The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in Worship
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
There can be no worship without the Holy Spirit. As Christians, our very act of worship is prompted, energized, informed, and supplied by the Holy Spirit. Yet for many, His ministry seems to be either unknown, feared, misapplied, or overemphasized. How can we better understand the ministry of the third Person of the Trinity as we worship?
Think for a moment about music. The beauty of music is most clearly heard when a masterfully written piece is performed by a great performer who gives the piece life and vitality. Whether performed by a solo performer, a jazz quintet, a rock band, or a classical orchestra, two components are necessary to make a piece of music truly beautiful: form and freedom.
The form of a piece of music is what is written. It can be a full orchestra score, intricately composed so every instrument has a well-defined part, or it can be the lead sheet to a well-written jazz standard from a fake book. But this give the musicians the form that they are to follow when they perform it. It stands as the reference point for the performance that follows.
But the music needs another component to become the work of art it’s intended to be: freedom. The performer sees the music and performs it, but adds the further beauty of musical skill, practice, and interpretation to make the piece into a living work of art. In an orchestra, the conductor leads all the musicians playing their parts to vary the tempo and dynamics in the performance. In a jazz quintet, the musical chart may be sparing, and give more freedom, but it is the structure of the song that holds the improvisation together.
Form — Scripture
So when we consider the form of what the Holy Spirit gives us, the best place to start is Scripture. Why? Because it comes from the Holy Spirit Himself. Scripture is the written music of the Holy Spirit.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
— 2 Timothy 3:16–17
But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
— 2 Peter 1:20–21
The Scriptures give us the melody of our worship. Scripture is perfect, and it is sufficient to teach and guide us in our knowledge of God. Because it is breathed out by God the Spirit, it is not only perfect, but it is a beautiful piece of music. It is the symphony of our faith and practice.
A Spirit-filled worship service is not going to be afraid to let the Spirit speak. And by the Scriptures, we know that the Holy Spirit has spoken authoritatively. So how better to let the Holy Spirit speak than to let people hear His voice through the Scriptures? Our songs should lean heavily on Scripture, even letting the Spirit speak directly through the Psalms. We should let Scripture speak through readings (not just verses, but extended passages) in our worship services. Of course, in the preaching of the Word, His Word needs to be central, and evident.
Freedom —The Ministry of the Spirit
Holy Spirit, from creation’s birth,
Giving life to all that God has made,
Show Your power once again on earth;
Cause Your church to hunger for Your ways.- Keith Getty & Stuart Townend © 2006 Thankyou Music
But the Holy Spirit is not simply encapsulated in a book. The active ministry of the Holy Spirit is the performance of the piece written in the Scriptures. We, as the players under His direction, live out the music of worship under His direction.
And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Though we measure all of what we see of the Holy Spirit’s activity by the plumb line of the Scriptures, we must understand that the indwelling Holy Spirit actively and presently works in the hearts of His people as we worship, freeing us to worship the Lord in spirit and truth.
Here are some of the ways the Spirit of God equips, enjoins, and frees us to worship together as God’s people.
- Convicting people of sin (John 16:8)
- Counseling and teaching (John 14:26–28)
- Testifying that we are God’s children (Rom. 8:16)
- Unifying the body of Christ (Eph. 4:1–6)
- Giving gifts for the building of the body (Rom. 12:6–8)
- Bearing fruit in God’s people (Gal. 5:22–23)
When the church gathers, we are unified as Christ’s body in the Spirit. As we worship together, we teach and admonish one another in the word of Christ through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col. 3:16). We need to recognize this as the work of the Holy Spirit, not just in our individual lives, but in the life of His gathered saints.
So as we worship together as God’s people, we need both the form and the freedom that the Holy Spirit supplies to us to play the stirring symphony of praise to God. When we follow the Scriptures, and bear the fruit of the Spirit as Christ’s body, the music that results will bring glory and honor to God.
