Worship Leadership by Donavan Smith

ministry

WORSHIP LE ADERSHIP donavan

ministry

smith

leadership

curriculum

Greetings, I am very excited to share everything I have learned in my time as a leader in worship ministry with you.

You have signed up to take this course because you are interested in worship leadership. Just a heads up, if you thought this course was going to be primarily about music, I’m sorry to disappoint. We are going to talk about worship, and it is imperative for you to know as a worshiper that the Bible says very little about music being directly tethered to the definition of worship. I want to begin this conversation by making sure we understand that worship was never meant to be about the songs we sing or the music we play, but about a posture we take in reverence of Jesus.

In this course, we will be discovering God’s perfect plan for worship in the church. There are many different opinions about what a “successful” worship experience should look like. In today’s culture, we have inserted our preferences to dictate what worship should or shouldn’t be like, sound like, and even look like. But the truth remains, God is the One we worship. God is the One we adore. God is the One who must be enthroned upon all worship experiences.

My prayer for you is that you may gain wisdom and insight into what worship is. Only through the word of God and by His Spirit will we be able to truly understand what it means to be a worshiper. I am excited to take this journey with you, as I am still on it myself.

Donavan Smith

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP INTRODUCTION: BEFORE WE BEGIN… ���������������������������������������������������������������������������4 WORSHIP AT THE HEART OF GOD

One: WHAT IS WORSHIP? ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 5 Two: EXPRESSION ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 17 Three: THE TABERNACLE ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 27 Four: THE NEW TABERNACLE �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������35 WORSHIP LEADERSHIP

Five: LEADING YOURSELF �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 47 Six: LEADING THE CONGREGATION ������������������������������������������������������������������������� 57 SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Seven: MUSIC ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������65 Eight: SONGWRITING WORKSHOP ������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 75

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

BEFORE WE BEGIN‌ As I said before, this will be a journey. We each currently hold our own views on what worship is, filtered through a collection of experiences we have been a part of. What I will be sharing with you are areas in my leadership where I have been successful, where I have failed, where I have hit the mark, and where I have missed it. Your own personal journey will be a compilation of wins and losses, all covered in grace and all occurring while in constant communication with Jesus. It is truly beautiful. One of the important implications of a journey is for us to be able to quantifiably measure growth or change. We can do this by observing any changes in our thinking, analyzing different perspectives from conversations we have had along the way, and most importantly holding on to heart-revelations provided by the Holy Spirit. During this course, I want you to have an open heart. Take notes about what we will be discussing, and most importantly, position yourself to hear from the Lord.

I would like for us to tangibly measure any growth or changes in our thinking when it comes to worship. In 3-5 sentences, in your own words, explain what worship means to you.

Come back to this after the course is complete to answer this question. In 3-5 sentences, explain if the idea of worship has changed for you in any way.

~4~

1

WHAT IS WORSHIP?

It is simply not enough to know about God. We must know God in increasing levels of intimacy that lifts us up above all reason and into the world of adoration and praise and worship.

A.W. TOZER, Delighting in God

But the time is coming — indeed it’s here now — when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way. For God is spirit, so those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.

JOHN 4:23-24

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

PROPHETIC ENCOUNTER - DAY ONE God is always speaking. Turn on some worship music and take a moment in silence to hear what God is speaking. It can be a word of knowledge, an image, or anything He places on your heart; write it or draw it here:

~6~

CHAPTER 1 — What is worship?

WORLD VIEW In order to become effective worship leaders, we must first discover what worship means. The textbook definition of worship is “an expression of adoration of a deity or being.” Worship is giving all of your attention and adoration to anything that sits upon the throne of your heart.

Worship is something that has grasped the affection of the human heart for centuries; the reason being that we were made to worship. We were created to cling onto an idea, dream, vision, or some sort of cosmic entity that is greater than ourselves.

• In China, Yinglong was known as the ‘Dragon King’ and god of the rain and the waters. He was prayed to and worshipped regularly by sailors, fishermen, and farmers who needed rain for their crops.

• In Rome, Apollo was worshiped as the god of music, healing, the sun, truth, and prophecy.

• In India, Ganesha was believed to be the god of wisdom and good fortune.

• In Egypt, Osiris was revered as the god of the underworld, symbolizing death and resurrection.

We could put together a much longer list of gods that human beings have worshipped. In the modern world, less attention is given to the worshiping of gods, but we still often place different kinds of idols upon the throne of our hearts. Anything that comes before the one true God can become an idol that we worship. Our careers, money, materials, relationships, and other aspects of our lives can consume our thoughts and attention if not submitted to the one true King, and His name is Jesus.

BIBLICAL VIEW Biblical references show us that true worship is simply being with God, and Him being with us.

We will continue to dig into this concept later, but we should start by recognizing that the very first worship experience was ordained and designed by God so that He could be known as a God who dwelt with His people. That’s it! Period!

Worship was never meant to be: • A genre of music • A means to a life of fame, fortune, and popularity • An elevated show on a stage • Packaged and distributed solely for profit

~7~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

I don’t mean to come across condescending to any worship artists who have produced incredible worship albums for the world to hear. I myself have a few worship songs available on digital music platforms. Still, I can’t help but desperately sound the alarm for us as a worship culture to come back to the heart of the matter. Worship leadership is about being with God and leading others into an encounter with Him. Nothing else.

We must desire to advance in our grasp the riches of divine glory that await us when we discern the difference between the workings of worship as an exercise, and the weight of glory awaiting when worship becomes the pathway to genuinely encountering God’s presence and goodness among people who seek and find Him. Zach NEESE

KNOW HIM To worship God, we have to know Him. Many of us forget to see God as the ‘Living God’, often unintentionally portraying Him as merely an idea. We know of God, we hear about God in church, but we don’t choose to walk into deeper covenant with Him. We have to stop seeing God as an idea and begin to see Him in a relational context, as if we were standing face to face in conversation with another person. The more we begin to think of God like a living, interactive Person and less as a fictitious bible story character, we will begin to realize that just like any relationship, God has preferences. We will discover that there are things that will attract Him, and things that are not so attractive to Him. But only through worship can we truly have communion with God. PATHWAYS TO KNOWING GOD A big part of observing the “worth” of someone in your life is through relationship. A relationship can hold value to someone because of personal significance. A husband and wife, a parent and child, two best friends, a boss and an employee — the list goes on. In evaluating the dynamics of a friendship, you begin to determine just how much that person means to you and why. There are those you would give your life for, those whom you would tolerate out of respect, and everything level of devotion in between.

In many instances, we have built up a tolerance with God. Our parents have told us to go to church so we don’t end up in hell, or we were instructed to read our Bible because it’s the right thing to do, or told to live right because the Bible says so. We have unintentionally set up a loveless, “arranged marriage” relationship dynamic with God, and in turn, are signing up to serve in ministry without knowing who it is we are serving. This is a slave-like mentality as Jesus states in John 15:15. Understand that a slave serves a master out of fear, but a friend will serve a friend out of love. We need to seek out opportunities and ways to know God for ourselves. ~8~

CHAPTER 1 — What is worship?

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

MATTHEW 7:7-8 (NIV)

THE RELATIONSHIP 1. Know with conviction that God has your best interest in mind. God truly does care for us as His children. a. 1 Peter 5:7 - “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares for you.” b. Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV) - “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” c. Proverbs 3:5-6 - “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” d. Jeremiah 29:11 - “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

2. Understand His heart. Reading scripture teaches us of the amazing things that God has done for us; spending time in His presence reveals to us the way He does what He does. a. Psalm 86:11-13 - “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I might honor you. With all my heart I will praise you, O Lord my God. I will give glory to your name forever, for your love for me is very great. You have rescued me from the depths of death.” b. Isaiah 55:9 - “For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

3. Surrender. God will not bow to our preferences, or abide in our pride and sin. a. 1 John 1:9 - “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” b. Romans 12:1 - “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

~9~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

c. Matthew 6:9 (NIV) - “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive our sins, as we also forgive those who have sinned against us.”

4. Walk with Him. Walk in His righteousness. Righteousness flows from God to us.

Righteousness is not about how good we are, but how good He is. Righteousness is us coming to God, flaws and all, and giving Him the freedom to work on the parts of us that do not reflect Him, and also, to enhance the parts of us that do. a. Psalm 1:1-2 - “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.” b. Psalm 23:1-3 (NIV) - “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.”

