Well, good morning, if you will, please.
Take out your copy of God's Word and turn to two places.
!
We're going to spend our time considering musical worship.
We're going to do that for three reasons.
First, the men who lead our music attended a conference this week,
which was actually every man on the stage this morning was at that conference together.
It just has me thinking a lot about how we sing together.
I'd like to spend, this is reason number two,
I'd like to spend a bit more time with Romans 13, verses 11 through 14.
And thirdly, we periodically preach sermons like this morning's,
not to defend how we conduct ourselves when we gather,
but to equip you to understand.
Don't simply assume you know why we do what we do
and why we do what we do the way that we do what we do.
What's underneath that?
Why is it that we do the things that we do
and do them the way that we do them?
It's important to know this.
Be equipped.
Share it with others.
Help people to wrap their minds around what we do.
Don't just see it as a preference.
The last time we considered musical worship was about four years ago,
and we have gained new members since then, praise God.
So this topic seems due some attention.
So, if you've not been around for very long,
we do these sermons from time to time
that I call the Why We Do What We Do
and Why We Do What We Do the Way We Do What We Do sermons,
which is a lot of Ws.
So, today, specifically, our music together.
When we gather together as a church,
why do we engage in musical worship
and why do we engage in musical worship the way that we do?
I want to begin with an aside
concerning our language, concerning music.
In recent decades, for most of our lives,
the music sung in church has been often referred to as worship,
and the individual leading the music as the worship leader.
Music, rightly sung in our church gatherings,
or otherwise, certainly is worship.
But it is not the totality of worship,
and the individual leading the music is certainly leading us in worship,
but not in the totality of worship.
To call our singing together worship
and the individual leading the music as the worship leader,
and to not use this term in other spheres,
suggests that our worship of God is reduced
to a bit of time during a service on Sunday morning
and implies the exclusion of our prayers
and scripture reading,
ordinance administering,
and preaching.
So, everything we do when we gather together as a church
ought to be rightly taken up an act of worship.
So, we want to be careful about this.
We want to reject that kind of language.
So, Paul stated in Romans 12, verse 1,
And we were there not too long ago.
I appeal to you, therefore, brothers,
by the mercies of God,
to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual worship.
And we talked about how that word body
means your being, your whole self.
So, God means for all of ourselves,
all of our lives,
to be committed to His praise.
So, we will never call the music here worship
or the individual leading the music
the worship leader
at the exclusion of using that term elsewhere
because it is confusing.
I encourage you to toe this line.
Some will say,
well, you know what I mean
when being corrected on the matter,
but the problem is that words have meaning.
They actually mean things, believe it or not.
And you cannot be so cavalier
with your use of words
because my response will simply be,
I don't know what you mean.
The words you're using don't make sense
the way you're using them.
This is why we will speak
in terms of musical worship.
There you go.
We're using the word worship, right?
But we're qualifying what we mean.
We're talking about musical worship
and why we will call
whoever is leading our music
our music leader.
The subject of musical worship in churches
has been a highly contested one
in my lifetime.
These conflicts are often called
the worship wars.
Isn't that a tragic title?
And they've revolved particularly
around the debate
between contemporary
and traditional music.
Much heat
with very little light
in these conflicts.
The current solution
has seemed to be
for small churches
to work to serve
a particular demographic
and for larger churches
to cater to every demographic
with multiple services.
None of this
is good for your faith
or for the community
of faith.
It is not proper
for a church
to serve
preference
over purpose
in the way
that we gather.
Is it okay
to have preferences?
Of course it is.
It's okay to like
particular types
of music.
But that's not
why we arrange music
the way
that we do.
It's serving
a purpose.
It is not
healthy to meet
felt needs
at the expense
of real needs.
To promulgate
consumerism
in the worship
of our God.
I don't really care
if you like our music
if you're here
and you're learning
truth
in the process
of our singing.
But oh,
praise God,
if you do like the music,
I think that's good
for you.
In the very early days
of our church,
Wes,
one of our founding elders
and our music leader
for the first nine years
of our existence
and myself
were equally frustrated
with the conflict
we saw on this matter
and desired to lead
our small gathering
well.
I mean a tiny group
of people
to sing well
together.
I'm so glad
for the good input
we received
from those
faithful Christians.
