Singing In Worship Singing In Worship Its hard

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Singing In Worship

Singing In Worship

Singing In Worship It’s hard to preach a sermon about singing in worship without

Singing In Worship It’s hard to preach a sermon about singing in worship without talking about why we don’t use instruments. Millions of people will gather into church buildings today and sing praises to God accompanied by musical instruments. You can find a wide variety of instruments being played. From a simple piano to a massive pipe organ From a 3 piece band to a full blown orchestra

Instrumental music in worship They will participate in this worship without ever considering “is

Instrumental music in worship They will participate in this worship without ever considering “is the way God wants it done? ” They don’t question it because they have always sang with musical instruments. Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn’t make it right. It reminds me of a story some of you may have heard.

Instrumental music in worship A young bride asked her husband to pick up a

Instrumental music in worship A young bride asked her husband to pick up a broom for her on his way home from work. As soon as he got home with the broom his bride took it out on the porch and cut about 3 inches off of the handle. This puzzled her husband so he asked her why she would cut off the handle.

Instrumental music in worship The bride’s response was that her mother always cut off

Instrumental music in worship The bride’s response was that her mother always cut off the handle new brooms. So they called the bride’s mother and asked her why she always cut off the handle of her new brooms. The mother’s response was because her mother (the bride’s grandmother) had always cut off the handles of her new brooms.

Instrumental music in worship By this point all three of them are wondering why

Instrumental music in worship By this point all three of them are wondering why they cut off the handle of the new brooms. So, mom calls the grandmother and asks her why she always cut off the handles of her new brooms. The grandmother’s response was simple “darling”, she said “it was because my broom closet was too short for a full size broom”

Instrumental music in worship This story points out the non-sense of doing something a

Instrumental music in worship This story points out the non-sense of doing something a particular way just because that’s the way it’s always been done. As we mentioned earlier, people don’t think anything is wrong with musical instruments in worship because they “think” that’s the way it has always been done. I can tell you it is not the way it has always been done even in some of main line denominations of today

Instrumental music in worship I want us to spend a couple of minutes looking

Instrumental music in worship I want us to spend a couple of minutes looking at what some well known religious leaders of the past have said about instrumental music in worship. As we look at some of these quotes we may ask ourselves “what has changed? ” Has God’s law changed or has man simply inserted his own ideas into God’s worship?

John Calvin (1509 -1564) was one of the main figures of the reformation movement

John Calvin (1509 -1564) was one of the main figures of the reformation movement second only to Martin Luther. • He was the creator of the religious doctrine known as “Calvinism” followed by the Presbyterian church today. •

John Calvinism, in part, is taught in almost every denomination today. John Calvin was

John Calvinism, in part, is taught in almost every denomination today. John Calvin was strictly opposed to instruments of music in the Christian worship service. Calvin says the following in his commentary on Psalms 33: 2

John Calvin “But when they frequent their sacred assemblies, musical instruments in celebrating the

John Calvin “But when they frequent their sacred assemblies, musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting up of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law. ”

John Calvin “The Papists, therefore, have foolishly borrowed this, as well as many other

John Calvin “The Papists, therefore, have foolishly borrowed this, as well as many other things, from the Jews. ” “Men who are fond of outward pomp may delight in that noise; but the simplicity which God recommends to us by the apostle is far more pleasing to him. ” www. studylight. org/commentaries/cal/psalms-33. html

Adam clarke Adam Clarke (1760 - 1832) was a Methodist preacher and Bible scholar.

Adam clarke Adam Clarke (1760 - 1832) was a Methodist preacher and Bible scholar. • This famous Methodist preacher was severely opposed to the use of instruments of music in worship! • Listen to what he says about the use of instruments •

Adam clarke “Is not the introduction of such instruments into the worship of God

Adam clarke “Is not the introduction of such instruments into the worship of God antichristian, and calculated to debase and ultimately ruin the spirit and influence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? ” “And should not all who wish well to the spread and establishment of pure and undefiled religion, lift up their hand, their influence, and their voice against them? ”

Adam clarke Both the Episcopalian and Methodist churches today use instruments of music in

Adam clarke Both the Episcopalian and Methodist churches today use instruments of music in worship. Makes you wonder “what changed? ” Adam Clarke also quotes another famous Methodist in his commentary on Joel 6: 5

John Wesley (1703 -1791) along with his brother Charles founded the Methodist church. •

