International Graduate School of Leadership

Steve Hobson

Church Health
*Session 13 & 14

CORE FUNCTIONS:
Passionate Spirituality & Inspiring Worship
Overview:
The Church . . . as the Bride of Christ passionately longs for & communes with Christ as her coming Bridegroom;
. . . as the Temple of the Holy Spirit rises up in radiant worship celebrating the presence of God in her midst.
Objectives:
1.
2.
3.
Sources:

By the end of this session you should be able to.....

Explain the preeminence of Christ in spiritual passion and the two rootings of passionate spirituality.
Discuss the theater analogy for worship and the five essential biblical elements of worship.
Describe one of the several patterns of worship that emerge from scripture and history.

Basden, Paul. Exploring the Worship Spectrum: Six Views (Counterpoints). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004 .
Best, Harold M. Unceasing Worship: Biblical Perspectives on Worship and the Arts. Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity, 2003.
Carson, D. A. (Editor). Worship by the Book. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 2002.
Dever, Mark and Paul Alexander. The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the Gospel. Wheaton, IL:
Crossway Books, 2005.
Group Publishing. Engaging Worship: 20 Blueprints for Experiential Church Services. Group Publishing, 2005.
Miller, Barbara Day. The New Pastor's Guide to Leading Worship. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2006.
Navarro, Kevin J. The Complete Worship Leader. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2001.
Navarro, Kevin J. The Complete Worship Service: Creating a Taste of Heaven on Earth. Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker, 2005.
Peterson, David. Engaging With God: A Biblical Theology of Worship. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2002.
Piper, John. God is the Gospel: Meditations on Gods Love as the Gift of Himself. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2005.

Introduction:
We claim to be praising God because of His love for us. But if his love for us is at bottom his making much of
us [giving us worth], who is really being praised? We are willing to be God-centered as long as God is mancentered. We are willing to boast in the cross as long as the cross is a witness to our worth. Who then is our
pride and joy? . . . The saving love of God is Gods commitment to do everything necessary to enthrall us with
what is most deeply and durably satisfying, namely Himself. (John Piper 2005, 12-13)

---------------- PASSIONATE

SPIRITUALITY ----------------

THE CHURCH NEEDS A CHRIST CENTERED & GOSPEL CENTERED PASSION.

A.

Christ is to have the supremacy in His church. (Col 1:17-20)

1. He is the Head of the House in the Household of God (Mt 10:25)
2. He is the Lord of Lords over the Holy Nation of God (Phil 2:11)
3. He is the Head of the Body of Christ (Eph 1:22-23)
4. He is the Bridegroom for the Bride of Christ (2 Cor 11:2)
5. He is the Cornerstone of the Temple of the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:22)
6. He is the True Vine in the Vineyard of the Holy Spirit (John 15)

I believe in Christ
as I believe that the
sun has risen:
not only because I see
it, but because by it
I see everything else.
C.S. Lewis

B.

Passionate spirituality focuses on Christ as Lord as the Source of our Life, Truth, Love.
I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For
His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain
Christ. (Paul in Phil 3:8)
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I life in the
body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Paul in Gal 2:20)
We are called to cultivate a conversational dependency on Christ, a dependency born in prayer, nourished in
the word, and lived by faith. This results in a passionate (fervent in spirit Rom 12:11; the Spirits fire
1 Thess 5:19) kind of spirituality. Christ rejects, is repulsed by lukewarm hearts and lives! (Rev 3:15-18)

PASSIONATE SPIRITUALITY IS ROOTED IN SPIRIT DEPENDENCE & SELF DISCIPLINE.

Passionate spirituality is not something we try" to produce, work up, fake. Instead it is cultivated in
the heart through two dimensions of the spiritual life:
Spirit Dependence (trust) and Self Discipline (train)
See . . .
Col 1:28-29
1 Cor 15:10
Phil 2:12-13

Spirit Dependence (Trust)

We pray, seek Him, and depend on Him (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 6:4; 4:31).

