Dress, and other odd reasons for false confidence

13 09 2011

Reading Phil 3 today.  This jumped out at me:

For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh   -Phil 3:3

I don’t worship by my flesh. I worship by the spirit of God and I glory in Christ Jesus.  This seems like it’s detached from what we do in America, but I don’t think it is. Paul is saying that those who are of the circumcision think they have some extra access to worship God because of their physical circumcision. This is just funny to think about. They think because the end of their penis doesn’t have the extra skin from birth, that they have extra favor with God. Weird. But to give them credit, it made sense in their day. It was a sign of a covenant between them and God. But what about now? Paul says that WE are the circumcision(the people who have a covenant with God) because we worship by the spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus.

It’s all about who is “special” to God. Who gets his attention. Who he notices more. Who he favors. Who’s “in”.

And we are still concerned with this today. And there is nothing wrong with wanting to be near to God and wanting his favor.  It’s how we go about getting it that can get twisted. See, the jews of the day followed all the religious laws and thought that they were earning favor with God.  What about today?  What do we do to earn favor with God?

The first thing that comes to mind (because I lead a worship service every week) is church clothes. There is nothing wrong with signs of honor, I do it everytime I go on a date with my wife, but there IS something very wrong when we genuinely believe God sees or favors us more because of our clothing.  We are coming before the God of the universe. Do we really think that a collar on our shirt or a crease in pants is going to earn us enough points to enter into his presence.

No way Jose. Ain’t happenin’.

He’s God. He’s holy. You can’t come before him just because you cleaned up a bit. And without the blood of Jesus, you would be utterly consumed in His presence (and not in a good way).  Thinking our clothes or hair is going to somehow earn us favor or even saftey in the presence of God is like jumping into a shark tank with your “briar proof” jeans. It just ain’t gonna cut it.

But “It is we who are the circumcision [figuratively], we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh” that can enter into his presence freely.  James 4:6 says that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. That’s why that 20 something that just came to Christ (you know the one, he doesn’t know that the “F” word is not an acceptable adjective anymore) encounters God in incredible ways while the prideful, albeit nicely dressed, church folk seem to struggle to hear from God at all.

So in the end, it’s not about dress or not dress. That’s just an example. We strive to earn God’s favor in countless other ways: work, language, good deeds, being nice, etc.  But what God is after is a heart change. A humbling before the incredible work of his son Jesus and a realization that only be His sacrifice do we have access to God.  And only by the Spirit of God can we worship the father at all (remember John 4?).

So, today I don’t want to feel like I need to measure up to come before God.  I want to worship by the Spirit of God. I want to glory in Christ Jesus, not myself, because, lets face it: I don’t have all that much to glory in on my own. Oh, but in Jesus, nothing is impossible. He can use me and mold me and give me an incredible destiny. Thank You Jesus.


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Child-like lessons from Ps 40:1

20 09 2010

My wife is GREAT with kids.

We have 3 of them. One isn’t born yet. (I know, some might say I have 2 and 1/2 kids, but lets be real, a half person doesn’t get hiccups, have a heartbeat, and relentlessly kick my wife’s bladder)

Oh and my wife, let’s call her Mindy (because that’s her name) works with kids 4 days a week.

And the thing about kids is: they cry A LOT.  I think 5 times an hour my kids cry about something. And though we love them, Mindy and I don’t always give them our undivided attention for each incident. Sometimes they’re trying to manipulate us.  Sometimes they’re exaggerating.  And sometimes they’re just plain lying.  But when we know something is genuinely  wrong, or that they are actually hurt, we ALWAYS turn to them.  And it’s that direct attention that calms them down.  I know so many times when multiple kids will be vying for Mindy’s attention and she will turn her attention to just one of them and ask, “What is it?”  You can see the kid calm down instantly, then explain, then receive help.

As I was reading Ps 40 I couldn’t help but think of Her.

Ps 40:1 I waited patiently for the Lord, He turned to me and heard my cry.

There is such a parental/human sense to how David describes God in this verse. God turns to us and hears our cry?  Is this really same God that David later describes in Ps 139 as being present, whether we are in the heavens or the depths of the earth?  Is this the same omnipotent, omniscient God of David?

I know this metaphor can’t “walk on all 4′s.”  God doesn’t feel stressed or pulled between people who are vying for his attention.  But there is something so comforting in the way David describes how the Lord dealt with him and will deal with us when we cry out to Him.

He turns to us.

