Beholding the Glory

By Martin G. Mitchell

The purpose of this book is to provide a solid biblical foundation to establish a theology of worship and share practical advice for worship and ministry teams in the local church. As the worshiper turns their attentions and affections from self to the Lord, they engage in a life changing encounter with the Divine in which they will never be the same again. The premise for this statement is discovered in 2 Cor. 3:18, "And we all, who with unveiled faces behold the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." The act of worship therefore has the potential to bring lasting change to individuals, their communities, the region and even nations.

The intended audience is the wider christian church with a focus on those involved in the creative arts or worship ministries of their local church. This may include pastors, teachers, musicians, dancers, artists and the technical staff involved in this ministry.

• Language: English
• Publisher: XinXii
• Release date: Nov 19, 2013
• ISBN: 9780987122506

Book preview

BEHOLDING THE GLORY

Learning to Respond to God’s Progressive Revelation

MARTIN G. MITCHELL

Published by Martin & Rebekah Mitchell 

Printed in Australia

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984

International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

Other versions used are:

THE MESSAGE—Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene Peterson, 1993, 1994, 1995. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION—Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

© Copyright 2011 by Martin Graham Daniel Mitchell 

All rights reserved. This book may not be copied or reprinted for commercial gain or profit. The use of short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is encouraged.

All emphasis within the Scripture is the author’s own.

Please note the author’s publishing style capitalises certain pronouns in Scripture that refer to God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and may differ from other publisher’s styles.

Cover and book layout by Trina Power.

[e-mail] • 0411 268 108

ISBN 978-0-9871225-0-6

E-Book Distribution: XinXii

http://www.xinxii.com

Dedication

To my wife Rebekah,

Words cannot adequately describe what you mean to me. You have shown me the essence of unconditional love and support over all these years. I love you more now than ever. You’re still my best friend and I can’t wait to see what is going to happen next.

To Madeline, Ryan, Bethany and Joel,

I am so honoured to have been chosen to be your Dad. I am very proud of you all. You bring me much joy and have taught me more about God than you will ever know.

Acknowledgements

To my friends and colleagues,

Thank you for your support, help and time in editing and getting the original manuscript to this stage. Special thanks to Nigel, Helen, Paul & Matthew for your input, interest and support. Thanks for getting the ‘i’s dotted, ‘t’s crossed and your questions. Iron really does sharpen iron.

To my church family, leadership team and Senior Pastors of Park Ridge Baptist Church,

Thank you for your support, patience and grace. Thank you for all you have added to my life. You have contributed so much to my spiritual walk and to that of my family. Thank you for your willingness to be challenged and tested. Thank you to the previous generations for the heritage and legacy that we now stand upon.

To Van and Heazle,

Thank you so much for everything you have done and taught me. Thank you for believing in me. I truly value your friendship and love.

To Trina,

As usual, you’ve nailed the artwork and layout. Great Job!

To my Mum & Dad,

Who would have thought that guitar you gave me for my twelfth birthday would make the impact it has on my life and those around me? Thanks!

Endorsements

I have had the privilege to know and minister with Marty Mitchell on many occasions all around Australia for several years now. Marty has a rare gift and sensitivity in worship coupled with both highly honed skills and the character to match. Marty is also a musician who has done his homework (which is thought in some circles to be an oxymoron) and has a very solid intellectual, theological and practical understanding of all things ‘worship’. I would recommend him to you as a highly valued asset to your conference, church or worship team, except I probably need him that weekend.

—BEN HUGHES, Revivalist, Worship Leader and cofounder of Pour It Out Ministries.

This is a fine document that Marty has written. He is a real servant, which is something you don’t find much with minstrels. I have had the privilege to be in worship sessions with Marty and I would have to say he is one of the most anointed guitar players I have ever played with. Marty’s a man of integrity and has a heart for the Kingdom. He has been a faithful assistant to his pastor and never complains.

His family is touched by God and they walk in grace and humility.

—CHRIS HARVEY, Revivalist and Prophetic Psalmist.

I first met Marty when he was leading the music at a small meeting in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia some years ago. What immediately impressed me was his sensitivity to let the Holy Spirit draw people into a deeper place together in God. Later, as we talked about the possibility of him playing on a couple of recording projects with me, our hearts were on fire together. It has been a great privilege to know Marty since then, as well as to work together in the studio. Marty is not just a fine musician-he is a worshiper, which gives the highest meaning to his endeavours.

