June 17, 2024 • 24 mins
Can singing truly transform your worship experience and draw you closer to God? Join us as we explore this profound question on today's episode. Jon and Kate delve into the biblical roots and spiritual power of singing in Christian worship, revealing why this practice is far more than just a tradition. Discover how scriptures like Psalm 149:1 and Ephesians 5:18-19 command believers to sing, not only as an act of praise but also as a means to uplift and unite the congregation. We reflect on humanity's inherent inclination to worship through song, emphasizing how this practice spans across generations and cultures, firmly rooted in the Bible.
We also share compelling biblical stories, such as Jesus singing with His disciples after the Last Supper and Paul and Silas lifting their voices in song during imprisonment. These narratives illustrate the incredible power of worship through song, even in the most challenging times. By thinking about worship from a biblical perspective, we aim to inspire you to cultivate a vibrant culture of singing within your church community, fostering unity and glorification of God. Engage with us by submitting your questions and join our conversation on how these insights can elevate your own worship practices and spiritual growth.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Hi and welcome back to the Pleasing God podcast, a
show focused on helpingChristians to think biblically,
engage practically and livefaithfully for the glory of God.
I'm your host, Jonathan Soul,and today I want to have a
conversation about singing.
Well, you heard that I broughton my esteemed colleague, our
(00:29):
music coordinator, someone whoknows a thing or two about
singing, my lovely wife, Care tointroduce yourself.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Caitlin.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Oh, it sounds like have you been here before.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
A few times.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
All right cool.
So yeah, let's give a round ofapplause for Caitlin.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
That's all you get.
Fail.
I'm done with this.
Forget this Fail.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Yeah, all right.
Well, I want to talk todayspecifically about why do we
sing, why do Christians sing,and what's unique about that?
Because it is unique, I think.
If you've grown up in thechurch, singing is just part of
the DNA, right?
That's just what you do Fromthe littlest of songs.
(01:12):
You know what jingle was in myhead the other day, what I was
talking to my dad, just about acertain passage of scripture and
the Father Abraham song came upin my timeline.
I'm sitting there like bobbingmy head and waving my arms and
he probably thinks I'm nuts yeahum father abraham yeah, right
any sons.
(01:33):
Um, singing is just it's, it'ssticky right.
I've not sung that song in 30plus years.
It comes to mind yeah Right,just like those things that you
remember.
You know it's almost nostalgicnow, but as we walk through our
categories we want to thinkbiblically.
(01:53):
Then we want to engage withthis practically and hopefully,
you know, for faithful living.
Why do Christians sing?
Why does this happen?
Why do a bunch of people cometogether?
If we're thinking aboutcorporate worship, a bunch of
people come together on a Sundayand they sing.
Give me some background on that.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah, so I have right here Psalm 149, 1.
Praise the Lord.
Sing to the Lord a new song,his praise in the assembly of
the godly.
So I guess to start, we'recommanded to sing.
The Psalms really are litteredwith singing praises to the Lord
and a call to praise the Lord,and I believe we were created to
(02:37):
have a natural tendency towardspraising something outside of
ourselves.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Worship, yeah to worship, we're worshipers.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
And so we praise the Lord.
We sing songs when we cometogether as an outflow of our
hearts in praise and worship toour God.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Yeah, I like that.
You said commanded to sing.
Yeah, we're told to.
I mean we get to and we can andit's a delight to, but I mean
the scriptures don't suggestthat Christians sing.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
No.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Or don't say, hey, this would be a good idea if you
decided to do this.
You get it in the Old Testament.
You get it in the New Testamenttoo.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, I have Ephesians 5.
I have Ephesians 5.
Let's start in the end of 18.
That says Be filled with theSpirit, addressing one another
in psalms and hymns andspiritual songs, singing and
making melody to the Lord withyour heart.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Why don't you read the next verse too?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Giving thanks always and for everything to God, the
Father, in the name of our LordJesus Christ, submitting to one
another out of reverence forChrist.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Interesting Addressing one another in psalms
, hymns and spiritual songs.
So this isn't an idea of likesinging your heart to God or
privately sing.
This is corporate right.
What he's talking about thereSinging in the gathering singing
together.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, I think we can get to that when we talk about
what's it look like practicallyto just come together and sing.
But yeah, I think, just to know, he talks about variety of
music and he talks about howwe're to sing to the Lord, but
also it's a ministry to oneanother.
Yeah, we'll go back there andwe'll unpack that a little bit,
but also it's a ministry to oneanother, yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Yeah, let's.
When we get, we'll go backthere and we'll unpack that a
little bit.
I think that's really good.
Other scripture passages thatjust you know.
When you think about singing,why do we sing?
If you really think about it,the Bible emphasizes singing and
making this joyful noise orshouting to the Lord.
This is a reoccurring themethroughout scripture.
(04:46):
Yes, and if you're, you don'teven have to have a careful
reading to find it.
