Order In Worship

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Yesterday I participated in a wonderful worship service in my church.  The message was based on Revelation chapter 4. The preacher carefully explained the meaning of John’s revelation described in that chapter.  Then, when the message concluded, the worship leader led us in this song:

“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.

Where do these powerful words of worship come from?  They come from the last verse of Revelation 4, the very passage of scripture the preacher had been teaching from. As I worshipped the Lord, it was easy for me to sense that other people were also drawing close to him in worship.  As I left the service, several people, including my son, commented, “Isn’t it great when the songs we sing have the same theme as the message that is preached?”

It is great when songs and sermon, prayers and praise to God share a common theme in a worship service. But a well-ordered worship service is no accident. Well-ordered worship happens when worship leaders think about the theme of the service, the purpose of the service and the parts of the service. It is not hard to plan a well-ordered worship experience for your church, but it does take time. It is not hard to prepare for a well-ordered worship service, but it won’t happen automatically.

Just as harvesting a crop requires a farmer to follow a process step by step from preparing the soil, to planting, cultivation, and harvest, so a well-ordered worship service requires the worship leader to make decisions about the steps he will take from the start to the end of the service.  Led by the Holy Spirit, answer these questions for yourself as you prepare to lead worship. 

·        Ask yourself, “What is the theme of this service?”  The theme of the service is the central idea from Scripture that is presented through preaching, teaching or Bible story-telling. The theme of a service will be evident to worshippers in songs they sing and prayers that are prayed as well. Ask yourself, “What is the theme of this service?”

·        As you continue to plan for worship, ask yourself “In light of theme of the service, how will I call believers to worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth?  What Scripture will I use in the call to worship?”

·        Ask yourself, “In light of the theme of the service, what songs will we sing to worship the Lord?  What songs will we sing to praise him?”  These songs will reflect the same biblical theme as the Bible message in worship.

·        Then ask yourself, “In light of the theme of the service, how will we pray?”

·        Finally, ask yourself, “In what order will we sing, receive a Bible message, and pray?”

As you devote time to prepare well-ordered worship around a common theme, God will meet you and he will guide you.  More importantly, he will meet those who worship him and will apply his word to their lives in ways that bring blessing and hope.

Next time you are responsible for ordering the elements in a worship service, be sure to take time. Determine the theme of the service.  Then choose Scripture and songs and prayer that support and strengthen that theme. As you do this, God will meet you and your people in wonderful ways.

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

 

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #OrderInWorship #WorshipTheLord