Today we look at an objection people have to preaching. Some people find it boring. They sometimes say, ok the church needs preaching, but sermons only engage the head, and what we need is for God to reach not just our heads but also our hearts.
Sometimes this works itself out in a church where a short slot is given to Bible-reading and the sermon and a very long period spent singing. People will justify this by saying that 'worship' is very important. We could usefully spend time correcting this notion that the sermon is separate from the 'worship', but for today I'd like to explore more of what our hearts really need. Is it true that a sermon is for our heads and the singing is for our hearts?
Music has a huge power over our lives. Imperialists have often used nationalistic anthems to inspire their people to go forth and conquer; they are duped into thinking of themselves as some sort of master race who have a license to oppress others in the name of progress. But music can be harnessed for good in the life of the church.
God wants music to mould our hearts into a right approach to him, but as we look at the two twin passages in Ephesians and Colossians that command the church to sing we see that they do not conceive of singing as being an emotional engagement only. Rather, the church's singing is actually a teaching ministry.
Ephesians 5:18-21
18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
Notice that in our Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs we 'speak to one another'. Some people think of singing as being a time when we tell God how we are feeling. That is not entirely misguided. It is right to tell the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that we adore him. But we also speak to eachother. Singing makes every member of the congregation into a preacher.
And in the parallel passage in Colossians, it is clear how much of an intellectual exercise singing should be:
Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you (not just the tune), in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another (Col 3:16)
To admonish means to warn. When we sing to eachother we bring a stern message to one another. We preach sermons across the church floor. "O Church of Christ, arise and put your armour on". Clearly, we don't sing that modern hymn to God, but to one another. We prepare eachother for battle. It's going to be a hard fight against the Enemy of our souls. But we have a glorious future to look forward to when the battle's done.
So, back to our theme tune: 'feed my lambs'. A pastor feeds his lambs not just through sermons. A large part of his teaching is done in song.
I recently expounded Psalm 100. Only 2 Kurds were present in the gathering. And I was deeply convicted that I should try to make a Kurdish song out of Psalm 100. That way it can ring out across villages and towns, in taxis and in olive groves.
If you are a pastor or leader in your local church, try to help your musicians to lead the people with songs that are rich in Scripture. That is the good pasture that the lambs need.
Sometimes this works itself out in a church where a short slot is given to Bible-reading and the sermon and a very long period spent singing. People will justify this by saying that 'worship' is very important. We could usefully spend time correcting this notion that the sermon is separate from the 'worship', but for today I'd like to explore more of what our hearts really need. Is it true that a sermon is for our heads and the singing is for our hearts?
Music has a huge power over our lives. Imperialists have often used nationalistic anthems to inspire their people to go forth and conquer; they are duped into thinking of themselves as some sort of master race who have a license to oppress others in the name of progress. But music can be harnessed for good in the life of the church.
God wants music to mould our hearts into a right approach to him, but as we look at the two twin passages in Ephesians and Colossians that command the church to sing we see that they do not conceive of singing as being an emotional engagement only. Rather, the church's singing is actually a teaching ministry.
Ephesians 5:18-21
18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.
Notice that in our Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs we 'speak to one another'. Some people think of singing as being a time when we tell God how we are feeling. That is not entirely misguided. It is right to tell the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that we adore him. But we also speak to eachother. Singing makes every member of the congregation into a preacher.
And in the parallel passage in Colossians, it is clear how much of an intellectual exercise singing should be:
Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you (not just the tune), in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another (Col 3:16)
To admonish means to warn. When we sing to eachother we bring a stern message to one another. We preach sermons across the church floor. "O Church of Christ, arise and put your armour on". Clearly, we don't sing that modern hymn to God, but to one another. We prepare eachother for battle. It's going to be a hard fight against the Enemy of our souls. But we have a glorious future to look forward to when the battle's done.
So, back to our theme tune: 'feed my lambs'. A pastor feeds his lambs not just through sermons. A large part of his teaching is done in song.
I recently expounded Psalm 100. Only 2 Kurds were present in the gathering. And I was deeply convicted that I should try to make a Kurdish song out of Psalm 100. That way it can ring out across villages and towns, in taxis and in olive groves.
If you are a pastor or leader in your local church, try to help your musicians to lead the people with songs that are rich in Scripture. That is the good pasture that the lambs need.
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