Church: The Musical

Announcements

Connection Card, back counter

Sermon

Oops - Singing illustration, singing is great, but it isn’t worship.

I love music. Of almost all kinds. When I was a kid, my dad won a radio contest on 93.1 FM that allowed him to go through the Fred Meyer Record store and grab all the records he could in 93.1 seconds.

If I’m remembering right...Huey Lewis, Rick Astley, Tiffany, and others which became a part of the soundtrack of my childhood.

As I got older, through different friends, I grew to love, Billy Joel, Tom Petty, the Beatles, Alongside the music that was emerging in the late 80’s and early 90’s.

Eventually hip-hop, metal, ska, jazz, and big band music became a part of my life. Some Christian, but not exclusively.

And the music was powerful. There was always what I needed.

When I felt like I didn’t fit, Billy Joel’s, You May Be Right was perfect

When I was in “love”, PM Dawn’s, “Die without you” helped me soak in all the teen boy angst

When I was just fighting to figure out where I was going, and how to get there as a young man, Learning to Fly by Tom Petty helped me express that

Music is powerful. I could go through a thousand songs and tell you how it helped me feel or sort feelings in my life at different times.

A year ago Monica took me to see Mercy Me and Rend Collective and I wept through large chunks as God used the music to expose my heart and heal it.

I haven’t even touched on the impact Weird Al Yankovic made on my life…that’s a whole other sermon series…nah

Notice something here, As I talked about music that moved me…I barely touched on anything “Christian”. Not everything was helpful, but it was all impactful.

Today we’re talking about singing. Because music matters.

But I realized as I was processing this message that we have a vocabulary issue when it comes to music in the church.

I have it, we all do. It’s easy to slip to it.

We get ready to sing and we use the word “Worship”.

I want to say something challenging. But this is important. Singing isn’t worship.

Ugh - Worship is sacrifice and change. it costs us something… so why sing?

I’ll back that up.

In a time of great distress due to King David’s sin, he was called by God to worship in a specific place, and the owner of the property was ready to give David the land and provide the cattle.

2 Samuel 24:24 “The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for twenty ounces of silver.”

Worship costs something or it isn’t worship.

This morning, as you sang along, did it cost you? Or did you receive? Were there times in the music where you weren’t even thinking about it? Instead you were thinking about something your spouse said that irritated you, what you should have done before leaving the house, what you’re going to do later...

Paul backs this up in Romans:

Romans 12:1 “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.”

The passage concludes a section on the power of God’s salvation and leads into using our gifts, and one of the “one anothers” that we’ll hit in a few weeks that is focused on our devotion to One Another, all focused on total life surrender to God in worship.

There are relatively few passages that put the two together. There is often singing happening in the context of worship, but the music is not the worship.

The worship is what is happening between a person or community and the Lord.

I can feel especially some of the guys in the room who don’t like to sing, thinking… Ok, so no matter how much my wife nudges me in the ribs, I can worship without singing. Sweet.

To quote the great Lee Corso, “Not so fast”

Aha! - Paul gives us our clue (5:15-21)

In today’s “One another” we are given a great reason for all of us to sing with all we have when we gather. Read along with me.

Ephesians 5:15-21 “Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time, because the days are evil. So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.”

Let me give a short outline here, our point is in the middle.

The days are “evil”. They are short, and there is plenty of opposition. So pay attention to your walk, be wise, and understand God’s will.

Don’t be drunk on wine, a substitute for joy, but be filled with the Spirit

When you are filled with the Spirit, you will sing.

When you sing, you will build gratitude

And in gratitude you will live in submission and humility with one another.

We are given good reason to sing: The days are short, our lives need to be marked by the Spirit to matter for the kingdom.

We are also given a result, our hearts are changed from selfishness to gratefulness and from pride to humility.

So that’s the big picture, but lets invest our time today in the why and how. Why does singing matter for “One Another”? Note that it doesn’t say, go off on your own and sing to and for yourself.

Verse 19

Ephesians 5:19 “speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord,”

The word translated “Speaking” is the same word for a trumpet noise. So this isn’t an admonition for spoken word poetry, though that’s just as cool.

It might be rephrased, “Express yourself to one another”

AH! There is our key. To One Another.