Praise be to God
that he led us
to the doctrine
of the sufficiency
of Scripture,
believing that it
contained within it
everything we needed
to guide the church
and that he granted us
grace to seek
his wisdom
from his word
on that very matter.
All a measure of grace.
A miracle
that we didn't just
trend off
into some
happening thing
that was going on.
We very recently
bought a fogger,
hear me clearly,
a fogger
for the building
so that we could
fog cleaning supplies
and help keep
things tidy around here
especially when we have
these waves of sickness
that come through
the church building
and I chuckle with Sam
that our church
finally has a fog machine.
We have arrived.
All right.
So Colossians chapter 3
and verse 16
and Ephesians chapter 5
verse 18 and 19.
I'll begin in Colossians.
Before I read,
let me remind you,
beloved,
that this is God's word
to us written
for his glory
and our good.
And so we would all
do well to listen to it
in order to believe
its promises
and obey its commands.
Paul writes,
let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly,
teaching and admonishing
one another
in all wisdom,
singing psalms
and hymns
and spiritual songs
with thankfulness
in your hearts
to God.
And in Ephesians 5
verse 18 and 19,
and do not get drunk
with wine
for that is debauchery,
but be filled
with the Spirit,
addressing one another
in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody
to the Lord
with your heart.
So why do we sing together
when we gather?
The Bible commands it
for God's glory
and our good.
Psalm 33 and verse 3
says,
sing to him
a new song.
Play skillfully
on the strings
with loud shouts.
Psalm 47 and verse 6,
sing praises to God,
sing praises.
Sing praises to our King,
sing praises.
These are songs themselves
written for congregational singing.
The Bible contains
over 400 references
to singing
and 50 direct commands
to sing.
The longest book
of the Bible
by verse count,
the Psalms,
is a book of songs.
We have the example
of Jesus
in Matthew chapter 26
and verse 30.
This is before his betrayal
when they had sung
a hymn.
They went out
to the Mount of Olives.
And we have the example
of heaven
in the book
of Revelation.
Besides the book
of Psalms,
you know the book
in the Bible
that has the second
most songs in it?
It's the book
of Revelation.
We get to peer
into heaven
and see what the music
looks like there.
And there John records
Revelation 15
verse 2 and 3,
And I saw what appeared
to be a sea of glass
mingled with fire
and also those
who had conquered
the beast and its image
and the number
of its name,
standing by the sea
of glass with harps
of God in their hands.
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.
And the example
of Paul and Silas
in the Philippian jail
are not arguing
that they were a church,
but gathered Christians
thrown in jail.
We see about midnight,
Acts 16 and verse 25,
Paul and Silas
were praying
and singing hymns
to God.
James says in James 5
and verse 13,
Is anyone cheerful?
Let him sing praise.
John Calvin once said,
Wherever faith is lively,
holy rejoicing will follow.
So, we should sing
when we are gathered.
Praise God that we do.
What are we to sing?
We're to sing psalms
and hymns
and spiritual songs.
Psalms are those
found in the book of Psalms.
We should sing
from God's song book.
And we probably do this
more than you realize.
We may need to actually
help you with that
from time to time.
A wonderful example of that
is the song
from the rising of the sun.
We should sing hymns.
Hymns are not just the songs
found in a hymn.
No, we could misunderstand this
to be sure.
You might think hymns
are all those found
in that book
that we put on your chairs.
And spiritual songs
are the ones
that are in the bulletin.
No, not so.
Hymns are songs
to or about God
and what He has done.
To or about God
and what He has done.
An understanding
of an early Christological hymn,
a lot of commentators think
it's because of the structure
of the Greek language,
is found in Colossians 1,
verse 15 through 20.
If you'd like to turn there
and look at it,
you may be familiar with this.
We actually sing this
set to a modern tune.
He, Jesus Christ,
is the image
of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For by Him
all things were created
in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible,
whether thrones
or dominions
or rulers or authorities.
All things were created
through Him
and for Him.
And He is before all things
and in Him
all things hold together.
And He is the head
of the body,
the church.
He is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
that in everything
He might be preeminent.
For in Him
all the fullness of God
was pleased to dwell
and through Him
to reconcile to Himself
all things,
whether on earth
or in heaven,
making peace
by the blood of His cross.
Man, I would have loved
to have been
in a first century church
and sang that with them.
