Living In Tune with the Lord Jesus Various Scriptures

Transcription

1 Living In Tune with the Lord Jesus Various Scriptures Living a life in tune with the Lord Jesus is much like the musicians who have played the worship music for us here today. It does not just happen. Certain things have to take place, conditions have to be met, and priorities must be in place so that the music we enjoy will lift our hearts to the Lord. I think there are seven qualities that the musicians have followed that are parallel to you and I living our life in tune with the Lord Jesus. I. Come Together in One Place (Church) A. Music cannot fully happen if people do not come together in one place. 1. What if each one who played, played their instrument in their own home instead of coming together to play? 2. What if each one who sang decided to sing from their home alone this morning? Maybe you came in body, but you left your voice at home today. B. To have a greater impact, we need more people singing and playing. 1. One voice is good, but a hundred voices singing together are much better. 2. The greater depth and volume of many voices resonate together the glory of God as we sing and play the instruments together. Hebrews 10:24-25 = And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Individual worship of the Lord is a very much needed part of our daily life, but God has also commanded us to come together to worship him in church as well. Not coming together is not sufficient to fully worship the Lord. There is a special visitation of the Lord Jesus Christ when we gather together in His name: Matthew 18:20 = For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. He is always with us (Hebrews 13:5), but there is a special blessing of His presence when we come to this place to worship. 1

2 II. Use the Same Music Chosen by the Leader (Lordship of the Lord Jesus Christ) A. Someone has to make the selection of the music to be played and the order in which it will be played. 1. After their selection and order is determined, practice is done to make sure we know what to play and when to play it. 2. No group of musicians just comes together and plays beautiful music without all these preparations by the leader; it all takes practice over and over again. It never comes out right the first time you play it. B. Where there are no preparations, there is only noise. 1. Instruments play when they should be silent and are silent when they should be playing; or they play out of time with the rest of the instruments. 2. Anybody can make noise, but only prepared musicians can make music. In the Christian life, all the order and selections have been made for me already. Ephesians 2:10 = For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. When I make Jesus Christ Lord of my life and seek to live out His plan for me, then my life goes much better. III. Tune the Instruments (Spiritual Life) A. It is in the using of the instrument that it becomes out of tune. 1. Using the instruments means they need constant attention to keep their notes in tune as they ought to be. 2. Even when they sit, they need to be tuned again before using so that they will play the notes correctly. B. If the instrument is out of tune, then the music will not be right, nor will the singing be right. 1. You will try to play one note and then it will play another note, or something that is not a note at all. 2

3 2. Those who hear the music will be able to hear that the instrument is not in tune very quickly. We constantly need to refine our Christian life as well and see if we are still in tune with the Lord Jesus. We check to see if there is any sin in our lives. Psalm 139:23-24 = Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. We check to see our life priorities, how we spend out time, our prayer time, our relationship with the Lord, and the direction our life is taking. The more the Lord uses us the more we need to spend time making sure our life is in tune with Him. IV. Qualified Musicians (Under spiritual authority) A. You cannot make music if you don t know how to play the instrument; you can only make noise. 1. You and I can make people think we know what we are doing until the time comes where we take up the instrument and try to play it. 2. It is not what we say that matters, but how we can play. B. Leading in music takes skills to play and a heart to seek the Lord. 1. Having music skills without a heart to seek the Lord is only a performance that will glorify the person. 2. Having a heart to seek the Lord without the skills to play is not honoring to the Lord in this area. We also need qualified leadership to lead us in the church and then to place ourselves under their authority. Matthew 8:9-10 = For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and 3

4 said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. V. Notes Are the Same for Everyone (Bible) A. No matter what the instrument, the note is the same. 1. The notes are the same pitch on the keyboard, the harmonium, guitar, or whatever instrument. 2. We are not free to choose what we think the notes should sound like. B. Sound may be different, but the notes are the same. 1. Harmony comes from the different sounds, but good music comes from the notes being the same. 2. There must be a standard that all musicians follow -- master key. There are standards for several things. Illustration of being 18 meters tall. 2 Peter 1:3 = His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Acts 17:11 = Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. The Word of God is our standard by which all things are measured to be true or false. VI. Music is Played Together in Harmony (Holy Spirit) A. When the different instruments are played together the sound is much better than each of the individual instruments. 1. The sounds that each instrument makes compliment one another and add new levels of listening enjoyment to the music. 2. Not only the addition of instruments but the weaving together of the sounds and appropriate times make the music enjoyable and worshipful. 4

5 B. Each instrument plays their part at the appropriate time to make the overall music sound so good. 1. At times some are silent while others play and then they change. 2. Even the sounds vary in loudness and softness. In the church we are called to live in harmony with one another. We are all very different and have different gifts, abilities and talents, but we serve the Lord together as one. 1 Corinthians 12:7 = Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 1 Corinthians 12:11 = All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines. We are all a part of the family of God and many things set us apart from one another, but it is the Holy Spirit that makes us one in the Lord Jesus Christ and enables us to live in harmony with one another. VII. The Outcome is Beautiful Worship Music (A testimony pleasing to the Lord) A. Music played this way is a powerful means to lift our hearts to the Lord in worship. 1. Music both causes us to worship the Lord in its own right and it prepares us to worship the Lord in the Word. 2. How the music goes is much the same as how the preaching will go. B. Music played this way is also a witness to others of the joy we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. 1. They will see and hear the joy of the Lord in our songs and come to know what we think of our God. 2. The Lord is pleased with our worship when we cause others to hold Him high as well. God is much more concerned with the way we live than with the service we perform. 5

6 After Solomon had built the great temple, and even the glory of God came to indwell it. Yet God spoke to Solomon and said, About this Temple you are building what's important is that you live the way I've set out for you and do what I tell you, following my instructions carefully and obediently. (1 Kings 6:12, The Message) 1 Samuel 15:22 = But Samuel replied: Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. As with music, when all things work together in harmony, then the Lord is pleased with out testimony before Him, and before others. 6