The Glory of Singing in Worship
- I'd like to continue that theme of worship but focus in on a particular aspect of our worship that makes our church unique in the religious world - singing.
- We, in the church of Christ, are unique because we are one of the only churches that do not use instruments in our public worship.
- We use a form of praise referred to as "acappella" or singing without accompaniment of instruments.
- Many who visit us feel that this is strange and out of the ordinary because they are so used to churches using organs, choirs, or orchestras in their worship services.
- But there are very good Biblical reasons for the use of acappella music in worship.
*This morning I'd like to share several of these with you and also demonstrate how glorious this form of praise is in our worship to God.
I. Why We Sing
- This July 29-Aug 3 a group of 20 or so people are coming here from Choctaw, Oklahoma to conduct a singing seminar.
- Every evening and on Sunday morning of that weekend they will be teaching and demonstrating acappella singing in 4-part harmonies in order to help improve our own congregation's singing.
- There will also be some special sessions for training our song leaders.
- And in addition to all of this, the minister, Marty Kessler, will be bringing us lessons on the history and Biblical basis of acappella music in Christian worship.
- So I'll leave to Marty the task of giving you the history and theology behind New Testament worship.
- For our purpose today let me simply give you the three basic reasons why the church of Christ doesn't use instruments in public worship:
1. There is no command to do so
- One of the most important elements of faith in God is worship.
o The very 1st commandment in the Old Testament is the prohibition against worshipping any other god but the Lord.
- In the O.T. God was very specific about how He wanted the Jews to worship Him.
o The building of the tabernacle in the desert as well as the temple in Jerusalem was all done according to His detailed instructions.
o The manner in which the Jews worshipped, offered sacrifice, the dressing of the priests - all explained to the smallest detail.
o Even the musical instruments to be used, who and when to play them were laid out by God to Moses, David, and the prophets.
§ Ie.
§ Moses
· Numbers 10:1-2, God specifies which instruments (only 2).
· Numbers 10:8, He specifies who will play them.
· Numbers 10:10, He explains when and why.
§ King David
· II Chronicles 29:25-27 (READ), God through the prophets, Gad and Nathan gave instructions to David as to which instrument and how they were to be used in temple worship.
- David did not do this on his own.
· The Jews never added or changed around these commands.
- My point here is that in the O.T. God was specific in His instructions concerning the type of music used in worship.
o Probably because the Jews were easily drawn into pagan worship if left to themselves.
o This same idea carries over into the New Testament - God through the Apostles still gives us the information we need about our worship to Him.
o Aside from the Lord's supper, prayer, teaching and preaching the word, caring for the church - the only instruction/command we have about music in public worship - is to sing.
§ I Cor. 14:15 - Note Paul here is giving instruction about proper conduct in the public worship of the church.
§ Eph. 5:18B-19 - Not only does Paul repeat the idea that singing is the proper and acceptable manner of musical praise to God, the word he uses means to sing without instruments. In English we use the term "acappella" (Italian term meaning-chapel style) when we want to refer to singing without instruments). In the Greek language (the language of the N.T.) the word for singing without instruments is the word "psallo" which is exactly the word that Paul uses here.
§ Col. 3:16 - Again to a third group of churches Paul repeats the same inspired instruction in reference to musical praise, psallo, sing only.
- What makes us think that the God who gave very specific commands to His people in the O.T. about worship would let His people in the N.T. do whatever they wanted when it came to praise in music?
- If we ask the question, "What command from God do we have as far as musical praise in worship?", the answer from the N.T. is very clear, "Sing only."
*Now there are lots of other questions like, "How did instruments come into the church?", or "Why do so many others use instruments?", or "How do others defend their use?"…I'll leave to Marty who will answer these questions in July.
2. There is no example
- What's interesting about the O.T. and the use of instruments in praise is that there are many examples of their use.
- The O.T. clearly describes in detail the use of instruments, choirs, parades, etc.
- There is no attempt to downplay their use - it's not in a "grey" area.
o They were commanded, they were used.
o We confirm their use by God's command and the many examples of people obeying God's command by using them.
- This same pattern is seen in the N.T. as well.
o God, through the Apostles, commands the practice of singing without instruments in public worship.
o We see examples of this throughout the N.T.
- The point about instruments is made by the fact that there isn't a single example of them being used or spoken of, referred to, debated over in all the N.T.
o Why no examples?
o They weren't used.
o Why?
o The command was to sing.
- Just as the Jews obeyed God's command to use instruments in the O.T.; Christians in the N.T. obeyed God's command to only sing and the fact that there is no mention of instruments in the N.T. shows that the early Christians were faithful in this.
*Again, you'll have to wait until the seminar to hear why God changed the pattern for worship from the O.T. to the N.T.
3. The proof of history
- One of the major arguments used by folks who use instruments in worship is that the early church didn't use instruments because they worshipped underground and in hiding because of the Roman persecution.
o They had to be quiet!
- Couple of problems with this argument:
o Christian worship is largely based on the Jewish synagogue worship which did not use instruments.
o The persecution of Christians by Rome began some 30 years after the church was established (60AD) but the church didn't use instruments during this time.
o Long after the Roman persecution and even Rome itself fell - the Christian church did not use instruments in worship.