5. Sustain yourself in Him. Constantly fill yourself up with His glory through the reading of the word and time in His presence. a. Numbers 6:24 (NIV) - “The Lord bless you and keep you;” b. Ephesians 6:10 - “A final word. Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”

6. Walk in the measure of His Grace, not by the measure of a to-do list. A lot of us believe that the more we do, the more we are on God’s good side. It is not about how much we can do for God, but what has already been done for us. You can do a lot for God without knowing His heart at all. a. Matthew 7:22-23 (NIV) - “Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers!”

It is very difficult to engage with God through worship when we don’t understand who He is.

Through time with Him, we can understand His nature and character. From the very beginning of time, God wanted to dwell with us. God desired to have a personal connection with those who love Him.

~10~

CHAPTER 1 — What is worship?

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT GOD? 1. He is God the Father. a. Psalm 103:13 - “The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.” b. 1 John 3:1 (NIV) - “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, and that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” c. Proverbs 3:11-12 - “My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.”

2. He is Spirit. a. John 4:24 - “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

3. He is Holy. a. 2 Corinthians 7:1 - “Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.” b. 1 Samuel 2:2 - “No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” 4. He is full of grace and love. a. Ephesians 2:4-5 - “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) b. John 3:16 - “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

5. He desires to dwell with us. a. Joshua 1:9 - “This is my command — be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” b. Psalm 23:4 - “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.”

Knowing who God is and understanding His worthiness is the very first step into a life of worship unto God. ~11~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

NOTES

~12~

CHAPTER 1 — What is worship?

APPLICATION 1. In what ways has God revealed Himself to you in your life?

2. It is important to remember and write down ways that God has shown His goodness and mercy in our lives. Take a moment to remember and write down moments when God showed up and did something incredible for you.

~13~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

3. Have you always had the perspective that you can speak to God and God can speak to you as if you are having a one on one with your best friend? If so, how has this impacted your walk with Him? If not, how does this impact your view of Him?

4. God is our friend, but He is also our King. We must yield to His preferences for our worship unto Him. How does this dynamic affect your relationship with Him?

~14~

CHAPTER 1 — What is worship?

5. Why is our nature to be a worshipful being? Why do you believe we have an innate desire to be expressive?

~15~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

PROPHETIC ENCOUNTER - DAY TWO God is always speaking. Turn on some worship music and take a moment in silence to hear what God is speaking. It can be a word of knowledge, an image, or anything He places on your heart; write it or draw it here:

~16~

2

EXPRESSION

It is love’s nature to be expressed.

Steve MAR ABOLI

We weren’t just an idea God hoped would work out someday. We were one of His more creative expressions of love, ever.

Bob GOFF

And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. So David and all the people of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.

2 Samuel 6:14-22

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

PRAISE AND WORSHIP Worship is a heart posture that we take towards God; praise is the expression given to show His worth. Yes, God does enjoy it when we lift our hands, shout, sing, and dance before Him. To be abundantly clear, I will continue on the theme of grace by stating that expression itself does gain us more access to God. But expression does not earn our salvation. Expressive praise should be given purely out of the observation of who God is, with no expectation of getting anything in return. This is why praise is a sacrifice. An expression of love that does not derive authentically from our hearts to minister solely to the heart of God is simply misplaced passion. We give our praise because He deserves it.

An expression that overflows from an authentic heart blesses His heart. By dancing, shouting, and singing out loud, we reaffirm to ourselves that we are so deeply in love with Him that we don’t care if we look like a fool while expressing that love. I also believe that praise and worship speak to His love languages: 1. Singing of songs a. Psalm 96:1-2 - “Sing a new song to the Lord! Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!

Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.”

2. Shouting a. Psalm 98:4 - “Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy.”

3. Lifting up of hands a. 1 Timothy 2:8 - “In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.”

4. Dancing a. Psalm 149:3 - “Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by tambourine and harp.”

For the worshipper in self-examination, ask yourself this question: when was the last time you let out a shout, lifted your hands, sang His praises, and danced before Him? We can always come up with reasons as to why we hesitate to be expressive in this way. We don’t let love go unexpressed in relationships here on earth, so why do we choose to refrain from expressing our love to God?

~18~

CHAPTER 2 — Expression

GOD’S LOVE LANGUAGE In The 5 Love Languages, Gary Chapman suggests that all of us have love languages in which we prefer to receive affection, appreciation, and value in our close relationships. He breaks them down into the following five categories: • Physical touch • Words of affirmation • Acts of service • Giving of gifts • Quality time God is relational and His love language is worship, which encompasses all of these five types of human expression. The pushback is often that we should have the freedom to worship God in whatever way we choose, and that no one should tell us how to worship. Do you already see the problem with this objection? We? Us? No, it’s about Him. And who are we to tell God how He should or should not receive our worship?

OUR HANG-UP WITH EXPRESSION My wife’s top two love languages, according to The 5 Love Languages, are quality time and physical touch. If I were to ignore her preferences and my time with her consisted of me sitting on the couch watching TV while telling her I love her in passing — if I did not bother to express my love to her according to her likes and preferences — she would not be happy with me. She would not have it that way at all.

I am also not an affectionate person. Growing up, my family dynamic wasn’t filled with hugs and kisses. We were not an affectionate family, at all. My wife, on the other hand, is very affectionate.

When we got married, I had to quickly learn how to become more affectionate out of respect for her heart and as an expression of my love for her. Blaming my childhood and coming up with excuses about why I couldn’t be more affectionate toward her weren’t going to fly.

This is the equivalent of us telling God how He should be worshiped, or coming up with excuses to explain why we refuse to praise Him the way He prefers. He will not have it that way. If God’s word says that we are to sing, shout, dance, and rejoice before Him, this is His way of letting us know His preferences.

There are many times when I don’t feel like lifting my voice, lifting my hands, or dancing before the Lord. In almost every case, the root of my hesitation is pride. I don’t want to look foolish, I don’t like the song that is being sung, I had a terrible day today so therefore I can’t engage in worship, or I’m just not an expressive person. None of these are good reasons to withhold praise and adoration from the One who deserves it. ~19~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

The fact of the matter is this: praise and worship are not for us to receive. And our expression of love to Him is not ours to determine due to our likes and personality types. Worship is for God. Worshiping God is the only thing that we do now that we will also do in heaven. And in heaven there will be shouting, singing, dancing, and lifting of hands. It is not a style of worship, it is Heavenly worship. So why wait? Lay down your pride and worship the Lord.

WORSHIP As we mentioned earlier, worship is really defined as a posture we take. Worship can also be thought about as “worth-ship”. This is giving God your full attention and adoration. Below are some translations of the words ‘worship’ and ‘praise’ that can help us understand their application.

Words for Worship 1. Proskuneo: “kneeling or prostration to express respect or to make supplication; to bow down before” 2. Latreuo: “to serve” Praise 1. Halal: “To be clear, to shine, to boast, show, to rave, celebrate, to be clamorously foolish.” a. The word “hallelujah” comes from this base word and is a primary root word for praise in the Hebrew language. b. This is my favorite definition of praise because it directly steps on the back of religion.

We like to believe that worship experiences in church should be tamed and stoic, but according to this definition, they should be the exact opposite. Zephaniah 3:17 says that God rejoices over us with delight, singing, and dancing. There is nothing “stoic” about our God! Raise your hallelujah!

2. Shabach: “To shout, to address in a loud tone, to command, to triumph.” a. This form of praise is combative. This is the war cry that is let out by soldiers after the battle has been won. There is nothing passive about this definition, and God calls both His sons and daughters to this expression.

3. Tehillah: “The singing of halals, to sing or to laud; perceived to involve music, especially singing; hymns of the Spirit.” a. This is where we get together and sing songs in church for worship. However, even in this definition, the songs that are being sung are from the spirit, not the top billboard Christian music choices. Just something to think about.

~20~

CHAPTER 2 — Expression

4. Towdah: “To extend hands in adoration and acceptance.” a. The lifting of hands is a display of surrender and acceptance that He is the Lord and we are not. The lifting of hands is an expression of reverence for His Holiness and Glory.

5. Yadah: “To throw out the hand.”

6. Zamar: “To pluck the strings of an instrument, to sing, to praise; a musical word which is largely involved with joyful expressions of music with musical instruments.” a. This is where ‘selah’ or a musical break in a song happens. No vocalists singing, no words from a preacher, just the prophetic flow from instrumentalists. b. This also breaks the back of religion because most people would call a musical flow in the middle of a worship set “awkward”. It is important to know that God will move through a musical break just as much as He would in a song with lyrics.