So let’s look at what that means

Whee! - Singing is a gift to the body. It helps each other. BY: Embedding the word (psalms), Shaping our minds (hymns), and Moving our Hearts (Spiritual songs)…one caveat, life consistency…(James fresh and salty, leads to distraction, confusion, hypocrisy)

Church: The Musical

Paul gives three ways to express ourselves to ONE ANOTHER in song. To our ears they may sound the same, but they are distinct.

Psalms

If you have a paper copy of the bible with you, open it in the middle and the odds are good you just found a book filled with Psalms.

Psalms are songs inspired by the Holy Spirit that were written throughout the story of the Old Testament. Many written by David, a couple by Moses, and then by a variety of song leaders in Israel.

They communicate the full breadth of the experience of the people. With very little filter.

They are rich with emotion, wisdom, hurt, honesty, and passion for the God of Israel.

Jesus and his followers would reference several psalms in describing how Jesus fulfilled the scriptures.

Real issue here…how do I in a brief sermon, summarize the importance of the biggest book in the Old Testament…which is actually 150 separate but well organized pieces?

I want to give you a bit of history to understand the whole, and then a couple quick examples to get you started on your journey in Psalms.

As I said, these songs were written over a long period of time. Certainly not the only songs written, but for some reason these were selected and compiled to be a part of the Jewish scriptures.

The key for understanding is the when and where.

The Kingdom of Judah was overthrown by Babylon in 597 BC. That began with exile, and even when they returned, it was under the authority of wicked nations.

It was during that time, when no prophets were speaking that the priests compiled this group of songs with a clear purpose: To help the people of Israel hold on to their story, and the knowledge of God.

It is brilliantly formatted, put together in a way that continued to draw the people toward their God in a time when they probably felt a little forgotten. Wondering why God allowed injustice, did he have a plan? What was his heart?

Do you think the church can benefit from meditating on these song lyrics? To singing them?

Psalm 73 is a great example for us on the power of reminder and coming together.

The writer says, God is indeed good…but I almost slipped. I started to look at those who ignore God and saw that their lives are pretty good.

They boast and brag and mock God with words and actions and yet are well fed, and happy.

Then he asks…do I worship God for nothing? Is my life dedicated to him pointless? Because my life is hard. I don’t understand it.

Relevant much?

It turns in verse 16-17

Psalm 73:16-17 “When I tried to understand all this, it seemed hopeless until I entered God’s sanctuary. Then I understood their destiny.”

He sees the ultimate end of those opposed to God, their lack of hope, that in the end, all their accumulation is a waste.

Let me read the rest:

Psalm 73:21-28 “When I became embittered and my innermost being was wounded, I was stupid and didn’t understand; I was an unthinking animal toward you. Yet I am always with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me up in glory. Who do I have in heaven but you? And I desire nothing on earth but you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever. Those far from you will certainly perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for me, God’s presence is my good. I have made the Lord God my refuge, so I can tell about all you do.”

So vital. But why do we need it from “One Another”?

because I need reminding. So do you. We forget God’s goodness in the past and can so easily despair.

Just like the author of the psalm.

That was why the book was compiled. So God’s people could remind one another of God’s love. The word for Unfailing, steadfast, loyal love, Chessid is used 246 times in the Old Testament. 128 of those, just over half are in the Psalms.

“your unfailing love is as vast as the heavens” 36

I have trusted in your unfailing love 13

may your unfailing love be my comfort 119

We could do better to add the psalms to our daily and sunday morning routine. As I worked on this, I was convicted of this.

At a personal level, reading a psalm a day could be powerful. But then USE what you read to speak into the lives of others. Reminding one another of what God has done and how he always keeps his promises.

So much more…but time. Let’s move to hymns.

Hymns

When you see hymns, you probably think of the songs sung in old churches with organs. We do some of them sometimes.

Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, (did we do one today?), Jesus Paid it All, It is Well. So many great and powerful songs.

But…Paul wrote Ephesians about 2000 years ago. The oldest from that list is Amazing Grace written in 1772.

So what is Paul referring to?

Hymns are songs written specifically for Christian worship service. They focus on the nature and character of God, his love for us, his work on our behalf, his glory.

We have made a distinction between hymns and “praise songs”

I did a little Google work to see what the differences were.

(get academic) Hymns are derived or origniated from classical music…so Paul was foreknowing the impact of Bach.

