Please take your copy of God's Word and turn with me to two places this morning.
! First Colossians chapter 3 and then Ephesians chapter 5.
! So go ahead and find both places.
! Mark one with your finger, the other with a ribbon.
Bookmark them in your phone.
It is our normal habit and I think the most healthy way of preaching here at Christ of the Church of Dahlonega
for us to do verse by verse exposition.
And I want you to not confuse that with expository preaching generally speaking.
You'll hear many defenses for expository preaching and I would stand with those defenses to be sure.
But what we can tend to do is to think that if we're not doing a verse by verse exposition
that we've abandoned expository preaching altogether.
And preaching that's not expository is not preaching at all.
Expository preaching is simply this.
It works to bring forth for your benefit, glory of God, for your good, what the Bible says.
So it may be concerning a specific text.
Expository preaching can be done with a chapter of the Bible.
It can be done with a book of the Bible.
Expository preaching can also explore a theme of the Bible as well.
So, again, we think verse by verse exposition is the best general habit for us as a church.
But from time to time, we think there's a great deal of value in stopping, considering something together,
a particular topic together and trying to take a look at, not in an exhaustive form,
but what the Bible may have to say about that given topic.
Throughout history, many faithful preachers have held different views on such things.
I'll give you just two quick ones.
Jonathan Edwards was a verse-by-verse expositor, even to a fault.
There was a period of time, this church in New England, he was dismissed from for a couple of years.
And when he came back, he picked up in the verse he left off.
And I think Calvin did the same thing in Geneva when he was kicked out of Geneva for a while.
Came back, and he was in, like, Deuteronomy.
Came back to the very verse that he had left off there.
Charles Spurgeon, who's one of my favorite preachers,
thought that it quenched the Spirit of God to not consider each week
what text the church may have needed exposited for that week.
And so, we try to step in the middle of that.
We try to come into the midst of that, trying to preach verse by verse.
It's good for you to have big, full understandings of books of the Bible,
but also to be sensitive in the midst of the coming and going of our church
and what's happening in the life of our church to, at times, step away from that study.
So, we've been in the book of Acts.
I'm not even sure where we are.
I think we may have finished chapter 17.
We're in chapter 17, or we finished it.
I should remember that from just last week.
But we're going to take some time to talk this morning a bit about music.
Musical worship.
And I want you to know that my intention for doing this
is not to make this church seem better than other churches.
It's not my goal in what we're doing.
It's not to defend the way that we do music together,
but rather to equip you to understand that we don't just have a preference for music,
but that there are theological, there are biblical underpinnings
to the why of the way we do music.
We may carry it out in particular ways that could change,
but there's reason behind what we do.
And I became aware of this.
I mentioned to you a few weeks ago at a community group
that there were some questions asked, and they were good, honest questions.
And I know some of those people are here.
I'm not diminishing you in any way in that conversation,
but I realized that we hadn't taught on this in quite some time.
It had been a long time since we had ever mentioned the why of what we do
when we do music together.
And I began to think about since this church started January 1 of 2009,
so a little over eight years ago.
You're going to get, I think you're going to get a kick out of this.
Since then, right now, there are only six people
that were part of that original beginning.
There are six people.
Myself and my wife, Wes and Liz, you saw on stage, Liz with the mandolin,
and Sid and Ruth, who I don't think are here this morning with us,
but most of you know Sid and Ruth.
Six.
So we have this big turnaround.
And I will say that largely 95% of that is not unhealthy turnaround.
I haven't across the years run people off all the time,
but we live in kind of a transitionary town.
A lot of our congregation across the years has been college students.
One of the wonderful things about that is we've been able to equip
and send out countless people across the years.
And it's a wonderful privilege that we have as a church,
and I think we should pick it up and seize it as such,
to build into people good biblical founding
for the way they should live their lives in the world
and the way they should be involved with
and the way a church should meet together.
So we have the ability to have influence in really broad ways because of that.
So it's important for you to understand then the why.
So you can go find healthy churches,
and you can bring health to churches and communities.
So that's the aim.
That's what we're trying to accomplish this morning as we start,
and we're going to kind of do this across.
I'm going to call it a series, but we're not going to do it in series.
Series in that it'll jump months, but in order.
And we're going to call it this.
You ready?
Why we do what we do,
and why we do what we do the way we do what we do.
So why we do what we do,
and why we do what we do the way we do what we do.
Okay?
And this morning, music.
Right?
This morning, music.
Now, before I get into this,
I want to commend just two resources to you really quickly.
If you want to know more about this,
a wonderful book by a man named Bob Coughlin called Worship Matters.
Really, really great read.
My only complaint about this book,
as he uses a term for music leaders that I don't particularly like,
which I'm going to talk about in just a moment.
