Worship Leader

I was leading the singing at my Church the other night and after the meeting a visitor to our Church asked me a question that I had never been asked before. 'Are you the worship leader here?' I suppose I know what the person meant. There is a position in the contemporary church called the 'Worship Leader' and I suppose the reason I was taken by surprise was that I am not entirely comfortable with this 'job title'.

In the first instance there is no basis within New Testament Revelation to have within the church a person called a 'Worship Leader'. I read of pastors, teachers, evangelists, prophets, elders and deacons, but nowhere do I read of 'worship leaders'.

Secondly I wonder how it might be possible to lead worship. You can lead the singing, as long as you can carry a tune you can do that, you can lead in prayer, these things are all possible,but how can a person be said to lead worship.

Worship is an exercise of the heart and is intensely personal. You could be in a Church of 300 people all singing 'How Great Thou Art' but are all 300 people worshipping. First of only the saved people in the gathering can really be said to be worshiping for all acceptable worship must come the blood sprinkled way, if a person has not had the blood savingly applied then their worship will not be acceptable to God. Then we turn our attention to the remaining saved people in the meeting, could they all be said to be worshipping. Some of them may be singing out of habit but really they are thinking about what's for dinner, or what they have to do in work tomorrow. Then there are those who really are pouring out their hearts in praise and thanksgiving to God, however, this worship has not been drawn from them by some person at the front with a microphone, no, this worship is being poured out of a heart that is bursting with gratitude and adoration to our wonderful Lord.

The Lord Jesus taught the woman of Samaria this lesson in the days of His flesh, He taught her that the dead forms of religion were passing away and that a time was coming and in fact had come 'when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth:' Worship is a spiritual exercise not a physical one that can be lead, it can only be drawn from us by the Holy Spirit.

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Psalm 29 v2