Articles
The Purpose and Intent of Singing in Worship--Transcript
It will motivate you to hate.
It will motivate you and give you energy to do the things that you probably could do that you ever talk.
It probably even promotes you you encourage you to do more than you could probably ever do.
And we know the power of music has this ability to create fear.
Sometimes it has tendency to produce violence and hatred, abuse to people.
And it even changed our perspective.
In other words, we get to the point of being very proud and it all of a sudden it just really relaxes us and humbles us and brings calm and peace to us and also promotes to some people the sense of suicide. Or even the sense of victory.
So we know that.
We know that music has this power to it.
Whether it's a country music song, it's trying to soothe this drunkard who's just drinking one can of beer after the other, or it's this group of people who is just so inflamed and passion because of this rock singer, and he sings these songs, could be the love song that this individual, this group sings constantly, and we just repeat it over and over , and we just really have this romantic, intimate feeling toward an individual or toward a particular call.
So we know how powerful this is.
Biblically, in the scripture, there's been songs that have been sung, and there's been a very particular event or a particular occasion of which these songs have been sung.
There's one in the book of Exus chapter 14 after the people.
That should be Exus chapter 15.
Ex chapter 14 was the event when the people of Israel cross the Red Sea.
And then they see their enemy destroyed, and then Moses and the people, and they start singing in chapter 15, as a means of exalting and praising and honoring the God that saved them delivered them from the enemy.
In the book of Deuteronomy chapter 31, this was a commission by God to Moses to write a song, to write a song that, and here's the interesting thing about this song, that he began to reveal to the people in the very next chapter, chapter 32.
And that is, in chapter 31 of the bookook of Deuteronomy, God knew that when these people get gotten gone into the new land, the land of Canaan, he knew there were going to be disobedient.
They knew that they would forsake him.
God had Moses write a song to remind the people of God's faithfulness.
In spite of their forsaking and their leaving God and neglecting God, not following his commands, God had Moses write a song song that all of Israel could see and sing for the benefit of knowing God's faithfulness.
To me, that's so powerful to know that.
And then Judges chapter 5, after there was this victory over King Jaban and Cicera, who the lady took and just run that stake right through his head head.
And next thing you know, there's this victory and deliverance.
And what?
They sing a pal.
The people of God and judges chapter 5, sing a song because of that victory, of that battle in that particular moment.
The power of music, David, in the book of 1 Am chapter 16, verse 23, was praying before King Saul, and it it refreshed Saul and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
Then you go to the New Testament and you've seen in the book of Acts chapter 16, verse 2, evil Even in the midst of suffering, in the midst of trial, in the midst of being , I should say, experiencing injustice, of which they did, Here are these two individuals in prison, and they're singing. In the midst of suffering in the midst of trial.
So you got these singing places all through scripture, but then there's this one in the book of Colossus chapter 3 that will be parallel to what you've just read and we talked about, and if he's in chapter 5.
He says this, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, and all wisdomdom and teaching andmonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
We know very clearly that when you have read these particular songs Old in New Testament, and you look at it specifically when you consider it feeds in chapter 5 in Claus in chapter 3 , you're trying to make sure that you're directing a heart to God. And all the many characteristics and qualities and traits that God has, what he does, what he will deliver, how it allow us to escape all those picture things.
And then it comes to the point where this also exhorts and admonishes those people that are weak.
I don't know.
I can't say unless I were to get a poll from those people that are visiting.
Whenever there's a visitor that comes in, I don't know what they're understanding understanding about the songs.
I don't know if they're learning any lesson from it.
I don't know if they're inspired by it.
I don't know if they're encouraged by it, unless it were to speak to them and ask them the question.
For example, in the book of Acts 16, verse 25, when Saul , and they were there, silent, Paul and Silence were there in prison, and all of a sudden they're singing, I don't know what it did for the rest of the prisoners..
I don't know what it did for the guards that were there.
I know what took place after the earthquake, but I don't know what they were doing, what they were feeling after or while the singing was going on.
And it's not that we're trying to do what we can for their benefit, but I do know that it's got to have some influence and impact upon them.
But it also influences us to be strong and have courage.
It's going to boost our faith.
We know that this is what music will do.
We know the influence of it.
We know very clearly that it can bring a person that is an unbeliever, possibly to the point of being a believer, it can bring a person that is weak to the point of being strong.
There's a lot of power to music and especially even the ones that you see we're to participate in and be involved in in scripture.
What would be the real pattern of this?
What is the pattern of this music in the church?
Sometimes you get to learn and understand about what something is is and what the pattern is, but what it's not.
One of the things that you would see in Matthew chapter 15, we talked about this last month, is that there's a tendency sometimes to let worship be a just a tradition.
