Why Look to David?

One thing I have learned the HARD way - don't head over to any worship forums for a 'quick' look just before bedtime. The questions and thoughts I get can have me so excited I can't sleep!

One recent example is this question Peter Goh brought up on Worship the Rock. He pointed out that many Christian leaders teach worship from the Old Testament models of worship, such as Levitical worship or David's materials instead of looking at the New Testament. In John 4:23 Jesus revealed that there would be a massive change in the nature of worship "... a time is coming and has now come (NIV)" so why look at the older models of worship if God doesn't think they are good enough?

John 4:23 (NIV) - Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

To start we first need to look at what it means to worship in spirit and in truth. I wrote about it in detail before but to quickly sum up, to worship in spirit is to relate to God on the basis of our relationship with him through our new birth (John 3:5-6) rather than what we can achieve out of our flesh (Phil 3:3). And to worship in truth is to realize that there is nothing for which we can claim any credit or glory for, since every good we have done, including our worship, all came from God and was done through God in the first place (John 3:21).

This is a simple definition of spirit and truth, looking at John 3 and letting Scripture interpret Scripture. We can also say that to worship in spirit and truth is to relate to God based on the new covenant. And the new covenant means that all our sins are forgiven (Heb 8:12) and therefore we have a very good reason for total confidence and boldness in approaching God (Heb 10:19-22). Therefore praising God is a very natural fruit of such revelation (Heb 13:15).

The contemporary worship scene is more influenced by the Davidic model than the Levitical model (many people aren't keen to go back to sacrificing animals) so for now let's just consider: Why Look At David? I'll give a couple of reasons.

Firstly, David had an understanding of God that far exceeded what the Scriptures available to him revealed. We can see him as being very much a new covenant worshipper in the following areas:

1) He saw himself as a son of God - He will call out to me, 'You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.' (Psalm 89:26, NIV)

2) He knew he needed the forgiveness of God and that God was willing to forgive - Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32:5, NIV)

3) He knew that he had nothing in and of himself to offer God, and that whatever he had came from God in the first place - Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand (1 Chron 29:14, NIV).

People can argue over whether David was worshipping God in spirit and in truth. But what is obvious to us is that David, because of the faith he displayed in worshipping God, shows us very clearly how we ought to relate to God as new covenant believers. David was so confident in God that he believed his songs were more precious to God than even the animal sacrifices required by the Levitical priesthood.

I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs. (Psalm 69:30-31, NIV)

How many of us have THAT level of confidence when we sing to God? Or do we come to God with trepidation, not believing in the fullness of the finished work of Christ? Remember, without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). David definitely had the faith that pleased God. We would do well to learn from him.

Secondly, the New Testament points us towards the Davidic model of worship. We know that the whole of Scripture is God-breathed by his Spirit (2 Tim 3:16) and yet there are three specific parts of Scripture explicitly tied to the Spirit of God. They are

1) The Words of Jesus (the words in red) - The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. (John 6:63, NIV);

2) Old Testament prophecies - For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.(2 Pet 1:21, NIV); AND

3) The Psalms - be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Eph 5:18-19, NKJV).

And God considers the Psalms, the fruit of the Davidic model of worship, so important, that we are admonished twice (Eph 5:18-19, Col 3:16) to feed on them, to talk to God and each other about them. And we have a direct endorsement of the Davidic model given us in Acts 15:16, when James declared that the Gentiles (non-Jews) turning to Jesus is a fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy announcing God's intention to rebuild David's tabernacle (Amos 9:11-12). If God likes the David model of worship so much that he wants to restore it, and even ties the salvation of non-Jews to its restoration, it must be something VERY important to God.

And that means it ought to be important to us also.

Disclaimer: I'll be the first to admit that there are problems with the way some people look at the David model of worship. I personally disagree with using the Davidic model of worship to justify a song-and-dance routine that is based on professional worshippers rather than the entire body of Christ. And that's because of 1 Peter 2:9 which teaches us that ALL of us are royal priests, called to declare God's praises.

But even though there are people who misunderstand the Davidic model of worship, there will always be something useful for us to glean from it (as from ALL Scripture, 2 Tim 3:16). And I believe that we will understand the Davidic Model more and more in the future, as we continue to humble ourselves before God and ask that he open our eyes that we may see wonderful things in His law (Psalm 119:18).

May God himself teach us from His word and make us fruitful in His service!

P.S. if you are not yet on my Invisible Worship Musician mailing list, get over to my page and get in now! I'm going to hold a special sale to celebrate my upcoming California ministry trip. Stay tuned!

Worship Musicians and Vampires

I have a confession to make.

I've read the Twilight Series, the series of vampire-themed novels by Stephenie Meyer.

For those of you who want to understand the appeal of this series without having to plough through four thick novels, this series is essentially Cinderella writ large. Ordinary girl attracts the devotion of a fascinating male with immense physical powers, loads of money, a rich history and the kind of good looks we attribute to Greek gods. And then she herself undergoes that same transformation to rise up to his status, to become his equal, just as Cinderella became royalty through her marriage with the prince.

There, now I've saved you the hassle of reading four thick books. You now have more time to read the Bible and all my emails!

One interesting thought that occurred to me as I read through the books: many worship musicians are similar to the vampires in that series of novels. We have three areas of similarity:

1) Heightened Sensitivity

First, just as the vampires in the series have heightened physical senses, we worship musicians also have a very much higher level of sensitivity to sound, pitch and tempo. The vampires in that series can hear a human heart beating from across the road ("no big deal, JJ! I can hear coins dropped in the NEXT room!"). Musicians are likewise more sensitive to musical nuances than the average layperson.

