Multiply

The Meaning of Baptism

As a village church planter, you have a very important function in the worldwide body of Christ. You are the first one to bring the message of Christ to a village which has never before worshipped him.  You are the one who will teach families who never before followed Christ to trust him and obey him.  Because you are the first one to explain the meaning of the Good News of Christ, you have a big responsibility; you must explain everything you do with clarity. You must explain your actions by communicating the truths of the Bible.

Music and Dance in Worship

1 Corinthians 10:31 says So then whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of our great God. The purpose in which we do anything must first glorify God in a humble, thankful, spirit that shows the joy of serving the Lord.  If the worship music glorifies God then let it be heard from the mountain tops. If dancing expresses ones love and adoration for the Lord then let it be. I was taught about flexibility in worshipping the Lord is not just in one single form or fashion. How I worship may look different from others and that’s ok because it’s my relationship with the Lord that I want to grow in and that certainly can happen in worship.

Order in Worship

It’s not hard to plan a well-ordered worship experience for your church, but it does take time. It is not hard to prepare a well-ordered worship service, but it won’t happen automatically.

One of the keys to planning a well-ordered worship experience is to identify the theme of the service. The theme of the service is the central idea from Scripture that is presented through preaching, teaching, or Bible story-telling. If that theme also appears in the songs you sing and the prayers that are prayed, God will meet your people in wonderful ways as you worship.

Define the Expectations What

Jesus set clear expectations and instructions for His Church.  “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:19-20 [emphasis added].

Jesus’ clear expectations set forth include:

• Go (or “as you are going”)
• Make disciples of all nations
• Baptizing them
• Teaching them to obey

The Word of God in Worship

Music is such a strong and powerful aspect of worship in so many cultures across Africa and around the world, sometimes we get worship music confused with worshipping God. But when the Apostle Paul taught the new church in Colossae about worship, he said, let the word of Christ dwell richly among you.

Today’s episode clarifies what it means to let the word of Christ dwell richly in our worship experiences

Prayer in Worship

When we pray, we worship when we worship, we pray.  When we talk to the Lord God, it is a heart communication to Him, this is prayer. In worship, it is an adoration and still a heart communication of our love and adoration to the Savior of our Souls, our King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

The Nature of God and Worship

Worship is a wonderful experience. To worship God is to give glory to God who is great and who is holy. To worship God is to honor God and to recognize his goodness.

To help others honor the Lord and magnify Him, they must know who he is and what he has done. Today’s podcast encourages church planters be great worship leaders by telling God’s big story well.

Facilitate Equipping Part 2

One of the most difficult responsibilities of a leader is to know when to intervene when a follower is having difficulty and when to allow someone to struggle.  In such situations I would offer these guidelines.

• Firstly, the mission must come first. If the mission is in danger of failure, the leader must intervene.
• Evaluate, is the follower capable of figuring things out?
• Consider, is there enough time to wait for them to figure things out?
• Ask yourself, what problems will be created or worsened if you do not step in?
• Are there valuable lessons for them to learn through their struggle?

God’s Big Story and Worship

Today’s Multiply podcast episode calls on worship leaders and pastors to help worshippers know and remember God’s big story as they worship him.  It is so easy for us to get caught up in Bible details, that we fail to remember the works of God, the will of God, and ways of God described from Genesis to Revelation. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If we follow a simple guideline highlighted in today’s podcast.

What is Worship

When we look at the parts of worship all of them have one thing in common, it’s not about who does what. It isn’t about how good the worship music is. The most important part of worship is a humble heart that says I need you Lord and all I want is to serve you in my worship.