As if to say, “What is it? What’s the matter?”  When I sense God’s presence in the midst of my prayers, there is a sense of peace that overwhelms me. I feel like a child, who’s father or mother has turned their attention toward them.  I don’t have to yell, or cry. I don’t have to display my desperation anymore.  All  need to do is pour out my heart and lay my burdens before Him.

We have an amazing heavenly Father. He is wiser than any earthly father and infinitely more loving.  When we cry out to Him, he has the grace to not only hear us, but to first turn his attention toward us.  Wherever you are today. Keep waiting. Wait patiently. Keep praying.  When you sense his presence in the midst of your plea, your deliverance is near.

Isn’t our God good?

Cole


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What is a worship leader (part 3)

30 06 2010

In part 1 we talked about the confusion that’s inherent in the term “worship leader” and the lack of a real biblical model for what worship leaders do today.

In part 2 we discussed that the songs we sing become the truth we believe. And as worship leaders, we need a strong biblical foundation in order to direct our song selection process.

Today, I want to ask the question, is it important for corporate worship leaders to be able to effectively communicate the word?  I think so. I once heard a very popular worship leader say that he didn’t think it was appropriate to teach during the music or in between songs.  I have to say I disagree. As worship leaders, we need to be able to teach on encounters and worship, AS we lead people into them.

There is a familiar story in Matthew 16 where Jesus is praying with his disciples and Peter says, “You are the Christ of God.”  Jesus then tells Peter: “…this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”   Peter had encountered the Father, but was unaware. Jesus had to give him a clear picture of what had happened.

I think this principle translates to corporate worship.  As worship leaders, we need to be able to teach people about their encounters with God WHILE they’re having them.

Example: In the bridge of a worship song, the congregation begins singing a new song to the Lord and the Glory of the Lord begins to especially fill the room.  Amazing moment.

A teaching worship leader can point to Ps 22: that God inherits the praise of his people and that the word used for praise there is “tehilla,” or “new song.”  Everyone can leave that gathering knowing that God had inhabited their praise.  They have a biblical understanding of their experience.  Not that ALL encounters or times of singing are as cut and dry.  God is not about formulas, but teaching in that moment is crucial to give the worshippers a biblical understanding of what is happening. In the same way that Jesus had to tell Peter, “See, Dad told you that” we can open up the word while leading our songs and say, “THIS is what God is doing.”

Cole


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Zamar

23 04 2010

Zamar – to make music or play an instrument

Did you know that this word is used 35 times in the book of psalms?

So many times, I get to an instrumental bridge of a breakdown in a song and I feel a sense of loss from the people I’m leading. And not just my folks at SUMC. This is pretty much across the board. There is a sense that words are the only way to express our gratitude to God, but I think the word of God has something different to say about that. I especially like what Ps 149 says:

Let them praise his name with dancing and make music[zamar] to him with tambourine and harp. -Ps 149:3

I am a worship leader. Not many people would disagree with that (well, I don’t think they would anyway), but what about my band? The team that leads WITH me? Are they leading people? I think so. And the word tells us so. In Ps 149 there is a call to make music and dancing that celebrates our God. Pull out a good dance album and give it a listen. Are they a ton of words? Nope. But it makes you want to dance. It FEELS celebratory.

I had a really amazing night a few weeks ago and was on my way home. I honestly just wanted to dance (and I am a terrible dancer). I flipped through the stations on my radio for something that emulated my mood – joyful, excited, celebratory. I tried the christian stations with no luck and I didn’t even waste my time trying the country station! You know what the ONLY song on that emulated my mood?

It was that Ke$ha song: Tik Tok.

Do I endorse the message of this: NO!

But when that chorus hits, it was EXACTLY how I felt. It was high energy, celebratory, and FUN! In that moment, I wasn’t looking for words, I was looking for music that communicated THAT emotion.  There was nothing else that did.  I used to get so frustrated with teenagers when I would DJ for parties because the music they brought me had horrible lyrics. They said they didn’t care of know what the lyrics were, all they cared about was the music. Only now am I beginning to understand what they were talking about.  Not that I condone the music, but there is an honest tension between the “feel” of a song and the lyrical content.

Music can communicate beyond what even lyrics can. Take a band like Maroon 5. Their music is SO fun. The lyrics: not so much. But we listen because what what our mom’s told us growing up is true: “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it”

We are Christians are in need. We are need of musicians who know how to use their instruments not just to emulate Coldplay, but who can interpret scripture, hymns, and new songs. Musicians – take up your commission from the word and learn your craft. We need you to do what you were made to do! Make music that says something without a word. We need it so bad!


