#4 Music’s Most Exciting Possibility | II Chronicles 5:11-14

Music’s Most Exciting Possibility | II Chronicles 5:11-14

I appreciate the opportunity to speak this week.

Pastor Ruckman asked me to deal with the subject of music in my session.

I have to admit, I was concerned about how to take my experiences in the States and apply them in a different country.

But then I came to Ghana and I realized that music is not only a problem in America.

Music is a universal language, which means it has no boundaries of language or culture.

I think it’s an issue that churches especially need to take note of.

Here’s why: Because anything that is that much a part of culture will soon find itself impacting our churches.

Even if it may not be an issue in your church, there are countless churches of all denominations that have brought the culture’s music into their churches.

I’ll start with my experience in the US.

My Testimony

When I graduated from Bible College, my first position was actually serving as a Music Director in a church in Oklahoma.

I spent almost 19 years serving as a Music Director.

While I enjoyed the music ministry, I believe I’m more passionate about music now as a Pastor than I was then as a Music Director.

Part of the reason is I see the impact music can have in a church service.

But another reason I’m passionate about it is because so many churches have lost sight of the purpose of music.

I’ll start with my experiences in the States…

I. America is a culture that loves to be Entertained

A. Entertainment is everywhere you look.

1. Billions of dollars are spent on movies, music, video games and sporting events every year.

2. We can now be entertained at all times by the device we carry with us everywhere we go.

3. Your phone can browse the Internet, give you full-length movies, stream music, and download games.

For many, it’s an entertainment device, not a communication device.

4. One man wrote this (Cary Schmidt, Music Matters):

Even our modern news entertains us… We make movies out of national tragedies, global leaders out of entertainers…and one-hour specials out of major disasters.

5. Everything is packaged as entertainment. People don’t want it unless it’s new and novel.

B. And unfortunately that mentality is affecting churches and worship.

1. Since music is considered “entertainment,” the average person assumes church music is also for our entertainment.

a. Most churches in the States choose music that appeals to the crowds.

They ask questions like, “What do they like?”

“What’s popular right now?”

“What gets people moving the most?”

2. But I have to ask the question: Is that what God intended?

That church services become about what pleases people?

Or are church services about what pleases God?

3. I want to clarify that not all entertainment is bad. Sometimes it has benefits.

a. My point is, we must resist the temptation to make church music about entertainment instead of the Creator.

b. God gave us the gift of music and meant for it to be a vital part of our spiritual lives.

c. To make it entertainment lowers its purpose and causes us to miss God’s intentions for it.

d. We are responsible to think about music from God’s perspective.

e. I think once we do, our view of music will be elevated beyond entertainment.

f. There is perhaps no greater example of the potential for music than what we find happening during the dedication of Solomon’s Temple in 2 Chronicles 5:11-14.

II. Music’s most exciting possibility.

A. The dedication service started with powerful music.

1. Can you imagine all these instruments and voices singing and playing together?

2. In response to the music service, God’s glory descended upon the temple in the form of a cloud.

3. God’s presence was so real that the priests couldn’t even stay in their places.

4. This didn’t just happen by accident.

5. The text mentions specific things that contributed to this incredible event.

First, we need to understand what this text teaches about the people involved:

1. They were sanctified. vs. 11

a. In Numbers 8, the Lord told Moses that only after the Levites had been separated and cleansed could they do the work of God.

b. Someone involved in church music should be separated from the world and sanctified to God.

c. The music ministry attracts talented people.

d. For many churches, the one requirement to serve is that you have talent.

e. But according to the pattern of the OT the primary requirement to serve wasn’t talent but sanctification.

f. Illustration: OSU bulletin boards

g. Talent is never the most important qualification to be involved in God’s work.

h. Should a person have musical ability to minister in this capacity? Of course.

i. The temple musicians were skilled and well trained for the music ministry. But their talent was unusable if they didn’t meet God’s standards of holiness.

j. American culture places an emphasis on letting other people see your talent (YouTube, America’s Got Talent).

k. But the NT places more emphasis on edification than it does putting one’s talent on display.

l. Those involved in the music at Bible-based churches ought to first be good Christians who seek to edify. That comes well before talent.

2. Second, their dress made a statement – vs. 12 (wht linen)

a. The white garments the Levites wore made a couple of statements:

The “white linen” was a picture of what had taken place in their hearts.

Their sins were forgiven! Our attire when we gather to meet with God ought to signify separation from the world. If God has made a difference in your life, that ought to be reflected in your appearance.

Second, the way they dressed said, “We are meeting with the almighty God of heaven, and we take that seriously!” Our dress is a reflection of our attitude toward worship and toward God.

I know a lot of people say, “Dress your best when you meet with God.” But I don’t think that’s as good of an argument as “Dress for the person with whom you’re meeting.”

b. If your mindset is “I’m going to church to meet with God,” that is going to impact what you consider to be appropriate for that meeting.

c. We dress up for other things like job interviews, weddings, funerals, to meet someone important.

d. Is God not deserving of at least that level of respect?