7. Barak: “To kneel down, to bless God as an act of adoration.” a. God is our Friend, He is our Father, but He is also our King. There is no one like Him. In times of our worship, we must acknowledge within ourselves the necessity to bow before Him in submission and reverence for His majesty, glory, and power. b. God told Moses in Exodus 3:5 to take off his sandals for he was standing on Holy ground. God is and always will be the source of holiness and purity.

None of these expressions of praise look like standing with our hands in our pockets or with our arms crossed. We have to allow for the reality that everyone is on their own journey with God, but praise should be offered God’s way: in complete surrender.

NOTES

~21~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

THE POWER OF PRAISE Praise is powerful. It is our weapon against the tactics of the enemy. Praise is beautiful because it is sacrificial and multifaceted. It is something that cannot be taken from you. It can also not be forced out of you. It is something you have to freely decide to give to the Lord. Sacrificial praise flows freely from the heart with no reservations and with no restraint. God wants our hearts.

These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

MATTHEW 15:8

God inhabits the praises of His people, not the preferences of His people. Praise is the doorway to encountering God. It is important to train ourselves as priests to freely give praise, even when we don’t feel like it. Praise is also not dependent on our circumstances.

Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!

PSALM 150:6

The psalmist does not say, “Let everything that feels like it, praise the Lord.” The fact that we are breathing gives us a reason to praise God! This is not a suggestion — it’s a call to action. Will you answer it?

Will you posture your heart in a way that yields to the glory and majesty of our King? Will you set aside your ways and preferences to adopt His ways and preferences?

THANKSGIVING

Enter His gates with thanksgiving; go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name.

PSALM 100:4

The first step to encountering God is bringing praise, and the first step to praise is thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is our weapon against pride and discontentment. It helps us to posture ourselves in gratitude, making it nearly impossible to then turn around and complain about everything that is going wrong in our lives. It is also very difficult to enter into His presence full of self, which is why thanksgiving is what leads us through the gates and into His presence. I believe that we would be amazed at how much freedom in worship would flow if we did it with a grateful heart.

But many times, we come to worship rehearsals and services focused on ourselves and our own personal gain. ~22~

CHAPTER 2 — Expression

Before every worship service or rehearsal, I stop for a minute to give God thanks. Doing this immediately takes me out of myself and into His spirit. As worshipers, we should make this a continual practice before leading others into worship. So here is the take-away: the next time you have a rough start to your Sunday morning rehearsal for service, give thanks anyway. The next time something goes wrong during service and things don’t turn out as perfectly as you had hoped, give thanks anyway. The next time you make a mistake and begin to feel down on yourself, allow grace to enter in, and give thanks anyway. Giving thanks is how we should always begin our approach to His throne.

Here are some more examples of expressive worship in the Bible.

1. Jesus anointed by a weeping woman: a. Jesus was having dinner at the home of one of the Pharisees when a woman walked in who the Bible says “lived a sinful life”. She entered the room, opened her expensive alabaster jar of perfume, poured both the perfume and her tears all over Jesus’ feet, and then used her hair to dry them. b. Luke 7:36-50 2. A widow gave everything she owned: a. Jesus was at the temple with His disciples when a widow crept up to the temple treasury and dropped in two small copper coins. Jesus exclaimed that the widow’s offering was greater than what was offered by the rich people who gave much more money. b. Mark 12:41-44 3. John experiences heavenly worship: a. In a prophetic vision, John sees the throne room of God, filled with living creatures whose only purpose was to worship day and night. In the vision, the twenty-four elders lay down their crowns and say, “You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things.” b. Revelation 4:8-11

~23~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

NOTES

~24~

CHAPTER 2 — Expression

APPLICATION 1. According to the definitions of praise listed above, which expression of praise/worship are you most connected to and why?

2. We can overcome our pride by posturing ourselves in thanksgiving. What obstacles keep you from engaging in unrelenting praise to God?

3. Provide your perspective of sacrificial worship.

4. What can God’s preferences about worship reveal about His character and nature?

~25~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

PROPHETIC ENCOUNTER - DAY THREE God is always speaking. Turn on some worship music and take a moment in silence to hear what God is speaking. It can be a word of knowledge, an image, or anything He places on your heart; write it or draw it here:

~26~

3

THE TABERNACLE

Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.

EXODUS 25:8

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

Illustration by Pat Marvenko Smith - www.revelationillustrated.com

A PLACE OF ENCOUNTER You may be asking yourself, “Why in the world are we learning about the tabernacle? What could possibly be so important about a dusty old tent?” Here is the answer: the tabernacle was the first physical place of worship ever built that was completely designed by God Himself.

By the grace of God, we have been permitted to create our own places of worship where we come together and worship the Lord with comfortable chairs, led screens, a stage for musicians to play on, clean carpets, a polished order of service with the perfect set list, and a powerful message to inspire the hearts of those who attend. But how interesting would it be to observe God planning a worship service? Please hear my heart — this is not a critique of our desire for a clean auditorium, clear sound, good music and an orderly service flow. As a matter of fact, you will see that God has a unique appreciation for order, aesthetics, color, quality, design, and excellence for worship services.

~28~

CHAPTER 3 — The tabernacle

THE TENT OF MEETING After God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, He desired to set up a government for His people to prosper and dwell with Him. There were many gods that other nations worshiped that were merely idols, but our God wanted to be known as the One True Living God who dwelt with His people. There was some work to be done because as we have read in the scriptures, the Israelites were a stubborn, selfish, and sinful people who often wanted to take matters into their own hands.

For this covenant between God and man to work, there needed to be an understanding that God is holy and can have nothing to do with sin, while we — created in the likeness of God — are still human and tempted by sin. There needed to be a sacrificial atonement and consecration that produced an awareness of the dynamic of the relationship. So God called Moses up to Mount Sinai where God gave him the ten commandments and the instructions for building the tabernacle. God left absolutely no detail unstated in this ordination, from the measurements of the wood structure to the exact type of wood that was to be used. God was very detailed in what he wanted for His place of worship.

FIRST LOOK The tabernacle was separated into three main parts: 1. The courtyard a. Where the sacrifices of burnt offering were made. b. Here you would find the altar of burnt offering, made nearly 8-square-feet and about 4-and-a-half-feet high where you would bring your sacrifice. c. Nearby would be the copper basin or the Laver where Aaron and the High Priests would wash their hands before participating in worship. ~29~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

2. Outer Courts or Holy Place a. The first half of the tabernacle. b. Here you would find the table of shewbread, the golden lampstand, and the altar of incense. c. Separating the two rooms was the veil. Stepping beyond the veil would lead you into the Inner Courts or Holy of Holies.

3. Inner Courts or Holy of Holies a. There you would find the Ark of the covenant, and on it was the mercy seat. b. God required the tent of meeting to be covered with many layers, including sealskin, ram skin, goat hair, and cloth of linen. c. All the pillars were made from acacia wood and dipped in pure gold. d. I would encourage you to take the time to read Exodus 25-30 and observe the elaborate detail the Lord put into the planning of the tabernacle. To see our God pick out colors, carvings, fabrics and textures, speaks to His likeness and character.

God does take delight in putting together a service. ~30~

CHAPTER 3 — The tabernacle

I won’t elaborate much more about these details and elements here, because a part of this course will be reading through Zach Neese’s beautiful description of each of the elements of the Tabernacle. We will just scratch the surface here.

THE ALTAR Worshipers brought their sacrifices to the tabernacle, where they bound the animal to the horns of the altar with chords. They then transferred their sins to the animal by laying a hand on the animal’s head and pronouncing their sin. After the animal was sacrificed, the priest would burn a portion — mainly the fat of the animal — on the altar as a sweet aroma to the Lord. This was considered worship and the smell of the sacrifice was pleasing to the Lord.

THE LAVER The laver was a washing station that was filled with water. The priests could not do ministry in the tabernacle without washing in the laver first. This was God’s way of communicating to us that even priests and ministry leaders need His Holiness. This does not mean that we need to be perfect, it means that in order to truly see the Lord, we have to submit ourselves through sanctification.

ALTAR OF INCENSE The altar of incense was a pile of dirt. The fragrance and smoke only rose when a fire was lit within it. Incense was burned daily on this altar at the time of the morning and the evening sacrifices. The burning of the incense was symbolic of the prayer of the people rising to God.

