True Worshipers Sing - Worship and Music

Recapping so far, we have:

Week 1 we looked at True Worshipers Matter; Worship and reality

Week 2 we looked at True Worshipers Receive; Worship and our inability

Week 3 we looked at True Worshipers Exalt; Worship and humility

Week 4 we looked at True Worshipers Gather: Worship and community

Week 5 we looked at True Worshipers Edify; Worship and maturity.

Tonight, one of my favorite topics:

True Worshipers Sing; Worship and Music.

We’re gonna look at a couple passages tonight, starting with Colossians 3:15-17

Colossians 3:15–17 ESV

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Similarly, look at Ephesians 5:15-21

Ephesians 5:15–21 ESV

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

And finally, because we want to consider the whole counsel of God, an Old Testament passage from Psalm 96:1-4

Psalm 96:1–4 ESV

Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.

Now, let’s be honest, we can cherry pick scripture to fit our view, and a lot of people think that worship or music guys do this, because people don’t want to sing, and they think guys like me are put on the earth to make their lives miserable.

Maybe, I can’t speak to that thought.

But, I wanted to point out both Old and New Testament passages for singing because the simple fact is, singing is one of the things that God expects of His people. I hope tonight that as we work through this, if you are not a singer you will start to be. If you are a singer, I hope it encourages you to continue in that.

And we can be too focused on singing. I have been a part of (and been responsible for) meetings that had too much singing. There should be a balance of the Word and music.

So why are we exhorted to sing? Especially when many of us are not gifted or trained as singers, why would or should we sing…out loud…in public?

Kauflin answers that question this way: “Your voice, along with all the other voices in your church, has been redeemed by the Savior. As we sing, He presents our song to the Father for His glory and our joy.” (p97)

Harold Best says it this way: “The human voice, given over to Jesus, and found in company with other voices given over similarly, produces a dignified and worthy song from storefront church to cathedral. Singing is not an option for the Christian; no one is excused. Vocal skill is not a criterion.”(p97)

As believers, we are called to sing the song of the redeemed to the Great Redeemer. That is a song we didn’t write, we can’t change, and we were never meant to sing alone. (p98)

Now maybe that sounds a bit grand for you, this “Song of Redemption” stuff. But I want you to see that the metaphor of song used to describe the thread of salvific redemption in scripture is used with a good reason.

When God delivers the children of Israel from Egypt, and as they look over the Red Sea where God has just crushed the Egyptians, the people sing.

Exodus 15:1–2 ESV

Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

This redemptive aspect occurs in the Psalms, as God is praised as the One who saves:

Psalm 106:10 ESV

So he saved them from the hand of the foe and redeemed them from the power of the enemy.

We see that David assigns a Levite to sing God’s praises at all times:

1 Chronicles 9:33 ESV

Now these, the singers, the heads of fathers’ houses of the Levites, were in the chambers of the temple free from other service, for they were on duty day and night.

1 Chronicles 15:19–22 ESV

The singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan, were to sound bronze cymbals; Zechariah, Aziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah, and Benaiah were to play harps according to Alamoth; but Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-edom, Jeiel, and Azaziah were to lead with lyres according to the Sheminith. Chenaniah, leader of the Levites in music, should direct the music, for he understood it.

Again, we could look to Psalm 96 where we are to “sing a new song,” “bless His name,” “sing to the Lord.”

Even when the rebellious Jews begin their return from exile, they are commanded to sing.

Isaiah 52:9 ESV

Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem.

In the New Testament, when Paul and Silas are in jail because of the Gospel, they are singing.

Acts 16:25 ESV

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them,

In heaven, the song does not end.

Revelation 5:9 ESV

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,

So understand that the metaphor is not simply a metaphor. The “song of redemption” correlates to actual songs sung by God’s people for His glory and our good.

Which leads to the practical. The Why.

Why do we sing?

It’s a valid question, right? Why not paint pictures? Why not recite poems? Dance? Wave flags with scripture verses embroidered on them?

Why sing - a technical duty that, to be done well requires training? Especially when we don’t train people to sing, or expect them to be trained?

“Why repeatedly subject Christians to the often awkward, out-of-tune, halting sounds of congregational singing?” (Kauflin, p100)

C. S. Lewis stated it this way, and maybe you can relate: “What I, like many other laymen, chiefly desire in church are fewer, better, and shorter hymns; especially fewer.” (p100)

So, we do need to understand the why, otherwise: A. we won’t be motivated to do it. B. It won’t benefit us the way God intends it to benefit us. C. God won’t be glorified by our singing.

