{Note: This post was originally intended to complement a couple of post by Bro. Archbishop that he posted back in December or January but no longer appears on this blog.}(Delivered September 25, 1992 as the Music Report to the Annual Messenger Meeting of the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Association of Oklahoma hosted by the North Bethel Missionary Baptist Church of Bethel, Oklahoma). ---A compilation of material by Joseph L. Looney (2) at that time Pastor of Pine Top Missionary Baptist Church, Broken Bow, Oklahoma---
The Bible places great emphasis on music and singing as part of our service to God. Words related to praise, singing, and music occur approximately 575 times throughout the Bible. References to music are found in 44 of the 66 Books of the Bible. In Exodus 15, Moses and Miriam led the Israelites in a song of victory. One can find songs: of praise in Judges 5; of joy in I Samuel 2; of sorrow in II Samuel 1. Many of the 150 Psalms were originally used as a songbook. Psalms 92 says, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praise unto Thy name, O most High." Psalms 95:1,2 instructs us, "O come, let us sing unto the LORD: Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms." Many scriptures instruct, and yes, even command us to use our singing voices as instruments of praise unto the LORD.
Ever person who becomes a believer should also become a singer. There are no qualifications for a saved person to use his/her voice in praise and worship. The Scriptures do not say, "Sing unto the LORD... if you have a beautiful voice, if you feel like it, or if you are in the choir." The Scriptures do say, however, to "Sing unto the LORD." This is part of the believer's service to the LORD as is witnessing, giving, attendance, prayer or Bible study. Hebrews 2:12 states of Jesus, "I will declare Thy name unto My brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee." Jesus apparently led the disciples in the singing of praise to God in Matthew 26:30. Paul and Silas sang songs in jail in Acts 16. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 5:18,19 to be "filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the LORD." If then, we ignore this command and choose not to sing, we are being disobedient to God's instructions.
Music is not a time filler, nor mere decoration in our worship services; it must serve a valid, scriptural purpose. There is a trend in many of today's contemporary "churches" for music to become a form of Christian entertainment. God forbid! The Bible sets forth some very specific purposes and Christian entertainment is not one of them. One of those purposes is praise. Psalms 147:1 states, "Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely." We can easily see in this scripture that singing and praising are closely related. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to glory of God." If use of music in worship is motivated for any other reason or by anything other than a desire to "do all to the glory of God," then that effort fails to what is right according to the Scriptures.
Church Music in worship services is preaching and teaching in one sense because the music portion of the service teaches and gives testimony to and about God. Yet it should never take the place of the preaching service nor should more emphasis be placed upon it. And just as the Pastor and the Church are held responsible by God for what is preached and taught from the pulpit, likewise they are responsible for the music program. Colossians 3:16 states, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom: teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in you hearts to the LORD." These instructions are unmistakable. The music we use must instruct us in the eternal truths and principles of God's Word. This then demands that the lyrics of each song be scriptural (that is, they should not say anything that is contrary to the teachings of the Word of God) and of unquestionable integrity. This also demands that special music only be rendered by those whose testimony is consistent with the Word of God. These servants should, therefore, be faithful members of a New Testament Church of our LORD Jesus Christ.
Thus extreme care should be taken and the help of God sought to insure that the selection of music for worship is Scriptural in its text, preparation, and presentation, whether this music be sung by one, a few, or many, or if it be played on any of hundreds of musical instruments. Singing heresy is just as wrong as preaching or teaching heresy.
Music should be designed to prepare hearts and minds to worship God in the greatest possible way. Hymns which appeal to the flesh rather than the Spirit nature should be avoided. The Word of God presented in a musical manner has the potential of attracting listeners that the spoken word might leave unattracted. Because of the unique qualities of music, it should be used as an evangelistic tool in spreading the Gospel and in teaching to observe the "all things" of Matthew 28:20.
The LORD desires that men and women dedicate their lives to Him so that their talents can be used in His service. However, His main concern is that we be available to Him. Even so, the Bible sets very high standards of personal commitment on the heart and life of the believer who sings. Ephesians 5:18 says we should be "filled with the Spirit" when we sing. The LORD sees our motivation for singing and the condition of our hearts. Our singing, to be pleasing to God, must be accompanied by a life which seeks to please the LORD in every way. Without personal holiness and a dedication to the LORD, public praise becomes an abomination that the LORD refuses to hear. Consider the words of the LORD in Amos 5:21-24, "I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols. But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream."
May God help us to be diligent to use our voices and instruments in a Scriptural way as we worship and praise Him. Only in this way can God get glory from the praise and worship rendered to Him in church music.
Respectfully Submitted
PINE TOP MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
--A compilation of material by Joseph L. Looney from the following sources:
Paulk, Mike. Letter to Joseph L. Looney. 14 March 1992 (With written permission to use any or all of his material in any way chosen).
Pine Bluff Missionary Baptist Association Messenger Meeting held at Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church, Benton, Ark., 15 October to 16 October 1981. 1981 Minutes And Yearbook, "Church Music Report."
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Association of Oklahoma Messenger Meeting held at Pine Top Missionary Baptist Church, Broken Bow, OK, 29 September 1984. 1984 Minutes, "Music Report" by James Holdiness.