John Wesley (1703 -1791) along with his brother Charles founded the Methodist church. • Like Adam Clarke, he too was very opposed to instrumental music in the worship service. •

John Wesley “John Wesley, who was a lover of music, and an elegant poet,

John Wesley “John Wesley, who was a lover of music, and an elegant poet, when asked his opinion of instruments of music being introduced into the chapels of the Methodists said, in his terse and powerful manner, "I have no objection to instruments of music in our chapels, provided they are neither Heard nor Seen. ” www. studylight. org/commentaries/acc/amos-6. html#5

Charles spurgeon Charles Spurgeon (1834 – 1892) was one of the most well known

Charles spurgeon Charles Spurgeon (1834 – 1892) was one of the most well known and influential Baptist preachers of all time. • He too was against the use of instrumental music in worship • Listen to his commentary following Psalms 42: 4 •

Charles spurgeon “What a degradation to supplant the intelligent song of the whole congregation

Charles spurgeon “What a degradation to supplant the intelligent song of the whole congregation by theatrical prettiness of a quartet, the refined niceties of a choir, or the blowing off of wind from inanimate bellows and pipes! We might as well pray by machinery as praise by it. ” http: //www. biblestudytools. com/commentaries/treasury-of-david/psalms-42 -4. html

Thomas aquinas Thomas Aquinas (1225 -1274) was a catholic priest and doctor of the

Thomas aquinas Thomas Aquinas (1225 -1274) was a catholic priest and doctor of the catholic church. • He is recognized by many Catholics and others as the greatest theologian of the middle ages • He has even been elevated to the level of “saint” by the catholic church •

Thomas Aquinas Listen to what this highly regarded Catholic had to say about instrumental

Thomas Aquinas Listen to what this highly regarded Catholic had to say about instrumental music. "Our church does not use musical instruments, as harps and psalteries, to praise God withal, that she may not seem to Judaize. “ He recognized these instruments were used in Jewish worship but not authorized under the Law of Christ

Singing in Worship It’s obvious to anyone who would investigate that even history shows

Singing in Worship It’s obvious to anyone who would investigate that even history shows the early church did not use instrumental music. What has changed? Has God’s plan for our worship changed? No! God’s plan for the way we are to worship Him is the same today as was in the early days of the Church.

Singing in Worship God’s plan for our worship is for us to: Teach His

Singing in Worship God’s plan for our worship is for us to: Teach His Word 2. Pray 3. Give on the 1 st day of the week 4. Partake of the Lord’s Supper on the 1 st day of the week 5. Singing is just as important part of our worship as any of the others we just mentioned 1.

Singing in Worship I’m concerned that many times when it comes to singing that

Singing in Worship I’m concerned that many times when it comes to singing that we are just “going through the motions” We are not really focused on the purpose of singing and the message of the songs we are singing. If we are not singing songs that are authorized in the scriptures, in the manner prescribed in the scriptures, for the purpose described in the scriptures then our worship will not be pleasing to God.

What Songs Are Authorized? The Bible does not authorize specific songs for us to

What Songs Are Authorized? The Bible does not authorize specific songs for us to sing. Instead it authorizes the type of songs to be used in our worship Eph 5: 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, Col 3: 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

What Songs Are Authorized? These two verses authorize us to use Psalms, Hymns and

What Songs Are Authorized? These two verses authorize us to use Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs in our worship service. Psalms: These would be songs contained in the book of Psalms Hymns: Vines’ defines this as “a song of praise addressed to God” Spiritual Songs: These would be songs whose message is guided by the things revealed by the Holy Spirit to us in God’s Word

What Songs Are Authorized? Any song that could not be included in one of

What Songs Are Authorized? Any song that could not be included in one of these 3 groups should not be allowed in our worship service. Just because it is in the song book does not mean it is proper to use in our worship service. Patriotic songs, Holiday songs, Folk songs, etc. have no place in the worship service of the Lord’s Church. To add these type of songs to worship is to go beyond what is authorized by the Word of God

How Are We To Sing? The obvious answer to this is “with our mouth”

How Are We To Sing? The obvious answer to this is “with our mouth” True, words to have to come out of our mouth in order for us to sing. This simple answer would eliminate Humming, whistling and hand clapping as a part of our song service. But, there is more to singing properly than just the words that come out of our mouth. This may be one of the areas we fall short in our song service

Singing With Understanding We need to sing with understanding 1 Co 14: 15 ¶

Singing With Understanding We need to sing with understanding 1 Co 14: 15 ¶ What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Singing in a foreign language like Latin would violate this principle if we don’t understand Latin. Singing words in an undistinguishable manner would violate this principle such as we might hear in some “chants”

Singing With Understanding Singing words in our own language that we don’t understand the

Singing With Understanding Singing words in our own language that we don’t understand the meaning of would also violate this principle. It would be a good idea for a song leader, before he leads a song containing a difficult word, to define what it means so the congregation can sing with the understanding. Here a just a couple of examples of what I’m talking about.

