Worship Bigger Than the Room

Worship Bigger Than the Room

Dano McCullom

Dano shares the moment, 20 years ago, he realized worship could change atmospheres and set people free.

There’s so much teaching on worship in the Old Testament, that all Jesus had to do was re-contextualize the old into the new. Jesus didn’t come to abolish the old, He came to fulfill it. So we carry a lot of the teaching from worship from the old covenant into the New Testament. Jesus did make some significant changes to our worship, however - John 4, Ephesians 5:18–20, Colossians 3:16.

Ephesians 5:18–20 - Worship is like the cross. You have the vertical post (worship to God), but it’s impossible to love on God without loving on people (worship to God through a relationship with people - horizontal post).
- We are to speak to each other in songs and psalms also.
- Keep your heart connection in worship.
- Songs come out of keeping your heart filled with the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 3:16 is a parallel passage to Ephesians 5:18–20
- there is a part that involves one and another, and a part that is just to the Lord.
- giving thanks to the Lord while you interact with each other.

Jesus said a day was coming when we would worship in spirit and in truth. These passages are parallel because Ephesians talks about being filled with the Holy Spirit and songs coming out of that, but Colossians talks about being filled with the truth and songs coming out of that. Both passages are approaching the same concept, but one approaches it from the spirit of the song and the other approaches it from the lyrics/words of the song. The manifestation of both being filled by the Spirit, and by the truth, should be songs.

Jesus SENDS his word: - Psalm 107:20,
- Isaiah 55:11

The simplest explanation for “worshipping bigger than the room” is: Don’t just sing a song, send a song.

Every time we sing to God we encounter that aspect of God. We let ourselves be possessed with that truth, be filled with the spirit and truth of that song. We become the song in flesh.

If you only practice the mechanics of a song, you will probably only play it mechanically. We need to be practicing the spirit of a song, the anointing of a song, the lyric of the song - letting the word become our flesh. Dano uses Kim Walker-Smith as an example.

Before you can overturn an atmosphere you have to carry one. When you embody the spirit of the song and dwell in the truth of the song, you have authority to release that spirit and truth of the song into the atmosphere.

Dano unpacks his own personal belief for what scripture means when it says “where 2 or 3 are gathered in My Name, there I will be”. When we worship corporately and sing to God, we bring our individual gifts, breakthroughs, graces, authorities that we’ve encountered in God. Now what’s possible in the room when we get together, is the collective blessings, gifts, breakthroughs, etc. The potential is exponential.

In 1 Samuel 10, the high priests worshipped prophetically in the enemy camp. They created a “radiation zone” of God’s presence that changed a man’s heart into another man. You can create the kind of atmospheres where kings are born.

We need worshippers who will release the atmosphere of Heaven that makes other sons and daughters prophecy. Where our hearts are changed and the kingly authority comes from Heaven and we are released to do what’s in our hearts to do.

If you start drawing worship away from God, you’re in trouble. Saul built a monument to himself. The name Lucifer is derived from “halal” which is derived from “Hallelujah”, his name actually means “Light Bearer”. But instead of shining the light on the Lord, he began to shine it on himself and he began to fall. The same thing with Saul.

When Saul became tormented, his advisors knew they needed to bring a worshipper. We need that today! When someone is sick, tormented, needs a breakthrough… let’s get a worshipper. Saul was healed on 3 levels by David’s anointed playing - soul, body, and spiritual deliverance.

We have to worship bigger than our own blessing. It’s for others too.

1 Samuel 19 - the men sent to capture David by Saul came under the spirit of prophecy and forget their assignments! People are drawn into an experience they can’t explain when we worship bigger than the room. Become a connection for others, a divine radiation zone, that becomes a breakthrough for others.

Acts 16:25–26 - Paul & Silas in prison, beaten and naked, and they worship. And the prisoners were listening. When the earthquake came, everyone's chains broke and the door opened. The reason there wasn’t a massive jailbreak is that the freedom level inside the prison was more attractive than the freedom level outside it. We are called to establish the same atmosphere.

How do we worship bigger than the room?

• Romans 12:3 - expand your faith, how much are you believing for? God works in accordance with the measure of your faith. If it’s only “me”-focused that’s all you’ll get.
• Watch the lyric and the spirit of the song. Develop greater sensitivity to the anointing, lyric and the spirit of the song.
• Don’t sing a lyric you can’t embody. You risk inviting the spirit of religion.
• Learn to adjust the measure of your faith. If the song is not for you, ask God who it for. He will show you who to send the song to as you sing it to Him. 2 Chron 20:20
• Ask, “Lord, what are you doing?” when you feel an atmosphere shift.
• Partner with what heaven is doing at that moment.

Dano closes in prayer.