Music 2                  August 28, 2009

                                  By Doug Davis

A couple weeks ago, we were talking about King David getting so excited while bringing the ark home, that he started dancing around, right in public.

David was a very expressive person.

Not only was he a great administrator, and a mighty warrior, he was a musician, an artist.

He had no problem demonstrating his love for God.

He just didn't care what others thought about him.

Tonight, I wanted to look a little more at the subject of singing, and music, and why we do it in church.

Before we go any farther, I need to make it clear that music, playing, and singing, even dancing, and other demonstrations like that, aren't all there is to worship, and praise.

Often, we think that praise and worship is the music.

It isn't.

Praising, and worshipping, comes from the heart.

It may involve singing, shouting, dancing, playing music, and the like, but it has to be in the heart.

It is like happiness, isn't just laughing.

Worship, and praise to the Lord, is a way of life, an attitude, not something that has to be pumped up, or manufactured.

Sometimes, while leading the song service, years ago, I felt like I should show up in a cheerleader outfit.

After all, that was what I was doing, trying to pump everybody up.

"Lean to the left, lean to the right, worship the Lord with all your might!"

It was more like resuscitating a dead body, than worshipping.

Years ago, the music in a church, was pretty much the same all over.

You had a piano, and an organ.

I'm not talking about the churches with pipe organs, and all that, I'm talking about your mainline Protestant churches.

They even sang the same songs.

So that wasn't an issue, not much.

Of course, it often wasn't to inspiring either.

Don't misunderstand me here, I'm not knocking that music, it was what they had, and what they did.

But the church at large, is so apposed to change, it can get stale.

Then you have the antithesis, which you see a lot of now.

The music has to be modern, cutting edge, and appeal to the young folks.

I don't have a problem with that, I know, if the music in church had been a little more like what I was listening too on the radio 35 years ago, I would have liked it a lot more.

However, what is the purpose of the music?

Is it to make us feel good?

To make us happy?

To excite us, or put us in a quiet dull mood?

Let me show you something.

PSA 33:1 Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright.

2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.

3 Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

4 For the word of the Lord is upright, And all His work is done in faithfulness.

This passage says a lot.

In verse 1 part A, it says "Sing for joy in the Lord"

Joy, sing for joy.

Sing because you are happy, joyful, you enjoy your God, and He enjoys you.

Have you ever heard a child singing, just because they are happy?

It is a beautiful sound!

They may not know the words, or even the tune, they may be making it up as they go, but the fact that they are happy and are letting it out, is so cool!

Before church one Sunday morning, just a couple months ago, one of the young ladies that sings on the worship team, went to the restroom.

We were all talking in the sanctuary, getting ready to play, and suddenly, we heard this strong, sweet voice singing like crazy coming out of the lady's room.

It was clear as a bell.

I don't think she knew that her voice was carrying like that, but everybody started chuckling.

It was funny, but I was thinking, "there's a girl who loves the Lord, and loves to sing for, and to Him, and she's just letting it out."

I thought it was precious.

She was singing, and not even worrying whether anybody could hear her, or not.

We need to be more like that!

In part B of verse 1 it says, "O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright."

When I hear the word becoming, it is usually making reference to a hair do, or article of clothing, jewelry, or something like that.

I'd paraphrase it as, "it looks good on you."

So, I'd read this passage as Praise looks good on the upright, and righteous ones."

Remember, praise, not just singing.

A few weeks ago, they cut down a bunch of trees next to our house for this road project.

They came, and cut, and chopped up the wood, and made a bunch of noise.

Then, the very next morning, I heard a cardinal in what was left of the trees, just singing for all it was worth.

I kind of smiled, and wondered if that bird was saying," it doesn't matter what you did, I still have a tree, and a voice," or was it saying, "regardless of what has happened to my home, I will keep singing to God."

It probably was just singing, because it is a bird, and that's what birds do, but I felt like God was telling me, "don't worry about your house, or bills, just praise me through everything."

Going back to Psalms 33, let's look at verses 2 and 3.

2 Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.

Remember, the lyre was the forerunner of the guitar, and the harp was the forerunner of the piano.

This verse says to give thanks, and praise with your instruments.

If you are a musician, you will know what I am talking about, but playing for the Lord, is the coolest thing you can do.

It is how I express myself to Him.

Not just in church, but at home too.

It has to be at home, just as it has to be in your heart first.

3 Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

I like that, "Play skillfully with a shout of joy."

Hold it, don't shout in church, what are you, a nut?

You see, all this can be summed up like this; don't be afraid of showing God how much you love, and appreciate Him.

Give it all to Him.

Not everyone is demonstrative, it may not be your personality.

That's OK, God knows, after all, He made you, He knows what you are like, but everyone is made to worship, and praise Him.

It probably won't be in the way I do, but it has to be real.

A duck quacks, a dog barks, a cat meows, and a cow moos, yet they are all doing what they do best.

Some people clap their hands, some cry.

Some laugh, others dance.

This one may jump, that one may sit and soak.

It doesn't matter, just developed a habit of worshipping the Lord, at home, in your car, and everywhere.

Then, it won't be a problem at church.

Besides, we are a house church, we can do whatever the Lord wants us to do.

Man, talk about freedom!

I pray that all of us will become major league worshippers, professional praisers.

The earth is temporary, God is eternal.

We need to get our minds around that.

Let's get practiced up for some serious praise and worship in Heaven.

I'm gonna be rocking, and rolling, like you haven't ever seen!

Let's pray.