You just start reading through,you read the Psalms, and if you
can get to Psalm 150 and youdon't feel like you should sing,
I don't think you've read atall through the Psalms.
Right?
Psalm 33, verse 1, shout for joyin the Lord.
(05:06):
Oh, you're righteous.
Praise befits the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord withthe lyre.
Make melody to him with theharp of 10 strings, sing to him
a new song.
Play skillfully on the stringswith loud shouts.
I mean this goes on.
And on Psalm 96, oh, sing to theLord a new song.
Sing to the Lord all the earth,psalm 5,.
(05:27):
But let all who take refuge inyou rejoice.
Let them ever sing for joy.
And I mean I can go on and onthroughout, but it's littered
there, not just in the Psalms,though, if we say, hey, there's
just one book, that's the Psalmsare meant to be sung Romans 15,
(05:47):
11.
Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol
him.
I like that verse because whenyou think about Old Testament,
we're dealing with Israel, we'redealing with the commands of
Israel, we're dealing with whatGod was establishing in them.
But now you look at in Romansand Paul's, like no, you
Gentiles too, like come in andsing, because God is the God of
(06:10):
the Jews, of the Gentiles, ofthe church, of his people.
And so I mean those are justcalls to sing praises.
Zephaniah 3.17 is aninteresting passage too, because
it tells us that the Lord willrejoice over you with gladness,
he will quiet you by his love,he will exalt over you with loud
singing.
(06:31):
Now, that's an interestingthought.
God sings over you.
Well, that's because he'spleased in his son right and the
redemption of his people.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Well, that also goes along with how we were created
in his image, and so the abilityand the desire and the heart to
sing praises to the Lord wasgiven to us through the creation
being made in his image.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
So we're seeing throughout the scriptures this
command to sing, this expressionof singing.
I want to get to why?
Because if we never getthroughout the scriptures this
command to sing, this expressionof singing, I want to get to
why?
Because if we never get to thewhy we don't really understand.
There's not depth there.
Why do Christians sing?
We'll say because we'recommanded to.
I think we can go even deeperthan that.
(07:20):
Yes, we're commanded to, butultimately we sing because we're
the redeemed people of God.
At the very heart of singing isthe gospel.
This is why I don't likesinging songs about me, unless
you're telling me my condition.
But I like singing to God, toor of Christ and what he's done.
(07:44):
And so when we get to the verycore of the expression of
Christian worship, it is becausein singing, worship in singing,
it is because of the redemptionaccomplished in and through the
person and work of Jesus Christ.
You take that away.
(08:05):
I've got nothing to sing.
All I can sing was I'm a wretch.
I'm a wretch, I'm a wretch andI've got no hope.
And I don't want to sing thatsong.
I'd rather just go through mylife, because those are all
tragedies.
We don't sing these doom andgloom songs when we think about
(08:26):
our expression of heartfeltthanks and gratitude.
And so, ultimately, we sing,because the Lord has put a song
upon our hearts, because he'smade our hearts new.
We are glad in him, we rejoice,we are continually showing joy
(08:50):
because my sins are forgiven Imean, we could just think of it
this way because I'm ransomed,I'm redeemed, I'm renewed, I've
been restored, my heart's beenregenerated and I stand among
the company of those that we allshare this thing in common we
belong to Jesus.
Jesus is our Lord, jesus is ourSavior, jesus is my rescuer.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
And yeah, I love the last verse of and Can it Be?
And I think it sums up kind ofwhat you're saying.
I'm just reminded of this nocondemnation.
Now I dread Jesus, and all inhim is mine, alive in him, my
living head and clothed inrighteousness, divine, bold, I
approach the eternal throne andclaim the crown.
(09:34):
through Christ, my own.
We model that through singing.
Because we've been redeemed,because we are clothed in
Christ's righteousness, we canboldly go before the throne of
God and sing praises to him, inthankfulness and praise, and
sometimes lament and confession.
But I just I feel like when wecome together corporately for
(09:57):
the whole of the worship servicebut for singing, that is who we
are, that is our placement inwho we are in Christ.
That is who we are.
That is our placement in who weare in Christ.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Therefore, we can boldly approach God together as
a body, singing praises to himfor what he has done for us.
Not every song and not everyexpression of worship through
singing.
It's not always happy in Jesus,but everything that you just
said never changes, so it's notbased upon my feelings, it's
something outside of me.
Now.
Certainly, music and we're likeit elicits emotional response,
(10:40):
as it should.
I mean one thing that you knowI can watch a Celtics game and I
can get pretty like excited andfired up over a few good shots
and defensive play and I'mreally excited.
And this is a basketball game.
Yeah, you go to the game andyou're cheering with all the
fans.
You're, you know, you're reallyexcited.
(11:01):
You take part in that moment.
This is a sporting event.
There's nothing wrong withsporting events.
