MUSIC AND WORSHIP

1. Worship that is acceptable to God must be in truth and in SPIRIT. (John 4:20-24)

a. The Samaritan woman at the well had a conversation with Christ about worship.

b. Vs. 20 – The Samaritans and the Jews disagreed as to WHERE the right place to worship was… geographic location.

c. Vs. 21 – Jesus states that soon geographic location would be irrelevant in worship. It DID matter in the Old Testament. Jerusalem was where the Temple was. That was the right place of worship.

d. Vs. 22 – Jesus made it clear that the Samaritans worshiped God ignorantly! Their worship was NOT acceptable to Him. They didn’t do it the right way.

e. Vs. 23-24 – Worship to be acceptable to God MUST be in spirit and in truth.

f. Apart from truth and a right spirit, worship was unacceptable to God. There is a right way and a wrong way to approach an infinitely Holy God.

g. It didn’t matter how hard a person tried, how sincere they were, or how much effort they put into it, worship is only acceptable to God when it is offered in the right spirit and in truth. It is possible to be sincerely wrong.

h. The Samaritan woman assumed that worship was all about external things (the place of worship; Temple; sacrifices; rituals; etc.)

i. Jesus explains that worship is not about the externals, but the INTERNAL… the spirit (human spirit – God conscious part of man).

j. For worship to be acceptable to God, the DEEPEST part of the inner man—the spirit—must be regenerated and controlled by the Holy Spirit.

2. Music appropriate for worship must flow from a heart filled with the Spirit of God. (Eph. 5:18-19)

a. The first result of a Spirit filled life mentioned here is SINGING. (Along with thanksgiving and submission.)

b. Sacred singing is the FRUIT of the Spirit. (The list in Galatians 5 is only partial—there are hundreds of other expressions of the Spirit in a believer’s life.)

c. Spirit filling is the NORM for the Christian life.
• The human spirit (God consciousness) must be under the control of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God.
• Paul contrasts being filled with the Spirit with being filled with wine… (under the influence of…)
• To be filled with the Spirit, all known sin must be confessed and self must be yielded to God.
• This filling is to be the day to day, moment by moment experience of every believer.
• The filling of the Spirit is not some spectacular experience of the Spirit falling upon us… as the charismatics would have us believe.
• If you are born again, and all your known sins are confessed, and you are yielded to God, then you ARE filled with the Spirit!
• Being filled with the Spirit isn’t an emotion to be felt. It is a command to be obeyed.
• We are to walk in the Spirit. Our every day walk is to be characterized by the filling or the controlling power of the Spirit of God… as you drive your car, do the dishes, go to work, or sing in the choir!
• In our everyday, ordinary lives, we are to walk in the Spirit, under His control. When that is the case, there should be a melody in our hearts… that gushes forth in SINGING.
• Music that flows from a heart filled with the Spirit is acceptable in worship… and no other kind of music is.

3. Spirit filled singing is expressed in a variety of forms and adapts to various cultures.

a. This is part of the GLORY of Christianity. It is not a list of rules, cultural traditions, or identical rituals. It is adaptable to ANY culture anywhere on earth in any and every generation.

b. There is a good reason WHY the Bible does NOT tell us what style of clothing to wear… what traditions to keep… what customs to observe, or what particular songs to sing.

c. Christianity will look and sound diverse in various countries and in different centuries.

d. But the source of it all is always the same: the human spirit under the control of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

e. When that is so, worship will always be conducted in a spirit of humility, reverence and awe, order, and submission… hearts bowing in His presence.

f. No other source is acceptable to God. Worship MUST be in spirit and in truth.

g. The FRUIT of the Spirit will be identical in every land… (love, joy, peace, gentleness, etc.) although the means of expressing it (unique practices and customs) might be very different.

h. When the human spirit is under the control of the Holy Spirit, the singing of hymns and spiritual songs will vary greatly from land to land…
• But the underlying spirit of worship will be identical…
• That spirit will always result in songs of reverence, humility, awe, order, submission, and true worship… with hearts bowing in His presence.