He actually makes a case against using such a term,
and then he continues to use the term.
Drove me crazy, Wes.
Drove Wes crazy as well.
Drove me absolutely nuts this week.
Secondly, put out by Grace to You,
which is the ministry John MacArthur is most related to.
Master's Seminary.
Hymns of Grace.
It's a hymnal.
You guys haven't touched one of these in a long time, have you?
We typically are using screens now
because we can introduce new songs more quickly.
If we were to do a hymnal in our church,
this would be the one.
We buy a bunch of copies of this.
It's a wonderful, wonderful hymnal.
It has a bunch of wonderful, rich, true,
well-vetted songs and resources in it.
So if you have an interest in having something like that in your home,
Hymns of Grace would be a really great one for you to pick up.
Okay, so music, specifically music together.
So when we gather together as a church,
why do we engage in musical worship?
And why do we engage in musical worship the way we engage in musical worship?
Why do we do what we do?
And why do we do what we do the way we do what we do?
I practiced that this week.
I want to begin with an aside
concerning our language concerning music in the church.
For far too long,
the music sung in church has been referred to as
quote-unquote worship.
And the individual leading the music as
quote-unquote the worship leader.
Music,
rightly sung in our church gatherings,
or even possibly outside of our church gatherings,
but music rightly sung certainly is worship.
It is.
Music sung together is worship,
but it is not the totality of worship.
And the individual leading 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 suggests.
This is why this matters.
It suggests
that our worship of God is reduced
to a bit of time
during a service.
So not even the whole service,
but a bit of time during a service on Sunday morning.
And it excludes our prayers together,
and our scripture reading together,
and our preaching together.
This is participatory as well.
I'm speaking,
and I hope you're engaged in listening.
And this,
all that we do together in a worship service
is all worship.
But it even goes beyond that.
It goes outside the doors of here.
We're meant to have lives
that are given to worship.
Paul stated in Romans 12, verse 1.
He says,
I appeal to you, therefore,
based on the first 11 chapters,
his great treatise on the Christian faith.
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 the English word,
translated from the Greek here, body,
it's a good word to be translated.
I wouldn't pick on any of our Bible translators
in this case,
but it has a grander meaning
in the original language.
I like the word being.
God means for all of our lives
to be committed to his praise.
Everything that we do,
it's all worship.
So I have a real problem
with this over-reduction of the idea.
So it's musical worship.
It is worship.
But it's a part.
It's part of our worship,
both together and as individuals
in the world.
So we will never call the music here,
quote-unquote, worship,
or the individual leading the music,
the, quote-unquote, worship leader,
because it is confusing.
Now some will say,
and I've done this,
brought a little correction.
What are you talking about?
Some will say,
well, you know what I mean
when being corrected.
But the problem, beloved,
is that words have meaning.
And you don't just get to
willy-nilly change the meaning of words.
You can't be so cavalier
with your use of words,
because my response will be,
no, I do not know what you mean.
And as the children learned this morning,
the heart is where the words of the mouth grow.
So we need to be careful about
the words that we use
and what we're communicating
when we use those words.
This is why we will speak in terms
of musical worship
and why we call Wes our
Pastor for Worship Arts.
It's not a bad title.
I think he came up with it.
It's good.
I like it.
Now the subject of musical worship
in churches has been
a highly contested one
in my lifetime.
For many of you,
this may be true.
Some have called it
the worship wars,
where churches began
to try to pick up new ideas
of the way that we worship God
in music.
And some wanted to stay
very entrenched in the ways
they like to engage
in worshiping God in music.
And these worship wars
have had much heat
with little to no light.
Meaning they were very much
fueled by preference
and fueled very little
by the Bible.
The current solution
seems to be
for small churches
to work to serve
a particular demographic.
So church planters
will actually look
at demographic studies
and they'll figure out
the general population
of an area
and they'll figure out
the favorite style of music
for that population
in an area
and they'll try to find
somebody who can
meet that need,
who can present that style.
And they'll say to anybody else
who doesn't like the style,
sorry,
we only do one style here.
For the large church,
the solution seems to be
to cater to every demographic
with multiple services.
You see,
most large churches
will have multiple services
and they will contain within them
multiple styles of music.
So you've got your
contemporary service
and you've got your
traditional service
and you've got your
blended service.
And sometimes these
even happen at the same time
on the same campus,
just in different locations.
Beloved,
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.
It is not healthy
for the church
to meet felt needs
over real needs
at the expense
of real needs.
To promulgate
consumerism
in the worship
of our God.
So,
Wes and I,
in the very early days
of Christ Family Church,
we were a musician
becoming a pastor
and a teacher
becoming a pastor
and by God's grace,
hear me say that,
Wes and I
are not better
than anyone else.
