STEEMCHURCH: CHRISTIAN MUSIC (PART 2)

Hy guys, good morning to you all. Some days ago, I talked about christian music part 1, when we talk about the kind of music God want for us and the vice versa. Today we are going to look at the part 2, what do we have to know about music again? Let go!

TEXT: Colossians 3:16.

That we may know the rich spiritual value of singing hymns and spiritual songs during our worship services, and what the church will benefit spiritually when hymns are given their proper place in our worship services.Every Sunday, congregations gather in our various churches for what we call worship services. It is so called because believers gather as children of God in the presence of God our Father, the Almighty, awesome and great God. All that we do from the beginning to the end of worship services - such as singing, praying, reading and listening - are done and should be done acknowledging His person, greatness and presence. One area the church seems to forget this fact is in the area of singing and all associated with it.

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Most singing done today by way ofchoruses is done with the mind of appeasing the congregation as melody, rhythm. Songs that entertain seem to influence the praise leaders a great deal. At the end ofpraise worship sessions, the congregation's happiness is what is achieved and not God who should be worshipped for who He is. If we will truly worship God in our services through our singing, then we need to understand what we sing, who sings or leads songs and to whom we sing.

WHAT TO SING(colossians 3:16b)

• Sing Psalms

Testimony of Psalms: The psalms are rich. They declare the acts and attributes of God and one to one dealings with His covenant people, as recorded by them in Bible times. They also showthe worshippers' response to God from their different situations oflife. We learn from the Psalms how David and others chose to worship and acknowledge God in praises, songs and prayers. Psalms are a part of the Scriptures that are inspired by The Holy Spirit, without error in the original copy.

• Sing Hymns

Hymns differ from Psalms in the sense that they are human works. Much as hymns may be based on the holy scriptures, they may contain human errors.

• The Christian heritage: Christianity is blessed with the heritage of Hymns which were composed by saints primarily to drive home the messages from the pulpit.

• The Theological content of Hymns: Because they were composed for worship gatherings and to accompany themes and messages by the preachers, most hymns were biblically rich in content as they all focused on God; spoke of the Gospel of God's love, and of expectations and prayers from worshippers. In essence, hymns are concise messages put in song form to drive home the points ofmessages.

• The richness ofstyle and poetry: Hymns were great works as composers spent hours in prayers, meditations and writing to get them in the form of poems, so they could be sang as stanzas. This brought about the commitment ofthe composers to Bible study, skill sharpening in music and poetry, and to prayers for the spiritual inspiration of the lyrics. No wonder hymns still minister to us centuries after they were composed.

  The power of its edification: Music generally has the power of sticking to one's memory. Hymns have the double effect ofcarrying spiritual words and the ability to be absorbed into ones memory, thereby becoming sources of edification in the life of the worshipper.

Sing spiritual songs such as choruses and praise songs.

• Songs inspired by God (Psalms 40:3)

• Songs biblically correct such as "Give me grace to follow," instead of "Me I know go suffer"

• Songs that have proper language expression.

Songs focused on a particular theme, rather than on melody or that which only makes people to dance.
Songs spiritually prepared for and rehearsed.

WHO SHOULD SING

• One who has new life in Christ (Colossians 3: 1, 10). It is not all who sing that God acknowledges, for some are dead spiritually and they sing dead songs. We come alive spiritually when we get born-again. It is then God considers us amongst those that sing.

• One in whom the word of God dwells richly (Colossians 3:16a). Our worship and praise is the product ofhow much ofGod we know, and this comes from our knowledge and proper understanding ofHis Word, the Bible.

• One who isfilled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5: 18). God is seeking for worshippers who would worship Him in Spirit and in truth. The only way we can do this is when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

• One who is holy (Colossians 3:12). Vessels who work for God, such as leading His people in praises and worship, are to be consecrated and set apart as holy vessels.

HOW TO SING

• With thankful hearts (Colossians 3 : 16b).

• With hearts ofworship (Ephesians 5: 19b).

• Sing to the Lord, keeping Him as the focus (Colossians 3 : 16b).

• As a representative ofthe Lord Jesus (Colossians 3 : 17).

• As one who is prophesying, that is, proclaiming God's word (1 Chronicles)

CONCLUSION:

What happens during the period set aside for singing praise and worship songs in most church services is a far cry from the kind of worship God seeks for. The praise and worship times are usually the loudest, with all the musical gadgets tuned to the loudest. While seeking to make it lively for worshippers, we end up forgetting it is first about exalting our heavenly Father, and not about us. We sing and dance and clap, but many hearts are far from the devotion that comes from the humble adoration of God our Father. One way to address this is:

• Make out time to sing more hymns during our services, for they help in stirring and directing our hearts in true worship and praise to God.

• During the singing of hymns, the musical gadgets should not be loud or noisy as at the other sessions. The atmosphere is warm enough for meditation as the congregation sings along together. Here noise distractions are less and the congregation is able focus on God through the words of the hymn.

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ACTION PLANS:

Ask yourself the following questions andbe honest about your
answer:

• Are the songs you sing truly spiritual?

• If you are a composer, what is the source ofyour composition? Is it from the richness of God's word in you?

• When you minister as a choir member, or you lead praises, who do you sing for and to?

• Is God the one glorified or you?

• Are you ministering or entertaining?