The main reason we sing is that God tells us to. According to Kauflin, because I didn’t do the word study myself, there are over 400 verses in scripture that reference singing, including almost 50 direct exhortations to sing.

And, no, the Bible wasn’t written by musicians for musicians.

Think of the trinitarian aspect of how each part of the Godhead is connected to song. Zephaniah 3:17

Zephaniah 3:17 ESV

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

Jesus sang a hymn with His disciples after the Last Supper, and the context suggests that this would have been a regular occurrence when they went to synagogue. Hebrews 2:12 puts in Jesus’ mouth the words of the Psalmist from Psalm 22:

Hebrews 2:12 ESV

saying, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”

When we look at the passages from Colossians and Ephesians, being filled with the Holy Spirit is associated with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. God wants us to sing, because He sings.

What Singing Does

So, now what? Like, can we get clarification on this? Because there are lots of ways we can sing. I’m reminded of the scene from the movie Elf where Buddy the Elf meets his dad, who (since he’s in elf clothing, mistakes him for a singing telegram) asks him “Are you gonna sing or something?” and Buddy, wanting to please his dad, makes up a song badly on the spot.

Knowing that God wants us to sing is one thing. Knowing how we are to sing is another. Scripture helps us here. The two passages we read at the start from Colossians 3 and Ephesians 5 provide an excellent starting point to understand why God wants us to sing, and how it benefits us, as well as how we should go about the task.

Singing Encourage and Expresses the Spirit’s Work In Our Hearts.

One of the ways God intends for us to experience the Holy Spirit’s influence on our lives is through singing that builds up the church, that affects our hearts, that exalts Christ, and that makes us aware of God’s presence. (p103)

Incidentally, when Paul (in Ephesians 5) talks about singing, he first makes the connection to the negative aspect of drinking.

Ephesians 5:18 ESV

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Paul contrasts being filled with “spirits” to being filled with the Spirit. While alcohol is a depressant that dulls the senses and causes us to lose control, discernment, and balance, the Holy Spirit is the opposite. The Spirit is a stimulant that gives new life, that brings wisdom, self control, discernment, and ultimately makes us strive to be at our very best. Oh, and He makes us want to sing, too. (p102-103)

So when Paul says, “hey, don’t be drunk, but be filled with the Spirit,” he is telling them to replace debauchery with devotion and foolishness with fellowship. He tells them not to snooze, but to sing.

If we are filled with the Spirit, we shouldn’t have to wait until the worship leader prompts us to sing. We don’t have to warm up or audition. We shouldn’t have to be reminded of all of the virtues of singing. The Spirit is already there, indwelling us, and is eager to fill each of us with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. And when we sing, we can expect the Spirit to work through us, transforming us more into the image of Christ. (p103)

Singing Helps Us Remember God’s Word

Again, Colossians 3:16 tells us to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly as we sing. We don’t have to do a deep Greek graduate coarse to understand that the word of Christ there is the gospel.

The truth of the gospel and all that it encompasses is meant to dwell in us richly, in our hearts and minds. It’s to dwell there as we sing.

Think about this quote from Everett Ferguson:

“Christ is the ground and the content of Christian song. Christians sing about Christ. If they sing about God, it is especially what God has done through Christ; if about the Holy Spirit, it is the Holy Spirit as a gift of Christ; if about instruction to one another, it is the life of Christ.”

So, if we understand that Paul was telling the Colossians to have the gospel dwelling so deeply that it influences, shapes, and governs their lives (and by extension, ours), why the reference to singing, to music?

Because music helps us remember words.

We don’t need a synopsis of the plethora of scientific studies that bear that out. We teach the alphabet with a song. Some of you immediately start singing (voluntarily or involuntarily) if a phrase or handful of lyrics are heard. If I say, “Alright, STOP!” somebody, somewhere is gonna “collaborate and listen” because “Ice is back with a brand new invention.” Will it ever stop, I don’t know (but turn off the lights, and I’ll glow). Some of you guys may get that joke, some of you won’t.

But even as I wrote this out as I was preparing this, I didn’t just say those words. I sang them. I remember them because of the music.

When we look at the Old Testament, God intended for His people to remember His deeds in song. When you look at the New Testament, the early church sang doctrine together. Believers through the centuries have memorized hymns and songs as a way to meditate on scripture. We have become so reliant on our screens that we perhaps have neglected this important fact.

God intends us to use music to remember Christ’s words. We should and can do better.

Singing helps us teach and be taught

Make no mistake, the primary method of teaching in our meetings is through the preaching of the Word. But, Paul is clear that we are also to teach and admonish one another in song.

See, singing has a vertical aspect to it. We sing to God His words, His attributes, etc. “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. All Thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea.” Those words are about God, to God.

