Sermon : Why We Sing In Our Assemblies Page 1

Transcription

1 Sermon : Why We Sing In Our Assemblies Page 1 Why We Sing In Our Assemblies Text : Eph. 5: ; Col. 3: S#1. A. Have you ever noticed how often Christians sing when we re together? S#2. 1. Did you ever go to an assembly of the church where there was no singing? a. When we have a gospel meeting / revival we don t take a collection, but we sing. b. When we gather for bible study we sing before we start the lesson. c. When we have baptisms away from the assembly, we sing. 2. Can we gather as a church without singing? Would it be sinful? a. We don t always sing when we have fellowships. b. We don t sing when we have business meetings. c. We don t sing when we gather for work projects, for emergency meetings, etc. B. There is not a chapter in the bible to tell us how to conduct an assembly. S#3. 1. I Cor. 14 Tells us things NOT to do in an assembly. a. Orderly b. To edify others, not to inflate one s own ego. 2. Much of what we do in our assemblies is based on examples and tradition. 3. Do we singing just because we have always done so? S#4. C. This lesson will prove the thesis: Singing is a vital part of Christian worship? I. God s people have always sung in their assemblies.. S#5. A. The people of God sang God s praises even before the Law was given. S#6. 1. Exod. 15: Miriam the prophetess, Aaron s sister, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dancing. 21 Miriam answered them, Sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted; The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea. 2. They expressed praise and gratitude in song. B. The people of God sang to God under the Law in the time of Moses. S#7. 1. Num. 21: From there they continued to Beer, that is the well where the Lord said to Moses, Assemble the people, that I may give them water. 17 Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well! Sing to it! 18 The well, which the leaders sank, Which the nobles of the people dug, With the scepter and with their staffs. And from the wilderness they continued to Mattanah, 2. They expressed praise and gratitude in song.

2 Sermon : Why We Sing In Our Assemblies Page 2 C. The people of God sang His praises during the time of the prophets. S#8. 1. Ezra 3: 11 They sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever. And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 2. Jer. 20: 13 Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord! For He has delivered the soul of the needy one from the hand of evildoers. D. More than 65 times the psalmist extoled the singing of praise to God. S#9. Psa. 147: 1 Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant and praise is becoming. E. Jesus and His Apostles sang praises to God. S#10. Mark 14: 26 After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. F. Christians have sung God s praise from the beginning until the present. 1. Acts 16: 25 But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 2. James 5: 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. ( communicate heart to God ) S#11. II. God s people have always sung, but Christians are specifically instructed to sing.. A. We ve just seen James 5. James 5: 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. B. The Apostle Paul commanded the brethren to sing. S# Eph. 5: So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the S#13. Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is intemperance, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 2. Col. 3: 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom S#14. teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. C. It was prophesied that Jesus would sing in the assembly of the church. S#15. Heb. 2: saying, I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.

3 Sermon : Why We Sing In Our Assemblies Page 3 III. Why do Christians sing in their assemblies?. S#16. A. Christians have never assembled and sang purely for entertainment. S# Worship should be an occasion for joy, but it is not done for self. Psa. 122: 1 I was glad when they said to me, Let us go to the house of the Lord. 2. Music has a special effect on one s heart. S#18. I Sam. 16: 23 So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him. 3. Though music has an emotional effect on us, that is NOT why we sing. S#19. Turning the music of the church into entertainment is one of the devil s most effective tools in this era. IT S ALL ABOUT ME! B. Christians sing to express their hearts to God. S# Eph. 5: 19 singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 2. Col. 3: 16 singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. D. Songs are an avenue of praise to God. S# Acts 16: 25 Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, 2. Compare : Heb. 13: 15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. D. Christians sing to teach and to encourage each other. S# Col. 3: 16 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. a. Teaching : Requires words, requires the word dwelling within us. b. Admonishing : to warn or reprimand someone firmly. ( syno : scold, chastise ) 2. Eph. 5: 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, a. Speaking requires words not instruments. b. The method of speaking is itemized psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. E. Christians edify others with their songs. S# I Cor. 14: 26 What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, S#24. each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification. 2. Edification and encouragement is one of the stated reasons for the assembly. Heb. 10: 24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another;

4 Sermon : Why We Sing In Our Assemblies Page 4 IV. We are commanded to sing and a positive command eliminates all else.. S#25. A. The specific, positive command is to sing. ( We must treat God as holy. ) S# Col. 3: 16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom S#27. teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 2. Eph. 5: 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; S#28. B. Both the O. T. and common sense show this principle of limitation to be true. 1. Gen. 4 We have not record of Cain being given a list of things not to offer. 2. Lev. 10 Nadab and Abihu were not given a list of places not to get fire. a. Evidently these priests knowingly did what they wanted. b. You and I would be upset if our government executed someone for a small offense. 3. Num. 21 Moses was told to speak to the rock, but he struck it. ( 2 Sam 6 -Uzzah ) C. God views any alteration to His instructions as being disrespectful of Him. S# Nadab and Abihu s offense was that they disrespected God. a. Lev. 10: 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, It is what the Lord spoke, saying, By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored. So Aaron, therefore, kept silent. ( Num. 20: 12 you have not believed me to treat me as holy in the sight of Israel ) b. PRINCIPLE : ( Vs. 2 ) The wages of any sin is death. 2. Moses was instructed to treat the place where God manifested Himself as Holy. Exod. 3: 5 Then He said, Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. 3. The God who assembles with us is no less holy. V. There is no need for an aide to our singing.. S#30. A. Those who add a mechanical instrument to the singing in worship S#31. say it s an aide to the singing like a song book or a pitch pipe. 1. This is a strawman argument to avoid dealing with the issue of rejection and a perversion of God s command to sing; an unlawful addition. a. Deut 4: 2 You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, S#32. nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. ( Principle & nature of God) b. Rev. 22: 18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;

5 Sermon : Why We Sing In Our Assemblies Page 5 2. Ax 1:20, Lk 20:42.. N.T. Christians sung the psalms which were written in a book. 3. In reality, the instrument becomes a crutch which worsens the singing. 4. The congregation increasingly becomes an audience. Instruments often played alone. S#33. B. Only man listens to the instruments made by man s hands, God hears hearts. 1. God listens to the melody made with the instruments He made hearts. 2. God told us where the melody of our songs was to come from. Eph. 5: 19 be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 3. Thus, a. The addition of an instrument is a rebellion which treats God as unholy. b. The instrument focuses the singing on the enjoyment, on the pleasure of man. C. How did something so obviously wrong become so widely practiced? S# It has been one of Satan s most effective weapons against God s people. 2. Our next lesson will demonstrate how this cancer came to be in God s church. CONCLUSION : A. The man of God seeks God s will in all things. S# God s will is not always listed in the form of commands. 2. However, God does not leave man to guess what His will might be. Rom. 15: 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 3. The things revealed under the old covenant reveal the new covenant in shadows Heb. 8: 4-5 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since S#36. there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law; 5 who serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things, just as Moses was warned by God when he was about to erect the tabernacle; for, See, He says, that you make all things according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain. 4. The shadow reveals that God is most particular that we follow His instructions. S#37. B. If we want for our worship to be accepted, we must conform to the pattern. INVITATION : S#38. S#39. Communion slide

6 Sermon : Why We Sing In Our Assemblies Page 6 Lesson Text : Ephesians 5: Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. Colossians 3: So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 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. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.