3. Third, they were prepared. vs. 13 (…were as one)

a. Most believe this means they all sang the same and played the same tune (unison).

b. You don’t sing and play “as one” without preparation.

c. They had practiced and prepared. They didn’t just show up and start playing.

d. They understood the lofty responsibility and wanted to strive for excellence.

e. The music of the temple was defined by excellence (trained, skillful musicians performed and taught others to do the same).

f. According to I Cor. 14:12, it should still be a characteristic of a Bible-based NT church to strive for excellence.

Excellence in special music (well-practiced, memorized when possible)

Excellence in congregational singing (vs. 24 – convinced of all)

But not excellence for the sake of performance; excellence because that’s what He deserves!

Excellence because God deserves our best.

4. Fourth, the message was God-centered. (vs. 13)

a. They praised and thanked the Lord, and sang a song about Him.

b. Many church music services are now man-centered - giving people what they want.

c. But our music services should God-centered - giving God what He deserves.

d. There are two principles that I believe can help us keep a God-centered message:

PRINCIPLE #1 – Music should cause us to think great thoughts about God.

a. There’s a phrase that says, “Think right, feel right.”

b. If we can get people to think the right thoughts, they will feel the right way.

c. In other words truth first, emotions second.

d. But many churches have this backwards.

e. I’ve heard it here as well: their services are about making people feel a certain way.

f. It’s emotionally driven instead of being based on truth.

g. But a church isn’t a pillar and ground of emotion. It’s a pillar and ground of the truth.

h. Our music should first and foremost be about truth.

PRINCIPLE #2 – When it comes to church music, God is the audience!

a. When our target audience is God, it changes the importance of music in the service.

b. God enjoys the singing and music of His people. We are commanded to sing to Him. One whole book of the Bible is a book of songs (Psalms).

c. I don’t believe the preaching is simply meant to prepare hearts for preaching. Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:19 say that we should sing with grace and make melody in our hearts to the Lord.

d. The goal of church music should be to point the hearts of the congregation to God, not just point their hearts to the preaching.

e. This does not in any way demean the supremacy of preaching (I Cor. 1:18, 21). Preaching the Word of God is the primary responsibility of the NT church.

f. But to say that music’s sole purpose is to prepare hearts for the preaching is like saying that if there is no preaching, there is no reason for music.

g. Am I saying that the music service doesn’t help the preaching? Absolutely not! If it’s done correctly – if the vision and standard of the music service is lofty enough, it will help the preaching tremendously!

h. If a person has meditated on great truths about God and praises Him for who He is and what He’s done before the preaching ever begins, then that person is even more ready to receive God’s Word.

i. Imagine the impact on preaching it would have if God’s people would sing to God from their hearts every time.

j. God desires to hear His people corporately lift up their voices in praise to Him. The fruit of our lips is like an offering that is a sweet-smelling savor to Him!

III. All this adds up to what is the most exciting possibility in music here in 2 Chronicles 5 (read 13-14).

A. I believe this text says this, “God can be moved by music.”

1. What a thought! Before anything else happened, we see the music having an effect on God Himself.

a. Something about the sound of the voices and instruments and the sincerity of hearts and the message in song moved Him.

b. God loves music. I don’t believe He just created music, I believe it’s part of His nature: Zephaniah 3:17, “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will joy over thee with singing.”

2. We know God does not manifest Himself today in the same way, but we also know that He doesn’t change.

3. What moved Him then still moves Him now. Which means there’s no reason we can’t strive for a purpose that lofty in our services every week!

4. He may not appear in a cloud, but if we raise our view of the music service, God might move in a way we haven’t seen before! That’s the possibility!

5. This passage is here to reveal something about God, but I also believe it provides an example for us to follow.

a. When His people are separated from the world and cleansed from the inside out, God is moved.

b. When His people sing with their hearts directed toward Him as the audience, God is moved.

c. When great thoughts about God are presented and truly considered by worshippers, God is moved.

d. When we come together and refuse to use the first half of the service as “filler-time” or to go to the bathroom or to fellowship in the foyer and instead use it as an opportunity to focus our attention on God and lift up our hearts and voices in praise to Him, God is moved!

4. And as Colossians 3:16 says, God is not the only who benefits – we are helped by being taught by the truths and admonished by each other.

Conclusion: How lofty is your view for our music?

Are you singing from your mouth or your heart?

Do you view music is something we have to tolerate before we get to the preaching?

Do you engage in genuine praise or just go through the motions?

God Can Be Moved By Music

That’s the possibility of every music service.

I wonder how many music services take place in which God’s people gather and He’s completely forgotten?

Maybe it’s time to elevate our view of the church music service.