Praising God through Music “…
singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.” Ephesians 5:19.
* Praise and worship is universal. Have you ever heard of an explorer finding a new tribe or culture that doesn't worship? We have approximately 7 billion people on the face of the earth, and we don’t all worship the same God, but almost everyone worships something or someone. Why do people do that? The logical conclusion is that we were created by a powerful being for the purpose of praise and worship. It is part of our very nature to praise. Throughout the ages all cultures have made music, vocal & instrumental, as an expression of feelings… of culture… of religiosity. Music is one of the most accurate reflections of who we are as a people. Different cultures have different styles of music - when culture changes, music changes. The more diverse a culture, the more genres!
* For believer in Jesus Christ however, praise and worship should be a natural consequence of our faith connection to God – it should flow naturally from thankful hearts. We praise what we are most devoted to in life – GOD! And since the Bible is the book that God has chosen as a way to communicate with us, we will find answers about praise there. * God is the focus of our praise both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Here is verse I like a lot: “Come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.” Psalm 95:1. That means that we are commanded to praise God with our voices… even shouting, as in a… CELEBRATION! Praising God for Who He is, and for what He has done for us! The most common form of praise in Scripture was through music, but Jesus says it needs to be “… in spirit and truth…” John 4:23. * Jesus sang with His disciples (Matthew 26:30) just before His arrest. Paul instructed the Colossians to "… sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God…" Col. 3: 16.
* Music is a very important part in the life of God’s people today. But contemporary culture and modern technology bring new possibilities and new challenges to the music ministry of the church. As we start a new service on January 8, 2017, we will be using mostly contemporary songs for praise time, but the lyrics… THE LYRICS WILL BE BIBLICAL… ALWAYS! It will be a great opportunity for people to praise God together. (Many of the songs we will be singing you can hear on K-LOVE radio station – 92.1)
* So, what style of music do we use in worship? Well, the style of music for worship is not mentioned in Scripture. Musical instruments are mentioned - Trumpet, horn, harps, lyre, flute, strings, cymbals, tambourine, castanets - but they were used make the worship and praise even a more beautiful experience. So, what is important in praising God with music? A. What goes on in the heart/spirit of the worshiper; B. The words/lyrics in harmony with God’s Word. * Our God is creative, and so needs to be our praise as it flows from a life connected to Him. We have many genres in our culture – classical music, hymns, gospel, pop, rock, country… In Africa, if a missionary tries to lead the church to praise God with classical hymns it makes no sense to them. It is a foreign concept. In leading the worship, we need to be aware of the genre of the local culture so that worship acceptable to God and praise becomes natural.
* Praising God is not only singing songs in church - it is much more! It is a condition of your heart, a willingness to exalt God and yield to his will. Praise is an expression of love and awe to the God who gives us more than we deserve. Our praise needs to be reflected in every action, every day of our life. God bless us in our praise! Rev. Don Sonntag
singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.” Ephesians 5:19.
* Praise and worship is universal. Have you ever heard of an explorer finding a new tribe or culture that doesn't worship? We have approximately 7 billion people on the face of the earth, and we don’t all worship the same God, but almost everyone worships something or someone. Why do people do that? The logical conclusion is that we were created by a powerful being for the purpose of praise and worship. It is part of our very nature to praise. Throughout the ages all cultures have made music, vocal & instrumental, as an expression of feelings… of culture… of religiosity. Music is one of the most accurate reflections of who we are as a people. Different cultures have different styles of music - when culture changes, music changes. The more diverse a culture, the more genres!
* For believer in Jesus Christ however, praise and worship should be a natural consequence of our faith connection to God – it should flow naturally from thankful hearts. We praise what we are most devoted to in life – GOD! And since the Bible is the book that God has chosen as a way to communicate with us, we will find answers about praise there. * God is the focus of our praise both in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Here is verse I like a lot: “Come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.” Psalm 95:1. That means that we are commanded to praise God with our voices… even shouting, as in a… CELEBRATION! Praising God for Who He is, and for what He has done for us! The most common form of praise in Scripture was through music, but Jesus says it needs to be “… in spirit and truth…” John 4:23. * Jesus sang with His disciples (Matthew 26:30) just before His arrest. Paul instructed the Colossians to "… sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God…" Col. 3: 16.
* Music is a very important part in the life of God’s people today. But contemporary culture and modern technology bring new possibilities and new challenges to the music ministry of the church. As we start a new service on January 8, 2017, we will be using mostly contemporary songs for praise time, but the lyrics… THE LYRICS WILL BE BIBLICAL… ALWAYS! It will be a great opportunity for people to praise God together. (Many of the songs we will be singing you can hear on K-LOVE radio station – 92.1)
* So, what style of music do we use in worship? Well, the style of music for worship is not mentioned in Scripture. Musical instruments are mentioned - Trumpet, horn, harps, lyre, flute, strings, cymbals, tambourine, castanets - but they were used make the worship and praise even a more beautiful experience. So, what is important in praising God with music? A. What goes on in the heart/spirit of the worshiper; B. The words/lyrics in harmony with God’s Word. * Our God is creative, and so needs to be our praise as it flows from a life connected to Him. We have many genres in our culture – classical music, hymns, gospel, pop, rock, country… In Africa, if a missionary tries to lead the church to praise God with classical hymns it makes no sense to them. It is a foreign concept. In leading the worship, we need to be aware of the genre of the local culture so that worship acceptable to God and praise becomes natural.
* Praising God is not only singing songs in church - it is much more! It is a condition of your heart, a willingness to exalt God and yield to his will. Praise is an expression of love and awe to the God who gives us more than we deserve. Our praise needs to be reflected in every action, every day of our life. God bless us in our praise! Rev. Don Sonntag