Elevate - The Role of Worship

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Fellowship oriented. [00:00:01] Speaker B: You're a station of choice. Life, 37.5 FM. Listen love live. [00:00:07] Speaker C: I'm in Barbados and the eastern Caribbean is 05:00 this is your word that. [00:00:13] Speaker B: You'Ve been waiting for all night. [00:00:16] Speaker D: Darwin, where are you? [00:00:19] Speaker E: How many know that God is able to do? [00:00:24] Speaker F: Exceedingly. [00:00:27] Speaker E: Abundantly. [00:00:28] Speaker F: Above all, you can ask something according to the power that worketh in us. [00:00:41] Speaker D: Hallelujah. How many believe it tonight, somebody turn to your neighbor and tell your neighbor he's able. Tell somebody else he's able. [00:00:53] Speaker E: Y'all ready? [00:00:56] Speaker G: Excuse me. [00:01:00] Speaker D: Abundantly, above all you could ask for according to the power. [00:01:20] Speaker F: That. [00:01:21] Speaker G: Work within you, you are. [00:01:29] Speaker D: God is able to do just what he said he will. He's gonna fulfill every promise to you. Don't give up on God cause he won't give up on you. He's able. [00:01:56] Speaker G: How many believe it tonight? Yeah, yeah, he's able. [00:02:04] Speaker D: Thank you, Jesus. [00:02:09] Speaker A: Good evening and welcome to elevate. Take me higher. Elevate is a 1 hour program that seeks to provide persons with an outlet for spiritual guidance through songs of inspirational worship and messages, while spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and helping to transform the lives of persons. It will also provide a forum for open, holistic discussion about issues impacting society from a biblical perspective. I'm your host Terry Jones, and I have with me in studio today our guest, Sister Michelle Williams. And today our main theme is going to be the role of worship. [00:02:54] Speaker C: Do you know where your vehicles are right now? With auto aids cutting edge gps tracking service, you can track, locate, protect and recover your vehicles in real time. With autoaid, you get real time gps tracking and instant alerts, making fleet management easier than ever. Whether you manage one vehicle or 100 autoaids, GPS solution helps you monitor your fleet, save time, money and even reduce your carbon footprint. Our system features include track, locate and recover vehicles anytime, anywhere. Remotely disable our vehicle, receive speed and geofence alerts when vehicles leave designated areas right to your phone or email, plus advanced features like tyre pressure, door open and temperature sensors and an So's button for emergencies. Do it yourself plug and play OBD solutions are also available or WhatsApp Auto aid at 246-287-1717 today and take control of your fleet with auto aid gps tracking service because your fleet deserves the best. [00:04:12] Speaker A: Sister Michelle Williams is an amazing educator, singer and worship leader. Michelle's gospel roots were planted from a young age while singing in church with over 30 years of experience. Her involvement with a variety of bands, worship teams and choirs has given her a wealth of knowledge and experience. She has ministered on numerous stages, including Barbados gospel Fest, Nifca and various national events across the island. Michel is on a mission to help persons fulfill their unique potential as they experience a relationship with goddess. She has a passion to see lives blossom and mature and this has undergirded her work before nations, youth, the church and the community. Michel strongly believes in the power of music, specifically gospel music, and its ability to captivate, enrich, edify and encourage. Presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ dynamically in sound is her passion. She has been privileged to work with students, teachers and school leaders locally, regionally and internationally in various capacities for over 20 years. She's the holder of a Bachelor of Science degree, a diploma in education, as well as a postgraduate diploma in leadership with distinction from the Eardiston Teachers Training College and a master's degree with emphasis on educational leadership. She is currently pursuing a doctor of philosophy in education. Michelle Williams, an inspired, an anointed woman of God. Michelle, we are glad to have you this evening. We are privileged to have you in studio this evening. [00:06:03] Speaker B: Thank you, brother Terry and good evening to the listeners locally and regionally and indeed across the world. [00:06:12] Speaker A: Thank you. So we're now gonna have the song sing over me by don't sing Oyekan. [00:06:24] Speaker D: When we lift our hand. To me it looks like we are creating a funnel for him to fill us up. Yeah, to me it looks like a connection between heaven and hell. Just bless him in tongue. Sing in the spirit. Worship is about the something you want to