One thing not to miss

There are a lot of things to think about when you’re leading a group of people in songs of worship. Are the instruments in tune? Am I giving clear directions? Is the band playing together? Are the lyrics being projected at the right time? Are we singing in the right keys? Are people engaged with what we’re singing? But...

Bob Kauflin // Guest Blog // Week Two: One Thing You Don’t Want to Miss

There are dozens of areas to focus on and missing any one of them can have a detrimental effect. But what’s the most important thing to remember? What question do I want to ask every time I step up to lead a group of people in worship? It’s easy to forget. I think it’s this: Have we magnified God’s worth in Jesus Christ? We can see God’s worth in countless ways, but it’s intimately connected with His actions. We don’t worship a nebulous spirit-being who has no relationship with the physical world. God has acted in history and redeemed us to proclaim the excellence of everything He’s done. He created the worlds with a word, He rules over the universe, He judges the nations, He sustains every living thing, He keeps the planets in their orbits, He watches over our affairs, and provides for us. But God’s worth is seen most clearly in the giving of His only Son to die as our substitute at Calvary. When as we gather to worship God, a primary focus needs to be the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Here are four reasons why: 1. Jesus’ atoning work on the cross made us worshippers of God. (Rev. 5:9-10) We wouldn’t even be worshipping God if Jesus hadn’t endured God’s wrath against our sin and purchased us for His Father’s glory. It takes God for us to worship God. 2. Jesus’ atoning work on the cross is our means of access to God. (Heb. 10:19-22; Eph. 2:18) I’ve seen more than one church advertise for a worship leader who can lead a church “into God’s presence.” Tough job. Biblically speaking, no worship leader, pastor, band, or song will ever lead us “into God’s presence.” At Calvary, Jesus tore down the veil that separated us from God’s presence. His saving work is complete and will never be repeated – only joyfully recounted. Reminding ourselves of this fact is a powerful antidote to common struggles like condemnation, guilt, and feeling distant from God. 3. Jesus’ atoning work on the cross makes our worship acceptable. (1 Peter 2:4-5; Heb. 13:15) Nothing against skill, practice, complexity, nuance, musicianship, or sincerity, but only the finished work of Christ makes our offerings of worship acceptable in God’s eyes. That’s a real relief for those of us who want everything to sound “just right.” 4. Jesus’ atoning work on the cross is the object of our adoration. (Rev. 5:11-12) The hosts of heaven never seem to tire of extolling the Lamb who was slain. Should we? Appreciating the centrality of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice when we worship will lead to a number of conscious choices. We will: · make sure that we sing songs that clearly proclaim what Christ accomplished

· focus on gratitude for what God has done rather than anxiety over what we should be doing

· help people connect what Jesus did and is doing with their daily lives

· maintain a proper balance between humility that Christ had to die for us, and celebration that he has fully paid our debt

We can forget the words to a song or what key we’re playing in and people can still worship God. But we can’t forget Jesus.

Bob Kauflin is the director of worship development for Sovereign Grace, based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA. This involves overseeing its music projects and teaching on congregational worship. He has written the fantastic book ‘Worship Matters,’ which in Tim’s opinion is one of the best books currently written on worship. He and his wife Julie have six children and an ever-growing number of grandchildren. Find out more by checking www.worshipmatters.com