Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God | Bob Kauflin

Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God | Bob Kauflin | New Revelation and Insight

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	Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God Bob Kauflin Crossway Books, 2008 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 7 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Combining biblical foundations with real-world application, a pastor and professional songwriter guides worship leaders and pastors to root their corporate worship in unchanging scriptural principles rather than divisive trends.

Nothing is more essential than knowing how to worship the God who created us. This book focuses readers on the essentials of God-honoring worship, combining biblical foundations with practical application in a way that works in the real world. The author, a pastor and noted songwriter, skillfully instructs pastors, musicians, and church leaders so that they can root their congregational worship in unchanging scriptural principles, not divisive cultural trends. Bob Kauflin covers a variety of topics such as the devastating effects of worshiping the wrong things, how to base our worship on God?s self-revelation rather than our assumptions, the fuel of worship, the community of worship, and the ways that eternity?s worship should affect our earthly worship.

Appropriate for Christians from varied backgrounds and for various denominations, this book will bring a vital perspective to what readers think they understand about praising God.

?Bob loves God, values theology, and cares about people. This mix is found throughout this wonderful and helpful book. Worship Matters will inspire you as a worshiper and spur you on as a leader of worship.?
Matt Redman, lead worshiper and song-writer, Brighton, UK

?Bob Kauflin is teaching a new generation to take corporate worship seriously in a fashion that is simultaneously biblically faithful and addressing today?s culture.?
D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

?This book is thoroughly biblical, comprehensive, balanced, clear, and engaging. Worship leaders must read it, and it will be a great help to anyone interested in finding out what biblical worship is about and how to worship from the heart.?
John Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary

?Bob?s approach is humble, yet authoritative; comprehensive, yet inspirational. And if you take his gentle but clear teaching onboard, it will help make you fully equipped in mind, heart, and spirit to lead others in worship. I wholeheartedly recommend it.?
Stuart Townend, Christian song-writer

?An outstanding book both for those who lead worship and also for every Christian who wants to worship God more fully. The book is biblical, practical, interesting, wise, and thorough in its treatment of the topic. The next time I teach on worship, I plan to make this the required text.?
Wayne Grudem, Research Professor of Bible and Theology, Phoenix Seminary

?Humility. Self-deprecating humor. Practical wisdom. And not just for music leaders. What a refreshing read! I?ve gained from Bob Kauflin, and if you read this, you will too.?
Mark Dever, Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church; Executive Director, 9Marks Ministries

?Bob is a pastor, a teacher, and a skilled musician. And this book captures his heart, his zealous pursuit of God, and his many years of real-life experience leading worship. That?s why his book deserves the careful study of pastors and worship leaders alike.?
Joshua Harris, Senior Pastor, Covenant Life Church, Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Every evangelical leader should read it

Regardless your position on Church corporate worship is, contemporary worship (CW) or Historical Worship (HW), Bob Kauflin addresses the principles of Holy Scripture dealing with the important aspects on worship: Your love to God, your believes in sound doctrine, your way of life aiming for obedience to God, and your role modeling as a Christian leading others to worship God through Christ with spiritual music in your local church. Personally, I was impressed by the honest approach the author observed along the book realizing his own church weaknesses and acknowledging the learning he could find in other historical/traditional churches. What I liked the most, was what he called "Healthy Tensions" in worship: "Transcendent and Immanent", "Head and Heart", "Internal and External", "Vertical and Horizontal", "Planned and Spontaneous", "Rooted and Relevant", "having in mind believers and unbelievers", etc. I think these healthy tensions give you the key secret for musical ministry in the church that will be pleasant to God and his creatures.

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New Revelation and Insight

Worship Matters is an exceptional book for worship leaders, pastors, musicians, and everyone in between. Only two chapters into the book I had recommended it to other worship leaders. Filled with experience and insight, Kauflin uses scriptures and references to back up all that he explains. He is not afraid to tackle the issues that we, as worship leaders, deal with constantly yet are afraid to admit. Every chapter is unique and contains another heart issue to consider.
Worship Matters will cause it's reader to want to rise to the next level; to reach beyond themselves and what they have settled for; to expand their faith and reach for the high calling of Christ and all that it entails.

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An Excellent Book for Pastors, Worship Leaders, and Worship Teams

I am not a worship leader. I'm a pastor. No, wait - that makes me a worship leader, just not in the realm of music. That's an important distinction to make, and one which Bob Kauflin makes in this valuable book: "Anyone who encourages others to praise God can be referred to as a 'worship leader.' Worship can involve music, but it can happen without it as well." Careful thinking like that make this book a treasure-trove of biblical wisdom and practical insight on worship.