I'm glad I get to be with you
and sing that with you.
So, all God word, right?
To or about God
and what He has accomplished.
Other examples.
How great thou art
or holy, holy, holy.
So, psalms and hymns
were also to sing
spiritual songs,
which most agree,
there's a little ambiguity here,
but most agree
that these are songs
to or about us.
So, we might sing to each other
or about us
in relation to God
and what He has done.
Two examples
would be Amazing Grace
and It Is Well.
Some ones you may be
familiar there with.
So, we are instructed,
right,
to sing all kinds
of songs.
Humans are wired
to give and receive
through song.
Musicians have been
wildly popular
for good
and for bad
throughout history.
Every movement,
every uprising,
every cultural expression
has its music.
We are musical beings.
Everyone will tap their foot
or bob their head
to something.
Something will move you
in that way.
Singing in the church
should engage
our minds,
but it also
connects
to our affections.
So, when we sing,
when we are gathered,
it is our hope
that our feelings
catch up to the truth
we believe.
Right?
It's good
for us to
feel
the truth.
Jonathan Edwards
once wrote
in his work
Religious Affections,
the duty of singing
praises to God
seems to be appointed
wholly to excite
and express
religious affections.
No other reason
can be assigned
why we should
express ourselves
to God in verse
rather than in prose
and do it with music,
but only that such
is our nature
and frame
that these things
have a tendency
to move
our affections.
My translation of that
is just,
we're musical beings.
God seems to have
wired us up this way
and when we can
combine His truth
with good instrumentation.
Right?
Our feelings
can catch up
to the truth.
So, we should sing
when we gather together
as a church.
So, why do we do it
the way that we do it?
There's a lot of churches
this morning
that have sung songs
in various ways.
Well, if you look again
at Colossians 3.16
and Ephesians 5.18 and 19,
they show us
that our singing together
is the result
of the Spirit of Christ
dwelling within us.
There's a striking parallel
between the two texts.
They both have Paul
as their author,
which allows
for an incredible connection
to be drawn from them.
So, again, notice,
he says,
Colossians 3.16,
Let the Word of Christ
dwell in you richly.
Take up residence.
Inhabit.
Let the Word of Christ
dwell in you richly.
Teaching and admonishing
one another
in all wisdom.
Singing psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs
with thankfulness
in your hearts
to God.
And then,
Ephesians 5.18 and 19,
he says,
there's a warning here,
a prohibition.
Do not get drunk with wine,
for that is debauchery.
But,
be filled
with the Spirit,
addressing one another
in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs
and making melody
to the Lord
with your heart.
You see how closely parallel
these two passages are.
And I think what Paul means
to communicate to us
is that to be filled
with the Spirit
is to let the Word of Christ
dwell in you richly.
To have the truth
take up residence,
to inhabit you richly,
in abundant.
Let the Word of Christ
fill you.
Read it.
Meditate on it.
Memorize it.
And song is useful to us
in this way.
I don't find myself
particularly musical.
If you ask me off the cuff
to tell you my favorite song,
I would draw a blank.
It wouldn't be helpful to me.
But there are times
in my life
that I'm thinking about
a particular thing,
I'm feeling something deeply,
and God uses
good songs,
right?
Scripture-rich songs
by the power of the Spirit
to bring truth
to my mind.
I'm so grateful
for years of singing
good songs
that get embedded
inside there.
often,
because I'm not
a musically inclined person,
I have to actually
go look at the lyrics,
and then I use that
to drive me
to the text itself.
It's one of the reasons
that you hold
hymnals in your hands.
We think it's good
for you to see
the words
in their totality,
to buy a copy of it
and have it at home.
Keep it on your desk,
on your kitchen counter.
Take that bulletin
home with you
that you'd have
those lyrics
of those songs
that aren't contained
in that particular
hymnal,
that you would be able
to let the Word of Christ
fill you
and song being a tool
to serve to that end.
In case
this connection
between Colossians
and Ephesians
is just too vague for you,
if you're saying,
I don't know if you can do
what you just did,
a couple of other places.
Romans 8.5
Those who live
according to the flesh
set their minds
on the things
of the flesh.
But those who live
according to the Spirit
set their minds
on the things
of the Spirit.
To be filled
with the Spirit
is to do what?
To set our minds
on the things
of the Spirit,
which is
the truth
about Christ.