We do this on Sunday morning, 10 o'clock.
We do this Sunday evening, 6, six o'clock.
We do this on Wednesday.
There's sometimes there's a tendency to be more more traditional and more rote in what we do to make sure that we're doing it the right way and the right stance and the right mode , those kind of things.
In the book of Matthew chapter 15, verse saying, he says, there are people that do do things about tradition, but their heart's not in this.
Their heart's far from me.
Many times the music that has been developed over the years, since the days of when it was described in scripture, has come about because of tradition.
It's not been developed because of a biblical sense, but it's become to be developed because of a traditional sense.
And those people that would hold to a particular religious tradition, it would really do them well sometimes to think about this particular part of worship and listen to what their traditional fathers said.
Let me give an example of that.
John Wesley, who's the founder of the Methodist Church in all that he put together, here's what he said about music.
I have no objection to instruments of music in our chapels, provided they're neither heard or seen.
I mean, that's John's the Methodist Church.
Adam Clark is a Methodist commentator.
He's a Methodist.
He's a commentator.
Wrote Some of you may have some of his commentaries.
Here's what he said.
Away with such protentious babbles from the worship of that infinite spirit spirit who requires his followers to worship him in spirit into truth.
For two such worship are those instruments not friendly.
He objected to the instruments of music and worship, as well as John Wesley opposed the instruments in worship.
If it is tradition, as the book of Met chapter 519, says, we're doing it as doctrines of men, and the heart is left aside.
Where is the book of Colian chapter 3, verse 16, and if he's in chapter 5, verse 19, talks about the Spirit?
From the heart.
But let's talk about King David.
King David, in the book of Sronicles chapter 21 29, verse 25, is commanded, along with a man by the name of Gad and Nathan, to make instruments, to worship God.
And David, in the book of Psalm, the last two chapters, Psalm 149, Psalm 15, uses instruments in many instances with dance, with pipe, with cymbal, with harp, with tremble, all those things are used in a many means of worship to God.
But the question is, is David's means of worship to God?
Is that something we can do, should do?
And the first thing I'll say to you, we can do it.
We can absolutely do that.
But would it really meet what God's purpose and intent for music in the church to be?
Is it really going to fulfill that?
The church doesn't look at David's mode of music and worship to God and say, okay, there's our standard.
And therefore, it gives us liberty to choose whatever means, to been included, that we might want to use to bring about that kind of music in the new Covenant Church.
Moses was not looked at as the standard by which, okay, this is what the church is supposed to do.
David was not.
We do know that there was many examples that David gave.
Abraham gave, Moses gave a lot of people that were introduced into the New Testament as examples of faith, diligence, commitment, and on and on by this sars.
But when it comes down to this , neither one of those, David or Moses or Abraham, none of those give you that permission, and serve as the purpose and intent of what music and worship should be.
If we decided we want to go and frame work of David, then why don't we just adopt all the other things that David did, like animal sacrifices?
Why don't we just adopt honoring the Sabbath day?
Oh, why don't we just adopt multiple wives?
Because that's what David had.
He had more than one.
So if we're going to adopt one particular aspect of what David did, this one, the idea of worship, then why not we just adopt everything of which David did?
Therefore, we just don't find ourselves following this one.
And then it might help us understand God's silence in this.
What God does state is his intent, and it is his purpose, not trying to go beyond that pattern that he's already got established with this.
Sometimes there's a tendency to think, well, if it's not said, then it must be okay, it must be acceptable..
It must be favorable.
Usually, that thinking is probably, it favors me.
It don't feel it really favor God.
We didn't even ask God.
We've even looked at what God said about it.
When Noah built the ark in the book of Dist chapter 7, when it was all completed, according to what is stated in Jesus,enes chapter 7, verse 22, he did all that God commanded him to do .
There's not a clause in there that gave him an option just to say, okay, I'm going to I'll do this and I'll do this and I'll do this.
I think I'll just postpone this for about another two or 300 years.
And we'll be okay.
God's silence did not give Noah permission just to do what it was that he chose.
There's a couple of guys that learned a little too late about how it would be to do something, and God might say something about doing it.
Nabbing about you.
In Levitus chapter 10, verse 1 in verse 2, they offered strange fire.
It was a little too late after that to repent and change and do better and say, oh, we should have just done it his way.
I mean, you can't go back now.
It's all already done.
They've already done something against God.
Now, let's just say this.
You can bring up all the other options.
Let's just say, you can bring up all the other options like Naimon did in the book of 2 King chapter 5 to think about there being another way to be able to recover from this leprosy.
Let's talk about this river over here.
What about this river here?
What about these waters over here?