eat, not the one I want to sing. I'm here so you can sing over me and I'll sing goodbye to you. I know that worship is all wrong or something unto you. [00:07:28] Speaker G: Not the one I want to say. [00:07:31] Speaker D: Sing Jesus, I'm here so you can sing your birthday and I'll sing it back to you. [00:07:45] Speaker G: Oh spirit, shall I go? Oh, I know worship is about the song you want to to hear. I don't want to see I'm here so you can sing overdose. I know what I want to be. I feel you can take over. [00:09:38] Speaker E: Time. [00:09:38] Speaker G: I know worship is I want to hear the I worship and hear me. [00:10:19] Speaker D: If you're more. [00:10:25] Speaker G: With a lifting of my hand. I worship, I worship. When I know what's to say. [00:10:39] Speaker A: Somebody. [00:10:40] Speaker G: Calling I worship, I worship. Oh my God, great you are, you. [00:11:22] Speaker D: Are more than what can say more than what's my. [00:11:30] Speaker G: Come on, how great you are. More than once can say more than once my mind can. Lord, my God, lift it up. You are more than one. More than, more than what I know, o Lord, I made you more than once I I walk away I pray I make it. [00:13:38] Speaker A: Wow. That song is from the album the great commission. And what I like about that song, that song describes worship in its entirety, and it opens the line, I know that worship is about the sound you want to hear, not the one I want to sing. Sister Michelle, with words like that, could you then use that to help us define worship? [00:14:10] Speaker B: Certainly, brother Terry. Well, before I give you the definition of worship, I think it's important that we go right back to Genesis and let's talk a little bit about the fall of mankind. Now, we might remember that because of sin, Adam was banished from the garden of Eden. And we may also remember that Eden in the Greek is translated as delight. It's actually a hebrew verb. So the garden of Eden is translated as the garden of delight. So man's ideal environment is actually in God's presence. Man's ideal environment is in God's presence. And from then, throughout the Old Testament, man has been trying to restore this intimate relationship with God. Cain and Abel presented burnt offerings and sacrifices. Noah built an altar. In fact, Moses even built a tabernacle. How do we get back into that ideal presence? How do we get back into God's presence and stay there? And I submit to you today that the answer is worship. Praise and worship. Now, as a teacher, I have to say to you that the dictionary definition of worship is to honor, show reverence. For as a divine being or supernatural power, worship actually means to regard with great honor or devotion. And as we go back into the book of Genesis, we encounter that very first opportunity for a man to worship. And that was when Abraham took his son up to Mount Moriah, and he was asked to offer him as a sacrifice. Now, in Genesis 22, verse five, it says that Abraham said to his servants, stay here with the donkey while the boy and I go over there. We will worship, and then we will come back to you. So, clearly, from the very beginning, we can identify that worship is connected to loss. This thing we call worship is an act of surrender. It's an act of obedience. And that brings us to the New Testament definition of worship. Romans twelve, one and two says, therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper form of worship. This is your true and proper worship. Verse two goes on to say, do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will. [00:17:24] Speaker A: So, Sister Michelle, I am so glad that you've brought collaborative some things that were great areas to me, because I used to think that worship was really about a song that made you feel good. So, having explained what you just explained, it tells me that our minister Dunstan is. Is on the ball, because he's saying is it has nothing to do with the song that you might want the worship leader to sing. It is the sound that God wants to hear, you know? So sometimes when you worship leaders leading, we might feel way she's singing that song, you know? But I think what you're saying is, if your worship is coming from the heart, then the sound doesn't matter, but whether God is pleased with the worship being offered. [00:18:22] Speaker B: You see, when we talk about worship, we are really talking about offering our souls. We are talking about offering our minds and offering our bodies. And as you know, man is a combination of body, spirit and soul. So that means that to worship really is to be fully human. To connect with our God spiritually, essentially, is to be fully human. You know, oftentimes we hear worship is a lifestyle. And it's so true. It is how we offer our bodies as this living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. [00:19:01] Speaker A: Yeah. You know, I like when the songwriter