ARE YOU A WORSHIP LEADER?

A worship leader is a man or woman who is called of God to lead in worship. If we want the power of God to flow in our worship, the leader must be a person GOD has selected. The anointing is as essential to this ministry as it is to any other ministry. Those whom God calls, He enables. Without this enablement the worship time will be mired in imitation and fleshly effort. Many congregations are waiting, week after week, for song leaders to become worship leaders or yield the position to a worship leader. Anyone who is so prideful of the "song leader" position that he will not share leadership with other anointed leaders is probably not called of God. Leaders who are anointed of the Lord hold their positions among men with a light grip. They have no trouble making way for others who are anointed. However, those who have been placed in a leadership position by the hand of man must hold tightly to it with their own strength.

Musical skill and understanding are essential. Music must be handled properly or it will inhibit the flow of God's Spirit. A skillful musical mind can release the powers of music to support the expression of God's people. On the other hand, unskillful handling of music can spoil the sacrifice of praise of the whole church, the Holy-Royal Priesthood.

SEE: WHAT IS WORSHIP LEADING? 

 The worship leader must be broken before the Lord and remain broken. Through Isaiah, the Lord makes it clear that He visits His presence upon those who are humble before Him.

For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (Isaiah 57:15 KJV)
Thus saith the Lord, the heaven is my throne, and the earth my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all these things hath mine hand made, all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look,("This one will I esteem", NIV) even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. (Isaiah 66:1, 2 KJV)

Music and music ministry can be done in a prideful manner, lifting the musician up with pride in performance and position. Worship leading is the exact opposite. Pride is incompatible with God's presence. When the performance musician succeeds, all eyes are on him and the applause of men floods his heart. When the worship musician or worship leader succeeds, he disappears for all eyes are on Jesus and all applause goes to the Lord. Because they are soulish and physical in their origin, music, thanksgiving, and even praise can be humanly generated. But the manifest presence of the Lord is a heavenly visitation given to those who have a poor and contrite spirit and who tremble at the Word of the Lord. It cannot be generated by man; it is a gift of God. Of all musicians, the worship musician must be humble. The difference between church musicians who are performance-oriented and those who are worship-oriented is obvious. Performers are proud and worshipers are humble.

Human nature teems with pride for everyone, musicians included. In your experience, if humble church musicians have been few in number, call to mind the action of culture and personal preference we discussed in chapter one. Pride is a cornerstone of the music education system that trains most musicians. But when a musician decides to minister to the Lord, when he desires for God's presence to be visited upon his music, he finds he must repent of pride and forsake it. God simply will not be enthroned upon prideful music. In the same way, a worship leader must be humble to lead a congregation before the Throne of God. He cannot take people someplace he has not been. He and his music must take the background and allow the Holy Spirit's work to take the foreground. Most musicians dislike performing background music. We want to be listened to when we make music. But worship music (while it is certainly not "elevator music") must be music in submission to God, deflecting the attention back to Him. The humility this requires from musicians is always a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. A worship leader performs his or her ministry together with the congregation, the pastor, the choir, the orchestra, and the worship singers in humility and obedience. Worship leading is in every way a service to the congregation and not something of leadership over the church. God may call anyone who is qualified to serve in this way.

A Worship Leader is someone who is...

-called of God to lead in worship,
-musically skillful and/or understanding,
-Spiritually broken before the Lord.