Hymns can be separated lyric from music, because they are more formal. Paul knew we would sing Amazing Grace to House of the Rising Sun, Peaceful Easy Feeling, and the theme to Gilligan’s Island.

I can tell you I found a lot of unhelpful and frankly untrue generalities about both…that usually completely ignored other forms of music used in worship for instance Gospel.

I found this great antectdote that makes the point well:

An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

“Well,” said the farmer. “It was good. They did something different, however. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns.”

“Praise choruses?” asked the wife. “What are those?”

“Oh, they’re okay. They’re sort of like hymns, only different,” said the farmer.

“Well, what’s the difference?” asked the wife.

The farmer said, “Well it’s like this … If I were to say to you, ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well that would be a hymn. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you, ‘Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, in the CORN, CORN, CORN, COOOOORRRRRNNNNN,’ then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well that would be a praise chorus.”

As luck would have it, the exact same Sunday a young, new Christian from the city church attended the small town church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

“Well,” said the young man, “It was good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs.”

“Hymns?” asked the wife. “What are those?”

“They’re okay. They’re sort of like regular songs, only different,” said the young man.

“Well, what’s the difference?” asked the wife.

The young man said, “Well it’s like this … If I were to say to you, ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well that would be a regular song. If on the other hand, I were to say to you,

Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth. Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by To the righteous, glorious truth.

For the way of the animals who can explain There in their heads is no shadow of sense, Hearkenest they in God’s sun or his rain Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.

Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight, Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed. Then goaded by minions of darkness and night They all my mild Chilliwack sweet corn chewed.

So look to that bright shining day by and by, Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn Where no vicious animal makes my soul cry And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn,

then, if I were to do only verses one, three and four, and change keys on the last verse, well that would be a hymn.”

I don’t think that was Paul’s intention.

When we sing songs written for singing together that point to God, we are singing hymns. Are all hymns equal? no. But is it possible that it’s a lot more about our preference than we might like to admit? Yes.

In the 90’s this battle was much fiercer,. But we still find ourselves sometimes fighting over what songs we sing. we would do well to humble ourselves and focus on our heart, rather than the tune. We might learn to enjoy it.

What’s really fun is we get examples of hymns in the new testament! The church was writing songs even then. I wish we could know all of them, but we have a few, since they ended up being quoted in letters. From Philippians 2,

Philippians 2:6-11 “who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Not super musical…but flowed in the Greek

Probably not the whole song, but Paul quotes it to remind them what they believe about Jesus and how it should impact their lives.

Again, Paul is telling us to do this for ONE ANOTHER

Why?

In the same way the Psalms remind of God’s historical faithfulness, the hymns of and FROM every generation speak to our experience. They refresh us as we are reminded of the truth of God’s word, the new life we bear, the community we now area part of.

Last one

Spiritual Songs

Ok, so what are these?

Worth nothing at this point…the lines can be blurry. Both hymns and spiritual songs might quote psalms. All three probably quote or reference other scripture. All three might be used in a worship service…but this last one, is more likely to be a special music piece.

I think this is where we find all the rest of what we call “Christian Music”. Though brief aside, the music is never the Christian part. It’s the words that matter for that distinction

I can’t tell you how many times I have been encouraged, challenged, and moved forward in my walk by the music of Rich Mullins, Mercy Me, Geoff Moore, Lecrae, Ryan Stevenson, Lauren Daigle and so many others. All followers of Jesus who invested their gifts in crafting lyrics and music

some what we are calling hymns, but most simply songs that point us toward Jesus, that aren’t necessarily directed to the Lord and not necessarily suited for singing together

I won’t say much more about these except not to discount their value.

All three of these have value when we are:

Ephesians 5:19 “speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord,”

So important that Paul says “TO ONE ANOTHER”

Your noises as we sing, no matter how off key are valuable for me. And for everyone else around!

Not everyone is a singer, but everyone can sing.

Everyone is called to Psalm 98:4 “Let the whole earth shout to the Lord; be jubilant, shout for joy, and sing.”

It’s powerful for me to sing that God is a good good father

That power is multiplied when 10 are singing in agreement with me.

How much more 100?

It helps me to internalize it, to take it in…to believe it and then act out of that belief.

If there is silence around me as I sing, that impacts me too.

When I stand and sing, I stand because I adore my Lord, that’s my choice.

