I want to finish up thoughts today on why God wants us to use music at times to praise Him. I’ve mentioned that music, especially singing, helps us to remember and meditate on God’s word, and also enables us to proclaim truth with heartfelt passion. Finally, We sing to reflect God’s glory. How does singing reflect God’s glory? I can think of at least three ways. First, singing glorifies God by expressing the unity Christ died to bring us. Of course, gathering in the same room at one time expresses unity, as does reciting a creed together. Music both intensifies and demonstrates our appreciation of that unity. I’ve been told on more than one occasion that large “worship events” would bring unity to the Christians in a city. While such events might have some place in encouraging Christians, we need to remember that music expresses, not creates, unity among God’s people. We are one because Christ has destroyed the dividing wall that once separated us, due to our sin. When we don’t understand this, we argue over which musical style is going to be the voice that “unites” us. We can’t look to music to do what only the Gospel can do. Second, singing glorifies God because all three persons of the Trinity sing. In Zephaniah 3:17Zephaniah 3:17
[17]The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
, the Father exults over us with loud singing. Jesus sings the Father’s praise in the midst of the congregation in Hebrews 2:12Hebrews 2:12
[12]saying,
"I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your
praise."
(quoting Psalm 22:22Psalm 22:22
[22]I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you:
). The immediate result of being filled with the Spirit in Ephesians 5Ephesians 5
[5:1]Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
[2]And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up
for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
[3]But sexual immorality and all impurity or
covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper
among saints. [4]Let there be no filthiness nor foolish
talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead
let there be thanksgiving. [5]For you may be sure of this,
that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is
covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and God. [6]Let no one deceive you with
empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God
comes upon the sons of disobedience. [7]Therefore do not
become partners with them; [8]for at one time you were
darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as
children of light [9](for the fruit of light is found in
all that is good and right and true), [10]and try to
discern what is pleasing to the Lord. [11]Take no part in
the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
[12]For it is shameful even to speak of the things that
they do in secret. [13]But when anything is exposed by the
light, it becomes visible, [14]for anything that becomes
visible is light. Therefore it says,
"Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."
[15]Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but
as wise, [16]making the best use of the time, because the
days are evil. [17]Therefore do not be foolish, but
understand what the will of the Lord is. [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, [20]giving thanks always and for
everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, [21]submitting to one another out of reverence for
Christ.
[22]Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
[23]For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ
is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its
Savior. [24]Now as the church submits to Christ, so also
wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
[25]Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the
church and gave himself up for her, [26]that he might
sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water
with the word, [27]so that he might present the church to
himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such
thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. [28]In
the same way husbands should love their wives as their own
bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. [29]For no one
ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it,
just as Christ does the church, [30]because we are members
of his body. [31]"Therefore a man shall leave his father
and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall
become one flesh." [32]This mystery is profound, and I am
saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
[33]However, let each one of you love his wife as himself,
and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (ESV)
is singing and making melody to the Lord with all our hearts. Our God is a singing God, and we reflect His glorious nature when we lift up our voices to sing His song back to Him. Third, singing glorifies God because it anticipates, in a faint but genuine way, the song of heaven. When God pulls back the curtain on heaven’s activities, we find that heaven is a very musical place. The living creatures and the elders sing a song in Rev. 5:9Revelation 5:9
[9]And they sang a new song, saying,
"Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people
for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
celebrating the Lamb who was slain. They are eventually joined by every creature in heaven and earth. The 144,000 sing a new song before the throne in Rev. 14:1-3Revelation 14:1-3
[14:1]Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the
Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his
Father's name written on their foreheads. [2]And I heard a
voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the
sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound
of harpists playing on their harps, [3]and they were
singing a new song before the throne and before the four
living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn
that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the
earth. (ESV)
. Those who conquered the beast sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb in Rev. 15:3Revelation 15:3
[3]And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God,
and the song of the Lamb, saying,
"Great and amazing are your deeds,
O Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!
. Our songs on earth are a sweet foretaste of what is still to come. But at this point, our attempts to worship God with music are limited. We’re hindered by insufficient hours, restricted mental capacity, and physical weakness. We don’t have the time, the mind, or the strength to worship God the way He deserves to be worshiped. But that’s not how it will always be. A day is coming when every limitation will be removed and we will celebrate before the Father and the Lamb in the power of the Spirit for endless ages. Wise leaders seek to prepare God’s people for that time by combining music with biblical truth NOW in a way that feeds our souls with the glories of God and heightens our anticipation for seeing our Savior face to face. An effective corporate worship leader, aided and led by the Holy Spirit, skillfully combines biblical truth with music…to do what? We’ll look at that tomorrow.
Read Part 10 of What Does a Worship Leader Do?
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