Building People of Substance for Works of Power
When I first attended a Holy Spirit church back in 1980, the initial shock was the worship. One guy led it on a keyboard. It was upbeat. The people clapped and raised their hands. They occasionally sang in some foreign language, and it was downright eerie. Instead of being in a hymnal, the lyrics were on an overhead. And oh, those words! They sang right out of the Bible! We sang about the grace of God, our position in Christ, and the worthiness of our God. Singing Scripture is nothing new, but it just seemed so real and present. “I will sing unto the Lord for He has triumphed!”
Songs, poems, and chants have always served to remind God’s people of the great victories the Lord has won for them, and to instruct them in the essential doctrines of Christianity. Beginning with Moses in Exodus 15 and continuing right on through to the opening ceremonies of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Revelation 19, songs, poems, and chants have inspired and instructed us all. Music and verse have great power in that they tend to get stuck in our consciousness and become inadvertent meditations. Advertising jingle writers, rock stars, and the Holy Spirit all know and use this universal truth. I encourage you to be careful what you allow to be on repeat in your heart.
Somebody Said: “I’m not against screens, or new songs, or innovation. I just don’t like the gimmicks. I want to know when worship is over that that leader’s sole purpose was to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.” Chuck Swindoll
Scripture Reading: Let Christ’s word with all its wisdom and richness live in you. Use psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to teach and instruct yourselves about God’s kindness. Sing to God in your hearts. (Colossians 3:16 GW)
Here’s the Point: In our current climate, we have so much new Christian music coming out it’s hard to keep track. With the internet available to all, things come and go quickly. In our personal devotions and in our public gatherings, let’s insist on songs that teach eternal truth, that glorify God, and that move us past maudlin emotion to spiritual elevation. Guard your heart. It will impact your life.
Pastor Virgil
pastorvirgil.com 