Episode Transcript
[00:00:09] Welcome to the creative team talks podcast for Hillsong Creative.
[00:00:18] Well, hello, Hillsong Creative. My name is Katie and I am one of the worship pastors in our team. And, you know, wherever you find yourselves listening to this, I hope you're doing well. You know, at the time of this recording, it is a Friday morning, and we are about 48 hours out from showing up in our campuses right across the country, from walking through the doors of back docks and from unloading trucks for those of you in mobile locations, and from finding ourselves deep in things like team bump ins and briefs and rehearsals and prayer meetings, loving and leading and serving our church. And so in these next few moments we have together, I'm praying that it both helps you in your personal preparation as we look towards Sunday and also your faith and expectation for what's ahead. Now, for those of you who don't know me, I am a part of our Brisbane Central campus, which is in Queensland, Australia. And for those of you who haven't seen our campus, it is this big 50 year old building that sits at the base of a mountain in Brisbane that's called Mount Gravatt. And this building, let me tell you about it, it is a building that is filled with a rich history and a building that I like to think has this heritage of faith that's held within its walls. And these walls are walls that the founding congregation of this church, which is now known as Hillsong, Brisbane Central and is now part of the story of our church, Hillsong Church. These walls are walls that the founders themselves literally built by hand, brick by brick and piece by piece and room by room, with this conviction in their spirit and this fire in their brains that if God was in it, they were in it, too. And so for 69 years that this campus has been running, and, you know, I counted that. That is 3500, 588 Sundays the people of God have gathered together to pour out the praises of God, Sunday in and Sunday out, season in and season out, to bring a priestly offering before the Lord here at the base of a mountain in Brisbane, Australia. And, you know, as I look around our congregation of a Sunday these days, I often find my gaze drawn towards the faces of these pioneers. You know, there's so many of them that you can still find in our Sunday morning services today. And in fact, there's this lady that you should know, and her name is Dulce. Dulce is over 90 years old. She is a musician, she's a keys player, and she was a part of this local creative team here for decades. You know why I love Dulcie is that on Tuesdays you'll find her serving the Lord. Tuesday after Tuesday, leading the worship in a seniors gathering here on our campus from her piano. And then Sunday after Sunday, you can find Dulcie in her spot of the auditorium, eyes shut, hands raised, worshipping Jesus. 3588 Sundays later, Dulcie is still found to be bringing an offering and is still found to be serving the Lord with gladness. And, you know, I look at her, and I often say to myself, you know what that is? What a life of longevity and of worship and a life laid down and remaining looks like. And, you know, so as we turn our attention towards this Sunday, many Sundays, deep into the story of Hillsong church, with so many more in front of us, I find myself asking the Lord for a deeper revelation of what it means to remain and to faithfully steward that which he has entrusted us with. To continue showing up like Dulcie Sunday in and Sunday out and season in and season out. And when I feel like it and when I don't, and when it's easy and when it's hard and when it's warm outside and summer, and then when it's dark and cold and everything just feels, you know, that little bit harder, like it does in Australia this time of year. You know, I find myself asking the Lord to steal within me and with us as a creative team, fresh revelation and resolve that we would be a people of conviction found in the house of God, regardless of season or circumstance. And, you know, as I think about what it means to remain, I'm reminded of a scripture in romans twelve one. Many of you would know it, and it talks about what it means to worship. It says this, romans twelve one in the Niv.
[00:04:21] 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 worship. You know, when I read this verse, I think our focus often tends to gravitate towards the doing part or the response part of this scripture. Right, the part that instructs us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices. But, you know, I actually wanted to encourage us today to not neglect, but to rather consider the whole scripture as we upon it, to think upon those five little words that actually come before the part about bringing ourselves as an offering. Because these are the five words that actually frame how we're to do it right, how we are to bring our worship. And those five words are this. In view of God's mercy, in view of God's mercy. I'll read that scripture again. Romans twelve one. In view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. You know, these five words are actually what holds the key for us to becoming a people that are steadfast. Because this scripture isn't a scripture about working, working harder, doing more, digging deeper. This is a scripture about worship. It's a scripture about my response to the revelation of who Jesus is. It's a scripture that encourages me in thinking upon what the Lord has done for us and all we've received in Jesus that we've been changed and changing still. Yes, from sinful to holy and from death to life. And it is with this revelation, the revelation of this magnitude of this exchange at the forefront, that then I show up into my everyday and into a Sunday with this gratitude in my spirit and resolve that my only reasonable response to all God is and all that he has done through Jesus would be my worship, regardless of season or circumstance. So I just wanted to encourage us in this next 48 hours to choose to put God's mercy in view. Choose to put God's mercy in view as we prepare our skill and as we serve one another, and as we dig deep to bring that new song, and as we lead our church of a Sunday, in whatever capacity that looks like, to put his mercy in view and allow your response to be an overflow of the revelation of who God is and all that he has done. You know, in psalm 16 eight in the ESV, the psalmist speaks to this. He says, I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. You know, we live in an environment and in a culture where there's being more set before us, requiring attention of us than ever before. I don't know if you feel it, but I feel it. And so let me remind us today that what we give our attention to matters and that what we give our attention to will then affect our response. And that while setting the Lord before us and keeping his mercy in view is something that's going to take intention, it's also the thing that's going to keep us remaining, that's going to hold us and keep us steadfast, it's the thing that's going to then change how we show up on a Sunday and how we bring our worship. And then as a result, as we worship, it's then going to change who we're becoming. Because here's the thing, right? We become what we behold. We become what we give our attention to. And so my prayer is that we would be a team of individuals and a people that as we behold Jesus, we will become more like him. And so be encouraged today in this winter season, to lift your eyes and to put his mercy in view, to set the Lord before you as you prepare, to prepare not only the mechanics of your skill, but also to prepare the posture of your heart, to allow revelation of who God is in your life, to then inform your response, to make room for him in your quiet times and in your preparation. And, hey, in our rehearsal schedules, too, right? To set the Lord before for us. You know, there's this quote by Tozer that I love where he says this. He says, God wants worshipers. First, Jesus did not redeem us to make us workers. He redeemed us to make us worshipers. And then out of the blazing worship of our hearts, springs our work. You know, finally, on Sundays, my prayer is that we would come ready, having put mercy in view all Jesus is and all that he has done in our own lives, that we'd then come ready to put that in view for others, for our church, because that's what we're here to do on Sundays. Yes, we are here to worship God, and we are here to help a royal priesthood bring their offering with mercy in view for ourselves, that we then put that mercy in view for others. So can I encourage us, just as we're closing, to consider that, as you're crafting your song list, as you're choosing what parts you practically play, if you're a musician or a vocalist, as you're considering how you're engaging the rooms that you're leading and curating your visual moments, everything that we do, I wonder if we could ask ourselves as we're doing it and as we're preparing, is this putting mercy in you for others, that they, too might respond in worship? Well, go well this weekend. You know, you're appreciated. And in case no one's told you recently, what you have to bring matters so much. We love you guys, and we will see you soon.