But then when the prop came out and told Na and it's the river Jordan, dipped seven times there, that just took away all the other possibilities.
It's not what is not in this statement, not in the purpose on the.
It's what is there.
It's what's there that made all the difference in the world for Naon, Noah, as well as it did for could have been for Nadu.
God's purpose in intent.
It's right there in scripture.
God does not need for us to give, to be given rather all the other options and put all the other possibilities here.
He just takes the purpose, which just excludes everything else, no reason to seek anything else that's not stated.
Now what we want to do is just turn our attention to the singing, of which if in chapter 5 talks about as well as Kian chapter 3 talks about.
Singing took place with the apostles at the Passover.
After the Passover the book of Matthew,apter 26, verse 30, after that was completed, they were singing.
Paul and Silas says, I mentioned, do you want to go in the book of Acts chapter 16, verse 25, we're singing.
James the 5th chapter, verse 13, the cheerful people sing praises to God.
But then when you get to Ep 1 Queens of chapter 14, verse 15, as well as what we already looked at well ago in Ephesians 5 and Colus in chapter 3 , then in 1 Corinth chapter 14, one interesting thing I want to mention before I go further, and that is when you look at Matthew 26, Act 16 in James 5, these are individuals in particular places doing this.
When you get to 1 creatives 14, verse 15, what is it then I will pray with the Spirit, I will pray with the understanding also, I will sing the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
And then he begins to talk about verse 23.
If they're for the whole church be assembled together and all speak with tongues and their coming men unleed are unbelieving, will they not say that they're mad?
And then he means in verse 26, when you come together, each one of you come with a psalm , a teaching, a revelation, a tongue, have an interpretation, let all things be done and edifying.
Then you're getting into some specifics, and you're getting into some inferences as to where this singing takes place.
So let's just think about it from a very basic standpoint, if Ephesians chapter 5, verse 19, and Colossian chapter 3, 16 is true, and we know that it is, there's a phrase that is mentioned in there about not just singing about the opportunity for that to be done. Where he says it's speaking to one another, and the speaking to one another is going to have to be in the presence with one another.
Now, I know we're recording this for other people to see the video, but they're not with us.
They're not with us.
They're not with one another.
Therefore, speaking to one another and psalmed in hymns of spiritual songs takes being with one another.
Makes sense, doesn't it?
Just from a brace standpoint.
The occasion given in 1 Christ chapter 14 is an assembly, but then you go over to the Hebrews chapter 2, and you see them clarifying more where he says in verse 12, I will declare thy name to thy brethren in the midst of the congregation will I thy praise.
In the midst of the assemly, some versions use into the congregation.
I will sing Thy praise.
See you see it very clearly.
You see the examples of the individual, but then you see collectively what these people are to be doing and the silence of the scripture doesn't give permission to make your choice as to what you what pleases you most and what you think is best.
If it is, then you've got the gate open for accepting just about anything and everything that people wants to do.
One of the most interesting things about going back to the Fiction chapter 5, verse 19, Well, Colle 3, 16, is it's not only about speaking to one another, it's not that the people that are hearing this, just listen to to it and think, this is wonderful.
I've never heard anything like this before .
This is beautiful.
I've never been to a place that sings so well.
This is a personal involvement in participation and fulfillment of singing with and to one another.
So there therefore, I think we need to observe some matters about this that need to be believed and obeyed.
And that is, this is singing from and to one another, from one another to one another , teaching and admonishing one another as the book says.
It's not you listening to everybody I sing.
And it's not you admiring the voice of the person behind you in which they're singing.
There's a beautiful voice.
I never heard any voice like that before.
It just sounds like an angel singing.
And I don't know that any of us have ever heard angels sing.
And therefore, this right here just very clearly takes away solos, inquiries.
It takes away solo and inquires.
If you're going to fulfill this, you got to take away that possibility.
If you're going to fulfill it the way the scripture has it intended purpose to be done done.
But also, there's something about this that's very, very significant, and that it is important to know that this is a scriptural spiritual message that is being reled in you singing.
It's just not a fancy melody.
It's not a wonderful tune.
It has great harmony.
Not all those musical things that we think are very, very vital and those are important in and off of themselves, but this is a matter of understanding the message of which it is contained therein, which Robert alluded to a while ago about in preparation for the message that you're going to be hearing .
But yet within that before, with the message, what he had spoken, you heard two songs about singing, singing to the Lord.
He gave me a song.
And Jake was helping us understand about the Lord and my shepherd, and helping us walk, march towards Zion.
And that brings us to this point right here, that these specifics that you see related to singing are described out here in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, Psalms, praises of reverence and glory and honor and adoration to God.
They're all giving devoted words of who God is and are dependent upon Him.