Proper worship
of God
is Spirit-filled
worship of God,
which is
mindful
worship
of God.
I mentioned to you
some weeks ago
when we were on
sabbatical,
and as a teaching
opportunity for our boys,
we took them
to a rather large
attractional
prosperity
megachurch
in our area.
And the music
was well done.
I mean,
the production value
was very high.
But I was left
the entire time
going,
why?
And what?
Like,
we're supposed to be
praising God right now,
but you've given me
nothing of any substance,
and I wanted to cry out,
right?
My heart is weak.
Tell me some truth
that I can praise God for.
Perhaps I walked in
forgetting
all of the glorious
truths
of God
in Christ
to me.
Give me something
to hang on to
that would move me
to praise.
And it was
paltry
and shallow,
thin,
not untrue,
but just nothing
of substance
found there.
We want to have
mindful
worship.
Our singing together
must be that.
It must be mindful,
and
it should be
affectionate.
again,
Colossians 3.16,
teaching and
admonishing one another
in all
wisdom,
addressing one another
in these
psalms and hymns
and spiritual
songs.
John Owens
once said,
we must not allow
ourselves to be
satisfied with
vague ideas
of the love
of Christ,
which present
nothing of His glory
to our minds.
hearts.
You don't need to
hear about a
sloppy,
wet kiss
of God's love.
It doesn't serve
you at all.
You need to be
reminded of
Christ's
sacrificial death
on your behalf.
That's something
that you can hang
on to.
Paul writes in
1 Corinthians 14,
verse 15,
I will sing praise
with my spirit,
but I will sing
with my mind
also.
And Jesus says
in John 4,
verse 23,
but the hour is
coming and is
now here when
the true
worshippers
will worship
the Father
in spirit
and truth.
For the
Father is seeking
such people
to worship
Him.
So in brief,
I've answered
the question,
like,
why do we sing
when we get
together?
We're commanded
to do so.
Why do we do
it the way
that we do it?
Because of all
of this,
the mindful
need of our
worship,
we use three
parameters in
considering the
songs that we
sing together.
And as an
aside,
I just want to
tell you how
grateful I am
for the men
that work hard
at doing this
for us.
They're volunteers
and they put in
the time
and I'm
grateful for
them.
Three
parameters.
And I'm
just by grace
from day
one.
Number one,
truth.
The songs
that we sing
should be
true.
So that
question is
asked,
is the
song
true?
Does it
contain
within it
any
error?
So,
I'll give you
an example
of a song
that we do
not sing,
Reckless
Love
by Corey
Asbury.
Here's a
little lyric
for you.
This is the
chorus,
I think.
Oh,
the overwhelming,
never-ending,
reckless love
of God.
Oh,
it chases me
down,
fights till
I'm found,
leaves the
99.
I couldn't
earn it,
and I don't
deserve it.
Still,
you give
yourself away.
Oh,
the overwhelming,
never-ending,
reckless love
of God.
Yeah.
For some
reason,
I included
that in
the lyric.
Now,
so much
is right,
so much
is true
in that
chorus.
A lot
of that
is true.
But God's
love is
not reckless,
which means
aimless.
Right?
John Piper
wrote this
little wonderful
article defending
Corey Asbury
and saying,
I don't think
he means what
the word
actually means
by that.
And then
Corey responded,
no,
that's what
I mean.
no purposeful,
right?
Oh,
the overwhelming,
never-ending,
purposeful love
of God,
right?
That chases me
down,
fights till I'm
found,
leaves the 99.
So,
we're not
going to sing
a song.
That's just
not true.
That's not
true.
So,
is it true?
Is it as
precise
as it should
be?
Sometimes
there are
songs that
we say,
I mean,
I think we
know what
they mean.
I think
that we're
on the
same page.
And I'll
use an
example of
a song
that's found
in your
hymnal,
How Deep
the Father's
Love for
Us.
So,
if you
know the
song very
well,
you know
that we
changed
a small
part of
that song.
And I
don't
think
that what
they wrote
was wrong,
but maybe
a little
misleading,
so maybe
not as
precise
as it
might have
been.
So,
in How Deep
the Father's
Love for
Us,
we sing,
It was
His love
that held
Him there.
It was
written,
It was
my sin
that held
Him there.
