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Key Verses:
"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they were created and have their being." Rev. 4:11 (Also see: 1 Chron. 16:28-29; Ps. 29:1-2; 96:8-9; 99:5, 9; Rev. 5:11-14; 7:11-12)
Key Attributes:
God is all glorious and supreme, above all else. Hence, He is worthy of our praise.
Key Issues:
- It's about who He is not about who we are.
- It's about the One being worshiped, not about the worshiper.
- It's about the Creator, not the created.
Key Focus:
What can we ascribe to Him?
Know that in ascribing praise, glory, splendor, and honor due His name that we are not adding anything to Him but only stating realities. He has intrinsic worth regardless of how we worship.
Implications for the Worship Leader:
- Present to the people a God who is worthy of their praise. Keep His magnificent character consistently before the people.
That means you must speak, sing, and testify of His glory, His greatness, His supremacy. For example, choose songs that have substance and reflect Him and not merely our experience. There is a place for reflecting on our experience but a diet solely consisting of what we do will soon make worship about us instead of Him.
When, however, His attributes are all brought together like colors to form light, as we ascribe to Him the glory due His name, the brilliance will pull people's attention to Him. You will not have to manipulate people into worshiping.
"Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, 'Amen! Amen!' Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground" (Neh. 8:6).
- Be careful you are not drawing undue attention to yourself as the worship leader.
That means you will watch your deportment and dress. While you can humbly accept gratitude and appreciation from others for the use of your God-given talents and gifting, you fully understand that He is the One to get the applause, not you. Keep your attitude in check. Remember John the Baptist's view of his ministry when he said of Jesus, "He must become greater; I must become less" (Jn. 3:30). When you truly believe this, it will be reflected in the way you lead worship.
Implications for the Individual Worshiper:
- Get to know God in the fullness of who He is. That means you will study His Word for it is in His Word that He is made known. You are not going to express much worth to a God who seems anemic.
- Take in what you can from sermons and Bible study classes, but do not rely on that alone. You need to consistently focus on the glory and supremacy of God. Worship does not begin on a Sunday morning. If you have not been seeing God for who He is throughout the week, it will be hard to get beyond the motions in a worship service to true heartfelt giving of worth to the Lord.
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