4. Isa. 6:1-3 – here is an example of angelic creatures worshipping God… in His presence.

a. As Christians, because of the blood of Christ, we too can come into the very PRESENCE of God in our worship!

b. “Having there fore brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus…” (Heb. 10:19)

c. When we worship in spirit and in truth, we enter into the Holy of Holies with God!

d. Our bodies are the Temple of God.

e. Notice that the holy angels covered themselves… they covered their faces in a deep sense of humility as they worshipped God in His presence.

f. They were not covering their face out of shame for their sin. They were HOLY angels.

g. They covered their faces out of humility… as mere creatures in the presence of the Almighty Creator!

h. It was a normal reaction of a creature who understands who God is. It puts us in our place before Him… covered… bowed down…

i. They chanted, “Holiness” to the Lord. The atmosphere was that of holiness… humility… deep reverence for God.

j. It was not a party atmosphere…

5. In Rev. 4:10-11, there is a similar scene before God’s throne, only there the scene includes the 24 elders representing the church… and they FALL DOWN before God in worship… crying, “Thou art worthy…”

a. That is the most basic meaning of the Biblical term for worship: bow down… (Old Testament and New Testament)

b. They weren’t dancing and kicking up their heels. They were bowing in reverence and awe in the Holy Place.

c. Rev. 5:8-9 – saints in heaven and angels fall down before God and sing a new song… “Thou art worthy…” (vs. 14)

d. There is a proper approach to God in worship and song. There is a proper atmosphere for worship. There is a proper attitude in worship and song as well.

e. This approach to God… this atmosphere and attitude transcend time, language, culture, and geographical location.

f. Vs. 9 – This throng was from every tribe and nation – all different cultural backgrounds… but they shared ONE faith… one spirit of worship, humility, and reverence…

g. On earth, it doesn’t matter whether the worship service is in Jerusalem, Samaria, or the uttermost parts of the earth.

h. While the music and the practices may be quite different, the SPIRIT is the same. We are ONE in the Spirit.

i. This is because the human spirit under the control of the Holy Spirit will manifest the same FRUIT… the same spirit of worship and humility and reverence.

j. You might worship with a group of believers in Bulgaria, China, or Ethiopia… and while you won’t understand the words of the music… it is possible to sense the SPIRIT in which they worship… whether it is the spirit of reverence or the spirit and atmosphere of a carnival. There is a difference. He that is spiritual discerneth all things!

k. Only the proper KIND of worship and music is acceptable to God… in spirit and in truth.

6. Heb. 13:15 – When we gather for worship, we are to come together as the Body of Christ to bring an OFFERING to God.

a. As believers, we are all priests unto God, and as such we are to bring Him an offering.

b. The offering mentioned here is the fruit of our lips… praise! Whether in speech or in singing.

c. The local church is a gathering of believer/priests who have come with an offering for God.

d. Psalm 100:1-4 – Note in vs. 4 that the Old Testament saints were to enter into the courts of the Temple area for worship… and they were to come WITH an offering of thanksgiving and praise!

e. They were to come with hearts already full of thanksgiving and praise… and in His gates, they were to SING! Make a joyful noise!

f. They didn’t come to the Temple to GET charged up for worship. Rather, they were to come already PREPARED for worship!

g. Their hearts were full and they came to express that fullness to the Lord… with an offering… and with an offering of praise and song!

h. We should COME to church with a song already in our heart… just waiting for the opportunity to express that song with the Body of Christ through singing!

i. Music is not the CAUSE of the filling of the Spirit. Music is the EFFECT of the filling of the Spirit.