So,
when we first
started singing
this song,
it just rubbed
me wrong,
and so I
raised the
question to
Wes,
who was again
leading music
at the time,
and I just
said,
do you
think
that's
the best
way to
communicate
that?
And what
was in
my mind
was John
10 and
verse 18,
where Jesus
says,
No one
takes my
life from
me,
but I
lay it
down of
my own
accord.
Now,
saying our
sin is
what held
Him there
is not
suggesting
that we
had the
power to
take
Christ's
life.
It's not
running in
direct
contradiction
to that,
but perhaps
could confuse
somebody when
they take
up John
10,
18.
So,
we just
thought,
perhaps we
should
replace
that
small
phrase.
And so
we did.
It was
His love
that held
Him there.
Now,
it's in our
hymnal.
If we sang
it that way,
that'd be
fine.
If you
went home
and listened
to it
that way,
you're
probably
not going
to find
a recording
that has
It was
His love
that held
Him there.
We're not
worried
about that,
but we
want to be
as precise
as we
possibly
can be.
The third
in the
thought of
truth is
the song
tied to
any false
teaching
movements.
There are
some beautiful
songs that
express the
truth,
but are so
tied to a
particular church
or teaching
that we do
not sing them
because we
don't want to
give tacit
approval of
false teachers.
We want to be
careful that we
don't connect
you into a
world of music
that's tied to
teaching that
could lead you
astray.
so we
don't sing
songs as
an example
from
Elevation
Worship,
Hillsong
United,
Bethel
Music.
We don't
and we
will not
do so
because we
don't want
you to
get out
there and
find yourself
confused.
So,
that's the
first parameter,
truth.
Second
parameter is
depth.
Does a
song merely
skip a
stone off
the surface
of the
truth or
does it
sink deep
into it?
Does a
song teach
us something
about God
and His
work?
Is a
song
content
rich?
Can we
take hold
of it?
So,
we sing
wordy
songs.
We have
limited time
together in
congregational
gathering.
So,
we don't
want to
waste a
moment of
it.
We want
it to
all be
packed
full of
goodness.
I grew
up now
having
sung lots
of hymns
in my
adult life.
I grew
up in
a Southern
Baptist
tradition
that often
skipped
the verses
that were
about
sanctification.
They started
with salvation,
they ended
with glorification,
wonderful things
to sing
about,
but they
left no
music for
me to
think about
how I
live my
Christian
life in
between
those two
states.
I'm so
glad for
verses
2,
3,
and 4.
good and
rich for
today and
to carry
with me
throughout
my week.
Our time
is limited,
so let's
not waste
any of
it.
True
and deep
and lastly
our parameter
is singable.
Singability
is a song
congregational.
We're
commanded to
teach and
admonish
each other
in all
wisdom
addressing
one another.
It means
we need
to be
able to
sing
the song.
We need
to be
able to
sing it
to one
another.
Does it
have a
recognizable
rhythm
and a
range
designed
for the
average
human?
Our
musicians
work at
picking keys
very carefully.
I'm grateful
again for
Wes,
who had a
much higher
range than
was comfortable
for most
people,
and he
let me
be the
average
human
and say
to him
still too
high,
still too
high.
I think
the first
year we
were at
church,
he had to
step songs
down so
that I
could sing
them.
And I
can remember
in those
early days
my wife
Sam coming
to me and
saying,
a lot of
these songs
are too
low for
the women,
they're hard
for us
to sing,
and my
response to
her was,
do you
want the
men to
lead,
even in
music?
She said,
oh yeah,
that's okay,
then this is the
key,
we've got to
be right
here,
this is the
pocket where
these men
are going to
be able
to sing.
So,
can we,
can we sing
the song
together is
an important
question to
ask.
Can it be
played well
by our
musicians,
right?
Is the
instrumentation
too complicated?
And style
is not the
question here
at all.
We do music
the way we
do music
because the
Lord's given
us these
musicians and
it's the
way they
like to
play.
That's the
extent of it.
We've never
had a
single
style
meeting.
If we
had a
little old
lady and
an organ
and I
had to
sing,
that's the
way we
would do
music.
Praise God,
that is not
the way it's
happening.
I have
talked about
this on
numerous
occasions and
I would
often threaten,
you know,
if we don't
have musicians,
you've got me.
So,
praise God
for our
musicians.
