Who is Worship for anyway?

It is with much sadness that I write a post on the music side of Worship, as it's often a most abused area in church life. I'm not going to give an in depth teaching on it due to the fact that many other worship leaders have done so before and I totally agree with many of them. What I will do at the end of this note is add some very good teachings on worship thats really sound and sadly true for today.
Follow links at the end to read more on teaching.
I want to write on some of the worship I've encountered thoughout 20 years in various Chruches across the UK and the problems in the worship of a fellowship, problems that can often hinder Church growth and maturing. I want people who are called by God into that ministry, to have a much better and safer start than I had. My beginings in worship were quite horrendous mainly because the leaders had such a strangle hold on that area. It wasn't their gifting, but they dominated it. Don't get me wrong, I believe leaders should over-see the worship ministry in their (God's) Church, but they should let the people who are called and gifted in that area have the freedom to use their gifts and not stifle them. As time went on the Lord put me with some fantastic leaders who gave me the freedom to lead worship and grow in that, but they were the ones who recognised that call on my life (their words not mine) and worked with the Lord in that. They also had a very good understanding on worship themselves.
The first Church I was in was a Baptist Church and to do anything involved with leadership ment you needed to be a member of that Church, something I didn't question at the time as I was a very young Christian, but it's something I am totally against now. Why? Because it's not biblical! It's something that man demands, not something God requires. The truth is as soon as we become born again believers, we become part of God's Kingdom and part of the whole body.....that is the truth. Demanding membership to the local Church can even become a stumbling block for many.... there's no need for it! It doesn't keep people from leaving if they disagree with the leaders. I also believe it's man manipulating people, the carrot always being......."you become a member and we will let you use your gifts in this fellowship!" Really! Well, if God has gifted and called people into ministry, there should be no extra requirements from man ......and yet some leaders like to make them "you must be a member!" is one. Ask yourself this, exactly for who's benefit? I'd say to all Church leaders who insist on membership before allowing people to exercise their gift and call, " It really is your loss!" because people who won't be manipulated will just leave, move on, and the Lord will use them elsewhere, He always does.
Moving on to a little Pentecostal Church years ago. It had a lot going for it, but the one area that let them down was the worship. They had a problem that you'll find in many many Churches worldwide, the Pastor's wife was heading up the worship group and she was tone deaf!! No seriously, I'm not messing.....she couldn't get any where near any of the notes. It's a phenomena!! You'll find it in too many fellowships, because they are married to the Pastor it gives them some divine right to be in or even head up the worship team, whether they have any talent or not. And it can be crippling for the healthy worship life of a fellowship....and certainly that little church never grew in all the years it was there. In many of these cases the Pastors have very little understanding on worship themselves. They believe if someone wants to "have a go" at the worship they should let them. NEVER a good thing to do, never edifying for the Church. And yet....they are the Pastors, so often things don't change untill they are taken out. In that set up with the little fellowship, the Pastor didn't even consider what the Lord may have wanted within worship.....he simply put his wife first!
Too many churches allow people to 'HAVE A GO!' and it's just not right in the worship team area, or any other for that matter. Would Pastors let anyone have a go at teaching and preaching if they had no gifting? Well, I believe some of that happens today as well, but it shouldn't be so. God calls each of us to different areas of work and when leaders understand the dynamics of that, and encourage the right people into the right places...anything can and does happen. It's a case of doing things the Lord's way and not ours.
On coming up to the North of the UK I encountered another problem within two different worship teams.......they have no practice times. They are in that place of leading worship, but cannot be bothered to even get together to practice once a week! We had a rule in our first worship team and it was this "If you don't practice with the others....You don't play or sing on Sundays" it was as simple as that. You want to serve the King of Kings in this area? You need to put the time and effort into it, give Him the best we can give........or don't do it!! The practice time is the very best place to train others up in, if you don't have the practice times....where are you going to train them? It's not setting them the best example to follow!
"Do it well.....or don't do it!" something many leaders need to enforce if they are to over-see the worship.
So who is worship for anyway? It's suppose to be to and for God, and sadly in many fellowships it now seems to be an area full of golden calfs! It is fast becoming a ministry to please and serve man instead of a gift to God. I know of someone who use to be a worship leader, someone who rubs his hands together when the Lord is not first and foremost in His house. Someone who led worship in heaven....Satan himself! How he loves to keep the called and anointed out of that area, and how he hates it when they end up doing what God has called them to do. He'll use anything to FAKE the ministry of worship, inoculating people against the real act. He loves FAKE and POWERLESS worship within the house of God, because the only worship that is acceptable to the Lord our God is worship that is in Spirit and Truth............Jesus said it, and Satan knows it!!! Whats the aim of the enemy? To have something as close to the real deal as possible but that misses the target........God!
Another growing problem that comes from the front of Church on a Sunday.......MANIPULATION! The job of a worship team is to lead and encourage people to give the Lord real worship....thats ALL! They are NOT there to tell people what to do or where to sit, thats called MANIPULATING people. "do this, do that....stand on your head!" It's not good, it's not right. Imagine non-believers coming into a service where people are being manipulated from the front.......many would NEVER come back, because people know about manipulation they can identify it. My advice to all leaders .....stamp it out!! Respect the people who walk through the doors of the church, they are not puppets, they are individuals, treat them as such.
Of couse the first thing that leaders do when they read a report like this is REACT. But I would urge all leaders to think carefully about the things I'm pointing out, because I have also been on the best side of worship, worship that is ALL for God and has ALL it's focus on Him. Worship that is in Spirit and Truth and I've seen the blessings that comes with that. I've seen the windows of heaven open, the sick healed, those with unclean spirits set free, demons run screaming their way out of a anointed worship meetings, people truly saved and born again, and most of all ........the Lord's presence so tangible in the air around you that you felt like you'd just entered the most holy place .....His chamber. It's worth going through the fire of sorting out your present worship team to stand in the glory of His presence and works, believe me. I had to do that in the last Church I was worship leader in, and it wasn't pleasent but necessary.
Worship is living your life the way God wants you to and the goal? To please Him alone, give Him the very best we can. At times that will mean we upset people because people are not always in the right place with the right motives and in worship gifting does matter regardless of what you have been told!
All are called to worship........but not all are called to lead the rest of the body into worship. And worship is NEVER acceptable to God unless it is in spirit and in truth.