~31~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

THE GOLDEN LAMPSTAND The golden lampstand in the wilderness provided light for the Holy Place, but also represented specific aspects of the Holy Spirit with each of its elements.

TABLE OF SHEWBREAD This table was constructed of acacia wood. The Hebrew word behind it is lechem, which can be translated as “the bread in which God reveals himself ”. It is the table through which God instituted the ministry of face time — the focusing in on the face of God while everything else around you fades away and it is just you and Him.

THE ARK OF THE COVENANT This represents the glory of the Lord. The bible doesn’t say that God’s glory was only to be seen in Heaven. The glory of the Lord was and is to be seen here on earth as well. The veil was used to hide the Ark from plain sight so it could not be seen in passing. Very few people saw the Ark and lived to talk about it. All of the earth needed to know that from the beginning of time, our God wanted to be with His people, but until Jesus came these ordinances and barriers were a necessity.

THE PRIESTS The priests were consecrated to tend to the tabernacle. Their ministry to God was to uphold the law and lead the people of Israel in their offering of worship to the Lord. The priests were required, upon penalty of death, to wash their hands in the laver before participating in worship.

It was of extreme importance that righteousness with God was maintained while tending to the tabernacle. No pressure, right?

~32~

CHAPTER 3 — The tabernacle

APPLICATION 1. Knowing that God orchestrated the first physical place of worship, hand-picking colors, textures, fabrics, and the design, does this open your eyes a bit more into His character?

Does it change anything about the way you read the biblical exhortations to worship in certain ways?

2. Our God is very creative. After learning more about God’s creativity in the building of the tabernacle, and also referencing the creation of the world starting in Genesis 1, have you noticed some similarities you share with God in your creativity?

3. How can we explain the brutal sacrifice of an animal for the atonement for our sins? Do you believe this is a foreshadowing of the crucifixion of Jesus? Explain.

~33~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

PROPHETIC ENCOUNTER - DAY FOUR God is always speaking. Turn on some worship music and take a moment in silence to hear what God is speaking. It can be a word of knowledge, an image, or anything He places on your heart; write it or draw it here:

~34~

4

THE NEW TABERNACLE

Those in whom the Spirit comes to live are God's new Temple. They are, individually and corporately, places where heaven and earth meet.

N.T. WRIGHT

We are His temple. We do not turn in a certain direction to pray. We are not bound by having to go into a building so that we can commune with God. There are no unique pastures and times and limitations that restrict our access to God. My relationship with God is intimate and personal. The christian does not go to the temple to worship. The christian takes the temple with him or her. Jesus lifts us beyond the building and pays the human body the highest compliment by making it his dwelling place, the place where He meets with us. Even today he would overturn the tables of those who make it a marketplace for their own lust, greed, and wealth.

Ravi ZACHARIAS

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE OLD God knew that the days of the tabernacle would come to an end. As beautiful and holy as the Tabernacle was, it was merely a symbol of a greater work that was to be done. Because God is so holy, no one was able to see God in His holiness without first being made completely blameless and free of sin. There was no access to His presence without the process of sacrificial atonement and consecration.

God always wanted to shift the paradigm. His presence was never supposed to be assigned to a place; His presence was always supposed to be upon His people, at all times, wherever they went.

In order for this to happen, Jesus had to come to die.

Then Jesus shouted out again, and He released His spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart” Matthew 27:50-51

Why is this moment so cinematic? Why so dramatic? This was a demonstration of the aggressive love of God. It was finished. Finally, no more animal sacrifices, no more walls or barriers between us and the Lord. God rejoiced that the day had come where we as His children had unobstructed access to be in His presence, and it was all because of Jesus.

WE ARE THE TEMPLE

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself.”

1 CORINTHIANS 6:19

We are the place where the Spirit of God dwells. No matter where we set foot, we carry the presence, authority, and power of God to heal the sick, to cast out demons, and to free captives from bondage and addiction. We lead others into a relationship with Jesus by the power of His Spirit that has come alive in us. His presence dwells within us now!

This is why it is important to be aware of what we say, how we interact with people, even what we post on social media. It matters because it matters to God. The carrying of God’s Spirit is not reserved for speakers and preachers alone. No. God’s Spirit dwells with those who love Him. What better opportunity to allow the Spirit of God to flow out of you as you are leading worship? There will always be an outpouring of His Spirit. We as priests need to be ready for His spirit to pour through us and to His people. Having encounters with the Lord gives us personal revelation and equips us to lead others to a deeper revelation of Him as well. ~36~

CHAPTER 4 — The new tabernacle

ENCOUNTER Encountering God can happen in a variety of ways. His nature is multifaceted. The Scriptures tell us that He is our Father, that He is our friend, and that He is our King. His ways are so vast in measure and so beyond human comprehension that an encounter with Him can go beyond what we consider to be comfortable or normal, leading us completely outside of ourselves.

There are times where our hearts will break and we began to weep for what breaks His heart.

Sometimes we can feel the warmth and presence of a good friend who is there for us in our time of need. And sometimes we sink to the ground, shaking, crying, weeping, embarrassed in the flesh, and humbled by the weighty glory of the Lord, out of pure reverence of who He is.

When it comes to worship, there are no boundaries with God, either in the supernatural or the natural realm. God can interact with us in the physical realm. There will be times when we close our eyes and have a nice, pleasant, one-on-one session with the Lord in our heads that is comfortable and just what we need in that moment. Then there will be times when we are so awestruck by His glory that we are physically unable to move on to the next item on our to-do list. My advice to you is, let it happen. His presence is always worth it. We will get into this more later.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE WORSHIP? As we discussed in the first chapter, when we worship we gain a revelation of who we are, and most importantly, who He is. Worship builds our relationship with God to maturity. We begin to understand His ways, adopt His wisdom, and in the process, we discover our identity as His sons and daughters.

1. We enter into the throne room of God. a. There is nothing like entering into the Holy Place of the Lord. It is as if you are swallowed up in His presence and sitting in an abundance of peace. There is a feeling of safety and comfort, as well as reverence and surrender. There is no other feeling like this because we cannot have an interaction like this with any other being or person on the planet. This experience is unique to God alone. b. Revelation 4:2-8: “And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones — like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them.

They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. In ~37~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back.

The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty — the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.”

2. We engage the supernatural. a. An important factor that I believe we miss as we congregate together in worship is that because God is Spirit, the enemy and his angels are also spirits, and because God has given us the ability to live by His spirit, we can overlook the reality that we are prone to have supernatural encounters. Demonic oppression is a real thing. b. Ephesians 6:12 - “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” c. A lot of demonic strongholds go unnoticed and unseen. God’s Spirit opens our eyes to see in the spiritual realm; by the power of our worship to God, and with the authority of Jesus Christ, demonic oppression has to flee. Chains are broken.

Freedom enters the room, and all of God’s people rejoice.

3. We are renewed. a. Although worship is how we position ourselves to the Lord, worship still does come from the Father. He gives us the capacity to receive from Him. I know that sounds contradictory, but if you think about it, the call to worship Him comes from Him. God initiated worship. b. There is so much provided for us as we draw into His presence. We are promised by the scriptures that if we come to Him, He will renew our strength. (Isaiah 40:31) c. We are promised that if we dwell in His presence, we will find freedom and joy.

(2 Corinthians 3:17, Psalm 16:11) 4. We step into victory. a. I love the song “Surrounded” by Upperroom Music. There is a lyric in that song that says, “This is how I fight my battles.” It is very true. When we worship, we remind the devil of his defeat. Jesus defeated sin and death on the cross thousands of years ago, so all we have to do is claim the victory through our worship. ~38~

CHAPTER 4 — The new tabernacle

b. 2 Chronicles 21 tells the incredible story of how a battle was won not by trained warriors with swords, but by worshipers. The worshipers stood on the front lines facing the enemy and began to sing, “Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever!” Can you imagine being on the front lines of a massive battle, with nothing but an electric guitar? Or a drum? Or a keyboard? I’m sure they didn’t have these the way we have them now, but you get the idea. Worship is powerful, and the enemy knows it.

AVOID FALSE WORSHIP One of the most challenging aspects to consider about worship is that God does not always accept an offering. This is primarily because God isn’t really interested in what you give Him so much as He is interested in how the offering is given. Again, it is all about the posture of our hearts. Since the Bible does speak of instances where God did not receive an offering that was given, we have to take note that it is possible to give an offering to the Lord that is not up to His standards.