Moment there's a sporting event, there's nothing wrong with
sporting events.
But if I get more fired up fora celtics game or like just more
expressive, then I wouldincorporate worship in that way.
I mean, there's appropriate, Iunderstand, you know, being
appropriate to your setting inyour context, but I just can't,
I can't compute that yeah, itshouldn't, definitely shouldn't
(11:22):
be emotionless yeah, because Ihave more passion for the
celtics than I do, jesus rightat least it would appear that
way, wouldn't it?
Yeah, so, uh, it does bring outthat emotion, which is fine,
and we shouldn't be afraid ofthat.
We have to understand thatthese are sanctified emotions
and they're fueled not by how Ifeel that day.
(11:44):
Maybe, you know, some peoplehave more emotional days than
others and maybe their heartsare really stirred in worship.
I understand that, but thebasis for our worship is outside
of ourselves, the basis for oursinging.
I keep saying worship, I'mtalking singing, in that there
are many expressions of worshipthat are more than singing
(12:04):
Preach the word, hear the word,worship through the taking of
the ordinances.
So I understand that.
So, just if I'm using them, I'musing those synonymously, but
not saying that singing is theonly form of worship.
But it's all based off ofobjective truth.
The more I know the word of God, the truth of God, the more I
(12:29):
want to sing, the deeper I sing.
I know for me personally I was amumbler One.
I had this real self-consciousfeeling about singing early on
in my Christian walk.
Well, it's different, and as ayoung man in his 20s, I just
thought I was strange.
I was very me-focused even inthe expression of worship, of
(12:54):
singing because, well, I didn'twant other people to hear me and
I sounded like a goat and ittook me a while to get through
that.
But simultaneously, as I wasgrowing in the faith and I was
growing in my understanding ofgospel and God's word, theology
all this you know, probablythrough all the schooling and
(13:14):
whatnot, but in my own personallife, the more I stopped caring
about how I sounded and the moremy heart just was like you know
, like I had to sing.
I got to sing and then I got alittle bit louder and I'm there,
(13:35):
I'm singing because JesusChrist is worthy of my praise.
Right, and that's any day andall day.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Mm-hmm.
It also says to make a joyfulnoise.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Well, I'll make a noise.
I'll make a noise.
Sometimes the kids in frontturn around and look at me.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
No.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Yeah, but it's all good.
I smile and say, let's go.
You know, I mean.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Well, I think that I mean, I don't know if this is
the moment to talk about it, butI do think that women tend to
sing out naturally more than amale would, but there is a huge
importance to men singing it.
Models to the church, just ahealthy body but also it models
(14:23):
to the children.
I mean, you have two sons andyou singing out is a model to
our family.
Our children of you know we areto sing out.
Whether we sing well, whetherwe kind of just are making noise
, it's not about the actualinstrument of our voice, it's
(14:43):
the heart posture behind it, andwhen you're worried about how
you sound, you're thinking aboutyourself in that moment.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
That's right.
So, yeah, why do we sing?
We're commanded to, we get to.
We sing the song of redemption,yeah, and if that's the only
song I can sing, that's a finesong to sing, Even thinking
about it now, like kind ofgetting emotional, Just how
(15:11):
greatly we've been loved andjust to make, just to express
through song.
It's special and I'm thankfulthat God has created us to be
able to do something like that.
I'm getting to what you say.
Yeah, it's not an ultimate test, but the health of a
(15:32):
congregation.
Do the men sing?
And I don't care.
Do the men sing?
Well, Do the men sing out?
I have brought it up before.
I think there's somethingcalled mumbling men syndrome and
I just get rid of it and spendtime alone with Jesus in the
word and, you know, go tovarious passages of scripture
(15:58):
and just plant yourself in thegospel and Lord, give me the
song, give me a desire.
I understand personalities andwhatnot, but you never have a
reason.
Well, I won't say you never do.
There are inappropriate timesto sing, but I think it's
important.
I think it's important and itis an example.
You know, I don't evennecessarily think you're the one
(16:21):
who kind of got me thinkingthis way, but I don't
necessarily think of myself asan example to my children in
singing.
But I can see where there'svalue in that Dad sings out.
Dad sometimes cries in worshipor whatever it might be.
Dad believes these things aretrue.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Isn't there.
I'm looking right now in theGospels and I can edit this out
if I'm wrong.
And I can edit this out if I'mwrong.
But wasn't when the disciplesand Jesus were in the upper room
?
Didn't they sing a hymn?
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Yeah, so no, you don't need to edit that out, I
was going to go there too.
Oh, okay, we haven't got therein our Gospel of Mark series,
but Matthew 26, a fantasticpassage.
And this is something else.
This is a different dynamic ofsinging that we see in the
(17:18):
scriptures that I think isimportant to look at A little
bit of context here.
I know this isn't a Bible studylesson, but Jesus has just
instituted the last supper, orthis is the last of the Lord's
supper, and it's his last onewith them.