also talks about lifting your hands like a funnel and just blessing. And I thought that brought a different connotation, because we know that lifting our hands could reflect us being in a vulnerable state, that is. But he's saying that your hands are like a funnel and you're asking to be filled up from heaven. I thought that was a great analogy. [00:19:31] Speaker B: Within the word of God, there are seven dimensions of praise, and the lifting of the hands, or toda, as occurred in the Old Testament, is an extension of the hand in adoration or acceptance. Sometimes we say yada, which is also to hold out the hand or to extend the hand in worship. So when we worship our God, we engage all of our bodies in honor, in submission, in praise. Worship really is an act of the will, giving oneself in adoration unto God. [00:20:12] Speaker A: Yeah. And we're going to listen to that song some more, because later on in this song, you find that the minister really goes deep into worship, and he really presents a different context in terms of worship. So let's listen some more. [00:20:28] Speaker B: It. [00:20:36] Speaker G: Was you are. When you wake up in the morning, you are. I wanna wait till you are gonna. I was. [00:23:01] Speaker D: Lifted up to one more time for you. [00:23:21] Speaker G: Sadeena. Release of Sadeena, Jenna. [00:25:11] Speaker A: Jesus, I'm here so you can sing over me, and I'll sing it back to you. Those are some poignant, telling words, Sister Michelle. What is the minister really saying there? [00:25:28] Speaker B: He's expressing his heart. He's expressing his connection to the king of kings and the lord of lords. And might I add, he's doing so beautifully. [00:25:41] Speaker A: Wow. But. But tell me, though, what is the difference between worship and praise? Because we hear these words being used interchangeably. But what. What really is the difference? Could you. [00:25:56] Speaker B: Could you help us, Brother Terry? I'm so glad that you asked. Just now, we said worship was presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice. So I'm going to go back to the dictionary definition again for what praise is. Praise is to commend or glorify or to express a favorable. Favorable judgment of something or someone. So anybody can pray. Anyone can praise God. In fact, psalms 150 declares, let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Psalms 148 says, all creation praises our God. Praise requires no virtue, no character, no integrity. So there, oftentimes, we might watch an awards show, and we will hear artists, secular artists, say, I want to thank God. I want to thank my mama. And oftentimes we wonder, but how could you be singing this type of music and you're bringing God in this? But the word declares, anybody can praise God. It requires no character, no integrity. Worship, however, requires that you present to your body and who you are and everything you are as a living sacrifice. [00:27:22] Speaker A: Wow. Sister Michelle, I've learned so much already. But something that piqued my curiosity, he also speaks about worshiping in spirit and truth. Could you elaborate on that first? We've heard this. I mean, I've heard it from the time I was going to church as a boy. And could you put some meat on that, some flesh out for us? [00:27:54] Speaker B: Certainly. All worshipers can praise God, but all praisers don't worship. All worshipers praise God, but all praisers do not worship. There's a beautiful link that was identified by doctor, the late doctor Miles Monroe, and he said, praise brings you into the presence of God, but worship is being found by him. Worship is actually the climax of praise. And the word declares in John 423 and 24, but the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth. For the Father seeketh such to worship him. You see, God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. [00:29:10] Speaker A: Okay. Um. When you put it that way, I understand it fully. So you're saying that it's essential for a Christian to worship. Can, can a Christian survive without worship? [00:29:26] Speaker B: I dare say it is critical that a Christian worships. You see, you're going to worship something because in it within us is that thing that calls us to worship God. The agnostic will worship his questions and the atheist will worship his intellect. I dare say the gold digger would probably want to worship money, but within us is that desire to connect with our heavenly Father. We are going to worship something, and whatever you put before God is whatever you would worship. [00:30:10] Speaker C: Do you know where your vehicles are right now? With auto Aids cutting edge gps tracking service, you could track, locate, protect, and recover your vehicles in real time. With AutoAid, you get real time gps tracking and instant alerts, making fleet management easier than ever. Whether you manage one vehicle or 100, Autoaid's