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Fresh Pressed: Gospel of Power

13 04 2010

As a rule, I don’t write a post I haven’t fully processed and studied.  I don’t want to use even this small teaching platform irresponsibly. That being said, today I’m making an exception. Today’s post is fresh on my heart and mind. It’s relatively unprocessed and I have only a short amount of time investing in studying it. (Hence the Title: Fresh Pressed)

Paul says to the Thessalonians:

For we know, brothers loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy spirit and with deep conviction.   – 1 Thess 1:4-5a

So, what does it mean for the gospel to be preached, not just in word, but with power?

Paul said in Romans 15:18-19:

I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done — By the power of signs and miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit; so that from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ (Emphasis added)

And this in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5:

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom but on God’s power

You have to be left thinking: Paul must consider signs and miracles an integral part of preaching the gospel.

A teacher I deeply respect, Bill Johnson, commented on Romans 15 in a sermon I once heard (loosely quoted): “If this phrase said, ‘In giving to the poor, I have fully preached the gospel’ or ‘In kindness to others, I have fully preached the Gospel’ then it would be on banners in churches around the country. But as it is, it’s a relatively unheard verse.”  I agree

Don’t get me wrong. We are meant to be kind to our neighbor. Loving them is the 2nd greatest commandment.  We should give to the poor. That has been a tenant of God’s culture for ages.  What I’m saying is that so many of us, myself included, are a little uneasy about what these verses imply: That demonstrations of God’s power aren’t a fringe, peripheral part of Gospel, but rather an integral part of teaching and preaching what we’ve been entrusted.

This isn’t the first stirring of this in my heart, but this morning I’ve been drawn back and reminded of it . I’m excited to see what God will do. Whenever He brings me back to something I’ve left in my past or taken out of practice, I feel His persistence as my father, leader, and counselor. This is obviously important to Him, so I will make it important to me.

I’ll leave you with a few other verses that refer to this subject for you to look at on your own. I’d love to hear from you on this. Drop me a comment and let’s journey together.

2 Tim 3:5; 1 Cor 4:19-20; 2 Cor 4:7; 2 Cor 12:12; Gal 3:5; 2 Thess 1:11; 2 Tim 1:7-8, 3:5; Hebrews 2:1-4

Love,
Cole


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Our Role as Worship Pastors (Part 1)

19 03 2010

When I became a believer I was in High School and I was a part of a youth group at a small baptist church.  Shortly after, the youth pastor found out that I played guitar.

“Next week, have ‘Faith like a Child’ ready to go! Your leading worship”  He says to me. (If you haven’t had the pleasure, check the song out HERE.)

I didn’t have itunes, though I think Napster had made it’s way onto the scene by then, so I learned it as best I remembered from when the sunday morning.  The next wednesday came and I played my 1 song I had learned. It was terrible. I think most people were just confused at what was happening and honestly I was a little confused as well.  I had been given a task: lead worship.  But no one had stopped to tell me what my role in leading worship was. Am I just a musician?  Am I a cheerleader?  Am I a performer?  This leads me to our topic.

What is our role as worship pastors?

The way I see it, we essentially have 5 main roles:
Worshiper, Leader, Teacher, Pastor, and Musician

Let’s start with worshiper and we will get to the others in later posts.

Your #1 responsibility as a worship pastor is to be a worshipper yourself.  A worship leader who lacks passionate and intimate personal time with the Lord has no business leading people in the very thing he or she lacks.  This is about as basic as we can get, but I still think it’s worth saying. I can’t tell you how many students and even adults I’ve seen that are simply taking cues from Steve Fee or Kim Walker, repeating their prayers, repeating their new songs, and imitating their demeanor on stage.  The funny thing is depending on how deep and enthusiastic your people on, this can work at some level for a while before it surfaces as fraud.  But like we talked about in the Wilderness Power post, these incredible leaders God has raised up in the church are leading from an overflow of intimacy and time with the Father.  And it is IMPOSSIBLE to imitate, reproduce, or counterfeit (well) that overflow. So where are you today?  Do you practice what you preach? Let’s always ask God to examine us like David did at the end of Ps 139:

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!


And on a practical side, what does this look like?  What are some ways we can be practitioners of what we are encouraging?