The Vine John 15:1-8,16-17

The Cross Rom 6:1-14; Gal 2:20-21; 6:14
The Filling Eph 5:15-20; Col 3:15-17

Self Discipline (Train)

We listen, follow Him, and obey Him (John 14:21-23).

Run the Race 1 Cor 9:24-26a; 2 Tim 4:7; Phil 3:12-14; Acts 20:2; Heb 12:1-3
Fight the Good Fight 1 Cor 9:26b-27; 1 Tim 1:18; 6:12; 2 Tim 2:3-4

PASSIONATE SPIRITUALITY IS GROUNDED IN PRAYER, FOCUSED IN CHRIST.

A. Pray for church leaders. And pray for us, too. (Col 4:3-4; 1 Thes 5:25)
- To live honorably in every way. (Heb 13:18).
- For God to open a door for the message and to help them proclaim it clearly (Col 4:3-4).
- That words be given to fearlessly make known the gospel (Eph 6:19-20).
- That the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored (2 Thes 3:1).
- That they may be delivered from wicked and evil men (2 Thes 3:2).

B. Pray for power over opposition (the enemy). (Eph 6:10-18; Acts 4:23-31)
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C. Pray for Gods people. "Constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times" (Rom 1:10);
"We have not stopped praying for you" (Col 1:9);

"I keep asking...." (Eph 1:17)

- For illumination by the Holy Spirit to understand scripture and know God. (Eph 1:17)
- For them to understand their identity in Christ. (Eph 1:18-23)
- For power for them to experience the love of Christ, and be filled with His fullness.
(Eph 3:14-19)
- For their love to abound in wisdom. (Phil 1:9-11; 1 Thess 3:12 - answered in 2 Thes 1:3)
- For God to fill them with the knowledge of His will (Col 1:9-14)
- For God to count them worthy and fulfill every good purpose and act prompted by their
faith, for Christ's glory (2 Thes 1:11-12)
- For them to be active in sharing their faith (Philemon 6)
- For the sick (James 5:14-15)
- Thanking God for their faith, hope and love (I Thes 1:3; II Thes 1:3-4)

---------------- INSPIRING WORSHIP ---------------"To worship - is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the
truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open up the heart to the
love of God, and to devote the will to the purpose of God." Bishop Temple (1801-1890)
"Worship is to ascribe worth to God."

WORSHIP IS ABOUT GOD THE WHY.

Worship is something God cares about. Worship is not about gaining a really good feeling about God. It is not
simply an emotional release. These may come. But it is primarily about appreciating, extolling, honoring, and
affirming the wonder, worth and majesty of God Himself, revealed in Scripture and most completely in Christ!
Worship is about God, not us! We will lose ourselves in the wonder of His glory!

The Theater Analogy (Soren Kierkegaard 1846)

1. The theater
a) Those up front =

Their role . . .
_______________

b) Those supportive = _______________

c) Those in the seats = _______________
2. The church
Traditional thinking
a) Performers b) Prompters c) Audience -

Biblical thinking

WORSHIP IS DESCRIBED BIBLICALLY THE WHAT.

Some prominent words help us see what worship is. This list is by no means exhaustive.
A. Doxa - (worship, praise, give glory to God: doxology) Lk 14:10; 1 Pet 4:11
B. Latreuo - (serve or worship God, as in liturgy) Mt 4:10; Acts 24:14; Phil 3:3; Heb 8:5. The sense is
service expressed not only in the ritual worship forms of the religious community but in the heart felt
love & gratitude of obedience to God's commands. Seen in devoted prayer (Lk 2:37; Acts 26:7),
committed work (Rom1:9; 2 Cor 8:18) and in reverent life (Lk 1:47; Acts 24:14; 2 Tim 1:3; Heb 12:28).
C. Gonupeteo - (bend the knee before God, as in "genuflect") This outward reflection of inner reverence
may even mean prostration. It is a sign of humility, homage, need, submission, and adoration as in
prayer. (1 Kings 8:54; Dan 6:10).
D. Proskuneo - (bow down, fall before God, as in "to prostrate") Mt 2:2; 14:33; 18:26; Jn 4:20-24;
1 Cor 14:25; Rev 3:9. This adoration was expressed by ancients in a kiss of reverence.
E. Other terms - indicate devotional piety (James 1:26,27); fear, holy awe (Acts 17:22)

GOD CARES HOW PEOPLE WORSHIP THE HOW.