gps solution helps you monitor your fleet, save time, money, and even reduce your carbon footprint. Our system features include track, locate, and recover vehicles anytime, anywhere, remotely disable our vehicle, receive speed and geofence alerts when vehicles leave designated areas right to your phone or email, plus advanced features like tyre pressure, door open and temperature sensors, and an SO's button for emergencies. Do it yourself plug and play OBD solutions are also available. Call or WhatsApp autoaid at 246-287-1717 today and take control of your fleet with auto aid gps tracking service because your fleet deserves the best. [00:31:38] Speaker A: You know, sometimes we get emotional, very emotional when we're worshipping and there's a song, when I think about the Lord, it makes me want to shout. And I've heard several versions of this song, but this version by mercy culture. I like the passion that the singer puts into the song, she and her team. So we're gonna play that song now, and then we're gonna ask Sister Michelle to dissect it for us. [00:32:13] Speaker G: Jesus, we love you. Jesus, we love you. We magnify your name, we glorify the name of Jesus. Come get the glory. How we love you, we love you, we love you. Away from me, we cannot, you are. We can come back to the holy grace without it forgot. How we save me, how we raise me, how we feel with the Holy Ghost, how we keep me to the uttermost. When I think about the Lord, how we pick me up, turn me around, I replace my feet again. When I think about it, when I think about the Lord, how he saved me how. How he raise me, how it fill me with the holy Ghost, how he give me to the almost. When I think about the love, how he picks me up, turn me around, how we place my feet, what solid ground it makes me wonder. Hallelujah Jesus Lord, you worthy for all the glory and all the honor, all the praise it makes me wanna shout hallelujah. Thank you Jesus Lord, you're worthy of all the glory and all the honor and all the water makes me wanna shout hallelujah. Thank you Jesus, love you worthy it makes me want to sound Hallelujah. Thank you Jesus. Come on, every hand lift the. When I think about it, when I think about the Lord, turn it around. When I think about it, when I think about the Lord, how he saved me, how he raised me. Hallelujah. Thank you Jesus Lord, you worthy of all the glory and all of the honor, it makes me wonder. Hallelujah. [00:38:09] Speaker E: On Tuesday morning, we were in here for pre serving or for staff prayer. And I was standing right here at the altar, and all of a sudden, in the middle of worship, I heard this voice that said, they don't want you here, and nobody would know if you were gone. And I remembered the voice. It was familiar, because when I was in middle school, I struggled with suicidal thoughts. Most of my middle school years struggled with that. But God set me free. It's part of my testimony. It's harder why? To sing this song and kind of lose my mind a little bit. Y'all think I'm up here just cheesing for no reason. It's because I have a testimony. It's because I have a story. Because I remember the goodness of God and what he's taken me from and that I could have lost my life. But Jesus. And this morning, he reminded me of that moment on Tuesday night, on Tuesday morning. Because what happened was when I heard the voice, like I said, it was familiar. And I said, God, what is that voice? What is that? And I heard him say, it's not yours. I said, well, why are you letting me hear right now? And he said, it's for Sunday. There's going to be people in the room that they've been hearing that voice, some of which have already been set free, some of which have already been saved. They've already been delivered from that lying spirit. I heard the Lord say that he wants to set people free again this morning. And whether it's your first time ever in this season struggling with that, or whether you've conquered it through Jesus before, and it's coming up again, knocking at your door again, I want to let you know that his blood is enough this morning, the cross is enough this morning that you don't have to live in that place this morning, the world would say it just illness. They have all these different words and phrases for it. But what I know is that in my life, there's no spirit that's welcome but the Holy Spirit. And I want to declare that over you today, that there's no spirit welcome in your life but the Holy Spirit. That any lying, accusing voices, any lying, accusing spirits, anything that would come against the life that Jesus paid for in your body, it says that Jesus came, he will bring life and life more abundantly. That's your promise through the blood. That's your promise through the cross. And so I said to well, God, what do you want to do about it this morning? Why are you showing it to me this morning? And he told me that the remedy today is to