j. We don’t come to church to RECEIVE the filling of the Holy Spirit. The church is the gathering together of believers who have been walking in the Spirit all week long… and who come together to express as a Body their praise and worship to God…

k. And if our hearts are NOT filled with the Spirit, NOTHING we offer to God is of any spiritual value.
• It is all wood, hay, and stubble!
• If the heart is not right, God is not pleased with ANY offering. It is NOT a sweet smelling savor to Him.
• Your voice in singing may be skillful and sound wonderful to men, but not to God. He is interested in the SOURCE of that singing… the heart.
• You may put more money in the plate than anyone else, but God is not pleased if it does not come from a pure heart.
• You may preach a wonderful message from the Word—but there is no reward for that kind of service if the heart is not right.
• Christianity is not about outward form but about inward reality.
• Jesus said, “Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,? ⁸This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.? ⁹But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Matt. 15:7-9)
• For our music and worship to be acceptable, the HEART must be right before God. He knows our hearts.
• For the heart to be RIGHT… SELF must be kept on the cross… dead to sin and self and ALIVE unto God…
• Self must be surrendered to God… yielded to Him.
• Otherwise, our worship is vain… empty… of any spiritual value.

l. Our worship—including the music—is to be in spirit and in truth… or that offering is not acceptable to God.

m. The singing of sacred songs is directed – TO the Lord.
• It is not a performance for men, but a song directed to God.
• In that sense, music is part of WORSHIP… an offering we bring to God from a heart of gratitude.
• Only HE can determine what is and what is not acceptable. He judges on the basis of spirit and truth.
• The words we sing must be in accordance with truth and reality (true in our hearts)… and the spirit of worship must be in harmony with His Word: awe, reverence, holiness to the Lord.

MUSIC AND EMOTION

1. Music that is acceptable to the Lord in worship is:

a. Music that emanates from a heart full of the Word of Christ. (Col. 3)

b. Music that emanates from a Spirit filled heart. (Eph. 5)

2. Spirit FILLING is NOT a FEELING or an emotional experience.

a. In the everyday, mundane activities in the life of a believer, if we are yielded to God, then we ARE filled with the Spirit.

b. We don’t FEEL His indwelling presence or power. We walk by faith… believing and trusting that God’s Spirit is working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

c. The fruit of the Spirit is JOY… not bubbliness or giddiness.
• The joy of the Lord is ours even in times of suffering and pain! O joy that seekest me through pain!
• We can have joy even when there is no fruit on the vine… but not necessarily happiness, which is dependent upon happenstances.
• The joy of the Lord is different… it is deep and abiding… the supernatural and abiding work of the Spirit of God in our hearts…
• Music can take our minds off the struggles of life for a time and make us happy and lighthearted for a while… but it CANNOT produce the fruit of the Spirit… joy!

d. God never intended for music to produce in us that which only the Holy Spirit can produce: namely, spiritual fruit.

e. Music was not intended to get us “warmed up” or “revved up” for worship.
• But that is how music is being used today in many circles.
• We should COME to church, with our hearts ALREADY richly indwelt by the Word of Christ… and already under the control of the Holy Spirit.
• God’s purpose for singing is NOT to prime the pump to get us ready to worship… rather, it is the natural outflow of a heart already prepared for worship—filled with the Word of Christ and filled with the Spirit of God.

f. Col. 3:16 – The BIBLE says that we should come to worship with a song already in our heart.
• The charismatic movement has caused much confusion today concerning what the filling of the Spirit is.
• The filling of the Spirit is confused with a feeling or an exhilarating experience.
• Therefore many have reverted to using music in an attempt to PRODUCE the effects of Spirit filling.
• No wonder they need huge amplifiers and electric guitars. But if the hearts are not already filled with the Spirit, no amount of electricity is going to revive a heart that is not functioning properly!
• No amount of wattage is going to come near to the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a cheap imitation.

g. When music is used to warm us up for worship, it is an artificial means of producing the fruit of the Spirit…
• It is an attempt to imitate the effects of Spirit filling by producing an outward appearance of life… (People get excited…)
• It produces a lot of motion and activity that is wrongly interpreted as the Spirit of God in action.