By God's grace,
we picked up,
and I wish I could
trace the contours
of how we
so came to love
the doctrine of Scripture
called the sufficiency
of Scripture.
But we came to love it
and we came to see
that if we were to
lead a church well,
we must do it
by the Word of God.
We must do it
by His instruction.
And then if it's sufficient,
then it contains
within it
all the instruction
that we need.
And then by grace,
we picked it up
and we began asking
questions
and finding answers
from God's
own Word.
We picked up a principle
that was employed
by the Reformers
and the Puritans
called the regulative
principle of worship.
And that was
if we couldn't find
prescribed in the Scripture
worship of God
in a particular way,
then we wouldn't do it.
And we would just
simply do
the thing
that God
prescribed for us
to do.
And we have,
over the past
eight years,
put that in place.
It has been
our prayer
that we would be
faithful to the Bible.
Not just Wes and I.
We have had other elders
in the life of our church
as well.
We have pressed at this.
Let's do
the worship of God
in God's way
and let's trust
that He'll build a church
and He'll reach
our community
as a result.
So that's where we're at.
That's why I want to
loop you back in, right?
Some of you are new here,
so I want you to understand
what we've learned
and why we practice
music the way
that we do.
So let's begin our study
with Colossians 3.16.
Colossians 3.16.
Beloved,
this is God's Word
to us.
It was written
for His glory
and for our good
and we would all do well
to listen to it
this morning
in order to believe
its promises
and obey
its commands.
Paul writes,
verse 16,
Colossians 3,
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.
Now turn to
Ephesians chapter 5.
verses 18 and 19,
Paul writes,
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 do
what we do?
Why do we sing
together
when we gather?
Well,
it's because the Bible
commands it
for God's glory
and for our good.
You can see two places
that I've read to you
just already this morning.
Colossians 3,
16,
Ephesians 5,
18 and 19.
There's instruction
here for the singing
together.
Psalm 33,
3 says,
Sing to Him
a new song.
Place skillfully
on the strings.
I like this,
with loud shouts.
Psalm 47,
6,
Sing praises
to God.
Sing praises.
Sing praises
to our King.
Sing praises.
The Bible contains
over 400
references
to singing
and 50
direct commands
to sing.
In fact,
the longest book
of the Bible
by verse count,
at least,
I know that you want
to contend with me
on that maybe,
by verse count,
the longest book
of the Bible
is the Psalms,
which is a book
of songs,
every single
one of them.
Further,
we have
the example
of Jesus
in Matthew 26,
verse 30,
with the apostles,
and when they had
sung a hymn,
they went out
to the Mount of Olives.
We have the example
of heaven
in the book
of Revelation
many,
many times.
You know what book
has more songs
in it than any other book
except the book
of Psalms?
The book of Revelation,
right?
This vision that John
has of heaven.
Lots of singing
in heaven.
One example,
Revelation 15,
verses 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 beside
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 we have the example
of Paul and Silas
in the Philippian jail.
Not long ago,
we studied this together
on the Lord's Day.
Acts 16,
verse 25.
About midnight,
Paul and Silas
were praying,
remember they're
in the Philippian jail,
and singing hymns
to God.
James says in James 5.13,
Is anyone cheerful?
Let him sing praise.
The Bible is full
of this type of instruction.
John Calvin once wrote,
I think many people
are sold a very staunch view
of Calvin,
but he said wonderful things
like this.
wherever faith is lively,
holy rejoicing
will follow.
So,
we should sing
when we are gathered.
We should.
We're instructed to do so.
We should sing
when we are gathered.
And we're told,
both in Ephesians 5
and Colossians 3,
to sing psalms
and hymns
and spiritual songs.
Now,
there is no need
in overcomplicating
what these three things are.
We don't need to set these
on a scale
and make sure we're doing
33 and a third percent
of each
of the following things.
But there were types
of music,
and Paul's referencing
those specific types,
and I think it's valuable
for us to pull those up
and use those types
as well here.
So,
Psalms are pretty obvious
what the Psalms were.
Those are the songs
of the Bible,
and we should sing
from God's song book.
We find some challenge
with that, though,
in the 21st century
English-speaking culture
in which we live
because those songs
were written in Hebrew
and they rhymed most often,
but they rhymed in Hebrew
and they don't tend
to rhyme in English,
so it becomes difficult,
right,
to sing a song as such.
But lots of our songs
reference the Psalms
and pull text
from the Psalms.
And Wes does a good job,
and I think he works hard
at trying to sing
Psalms to you,
particularly during
the offering
or the Lord's Supper
when you're not expected
to sing with necessarily
because they're often
difficult to sing.