The how of worship has been debated for centuries. Two approaches continue tugging in two directions
(Carson 2002, 25, 54-55; Dever 2005, 77):

Regulative Approach (Various Puritans) Everything we do in the corporate life and worship of the
church must be clearly warranted by the Bible (explicit command or implications of texts). This approach
forbids anything not commanded/derived from Scripture.

Normative Approach (Martin Luther, Anglican Richard Hooker) As long as a practice is not
forbidden in Scripture, a church is free to use it in its corporate life and worship.
NOTE: In both cases, the measure of what is acceptable in worship is Scripture. Scripture reveals God and
reveals His desires of how we are to worship Him!
>> Yet no passage in the OT or NT establishes an enduring guide for all aspects of corporate worship for all
time. Scripture does however guide our thinking and gives us general principles:

OT Worship is the purpose of the redemption of Gods people (Ex 3-10; in Ex 3:12 Gods sign that
He had accomplished Israels redemption from Egypt would be their worship at Gods chosen place.)
Ex 20-40 outlines the specifics of Israels worship, showing Gods concern for details!
Ex 20:4; 32:1-10 God specifically outlawed using certain cultural forms of worship common to
surrounding peoples (making of images), even though Israel tried to adapt those forms to the worship
of Yahweh (function). Culture is not necessarily neutral.

NT Worship must be based on the revealed truth of who God is, and led by the Spirit of Truth
who points to Christ who is the truth. (See John 4:19-24; 14:10)
A time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father
in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his
worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth. (Jesus in John 4:23-24)
Samaritan worship was incomplete in its understanding of God because it was based only on part of the
revealed Word available at that time (the Pentateuch). Sincerity of feelings alone is not enough.

Both OT & NT Worship is to be whole hearted! (Ps 84:2; 111:1; Mt 22:37-38; Rom 12:1)
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SCRIPTURE GIVES US SOME ELEMENTS AND PATTERNS OF WORSHIP.

Essential elements of worship are clear. (Dever 2005, 81-86)
Read the Bible Give attention to the public reading of Scripture. (1 Tim 4:13; Jer 23:29;
2 Tim 3:16; Heb 4:12; Mt 4:4) Prepare and read well!
Preach the Bible Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort,
with great patience and instruction. (2 Tim 4:2; Lk 24:27, 45-47 Christ centered,
grace focused until hearts burn within people! Offering milk & meat Heb 5:11-14)
Pray the Bible First of all, then, I urge entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be
made on behalf of all men. (1 Tim 2:1; Mt 21:13 Gods house a house of prayer;
see Pauls prayers for his churches; Model praying the Scripture, ACTS pattern)
Sing the Bible Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make
music in your heart to the Lord. (Eph 5:19; Rom 12:1-2; Heb 3:17 we give an
account.)
See the Bible Do this in remembrance of Me. (Lk 22:19-20; 1 Cor 11:23-32; Rom 6:3-4;
dramatic representations of truth showing the work of Christ).

Patterns of worship vary.

Notice all of these have a dialog going on God reveals Himself in His Word, we respond, we pray,
God answers with His Spirits enabling.

