Every Sunday morning and many times throughout the week, millions of Christians worldwide gather and spend much time together singing. Many of us are far from professionals; we may not like the sound of our voice, and yet we belt out songs like "How Great is our God," Holy Forever," and "Great are you Lord," or hymns like "How Great Thou Art," "Great is Thy Faithfulness," and "To God be the Glory." Every week, we gather together and sing our praises to God regardless of our inclination to sing. The people of God (Yahweh) have sung for thousands of years. The first song recorded in the Bible is Moses' song in Exodus 15. The eleventh verse sounds similar to what we might sing today in a church service.
“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
I want to explore six reasons why followers of Jesus gather together and sing.
We Worship Through Singing because He is Worthy
The book of Revelation is filled with worship, primarily worship in heaven. Scenes of worship are littered throughout. In John's visions of heaven, we see elders, angels, and even creatures all glorifying God.
Revelation 4:11, ““Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
Revelation 5:9-10, “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
Scripture Commands us to Sing
The writer of Psalm 149:1 says, “Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! Psalm 9:11 says, “Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!” The Apostle Paul implores the Ephesians to “not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,” (Ephesians 5:18-19)
Worship Leader Matt Boswell states, "There are over 50 direct commands to sing in the Bible, and singing is mentioned over 400 times."" There is no skirting around it; we, as the people of God, are commanded to sing! To lift His name in song.
Our Songs Teach us Theology, Doctrine and the Testimonies of God
No one can remember the sermon on Monday morning, but the songs you sang in church are likely running through your head all week. Songs are catchy and memorable, so it is important that the songs we sing are biblically sound. Former Professor of New Testament Dr. Gordon Fee profoundly states, "Show me your church's songs, and I'll tell you your theology." I have thought about these words often over the years.
The Apostle Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians, "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." We are undoubtedly shaped and molded by the songs we sing and listen to. And the word of Christ dwells in us as we lift our worship to God in song.
Singing is also a way to remember how God has worked in the past, remembering the testimonies of God. The psalms are filled with writers recounting how God moved in the past.
Singing Helps us Express with Emotion our Love for God
God has created us as emotional beings. God revealed in scripture is one who shows many emotions: compassion, joy, sadness, anger, delight, grief, and others. For far too long, the church has shunned and judged those who show emotion in their worship of God. The psalms are great examples of showing emotion in our worship and relationship with God.
John Piper says, “Where feelings for God are dead, worship is dead.” I couldn’t agree more!
We express our love and affection for God through song, and our love and affection grow when we sing to God as we declare who he is!
Singing Unites and Encourages One Another
There is so much division today, and the church is no exception. The reality is that we will not agree on everything, and that is ok, but there is one thing the church must agree on, and it is what unites us. The person of Jesus. When we worship together as a church and lift the name of Jesus high, we unite in his name!
Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Singing together not only unites us but it encourages us. As we look around the room and see others praising God regardless of the situation they are going through it encourages us to continue on, their expression of faith in God bolsters our faith and pushes forward.
We Make War with Our Song
When we take our eyes off our situation and turn to Jesus, things change. A hymn that speaks to this is, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace."
The atmosphere shifts when we worship and lift our voices in song. I don't know how many times I have worshiped because I have felt heavy or depressed or I don't know what to do, and the atmosphere around me completely shifts.
One time, I was hanging out with a friend, and as I was leaving their house, I got in my car and started to feel depressed and low - this strange, heavy feeling. I tried to shake it off, but nothing changed. I began to go to war. I took a worship CD, put it in my car stereo, and started singing. It was a song by Robin Mark called "Garments of Praise". Within a few minutes, the heaviness was gone!
In the final hours of Jesus' life, Jesus and his disciples sang together. There is no doubt that Jesus needed to set his gaze upon the Father and submit his will to him before he went to the cross. Jesus himself was most certainly in a war.
Matthew 26:30, "And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”
Next time you are with other believers lifting your voice to God, know this: there is far more going on than simply singing a song.
Check out my latest book "Hearing God's Voice: The Extraordinary Journey of Listening to God." Click Link Below
Comments