They can be hard songs
to sing as they don't rhyme
and you're trying
to make the near rhymes
work out,
etc.
But we should want
to sing such songs
and be Scripture-rich
in our singing.
Just before I came up
to preach during
the offering time,
Wes mentioned
understanding what
we are about to do
from the rising of the sun
is based on Psalm 113.
We're also instructed
to sing hymns,
and there's all kinds
of talk of hymology,
like what makes a hymn,
but most simply,
a hymn is a song
to or about God
and what He has done.
To or about God
and what He has done.
Two examples
that would be,
I think, well known.
How Great Thou Art
and Holy, Holy, Holy,
which we sang
just a few moments ago
would be considered hymns.
Just because it's in a hymnal
doesn't necessarily
make it a hymn.
We're also instructed
to sing spiritual songs,
and these are most
often understood
to be kind of
reflexive of hymns.
So, spiritual songs
are songs
to or about us,
but I'd add
that there are songs
to or about us
in relation to
who God is
and what He has done.
So, what is the effect
of God's work
in the world?
And we sing a lot of songs
that would be categorized
as spiritual songs.
Songs like
Amazing Grace
and it is well.
Let's speak of the
human experience
of God's goodness
and grace
and mercy
to mankind.
So, we should sing together.
Why should we sing together?
The Bible instructs it,
but why does the Bible
instruct it?
For God's glory,
for our good,
humans are wired
to give
and receive
through song.
And this is still
a bit of a mystery to me.
I want to spend more time
considering
why that is.
And it may not be
a thing that I can answer,
but we are wired
to love music.
Musicians have been
wildly popular
for good and for bad
throughout history.
Every movement,
every uprising,
every cultural expression
has its music.
Consider that.
It's true.
There's always a rally cry
that's driven by music.
We seem to be
musical beings.
Some people will say
that they don't like music,
but they do.
They do.
You could find the thing
that would cause them
to tap their foot
or to bob their head.
There's something
that will do that.
For a person.
So,
when we sing,
when we are gathered,
it is our hope
that our feelings
catch up
to the truth
we believe.
Right?
And we should
feel the truth.
Right?
Feelings don't define truth,
but we want to feel
the truth,
and music helps us
to do that.
I have to tell you
that I know
that as a group of people
we're typically drawn
to similar things,
and I know that
that's often
an adherence to the Bible,
maybe even a staunchness
in our teaching
of the Bible,
but I wish you guys
would be more expressive
sometimes.
It's okay to move
the music.
Guys,
don't stand in the back
of the room
with your arms folded.
Consider the words.
Right?
Consider the words
and have it move you
to praise.
Jonathan Edwards wrote
in 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
and to do it
with music
but only
that such
is our nature
and frame.
He's saying
we were made for that.
Right?
Such is our nature
and frame
that these things
have a tendency
to move
our affections.
And so that's
why we sing
together.
That's why
it's important
that we sing together
when we're gathered.
I was challenged
this week by Wes
that maybe
my community group,
we don't sing
at my community group,
maybe we should.
I don't know
if we have any musical talent
in our community group.
It doesn't matter.
As long as I don't
have to lead it.
So that's why
we do what we do.
But why do we do
what we do
the way we do
what we do?
You may have noticed
that our church
does music
a little different
than many churches.
Not all,
but many churches
of our day.
Colossians 3.16
and Ephesians 5.18
and 19
show us
that our singing
together
is the result
of the outflow
of being filled
with the Spirit
and letting
the Word of Christ
dwell in you richly.
If you diagram
the Greek language out,
right,
this instruction
by Paul
to not be
drunk with wine,
that's debauchery,
but rather be
filled with the Spirit
and his instruction
to let the Word of Christ
dwell in you richly
has things
that define
what that looks like
beyond it.
And there's lists
and there's a lot
of parallel
between those texts.
That parallel
is incredibly
striking
between much
of Colossians 3
and Ephesians 5.
They both have
Paul as their author
which allows
for an incredible
connection
to be drawn
from them.
If you've been here
with us
in our study
of Acts,
I've made this
connection for you
as we've been
looking at
what it means
to be filled
with the Spirit.
You see
this connection
between the two
being filled
with the Spirit
and letting
the Word of Christ
dwell in you richly.
He's using
these phrases
interchangeably.
Study the text.
You've got all
of these things
that are the same
but these two phrases
he swaps out
in these cases.
So,
we're being filled
with the Spirit.
We're letting
the Word of Christ
dwell in us richly.
And I'm going to
wrap back to
what it means
to be filled
with the Spirit
but let's talk
for a moment
about letting
the Word of Christ
dwell in you richly.
The word
dwell in the
original language
means to
take up residence,
to inhabit.
So,
the Word of Christ,
the Scripture
is meant to
inhabit us
richly
in abundance.