1. Worship at a cost a. Don’t always give God what is convenient or comfortable for you to give. Although we don’t offer animal sacrifices anymore, coming into a posture of worship should cost us in other ways. b. We need to analyze ourselves to determine what our hearts are holding that we must surrender. What needs to be laid down and sacrificed to the Lord? Is it money?

Material things? The desire for opportunities? c. Speaking from personal experience, God will require a sacrifice in our worship. In Leviticus 1-3, during the time of animal sacrifices for the sins of the people, God required the very best of the livestock to be presented. The person providing the sacrifice had to make sure that the animal they brought was healthy and strong.

Back then, this could be very costly to a family. In those times, wealth was not measured as much in money as it was in livestock. i. No sick or crippled animals were to be presented. ii. Even after the person picked out the animal, the animal was still required to be brought to the front of the tent opening, and God would determine if it was acceptable or not.

~39~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

d. Another one of my favorite stories of sacrificial worship is by King David in 2 Samuel 24:18-24. King David seeks to build an altar to make a sacrifice unto the Lord.

Araunah, the owner of the offering site, offered David resources to build his altar, even offering to provide the animal for sacrifice. But David replies to Araunah, “No, I will not offer a sacrifice to the Lord that costs me nothing.”

2. Worship in obedience a. There are times when the Lord speaks to us and gives us specific instructions to do something, but we still decide that we would rather do it our way. We may even turn the situation around and say that in our disobedience, we did it for the Lord. i. In 1 Samuel 15:18, we read about King Saul being ordered by the Lord to wipe out a nation of wicked people. Saul and his army were not to keep any of the enemy’s resources or livestock. Saul disobeyed God and instead plundered the sheep and cattle. Saul took the best of the sheep and cattle plundered from the enemy and made a sacrifice to the Lord. Saul was confronted by the prophet Samuel who accused Saul of doing evil. Samuel then proceeded to say that obedience is better than sacrifice.

3. Worship from your heart a. It is important that we don’t give out of religiosity. As a matter of fact, worship is the opposite of religion. Sometimes, we find ourselves giving offerings to God that are in no way connected to our hearts. i. The story of Cain and Abel found in Genesis 4 speaks of two offerings that were given: one was given from the heart, one was given out of religiosity. ii. Abel tended to the flocks while Cain worked the soil. Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. Abel brought the fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Bible says that the Lord looked with favor on Abel, but not on Cain and his offering. The Lord spoke to Cain saying “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” iii. Even though an offering was given, God saw past the offering and saw that there was a lack of appropriate posturing in Cain’s heart.

4. Worship with integrity a. Worship is not just something that we participate in on the weekends. We are called to live a life of worship. In ministry, I have encountered many times when a pastor ~40~

CHAPTER 4 — The new tabernacle

or leader has been highly exalted by the people on a platform. They may have been extremely gifted, talented, an excellent communicator, and an incredible person to be around. To the outward appearance, they appeared to be holy and righteous but were secretly indulging in seeking personal gain and finding pleasure in a life of sin. b. Although we can’t see it in the natural, God cannot be fooled. In Acts 5:1-11, we read of how Ananias and Sapphira sold a piece of property and kept back part of the money for themselves. The rest of the money was placed at Peter’s feet as an offering to the Lord. i. Ananias and Sapphira were a part of the early church in Jerusalem. They were a part of a group of believers so filled with the Holy Spirit that they were of one heart and one mind. They held all of their possessions loosely and willingly shared them with one another. Those who sold land and houses gave their profits to the apostles, who distributed the gifts to those in need. Although Ananias did still give an offering to the Lord, he made a pretense of having given all of the proceeds. No one else could have caught this other than the Holy Spirit. Ananias and Sapphira were lying to God and their hypocrisy was exposed. When confronted, then and there they both fell down and died before the Lord.

5. Worship and wait on the Lord a. There are times in worship when we receive a revelation from the Lord. We are energized, rejuvenated, and ready to move forward, inspired by the incredible encounter we just had with the Almighty God. Then there are times of silence, waiting, and listening. In our culture, listening and waiting is hard to do. We want results and we want them instantly. When the Lord requests that we wait on Him, we have to resist the urge to move forward without Him. b. Leviticus 10:1-3 tells the story of two worship leaders who refused to wait on the Lord, and paid the price for it. Referencing back to the times of the Tabernacle, the fire that blazed on the altar came from the Lord. During worship, Nadab and Abihu took their containers, put fire in them and added incense. In short, they offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to His command. So fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord.

~41~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

THE SECRET PLACE Intimacy with God is vitally important to our communion with Him. We come together as a congregation to worship the Lord, but there is something special about being alone with Him. For those of us who are hungry for a word from the Lord and feel like we are at a stand-still in our spiritual growth, my question to you is this: have you spent some alone time just sitting in His presence?

I’m not just talking about your morning cup of coffee and a daily devotional. There is nothing wrong with routine. Routine creates discipline and consistency. But keep in mind, after the tabernacle was built, God descended upon the tabernacle in the form of a cloud in response to their obedience, but only for a moment. His spirit moved, and the Israelites were compelled to tear down camp, follow, and set up where the cloud settled. It is God’s nature to keep us on our toes. It isn’t that He is running from us. God has a unique way of keeping things fresh, new, and exciting.

What new ground is God calling you to? What new adventures is God calling you to participate in? What new territories are you willing to explore? Seek Him in the secret place.

But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Matthew 6:6

There were many moments in Jesus’ time here on earth when he went away to be alone with God. Even Jesus saw the importance of one-on-one intimacy with the Father.

1. Intimacy brings revelation. a. What does it mean to be filled by the spirit to receive revelation for the things of His Kingdom? Let’s think for a moment about pregnancy. Pregnancy happens through intimacy, and in private. A woman cannot become pregnant by spending time with other women who are pregnant. A woman cannot become pregnant by aggressively declaring herself to be pregnant. Pregnancy happens through intimacy and behind closed doors. Many people desire to receive vision from the Lord but are going about it the wrong way. Vision for your life cannot come from spending time with other people and their visions. Vision cannot come from restlessness and impulsivity. Vision from the Lord comes in the secret place.

2. Slain in the Spirit. a. This is a very controversial topic when it comes to the doctrines of different denominations that make up the church. This is primarily because the elements of the Spirit can be difficult for the human mind to comprehend, and we can become ~42~

CHAPTER 4 — The new tabernacle

fearful of what we don’t truly understand. Again, we must remember that God is Spirit, and He can interact with us in any way He chooses, including miraculous encounters that extend beyond human comprehension and human-like ethics. b. Of course, God is gentle and patient, but encounters with God can also be overwhelming and uncomfortable. It is all done in love of course because that’s who He is. Being slain in the Spirit is a part of intimacy with God that refers to the state of being overtaken by the Spirit or Glory of the Lord so that we are submitted into a yielded posture. This usually looks like being bowed, kneeled, or completely flat on the ground. There can be crying, laughing, even wailing when we feel the weight of His Glory. “Hard pass,” is what some of you might say, but before you completely dismiss this idea, let us take to the scriptures. In 1 Corinthians 2:14, Paul states that the person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. c. I’ll take it a step further. Whenever I think of interacting with the Spirit of God, water comes to mind. Imagine that it is an extremely hot sunny day; the air conditioner is broken but there is a pool in the back yard that your dad has prepared to be at the perfect temperature for a day such as this. You are aware that there is a pool, but you also don’t really enjoy getting wet. Finally, the heat becomes so unbearable that you make the decision that you will go to the pool, but only put your toes in. You’re still not excited about the idea of getting completely wet. You have just conditioned yourself to be okay with the heat. After all, your toes are in the pool and that’s good enough right? Wrong! Your dad, who has been watching you torture yourself sitting in the heat this whole time, finally sneaks up behind you, and pushes you in the pool. You are in shock. The entire situation has just changed within seconds.

Your desire to stay comfortable and dry has instantly vanished, and instead you are suddenly immersed in an entirely different experience. At first, you are frightened and completely caught off guard. But then, you begin to feel the coolness of the water. You feel your body temperature lowering to becoming just right. You begin to accept that this was exactly what you needed in this exact moment. I am not saying that being slain in the Spirit is exactly like being pushed into a pool, but in a way, the contrast is quite similar. As opposed to being outside of the pool, your measure of control is surrendered, your perspective is surrendered, even your ability to breathe is surrendered. When the Glory of the Lord falls on you, you fall into a beautiful submission, filled with trust, reverence, and deep intimate love.