Not every song is going to contain every particular particular aspect of who God is, but songs like, praise the Lord, how great thou art.
Holy, holy, holy, wonderful grace of Jesus.
Hallelujah, praise Jehovah.
All of those songs have a great impact upon the hearer as well as the one that speaks, for they really exalt the idea of the trust, the joy, the security, the grace, the comfort, the strength, the power, all in the matter of faith of who we should have toward God.
Then when you talk about the spiritual songs, multiples of them, Sers of Christ arise, singing and be happy.
I want to be a worker for the Lord. Is the heart right with God.
Beautiful, how beautiful heaven must be.
Make me a servant all about faith and hope and understanding and conduct and morality and ethics and living right, overcoming temptation, be his sississive, all those things, not all rolled into one song, but all have a sense of a spiritual message to it , which brings us all to understand why it was that the scriptures mix in Ehesians and 5, verse 19, as well as class 3116, that this instrument of which God is looking for is the heart of the individual, melody from their heart.
Melody from that heart.
Oh, that's so important.
Which cannot be developed in a lifeless instrument.
We're the ones that make that instrument play that tune.
Pluck that straight string.
Hit that beat.
But when you look in scripture, the intent and purpose of music and worship is that your heart is in the framework of the Spirit that moves you, not just to speak to one another , but allows you to come to understand exactly what it is that God is directing you to believe and to obey.
I know there's been a lot of ideas that have been passed around and have developed over time about what kind of particular thing are we going to use to present music.
There's a lot of directors of music and worst of all over this world and a lot of different churches.
And they put together a lot of substitutes.
They come up with all kinds of different ways of bringing about praises to God.
I want to leave you with something this morning that will help us understand a little bit more, I hope about the value of the spirit of the individual , using this instrument that God gave us as a means of praising him.
Look it with means Colians chapter 2, verse 20.
We're going to read from verse 20 to the end of chapter in verse 23.
If you died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world do you subject yourself to ordinances?
That pose is a really interesting challenge to me.
Handle not, nor taste, nor touch.
All which things are to pairs with the using are after the precepts and adoctrines of men.
Now, that doesn't I'm not trying to explainlude just instrumental music, I'm not trying to exclude one little aspect here, but think about the whole area of God's purpose and intent.
Handle not nor taste nor touch .
After the precept and doctors am man, which things have indeed a show of wisdom.
What's this?
Wisdom in God?
No.
Wisdom in the church, no.
Wisdom in will worship and humility and severity to the body.
But are not of any value against the dilence of the flesh?
The dulence of the flesh really loves to hear the music in any shape, form, or fashion, whatever it may be.
The beauty of the worship that takes place at Veterans Parkway, and there's been so many people that have commented on the beauty of the singing here, rightly so.
Wonderful, blessed, Glory to God because of we've got the voice and the opportunity and abilities of the men to lead to do so and to be able to sing and speak to one another.
But to add something else to that would be wisdom in will worship.
Not wisdom of God's purpose and intent, but wisdom and will worship.
Could be a sign of humility, but yet it's going to be really something that's an indulgence of the flesh that he mentions here in verse 23.
That's a very key key point.
We're not trying to rouse the flesh.
We're trying to edify the spirit.
Christians are spiritual people to worshiping spirit and the truth, not to to give them something that has satisfied their spiritual longing to make them feel good for the rest of the week until they get back together again.
And to let that instrument connect them to God.
Their voice is what's going to connect them to God.
And this is not something of which, oh, I want to see how good a pattern follower they are.
This is not something that God gives us just to see if you can follow a pattern or follow a command.
He's not saying, okay, this is something that will follow the rules, but all that is not going to follow the rules .
He's helping us understand that the means by which we worship this way in music is by the spirit of which he gave to us, not to see if we can just follow follow a pattern, but to see if we can let our spirit really be involved in our worship to God.
That's the significance of this, although there are people that do a lot of other things and do music in a lot of other different ways.
But it becomes to be more about the physical and the height of emotion than it does about the spiritual benefit that that brings to the individual to lead them to Jesus..
When Revelation 5, 15 verse 3 was discussing, it begins to talk about the song of Moses around the throne, and they're singing praise and hallelujah and honor to God.
To be a participant in that, in eternity takes an individual who will be obedient to the Lord. Not in some way of which he thinks or she thinks they ought to do it, but it's the pattern by which God's already set forth.
Same pattern that was started in Acts chapter 2. Repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins, to be a participant and all the wonders of singing around the throne of God, you first must be an obedient believer and all that God asks of you to be.
And then you get to be involved with the spirit and truth in singing to and from, from you to them and from them to you.
That's the intent and purpose of worship.
Do what's right.
Where together we sing this song.
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