A. Pattern of Response to the vision of God - Isaiah 6:1-8

1. Worship/Vision - I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted . . .
Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory. . .
the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. . .
My eyes have seen the king, the Lord Almighty. (6:1,4-5)
2. Confession/Cleansing - Woe to me . . . I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips.
See this [live coal] has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away
and your sin atoned for. (6:5-7)
3. Intercession - I live among a people of unclean lips. (6:5)
4. Listening
- Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? (6:8)
5. Commitment Here am I. Send me! (6:8)

B. Pattern of Hearing God

1. Enter with praise (Ps 110:4)
2. Listen to the Word (Acts 2:42; Rom 10:17; Heb 11:6)
3. Confirm message with songs & testimony (1 Cor 13:1; 14:24-26)
4. Examine self and share in communion (1 Cor 11:28-32)
5. Unite in righteous prayer (Acts 2:42; 4:31)
6. Conclude with an offering (Acts 2:45; 3:32)

C. Pattern of Approach to God

1. Confession
2. Worship
3. Intercession
4. Hear the Word
5. Commitment

- preparation of the heart to worship

- expression of gratitude, praise, singing, testimony, etc
- expression of felt needs, pouring out our hearts, blockages
- God meets the deepest needs
- response of obedience

D. Pattern of Devotion to God

1. Time of preparation (choir, songs, call to worship, quiet before God)
2. Listening to the Word revealing God
3. Confession (specifically related to Word revealing God)
4. Commitment (specifically related to Word revealing God)
5. Intercession for other needs (related to the Word revealing God)
6. Worship and Thanksgiving (relate to the Word revealing God)

WORSHIP MUST INTEGRATE FUNCTION AND FORM BIBLICALLY.

The primary function (purpose/values what and why) of worship is to see God as revealed in Scripture
and respond glorifying Him with appropriate honor, adoration, and loving joy. The form (how) that takes
varies. However, form must follow after, serve, enhance and maximize the biblical function of worship. Not
the other way around. Consider these classic forms. Do they, can they enhance the function of worship?
A. Structured worship - Liturgical services of the "high church"
1. Strengths
2. Weaknesses
B. Spontaneous worship - "Spirit led" services of the "low church"
1. Strengths
2. Weaknesses
C. Orchestrated worship Organized services of the "middle church"
1. Strengths
2. Weaknesses
Balancing principles:
Balance structure (order) with spontaneity (freedom)
Balance the timeless (historic, old) with the timely (contemporary, new)
Balance leaders (up front people) with laity (congregational involvement)
Balance word/propositional truth (preaching/teaching) with ordinance/visualized truth (communion,
baptism)
Balance God focus (revealing God) with man's response to God (gratitude and honor)
Balance worship/adoration (who God is) with thanks/praise (what God has done).

MUSIC MATTERS
Consider these concerns: volume of music during worship; hymns vs contemp songs; words of worship songs:
- Desire to worship
- Our experience of God or of worship of Him
- About Gods works OR about God (Ps 96:3)
- About God directly to Him (Ps 13:6; 30:4; 95:1; 149:1-2)
What about . . . ?
- Seating arrangements
- Friendliness, talking during service
- Etc.
- Presence of children
- Dance, banners, candles, incense, bells,
- Etc.

Evaluating A Worship Service

Adapted by Dave White from NCD
Feelings of Being Inspired

Which parts of your worship service(s) seem to be most inspiring for the people?
Which aspects need adjustments?
What shows you that people who come to your worship service(s) have the sense of being touched by God?
Describe a time when you specifically felt the presence of the Lord touching you or others in the service. How often does
this happen?

Worship Service Planning

How have you adapted the worship style of your church to match the people you are trying to reach?
Who are the intercessors you have mobilized to pray for the worship services?
Do they have a pre-service prayer time? If so, how powerful is it?
How do the different up front people coordinate and plan?
How many people are involved in preparing and leading the worship service (besides the worshipers in the congregation)?
Evaluate the flow of the worship service. Is the opening of the service inspiring? Does it get peoples attention effectively
and prepare their spirits for worship? Do the transitions between segments flow smoothly?
How do you evaluate your worship services so that you can make improvements?

Visitor Friendly

How have you trained your congregation to reach out to newcomers?