God can meet you wherever you are at, and He doesn’t need a building or place to do it. A lot of us avoid intimacy because we have never really experienced a Godly intimacy. Intimacy breeds vulnerability and that scares us. I promise you, intimacy with the Lord is one of the most lifechanging, life-giving, transformative, beautiful encounters we can experience. ~43~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

APPLICATION 1. The temple had to be destroyed so that we could be made aware that we are the new carriers of His presence. How does this change your perspective of how we are to encounter His presence?

2. Morning routines are great, but God does not submit Himself to our routines. What are some ways that God has prompted your heart to break out of the routine and to spend time with Him in different ways?

~44~

CHAPTER 4 — The new tabernacle

3. Have you ever experienced a moment of being “slain in the Spirit”? How was that a defining moment for you?

4. How can intimacy in the natural differ from intimacy with God? In what ways has media and “worldly” culture convoluted intimacy so that people are scared to be vulnerable?

~45~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

PROPHETIC ENCOUNTER - DAY FIVE God is always speaking. Turn on some worship music and take a moment in silence to hear what God is speaking. It can be a word of knowledge, an image, or anything He places on your heart; write it or draw it here:

~46~

5

LEADING YOURSELF

Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.

Morihei UESHIBA

Personal development is the belief that you are worth the effort, time, and energy needed to develop yourself.

Denis WAITLEY

You were taught to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

LEADING YOURSELF Before you can effectively lead others, you must first learn how to lead yourself. Ministry leaders have a tendency to exert all of their energy in taking care of others, but not themselves. It is important to realize that we can only release what is available to give. For example, you cannot continue pulling money out of your bank account if you are at a $0 balance. We cannot continue pouring out into ministry when we haven’t properly taken the steps that position us in the right mind, the right heart, and the right spirit. It is your responsibly to put a plan into motion that can produce the best version of yourself.

Please answer in 3-5 sentences.

1. Define what a leader is.

2. What are some characteristics and attributes you believe would make a great leader?

3. Give the name of someone you know or know of that you view as a great leader, and describe why you think of them in that way.

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CHAPTER 5 — Leading yourself

WHAT IS LEADERSHIP? Now you have an in-depth perspective of worship. You know about the tabernacle and its elements. You know the different expressions of praise in the Hebrew text. So what now? I don’t want your only contribution to your church community to be that you are independently aware of God’s Holiness. I want you to be equipped to prepare others for worship by knowing how to be great leaders as well.

Being a great worshiper does not automatically make you a great leader. Leadership takes development, hard work, and intentionality. Leadership is simply defined as “the action of leading a group of people or an organization.” But in practice, leaders are the people who we look up to. We admire them for their strength, wisdom, ability and experience. Leadership may seem like the ultimate ladder to climb to get to the place of having authority and being the one to call the shots, but in ministry, leadership is just the next level of servanthood.

EXAMPLES OF GREAT LEADERSHIP IN THE BIBLE • Miriam was a prophetess and worship leader. She led the people of Israel into a song of worship unto the Lord after they were delivered out of Egypt.

• Moses was the vessel God used to bring Israel out of Egypt; he was known as one of the greatest Biblical leaders of all time.

• King David was anointed as king by God Himself. David was known as a man after God’s own heart.

• Paul is known as the greatest missionary the world has ever known. Paul traveled by foot over 10,000 miles and was beaten, tortured, stoned, imprisoned, and left to die more than once. He also wrote almost 50% of the New Testament.

• Deborah was one of the most courageous judges that Israel ever had. During the time of her leadership, everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes, but Deborah stood above everyone else. The Israelites were oppressed by Jabin for 20 years — Deborah led the forces of Israel into battle and the enemy fell. She trusted God and had no fear of others. She only feared God.

~49~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

THE 5 C’S OF LEADERSHIP In the book Fish Out Of Water, George Barna eloquently describes the 5 “C’s” of Leadership.

1. Calling: We must first understand God’s calling on our lives. Some have been called to be leaders, and some have not. The calling cannot be forced. Do you know what God has created you for?

2. Comprehension: We have to be able to comprehend what leadership is. It takes insight and maturity to truly grasp God’s view of leadership.

3. Character: We must possess the type of character that moves people to trust us to take them places — spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and intellectually — that they otherwise wouldn’t go.

4. Competencies: We must exhibit mastery of competencies that enable us to move people toward meaningful outcomes. a. Vision casting b. Effective communication c. Motivating participation d. Mobilizing people to efficient work units e. Thinking and planning strategically 5. Consequences: We must be able to take responsibility for the consequences of our leadership.

NOTES

~50~

CHAPTER 5 — Leading yourself

LEADING WORSHIP WELL 1. Turn off the autopilot. a. In ministry, it can become very easy to build a great infrastructure but then never revisit innovation. Creativity can become suppressed, and growth can be stunted if we don’t intentionally challenge ourselves to explore new territories. b. Coming off autopilot can cause you to take risks. Step outside of your comfort zone, experiment with new arrangements and new melodies. This can only happen if we break the mold and try something new.

2. Learn how to rest. a. Rest is very important. God knew the importance of rest which is why He Himself rested on the seventh day after the creation of the world. Life can be extremely fast-paced - striving to meet deadlines, balancing school, work, and ministry can be tough and at times, very stressful. My balance of life has become a strict full day of rest, with daily intentional decompression at the end of my day. I evaluate what has been completed, what work still needs to be done, and if there is nothing I can do about a project at that very moment, I train my brain to shelf the idea until the next day. It reminds me of one of the iconic lines from Ted Mosbey in “How I Met Your Mother”: Ted says to Marshall, “That’s future Ted’s problem.” I have used this mindset, and it has been tremendously freeing. It allows me to be in the moment with my friends and family instead of worrying about all of the work that needs to be done.

3. Grow your leadership. a. We must always be intentionally developing our leadership. Over the years I have seen worship leaders struggle with organizational leadership. It could be because we are musicians and creatives who tend to access the right side of the brain that focuses on music and creativity rather than administrative and organizational details. The point is, we need to learn the areas of our leadership that expose our weaknesses and work on them. i. Do not use your weakness as an excuse for why you cannot flourish in a particular area. For example, if you are a talented worship leader — a great singer and guitar player with amazing stage presence — but you don’t engage in one-on-one conversations with the body, or spend time developing others, I would say you have some work to do. Conversely, if you are big people-person who enjoys interaction and great conversation, but you show up late to work, and fail to meet the deadlines your organization sets for you, you also have some work to do. It’s all about balance. ~51~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

ii. If you were to rate yourself according to how well you connect with people from 1-10, 10 being the highest, and you are at a 3, then what is your plan to get to a 4? If you rated yourself a 5 in preparedness and compliance to meeting deadlines, what is your plan to get to a 7? We should never settle in our weakness, but make them growth opportunities as best we can. Granted, I am an introvert and I will never be a 10 when it comes to being a compete people-person like my wife, but I can make my way from a 3 to a 4, a 4 to a 5, and to the very end of the capacity God has given me to grow. But the illusion is that we don’t have the bandwidth to develop in our weaknesses so we immediately disqualify ourselves. I want to shatter that illusion. God has given us the ability to shatter the falsified boundaries of our weakness and to step into higher heights of our leadership.

LEADING A TEAM Most worship teams are comprised of five major components: 1. Worship Pastor 2. Support Worship Leader 3. Musical Director 4. Vocal Coordinator 5. Production Director I am going to walk you through how these roles work in harmony and support one another. At the end of the day, it truly is all about building connections with the people you work with.

1. Worship Pastor: The worship pastor carries the vision for the department. Vision can be handed down to the worship pastor from the lead pastor. There are many responsibilities of the worship pastor, but the key result areas that are to be focused on are: • ensuring there is unity on the team

• increasing spiritual awareness while leading worship

• shooting for God’s standard of excellence (not man’s standard)

• ensuring that everything released from the platform is done as ministry unto the Lord.

~52~

CHAPTER 5 — Leading yourself

2. Worship Leader: The worship leader(s) lead the congregation in songs. The worship leader is engaging, prepared to lead, welcoming, and obviously has a great voice!