h. Example: At a recent Celtics game, they USED music to stir up the crowd, and get them INTO the game… a motivator when the game is getting a little boring… and the home team is down: (we will we will rock you… “charge!!!” etc…)
• Music CAN get a rather lifeless crowd stirred up. It is used for that very purpose at every professional sports game.
• At times, the game got a bit boring… and they got the crowd back in the game with loud music! It worked!
• Of course, the SOURCE of stirring up the crowd at those games is the music.
• This has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit.
• Music all by itself is ABLE to stir up crowds. It can manipulate a crowd… even without words! It’s powerful.
• It would be foolish to assume that because a crowd got excited in a basketball arena, it must be the work of the Holy Spirit. Nobody would ever think such a thing.

i. Yet when similar loud music is used to stir up a crowd in a church building, the effect IS attributed to the Holy Spirit.
• As the loud music reverberates, the crowd gets stirred, and they experience a feeling of excitement.
• And if that religious crowd doesn’t get stirred up and experience that same sort of religious feeling… then it is assumed that the Holy Spirit is NOT at work… and they go home disappointed.
• The exhilarating experience produced by the music is mistakenly identified as the filling or moving of the Spirit.

j. I am suggesting that those folks in the evangelical/charismatic world have become so accustomed to hearing rock music in church that they cannot tell the difference between the FEELING that loud music produces with the FILLING of the Holy Spirit.
• The FEELING is confused with the FILLING.
• That which causes their exhilarating experience is not necessarily the Holy Spirit.
• It is often the very SAME effect as is felt in the basketball arena by the music… and they attribute it to the Holy Spirit.
• It is how the powerful medium of music is used to manipulate crowds and generate excitement…
• In other words, these religious folks are being moved, but not by the Spirit of God… they are moved by ANOTHER spirit… a counterfeit spirit.

3. God is able to stir us up, thrill our souls, and satisfy our hearts with nothing more than a still small voice. (I Kings 19:12)

a. In the case of Elijah, He didn’t need a tornado, an earthquake, or a fire from heaven.

b. Today, He doesn’t need amplifiers and electric guitars!

c. Don’t confuse sight, sound, and stimulation with the work of God.

d. We walk by FAITH, not by sight or feeling.

e. If we are dull and lifeless in our worship, music CAN charge up the atmosphere and stir us up emotionally. But that is not at all the same as Spirit filling.

f. When our hearts bow before Christ and the Word of Christ, and self is yielded to His Spirit, THEN that music will that flows from our heart will be with enthusiasm produced by the Holy Spirit…

g. But if the singing doesn’t emanate from a heart already richly indwelt with the Word of Christ, whatever it is that produces that excitement and enthusiasm—is a counterfeit.

h. Once folks in the rock and roll type church turn on the power they can get the crowd moving… rocking and rolling… shaking their bodies… waving their arms… which is exactly what occurs at the Celtics game…

i. But when that exhilarating feeling occurs in a religious setting, and it is mistaken for the work of the Holy Spirit, that is what Paul calls another spirit…

j. This spirit is man made; soulish and natural rather than spiritual; moves the body and emotions, but cannot reach the spirit; it is therefore earthly and worldly rather than heavenly and spiritual.

k. And folks in those contemporary Christian circles often cannot distinguish between exhilaration created by loud music and a holy zeal created by the Holy Spirit. This is a serious problem.

4. In those circles there is a genuine desire for a religious experience, but not necessarily a desire to know God.

a. The religious crowd is satisfied to have a religion they can FEEL rather than a Person they can know: Jesus Christ.

b. While mankind is incurably religious, Paul says that “there is none that seeketh God.”

c. Don’t be surprised to see lots of people seeking a religious experience… but have no interest in knowing Christ in a personal way. (Especially in light of the fact that knowing Him requires fellowship in His sufferings… being made conformable to His death.)

d. Many folks today want the experience without the cost of discipleship.

e. Thus, they have feel good music and feel good sermons. (God loves you, have a nice day!)

f. Everybody goes home feeling good, and they come back next week to feel good all over again!

g. But hearing from the Word of God doesn’t always make us feel good. The ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit doesn’t always make us feel good. Sometimes we will be severely convicted and feel quite bad!

h. Ecc. 7:3 –Solomon said that sometimes “Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.”