And he told them that he'sgoing to be betrayed, that he's
going to, and then later thathe's going to go and be denied.
But he was telling them that,basically, the end is near and
(17:43):
this is my body which is brokenfor you.
This is the blood of the newcovenant that is going to be
poured out for you.
And this is a very solemn time.
And Judas has already ran offto do what he was meant to do.
And the 11 are there likefeeling the weightiness of
what's just being told to them.
(18:04):
And you would read in Matthew 26, verse 30.
And when they had sung a hymn,they went out to the Mount of
Olives.
They stopped to sing Jesussings.
Jesus sings with sinners.
And I might read into it alittle bit, but I would believe
(18:27):
that Jesus led this singing withhis disciples here and even in
that solemnness.
That's where singing can bevery helpful to us.
Yeah, they praise God and thenthey go to the Mount of Olives.
What happens at the Mount ofOlives?
He's betrayed, he's arrestedand he's taken, but one of the
last things he does with hisdisciples before he's taken away
(18:47):
from them is he sings with them.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
In a moment of heightened I'm sure heightened
emotion.
I mean, he knew what washappening and we know how he
prays in Gethsemane, and so,even in those trials and those
in heightened emotion, we arestill to praise and sing.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Right, and it gets back to what do we sing?
I mean they're singing to God,God the uncreated one, god the
unchanging, one immutable rightNever changing.
And so this is what's so goodabout Christian worship, songs
that are theologically correcttowards God is they can be a
(19:30):
thousand years old and they arestill relevant, because God
never changes and you can singacross the whole spectrum of
time, you know, because songstowards God, songs about the
gospel, it never changes, and sothat's wonderful.
I'll give one more example Acts, chapter 16.
It is another example of thepower of singing.
(19:54):
Why do we sing and in whatcircumstances are we singing?
Well, in Acts, chapter 16, pauland Silas are beaten and they're
thrown in prison and they're inthis Philippian jail.
And the text tells us in verse16, 25, about midnight.
(20:16):
So they're up late, probablycouldn't sleep, they're in
shackles, they're in bonds,their hands and feet are
literally locked away andthey're probably in a standing
upright position, hard to fallasleep.
(20:36):
And they decide it's a goodtime to sing and it says they
were praying and singing hymnsto God and the prisoners were
listening to them.
Now they're in prison becausethey're followers of God.
Oh, I wonder how powerful itwas to listen to that praise set
.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Right and all of a sudden there's an earthquake.
All of a sudden, the power ofGod just drops on the place and,
amazingly, the bonds open andall the prison doors open
through this earthquake.
And what happens?
They stay put and they ministerto everyone in that prison.
(21:16):
Singing is a ministry, singingis powerful and it is our
privilege to do so, no matterhow we sound, because we're all
goats.
I mean, some voices are morebeautiful than others, sure, but
(21:38):
God knows our hearts and theexpression of heartfelt
gratitude and thankfulness is abeautiful aroma to the Lord.
So, biblically, ultimately, wesing because of the gospel and
we sing because we're commandedto and we sing because we can.
We've been given that in ourwiring.
(21:58):
As image bearers of God,created to worship, we're
created with art and musicskills and a desire for those
things, because God desiresthose things.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
We all worship something.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
And even an unbeliever worships something,
and so we are created to do that.
Just as Christians, we honethat into praise and worship to
the Lord, because that is theonly thing to be worshiped.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
People like to sing.
Yes, no matter what they liketo sing, and that's because God
has wired us to do so.
Go to country music fest orsomething like that, or go to a
concert, and you will see peoplesinging those songs that they
love, right, and dancing aroundand whatever, and so.
But ultimately, that expressionis to find its fulfillment,
(22:52):
directed to God, in and throughthe personal work of Jesus
Christ.
Yes, that's why we sing.
The ultimate and highest formof singing is to God, through
Christ, enabled by the Spirit,so it's Trinitarian in that way.
Yeah, yeah, thinking about thisbiblically is so important and
we're starting to come up totime.
I think what we should do ispress kind of pause on this
(23:14):
conversation and or do a parttwo and we can cause.
I know you said you wanted totalk a little bit through
Ephesians five, 19 and 20.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Yeah, there's a lot to unpack, I think.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
And yeah, I think that'd be really good.
So we'll kind of do this inpart one, part two, where we've
kind of laid biblicalfoundations for singing and
getting us thinking gospelcentered in that way, and then
we'll have a follow-upconversation for next week and
we'll think about just practicaland faithful ways in which we
(23:47):
can express ourselvesappropriately in corporate
worship.
But someone's thinking about,well, how do I do this well, or
how do we get to having aculture of singing in the church
.
I think that would be wonderfuljust to kind of bring that
together looking at some otherpassages, but a real practical,
(24:07):
faithful episode intended forthe glory of God in our singing.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
I agree.
