steal glory from the Lord? Let me remind you what The Lord said to Cain when he gave a half-hearted and thoughtless offering to the Lord, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.”^[1]  Also let me encourage you with Peter’s exhortation in 1 Peter 5: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.^[2] Granted the suffering he is speaking on is a little more severe than a disrespectful or hurtful comment, but we can be encouraged nevertheless.

            We have options. We can play the comparison game, and get worked up very quickly when people engage in the style wars with you about the music that you do at your church.  We can write seething and harshly pointed argumentative emails and letters explaining why it is ok to have drums in church or the scientific proof that someone can listen to 92 decibels for 6 hours straight before any sort of hearing damage. The point is, if our goal as a worship pastor is simply to do a full court press on a style of music or for cultural relevancy, we are seeking to please men, and not God.  Our goal ought to be to exemplify a heart overflowing in truthful worship in and outside the church and training our people to do the same.[3] The worship pastor is NOT the music guy.  Music is just a small facet of the job description for Sunday mornings, that’s it.

            The worship pastor practicum is a study devoted to the motivation and biblical application of the worship pastor as a missional leader in a church body charged with cultivating a “culture of worship.”  First, we will see how the worship pastor must be biblically motivated by a mysterious gift that challenges an immeasurable task.  Second, we will explore the worship pastor as a prophet with the charge of rightly handling the word of God and encouraging biblical response to it.  Third, we will look into the personal life of the worship pastor and his charge as a priest to his team and church body. Fourth, we will discuss the practical implications of a worship pastor leading as a king.  And finally, we will culminate this study looking toward Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. He is the worship pastor’s worship pastor, and he truly is the source of our genuine worship.    

            The goal of this study is to equip worship pastors, worship leaders, and music directors with the biblical and logical tools to lead and effectuate biblical worship in spirit and in truth among their church body. The hope is that the job of worship pastor is seen not just as the music guy, but a leader who is able to handle God’s word effectively and use it to cultivate a culture of worship in their context.  A culture that is not limited to Sunday mornings, but one that forms a body of believers charged and equipped to respond to the great commission by our Lord Jesus Christ when he said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”^[4]  

           

Preliminary Note:

The worship pastor is obviously not the senior pastor, but the two should be so closely intertwined so as to come up with a vision for their local church context where people are leaving their doors knowing they are entering the mission field of their work place, their schools, their neighborhood, their marriages etc. The goal is that the gospel of Jesus Christ is continually in the front of their minds, burning their hearts and on the tip of their tongues.  Likewise, the worship pastor, following and submitting to the senior pastor and elder board, is charged with equipping the body of Christ with the necessary means to promote hearts to overflow with thanksgiving and humility that leads to life-transformation through the word of God and not merely just an emotional, or perhaps musical, experience. 

God’s presence is not a place; it is a reality in Christ, and how quickly we forget this! The challenge is great, and based on the title, the job description for a worship pastor is simply this: Lead them in recognizing the reality of God’s presence ALWAYS. Many trip, many fall, many fail. It is time for the worship pastor to be more than just the music guy and become a shepherd leading God’s flock, training them to respond to God’s glorious grace.

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^[1] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Ge 4:6–7.

^[2] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 1 Pe 5:8–9.

[3] John 4:24, Romans 12:1-2

^[4] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Mt 28:18–20.

Worship Pastor Series

Hey all, I understand it has been awhile since I've blogged. In fact, it's been awhile since I've had a somewhat normal, non-chaotic routine in life.  Let me explain.  In the last year, by the grace of God, I was able to accomplish these things:

• June 2010: moved from Chicago to Spring Lake MI answering God's call to plant HBC Spring Lake. 
• July 2010: Apply and commit to pursuing a masters degree in one year through the Resurgence Training Center.
• August 2010-July 2011: Travel to Seattle, WA 9 times to accomplish masters degree in Missional Leadership.
• July-November 2010: Preparation and execution of Church Planting and working with Portable Church ministries in doing a "church-in-a-box" situation
• September 2010: Found out we were pregnant.
• October 2010: became a home-owner and bought and moved into our house in Grand Haven, MI. 
• November 2010: Planted our church portably inside The Trillium. Also started in the design process of our new building. 
• December 2010: found out our baby was a girl! 
• January 2011: Came up with a thesis topic for my masters.
• February-June2011: Researching and formulating my thesis, amidst daily and weekly Church responsibilities
• May 2011: we welcomed our little daughter Annandale Lyn to the world! 
• May-June 2011: Writing process of masters thesis.
• June 2011: Presentation and submission of final thesis and Graduating from the Resurgence Training Center. 

You know what's really impressive, my brother-inlaw Calvin Wisen (also pictured) did all of the above with the exception that he had twin girls instead of just one baby girl and moved from Orlando instead of Chicago. Crazy huh! 

I literally look back into my last year and praise  God for a patient wife, a loving family, and an awesome church family.  I truly believe that the grace of God was just surrounding me every step of this last year.  Now that most of my last year culminated in my graduation from the program, I'm finding myself in a weird spot. I don't have 2000 pages due by the end of the week, and my focus is put more and more on my specific ministry calling: the worship ministry of Harvest Bible Chapel Spring Lake.  I knew that I would get to this point eventually and I wanted to do what I could to ahead of time to prepare for it.  In order to do that, I decided that the topic of my final thesis would be the duties and mindset of the "worship pastor" in cultivating a biblical culture of worship in his church.  

I also wanted my research and work to be available to the greater body of Christ to resource and equip those who have the same calling that I do, in a different context.  

So, in the next handful of posts, I'm going to present to you my thesis. What is a "worship pastor?" How can a worship pastor effectively and thoughtfully seek to cultivate a culture of worship in his church?  The worship pastor is so much more than just the "music guy," and I hope to be challenged by this and hope that it challenges those who read this and share my calling. 

So starting tomorrow, follow along as we walk through together the motivation and work of the "worship pastor."