1. Sing a new song to God in your quiet place. God loves your songs, and he especially loves the song that is an overflow of what He is doing specifically in You. Look at psalms like Ps 105 where the psalmist remembers the SPECIFIC workings of God in his people. Or Ps 30 where David recalls the Lord’s salvation in his life.  Sing to your God and your Dad a new song.

2. Love on someone. Hebrews 13:15-16 says this:

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

With what sacrifices is God pleased? Both! Loving him (fruit of lips) and loving others (do good/share with others).  Jesus even said that the 2nd most important law in the whole Old Covenant was to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31), second only to loving God will all you are!  So love on someone today. It can be anything from buying a stranger a cup of coffee to housing someone who doesn’t have a place to stay.  You could even pray for the sick!  Jesus is our example as a worshiper and the gospels talk about him loving people WAY more than they do about him singing.

3. Worship through your worship set. So, you’ve put together songs for your church on sunday. A great way to fuse the practical with the spiritual is to take that worship set you’ve planned, get with the Father, and offer those songs up to Him.  You will never be more connected with a worship set as when you’ve encountered God in the midst of it before you ever lead your people in it.

I hope this helps. As I post the other 4 parts to this series, I’ll link them at the top of this page.

Blessings,
Cole


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Friday Fun, Friday Freebie

29 01 2010

Fun:

Pardon the “language” in the vid. The man is a beast at guitar though.

Freebie:

Kingsway is giving away 2 free Misson: Worship seminar MP3′s away on their website (you have to have a free-login). Basically, go to the website, search “Mission Worship,” pick a couple that you like and click buy.  When you checkout type this code in as a coupon they’ll be free:  MW09FREE

This code is only valid through the end of February, so you better hurry.

Cole


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Babbling, Believing and Breakthrough

27 01 2010

My wife Mindy is sick. Just heard back that it’s the flu….which is viral…..which is supposed to just “run it’s course.”  Ugh Makes me feel kinda helpless.

Woke up this morning and Mindy told me she hadn’t rested all night (this was 7AM) and that she was aching really bad in her back.  I laid my hand on her head and prayed for rest, but couldn’t think of alot of “ways” to ask for rest.  I mean, “Lord, I ask for rest on her body” was about all I had.  Then I prayed for the pain to leave her joints, but again couldn’t think of many ways to phrase this prayer.  So I took my hand off her head and off her back. I believed that my prayer would be answered and asked her if it felt better.

The pain left her back and she slept for the next 3 hours.

Have you ever been in this situation. No, I don’t mean praying for your wife’s flu virus at 7AM.  I mean praying for something that is really simple and feeling like you need a lot of impassioned words for something to actually happen.  It happens to me alot. I feel inadequate if I don’t have 10 minutes worth of prayer for a specific subject, phrased 9 different way.  (I think it’s worth noting that I’m not referring to persistence.  God values persistence and associates it with faith)

But….I’ve been reading alot about prayer lately. Mainly Jesus’ words on it:

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans,
for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  (Matthew 6:7)

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that You have received it and it will be yours (Mark 11:24)

It’s interesting to me that one of the first real miracles we see in the book of Acts by the disciples incorporated both of these principles(Acts 3). Peter and John see a man by the gate “beautiful” begging. He’s crippled.  Peter looks at him and TELLS him to walk in the name of Jesus (note the assurance). But let’s be honest, I could probably muster the courage to tell some cripple guy to walk and still be terrified on the inside.  Peter and John go a step further.

They help him up.              The crippled guy!         They help him up.                 You don’t help up a cripple.                You carry them.

And at THAT moment is when it says his “feet and ankles became strong!”   He was healed when Peter and John acted on their faith.  Me and my friend Reed Moore (GO READ HIS BLOG) prayed for a girl at the Orange conference last year.  She had a leg brace. When we finished praying, she said “thanks!”. Thanks? Let’s check this thing out. We just asked for something. Let’s see if He did it!  We removed her brace and I regret to say nothing happened. This was my first of several stories like it in the past year.  It’s unfortunate but we (and I include myself here) have fallen subject to fear of embarrassment.  ”If we don’t ask, we don’t put ourselves or God out there.” We don’t say it, but we all feel it. Can you join me in pressing past this. In pressing into faith, belief, and assurance and leaving babbling and fear behind.

I’m not the expert here. Alot of this is me writing to build me faith. I want my wife healed from the flu. I want to see God’s kingdom in power and in deed, not just in word. I am praying. Join me?  How can I pray for you?

Cole





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