Essentials of an Effective Worship Service Part III

Essentials of an Effective Worship Service Part III[1]

4. Power of the Holy Spirit.

Without this fourth element our worship services will have no lasting impact. Only God’s Spirit can draw a person to saving faith in Christ (John 6:44), only He can convict the world of guilt (John 16:8), only He can guide us into all truth (John 16:13), and only He can sanctify us to be conformed to the image of God’s dear Son (Romans 8:29). Unfortunately, too often the church has downplayed the vital importance of the Spirit in the daily life of the Christian. Zechariah 4:6 makes this clear: “It is not by force nor by strength, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies” (NLT).

Jim Cymbala, pastor of The Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City, writes, “Our attempt at ministry will be an absolute exercise in futility if we are not experiencing divine help through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not enough to teach and preach about the Spirit. We must experience Him personally in new depths, or we accomplish little. Without the Holy Spirit there is no quickening of the Scripture. Worship is hollow. Preaching is mechanical, never piercing the heart.”[2]

Reliance on the Spirit is evident in the story of Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah. As they waited for instructions before the Lord, “the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel” (2 Chronicles 20:14a). It was the Holy Spirit who gave the words that caused the children of Judah to rejoice.

According to Luke 3:21-22, Jesus began His ministry the day the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. In Luke 4, the Holy Spirit’s power was on Jesus, causing the news of Him to spread. And the very first public words of Jesus’ ministry credited the Spirit’s anointing of Him. Furthermore, it was not until after the Spirit filled and empowered Him that Jesus performed His first miracle (see John 2:1-11).

If Jesus needed the Holy Spirit’s power in His life to be effective, how much more do you and I need the Spirit’s anointing in our lives? You may be thinking, “Well, that is Jesus. I could never do the things He did even with the Holy Spirit.” But that is not so. Jesus said to all His disciples, “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father” (John 14:12 NLT).

It is not enough for His Spirit to live in us because we’ve accepted Christ; we must be filled with His Spirit every day. In Ephesians 5:18 we read, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Every day that is not a Spirit-filled day is a wasted day. In his book, The Secret of Supernatural Living, Adrian Rodgers writes, “In my estimation, the cause of Christ has been hurt far more by Christians who were carnal and not Spirit-filled than by Christians who were drunk.”[3]

If we’re not filled up with God as we stand to represent Him before the people, we are doing nothing more than putting our flesh on parade. And here is the scary part: What if those watching don’t realize we are full of ourselves? We could literally lead them away from God rather than closer to Him. We must be filled with His Spirit. Nothing less is acceptable as ministers and Christians.

5. Pastoral Direction

You might be thinking, “Ok, Bryan, you have slipped one in on me. It’s nice of you to think so highly of yourself.” It is not that I think highly of myself. Well, just don’t ask my wife. If you look at our foundational story in 2 Chronicles 20, what names do you remember? If I were a betting person (which I’m not) I would say the name you remember is Jehoshaphat. In fact, other than a reference once to Jahaziel, Jehoshaphat is the only one who is even recognized in this account. His name appears 11 times in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. How is it in a gathering of thousands, one person’s actions and words are highlighted more than anyone else’s? In a word: leadership. Leadership is God’s formula for directing His people. Other notable leaders include Moses, David, Solomon, Joshua, Paul, and of course, Jesus.

2 Chronicles 20:18-21 (NASB):

⁸ Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. ¹⁹ The Levites, from the sons of the Kohathites and of the sons of the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

Enemies Destroy Themselves

²⁰ They rose early in the morning and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa; and when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the Lord your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.” ²¹ When he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who sang to the Lord and those who praised Him in holy attire, as they went out before the army and said, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” 

It was Jehoshaphat who was the first to fall on his knees. He led the way for the others to praise. Furthermore, it was Jehoshaphat who appointed the musicians, not the other way around. He even told them what He wanted them to sing. Now, that tends to cause some church musicians to cringe just a bit. Who really wants the pastor (or anyone else for that matter) choosing songs for the worship service?

However, in the Bible, the “overseer” (pastor or bishop) was the worship leader-or lead worshipper to be exact. Of course, unlike Jehoshaphat, pastors are not kings and should not act like them. Nonetheless, the lead pastor should be involved to some degree in putting together and overseeing the worship gatherings of the church. Even the most talented and experienced music ministers need some level of support, participation, and encouragement from the “under-shepherd” of that flock. This is God’s formula for His people. It is a pastor’s role to give leadership and direction and to entrust and empower other capable staff and lay leaders to help and lead as needed. 

Acts 20:28 (NASB):

Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

Note that it is the Holy Spirit who gives the pastor or “overseer” authority.  Notice what Peter says:

^“You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5, NASB)

My Daily Praise

Jehovah-Rohi is the covenant name for God that appears in Psalm 23:1. Read Psalm 23 and praise God that He is the “Shepherd and Overseer” of your soul (1 Peter 2:25).

My Daily Surrender

Read back over all five essentials of an effective worship service. Then ask yourself if you are personally demonstrating these elements while you are at home, work, or school each day. Write a prayer to God asking to help you strengthen those areas in which you are weakest.

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[1] This material is taken from DeWayne Moore’s book, Pure Praise (Loveland: CO: Group Publishing, 2009), 84-89.

[2] Jim Cymbala, Fresh Power (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001), 99.

[3] Adrian Rodgers, The Secret of Supernatural Living (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1982), 43.