But when I notice that all around me are standing too, when I see hands in the air, I experience the power of knowing I am a part of a community that deems Jesus worthy of everything.

Singing may not cost me anything, but with everything in me, I’m trying to give myself to him in my song. That’s when singing can become worship.

I’ll add that the impact is felt from the platform too.

I think sometimes in crowds we forget that we have an impact. The same is true for preaching. I have had a few comment that my preaching has gotten more passionate over the last months. I’ll return that and say, I am seeing in you, more receptivity, more engagement, and a desire to not just listen to the word, but apply it. That makes me excited and I preach with more passion!

You think the same isn’t true for the worship team?

When you sing, when you fully engage, you bless those around you and those leading you.

Now a caveat. There is a way where your singing can have a negative impact on one another. And it comes down to all the other “one anothers” we have and will cover. Really going back to our prime One another, Jesus’ command to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

James points out the problem:

James 3:6-12 “And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among our members. It stains the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. Every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and fish is tamed and has been tamed by humankind, but no one can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing come out of the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. Does a spring pour out sweet and bitter water from the same opening? Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a saltwater spring yield fresh water.”

It’s the way we use our mouths when we aren’t praising.

We can sabotage all the rest.

If the people you are around experience your words as

bitterness, critical, unloving, knowing it all, prideful, angry, grumbling, selfish…I could go on...

How can they respond well to hearing you praise? How can you sing of the power of the lord of love when it isn’t impacting you?

It becomes a distraction, for a non believer who experiences that, it is proof of hypocrisy and a reason to dismiss the gospel.

As James says so well, “These things should not be this way.”

We are all going to struggle in this way…so what do we do?

1, have grace for others. Trust that God is working in them, even when you see this incongruity. Pray for them rather than judge. Gently correct them.

2, practice what Jesus suggests, that if you know someone has something against you, YOU GO MAKE IT RIGHT. Not if you have something against someone…it’s the other way around in the kingdom. You free your own conscience and demonstrate the power of the cross to them and the world when you Confess and repent.

3, Practice not talking. Listen more. Reflect more before you speak. Ask yourself before you open your mouth if you are speaking for your benefit or for the others. The old THINK acronym, is always a good tool

True, helpful, inspiring, necessary, and so important…kind.

What changes? - This all leads to gratitude which changes lives, enables heart level generosity. Whats the to do?

I realize this was a lot of exposition on a little bit of scripture. But it is such a key thing for the church. Something we do well, but have lots of room to grow in for one another.

Worship is not a private matter. Your singing, not singing, enthusiasm, lethargy, it all matters not just for you…but for the body of Christ here at HCC.

Let me read how Paul finishes this thought once more:

Ephesians 5:19-21 “speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.”

Worship and Prayer teams up

Music has so much power. To remind us of the story, to shape our minds, to move our hearts. And where it will lead us, is to a Spirit filled life marked by two things:

Gratitude. There are very few things more powerful for increasing generosity, grace, forgiveness, love, joy, and peace than a grateful heart. The practice of praise will help you and those around you experience “Giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

as well as leading us to

Humility and mutual submission

This last line is one of our other “one anothers” that we will dedicate a whole message to down the line. But the more clearly we see what we are given in Christ, the more we participate together, knowing that we share those gifts, those blessings, those callings and power and grace…the more we will be inclined to put ourselves to the side so we can lift up the needs of another.

Today, I want to challenge you to increase your participation in the worship service. If you don’t sing…sing. If you sing sitting, stand. If you sing for your own joy, adjust to sing for the benefit of another. If your arms are always down, expiriment with raising them.

Examine your self in your singing, and make a choice to express yourself in song in a way that blesses others, not just what works for you.

worship night?

Before we sing our closing songs, I’m going to ask everyone to stand. We are going to read a selection from Psalm 136.

This is a call and response psalm. I’ll read a line, and you in unison respond with “His steadfast love endures forever”

Psalm 136:1-9 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever. He alone does great wonders. His faithful love endures forever. He made the heavens skillfully. His faithful love endures forever. He spread the land on the waters. His faithful love endures forever. He made the great lights: His faithful love endures forever. the sun to rule by day, His faithful love endures forever. the moon and stars to rule by night. His faithful love endures forever.”

Psalm 136:26 “Give thanks to the God of heaven! His faithful love endures forever.”

Pray