remember. To remember what he's done, to remember his goodness, to start to think about the way that he saved you, to start to think about again the way that he wrote, and think about again the way that he healed you, set. [00:40:57] Speaker G: You free, pulled you up out of the miring clay. [00:40:59] Speaker E: That the remedy is to remember his goodness this morning. [00:41:03] Speaker G: So come on, with every hand raised. [00:41:05] Speaker E: To sing this out. When I think about it. [00:41:11] Speaker G: How he saved me, how he raised me, how he filled me with the Holy Ghost, how we. Come on, sing it out. When I sing with God, when I sing. [00:42:18] Speaker A: Wow, it makes me want to shout. Sister Misha, we probably let that one run a little longer than we intended to, but I was enthralled by that testimony. And is that praise when you feel like I got a shout? When I think about the Lord, I just want to shout. [00:42:43] Speaker B: Well, brother Terry, the word declares that we are to remember the Lord and forget not his benefits. So, as believers, we are always to call to our memory what God has done for us in our lives, who he is in our lives. You know, there are some things that only God and I know about, and there are some things that only you and God know about. And we are always to remember the goodness of God to us, the situations we've had to face, what he's brought us through, how he has brought us through, how he's come through for us. And when we think about who he is, when we examine his character, it does make us want to shout. But it's not just a shout for everybody to hear us being loud. It's actually what's known as Shabbak, which is the fourth dimension of praising the word of God. Now, Shabbat means to address in a loud voice, but with a sense of triumph, it needs to glorify God to extend him to extol the Lord. So when we shabbat God, when we shout, as the songwriter says in the song, as the worship leader sang just now, we actually commend God for his character and for his nature, you know. [00:44:02] Speaker A: And I wonder if I'm connecting this to the very ear that we breathe. It's really about life. And when we are shouting and we are praising, we are really bringing life to our bodies. We are downloading through the funnel, as the minister indicated in the previous song. But then when we get this life, now, we are returning it back with this shout. And there's a song called Breathe by Minister Duncan as well. And I think he brings that to life, the idea of the importance of breathing in God's word and letting it enlighten you. So we're going to play that song now. [00:45:20] Speaker D: Spirit of spirit, lighted by your word and with your breath, that's why I come alive. That's why I change my world, father, to joy from your spirit to my spirit, I am lighted by your work and with your breath of life. That's how I come alive. That's how I change my word. Just breathe your name upon me breathe, just breathe your name upon me breathe. Yuck. Hey, is your name. [00:46:20] Speaker G: Breathe, Lord. [00:46:23] Speaker D: Just breathe your name upon. [00:46:25] Speaker G: Me. [00:46:29] Speaker D: Say, father. [00:46:37] Speaker G: I did fire your words. Just read the name upon me just breathe your name upon me. [00:47:35] Speaker D: Just read. [00:47:36] Speaker F: Your name just read your name upon. [00:47:39] Speaker D: Me lift your hands and say, just read your name upon me. [00:47:49] Speaker E: Just breathe. [00:47:50] Speaker F: Your name upon me. [00:48:00] Speaker D: Just read your. [00:48:01] Speaker G: Name. [00:48:32] Speaker D: Say, father, lift your voice and. [00:48:56] Speaker G: Say, just breathe the name upon me breath. Just breathe the name upon me. Your name will hate your name upon me. [00:49:51] Speaker A: Just breathe your name upon me. That's all he's asking for, sister Michelle, you know, is he saying that that is essential, that his breath is essential for us to live? Or is he saying that's all they need? What is he saying? [00:50:12] Speaker B: I dare say he's saying both. Just breathe your name upon me, Lord, you are Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides. Breathe it on me. You are Jehovah Rapha, the Lord who heals. Breathe it on me, God, you are Jehovah Nissi, the one I boast in and my banner. Breathe it on me, God. Let your character be on me. Let your strength be on me. You see, the presence of God brings joy and gives rest. The presence of God brings peace. Jehovah Shalom. Breathe upon me. The presence of God brings deliverance and victory and power. Lord, let your name breathe upon me to worship you. We live. [00:51:01] Speaker A: From. From what I'm hearing, you're saying that we really should trust in God. And it's no coincidence that that is actually next song that we had queued up. And this song, this version by aware worship featuring Mark guitar is interesting. Let's