WG11 – Day 3 (Part 1)

[Day 3 of the Sovereign Grace WorshipGod11 Conference at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD.]

At this conference we get a schedule in our lovely binders and this morning we were lead in musical worship by the band Sojourn.  Wow.  WOW.  These guys were so good, so original, so tasty, so full of energy.  There were a couple moments where I was like completely head-banging to a wicked folk-infused, southern, funk groove so fat I could eat off of it.  (That is worship…thank you God for your good gifts!)

Here was their set (Thanks to Bob from his blog)

Before the Throne of God Above (Vikki Cook/Charitie Lees Bancroft)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (Traditional)
Death Has Lost Its Sting (Isaac Watts/Dennison)
All I Have is Christ (Jordan Kauflin)
In the Shadow of the Glorious Cross (Brooks Ritter/Rebecca Elliot)
Rock of Ages (Traditional)
Absent From Flesh (Isaac Watts/Jamie Barnes)

Then, as if that wasn’t enough – Bob Kauflin spoke – on “Gathering to Edify.” (Note Sovereign Grace posted the message here).

Bob started off by reminding us that the word “worship” is a transitive verb – it requires and object.  We need to worship something – in this case we need to worship God.  (Hence the name of the conference!)   We wouldn’t say “Let’s go throw” – throw what?  A ball? It requires an object and the object of our worship must be God himself.

When we gather together it is about God and us = we edify the church by magnifying Christ and that brings glory to God.  Expect God will do this when we gather! (if we magnify Christ…)

1. When we gather, we edify each other
• Were you edified in church today?  Look at 1 Cor 14 – how many times do you see ‘build up?’
• Seek personal edification by edifying others – greeting, singing, praying, etc.
• Love – loving others
• Are we seeking glory for our selves?
• Physical expression builds up (NOTE:  I agree!  As worship leaders how encouraging to see our body worshiping with physical expression and passionate singing.  How discouraging to see people refusing to sing and glaring back…)
• Intelligibility
• Do we speak Christianese at church?
• Do we help newcomers understand what we do?
• (Bob then went to the piano for an example – he played “Amazing Grace” and asked us to sing, but he played such a strange version of it, the melody was completely obscured, no one sang.  Point taken.)
• Be clear
• Provide for planned and spontaneous moments
• Are we leading to receive or to give?  Am I distracted by what I see?
• Countenance – does our face reflect deep inner joy?
• Do we open our eyes and make eye contact with the body when we lead worship?  (“Open the Eyes of My Face, Lord)
• The most important sound is the congregation singing – let them sing out!  Give them some familiar songs/arrangements, give them breaks with the full band and just let it be piano or guitar, let them sing a capella!
2. God edifies his church
• Not individual experiences
• This strengthens the spiritual mortar between the living stones
• Eph 4:15-16 – grow up in every way…
• Grow up into Jesus
• Built up from the whole body
• Don’t leave people with the “Do more, work harder!” – leave them with the grace of God in Jesus
• Keep the Gospel FIRST, Paul did in his letters!
• Remember, strengthening comes from Christ
• Gospelize each other – Col 2:6-7
• Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
  (Colossians 2:6-7 ESV)