Let the Word
of Christ
fill you.
Change your
very being
from the inside
out.
And to do that,
we're to
read
and we're to
meditate
on the Scripture
and we're to
memorize
the Scripture
and we're to
speak the Scripture
to one another
and we're to
preach and
listen to
preaching
and we're to
sing songs
to one another.
So, you can see
that letting
the Word of Christ
dwell in you richly
looks like
picking it up,
taking it up
within us,
having it fill us
to overflowing.
It creates
activity,
obedience in us
is the same
as being
filled
with the Spirit.
In case this
connection between
Colossians and
Ephesians is too
vague for you,
we bring you to
another text,
Romans chapter 8
verse 5.
Paul writes
there,
those who live
according to
the flesh
set their
minds
on the
things
of the
flesh.
But those
who live
according to
the Spirit,
who are
filled with
the Spirit,
set their
minds
on the
things
of the
Spirit.
What are
the things
of the
Spirit
but the
book He
inspired?
The book,
the way in
which He
works out
and the
tool that He
uses to
work in
to us.
Paul wrote
in Galatians
chapter 5
verse 16,
walk by
the Spirit
and you
will not
gratify
the desires
of the
flesh.
So having
the Word
of God
dwell in
us richly
is to be
filled with
the Spirit
and produces
in us
good and
proper
praise.
Proper
worship of
God is
Spirit-filled
worship of
God,
which is
mindful
worship
of God.
Our
singing
together
must be
head
and heart.
Too much
singing in
church these
days
divorces
thinking from
it
all together.
And we're
to do this,
right?
We're to be
teaching and
admonishing
one another
in all
wisdom,
addressing
one another.
And I don't
think the
teaching and
admonishing one
another in
Colossians 3.16
doesn't also
include
speaking to
one another.
But it
certainly
includes
singing
psalms and
hymns and
spiritual songs.
I think that's
more clear for
us in
Ephesians 5.19.
We're meant to be
addressing one
another.
That's the way
in which he's
suggesting that
we teach
and admonish.
And teaching
and admonishing,
teaching is the
positive way in
which we should
walk and
admonishing is
the correction,
is the warning
away from
walking in
the wrong
way.
John Owen
once said,
a Puritan
pastor,
it's on your
bulletin,
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.
I find
that songs
are improving,
like pop
Christian songs
are getting a
little better,
not much,
but a little
better.
But in my
teen years
into early
college years,
so many
of the new
songs,
you could have
replaced
Jesus with
your girlfriend's
name and it
would have
still made
sense.
vague ideas
of the love
of Christ
which present
nothing of
his glory
to our
minds.
Christ,
prophet,
priest,
king.
Paul writes
in 1 Corinthians
14-15,
I will sing
praise with
my spirit,
but I will
sing with
my mind
also.
John 4-23,
Jesus said,
but the hour
is coming
and is now
here when
true worshipers
will worship
the Father
in spirit
and truth.
For the
Father is
seeking such
people to
worship him.
Jesus does
not say in
spirit and
emotional
expression.
Truth must
be central
to our
worship of
our God.
So,
we,
and really,
maybe we
a bunch of
years ago,
but we
now,
I really
mean Wes,
as he
handles music
for our
church so
well,
use three
parameters in
considering new
music.
So,
Wes uses
three parameters
in considering
new music,
which I
appreciate.
And they
are truth,
depth,
and singability.
The truth,
is the song
true?
And when I
say new
songs,
I don't
just mean
newly produced
songs,
I mean new
songs for
our congregation.
So,
maybe a
very,
very old
song,
but that
may be
new to
us.
These are
all getting
run through
these filters.
Is the
song true?
Is it
biblically
true,
objectively
true?
Does it
contain within
it any
error?
Or,
and or,
is it as
precise as
it should be?
Does it
properly present
doctrine to
us so that
as we sing
we can pick
those things
up and we
can have
them for
ourselves and
have it
shape us?
I'll give you
an example of
some lyrical
changes that
Wes made.
Some of you,
especially new
to us,
may have
experienced the
awkwardness of
singing the
song as it
was written
and being
totally thrown
off because we
sang it
differently,
How Deep
the Father's
Love for
Us,
which is a
wonderful song,
a spiritual
song we would
suggest here.
We sing,
it was his
love that
held him
there,
speaking of
Christ on
the cross,
but it was
written,
it was my
sin that
held him
there.
And I
wouldn't,
you know,
contend,
and I don't
think Wes
would either,
with the
author of
the song,
I think the
general idea
of what he
was trying to
communicate there
is proper,
right?
He was
suffering for
our sin,
that's the
suggestion of
that line.
