Rick Warren on Worship

Dear beloved Philotheos,

 

I’ve been reading a very good book on worship lent by Sandy. This is an excerpt of the Foreword written (By R Warren) for the book “The Worship Answer Book” by Rick Muchow. R Warren is the author of The Purpose Driven Life.

 

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Worship is the first purpose of your life. When Jesus asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” he replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul and strength.”

 

In our ministry we’ve operated from a simple definition of worship, based on the Great Commandment: “Worship is any expression of our love to God – for who he is, what he has said, and what he’s doing.”

 

When you understand worship in this way – in its full biblical context – then you can quickly see that there are many appropriate ways to express our love to God. Obeying, trusting, testifying, listening, praying, creating, thanking, waiting, singing, confessing, committing, giving, and practically every other thing can be an act of worship when our motivation is to demonstrate our love to God.

 

Worship is your lofe. Rick Muchow is a worshipper of God, and he leads us to worship God. When he worships he models for our congregation and we follow his lead. Worship leadership is all about modeling worship for others. When people see RIck worship, it helps them think, “I want that, too!”

 

God created us with a natural desire to worship something, and if we fail to worship God, we inevitably will find a sinful substitute.

 

A lifestyle of worship moves us beyond the half-hearted and hypocritical worship described in Is 29.

God says of such worship, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men” (Is 29:13)

God wants worship that bubbles from a heart of love, full of passion and commitment for him. For that reason I’ve always believed there is an intimate connection between woship and evangelism. The goal of evangelism is to produce worshipers of God.  Worship produces a desire in us to tell others about Christ. 

 

In genuine worship God’s presence is felt, God’s pardon is offered, God’s purposes  are revealed, and God’s power is displayed. When nonbelievers watch believers relate to God in an intelligent, sincere manner it creates a desire to Know God, too.

 

(Rick Warren on Rick Muchow in The Worship Answer Book)

 

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May I encourage all of us to be genuine worshippers, being such a prominent ministry inevitably, modelling worship for others in YM, both on stage, whether or not we are soundcrew/clicker, and in our lifestyles!

Have a blessed week!

 

Mag

 

A new song…

Thanks band, for all those who played a part in forming the flesh of the new song I wrote… I think it’s really not me who wrote it, cos as I ‘ve shared, it all just came at once, the inspiration, couldn’t have been me.. I mean, I was just sitting at DOME one Sunday morning at Park Mall after the 1st service, feeling really Jaded… This was right after Worship Central Conference at Faith MC.

And these words were ringing in my head: Write songs for your church. That’s the primary purpose! If the song stays within the church, so be it!

SO there I was thinking… This talk about revival in YM… but how? What happened next, I took out my trustee notebook, started writing words and numbers to fit the words… Amazing. Never been possible. (Sorry, i don’t mean the song I wrote was great or anything :S but really I never was this close to writing a proper song no matter how much i tried!!)

If we get our purpose right, wow… God’s grace overflows! The title of the song was chosen minutes before I gave out chord sheets to the band on friday to learn.. It was such an amazing thing, how the title got chosen as i shared! And Sandy had a big part to play in this!! Hah!

Philippians 4:13 (G)

Intro 1
C G F C
(rift: A G A G A B B | A G A G A G G )

Verse 1
G
From that cross now I am
(Am)
Forgiven and a free man(G/B)
Now Christ is living in me
(G) punch!
I stand with power, hope and glory!

Intro 2
G Am G/B G
(rift: Dgg Dgg Dgg Ag Bg Cg)

Verse 2
Standing here we proclaim
His promise will always remain
No work of His shall ever cease
We’ve got His power, hope and glory!

Chorus
C punch!
I’m gonna live out, live out
G
With Christ in me!
C
I’m gonna shout out, shout out
G
Words of victory!
F
I’m gonna stand up, stand up
G
And rise in faith!
F
We live to worship You!
C (to Chorus: D/C)
We live to worship You!

Sequence
I1 V1 I2 V1 (no I2)
V2 C I2 V2
C C
Last line punch!

