Singing In Worship
Fundamentals 2021 • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 11 viewsNotes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
We continue today with the theme of this year, here on Sunday morning, which is “Fundamentals.”
In other words, those doctrines that are foundational to “growing up into salvation” by way of the pure spiritual milk.
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
Today we are still focusing specifically on the “subcategory” of this theme “worship.”
Concerning worship, we have examined…
What it means to worship in spirit and truth.
What it means to worship in prayer.
And what it means to worship properly the “Memorial Feast” of our Savior.
That brings us to focus today which is on “Singing In Worship.”
We will take the next two weeks to study this most important topic due to the overwhelming misunderstanding concerning it and how people perceive the scriptures on it.
With that in mind, let’s examine our lesson for today.
History Of Music
History Of Music
It’s Beginning.
It’s Beginning.
When it comes to non-biblical information about music in the Ancient Near East we find several interesting facts.
The oldest extrabiblical records of music, from the Sumerian civilization (ca. 3000 BC), describe music schools and instrument.
The oldest artifacts of musical instruments come from Abraham’s home city, Ur…
The oldest historical examples of musical notation are found on cuneiform tablets from Babylon dated to around 2000 BC (roughly corresponding to the time of Abraham.
Music was common in Egypt, where the instrument of choice was the harp. This practice may have influenced the music of Israel… 1
However, with all the historical information we have and the old ancient writings we have concerning music the bible is by far the most complete record of musical practices of any ancient civilization.
So, what about…
Music’s Usage In The Bible.
Music’s Usage In The Bible.
We find, Jubal is the father of all the lyre & pipe players.
21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.
Jubal is the eighth generation from the beginning.
Though this does not mention singing it is the first account of music.
The music back then was not like the harmonies we have today.
As the Lexham Bible Dictionary states…
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Old Testament
The music of the ancient Israelites likely consisted of inflected, unmetered chanting sometimes accompanied by instruments
When we do read about the music in the bible we find it involved in a variety of situations.
It was common in daily activities.
We find music at “homecomings.”
34 Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter.
We find music when digging wells.
17 Then Israel sang this song: “Spring up, O well!—Sing to it!— 18 the well that the princes made, that the nobles of the people dug, with the scepter and with their staffs.” And from the wilderness they went on to Mattanah,
We find music when trampling grapes.
20 Moab is put to shame, for it is broken; wail and cry! Tell it beside the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste. 21 “Judgment has come upon the tableland, upon Holon, and Jahzah, and Mephaath,
It was commonly found in important human events.
We find music when one was victorious over an enemy.
20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”
We find it used to sooth one with mental illness.
10 The next day a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand.
We find music at funerals.
25 Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah; and all the singing men and singing women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made these a rule in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments.
We find music when kings were anointed.
34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’
Concerning Israel’s worship with music we find that mechanical instruments were a part of it though it wasn’t until David became king that it became a major part of it.
It was found long before David.
10 On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”
However, in 1 Chronicles 25 we find it taken to a whole level not seen prior or really after too much.
Summary
Summary
As we have seen, music has meant a great deal to the Israelites both in daily life and worship.
There were only two forms of “art” the Hebrews practiced.
They made poetry i.e., the book of Job and they made music for which they are considered masters for both.
What about early Christian music in worship?
Singing In One Place
Singing In One Place
Singing Is Worship.
Singing Is Worship.
There is no doubt that singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs is worship.
19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
16 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.
Because of this we must make sure when singing such we do so in “spirit and truth.”
We must…
Sing In Spirit While Assembled.
Sing In Spirit While Assembled.
Remember, this is an attitude to sing spiritually i.e., righteously.
Worshiping in spirit is "the biblical emotional resolve in following truth."
Thus when we sing or make melody in our heart in psalm, hymn, or spiritual song we must do so with an emotional resolve to follow truth.
How does that translate to us today?
When we sing in the assembly we must make sure we are singing with the understanding i.e., emotionally resolved to follow truth.