This can range from being able to tell if someone is singing a little out-of-tune or is playing the snare drum a millisecond delayed on the 2^nd and 4^th counts, to the subtle different in electric guitar effects. When I was a piano newbie I didn't understand why people insisted on me using the correct sustain pedal technique. Later on I found to my surprise that I could hear, while conducting a group class, the sound of ONE student using the wrong pedalling technique. It was just so obvious to me after years of hearing it done right.

Being more sensitive to all these musical nuances is great when you are trying to tune up and refine your own musical skills, or the skills of your students. It often causes frustration, however, when it applies to relating with non-musicians. Ever been in a small group worship setting when you, the worship leader, are the ONLY person in the room singing in tune? Some musicians cannot listen past the discordant sounds to hear how the people are singing their hearts out to God and encountering God in worship. All many musicians notice is how everyone else is out-of-tune when trying to hit the high C# note. This can lead to much frustration in the hearts of impatient musicians.

Remember, in a worship setting all music technique (singing in pitch, instrument skill) is meaningful only to the extent it helps the people sing out their praises to God. Serving the people is the end objective. NEVER let the music distract you from serving the congregation, and never let it cause you to despise the people!

2) The Temptation to Prey on People

Second, even though the primary vampire family in the series chose not to feed on human blood, they acknowledged that feeding on humans is the natural inclination. We worship musicians may not literally be feeding on the congregation's blood, but we have to fight the inclination to prey on them in other ways, especially for approval and applause.

Beware, especially, the mindset that the congregation owes it to us to appreciate our music. They don't. They don't understand or care about how much effort we put in to ensure we fit our diminished licks into the dominant seventh (flatted ninth) chords, or to recreate the exact horn and orchestral arrangements that we heard from some massive Christian concert. And they are most likely going to lose focus and stop paying attention during the worship if we insist on putting in 64 bars of electric guitar solos every two songs or so.

This calls for understanding and restraint. We need to understand that if we serve the congregation well they are not going to notice the little things we do for them. Only God does, therefore we should look to HIM for our reward and approval, not men. And we need to restrain musical displays at all times, doing only what would serve the people, not draw attention to us and distract them from God.

3) The Need for Deliberate Effort to Understand

Third, the vampire family has to put in conscious, deliberate effort to act like humans because they wish to stay among them. Bella, the protagonist of the story, has to remember a whole list of things to do after she has become a vampire and her dad unknowingly comes to visit. She's got to remember to breathe, to blink, to fidget, to cross and uncross her legs and remember to go to the bathroom once in a while.

We worship musicians have to remember the same thing. I was in the office with Jeff (the guy who did the music notation for my book Invisible Worship Musician) a few days back and he was commenting that he did not want to get involved with teaching laypeople about the lifestyle of worship, because we musicians view the entire matter in a very different way from the congregation.

For example, many musicians cannot comprehend singing along to a 'worship' CD, while for an average layperson in church that is quite an acceptable option. We musicians feel scandalized that people can connect with God without the intervention of us anointed, Spirit-filled, God-appointed worship ministers! But in a practical sense we are replaceable by CDs, MIDI software or Youtube videos.

So if we want to serve God's people even more effectively than a CD, MIDI file or Youtube video, we need to understand the congregation and how they see music. And we use our music to serve them. Sometimes that means playing in a boring way, because we don't want to be a distraction. Sometimes that means more work, when we change or tweak a song so that it works better for the people.

Warning!

And at all times we have to beware the deception of music = worship. In the very first worship band I joined my church called us worship musicians the modern-day Levites, saying that we were tasked to bring people into the presence of God through worship. But this statement never sat well with me, because it raised the question: what does me being a great musician have to do with worship? Does understanding one automatically mean I understand the other? Or will I have to about worship the same way every other believer does, through the Bible illuminated by God's Holy Spirit?

To say that a musician is gifted in worship ministry is like saying that someone who speaks Japanese is gifted in interior design. If you meet a few people who speak Japanese and have studied ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) and use those insights in decorating a house tastefully, that does not mean that the next Japanese-speaker you meet has the same skills and opportunities. Likewise for musicians. For a musician to be effective in worship ministry, this musician needs to be taught the specific skills of worship music and to deliberately use those skills to support the praises of a congregation.

Being skilled in music does not necessarily mean that someone is able to serve well in worship ministry! It takes more than that. It takes an understanding of what the people need and a willingness to use music to serve that need. That is the true heart of a worship minister. May God work in our hearts and grant us the insights and skills we need to serve his people!

P.S. If you are a worship leader or musician, and haven't checked out my Invisible Worship Musician yet, what are you waiting for? In that book I share in detail the understanding, concepts and skills you need to be an effective worship leader and musician. Get your copy today!

P.P.S . Continue to pray for my California trip. More and more of the details are falling in place and I am very excited! Stay tuned for the exact dates and location, they will be released soon!

Me? Going California?

Hi, everyone!

Really need your prayers! I'm heading to California (Yosemite area) in the second week of August to speak at a Worship Ministry conference. It's my first ministry trip out of Singapore, so you can guess I'm really excited about it. Do uphold me in prayer, especially over:

1. Me - pray that God will prepare me and speak to me about the work he wants me to do in this trip. I desire to be used by God to impact lives for this conference.

2. The Organizer - Pastor Allyn Bell will be handling all the logistics, promotion and all that kind of stuff. Pray that he will receive wisdom and strength from God as he labors to birth forth this event.

3. The participants - Pray that God will bring the right people to this event so that they will be blessed by it.

If you are going to be in the Yosemite area during the second week of August, do let me know! I'd love the opportunity to meet up with you. And if you'd like to be there for the conference, contact me and I'll link you up with Pastor Allyn, so he can send you the info and details you'll need.

Be blessed!