But it also
seems to go a
little further
to maybe make
someone believe
that we had
in our
sinfulness the
power to put
Christ on the
cross,
that our sin
actually placed
him there and
held him there
and that he
wasn't powerful
over it.
And so I
think changing
it to it was
his love that
held him here
is a more
precise way to
think about what
Jesus was doing
for us on the
cross.
In John 10,
18,
Jesus says,
no one takes
my life for
me,
but I lay it
down of my
own accord.
And so those
types of things
are being
considered the
truthfulness of
a song.
And I will
suggest to you
even to the
degree that
sometimes I'll
misunderstand what
a song is
saying.
And I'll ask
Wes,
like,
hey,
I'm not sure
about because,
and he'll
explain to me
exactly what it
means.
No,
that's not
what he's
saying.
If you pay
attention to,
I'll go,
oh,
yeah,
yeah.
Sometimes I
check out
there.
You're right.
It's a very
good and true
song.
So truth is
one of the
filters that we
run through.
Secondly,
depth.
Right?
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,
or is a
song content
rich?
We only have
so much time
together,
but you only
have so much
capacity in your
brain to hang
on to
information.
So what do
we do with
the time that
we're together?
Our song
should be
deep,
which means
most often
that our
songs are
wordy.
So you
have a
friend who
asks you,
why so
many words
in your
song?
I feel
like I
worship God
better with
less words.
Because you
need truth.
Right?
Because we
want to meet
real need,
not felt
need.
We don't
want you
zoning out.
We want you
paying attention.
We put it on
the screen.
You'll note
that we don't
put a line
at a time
on the screen.
And that's
in part for
the sanity
of the person
sitting in the
back to try
to keep up.
It's in part
because we
don't have
close-up of
Wes's hands
playing the
guitar with
the person
in all black
clothes running
around him
with the
camera.
But it's
primarily
because we
want you to
look at the
words,
to see them,
to see the
verse.
And we put as
much as we
can up there,
the verse
so you can
actually go,
oh,
what does that
word mean?
That's an
old word,
I think.
What does it
mean?
Write it down.
Look it up.
Be informed
by this music.
Our songs
should have
depth.
We get,
Wes,
five songs.
Seven if you
include those
that people
don't participate
in.
Wes's ministry
here at our
church is the
same as my
ministry.
He just uses
a different
vehicle to
deliver it.
It's ministry
of the word.
We're united
in what we
do.
Wes's job
isn't to
make you
feel,
my job
to make
you think.
I'm going
to minister
the word
of God
to you.
And then
thirdly,
singability.
Is a
song
congregational?
Is a
song
congregational?
I love
concerts.
I really
appreciate
going to
concerts,
especially
skilled
musicians,
watching them
perform the
music that
you can hear
on the
album is
an
incredible
thing to
do.
I love
a good
rock show.
Like,
make me
not be
able to
hear things
afterwards.
I love
that kind
of big
production,
big experience,
blinding with
lights,
throw smoke,
where'd that
guy come
from?
I don't
know.
He's on
top of
the
speaker stack.
that's
not what
we're
called to
do.
We
sing
congregationally
so we
have light.
You can
see each
other.
We don't
bring the
lights down.
You need
to see the
people who
are around
you.
Hello,
beloved.
Hello,
church.
We gather
to be
together,
not separate
from one
another.
Put you in
isolation
chambers and
put your
earbuds in so
that you
can't
distract it
by anybody
else.
You need
the people
around you
to sing
off key
and to
sing loud
off key
because they
love Jesus.
That your
affections would
be inflamed
for him as
well.
We need
that.
I missed
this morning.
Almost every
morning I
get you guys,
the sound
bounces out of
this corner
and I stand
in the back.
That's why I
stand back
there.
It's not
because I'm
trying to
avoid you
guys.
It's because
the sound
goes back
to that
corner and
I can hear
everybody
singing.
There's a
big choir.
It so
warms my
heart before I
come up to
preach.
But I
missed this
morning Clay
who usually
stands back
there with
me and
sings alongside
me in his
gruff CF
caused voice
because I
know he
believes the
truth and
it helps me
believe the
truth and
it builds
me up.
It spurs me
on to
sing songs
like that.
Let me
posit to you
that if
you're not
a singer,
you should
be because
the people
around you
need to
hear you
sing.
It takes
a little
practice.
I'm not a
good singer
but I
sing.
Sing.
We need to
be singing
to one
another.
The volume
level in
here needs
to be low
enough that
you can hear
people around
you.
We need to
be able to
hear each
other singing.
There's a
different way
to lead a
congregation
in singing
than to
put on
a concert.
Why?
Because Paul's
instruction is
that we're to
be teaching
and admonishing
one another.
that includes
the band
teaching and
admonishing
you but we
need to be
teaching and
admonishing
one another
and addressing
one another
as we sing
together.