Is it easy for newcomers to locate the CR? Are there helpful signs?
Are greeters available to help newcomers?
How do you encourage newcomers to try opportunities beyond the worship service (where it is easier to build
relationships or use their gifts)?
How have you trained your up-front people to speak in a friendly way? Do they minimize theological vocabulary that
visitors may not understand? Do they explain church programs in a way that visitors can easily understand?

Care for Children

How do you include the children in the worship service?

What parts of the service are understandable to children and what parts are hard for them to understand?
Do you provide separate ministry to the children during part or all of the worship service? If so, are parents confident that
their children are well cared for?
Do parents believe the ministry to their children gives genuine care with social and spiritual development?
How have the childrens staff been trained?
If there is no separate ministry to the children, are parents able to concentrate on the worship service, even with their
children present?

God-Centered And Celebrative Music

Is your style of music effective in reaching the type of people you are hoping to reach?
Do your worship leaders merely lead singing songs or do they actually facilitate worship in what they say and do?
What is the role of the worship team leader in preparing for worship?
What is expected of the worship team during the service besides leading the singing?
How do you use other art forms in your worship service (drama, visual arts, etc.)?

Life Transforming Preaching

What priority does sermon preparation have in the pastors weekly schedule?
Are the sermons easy to understand, without being shallow?
Is it clear to members how they can apply the sermons to their every day life?
How biblical are the sermons?
What opportunities do you provide for response to the sermon? For example: open sharing time, prayer, counseling, small
group sharing, devotional guidelines for the week based on the sermon, etc.
What aspects of the sermons are attractive to newcomers?

What aspects are hard for them to understand or relate to? (Use last weeks sermon as an example.)

A QUICK COMPARISON OF RELIGION AND THE GOSPEL

Religion

(Keller 2012, 65)

Gospel

I obey; therefore Im accepted.

Im accepted; therefore I obey.

Motivation is based on fear and insecurity.

Motivation is based on grateful joy.

I obey God in order to get things from God.

I obey God to get Godto delight and resemble him

When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at

God or myself, since I believe, like Jobs friends, that
anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.

When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle, but

I know that while God may allow this for my training, he
will exercise his fatherly love within my trial.

When I am criticized, I am furious or devastated

because it is essential for me to think of myself as a
good person. Threats to that self-image must be
destroyed at all costs.

When I am criticized, I struggle, but it is not essential for

me to think of myself as a good person. My identity is
not built on my performance but on Gods love for me in
Christ.

My prayer life consists largely of petition and only heats

up when I am in need. My main purpose in prayer is to
control circumstances.

My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise

and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with him.

My self-view swings between two poles. If and when I

am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I
am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to people who
fail. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel
humble but not confident I feel like a failure.

My self-view is not based on a view of myself as a moral

achiever. In Christ I am at once sinful and lost, yet
accepted. I am so bad he had to die for me, and so
loved he was glad to die for me. This leads me to
deeper humility as well as deeper confidence, without
either sniveling or swaggering.

My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard

I work or how moral I am, so I must look down on those I
perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior
to others.

My identity and self-worth are centered on the One who

died for his enemies, including me. Only by sheer grace
am I what I am, so I cant look down on those who
believe or practice something different from me. I have
no inner need to win arguments.

Since I look to my pedigree or performance for my

spiritual acceptability, my heart manufactures idols
talents, moral record, personal discipline, social status,
etc. I absolutely have to have them, so they are my main
hope, meaning, happiness, security, and significance,
whatever I say I believe about God.

I have many good things in my lifefamily, work, etc.,

but none of these good things are ultimate things to me.
I dont absolutely have to have them, so there is a limit
to how much anxiety, bitterness, and despair they can
inflict on me when they are threatened and lost.

This powerful truth of the gospel comes in two movements. It first says, I am more sinful and flawed than I ever
dared believe, but then quickly follows with, I am more accepted and loved than I ever dared hope.