—DAVID MILES, Recording Artist, Sound Engineer, Producer and Owner of Sunpower Studios located in Mudgee, New South Wales, Australia 

Marty Mitchell is an exceptional teacher who carefully and correctly divides God’s Word of truth. Along with his ability to teach, he also has an amazing gift of worship leading. Through the combination of these two graces he has produced some excellent teaching on worship and what it means to be a true worshiper–someone who beholds Christ and is changed.

—Ps. GLEN GERHAUSER, Founder of Holy Fire Fellowship Brisbane and President of Holy Fire School of Ministry.

Beholding the Glory achieves a perfect balance of Spirit and truth. It explores the mysteries of Father’s heart and at the same time lays a strong, practical foundation for us as worshipers to build on. There is an authenticity to this book because a true worshiper wrote it.

Marty Mitchell lives a lifestyle of worship. This is a timely message and it is with great anticipation of the transformation it will bring, that I highly recommend this book.

—JOSH YOUNG, Worship leader, songwriter and cofounder of The 49, a worship movement committed to Pursuing, Encountering and Releasing the presence of God.

You can easily recognise the gifting and anointing on a person’s life when you see what makes them ‘come alive’. Over the years I’ve seen Marty come alive as he worshiped with kids in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, in the dust with just an acoustic guitar. I see him come alive when playing in conferences before hundreds with international artists, or just in a small room with a few of the leaders of his home church. Get him talking about music and worship and his rising energy and enthusiasm is a dead giveaway that this is his niche in our wonderfully diverse Body of Christ.

There is another gift that Marty is increasingly expressing within the Body and that is teaching. This book is a testimony of his ability to clearly define and express what worship is all about and to draw us into the inescapable conclusion that it is what we should be all about. For musicians and worship leaders Marty offers a concise and pragmatic section full of helpful and essential tips to take you and your team to the next level of worship. This book will prove to be a valuable reference for worshipers everywhere.

—MATTHEW DAHLITZ, Founder/Director,

www.thissideofthecross.com,

Composer/Musician of Sacred Music and The Soaking Lounge

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

SECTION ONE ‒ Laying Foundations

Glory in the Sound

What is Worship?

Seven Days of Praise: An Exercise in Hebrew Praise and Worship

Beholding the Glory

Worship with Words

The Object of Our Worship

Revelation and Response

A United Song

In Spirit and Truth

Our Heart Condition

A New Method of Warfare

A Passionate Pursuit

The Sunpower Session

SECTION TWO ‒ Practical Instructions for Ministers of Worship

Practical Instructions

In Closing

APPENDIX ONE

About the Author

Web Links

Sources

Foreword

Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground (Gen. 1:28).

The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed (Rom. 8:19).

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like Him as we are changed into His glorious image 2 Cor. 3:18 (NLT).

The revealing of God’s glory through His kids is the theme of the hour as we position ourselves to be part of the Father’s solution for planet earth. Throughout the pages of this book Marty outlines one of the key processes of this glorious transformation—beholding the glory of the Lord. As you read you will find Marty constantly pointing you to the face of Jesus and helping you explore the beauty of His nature, His name and His works. You’ll be captivated by the person of Christ and brought into a fresh opportunity to stand in awe of Him. What happens inside you and manifests through you as you behold Him is the theme of this book—the outshining of His glory through a life of worship and service.

Marty has been a passionate and key member of the music team here at Kingdom Life Centre (Park Ridge Baptist Church) from his early teens when he first started teaching himself to play the guitar. His enthusiasm, faithfulness, surrender and commitment over the years has developed a gift and anointing that is able to touch heaven and shift things on earth. Marty is a gifted worship leader and teacher, but when he plays his guitar everything changes. I’ve been in prayer meetings on many occasions where, as soon as Marty started playing his guitar, it felt like the heavens opened. Whether it’s just the two of us meeting together to pray and worship or he’s playing as Chief Musician in a conference with thousands, the anointing that flows when he plays his guitar expresses heavenly sounds in the earthly realm. The insights he shares in this book have come from real life experience and encounters.

As a musician and worship leader, Marty has walked with us through the constant transitions of our corporate experience from traditional to contemporary, from contemporary to charismatic, and from charismatic to well... whatever label you want to give our current experience. Each step has had its pain as those making the new sounds and going off the page tend to experience. In it all Marty has learnt through his own experience the practical and relational wisdom you’ll find in the second section of this book.