But there is also a horizontal aspect to our worship. We exhort and admonish one another. Admonish means to instruct, to warn, to advise. Specifically, in Biblical context, the word most often means “to advise someone about avoiding wrongdoing.” (LTW) Think about this lyrics: “when Satan tempts me to despair, and tells me of the guilt within; upward I look and see Him there who made an end to all my sin; because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free; for God the just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me.”

There’s warning there. There is instruction for how to handle temptation. There is a horizontal aspect. When we gather, the songs we sing, no matter whether directed vertically or horizontally, should help us both worship God, but also should help us teach each other. When we sing these songs, we should not just let them pass through us like a water hose, but let them sink in. Let your mind dwell on the lyrics. Music speaks to our emotions, but the truth is what sets us free.

Our worship should always involve our emotions, but our mind should also always be engaged on the truth of God. (p106)

Singing helps express and engage our emotions

Matt Boswell, in a presentation a few years ago, talked about this, and stated:

“Singing shapes and expresses our affections. The mind and the heart are to be engaged when we sing to God together....When we have a birthday, we could say, ‘Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Michael, happy birthday to you.’ But when we sing it, while maybe a little embarrassing for the recipient, the joy rises. When we’re in love, we sing. Remember the old love song, 'and I E I E I will always love you oo oo oo oo oo oo.’ And to simply speak those words is one thing. But when you hear Whitney Houston (or Dolly, for some of you) sing it, even the most callous among us may feel a little moisture on our face.”

If that isn’t your speed, perhaps this from John Piper is:

“The reason we sing is because there are depths and heights and intensities and kinds of emotions that will not be satisfactorily expressed by mere prosaic forms, or even poetic readings. There are realities that demand to break out of prose into poetry and some demand that poetry be stretched into song…singing is the Christian’s way of saying: God is so great that thinking will not suffice, there must be deep feeling; and talking will not suffice, there must be singing.”

We can use music to amplify the emotions the lyrics are meant to convey. Think about “Happy Day” verses “There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood.” Both center on Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. But, both are vastly different in their musical mood and how they apply Christ’s sacrifice. There is therefore a reason that each song was set to its particular tune.

We also obviously have to be careful not to become so emotional that we are worshiping emotionalism. The music should move us because of the subject, not because of the music itself.

When we rightly see Christ as the focal point of our worship, and we sing songs written as such, our emotional response is God-honoring.

Singing encourages physical expressiveness

Singing is a physical act. It requires the engagement of muscle groups that are not otherwise used for talking or listening. Even when we read Psalms, there are references to physical aspects of worship. Kneeling, bowing, clapping, shouting, leaping, dancing, lifting hands, playing instruments all have been mentioned as physical acts that get associated with worship. We’ve talked about it before, but the words that are translated as “worship” in English come from a variety of roots in both Hebrew and Greek, and the ones most often used have to do with some action (bow, perform your service, etc.).

This doesn’t mean we should all go full pentecostal, Ray Stevens “The Day The Squirrel Went Berserk,” but Scripture does expect us to have some physical expression in our worship. A few reasons why actively participating with our bodies while we sing is appropriate and biblical (p110-112):

-We follow spiritual examples and exhortations (Psalms, Acts 20:36, 1 Cor. 14:25, 1 Tim 2:8)

-We encourage others

-We give fuller expression to our love for God (think saying “I love you” very dryly vs a more physical demonstration)

-We stir our own hearts (sometimes we go through the motions to force ourselves into a place where we are ready to worship, which stirs our hearts to actively worship)

Singing helps us express our unity within the church

The term “harmony” is a musical term. Defined: The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions having a pleasing effect. (Google)

But we also use that term as a synonym to unity. And there is a reason for it. When we are unified, particularly in the gospel, it is a sweet aroma of praise. Harmony among the brethren is a sweet thing. When we sing together, many of our secondary and tertiary concerns melt away as we join together in song.

And that harmony requires every voice. Even yours.

And look, being unified in song does not mean that every song we’ll sing is going to be a favorite. Or that you will like all the songs. Some scholars think that the reason Paul says “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” is because he is indicating a variety of musical expression in the church.

No single style is going to fully capture the glories of God on this side of heaven. And we will probably still struggle with stylistic preferences on this side for a while.

But, when we offer sincere worship in song, that means we may not prefer that song, but someone else might, and that’s OK. That is a way to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts, counting others more significant than ourselves (Phil 2:3).

We don’t know God’s favorite style of music, but we do know that He enjoys the collective song of His people, praising together His name, because He is the one worthy to receive all wisdom and honor and glory.