Today, many church services are described as traditional or contemporary, based solely on the type of music contained in them. I personally gravitate toward a more “traditional” service, I love organ music and the complexity of some of the older hymns, especially those based on Bach’s chorales. However, I have no problem worshiping when other types of music are involved, as long as the music does not distract from the words and the words are Biblical. To me, the music is a vehicle for the words and should therefore take a backseat to Christ honoring lyrics. Whether you love the music of modern praise or Southern Gospel or classic hymns, that should not be allowed to cloud your judgment on whether a song is acceptable for worship. Only serious studying into the lyrics of that song can bring about the right conclusions.
Scripture does not say a lot about music but there are a couple of passages in the New Testament that speak about the topic:
Colossians 3:16 “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.”
Ephesians 5:18-21 “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, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
1 Corinthians 14:26 “What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.”
I especially like the last passage from 1 Corinthians, that when we as believers come together, everything done should be for building each other up in Christ. If a hymn, worship chorus, sermon, special music, drama, or any other part of the Sunday morning service does not build the believer, it should not be included.
Getting back to music, I found a list of criteria that was used when putting together the 2008 Baptist hymnal and I think it works well as a filter for all music used in a service.
- Does the hymn speak biblically of God?
- Is it God-honoring?
- Does the hymn present a biblical view of man?
- Does the song help us to cover the depth and breadth of our theology?
- Does the hymn call us to true discipleship, service, repentance, witness, missions and devotion?
- Does the hymn speak biblically of salvation?
- Does it engage the whole person – allowing a person to express his deepest feelings?
- Does the hymn emphasize that Christ is the Christian’s Lord, Master and King? (the idea of total submission)
- Is there a balance with corporate and individual response in worship? (immanence and transcendence)
- Does the hymn speak biblically about the church, the body of Christ?
Just like one can speak without thinking, one can sing without thinking, I know that I am guilty of doing that. Let us all make it our goal to think about what we are singing and do it for the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?
Tags: John MacArthur, True faith
A woman shared with me once that she had lived for 40 years in a marriage to a man who was just—wicked. She said, “All through those years, people counseled me to get out of that marriage. But somehow, God kept drawing me back to that vow I had made.” Then she said, “I’m so glad I waited. A year ago my husband finally got saved, and God is truly changing him.” And then she said, “You can’t believe the incredible changes God has brought about in my life as a result of that suffering.” Forty years may seem like eternity, but 2 Corinthians 4:17 tells us that our troubles are really only momentary, and that they are “achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all”. I don’t know how you may be suffering, but let me assure you that when it’s over, you’ll look back and say, “Thank you, Lord. You brought about eternal glory through my suffering.” With Seeking Him, I’m Nancy Leigh DeMoss.
Tags: Marriage
How do Christians grow? Dr. R.C. Sproul teaches new and seasoned Christians the five crucial aspects of true spiritual growth. Just as any living organism has requirements if it is to grow and thrive, in the same way Christians have God-given requirements that are necessary elements if there is to be any growth in grace and godliness. In this book R.C. Sproul describes five spiritual “nutrients” crucial to spiritual maturity: Bible study, prayer, worship, service and stewardship. In the Introduction Sproul borrows the biblical metaphor of athletics and writes, “Christians are called upon to train, to make sacrifices, and to embrace certain disciplines in order to give God ‘our utmost for His highest.’ This book deals with five of those disciplines: Bible study, prayer, worship, service and stewardship. Read the rest of the book review here from Tim Challies. Check out the five short video introductions to each aspect below.
Tags: Christian Growth, RC Sproul
From the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed it’s been raining… and when I woke up this morning guess what? It’s still raining!
I love the fellowship of the believers… there was many times throughout church that I talked to a brother and sister about Christ and the word of God… that’s what fellowship (koinonia) is. To truly fellowship is to have something in common… That is Christ and His word… that’s what Acts 2: 42-47 is all about.
We are continuing in Philippians 2:9-11 and we learned the difference between Lord (Adonai) Lord,
Master and LORD (Yahweh) and as Philippians 2:9-11 says… all will confess Jesus as Adonai Lord. If you have not confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior Romans 10:9-10 Cry out like David did “I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good besides You.” Psalm 16:2 Believe making Christ your Lord and Savior. Can you continue to not call Him `Lord’, and refuse to do what He tells you to do and expect that you will still go to heaven? that’s the question we need to ask ourselves. Because every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
That brought us into a discussion that… is accepting Jesus as savior enough… like as it was stated… tacking Him on to our life without changing, relying on a prayer we prayed in high school or in Sunday school or VBS. Does the bible affirm our Salvation on what we have done in the past?
Is just praying the sinners prayer all we need to do… Just saying!
John 14:21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.
Not only did He save us He saved us to bear fruit “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. John 15:16
2 John 1:6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
There is a lot more to talk about here, but that’s for another post.
A great friend had a chance to preach in our pastors absence… He talked on 1 John 4:1-6 He talked about testing the spirit to see if they are in Christ… He did a great job filling in… He talked about how these false prophets are the author’s (John) opponents. And ways we need to discern from false and truth. He took us to many scriptures to help us see that this is not only throughout the bible but a command. The words of Christ Matthew 7:15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. He took us to 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, Satan appears as an angel of light and his demons as ministers of righteousness. They mask themselves as those who give God’s truth when, in fact, they give the opposite. As my friend put i, we need to be Bereans Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Acts 17:11
I’ll leave you with this… Because that’s what I learned in church yesterday
There is a new MacArthur Study Bible… The ESV But first take a look at his testimony.
John MacArthur’s Testimony
John MacArthur’s Testimony from Grace Community Church on Vimeo.
The new ESV MacArthur Study Bible is Here You can download for free a PDF of the book of Romans Here
MacArthur ESV Study Bible from Crossway on Vimeo.
How the MacArthur Study Bible got it’s start.
Tags: John MacArthur