listen. [00:51:34] Speaker F: Jesus is my. He's been my fourth man in the fight time after time born of his spirit and washed in his blood and what he did for me on Calvary is more than enough so I trust in God my savior the one who will never fail he will never fail I trust in God my savior the one who will never fail he will never fail perfect summation and all is at rest I know the offer of tomorrow has ordered my stand so this is my story and this is my song my song I'm praising my richest risen king and savior all the day long I trust in God, I do my savior the one who will never fail he'll never fail he will never fail I trust in my savior the one who will never fail he will never fail he'll never fail never seen the righteous forsaken Lord never see the seed begging for bread oh, we serve a faithful God I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered I sought the Lord and he heard and he answered that's why I trust him that's why I trust him that's why I trust him. [00:55:30] Speaker G: And he answered I saw the Lord and he heard that's why I trust him that's why I love that's why I trust in God my savior the one who will never fail he'll never never. [00:55:54] Speaker F: Fail. [00:55:57] Speaker G: I trust him I trust in. [00:56:00] Speaker F: God I save you the one who will never fail. [00:56:13] Speaker G: He will never fail I saw the Lord I saw the Lord I thought the Lord I thought the Lord and he heard. [00:56:43] Speaker A: You know, Sister Michelle, what I like about that song is there's a compelling case being put forward, you know, as to why he trusts the Lord. And I guess you can tie everything back to worship and praise, but also your experiences as a Christian. Could you give me some your input on that? [00:57:10] Speaker B: God's desire is for man to live, breathe and dwell in his presence. And we've talked a lot about praise and worship, but it is praise and worship that really attracts the presence of God. And God's presence really is the only essential ingredient in worship. I want to add something really special for our worship leaders, and it's that as you prepare to take people before the throne of God, it is critical that you prepare yourself to enter into this place of worship. It is critical that you think about the songs that you are going to sing, but more than that, you seek God to find out the songs he wants to hear. Praise and worship brings us, us into that place of rest, into that place of victory, into a position where God can download, as the young people would say, into us, exactly what he wants for us. [00:58:22] Speaker A: Sister Michelle, I do not know where the time has gone, but we've unfortunately come to end of our show. We welcome your feedback. So please WhatsApp us at 256-5433 on the Life 97.5 WhatsApp channel. And we're going to finish with a song that I think sums up everything we've said today. And it talks about, yeah, the hallowed one. But I'm going to let the minister do it because he does it better than me. Thank you for tuning in to any of it. [00:59:05] Speaker D: Yet no word comes you up. Then I ask the Lord what name. Generation after generation. [00:59:32] Speaker G: Keep praising you, yet. [00:59:36] Speaker D: No words on you. Then I ask the Lord what name? [00:59:48] Speaker G: And you save holy one, yahweh, the king of fire. Generation keep praising you. After generation praising you, keep praising you. And he said, yeah, say y'all the hollow one, y'all. Say yahweh, the king of fire, somebody. [01:02:43] Speaker D: Say y'all the hollow. [01:02:46] Speaker G: One, y'all. [01:05:24] Speaker C: That's the music of dancing all you can, yeah bringing to an end elevate on life 97.5 fm be sure to join Terry and and Michelle godwilling next Sunday evening at 05:00 do you know where your vehicles are right now? With autoaid's cutting edge gps tracking service, you can track, locate, protect and recover your vehicle in real time. With Autoaid, you get real time gps tracking and instant alerts, making fleet management easier than ever. Whether you manage one vehicle or 100, Autoaid's gps solution helps you monitor your fleet, save time, money and even reduce your carbon footprint. Our system features track, locate and recover vehicles anytime, anywhere. Remotely disable our vehicle, receive speed and geofence alerts when vehicles leave designated areas right to your phone or email, plus advanced features like tyre pressure, door open and temperature sensors, plus an SO's button for emergencies. Do it yourself plug and play OBD solutions are also available. Call or WhatsApp Autoaid at 246-287-1717 today and take control of your fleet with Autoaid gps tracking service because your fleet eight deserves the best. [01:07:00] Speaker B: Faith river driver. [01:07:01] Speaker A: Feeding, family life fellowship oriented. [01:07:05] Speaker B: You're a station of choice life 37.5 fm listen, love live.