Re: [Worship] So You Want To Be In The Band (was Gods Glory or Self/Discipleship)

["Richard P. Towne" <rtownelw@wgn.net>]

Hi Daniel:

You're playing the "trump card". Don is the best source of published worship
leader wisdom on this and many other subjects.



"Daniel Black (Lookout Community Church" wrote:

> Don Potter has the following to say on this subject.
> enjoy and Blessings,
> Daniel
>
> PS:  I hope and pray everyone on this list has been having extended times
> of His visitation during your worship time!!
>
> So, You Want to Be in the Band?
>                                         by Don Potter
>
>         It has been my experience that there are usually a few people in
> a worship band who really shouldn't be there. Yet I've also found out
> it's hard to tell people "No" when they believe God is calling them to
> sing or play an instrument. They may not have any musical ability, but
> they love to worship God. Isn't that good enough?
>
>         Besides the Scripture that exhorts us to play skillfully before
> the Lord (see Psalm 33:3), there is another reason to set limits on who
> can participate on the worship band: some people are actually endangering
> themselves by insisting they belong on stage. Of course, filling the band
> with greatly talented people who have no heart for God is probably even
> more dangerous. But that is not my focus here.
>
>         Called or Appointed?
>
>         Those who assume a position in the worship band without really
> being called by God could be setting themselves up for a fierce attack
> from the enemy. I have seen many such musicians fall under that attack,
> and at times even lose their families. Playing in the  worship band is
> not just a fun thing to do on Sundays. It is a serious assault on the
> devil himself. Unless you are appointed by God for that position of
> battle, you may not have the grace to survive. Seek God earnestly before
> accepting an invitation to be a part of the  worship team! Even if it is
> a leader who asks you, don't be impulsive!  Seek God first. You may even
> be called to be a singer or musician used for worship, yet be way ahead
> of God's timing.
>
>         I was a professional musician for twenty-five years before I
> began to play in a worship band, and I was still about five years ahead
> of God. I unintentionally hurt a lot of people. Everyone thought it would
> be great to have a professional musician in the band, and I thought I was
> going to be a big help, too. Nevertheless, within three years the band
> had fallen apart and most of the musicians hated me. My talent was often
> confused with anointing and my character was not able to handle the
> position my talent put me in.
>
>         Eventually I learned that talent and gifting are very different.
> Talent is a natural ability to do something well if you work at it.
> Gifting is supernatural. It requires all your talent to be placed in
> God's hands, for the benefit of His kingdom and not your own
> self-promotion.
>
>         Check Your Motives
>
>         Before you take the job of musician or singer in a worship band,
> you need to examine the motives of your heart. Here are some questions to
> ask yourself or others who are trying to get in the band:
>
>              Do you think it would be fun to be on stage?
>              Are you just trying to help out and meet a need?
>              Are you trying to recapture your youth, when you used to
> sing or play an instrument?
>              Are you just learning to play, and hoping to get some
> experience or free lessons?
>              Do you feel you could worship God better from the stage than
> from the congregation?
>              Are you unconsciously trying to gain a good reputation or
> impress people by playing in the band?
>              Is your motivation to draw attention to yourself or to the
> Lord?
>
>         Although there are many more questions to ask yourself before
> entering the public worship arena, there really is only one that counts:
> are you in the worship band or choir as an act of obedience to God?
> Everyone is called to praise God and sing to His Holy name, but not
> everyone is called to be in the worship band.
>
>         Everyone is called to intercede and to battle with the powers of
> darkness, but not everyone is called to take a Davidic position and war
> on his or her instrument.  Some motives sound spiritual, but are not. It
> may seem noble to focus on the congregation and what will make them
> happy, but if you do so you are worshipping them and not God. The call of
> a worship musician or singer is to minister to God, not the people. If
> the presence of God is our focus, He will come and bless the congregation
> a lot more than anything you can do!
>
>         This may sound harsh, but we are coming into a time when it will
> be extremely hazardous to play around with worship. A church would be
> better off with just one called and equipped musician, than a band full
> of people with good intentions but no calling.  In many churches playing
> in the worship band is the only job that seems to have no spiritual
> requirements tied to it. If the spiritual life of the pastor is in
> question, he's a goner. If the elders are not in right standing with God,
> they will be removed. Yet, if a person owns a guitar, it's no problem
> getting a job playing in the worship band.
>
>         Worship or Entertainment?
>
>         The most difficult thing to determine about one's own heart is,
> "am I really concerned about reaching my Savior with this praise, or am I
> just trying to entertain these needy people?". Once the idea of
> entertaining gets loose in the church, people can sometimes feel there is
> no anointing just because they are not pleased with the quality of the
> music. They've had a hard week at work and need a little relief from the
> pressures of life, so they look forward to the idea of sitting back and
> being entertained on Sunday.
>
>         This leads to watching worship instead of participating. I don't
> think it is wrong to enjoy watching someone worship God. But if you as a
> singer or musician feel you have to live up to your own reputation as a
> great worshipper, you've just crossed a dangerous line; from worship to
> entertainment.
>
>         The body of Christ is in need of real Holy Spirit experiences, so
> we can tell the difference between anointing and entertainment. Those
> experiences will come more often when someone is called, gifted and
> anointed to be a leader or player in the worship band.
>
>         Chosen by God
>
>         Either you are chosen by God to have a position on the worship
> team or you are not. Even if you are chosen, you may have family
> obligations or other responsibilities that signal it is not yet God's
> time for you to start. If you have a heart for the musicians but don't
> sense a call to be one, maybe your role should be intercession. Perhaps
> your interest is meant to stimulate prayer for them rather than a
> position on the stage for you.
>
>         If you feel you are supposed to be in the band but someone else
> has your place, go to God and ask Him to bring discernment and wisdom. It
> has been my experience that God will make a way for you to be there if it
> is truly His will. Be careful not to pray against that person, even if
> you believe they are being insensitive to what God is wanting to do. Be
> sure of this: the Lord wants the right people in the right places more
> than you do.
>
>         What if the Lord makes it clear that He has chosen someone else
> instead of you? The Bible is filled with examples of people with examples
> of people faced with this very situation: God chose Abel's offering
> instead of Cain's, Isaac instead of Ishmael, Jacob instead of Esau, and
> Joseph instead of his brothers.
>
>         Nothing is a greater test of our character. Either we will rise
> up in jealousy and jeopardize our own calling, or we will rejoice with
> our brother or sister over God's choice and blessing.
>
>         Jonathan is a good example of someone who had the right response
> to God's choice of someone else. Although it would have been easy to feel
> threatened by the prophecy that David would be the next king instead of
> him, Jonathan instead committed himself to doing everything he could to
> make David successful. He rejoiced in telling his friend David, "You will
> be king over Israel and I will be next to you". (I Samuel 23:17).
>
>         Those who humble themselves under God's almighty hand will be
> exalted in due time (see I Peter 5:6). He has a wonderful role for you to
> fill in His body, a role fashioned especially for you. As you seek Him,
> He will show you what it is.
>
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