The Songs Your Congregation Will Remember on Their Deathbed | Churchfront Conference | Ben Haley

Pastoring Your Congregation Through Worship with Ben Haley

Episode Summary

In this powerful session from the Church Front Conference, Ben Haley shares three essential foundations for effective worship ministry that truly shepherds congregations. Drawing from scripture and personal experience, Ben explains how worship leaders must know their hearts, know their Bibles, and know their people to lead worship that transforms lives.

Show Notes

Key Timestamps

• 00:00 - Opening quote and introduction
• 00:59 - Ben shares the moving story of his father's final moments
• 03:18 - The profound influence of worship music and responsibility it brings
• 05:35 - What should be the foundation of worship ministry?
• 06:37 - Foundation #1: Know your heart
• 11:06 - Foundation #2: Know your Bible
• 15:35 - Practical tips for selecting and using worship songs
• 17:44 - Foundation #3: Know your people
• 21:29 - The danger of prioritizing programs over people
• 24:27 - Final encouragement to show off God's glory
• 25:39 - Closing quote from Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Key Topics

The Lasting Impact of Worship Songs

• Ben's father, despite being sedated and on a ventilator, communicated "It is well with my soul" in his final moments
• People rarely remember sermon details but often recall songs throughout their lives and even on their deathbeds
• What we sing has a profound influence on us, creating great responsibility for worship leaders

Foundation #1: Know Your Heart

• Reference to 1 Timothy 4 - "Watch your life and doctrine closely"
• Cultural conditioning has led us to value competency over character
• Ephesians 5:18-19 commands being filled with the Spirit before addressing singing
• Many things can cause us to neglect our hearts: busy schedules, tasks, praise, or personal struggles
• "If our ministries are to bless the congregations that we lead, then our ministries have to be led and staffed by people who know that we have a great need for Jesus."

Foundation #2: Know Your Bible

• Compare Ephesians 5:18-19 with Colossians 3:16 - singing flows from being Spirit-filled and Word-filled
• Technological and musical excellence alone don't make disciples
• "What truly makes disciples is the Word of God revealed by His Holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of His people."
• "The song book of a church is an indicator of that church's maturity."
• People need biblically rich lyrics to help them through grief, shame, and cultural confusion

Practical Song Selection Guidelines

• Songs should use biblical language and themes
• Songs should be singable for the congregation
• Find creative ways to incorporate Scripture into worship times (slides, readings, etc.)
• Style preferences (old/new, simple/complex, upbeat/slow) are secondary to biblical content
• "When your people are moved by a melody...make sure that what you are giving your people to sing is something worth singing from the Word."

Foundation #3: Know Your People

• Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 both emphasize singing "to one another"
• Corporate worship is both vertical (to God) and horizontal (to each other)
• We need each other's voices when we're struggling to worship
• Practical implication: music shouldn't be so loud that congregants can't hear each other
• "The church is Jesus's bride. These are his people. He cherishes them. He gave his life for them."
• You can't shepherd people you don't know

The Ultimate Goal of Worship Ministry

• Help people do what they were designed to do - worship God
• Attempts to reform behavior or conform people to church culture will fail
• "What you win people with is what you win them to."
• "Use those instruments, use those melodies, use the soundboards, use the lighting controllers to show off God's glory, and give your people the kinds of songs that they will sing on their deathbeds."

Memorable Quotes

"What we sing has a profound influence on us." - Ben Haley

"With great power comes great responsibility." - Ben Haley (quoting Uncle Ben from Spider-Man)

"We have been conditioned by our culture to value competency over character. We prefer platform over piety. We choose hype over holiness." - Ben Haley

"Great melodies don't make disciples. A brighter projector doesn't make disciples. An online service with better EQ doesn't make disciples." - Ben Haley

"The song book of a church is an indicator of that church's maturity." - Ben Haley

"Church music is not a one-way street from an individual to God. It's also something we do with each other and for each other." - Ben Haley

"Church leaders are not leaders of nobody. We are leaders of people." - Ben Haley

"I can forgive a man for a bad sermon...if he gives me some dim glimpse of the majesty and the glory of God, the love of Christ my savior, and the magnificence of the gospel." - Martyn Lloyd-Jones (quoted by Ben Haley)

Scripture References

• 1 Timothy 4 - "Watch your life and doctrine closely"
• Ephesians 5:18-19 - "Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs"
• Colossians 3:16 - "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs"
• Psalm 146 - "Praise the Lord, O my soul"
• John 10 - Jesus knows his sheep and they know his voice

Resources Mentioned

• Stephen Miller (author referenced regarding worship leadership)
• Charles Spurgeon (quoted regarding personal worship)
• Martyn Lloyd-Jones (quoted in opening and closing)

Next Steps

For worship leaders and tech teams wanting to implement Ben's teaching:

1. Evaluate your personal worship habits and spiritual disciplines
2. Review your church's song selections for biblical content and singability
3. Make an effort to build deeper relationships with congregation members
4. Consider ways to incorporate more Scripture into your worship services

 

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