3. Musical Director: The musical director is responsible for making sure the instrumentalists are well-studied and ready to execute the musical content.

4. Vocal Coordinator: The vocal coordinator ensures quality control of lead vocals, background vocals, and large choir settings. Their goal is to ensure that everyone who is singing into a microphone sings their parts well, and also blend well with the other vocalists.

5. Production Director: The production director is part of another department, but I like to include the production director as a part of the worship team because they are just as much a part of worship as the singers and band members are. Production directors ensure all visual, audio, and online elements are functioning properly for the weekend services.

Each aspect of the worship team involves a focused area of leadership, and each leader has their own team of volunteers that they are responsible for equipping, encouraging, and developing.

COMMUNICATION You’ve probably heard the saying, “Communication is key”. That is an understatement. Clear communication is imperative to a well-functioning department. As a leader in ministry, it is important that we learn how to communicate effectively, clearly, and quickly to those who need information from us.

1. Set up effective meetings.

Although there is nothing worse than a time-wasting meeting, there is also something very beneficial to getting all the people who have significant roles in the weekend services in the same room together. At Centerpoint Church, we have weekly worship management meetings where we celebrate our volunteers, read through a book, go over the weekend set, have a time of short accounts, then close with prayer. This helps us to align our hearts with each other, provide a space to clear the air and address any conflicts that have come up, and helps us to get excited for upcoming events that need to be worked through as a team. Whenever we skip these meetings due to a holiday or scheduling conflict, you can feel it on the weekend. There is a feeling of disconnection.

You should never wait until the weekend to begin building connections with your team. ~53~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

2. Bad news fast.

Bad news fast is a principle I had to force myself to learn. It means that we relay pertinent information that may affect a member (or members) of your team as quickly as you possibly can. This could be a song change request by the senior pastor, a key change that the band and singers need to be aware of, and other changes that can impact those who are serving alongside you on the weekend.

3. Fill the gap with trust.

This is a principle I learned from Andy Stanley, the leader of North Point Church. Often, a lack of communication can create “gaps” in our team dynamics. Here is an example: One of your team members is showing up late to your meeting every single week. It would be easy to fill this gap with suspicion, assuming this person is late every week because they don’t like or respect you. You might then begin to develop resentment in your heart, and that path can lead us down roads we do not want to be on.

Instead, we should fill the gap with trust, and reach for connection. Instead of making assumptions, reach out to that person, address the concern, and hear what they have to say. You might be surprised to discover that there wasn’t any type of malicious intent at all. If there is resentment, now you have positioned yourself to engage in a Matthew 18 conversation, and figure out the best way to move forward in unity.

DEVELOPMENT TRACKS Jesus was a developer of people. He did not spend His time here on earth keeping everything to Himself. Instead, He chose twelve people to develop, and then gave them the instruction to carry out His teaching. We must follow the example of Jesus and hunger for the opportunity to equip others to do what we do.

I find it interesting that in the music industry, you become valuable by making yourself irreplaceable.

In the Kingdom, it’s the opposite.The value is placed on relinquishing “status” and bringing out the best in others. If you want to make yourself irreplaceable in ministry, then work yourself out of a job and empower others to do what you do. My favorite development model is the 5 Steps of Leadership Development. This model can be found in various leadership books by John C. Maxwell, Andy Stanley, and others: 1. I do. You watch. We talk.

2. I do. You help. We talk.

3. You do. I help. We talk.

4. You do. I watch. We talk.

5. You do. Someone else watches. ~54~

CHAPTER 5 — Leading yourself

The steps are pretty self-explanatory, but do you notice how at the end of each of the steps, there is room for communication? None of the steps end with a task — they end with a conversation.

It is important that we always make time to connect with those we serve alongside. Some of you are just taking your first step into ministry, and to you I will say to look for the leaders who take delight in empowering your leadership, and be careful of the leaders who feel threatened by you. If you are already a leader of a ministry in some capacity, I will encourage you to not let perfectionism get in the way of developing the up-and-coming members on your team. Let the goal of empowering others to do what you do drive you forward to achieve the God-given goals that are on your heart.

APPLICATION 1. It is important to know what you carry. What giftings do you believe you possess that will make you an effective leader in worship?

2. Without providing any names, explain a time when you were led poorly in a situation that did not produce the best outcome. How did this impact you in your development?

3. Do you believe that you are called to worship ministry? In what ways has God revealed this to you? (Both directly and indirectly)

4. Although they are all important, which of the 5 C’s of leadership by George Barna do you most identify with? Why?

~55~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

PROPHETIC ENCOUNTER - DAY SIX God is always speaking. Turn on some worship music and take a moment in silence to hear what God is speaking. It can be a word of knowledge, an image, or anything He places on your heart; write it or draw it here:

~56~

6

LEADING THE CONGREGATION

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.

Ronald REAGAN

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

LEADING THE CONGREGATION Did you know that when you lead worship, you are not just encouraging the congregation to sing songs with you, but also leading them to become better versions of themselves? I think about this every time I lead worship. Whether it’s on a mic or behind the keyboard, I am partnering with God to take the people who congregate to worship to places they otherwise would not go themselves. That’s not performance, that’s leadership.

It is our calling to lead people into deeper encounters with the Lord. Our gifting makes a way, but our countenance must sync with the Lord’s Holiness to take people into the greater depths of His love. So how do we break out of the monotonous routine of “two fast songs, one mid-tempo song, and two slow songs” to begin leading people to holy encounters? Let’s walk through it.

1. Assessment: The first step is to know your community, and a lot of this is actually done off of the platform. You can do this by leaving the green room after or in-between services and engaging in conversation with people from the congregation.

Join ministry groups and participate in worship experiences in other ministries. Be a reporter. Look to see what amazing things God is doing in your community. Because our God is always on the move, take note of healings, miracles, and other spectacular things that God is doing.

Also take note of conversations with people that express grief, defeat, addiction, pain or loneliness. It is amazing just how quickly the Lord puts phrases and verses on my heart that are for the congregation on a Sunday morning during worship when I spend time getting to know the people in my community.

Do not evaluate the success of your worship experiences based on how much the congregation participates in worship. It’s easy to get into the habit of craving the applause and the congregation’s response. This is a serious trap that can be easy to fall into. We are not the star of the show, Jesus is the star. And His glory will not be eclipsed by our desire to be affirmed in our talent. We are priests following in the footsteps of Jesus. If Jesus walked amongst the people, then so should we!

~58~

CHAPTER 6 — Leading the congregation

2. Planning the set: Believe it or not, the song selection for your worship set matters. Know the songs that you are singing. Go through the lyrics of each song with a fine-tooth comb and ask the Lord if the songs you selected resonate with His heart. Take into consideration other elements that take place in the service: are there baptisms taking place? Will the church be partaking in communion together? Shape the set to set the tone of the service.

Also, be mindful when selecting key signatures and song styles. If you have to choose between showcasing your incredible vocal range and making sure that old man Jenkins can sing along with you, always shoot for making it as easy as possible for the congregation to sing along with you.

3. Ministry Moments: Ministry moments can be an easy thing to remove from the worship experience for many reasons: the speaking pastor may not want two sermons taking place in one service; not all worship leaders are effective communicators; perhaps there is a lack of spiritual maturity to discern what needs to be said during the flow of worship. But ministry moments help balance out the set and keep it from feeling like we are singing at the congregation versus singing with the congregation.

I will also say that if ministry moments are not crafted with intention and discernment, and then well-presented by worship leaders, they can become so complex that the congregation gets left behind. It takes time to build a culture where you can lead the congregation in moments like “singing their own song to the Lord.” Understand that there will be some people in the congregation you are leading that are not spiritually mature enough to go into deep spiritual places. And that’s okay. The solution isn’t to hold back, the solution is to ask the Lord for wisdom on how to lead them there.

I believe that no worship experience should ever be without a ministry moment. I am not talking about a full-on sermon, I’m referring to the times when the service flow can be interrupted to make room for the flow of the Spirit. This doesn’t always have to be a speaking moment. It can be the repetition of a breakdown chorus at the end of a song. It can be a scripture reading that ties into a song that you’re singing. It can be a prophetic word of knowledge to someone in the room who needs to be met by the love of God. We have to see ourselves as more than song leaders — we are worship leaders.