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Association of Oklahoma Messenger Meeting held at Glover Landmark Missionary Baptist Church, Glover, OK, 30 September 1989, 1989 Yearbook (and Minutes) "Music Report" By Doyle Nations.
Amen to most of this.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I wonder about is the following statement...
"There is a trend in many of today's contemporary "churches" for music to become a form of Christian entertainment. God forbid!"
Entertainment means according to Webster, "something affording pleasure, diversion, or amusement,"
I agree we should sing to God in worship services with the intentions of pleasing Him, but pleasing Him usually leads to my pleasure and joy. Focusing on Him usually gives me a diversion from the world.
Also, I'm sure the authors of this post would agree we can use music for our private entertainment. It seems to me the authors meant that church services should NEVER EVER be for the purposes of entertainment.
We can use music just for listening to at fellowships. We can have fifth Sunday Singing without preaching between morning and night services. We can listen to clean or Christian music in the vehicle. We can play classical music for our babies to fall asleep to.
One must make a distinction between clean music for entertainment and worshipful music for worship services.
Bro. JamesCharles: I want to thank you for your comments.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I do take full responsibility for this post. I put it together from the sources mentioned. Due to the nature and use of this article I did not, some 16 or 17 years or so ago, try to identify the source of each sentence like one does in thesis and/or formal writing. Some of the statements are my very own. Just as stated this is a compilation, and I said that to recognize the sources that I used. As you can see I did list the sources. The main source is from a letter that gave me full permission to use the material in any way I chose. Nevertheless, I take full responsibility for what I wrote, yet trying to give credit to the named sources.
Now as to the statement you wondered about which is:
"There is a trend in many of today's contemporary "churches" for music to become a form of Christian entertainment. God forbid!"
I believe what I am trying to convey is that when we come together to worship God and the Lord Jesus Christ, it is not for entertainment or just for fun; but rather to give honor and glory to God and to gain a higher opinion of God and thus to be motivated to be close to Him and to be more dedicated and more useful in advancing the kingdom of God in our daily lives. I was trying to show that when we come together it is not for entertainment. Since putting together this article years ago it seems to me at least, that the trend, is for church to be a place of entertainment rather than a place to come together to worship and study the truth the Word of God. Many churches, and this includes many who have the name Baptist over their door, major on things other than Christ Jesus and the Word of God to attract people. When we attract people using either artificial or superficial means, such as entertainment(s) and programs other than the program God has laid out in His all-sufficient Word we shall get artificial and/or superficial result.
Jesus said in Mark 16:15 (KJV) "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Preaching includes teaching and what we sing etc. is part of teaching. In examining the book of Mark as well as the other Gospel records we find time and time again that Jesus was teaching or that He taught the people.
This thing of teaching is emphasized in Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV) "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:1-5 (KJV) "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; (2) Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine (that which is taught- jll). (3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; (4) And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (5) But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry."
I probably have not answered your query. But I tried.
jll2, Gillette, WY
Additional reply of jll2 on March 28, 2009
ReplyDeleteTo Bro. JamesCharles
As to the other part of your comments: please remember this post is about "Music In Our Worship" and does not pertain to private entertainment or just for listening to in the home and in vehicles etc. and the like as you mentioned in your Comments.
In this article I did not mean that we are not to enjoy the worship services for as you said they do and should bring joy to us as we hear scriptural songs and good Bible preaching in our worship. But the idea here in the article is that we should not bring the world's idea of entertainment into our worship services.
The singing should complement and prepare us for the preaching and preaching the Word is to be primary
Again this post is not about how you get the baby to go to sleep. Nor does this post forbid listening to good clean music in our homes and other places other than in our worship services. Please do not make this say something it is not trying to say. And yes we can have Fifth Sunday or Saturday Singing and enjoy the music and so forth and the fellowship but that is not worldly entertainment.
And I agree as you stated, "One must make a distinction between clean music for entertainment and worshipful music for worship services."
jll2, Gillette, WY
I must have come across wrongly. I meant that we agree, and I just wanted to clarify something you were saying so as to keep others from jumping on this post and speaking against something you weren't saying. Sorry if I worded it wrong. Love you brother. :-D
ReplyDeleteTo Bro. James Charles: again thanks.
ReplyDeleteWe both no doubt understand that when we write something it is harder to make ourselves understood. There is no offense on my part. I appreciate you. We are Brothers in Christ. Thanks for coming to my aid. In speaking and in writing sometimes I come across differently then what I mean, I think you know what I mean.
Hope to see you some day this side of heaven. The Lord willing I plan to go to Springfield. May God bless you and yours and your ministry for our Savior. I always look forward to your comments. You have made some good one and it is encouraging.
jll2, Gillette
P. S. I did make a big mistake in the title of this article. The title should have had the word "Services" on the end. It should have read: "Music In Our Worship Services"
I especially liked the comments 1) about who should sing in a worship service and 2) singing heresy is as bad as preaching heresy. Great work!
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I once heard someone sing while a great piano player played a song. It was about building a bridge to get to Heaven by doing good things. It sounded like a traditional hymn and the piano playing was good, so many shouted "AMEN!" How terrible to sing heresy! :-p Thought you might like this post Brother Richard.
ReplyDeleteWow, nice post,there are many person searching about that now they will find enough resources by your postPiano Teacher belmont ca
ReplyDelete