And the next song, which was introduced during Communion, written there, at the same time!

AS WE WORSHIP [Bb - C]

Intro
Gb Ab Bb5
Gb Ab Bb3

Verse
Bb Eb/Bb
We sing to you, a new song
Bb Bb/D Eb
Join with the heavens in worship all day long

Bb Eb/Bb
I will proclaim, your salvation
Bb Cm Bb/D Eb F
Declare Your glory, to the nations

Pre-Chorus
Gb Ab Bb
Splendour and majesty surrounds You
Gb Ab F (to C: F/G)
Pow’r and all glory, belongs to You

Chorus
Bb Cm Bb/D Eb
As we worship, renew our lives
As we worship, restore our souls
Cm Bb/D Eb F Gm F Eb
As we worship, Lord reveal to us
F
Your Holiness

Sequence
V PC C
V PC PC C in C Maj

This is based on Ps 96.

“A new song a new song” – This was ringing in my head all the time as I wrote! Yea, someone once said where revival comes, there’ll be new songs just flowing out, cos that’s the true cry of the hearts of the people involved in the revival!! That, i believe!

Friends, I encourage you, if you’ve got any thing you’d like to share, be it a full song or just words without the lyrics, just do it. I believe it’s time for that! “, A good way to start, is to check your motive. Remember, if the song stays within the church, so be it! It’s meant to be for the your church! “,

Checking out,

Mag “,

 

The Worship Team Without Me

Dear Philotheos!! This was the Bible Study last friday, notes were taken, so you won’t be missing anything at all! I’ll always be posting them up here under Philo BS! So keep yourself updated! (:

Session 1 - Fri 25 Jan 2008 (Rev Alvin)

The Worship Team Without Me
The individual’s responsibility in the worship team.

A Christian’s Call to Service

15But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles…
-Gal 1:15,16

Application:

• Is this really wht God wants me to do?
• Why do I want to serve in the WT?

With the call in mind, what should our ministry priorities be? (2 Cor 4:1-5)

(i) No Deception – Integrity

1Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God…

Application:

• How can we make sure we live lives of tintegrity?
• How do we live our lives outside of Church?
• Do we have a personal worship life? (especially true for Worship Team members) – Helps even when we are on stage; it makes us less aware of ourself!
• What is our motivation?
• Key: Be transparent, blameless before God, men.

(ii) No Distortion – Fidelity

2Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

Application:

• How can we not distort the message of the cross?
• How do we gently convey the mercy of GOd in the light of His wrath?
• Choosing the right songs with sound lyrics… hymns?

(iii) No Self-promotion – Humility

5For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.

Application:

• Are we marketing ourselves?
• Are we concerned about status?
• How can I keep myself humble?

(iv) No Illusions – Clarity of Message

3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Application:

• What should I do in the light of spiritual warfare?
• How do I be a part of a ministry that will succeed in spiritual warfare?
• Is it important to pray together as a ministry for the ministry?

Final Note:

• What is my motivation in serving?
• How can I be true and have a lasting ministry in the worship team?

The best guide to finding how good a servant you are, is when you are treated like one!

 

hello!

Dear Philotheos!!!

WOw.. thank you for even coming down here! Haha! (:
Anyway, this page is still on trial, so just give your feedback on whether it’s useful, or not! (:
Basically, I will always be posting the schdule and the contac t list here, both of which are password protected under ‘Team Materials’ (our usual password lah! just email me if you forgot!!). I will still be sending it to your mail tho, but just in case you lose the file.. Yup so do drop by! (:

ALso, you know we’ve started Philotheos Bible Study. I think since not all of you will be there at BS, the BS notes will be posted up here under ‘BS’. Yup we just had our first session on ‘Our Responsibility in the Worship Team’ led by Rev Alvin, I thought it was really good, and it’s a great start! After BS, the few of us joined the main band in the hall to pray and intercede, and I thought it was really cool! So anyway, I’ll be posting up the notes real soon! Keep yourself updated!! (:

Meanwhile, see ya around!
God  bless!!
Mag