~59~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

4. The Human Element: I love concerts. I love attending live music experiences where everything is polished, planned to perfection, and excellent in every way. However, even in concerts, something really special happens when the artist takes a moment after a song to connect with the people in the venue. A moment like that can make a room full of thousands of people feel so intimate and personal.

Let’s be honest, someone who is visibly seen on a platform can be intimidating to someone in the crowd. That person can seem inauthentic, unrelatable, and unreachable. Without the human element, a wall forms between the people on the platform and the people in the crowd. Similarly, if we don’t take the time to connect with the congregation on a human level, we can unintentionally communicate that we on the platform have it all together, and those sitting in the crowd do not.

The way to shatter this wall is by taking a second out of your worship set to encourage the congregation. Share a quick 20-second relatable story that brings connects you to where they might be in life. Help the congregation to trust you as a human being to lead them.

I can hear the objections now: “It’s not about us, it’s about Jesus. We don’t need the human element.” My question to you would be this: how did Jesus start the conversation here on earth? By being fully God, but also fully human. Born from the womb of a woman, submitted to the instruction of His parents, tempted by the enemy, and dwelling among us in human flesh. Jesus started the conversation not from a high place of glory and majesty, but as a baby in a manger. There is so much significance to this intentional action of the Father.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin.

Hebrews 4:15

5. We must decrease as He increases: Make it all about Jesus. Have you ever attended a “worship service” where you felt like something was missing? The singers were amazing, the band was incredible, but still, something felt off? From the top of your set to the end, let it always be about Jesus.

~60~

CHAPTER 6 — Leading the congregation

We are not entertainers. If people want to be entertained, they can purchase tickets to see incredible performers. We must make it clear that when we as worship leaders take the platform, the only thing you are going to hear come out of our mouths is Jesus.

Nothing less.

I have heard in various church environments that if an action to keep the attention of the congregation isn’t taken, then attendance will drop. The mistake is thinking that our strength has the substance to sustain a person’s soul. The reality is that we do not possess that ability. The word of God says that the Holy Spirit draws people to Himself.

He doesn’t need our help to prove Himself. We are reflections of the One who is greater.

Even John the Baptist knew to point the way to the One who is greater.

I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals i am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Matthew 3:11

~61~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

APPLICATION 1. Knowing that Jesus Himself began the conversation of salvation from the “human condition”, how does it feel to know that you can lead others into worship and still be flawed, imperfect, and human? Has this inspired you in any way?

~62~

CHAPTER 6 — Leading the congregation

2. Have you ever attended a worship service where you felt like Jesus wasn’t in the room?

How does something as simple as providing a human element, mentioning the name of Jesus, and ministering to the congregation change the atmosphere of a worship set?

~63~

PROPHETIC ENCOUNTER - DAY SEVEN God is always speaking. Turn on some worship music and take a moment in silence to hear what God is speaking. It can be a word of knowledge, an image, or anything He places on your heart; write it or draw it here:

7 MUSIC

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

BREAKOUT NOTES

~66~

CHAPTER 7 — Music

~67~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

~68~

CHAPTER 7 — Music

APPLICATION 1. What about music inspires you the most? How could this kind of inspiration help you connect more deeply to the heart of God when creating music for Him?

~69~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

2. When you read a book and it says “there is this great forest…”, everyone pictures a forest, but none of these forests will be exactly the same. This principle applies to music as well. You can ask fifteen other composers to read one script but they will all have different musical ideas. In your opinion, what does the vast freedom in creativity tell us about the nature of God and His design for us as creatives?

~70~

CHAPTER 7 — Music

3. Music is multidimensional. Different aspects of music are processed by different systems in the brain; for example, melody and tempo are each processed by different neural pathways. We have physiological responses to music as we listen. The same kinds of pleasurable feelings we get from things like chocolate are activated in the brain by interaction with music. This is was not something God created in us by accident, and this is not a response that only happens to Christians. Every human on the planet responds to vibrations and music. What do you think it is about God’s design of music that inspires and captivates us? What do you think about our need to respond to music by clapping, singing, or dancing?

~71~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

4. Music itself cannot be touched. You can touch a vinyl or and instrument that can contain or produce music, but you can never physically touch music itself. All music is doing is providing structure to air molecules. We provide that structure to create beautiful melodies. What is the correlation between our ability to create music, and God’s creation of the universe?

~72~

CHAPTER 7 — Music

5. Composer Danny Elfman states that there is only one rule when composing music — there are no rules. How can this type of mentality personally help free you to be more innovative in your creativity?

~73~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

NOTES

~74~

8

SONGWRITING WORKSHOP

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

WORKSHOP What to remember when songwriting: 1. Songs for the church body must come from the spirit. (Ephesians 5:19). a. As you begin the process of songwriting, ask yourself - is this song for me, to God, or for the congregation? Is this a God-to-man song, man-to-God song, or a manto-man about God song? Is this a song of experience, or all sing congregational?

2. Songwriting is all about making tangible what is already on your heart or on your mind.

3. As a songwriter, keep a pen and paper with you wherever you go. You can also make use of the voice memo recorder application on your phone.

4. Remember that out of every 200 songs you write, you may have one that is ready for use. This is a good reminder that writing and flushing out ideas must be constant and consistent.

5. Think of a theme you wish to write about, and stay focused on that theme and carry it throughout the song.

6. Structure your song and break it down into a contemporary format. a. Chorus, bridge, verse 1, verse 2, etc…

7. Your biggest adversary in songwriting will be yourself. Fear is the thief of creativity.

Completely remove the word “No” from the beginning stages of the creative process.

8. You will begin to refine your song as you get deeper into the content.

Take a moment and think of a theme. Write down that theme, and make it visible enough to come back to. Begin writing a list of personal experiences in your life that correlate with that theme. For example, His goodness, His faithfulness, His holiness — then write down experiences where you have encountered these things in your life. Begin to write down the first couple of words that come to mind that correspond to your theme. You will be surprised with where great ideas come from!

YOU ARE READY TO SONG WRITE! USE THIS SPACE TO BEGIN YOUR PROCESS!

~76~

CHAPTER 8 — Songwriting workshop

SONGWRITING WORKSHOP NOTES

~77~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

~78~

CHAPTER 8 — Songwriting workshop

~79~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

~80~

CHAPTER 8 — Songwriting workshop

~81~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

~82~

CHAPTER 8 — Songwriting workshop

~83~

WORSHIP LEADERSHIP by Donavan Smith

~84~

WORSHIP LE ADERSHIP Th is course will provide an in-depth study of worship leadership in three parts: God's design for worship in the church, worship team management and leadership, and personal skill development. We will be discovering God's intention for how we are to facilitate worship experiences for congregations. We will dive deeper into the operations of team management and learn how to reach beyond talent in order to learn all the components involved in building an effective worship ministry. We will also learn the importance of developing and multiplying the talents that God has given us.

KEY OUTCOMES  To discover God's original design for worship in the church.  To discover the different heart postures of worship, such as adoration, reflection, message of the Cross, identity, faithfulness, and more.  To thoroughly unpack what the Bible says about worship, and how biblical worship is not "old worship", it is heaven's worship. And heaven's worship must be our worship.  To understand our roles and responsibilities as worship leaders.  To empower worship leaders to lead confidently from the platform, both as vocalists and instrumentalists.

 To understand the functionality of a worship department: worship leader, song leader, music director, vocal director, support vocals, instrumentalists, etc.  To learn how to shape worship setlists with intentionality.  How to engage a congregation's participations and response.  Formulate speaking segments embedded into worship sets.  Understand how music inspires and motivates.  To learn how to songwrite and compose music.

DONAVAN SMITH Donavan Smith is a full time musician and minister. He has been passionate about music, specifically the piano since the age of 5, and has worked as a Music Director/Producer since 2008. He is currently on staff as the Worship Arts Pastor for Centerpoint Church in Murrieta California. He began by serving on the worship team at his local church at 13 years old. He continued to participate in worship experiences throughout High School and into College where he studied music theory, music composition, and bible theology. He participated in an internship at a recording studio where he learned sound engineering, producing, and song editing. He received his first opportunity to music direct at one of the largest churches in Southern California, Crossroads Christian Church in Corona. After years of hard work and experience, he eventually made his way to earning a living by just doing what he loves.

He has had the privilege of traveling throughout the United States and around the world to music direct for featured artists, train worship leaders, and consult for churches to assist in developing their worship ministry.

C E N T E R P O I N T S C H O O L O F M I N I S T RY

PRICE: $20.00