I think that would be reallygood.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Great Well, hey, thanks for having this
conversation with me.
It's always edifying,encouraging to talk to my wife,
but also just thinking aboutthis aspect of worship and
devotion to God.
It's wonderful.
I want to thank you forlistening to the Pleasing God
podcast.
If you have any questions, Iwould love to hear from you.
(24:35):
You can reach out at questionsat pleasinggodpodcastorg.
And remember 1 Thessalonians4.3,.
This is the will of God, yoursanctification.
Hi and welcome back to the Pleasing God podcast, a
show focused on helpingChristians to think biblically,
engage practically and livefaithfully for the glory of God.
I'm your host, Jonathan Soul,and today I want to have a
conversation about singing.
Well, you heard that I broughton my esteemed colleague, our
(00:29):
music coordinator, someone whoknows a thing or two about
singing, my lovely wife, Care tointroduce yourself.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Caitlin.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Oh, it sounds like have you been here before.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
A few times.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
All right cool.
So yeah, let's give a round ofapplause for Caitlin.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
That's all you get.
Fail.
I'm done with this.
Forget this Fail.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Yeah, all right.
Well, I want to talk todayspecifically about why do we
sing, why do Christians sing,and what's unique about that?
Because it is unique, I think.
If you've grown up in thechurch, singing is just part of
the DNA, right?
That's just what you do Fromthe littlest of songs.
(01:12):
You know what jingle was in myhead the other day, what I was
talking to my dad, just about acertain passage of scripture and
the Father Abraham song came upin my timeline.
I'm sitting there like bobbingmy head and waving my arms and
he probably thinks I'm nuts yeahum father abraham yeah, right
any sons.
(01:33):
Um, singing is just it's, it'ssticky right.
I've not sung that song in 30plus years.
It comes to mind yeah Right,just like those things that you
remember.
You know it's almost nostalgicnow, but as we walk through our
categories we want to thinkbiblically.
(01:53):
Then we want to engage withthis practically and hopefully,
you know, for faithful living.
Why do Christians sing?
Why does this happen?
Why do a bunch of people cometogether?
If we're thinking aboutcorporate worship, a bunch of
people come together on a Sundayand they sing.
Give me some background on that.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah, so I have right here Psalm 149, 1.
Praise the Lord.
Sing to the Lord a new song,his praise in the assembly of
the godly.
So I guess to start, we'recommanded to sing.
The Psalms really are litteredwith singing praises to the Lord
and a call to praise the Lord,and I believe we were created to
(02:37):
have a natural tendency towardspraising something outside of
ourselves.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Worship, yeah to worship, we're worshipers.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
And so we praise the Lord.
We sing songs when we cometogether as an outflow of our
hearts in praise and worship toour God.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
Yeah, I like that.
You said commanded to sing.
Yeah, we're told to.
I mean we get to and we can andit's a delight to, but I mean
the scriptures don't suggestthat Christians sing.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
No.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
Or don't say, hey, this would be a good idea if you
decided to do this.
You get it in the Old Testament.
You get it in the New Testamenttoo.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Yeah, I have Ephesians 5.
I have Ephesians 5.
Let's start in the end of 18.
That says Be filled with theSpirit, addressing one another
in psalms and hymns andspiritual songs, singing and
making melody to the Lord withyour heart.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Why don't you read the next verse too?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Giving thanks always and for everything to God, the
Father, in the name of our LordJesus Christ, submitting to one
another out of reverence forChrist.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
Interesting Addressing one another in psalms
, hymns and spiritual songs.
So this isn't an idea of likesinging your heart to God or
privately sing.
This is corporate right.
What he's talking about thereSinging in the gathering singing
together.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah, I think we can get to that when we talk about
what's it look like practicallyto just come together and sing.
But yeah, I think, just to know, he talks about variety of
music and he talks about howwe're to sing to the Lord, but
also it's a ministry to oneanother.
Yeah, we'll go back there andwe'll unpack that a little bit,
but also it's a ministry to oneanother, yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
Yeah, let's.
When we get, we'll go backthere and we'll unpack that a
little bit.
I think that's really good.
Other scripture passages thatjust you know.
When you think about singing,why do we sing?
If you really think about it,the Bible emphasizes singing and
making this joyful noise orshouting to the Lord.
This is a reoccurring themethroughout scripture.
(04:46):
Yes, and if you're, you don'teven have to have a careful
reading to find it.
You just start reading through,you read the Psalms, and if you
can get to Psalm 150 and youdon't feel like you should sing,
I don't think you've read atall through the Psalms.
Right?
Psalm 33, verse 1, shout for joyin the Lord.
(05:06):
Oh, you're righteous.
Praise befits the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord withthe lyre.
Make melody to him with theharp of 10 strings, sing to him
a new song.
Play skillfully on the stringswith loud shouts.
I mean this goes on.
And on Psalm 96, oh, sing to theLord a new song.