And during
the pandemic,
there was a
Sunday that
none of our
musicians were
available,
either sick
or out of
town.
And I
mean none.
We looked.
And you
know what we
did?
I led music.
We sang three
songs,
acapella,
and I did it.
I turned the
mic on,
I turned it
back off again,
I got it started
and I turned it
back off again,
and we were
done.
But you know
that traditionally
throughout the
history of the
church,
the person who
most often led
to music was,
the pastor got
up and sang.
And I'm sure
they didn't all
sing incredibly
well.
We're not
concerned about
how we play
music.
We want to
try to match
the instrumentation
up to the
truth that you
would get your
feelings caught
up to it.
The guys are
very thoughtful
about the way
they try to do
arrangements to
that very end.
We keep the
lights on,
you might notice.
I think it's
good to look
around and see
each other
singing.
We try to
keep the
volume at a
place where
you can hear
those folks
around you
singing songs
because we're
trying to
fulfill this
commandment to
teach and
admonish one
another and
address each
other,
psalms and
hymns and
spiritual songs.
So let me
just briefly
walk you
through two
songs,
two songs that
we sing often
together and
just show you
the truth that's
contained within
them.
Had I planned
this way in
advance,
they'd be songs
we're singing
this morning,
but I
didn't,
so they're
not.
But maybe
you'll enjoy
hearing these
lyrics all
the same.
The first
is a
modern song
called
Come Behold
the Wondrous
Mystery.
If you want
to see these
lyrics,
you can find
it in your
hymnal.
It's hymn
number 184.
of interest to
you,
one of the
mats that
helped write
this song
is local.
He's from
Gainesville.
Verse 1
says,
Come behold
the wondrous
mystery in the
dawning of
the King.
He, the
theme of
heaven's
praises,
robed in
frail humanity.
In our
longing, in
our darkness,
now the
light of
life has
come.
Look to
Christ who
condescended,
took on
flesh to
ransom us.
So we see the
incarnation of
Christ in this
text.
John 1,
verses 1-5.
In the
beginning was
the Word,
and the
Word was
with God,
and the
Word was
God.
He was in
the beginning
with God,
all things
were made
through him,
and without
him was
not anything
made that
was made.
In him
was life,
and the
life was
the light
of men.
The light
shines in
the darkness,
and the
darkness has
not overcome
it.
We also see
the purpose
of his
incarnation in
verse 1.
Luke 19
and verse 10,
For the Son of
Man came to
seek and to
save the
lost.
Verse 2,
Come behold
the wondrous
mystery,
he the
perfect Son
of Man,
in his
living,
in his
suffering,
never trace
nor stain
of sin.
See the
true and
better Adam
come to
save the
hell-bound
man,
Christ the
great and
sure fulfillment
of the
law.
In him
we stand.
We see
his active
obedience in
this verse,
his keeping
of the law
on our
behalf.
We also
see his
passive
suffering,
his death
on the
cross,
paying the
penalty for
our sin.
2 Corinthians
5,
verse 21,
For our
sake he
made him
to be
sin who
knew no
sin that
in him
we might
become the
righteousness
of God.
Romans 5,
verse 17,
For if
because of
one man's
trespass,
death
reigned
through that
one man,
much more
will those
who receive
the abundance
of grace
and the
free gift
of righteousness
reign in
life
through the
one man,
Jesus Christ.
Verse 3
goes on to
talk about
the passive
obedience of
Christ.
Come behold,
the tree,
in the stead
of ruined
sinners,
hangs the
lamb in
victory.
See the
price of our
redemption,
see the
Father's plan
unfold,
bringing many
sons to
glory,
atonement of
Christ.
1 Corinthians
15,
13,
For I
deliver to
you as a
first importance
what I
also received,
that Christ
died for
our sins,
in accordance
with the
scriptures.
Verse 4,
Come behold
the wondrous
mystery,
slain by
death,
the God
of life,
but no
grave could
e'er
restrain
him.
Praise
the Lord,
he is
alive.
What a
foretaste
of deliverance,
how unwavering
our hope,
Christ in
power
resurrected,
as we
will be
when he
comes.
What a
foretaste
of deliverance,
how unwavering
our hope,
Christ in
power
resurrected,
as we
will be
when he
comes.