Not only that
but we actually
need to be able
to sing it
and there's so
many songs
now that are
wonderful songs.
There are great
great great
songs written
by Christian
people that
will minister
to your soul
that you should
definitely listen
to by yourself
in a car
singing at the
top of your
lungs.
Do that.
They're so
hard to sing.
There's many
songs like this
like almost
every Christmas
song is that
way.
Difficult to
sing but good.
Oh so good.
Be ministered
to by those
songs but when
we come together
to sing there's
some songs we're
just not going to
do because they're
not singable.
Wonderful songs
but not singable.
Sometimes the
band will do a
song like during
the offering time
and also just say
you don't have to
sing this with us.
Like it's cool
because it's hard
to sing.
Does it have a
recognizable rhythm?
We all like those
songs.
Come on.
We know exactly.
We know what to
expect.
We know when it's
coming.
Does it have a
recognizable rhythm?
Is it in a range
designed for the
average human being?
A lot of songs
are the chance for
a music leader to
show off how high
his voice can go.
Can it be played
well by our
musicians?
Is it stylistically
can they get
together on it
and play it?
That matters,
right?
That they can
actually perform
the song for us.
And I'm not saying
that style is the
question here.
And you've heard me
say if you've been
here for very long
that if all we had
was a little old
lady and a piano,
that's how we do
music.
We're just fortunate
to have a bunch of
musicians who do
their folk rocky
kind of thing for us.
But the style itself
is never the point.
It's the content.
It's the content
that carries it that
is the point of
what we do together.
So I want to run a
couple songs through
that filter for you.
I just want to give
you an example to be
able to look at this.
First, I'm going to
look at, super brief,
three songs from CCLI.
CCLI is the Christian
Copyright Licensing
International.
It's the way all of the
contemporary Christian
artists get paid for
their music that's
performed each and
every Sunday.
We keep track of it
and they get a payment.
I'm really glad we do
lots of songs that are
public domain.
So I just looked in
the top 20.
So these are three of
the most, dare I say,
performed songs on
Sunday mornings.
And I want to point out
some things to you
about them.
They're not all bad.
But reasons why we
would never sing these
songs on a Sunday
morning.
The first one is called
Good, Good Father by
Chris Tomlin.
Familiar with this song?
Flip on radio, you'll
hear it.
This is number one,
Good, Good Father by
Chris Tomlin.
It's not a bad song.
It's got some good stuff
in it.
And I want to point out
one little thing that
irks me about it.
But let me read the
lyrics to you.
I thought about having
them put up on the
screen, but I don't
actually think you need
them on the screen.
This is how the song
goes.
I've heard a thousand
stories of what they
think you're like, but
I've heard the tender
whispers of love in the
dead of night.
And you tell me that
you're pleased and that
I'm never alone.
You're a good, good
father.
It's who you are.
And I'm loved by you.
It's who I am.
I've seen many
searching for answers
far and wide, but I
know we're all
searching for answers
only you provide.
Because you know just
what we need before we
say a word.
You're a good, good
father.
It's who you are.
And I'm loved by you.
It's who I am.
Because you are
perfect in all your
ways.
Repeat that five
times.
Oh, it's love so
undeniable.
I can hardly speak.
Here comes the thing
I don't like.
Peace so
unexplainable.
I can hardly
think.
As you call me
deeper still,
as you call me
deeper still,
as you call me
deeper still,
into love,
love, love.
You're a good,
good father.
It's who you are.
And I'm loved by you.
It's who I am.
Repeat four more times.
Okay?
So,
the only thing
that I find
I'm uncomfortable
with is that
I can hardly think,
right?
And I can get
the thrust
of what he was
trying to say there
and even be
okay with that.
So, right,
there's not like,
it's not like,
oh, my word,
right?
The heresy of the song.
It's not that.
It's not.
But if we were
just to scale out
some of,
you know,
truth,
depth,
singability,
I listened to a recording
of it this week.
I think it's pretty singable.
I'd give him an A
on singability.
I think you can hang.
I think Tomlin
does a pretty good job
of writing songs
that way,
maybe even intentionally so.
Truth,
I'd give him a B.
I think
because of that
one little error,
bugs me particularly
a bit.
And I'm the one
giving the grade,
so I'm allowed to.
For depth,
though,
I'm going to give it a D
because here's the summary.
And it's good truth,
right?
It's good truth
and it's good things
to consider.
But again,
I'm saying like,
are we going to spend
six minutes
of our very short time
together,
our longer time
this morning together
on this?
Is this what we're
going to do?
Summary of this song.
You're a good father
and you love me.
Good father
and you love me.
Again,
good truths,
right?