Sing to the Lord all the earth,psalm 5,.
(05:27):
But let all who take refuge inyou rejoice.
Let them ever sing for joy.
And I mean I can go on and onthroughout, but it's littered
there, not just in the Psalms,though, if we say, hey, there's
just one book, that's the Psalmsare meant to be sung Romans 15,
(05:47):
11.
Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol
him.
I like that verse because whenyou think about Old Testament,
we're dealing with Israel, we'redealing with the commands of
Israel, we're dealing with whatGod was establishing in them.
But now you look at in Romansand Paul's, like no, you
Gentiles too, like come in andsing, because God is the God of
(06:10):
the Jews, of the Gentiles, ofthe church, of his people.
And so I mean those are justcalls to sing praises.
Zephaniah 3.17 is aninteresting passage too, because
it tells us that the Lord willrejoice over you with gladness,
he will quiet you by his love,he will exalt over you with loud
singing.
(06:31):
Now, that's an interestingthought.
God sings over you.
Well, that's because he'spleased in his son right and the
redemption of his people.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
Well, that also goes along with how we were created
in his image, and so the abilityand the desire and the heart to
sing praises to the Lord wasgiven to us through the creation
being made in his image.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
So we're seeing throughout the scriptures this
command to sing, this expressionof singing.
I want to get to why?
Because if we never getthroughout the scriptures this
command to sing, this expressionof singing, I want to get to
why?
Because if we never get to thewhy we don't really understand.
There's not depth there.
Why do Christians sing?
We'll say because we'recommanded to.
I think we can go even deeperthan that.
(07:20):
Yes, we're commanded to, butultimately we sing because we're
the redeemed people of God.
At the very heart of singing isthe gospel.
This is why I don't likesinging songs about me, unless
you're telling me my condition.
But I like singing to God, toor of Christ and what he's done.
(07:44):
And so when we get to the verycore of the expression of
Christian worship, it is becausein singing, worship in singing,
it is because of the redemptionaccomplished in and through the
person and work of Jesus Christ.
You take that away.
(08:05):
I've got nothing to sing.
All I can sing was I'm a wretch.
I'm a wretch, I'm a wretch andI've got no hope.
And I don't want to sing thatsong.
I'd rather just go through mylife, because those are all
tragedies.
We don't sing these doom andgloom songs when we think about
(08:26):
our expression of heartfeltthanks and gratitude.
And so, ultimately, we sing,because the Lord has put a song
upon our hearts, because he'smade our hearts new.
We are glad in him, we rejoice,we are continually showing joy
(08:50):
because my sins are forgiven Imean, we could just think of it
this way because I'm ransomed,I'm redeemed, I'm renewed, I've
been restored, my heart's beenregenerated and I stand among
the company of those that we allshare this thing in common we
belong to Jesus.
Jesus is our Lord, jesus is ourSavior, jesus is my rescuer.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
And yeah, I love the last verse of and Can it Be?
And I think it sums up kind ofwhat you're saying.
I'm just reminded of this nocondemnation.
Now I dread Jesus, and all inhim is mine, alive in him, my
living head and clothed inrighteousness, divine, bold, I
approach the eternal throne andclaim the crown.
(09:34):
through Christ, my own.
We model that through singing.
Because we've been redeemed,because we are clothed in
Christ's righteousness, we canboldly go before the throne of
God and sing praises to him, inthankfulness and praise, and
sometimes lament and confession.
But I just I feel like when wecome together corporately for
(09:57):
the whole of the worship servicebut for singing, that is who we
are, that is our placement inwho we are in Christ.
That is who we are.
That is our placement in who weare in Christ.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Therefore, we can boldly approach God together as
a body, singing praises to himfor what he has done for us.
Not every song and not everyexpression of worship through
singing.
It's not always happy in Jesus,but everything that you just
said never changes, so it's notbased upon my feelings, it's
something outside of me.
Now.
Certainly, music and we're likeit elicits emotional response,
(10:40):
as it should.
I mean one thing that you knowI can watch a Celtics game and I
can get pretty like excited andfired up over a few good shots
and defensive play and I'mreally excited.
And this is a basketball game.
Yeah, you go to the game andyou're cheering with all the
fans.
You're, you know, you're reallyexcited.
(11:01):
You take part in that moment.
This is a sporting event.
There's nothing wrong withsporting events.
Moment there's a sporting event, there's nothing wrong with
sporting events.
But if I get more fired up fora celtics game or like just more
expressive, then I wouldincorporate worship in that way.
I mean, there's appropriate, Iunderstand, you know, being
appropriate to your setting inyour context, but I just can't,
I can't compute that yeah, itshouldn't, definitely shouldn't
(11:22):
be emotionless yeah, because Ihave more passion for the
celtics than I do, jesus rightat least it would appear that
way, wouldn't it?
