Last week I commented that you sounded wonderful as you sang and how I wish that all of us present this morning could have heard the children sing this past week at VBS. One of the songs we sang last week however gave us a bit of a challenge. It was pitched a bit high.
With our digital keyboard we have the capability to change keys at the push of a button. And for that song, I cannot recall which one it was; it was raised two steps too high. I apologize for that as I normally try to lower a song 2 steps so that all of us can sing it.
To access this key change function on the keyboard I push a certain button on that reveals a key change function screen. On this same screen appears the number 440.
440 means 440 vibrations per second. It is the standard measurement for tuning the piano. In fact, it is often referred to as A 440 because it refers to the key of "A" above middle "C."
Writes Robert G Lee," The 440 vibrations of A has been recognized by the US Bureau of Standards. It is a global pitch, so basic that radio and television stations as well as electric companies use it for power calibration."
But Lee goes on to state, "two of the nation’s top symphony orchestras have given "A" a slightly sharper edge. They are tuning their instruments from not at 440 vibrations per second but at 442 vibrations per second, simply to achieve more "brilliance" in stereo and high-fidelity production."
But piano tuners, Lee claims, believe that the added stress to the strings and piano with the higher setting could cause older pianos to explode and put them at risk. By the way, at the regular A 440 setting, the tension of a piano’s 220 strings builds up to 22 tons of pressure.
I want to play a familiar hymn, Amazing Grace, which is page 303 in our red hymn book, first at the 440 setting and then at the 442 setting. Let’s see if we can hear a difference. (Play the hymn).
Could you hear a difference? I could. A slightly crisper, clearer, sound.
One of the other things about music that makes it so wonderful is its mixture of various notes. Some of the keys are major notes, written in a major key, and some of them are minor notes, written in a minor key.
Keep your hymnbooks open to 303 because I have asked ________’s grandson ___ to help me illustrate this by playing Amazing Grace one time. As he plays, listen to the music and hear the changes in the tune. (Amazing Grace is played) Did you hear them? Thanks ___.
Now, I am sure that you did not expect to have a music appreciation lesson this morning, did you? There is a point to all of this. Take a look 303. The top line of notes is the melody line. It is the line that, when we hear it, we know that it is Amazing Grace. (Play the melody line) The other three provide the harmony to the song. (Play the top two notes.)
In Psalm 119:54 the Psalmist says, "Your principles have been the music of my life throughout the years of my pilgrimage." What does he mean by music?
In the Revised Standard Version, this verse is translated from the original Hebrew as, "Thy statues have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage." In the New International Version it reads, "Your decrees are the theme of my song wherever I lodge." And in the New American Standard version it is translated, "Thy statues are my songs in the house of my pilgrimage."
Let me suggest the word "score." A score is "the music of a composition or arrangement with different parts indicated." The score is a collection of different notes , which are different in key, tempo, and style. Much like chapters in a book. Much like the chapters of our lives.
We have times in our lives in which our lives are fast and peppy and upbeat. Then we have times or chapters when things are slow, maybe even sad or frustrating and the key is not bright but cloudy.
Those who wrote the book of Psalms had those times as well. They wrote about them and we read them in this wonderful book of the Bible. But, there is a common theme that runs through this musical score of scripture - the faithfulness and presence of God.
And it is this great faithfulness and this abiding presence that the writer of this Psalm speaks of in this verse that comes through the principles of God; the code of conduct that he knew as the Law. Which leads me to ask, "What are the themes of life that people choose to live by these days?"
A good place to look for these themes is in TV shows. There are two TV characters I can think of that express a very common view. One is Tommy Smothers of the Smothers’ brothers and the other comes from a TV sister, the middle Brady sister, Jan on the show "The Brady Bunch.”
Do you remember Tommy Smothers’ line, "Mom always liked you best?" And regarding Jan, she was always in the shadow of "Marsha, Marsha, Marsha." Both of these characters exhibit this attitude that everything is fixed, nobody likes me, I can’t do anything right.
What kind of theme is this? A theme of despair? Such a theme indicates a life that is hard and gloomy and out of control. A life lived in this theme contains a belief, "That nothing I do will make a difference. Everything is fixed, life is set and it is set against me and I can’t change a thing."
Another theme that people choose to live their lives by is the opposite theme - a theme of naive optimism that either ignores or minimizes the darker moments of life. Again two TV characters come to mind: Mallory Keaton of "Family Ties," and Georgette Baxter from the "Mary Tyler Moore" show.
