How do we work toward living out and accomplishing this value and vision of worship?
We will never accomplish corporately what we fail to accomplish individually.
Unless each of us is engaged in individual worship, we will not be able to do our part in accomplishing corporate worship.
Unless each of us is engaged in individual worship, we will not be able to do our part in accomplishing corporate worship.
So what does individual worship look like?
Individual worship is more than “getting into” the music or “worship time” on Sunday morning. Since worship is about the posture of the spirit (inner person), and not the outer posture or expressions of our worship, we must look inside ourselves. Do we have an inner attitude of surrender and self-denial? Do we offer our bodies as living sacrifices to serve Christ’s body and the world? THIS is worship. (Romans 12:1)
How do we develop that inner attitude that leads to correctly motivated outward service? We must first have a correct view of God by knowing Him through a personal relationship with Christ; by knowing His word; by allowing the Holy Spirit to affirm Truth in our daily experience; by speaking our heart to God and listening to His still small voice. Then we can develop a correct view of ourselves which will lead to humility, surrender and self-denial. As we live in this attitude, we are literally living in the environment of worship in our daily lives. This is why I often refer to worship as the “essence” of the Christian life. It is who we are and how we should live. (Philippians 2:5-8). Only then can we expect to experience corporate worship the way God desires.
In accomplishing corporate worship, it is important to remember that each week as we attempt to encourage our congregation to worship God, we cannot MAKE this happen. We can only encourage it, and facilitate it. We encourage it by letting our worship heart be expressed outward and engage in worship ourselves. Then we can become engaging to the congregation and an encouragement to their personal worship. As we all worship together as individuals, we collectively worship as a corporate body of Christ.
Steve Johnston – Worship Leader
How do we develop that inner attitude that leads to correctly motivated outward service? We must first have a correct view of God by knowing Him through a personal relationship with Christ; by knowing His word; by allowing the Holy Spirit to affirm Truth in our daily experience; by speaking our heart to God and listening to His still small voice. Then we can develop a correct view of ourselves which will lead to humility, surrender and self-denial. As we live in this attitude, we are literally living in the environment of worship in our daily lives. This is why I often refer to worship as the “essence” of the Christian life. It is who we are and how we should live. (Philippians 2:5-8). Only then can we expect to experience corporate worship the way God desires.
In accomplishing corporate worship, it is important to remember that each week as we attempt to encourage our congregation to worship God, we cannot MAKE this happen. We can only encourage it, and facilitate it. We encourage it by letting our worship heart be expressed outward and engage in worship ourselves. Then we can become engaging to the congregation and an encouragement to their personal worship. As we all worship together as individuals, we collectively worship as a corporate body of Christ.
Steve Johnston – Worship Leader