What We Sing

The Mandate for Gospel Ministry in Music

In Colossians 3:16, there are four components of gospel ministry in music that will teach you how to discern what songs to sing in the church.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with gratefulness in your hearts to God.”  – Colossians 3:16

Introduction

When a young man (or old) goes to a jewelry store to buy a ring to propose to his beloved girlfriend (or when a husband goes to replace their wife’s ring when they can finally afford the ring she wants), there is a particular way in which the jewelers display the rings. In order for someone to truly see the true beauty of the ring, they place a black backdrop behind the ring. This emphasizes the look of the ring to a greater extent in that there is no other color on display besides the diamond along. The backdrop is not to be any other color, because then the ring is not displayed in its true beauty, and neither should the backdrop be in front of the ring… WHAT IS THE POINT!

Music is the black backdrop to the truth of the gospel when we sing songs in the church. This means that the music must not be in a way that does not display gospel truth properly, neither is the music to be help as more important than the gospel, for then there is no point in singing the gospel.

In order for us to understand how to do this properly, we are going to look at Colossians 3:16, and identify four components of gospel ministry in music that will teach you how to discern what songs to sing in the church.

1: We sing songs of the gospel

- 16a1: We ought to be dwelling on the gospel, that the gospel might dwell in us.

This is mandate that Paul gives to the Colossian church, but it is a passive imperative, meaning that it is something that they have to let happen to them. It is somewhat counter-intuitive in the modern context to be commanded to have something happen to you. Yet it is rather according to nature to be told what to do. However, Paul does not indicate that we do not stand around and do nothing. The gospel demands action, for God is an active God, and the gospel is the good news of the work of Christ, not the passivity of Christ.

The language of the command indicates that there is a sense of residency that takes place. The word for ‘dwell’ means to take up residence. The implications of this is that the gospel is to be living in us; is to take up residence in us, to continually dwell in us. Not only does it dwell in us, but dwells in us richly. The extreme implications of this description indicate a strong presence of the gospel in the lives of believers.

o As we do the following, we may experience the gospel dwelling in us.

- 16a2: songs that let the gospel take residence within us

o John 5:39, 40

§ "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that bear witness about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.

o Deut. 6:6–9

§ "These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.”

The Word of God which was given to the people of Israel was to be in thei thoughts, their minds, in their actions; it had to encompass all that they were as a people and as a nation.

o Ps. 119:11

§ Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.

We dwell on the gospel truth because it helps us to resist temptation, and ultimately that we do not sin against God.

At the TMAI Symposium in early March, I had a conversation with the author and missionary E. D. Burns about music and culture, He mentioned something about the work of the gospel that will forever stick in my mind

Burns compared music and culture to a second-hand house that you have just bought. Depending on the situation at hand, there may have to be an entire demolishing of the house in order to start afresh. In some other cases, there might only need to replace the drywall or the flooring, but the skeleton of the house is the remains. The gospel will go into that cultural context, and the gospel ministry will do the work itself, you do not need to do the work. If people will be responsive and submissive to the gospel, then they will begin to change within themselves all that is wrong in their culture.

Though this is applicable to all areas regarding culture, music is a means that can have the most effect. Gospel-centered music will change gospel-centered people, we just have to sing it.

2: We sing songs of biblical wisdom

- 16b: songs that contain biblical truth that help us to walk wisely

o Col. 1:9

§ For this reason, also, since the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the full knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

The goal of the christian life is to grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God. This prayer from Paul was

o Eph. 5:15–20

§ Therefore, look carefully how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. On account of this, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;

Gospel-centered ministry in music is dependent on the source of all wisdom, who is God Himself. Our songs must be centered on the truth of God, which comes to us in the Word of God. We must be in the Scriptures in order to know what songs are honoring and pleasing to God in its truth and application.

We must sing songs that are based on sound doctrine in order that the theology we sing may affect the way we walk.

3: We sing songs that edify and unify the church

- 16c1: Singing is a part of Active Discipleship

o Teach (to impart instruction)

o Admonish (warn or exhort).

o Rom. 15:14

§ But I myself am also convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, having been filled with all knowledge and being able also to admonish one another.

- 16c2: singing is a part of Unity in the Church

o “one-anothers” in context of Col. 3:9–17

Colossians 3:9–17 NASB95

Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 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 richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

§ V. 9

· Do not lie to one another

§ V. 11

· No distinction between:

o Jew of Greek,

o circumcised or uncircumcised

o barbarian (not Greek) or Scythian (modern day Russia, meaning “rude” or “rough”)

o slave or freeman

· Unity in Christ (Christ is all and in all)

§ V. 12

· The elect of God (His one chosen people)

· Plural imperative “(You) put on…”

· Purpose for a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience

§ V. 13

· Bearing with one another

· Graciously forgiving each other

· So also should you (plural pronoun)

§ V. 14

· Put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity

§ V. 15

· Called in one body

§ V. 16

· Teaching and admonishing one another

§ V. 17

· Whatever you do (plural pronoun)

o Broader context of the whole of chapter 3

§ V. 1–4

· Imperative as those raised with Christ (the imperative to a change in perspective and vision)

§ V. 5–8

· The behavior of the Old Man rooted in selfish behavior.

o No desire or pursuit for the benefit of others, only to self.

o The meaning of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, which (I believe) supports the argument for unity in the church.

§ Psalms: Jewish songs

§ Hymns: Greco-Roman origin; songs of praise to pagan gods

§ Spiritual Songs: non-religious folk songs.

§ These are all songs of different people groups.

o Selflessness and humility in song.

4: We sing songs that express thankfulness to God.

- 16d: singing is an outward expression of inward praise and thankfulness to God

o Grace is the primary source of thankfulness (thankfulness = grace in the Greek)

o Ps. 28:7

§ Yahweh is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore, my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.

o Eph. 5:20

§ always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;

o 1 Thess. 5:18

§ in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

o Heb. 13:15

§ Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name.

Application:

Sing songs according to context of the gathering:

- When we gather on a Sunday, the goal of our musical worship is to sing songs that we all can sing together, for that is most pleasing to God and for the greatest edification and Unification of the church.

- Sing in whatever situation occurs, whether for comfort in the truth of God in times of trial or for joy in the truth of God in times of triumph, but ultimately for the glory of God in all things.

- Melodic structures

- Syllabic structures

o How great thou art vs How great is our God

Sing songs according to the work of God in Jesus Christ — the Gospel:

- We should sing songs that encompass the thankfulness in our hearts because of all of whom God is, and all that He has done for us. The songs we sing should tell of the very truth that we believe that Christ came into the world to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), that through His life as fully man, yet also fully God, He was tempted in every way, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15), and took on sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

o When I survey

Sing songs that encourage Godly living:

- We should sing songs that encourage us to live our lives in a way that is worthy of the calling to which we have been called in Christ.

- When we are living our mid-week lives, sings songs that affect the way you worship God in all you do, whether out loud or even dwelling on biblical lyrics, or even the Bible itself (Col. 3:17)

o Oh Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer.

- We should sing songs that can be prayers on our hearts

o Be Thou My Vision