Yeah, so, uh, it does bring outthat emotion, which is fine,
and we shouldn't be afraid ofthat.
We have to understand thatthese are sanctified emotions
and they're fueled not by how Ifeel that day.
(11:44):
Maybe, you know, some peoplehave more emotional days than
others and maybe their heartsare really stirred in worship.
I understand that, but thebasis for our worship is outside
of ourselves, the basis for oursinging.
I keep saying worship, I'mtalking singing, in that there
are many expressions of worshipthat are more than singing
(12:04):
Preach the word, hear the word,worship through the taking of
the ordinances.
So I understand that.
So, just if I'm using them, I'musing those synonymously, but
not saying that singing is theonly form of worship.
But it's all based off ofobjective truth.
The more I know the word of God, the truth of God, the more I
(12:29):
want to sing, the deeper I sing.
I know for me personally I was amumbler One.
I had this real self-consciousfeeling about singing early on
in my Christian walk.
Well, it's different, and as ayoung man in his 20s, I just
thought I was strange.
I was very me-focused even inthe expression of worship, of
(12:54):
singing because, well, I didn'twant other people to hear me and
I sounded like a goat and ittook me a while to get through
that.
But simultaneously, as I wasgrowing in the faith and I was
growing in my understanding ofgospel and God's word, theology
all this you know, probablythrough all the schooling and
(13:14):
whatnot, but in my own personallife, the more I stopped caring
about how I sounded and the moremy heart just was like you know
, like I had to sing.
I got to sing and then I got alittle bit louder and I'm there,
(13:35):
I'm singing because JesusChrist is worthy of my praise.
Right, and that's any day andall day.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Mm-hmm.
It also says to make a joyfulnoise.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Well, I'll make a noise.
I'll make a noise.
Sometimes the kids in frontturn around and look at me.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
No.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Yeah, but it's all good.
I smile and say, let's go.
You know, I mean.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Well, I think that I mean, I don't know if this is
the moment to talk about it, butI do think that women tend to
sing out naturally more than amale would, but there is a huge
importance to men singing it.
Models to the church, just ahealthy body but also it models
(14:23):
to the children.
I mean, you have two sons andyou singing out is a model to
our family.
Our children of you know we areto sing out.
Whether we sing well, whetherwe kind of just are making noise
, it's not about the actualinstrument of our voice, it's
(14:43):
the heart posture behind it, andwhen you're worried about how
you sound, you're thinking aboutyourself in that moment.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
That's right.
So, yeah, why do we sing?
We're commanded to, we get to.
We sing the song of redemption,yeah, and if that's the only
song I can sing, that's a finesong to sing, Even thinking
about it now, like kind ofgetting emotional, Just how
(15:11):
greatly we've been loved andjust to make, just to express
through song.
It's special and I'm thankfulthat God has created us to be
able to do something like that.
I'm getting to what you say.
Yeah, it's not an ultimate test, but the health of a
(15:32):
congregation.
Do the men sing?
And I don't care.
Do the men sing?
Well, Do the men sing out?
I have brought it up before.
I think there's somethingcalled mumbling men syndrome and
I just get rid of it and spendtime alone with Jesus in the
word and, you know, go tovarious passages of scripture
(15:58):
and just plant yourself in thegospel and Lord, give me the
song, give me a desire.
I understand personalities andwhatnot, but you never have a
reason.
Well, I won't say you never do.
There are inappropriate timesto sing, but I think it's
important.
I think it's important and itis an example.
You know, I don't evennecessarily think you're the one
(16:21):
who kind of got me thinkingthis way, but I don't
necessarily think of myself asan example to my children in
singing.
But I can see where there'svalue in that Dad sings out.
Dad sometimes cries in worshipor whatever it might be.
Dad believes these things aretrue.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Isn't there.
I'm looking right now in theGospels and I can edit this out
if I'm wrong.
And I can edit this out if I'mwrong.
But wasn't when the disciplesand Jesus were in the upper room
?
Didn't they sing a hymn?
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Yeah, so no, you don't need to edit that out, I
was going to go there too.
Oh, okay, we haven't got therein our Gospel of Mark series,
but Matthew 26, a fantasticpassage.
And this is something else.
This is a different dynamic ofsinging that we see in the
(17:18):
scriptures that I think isimportant to look at A little
bit of context here.
I know this isn't a Bible studylesson, but Jesus has just
instituted the last supper, orthis is the last of the Lord's
supper, and it's his last onewith them.
And he told them that he'sgoing to be betrayed, that he's
going to, and then later thathe's going to go and be denied.
But he was telling them that,basically, the end is near and
(17:43):
this is my body which is brokenfor you.
This is the blood of the newcovenant that is going to be
poured out for you.
And this is a very solemn time.
And Judas has already ran offto do what he was meant to do.
And the 11 are there likefeeling the weightiness of
what's just being told to them.
(18:04):
And you would read in Matthew 26, verse 30.