But why
and how?
To what degree?
Important things
for us to be
considering.
Next song,
I'm not going to read
the lyrics of these
next two.
The next song
is called
Holy Spirit
by Brian and Katie
Torwalt.
These are Jesus culture
folks,
a couple from
Jesus culture.
this song,
just of interesting
note,
is typically
performed,
I found a bunch
of YouTube
recordings of this
song.
The shortest one
I found was
nine minutes.
The longest one
I found was
18 minutes.
This song
and I just,
it doesn't say
nearly enough
for 18 minutes.
There's just,
there's just not
that much in it.
Now again,
the song itself
doesn't,
doesn't air.
There's nothing
in there that I
went,
ooh,
that's not good
for God's,
God's people
to hear.
Singability,
an A.
Depth,
depth,
a D.
Again,
it's not a lot
of strong substance.
It's about the
Holy Spirit
and God's presence
being the world.
But for truth,
I give it a D
because
Jesus culture,
as well as
Hillsong United,
the other song,
I actually graded
these the same.
Hillsong United
has a song
out called
Oceans.
It's a really
pretty song.
It's really,
really pretty.
I like the song.
But both
Hillsong United
and Jesus culture
are part of a
movement called
the Word of Faith
movement.
It's the prosperity
gospel dressed up
in different language.
It's very
extra biblical
and very dangerous.
Both of these,
we'll call them
bands,
Hillsong United
and Jesus Culture
support ministries
of Word of Faith
teachers.
That's also called
the New Apostolic
Reformation.
If you want to go
look some of this
stuff up,
you'll go,
whoa,
they're teaching
what?
And this is like
the soft entry
to it because
their songs are
never astoundingly
erroneous,
but you get
introduced to the
teaching of
the men that
then come to
stage afterwards
and it's
horrible,
heretical,
dangerous teaching
that you're getting
introduced to.
So we'll never do
Jesus Culture
or Hillsong United
song knowingly,
I should probably
say,
because we don't
want to suggest
to you that we
think it's okay
that what they're
involved with
as a total
is good
because the truth
matters,
right?
Because the truth
matters.
Let me walk
through a song
that we do
sing together.
This song gets
A's across the
board.
It's a new
song,
right?
So we don't
sing all old
songs,
although a lot
of them feel
old because
they have words,
which is just
not a thing we
tend to like as
a culture,
it would seem.
Come behold the
wondrous mystery.
I think we're
going to sing it
this morning,
this afternoon,
together,
and I think
we have lyrics
on the screen.
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.
There is
more depth
in verse
one of
that song
than all
the three
songs previous
combined.
The writers
here speak
of the
incarnation
of Christ,
John 1,
1-5,
the purpose
of his
incarnation,
Luke 19-10,
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.
It speaks
of the
judgment
of man,
the hell-bound
man,
the deprivacy
of man,
speaks of
the active
and passive
suffering of
Jesus Christ,
2 Corinthians
5,
21,
for our
sake,
he made
him to
be sin
who knew
no sin,
so that in
him we
might become
the righteousness
of God.
Romans 5,
17,
another.
Verse 3,
we're only
halfway in,
come behold
the wondrous
mystery,
Christ the
Lord upon
the tree,
in the
stead of
ruined
sinners,
that's to
say instead
of ruined
sinners,
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,
grace
unmeasured,
love
untold.
He speaks
of the
sovereignty of
God in
the suffering
of Christ,
speaks of
the
substitutionary
atonement
of Christ,
1 Corinthians
15,
3,
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.
It speaks
of the
resurrection
of Christ,
our conquering
king.
1 Corinthians
15,
4,
he was
buried,
he was
raised on
the third
day in
accordance
with the
scripture.
And it
also speaks
of the
glorification
of the
saints.
It turns
to us
and what
will one
day become
of us
that we
will have
resurrected
bodies,
Colossians
3,
4,
when Christ
who is
your life
appears,
then you
will also
appear with
him in
glory.
And so I
hope,
just in
brief,
right,
to give
you a
better
picture.
Sometimes I
know we
can sing
songs and
you can
just fly
past all
of the
meaning of
a song.
And that
was just
a few
of the
things,
packed full
of good,
rich truth,
which will
help the
word of
God dwell
in you
richly.
Which is
the same
thing as
walking by
the Spirit.
And if you
walk by
the Spirit,
you will
not fulfill
the desires
of the
flesh.
You'll be
pleasing to
God.
And you'll
worship him
with everything
that you
do.
Truth,
depth,
singability,
for the
glory of
God and
for the
good of
his people.
Let us
be a
people,
a church,
who sing
to one
another,
and who
know why
we sing
to one
another,
and who
know what
and how
we should
sing to
one another.
Let's pray
together.