Singing With Understanding # 115 O Thou Fount Of Every Blessing Vs 2: Here

Singing With Understanding # 115 O Thou Fount Of Every Blessing Vs 2: Here I raise my Ebenezer, Hither by Thy help I've come Ebenezer was a stone memorial erected by Samuel to commemorate God helping the Israelites to defeat the Philistines in 1 Samuel 7: 12 The song writer is saying, I am going to remember that through God’s help I have been able to come as far as I have on my spiritual journey

Singing With Understanding # 513 I Have Heard Of A Land (Never Grow Old)

Singing With Understanding # 513 I Have Heard Of A Land (Never Grow Old) 1 st Verse: I have heard of a land on a far away strand Do we know what a strand is? We may thing of a thin piece of string. Strand in this song is talking about a shoreline. This is a representation of death being compared to Israel crossing the Jordan river into the promise land

Singing With Understanding We must also be paying attention to and thinking about the

Singing With Understanding We must also be paying attention to and thinking about the words we are singing in order for us to sing with the understanding. We are not singing with understanding if we just recite the words of the song out of habit, without giving any thought to their meaning. Do you remember what songs we sang before the lesson? How much attention were we paying to lessons being taught in those songs?

Singing in Worship So far we have discussed: The type of songs we are

Singing in Worship So far we have discussed: The type of songs we are to sing: Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs How we are to sing: With understanding Finally, we want to look at the purpose of our singing. Let’s go back to two verses we have already read

Singing to one another Eph 5: 19 speaking to one another in psalms and

Singing to one another Eph 5: 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, Col 3: 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. One purpose of singing is to help and encourage each other to be better Christians

Singing to one another As we sing songs authorized by God in worship then

Singing to one another As we sing songs authorized by God in worship then we will be teaching and warning others to do what is right and they will be doing the same for us. # 376 “Angry Words” The thoughts in this song teach us to control our tongue and to love one another! # 392 “When Upon Life’s Billows” “Count your blessings” When life gets hard we need to focus on all that God has done for us and especially our goal of a home in Heaven

Singing to one another Many of the songs we sing carry messages of hope,

Singing to one another Many of the songs we sing carry messages of hope, patience and instruction for living the Christian life to those gathered together with us to worship God. When we fail to attend worship services when we can, then we are failing in the responsibility placed on us by God to encourage other Christians with our singing. When we don’t participate in the song service we are also failing to obey God.

Singing Thanks and Praise To God Finally our singing should be to praise God

Singing Thanks and Praise To God Finally our singing should be to praise God and express our thankfulness for all He has done for us. Col 3: 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Eph 5: 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

Singing Thanks and Praise To God When we read Ephesians 5: 19 we often

Singing Thanks and Praise To God When we read Ephesians 5: 19 we often stop with this verse, but we have further instruction in vs 20 about the purpose of our singing. Eph 5: 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, Eph 5: 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Singing Thanks and Praise To God Colossians 3: 16 has a very similar following

Singing Thanks and Praise To God Colossians 3: 16 has a very similar following verse Col 3: 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

Singing Thanks and Praise To God We also are to praise God in our

Singing Thanks and Praise To God We also are to praise God in our songs. Heb 2: 12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. Ac 16: 25 ¶ And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. These songs of praise tell how wonderful and powerful our God is. They would also tell of all the many ways He has blessed us.

Singing Thanks and Praise To God #3 How Great Thou Art This is a

Singing Thanks and Praise To God #3 How Great Thou Art This is a song of Praise As the title says, it proclaims His greatness It tells of His awesome power The wonders of His creation His amazing love for man Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to thee; How great Thou art!

Conclusion Singing is a necessary part of our worship! It is not something we

Conclusion Singing is a necessary part of our worship! It is not something we do to entertain ourselves Just like everything else we do in worship, It must be done in accordance with God’s word We must sing authorized songs, in the authorized manner and for the authorized purposes. When we fail to participate in this essential part of worship then we are failing to obey God!