Worship Series - Part 4

“Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs”

Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:16-17 (Message #4 in Worship Series) 

INTRODUCTION:

There are many different modes by which we can transport the same cargo:

Ø  By lorry/truck

Ø  By airfreight

Ø  By train

Ø  By barge

Ø  By container ship

Ø  By pack mule

These are all simply vehicles, containers, or means by which to move a shipment from one place to another, or from one person to another. In this series of studies about worship we have been looking at how we can best express our praise, adoration, and gratitude to God. We have discussed several tools available to us to lift our worship up to God. However, in the modern Church music has come to be the most used vehicle for expressing worship. In fact, for many Christians, the terms “worship” and “praise music” are almost interchangeable. For this reason, I think it is important that we explore this topic to discover the relationship between worship and music.

Without a doubt, music provides a variety of resources that can help us move our message of praise, worship, and adoration to God. However, we need to keep in mind that the music is not the end; it is one means to an end. The content is what is most important. The music is the packaging of the message, just the outer wrapping, or the vehicle used to deliver the cargo.

TRANSITION:

In this study we are going to focus our attention on two main texts. First, we want to examine Ephesians 5:18-20. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. ¹⁹ Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The second text is Colossians 3:16-17. “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

These two Scripture passages contain the same elements. They are two ways of saying the same thing. It boils down to this… The fullness of the Spirit in a Christian’s life, plus the continuous ministry of the abiding Word of God will cause the believer to exhibit the following characteristics:

1. To be overflowing with joyful music in the inner man (“making melody in your heart”).
2. To want to sing to the Lord with praise, thanksgiving, and love.
3. To want to sing to one another of our joy in the Lord because of what He has done for us.

Both passages talk about singing to the Lord in “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” I want us to look at each of these terms briefly and come up with definitions you will remember after today.

“PSALMS”

Ø  This is singing God’s Word, using the Scriptures themselves for the lyrics, regardless of the style or the tune.

Ø  For hundreds of years the Jewish people sang the “songs of Zion,” including the Psalms, and especially the psalms of David, as well as many other passages of Scripture. But sadly, we no longer know the tunes that they used to sing. Those have been lost to us. But starting back in the era of the Early Church Christians were also continuously singing the Scriptures.

Ø  Then for many years, this practice was left behind and almost lost to the Church. This was due in large part to the ascendancy of the Roman Catholic Church. Thankfully there has been a resurgence in the past 50 years of singing the Scriptures. Today many of our songs and choruses are taken directly from Scripture. A “Psalter” is a hymnbook with all the songs taken straight out of God’s Word.

“HYMNS”

Ø  Our word hymn, comes directly into English as a transliteration of the Greek word, hymnos, (ὕμνος), which by exact definition means, “a song or ode in praise and honour of God or a deity.”

Ø  Hymns are musical prayers directed specifically toward God, as opposed to merely being about Him.

Ø  Hymns allow us to express prayers of…

o   Contrition – e.g., “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour,” “Cleanse Me”

o   Dedication – “Just as I Am,” “I Surrender All”

o   Adoration – “My Jesus, I Love Thee,” “O to Be Like Thee”

o   Praise – “I Exalt Thee,” “Great Are You, Lord”

o   Thanksgiving – “How Can I Say Thanks (My Tribute),” “Thank You, Lord, for Saving My Soul”

Notice that the length and style of a piece of music are not what define a song as a hymn, but rather, the content, and specifically who it is directed toward. The song may have one short chorus or 5 long verses and a refrain. That part does not matter because it is not about the form. Using this as our definition you will see that many of the songs in our so-called “Hymnbook” are not really hymns at all, but rather are what Paul refers to as…

“SPIRITUAL SONGS”

Ø  These are songs about such topics as:

o   How much we love God.

o   What the Lord has done for us.

o   What we were like before we were saved.

o   The joy we have now in knowing Christ.

o   How we should witness to others and be a good testimony.

o   What the Bible teaches on a subject (teaching/didactic songs).

o   What Heaven will be like and how anxious we are to go there (e.g., Negro spirituals).

MAIN BODY:

I want to change gears now and have us think about the possible directions for our music. Specifically, music allows us to move a message in three different directions:

1. UPWARD = We can use music to express to God our thanksgiving, praise, and adoration.
2. INWARD = We can use music to edify ourselves and other believers through encouragement, teaching, and exhortation.
3. OUTWARD = We can use music to evangelize unbelievers by proclaiming Christ as Saviour and testifying of His saving grace.

I. Music directed UPWARD, toward God: (This would be either through Psalms or Hymns)

            A. To bring Him glory (1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”)

            B. To thank Him.

            C. To praise Him.

Ø  For WHO He is—His person, His character, and His wonderful attributes.

Ø  For WHAT He has done—in creation, for everyone, and for me personally.

D. To adore Him.

E. To confess to Him our sins, weaknesses, and failures.

F. To express our submission to His sovereign will.

II. Music directed INWARD, toward believers: This could include either psalms or spiritual songs. (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:26, “What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.”)

            A. To teach about God and the Christian life.

            B. To exhort and motivate believers.

            C. To encourage faithfulness and commitment.

            D. To testify of God's grace and provision.

            E. To entertain and bring joy.

III. Music directed OUTWARD, toward unbelievers: This primarily uses spiritual songs. (Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”)

            A. To attract lost people to Christ and the Gospel.

            B. To express the hopelessness of the world.

            C. To present Christ as the only Saviour.

            D. To motivate them to take a step of faith toward Christ. 

But, how about styles of music? Does anything go? What if I do not like some styles?

Music styles are like different languages.

Ø  They all have different vocabularies.

Ø  They have different rules of grammar.

Ø  They have different pacing and intonation.

Ø  They have different sounds.

Ø  THEREFORE, we must learn the musical language to really appreciate it. We may need to acquire an appreciation, which requires time and repeated exposure.

Music is a constantly changing medium:

Ø  It changes with each generation.

Ø  It changes with the introduction of new instruments and new technology.

Ø  It changes as language changes.

Ø  It changes to reflect a new worldview.

THEREFORE,

Ø  We must always value the message over the medium (i.e., value the content over the style).

Ø  We must respect each arriving generation and allow them certain freedom of expression.

Ø  We must respect the feelings that music produces in people.

Ø  We must cut each other slack and not demand that other people like what we like, nor judge their level of spirituality by the kind of Christian music they prefer.

CONCLUSION:

1 Corinthians 14:15 sheds light on this subject: “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.” Music and singing are not to be mindless exercises. They are not to become merely emotional trips to make us feel good and forget our troubles for a little while. God gave us music that we might use it to praise Him, and to tell others about Him.

There is a choral piece that I have loved for many years and is one that our college choir used to sing. It was composed by a wonderful Christian musician, Dr. Don Hustad, who for many years served as Director of the Sacred Music Department at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. It expresses in the form of a prayer what I believe should be the desire of each of us when we open our mouths to sing. It is entitled, “A Prayer Before Singing.”

A song is a beautiful thing—

Voices join in full throated melody,

And lift to blend in glorious harmony.

Men’s hearts are moved,

E’en lifted to ecstasy with a song,

For a song is a beautiful thing.

But when I sing, Lord,

Let it not be for this alone,

Lest fruitless I be when day is done.

Touch Thou my lips,

Thy beauty let me see,

And fill my heart with love eternally,

That men may come to know and adore Thee.

Lord, this prayer I bring.

Lord, for Thee I sing.