15 What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.
This means we grasp what we are singing.
The Great Physician: “Sweetest note in seraph song.”
The word, “seraph” is an abbreviated term for seraphim, a word describing angels of high rank (Isaiah 6:2, 6). Thus the name of Jesus is the most precious name even the highest angels can sing.
Mansion Over The Hilltop: “And, like the prophet, my pillow a stone.”
This “prophet” was actually Jacob, who, when fleeing from the wrath of his twin brother, Esau, pillowed his head on a stone at Luz/Bethel, on his way to another land (Genesis 28:10-19). The point of mentioning Jacob’s stone pillow in the song is to remind us that the discomforts of this life should not matter because we are here only a short while before we arrive at our permanent dwelling of comfort and rest.
Wonderful Love Of Jesus: “In vain in high and holy lays”
What is meant by the “lays” we raise to the wonderful love of Jesus? The word “lay” is an archaic term for “song”, thus, this hymn speaks of our feeble attempts to praise adequately and worthily the Christ in spiritual songs.
We must worship in song in spirit.
We must also…
Sing In Truth While Assembled.
Sing In Truth While Assembled.
How is singing according to the divine pattern manifested in scripture?
Let’s read from Ephesians & Colossians again but this time let’s look at a bit more of the context.
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
16 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. 17 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.
According to these passage we must sing by being “filled with the Spirit” which means “letting the word of Christ dwell in us richly.”
This means leading a righteous life in Christ.
We must also “address one another” i.e., teaching and admonishing to one another, while singing together.
This means we cannot sit and listen but open our mouths and sing out.
Can you imagine being at judgment and have Jesus say “I never knew you, depart from me” because we refused to sing out so others could hear us.
We must sing "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs."
Psalms: “a set piece of music, i.e. a sacred ode...[from] the book of the Psalms”
Hymns: “denotes “a song of praise addressed to God”
Spiritual Song: “an ode, song,” is always used in the NT (as in the Sept.), in praise of God or Christ”
We must “sing with grace and make melody in our hearts.”
The idea here is that we are to sing out with thankfulness and sing out with our heart. To please God we must do both at the same time. We cannot leave one out or the other and please Him.
We must sing "to the Lord.”
Here we see that there is nothing wrong with worshiping Jesus in song nor is there any issue with singing to the Father or Spirit (Psalm 48:1).
Summary
Summary
When we all come together to worship (1 Corinthians 11:20) through song (Ephesians 5:19), it must be down in spirit and truth.
What about when we are along and not all together?
Singing Privately In Worship
Singing Privately In Worship
There Is Only One Difference.
There Is Only One Difference.
When we sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs it is almost exactly like that of when assembled.
We must sing in spirit and truth just as if with everyone else and thus are guided by the same biblical principles except for one it appears.
When singing privately we don’t have to sing “to others.”
Our private songs can simply be about the joy we have in Christ.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
We find several examples of individuals singing out of emotions brought on.
Marry sang for joy about being the Savior’s mother (Luke 1:46-55).
Miriam sang for joy because of Egypt’s defeat (Exodus 15:21).
Our private singing can be for others to listen to, don’t get me wrong (Acts 16:25).
This can be a good way for others to “ask about the hope within you” (1 Peter 3:15).
With only one difference we must make sure we are singing to please God rather than ourselves.
We cannot sing psalms, hymns, or spiritual songs with the mechanical instrument.
We will dive into that more next week.
We must make sure we are not singing in…
Ignorance (Acts 17:22-23), vain (Matthew 15:18-29), or for self righteousness (Colossians 2:23).
Summary
Summary
Let us express our joy in song to the Lord but let it be as it ought to be.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Worshiping God in song is a great joy that every Christian should have in their lives.
1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Endnotes
Endnotes
Barry, John D., David Bomar, Derek R. Brown, Rachel Klippenstein, Douglas Mangum, Carrie Sinclair Wolcott, Lazarus Wentz, Elliot Ritzema, and Wendy Widder, eds. The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.
v