So there
we see the
resurrection
of Christ,
1 Corinthians
15,
4,
he was
buried,
that he
was raised
on the
third day
in accord
with the
scriptures.
Glorification
of the
saints,
Colossians
3,
4,
when Christ
who is
your life
appears,
then you
will also
appear
with him
in glory.
You
cannot
leave
on a
Sunday
morning
that we
have
sung
this
song
and
say
that
you
weren't
fed
the
truth
of
God.
If you
do,
you
are
tuned
out.
Look at
it,
take it
up,
read it,
sing it
with joy,
right?
We've
seen the
incarnation
and the
purpose of
that
incarnation,
the
active and
passive
suffering
of
Christ,
substitutionary
atonement,
the
resurrection
and our
glorification
in those
four verses,
which takes
us four
minutes to
sing together,
packed full
of things to
hang on to
this week.
Second one
in closing,
great is thy
faithfulness.
This is
hymn 86.
Verse one,
great is
thy
of turning
with thee.
Thou
changest
not,
thy
compassions
they
fail
not.
As
thou
hast
been,
thou
forever
will
be.
I
need to
hear this
truth this
morning.
The
immutability
of God
is
unchangeable
character.
He says
in Malachi
3,
6,
for I
the
Lord
do not
change.
Therefore
you,
O
children
of
Jacob,
are
not
consumed.
And the
steadfast
love
of God.
1 Chronicles
16 and
verse 34,
O give
thanks to
the Lord
for he
is good,
for his
steadfast
love
endures
forever.
And then
the chorus,
great is
thy
faithfulness,
great is
thy
faithfulness,
morning
by
morning
new
mercies
I
see.
All
I
have
needed
thy
hand
hath
provided.
Great
is
thy
faithfulness,
Lord
unto
me.
I had
no intention
of singing
that.
And then
I started
and went,
oh man,
now I
gotta finish.
Don't we
need to hear
this?
Don't we
need to hear
about the
new morning
mercies of
God?
Lamentations
3, 22
and 23.
The steadfast
love of the
Lord never
ceases.
His mercies
never come
to an end.
They are
new every
morning.
Great is
your
faithfulness.
And God's
provision,
Philippians
4, 19,
and my
God's will
supply every
need of
yours according
to his riches
and glory in
Christ Jesus.
verse 2.
Summer and
winter and
springtime and
harvest, sun,
moon, and
stars in
their courses
above.
Join with
all nature
in manifold
witness to
thy great
faithfulness,
mercy, and
love.
Witness of
creation we
see in this
verse.
Isaiah 6,
3.
One called
to another,
talking about
the creation,
holy, holy,
holy is the
Lord of
hosts.
The whole
earth is
full of
his glory.
So maybe
you have a
difficult time
seeing it
this morning
in your
own life,
but look
out there.
The creation
witnesses to
this great
truth that
God is
faithful.
Verse 3.
Pardon for
sin and a
peace that
endureth.
Thine own
dear presence
to cheer
and to
guide.
Strength for
today and
bright hope
for tomorrow.
Blessings all
mine with
ten thousand
beside.
We see
justification,
Romans 8,
1.
No condemnation
for those who
are in Christ
Jesus.
Sanctification,
Philippians 1,
6.
And I'm sure
of this,
that he who
began a good
work in you
will bring it
to completion
at the day
of Jesus
Christ.
And glorification,
Ephesians 1,
11 through
12.
In him we
have obtained
an inheritance,
having predestined
according to the
purpose of him
who works all
things according to
the counsel of
his will,
so that we who
are the first to
hope in Christ
might be to the
praise of his
glory.
In one verse,
four lines,
justification,
sanctification,
glorification,
things to hang
on to,
and maybe you'll
join me this
time.
Great is thy
faithfulness.
Thank you.
Great is thy
faithfulness.
Morning by
morning,
new mercies
I see.
All I have
needed,
thy hand
hath provided.
Great is thy
faithfulness,
Lord unto
me.
Amen.
It's why we
sing together,
and it's why we
sing together
the way that we
sing together.
Truth,
depth,
singability,
all for the
glory of God
and for the
good of his
people.
Let us be a
people who
sing to one
another as we're
commanded to do,
and know why
we sing to one
another,
and who know
what and how
we should sing
to one another,
because our God
is worthy of
this praise.
Let's pray
together.