5. We know that not all worship is acceptable to God. Not all music is acceptable to God.

a. We are told HOW to worship God in an acceptable way: in spirit and in truth. Apart from that, our worship is VAIN.
• It is possible to worship God unacceptably (Gen. 4:3-4).
• It is possible to worship God ignorantly (Acts 17:22-23).
• It is possible to worship God contrary to His Word (Lev. 10:1-2).
• It is possible to worship God hypocritically (Mt. 15:7-8).
• It is possible to worship God half-heartedly (Jer. 3:10).
• It is possible to worship God in vain (Mt. 15:9).
• It is possible to worship God and in fact, nauseate Him! (Isa. 1:11-15).
• It is possible to worship God and actually anger God! Uzziah was smitten with leprosy for attempting to offer a sacrifice to God (II Chr. 26:16-20). Nadab and Abihu were burned with fire for offering strange fire (Lev.10:1-2).
• It is possible to worship God and be weary of it (Mal. 1:13).

b. What God wants is worship from the heart: in spirit and in truth.

c. Worship and music incorporated into our worship should evoke a sense of reverence, humility, awe, and holiness.

d. Not all KINDS of music produce a sense of reverence and humility… and would therefore NOT be acceptable to incorporate into worship.

MUSIC AND LIFESTYLE

1. Music emanates from the heart… and often reflects a lifestyle.

2. Not all MUSIC is acceptable to the Lord.

a. Psalm 69:12 – the song of the drunkards.
• Would God be pleased if we used that song in our worship?
• Besides the words, don’t you think that those songs had their own style… way of singing…
• The songs of a drunkard arose out of an attitude and a lifestyle… and that’s what they convey.
• Don’t you think that their songs exude a certain philosophy of life? (I don’t care attitude… I’m going to do whatever I want to do… Live for today… eat, drink, and be merry…)
• Don’t you think that those songs would have seemed quite foreign and out of place in the Holy Temple where they were accustomed to singing the inspired psalms?
vi. The songs of the drunkards arose out of a heart filled with the spirit of alcohol… not the Holy Spirit! (Paul makes an analogy between alcohol and the Holy Spirit—two different spirits and two different effects)

b. Isaiah 23:15-16 – singing as a harlot.
• The prostitutes sang enticing songs to men passing by to lure them to themselves.
• Their singing was designed to be sensual… alluring… enticing… tempting.
• Even without any words, don’t you think their style of singing was different from the way psalms were sung in the Temple?
• It wasn’t the MELODY, but the way they sang it that made it alluring.
• Don’t you think that the folks in the Temple would recognize the difference between the way they sang psalms and the way a prostitute sang her enticing, lustful songs?
• The music of the harlot arose out of a heart full of the spirit of lust, not the Spirit of God.
• That song came from the wrong spirit.
• Her heart made the music what it was. It was the song of a harlot! Certainly not appropriate for worship.

c. Music emanates from the HEART.
• Out of a harlot’s heart comes the song of a harlot.
• Ecc. 7:5– from the heart of a fool comes a song of a fool.
• Out of the heart of a drunkard comes a song of a drunkard.
• Out of the heart of new creatures in Christ comes a NEW song about God!
» Amos 8:3 – the songs of the Temple
» I Chron. 25:7 – some were instructed in the songs of the Lord.
» GOD puts a new song in our hearts. (Psalm 40:3) It is the song of one set free from the miry clay and whose feet are fixed on a solid rock!
» He giveth songs in the night (Job 35:10).
» When God is in our hearts… and our hearts are filled with God… and His Word is dwelling richly in our hearts… and our hearts are filled or controlled by the Holy Spirit… a sacred song comes forth!
» It is a NEW song… different from the song of a drunkard or a harlot or a fool. It is a sacred song…
» This is just what we have seen in Eph. 5:19 and Col. 3:16.
» The songs we sing in worship are a reflection of what is going on in our heart.

