Why are we here? What is the goal of music ministry?
- We are here to worship God and to lead others into true worship, the whole congregation approaching God and fully expressing itself to God in worship and praise.
- This is the atmosphere in which God is free to move. We need to learn to flow with the Spirit or anointing. This releases Him. The more accurately we learn to move with Him and express Him, the greater the release of power.
What is worship?
Whereas praise centers in on what God has done, worship centers in on Him, who He is, His person. It comes from the Anglo Saxon word, “Weorth-seipe,” meaning “to ascribe worth.” It is to respect, esteem, love, admire and revere.
John 4:24 – We are to worship in spirit and truth. It is not just an outward thing; your heart must be involved for it to really be worship.
Roy Hicks: “Most churches don’t spend time in worship.”
God seeks worshippers. God seeks a church that will spend time worshiping Him. This is a church where He will move and show Himself strong. These are a people who will be strong in spirit and do mighty exploits – because they know their God.
Purpose of Music
- God created music as a means of worship, as way to enter into God’s presence, God’s realm. It was given to control atmosphere. The devil knows all the tricks and uses music to his advantage to control atmosphere and people.
- Music played or sung by an anointed, spirit-filled Christian can create an atmosphere for God to manifest Himself to people, meeting needs, breaking yokes, setting captives free, etc. It also clears the “stuff” out of the way so that we can hear what God is saying to us.
- Music communicates the spirit of the person playing or singing it (Phil Driscoll).
Biblical Examples:
1 Samuel 16:16-17 – David on the harp was anointed to set Saul free from an evil spirit.
2 Kings 3:15 – Elisha called for a minstrel. And it came about when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon Him. The anointing manifested though the music.
2 Chronicles 20 – The musicians and singers led the army into battle (V. 14, 21-22).
2 Chronicles 5:11-14 – God’s people worshiping together in unity led by the musicians and singers led to such a great manifestation of God that the priests could not stand to minister.
Matthew 18:19 – The Word translated “agree” is “sumphone” – to sound together. You can see our English word “symphony” comes from it. There is something about united praised that brings God on the scene.
Psalm 22:3 – He is enthroned in our praises. He inhabits our praises.
Music in Warfare:
Psalm 149 – Sing to the Lord a new song and His praise in the congregation of the godly ones. Let Israel be glad in His maker; let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King. Let them praise His name with dancing; let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre. For the Lord takes pleasure in His people. He crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds. Let the high praises of god be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment onf the peoples, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron. To execute on them the judgment written. This honor have all His saints.
Psalm 76:1-3 – God is know in Judah; His name is great is Israel. His tabernacle is in Salem; His dwelling place also is in Zion. There He broke the flaming arrows, the shield and the sword and the weapons of war.
Isaiah 30:29-31 – You will have songs as in the night when you keep the festival, and gladness of heart as when one marches to the sound of the flute, to go to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel. And the Lord will cause His voice of authority to be heard, and the descending of His arm to be seen in fierce anger, and in the flame of a consuming fire in cloudburst, downpour and hailstones. For at the voice of the Lord Assyria will be terrified, when He strikes with the rod.
Conclusion:
We are not here to just put together pretty songs and worship choruses. We hare here to learn to move with the Spirit of God, to learn to worship Him more effectively publicly and privately, to express Him more accurately in the gifts of the Spirit, to join together and lead the congregation together as one into praising and worshiping God so that His power might be released more effectively to meet the people’s needs and set them free.