Kauflin unpacks what a worship leader does (see other reviews for the definition - I don't want to be needless repetitive), discusses healthy tensions in our theology and practice of worship, speaks specifically to the relational dynamics in which every worship leader is involved (with the church, the team, the pastor), and more.

The book is rooted in the Gospel, robust in theology, and well-written. I was encouraged and instructed. And I'm committed to making sure every present and future member of our church's worship team gets a copy. This is a great book for pastors, worship leaders, and worship teams. In fact, it's a great book for any one who wants to worship God in spirit and truth. It is practical enough to be of real use to musicians and leaders, but it is general enough to encourage and help any believer.

Spread the word. This is a great book on worship! Thanks Bob Kauflin for serving the church with this book.

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Great for worship teams!

I am taking my worship team through Worship Matters right now. Those who are reading it are really enjoying it. Bob Kauflin's succinct and powerful way of presenting his points keeps the reader interested. He really relates well with worship leaders because of his vast experience as a worship pastor over many years. His emphasis on the importance of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit in leading worship is alone worth the price of the book. But Kauflin also delves into many more "nuts and bolts" topics that worship leaders and teams need to understand and apply. I recommend this book everywhere I go! --Dwayne Moore, author of Pure Praise: A Heart-focused Bible Study on Worship (Group Publishing, 2009)

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A Great Book about Worship

Books on worship are almost as numerous as worship CDs. Good books on worship are almost as rare as good worship CDs. Thankfully, Bob Kauflin's new book Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God (Crossway, 2008) is not just a good book on worship; it's great! Kauflin serves as the worship leader for Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland and the director of worship development for Sovereign Grace Ministries.

"Worship matters. It matters to God because he is the one ultimately worthy of all worship. It matters to us because worshiping God is the reason for which we were created. And it matters to every worship leader, because we have no greater privilege than leading others to encounter the greatness of God. That's why it's so important to think carefully about what we do and why we do it." (19)

Whereas many books on worship emphasize skill and performance while other books stress the fervency and sincerity of the leader's heart, Kauflin refuses to pit one against the other. He spends considerable time speaking to the skill and excellence of the leader, but he also reminds leaders that "the greatest challenge is what you yourself bring to the platform each and every Sunday: your heart" (21).

What I found most helpful in Worship Matters was the dual emphasis Kauflin places on worshipping with the head as well as the heart. He stresses the importance of knowing God through his Word. He critiques worship leaders for rarely reading theology books (29) and says:

"The better we know God through his Word, the more genuine our worship will be. In fact, the moment we veer from what is true about God we're engaging in idolatry. Regardless of what we think or feel there is no authentic worship of God without a right knowledge of God." (28)

But Kauflin does not advocate a mere head-knowledge of God. He insists that "mind and heart belong together. Strong passionate desires for God flow from and encourage the faithful, thoughtful study of God - his nature, character, and works" (32). Rarely do you find worship leaders who so easily bring together fervent emotion and a passion for theology.

Kauflin defines the worship leader this way:

"A faithful worship leader magnifies the greatness of God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit by skillfully combining God's Word with music, thereby motivating the gathered church to proclaim the Gospel to cherish God's presence in to live for God's glory." (55)

He then spends most of the book unpacking each phrase of this definition. He devotes two chapters to music, helpfully teaching that "it's the gospel that blends us together, not music" (105). He divides worship songs into four categories:

"Don't Use"
"In Private"
"Could Use"
"Should Use"

Regarding the Regulative Principle that teaches us to only do in a worship service that which is explicitly commanded in Scripture, Kauflin offers three nuanced and balanced principles:

Do what God clearly commands
Don't do what God clearly forbids.
Use Scriptural wisdom for everything in else.

Perhaps the most helpful section of Worship Matters comes toward the end. Kauflin lists what he calls "healthy tensions" in worship. For example: "Transcendent and Immanent. Head and Heart. Planned and Spontaneous. Rooted and Relevant. Skilled and Authentic." He shows how these tensions are good when they are properly balanced in pastoral wisdom and Scriptural teaching.

The last section of the book focuses on the worship leader's relationships. Regarding the role of the pastor, Kauflin says,

"God has given the pastor, not the worship leader, the ultimate responsibility for the direction of the church. That includes the musical portions of the meeting. When we are at odds, Scripture is clear: I am the one who needs to submit." (242)

Worship Matters is one of the best books on worship I have come across in recent years. Kauflin's wisdom and passion shine through on every page. If you had to read just one book on worship this year, choose Worship Matters. You won't be disappointed.

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reviews: page 1, 2

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