- Historians estimate that for at least the first 1000 years of church history the worship was without instruments.
- Church historians, leaders, theologians as far back as Justin Martyr who was a leader in the church around 150AD and defended Christianity in face of Roman persecution which led to his execution. He said, "The use of singing with instrumental music was not received in the Christian churches as it was among the Jews…" Price pg. 71
- Even Augustine (354-430) saw the use of instruments in worship as "fleshly".
- Interesting to note that Catholic theologian Thomas Acquinas wrote in 1260AD, "The church does not use musical instruments…when praising God…for musical instruments usually move the soul more to pleasure than create inner moral goodness."
- Even early Protestant reformers were against the use of instruments in public worship.
- In 1571, the French Protestant church, formed under the influence of Calvin, had 2100 congregations - some of which numbered over 10,000 members - and all used acappella music in their public worship.
- Of course this isn't Biblical proof, it's historical.
- I mention it to underscore the idea that the use of instruments, drama, orchestras, choirs, bands, praise teams - are all relatively recent innovations that depart from what was practiced by the church for centuries.
- We use acappella music because we believe the Bible instructs us to do so by command and examples - but we also have the bulk of church history to confirm that this is the correct way to worship.
- And isn't this what we're about as a N.T. church?
o We want to be the church that God describes in the N.T.
o Of course, not just in the way we worship but in the way we preach the gospel, conduct our lives, love one another, prepare for the return of Christ.
- Worship is only one element, but it is an important one if we are to truly restore the practice of Biblical Christianity in our generation.
*Ok, one other thing about music I'd like to share and that is how just singing is a glorious act in worship.
II. The Glory of Singing
- We place a lot of importance on how we sing as opposed to the fact that we only sing in worship.
- Of course we want to do our best and offer to God songs that sound sweet and pleasant - but the fact that we only sing (without instruments) according to His command has greater significance in the spiritual context of worship.
- John Price, in his book, "Old Light on New Worship" lists several ways which Christ has lifted up the practice of singing in worship as a glorious thing:
1. By His own example
- Jesus anoints singing as a glorious manner to praise God because He Himself sang praises with His Apostles in the upper room on the night before He died.
- In Mt. 26:30, Matthew says that they sang a hymn as was the custom of the Jews at Passover.
- The traditional one was the "hallel" which comprised of Psalms 115-118.
- Before His suffering and death Jesus sang songs of praise, trust, and thanksgiving.
*It is only fitting that when we worship we follow the example of our Lord who exalts this practice by doing it Himself!
…He glorified this form of praise…
2. By making it a teaching ministry
- I return to Col. 3:16 where Paul says, "...teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts."
- When our singing is based on the word of God with songs taken directly from the Psalms or derived from the scripture - we are literally teaching and encouraging one another through songs.
o When we sing "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus," are we not encouraging one another to remain faithful and strong for Christ?
o When we sing "Up from the Grave He Arose," are we not proclaiming the gospel to one another and any unbeliever who might be present.
- Aside from offering our love and praise to God, congregational singing serves as a teaching ministry for the building up of the church.
o No instrument, no matter how beautifully played or numerous can bless the church like the human voice declaring the truths of God in spiritual song.
- As I said before, some put too much emphasis on the "musicality" of our singing - judging it by its tone or pleasure to the ear.
- But God lifts up singing as an exalted method of praise because it is the direct link to a person's heart and faith.
*With the heart we believe, and with the mouth we proclaim in song that Jesus Christ is Lord - this is primal Christianity.
…finally, Jesus glorifies singing…
3. By making it a foretaste of heaven
- John, in his vision of heaven, in the book of Revelation says, "And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb." Rev. 15:3
- Our singing here on earth in the church is the beginning and a hint of the "experience" of heaven.
o We only know vaguely what heaven will be like in negative terms (IE. no death, no sin, no suffering, etc).
o It's hard to imagine because we have all these things here and have always had them so to experience the complete absence of these things is difficult.
o But singing, and singing joyfully, with faith, this is something we know, something we actually do.
o God has given us this experience (among others) to help us actually feel in a very real sense, what heaven will be like.
o As a matter of fact, John Price says in his book that, "Singing is the only ordinance of the church that shall continue in heaven. When we see Him face to face, preaching, prayer, (communion and baptism)…shall all be done away." P.185
- All of these were means to call and unite people to Christ, build their faith, and remember His sacrifice.
- In heaven none of these will be necessary except to celebrate our everlasting relationship in a perfect spiritual union.
*And God has chosen singing as the way to do this in both heaven and on earth.
Summary
- So when we gather to worship in song remember:
1. That what we do is ordained by God and pleasing to Him because of our obedience, not our ability.
2. That acappella singing is a glorious thing because Jesus has raised it above any other form of worship by His own example and the teaching of the Apostles.
3. That when we are two or more who gather in His name to worship God, Jesus is not only with us - but also sings with us as well.
-In Rom. 15:9 Paul quotes several verses from the Psalms showing that Christ Himself was speaking through David concerning the eventual salvation of the Gentiles.
-In Ps. 18:49 Christ declares through David His prophet, "…I will praise you among the nations I will sing praises to your name."
*So stand and sing knowing that you sing to God and with God when you lift your voices in song.