d. And don’t you think it would be quite absurd to COMBINE the various KINDS of music mentioned?
• Suppose that a harlot or prostitute in Old Testament times came to know God by faith and was gloriously saved.
» Then suppose that someone had the bright idea to take the songs of the prostitutes and change the words… and sing them in the Temple…
» Do you think that she would want to sing in the Temple with the same songs with the same breathy, enticing tones that she did on the streets?
» Don’t you think that this former prostitute, upon hearing this music in the Holy Place would see that music as completely OUT OF PLACE in God’s House… and quite offensive?
» Wouldn’t that be a constant reminder to the former prostitute of her immoral past?
» Don’t you think she would be appalled to hear that music she knew so well in her days as a prostitute referred to as “Sacred Prostitute Songs”?
» It is not wise to take the song of a prostitute, change the words and call is “Sacred Prostitute Music.” That is an oxymoron.
• Don’t you think that the drunkard who got saved out of Skid Row would be appalled to hear the inspired and holy words of David’s psalms put to the irreverent songs of the drunkard and sung in the Temple?
» Wouldn’t that be a constant reminder to the former alcoholic of his immoral past… something he was struggling with to put off like a filthy garment?
» Wouldn’t singing those songs be a stumblingblock to him and others?
» Why would anyone want to bring those songs into the Temple?
» Those songs represented a whole lifestyle—which was part of his immoral past. The old is to put off like dirty garments. New clothes are to be put on.
» In so far as that music was part of his old lifestyle, it was to be PUT OFF… not fixed up and worn.
» Wouldn’t he be scandalized to hear of someone changing the words and calling them “Sacred Drunkard Songs” because the words were changed?

3. Our generation is not wise in taking rock music from the rock culture, and the lifestyle it promotes and represents, change the words, and bring it into the church, and then refer to it as “Sacred Rock.”

a. Gang members that come to know the Lord would be equally scandalized to hear believers talk of “Sacred Rap” Or “Christian Gangster Rap.”

b. Just as there is a lifestyle associated with the drunkard and with the prostitute, there is a lifestyle and an attitude associated with rock and roll… and it comes out in the music.
• I don’t know any Christian drunks… or Christian prostitutes… or Christian gangsters. Such WERE some of you… but now ye are washed! You are one or the other!
• Rock music is sensual and rebellious. Rock music and rap music have created their own little sub cultures… and they are anything but sacred.
• The wise thing to do is when you get saved, put away old things and learn a NEW song.

c. If you are willing to leave the miry clay behind, God will put a new song in your heart.
• Is the music of the harlot neutral? Is the music of the drunkard neutral? I think not.
• That is like saying that literature is neutral. It depends upon what is being SAID… it has meaning!
• Some literature is wonderful reading. Other pieces of literature are evil and immoral in their intent!
• The songs of the drunkard or the harlot exude emotion, an attitude, and convey a spirit that is completely incompatible with the precious words of Holy Scripture.
• And if the experts are right… and the experiences of thousands of born again Christians are right… (that rock music is sensual and rebellious), then that spirit is also incompatible with Scripture or words about the Holy, spotless, Son of God! They don’t go together.

d. Whether we want to admit it or not, there ARE many different KINDS of music.
• Some are appropriate for worship and some are not.
• God is pleased with some and displeased with others.
• Even without any words, music can convey emotions and attitudes… of all sorts and stripes.
• The song of the drunkard is different from the song of the prostitute… a different attitude… a different purpose… a different lifestyle… a different spirit.
• They sound different. They are performed differently.
• They have different effects.
• They are both different from the kind of music that is appropriate for use in worshipping God.
• And if we can’t tell the difference between the song of a drunkard… the song of a prostitute, and a worshipful, spiritual song, then God help us! That does not speak well of our level of discernment.
• The Bible recognizes different KINDS of music: songs of harlots, drunkards, fools, and spiritual songs… the songs of the redeemed.
• We should recognize them too. Pick that which is higher and nobler!