And when they had sung a hymn,they went out to the Mount of
Olives.
They stopped to sing Jesussings.
Jesus sings with sinners.
And I might read into it alittle bit, but I would believe
(18:27):
that Jesus led this singing withhis disciples here and even in
that solemnness.
That's where singing can bevery helpful to us.
Yeah, they praise God and thenthey go to the Mount of Olives.
What happens at the Mount ofOlives?
He's betrayed, he's arrestedand he's taken, but one of the
last things he does with hisdisciples before he's taken away
(18:47):
from them is he sings with them.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
In a moment of heightened I'm sure heightened
emotion.
I mean, he knew what washappening and we know how he
prays in Gethsemane, and so,even in those trials and those
in heightened emotion, we arestill to praise and sing.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Right, and it gets back to what do we sing?
I mean they're singing to God,God the uncreated one, god the
unchanging, one immutable rightNever changing.
And so this is what's so goodabout Christian worship, songs
that are theologically correcttowards God is they can be a
(19:30):
thousand years old and they arestill relevant, because God
never changes and you can singacross the whole spectrum of
time, you know, because songstowards God, songs about the
gospel, it never changes, and sothat's wonderful.
I'll give one more example Acts, chapter 16.
It is another example of thepower of singing.
(19:54):
Why do we sing and in whatcircumstances are we singing?
Well, in Acts, chapter 16, pauland Silas are beaten and they're
thrown in prison and they're inthis Philippian jail.
And the text tells us in verse16, 25, about midnight.
(20:16):
So they're up late, probablycouldn't sleep, they're in
shackles, they're in bonds,their hands and feet are
literally locked away andthey're probably in a standing
upright position, hard to fallasleep.
(20:36):
And they decide it's a goodtime to sing and it says they
were praying and singing hymnsto God and the prisoners were
listening to them.
Now they're in prison becausethey're followers of God.
Oh, I wonder how powerful itwas to listen to that praise set
.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Right and all of a sudden there's an earthquake.
All of a sudden, the power ofGod just drops on the place and,
amazingly, the bonds open andall the prison doors open
through this earthquake.
And what happens?
They stay put and they ministerto everyone in that prison.
(21:16):
Singing is a ministry, singingis powerful and it is our
privilege to do so, no matterhow we sound, because we're all
goats.
I mean, some voices are morebeautiful than others, sure, but
(21:38):
God knows our hearts and theexpression of heartfelt
gratitude and thankfulness is abeautiful aroma to the Lord.
So, biblically, ultimately, wesing because of the gospel and
we sing because we're commandedto and we sing because we can.
We've been given that in ourwiring.
(21:58):
As image bearers of God,created to worship, we're
created with art and musicskills and a desire for those
things, because God desiresthose things.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
We all worship something.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
And even an unbeliever worships something,
and so we are created to do that.
Just as Christians, we honethat into praise and worship to
the Lord, because that is theonly thing to be worshiped.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
People like to sing.
Yes, no matter what they liketo sing, and that's because God
has wired us to do so.
Go to country music fest orsomething like that, or go to a
concert, and you will see peoplesinging those songs that they
love, right, and dancing aroundand whatever, and so.
But ultimately, that expressionis to find its fulfillment,
(22:52):
directed to God, in and throughthe personal work of Jesus
Christ.
Yes, that's why we sing.
The ultimate and highest formof singing is to God, through
Christ, enabled by the Spirit,so it's Trinitarian in that way.
Yeah, yeah, thinking about thisbiblically is so important and
we're starting to come up totime.
I think what we should do ispress kind of pause on this
(23:14):
conversation and or do a parttwo and we can cause.
I know you said you wanted totalk a little bit through
Ephesians five, 19 and 20.
Speaker 2 (23:23):
Yeah, there's a lot to unpack, I think.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
And yeah, I think that'd be really good.
So we'll kind of do this inpart one, part two, where we've
kind of laid biblicalfoundations for singing and
getting us thinking gospelcentered in that way, and then
we'll have a follow-upconversation for next week and
we'll think about just practicaland faithful ways in which we
(23:47):
can express ourselvesappropriately in corporate
worship.
But someone's thinking about,well, how do I do this well, or
how do we get to having aculture of singing in the church
.
I think that would be wonderfuljust to kind of bring that
together looking at some otherpassages, but a real practical,
(24:07):
faithful episode intended forthe glory of God in our singing.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
I agree.
I think that would be reallygood.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Great Well, hey, thanks for having this
conversation with me.
It's always edifying,encouraging to talk to my wife,
but also just thinking aboutthis aspect of worship and
devotion to God.
It's wonderful.
I want to thank you forlistening to the Pleasing God
podcast.
If you have any questions, Iwould love to hear from you.
(24:35):
You can reach out at questionsat pleasinggodpodcastorg.
And remember 1 Thessalonians4.3,.
This is the will of God, yoursanctification.
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