As a Worship team this year we have been sitting around the theme of \u2018Hidden Excellence.\u2019 This theme comes out of a heart to see our team grow in those areas of our lives not seen on a platform or heard in a service.<\/p>\n
Jesus talks in great length about hidden places of the human life and in the\u00a0Book of Luke<\/strong>He has a tough conversation with the Pharisees.<\/p>\n Luke 10:15-18<\/strong> The religious leaders of Jesus\u2019 day were masters of \u2018looking good\u2019 on the outside! They had nailed righteousness down to a ‘cool’ fashion statement and they knew exactly just how to \u2018wear it\u2019 so that others could admire.<\/p>\n But the reality of what was going on underneath the surface was quite different, in fact, completely opposite to what was being shown.\u00a0And Jesus isn\u2019t fooled by their public appearance.\u00a0<\/strong>You could say they were Zombies wearing Gucci. Dead on the inside, but dressed up to look alive.<\/p>\n This passage brings to light a powerful truth; God sees more than just our actions, and appearances. God sees more than what we offer in a public space.<\/p>\n He sees our motivations, our heart, and our hidden lives.\u00a0And it is by these hidden places that our lives assessed.<\/strong><\/p>\n The theme of \u2018heart\u2019 health is found all through out scripture, both Old and New, and each passage builds a strong case for the careful inspection and upkeep of our hearts. Take a read of these in your own time:\u00a0Proverbs 4:23, Psalm 51:10, Psalms 26:2, Matthew 5:8, Luke 6:45, Proverbs 23:26, & Jeremiah 17:10<\/em><\/p>\n The Wizard of Oz is a great example of a man who hides behind a facade, putting on a strong and powerful public appearance, when in fact cowering behind the curtain was a very insecure man. It\u2019s not until that man is pulled out from behind the curtain that the healing begins.<\/p>\n So I want to ask, that with our hidden lives in mind, could we do a careful inspection?<\/strong><\/p>\n I pray that we could be a Worship Team that takes an honest look at ourselves and weighs our thoughts, intentions and motives honestly.<\/p>\n How do you respond to the following: If you just easily answered \u2018Yes\u2019 to question 2, and \u2019No\u2019 to question 3, then well done you\u2019re a \u2018Super Christian!\u2019 haha! But if like me, your answers aren\u2019t \u2018perfect christian answers\u2019 then that\u2019s actually not a problem, and please don\u2019t feel condemned. In fact, feel comforted by the fact that you\u2019re surrounded by a team of people just like you. People working through and sorting out the conflicting areas of their lives.<\/p>\n You see, we\u2019re not a team of perfect ‘super christians’ but rather we\u2019re a team of imperfect people who don\u2019t hide these facts, who respond to these questions with a heart desperate for God to work in us!<\/p>\n I hope that kicking off this conversation on our Team Nights has started a deeper journey for you developing and cultivating your hidden lives before God…<\/p>\n Stay tuned for more instalments on the ‘Hidden Excellence’ theme.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a Worship team this year we have been sitting around the theme of \u2018Hidden Excellence.\u2019 This theme comes out of a heart to see our team grow in those areas of our lives not seen on a platform or heard in a service. Jesus talks in great length about hidden places of the human…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-creative","entry","no-media"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n“Jesus went on to make these comments:
\n‘If you\u2019re honest in small things, you\u2019ll be honest in big things; If you\u2019re a crook in small things, you\u2019ll be a crook in big things. If you\u2019re not honest in small jobs, who will put you in charge of the store?
\nNo worker can serve two bosses: He\u2019ll either hate the first and love the second Or adore the first and despise the second. You can\u2019t serve both God and the Bank.’
\nWhen the Pharisees, a money-obsessed bunch, heard him say these things, they rolled their eyes, dismissing him as hopelessly out of touch.
\nSo Jesus spoke to them: \u201cYou are masters at making yourselves look good in front of others, but God knows what\u2019s behind the appearance. What society sees and calls monumental, God sees through and calls monstrous.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
\n-What motives you to serve on this team?
\n-Is your hidden life complimentary too, and reflective of the public life you show others?
\n-Is there a dissonance between what you let people see and what\u2019s going on in your heart?<\/p>\n