Now some would argue that these two characters were, shall we say, "scatterbrained" at times and failed to realize a more "serious" of life. And yet, at least in the case of Georgette, there were moments when her "scatterbrained naiveté" contributed a penetrating insight in contrast to her self-consumed TV husband, Ted Baxter.
The music of such people sometimes seems to be almost all melody and very little harmony or disharmony. Granted, we need to have a certain level of optimism in life. God is indeed good. But, we must also reckon with the darker times.
Now, what am I saying? Am I saying that the score of life is both good and bad? Yes, that is exactly what I am saying.
Jesus knew this. He knew, as the gospel writer noted, that the heart of humanity was deceitful. But, he also knew, as in the case of the Roman Centurion would knew that Jesus only had to say the word and his son would be healed or the physically afflicted woman who sought to touch his garment to be held of her affliction, that there was great faith and trust in the human heart as well.
I believe that the Psalmist who wrote Psalm 119 that we have spent some time in the past three weeks had some acquaintance with someone who experienced both the major and minor “keys” of life – Job.
Very quickly, Job is a righteous man who God allows Satan to afflict through the tragic loss of his family and possessions and by a serve case of boils from head to toe. Three men come to be with Job in his suffering and loss. And, because they do not see what God sees and because they do not know what God knows, they begin to question Job and his character and wonder what sin he has committed that has caused this tragedy.
Most of the book is taken up with the dialogue between Job and his three friends. However, God finally confronts Job and as we read in chapters 38 - 41 asks Job as tremendous series of questions that Job cannot answer. In the end God rebukes the friends and comforts Job, as Chuck Swindoll says, not by giving him "answers to all of his questions," but by giving Job "Himself."
The book of Job raises a lot of questions. It has been studied and discussed and debated. Some people like to read it and others want to stay as far away from it as possible.
The reason I mention the story of Job is because Job is a Biblical illustration of Psalm 119:54. The principles of God, expressed in the reality that Job lived his life by, was the music of his life. Granted, this particular part of Job’s life, was not pleasant. It was a minor key time of life. But, Job was a person of great faith whose life choices demonstrated a life characterized by an unshakable faith and trust God. This faith and trust was the music by which Job lived his life. A faith and trust that was based on the principles of God that are rooted in the character of God.
The parable is told a reed flute, which was passed down from the time of Moses. Crudely made, the instrument nevertheless produced wonderful music that inspired thousands over the years. Then the priests of the temple decided such an heirloom should be decorated with fine gold to reflect the majesty of its music. But after the gold was applied, the flute produced only flat, metallic tones.
That reed flute is us. God has made it possible for us to live a wonderful life. But we like to add gold, to add things thinking that we will “sound” better but the opposite happens. And the music we set our lives to sounds flat.
CONLCUSION:
This past week the children who attended our Vacation Bible School learned some important "notes" about God that I hope and pray will be written into the score of their lives.
Our VBS was called "Bug Safari." And a stick bug, an ant, a bee, a butterfly, and a firefly were used to help the kids learn that "God knows us," "God helps us," "God is our friend," God forgives us," and "God shows us how to love others."
Come to think of it, these five themes are a part of the music of God’s principles for us. God does know us. He knows who we are. He knows us inside and out. Nobody knows us like God does. As we read in Psalm 139:1 "O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me."
God does help us in doing what is right. Psalm 121:1-2 was the Bible verse for this important tune: "I look up to the mountains-does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth." In moments of stress and pressure, to quote Psalm 119: 143, God can be relied upon to help us.
"The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need," wrote David. Do our lives include the theme of friendship because is God our friend? Jesus noted this change in status in John 15:15, "I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn’t confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me." God’s friendship with us is a sustaining help during difficult times.
Now what is it about a butterfly that can help us understand the main theme of God’s commands - salvation? A butterfly changes from a long, slow caterpillar to a beautiful and radiant, high-flying butterfly! It is a profound change. So is God’s salvation. "Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me." We experience God’s music when we allow Him to change the music of our hearts and souls through forgiveness of our sins.
Music is designed to be shared. Good music spreads quickly. The music of God’s commands is given depth and beauty as our lives live it out. The great commandment to love and the great commission to make disciples is a way of expressing God’s love to others. Why? Because God is patiently waiting to love and forgive. Again the Psalms provide us with this theme in Psalm 145:8 "The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of unfailing love."
As we conclude this morning, a well-known and well-loved song speaks eloquently of living a life in tune with God.
Well, it was battered and scarred,
And the auctioneer felt
It was hardly worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But he held it up with a smile.
"It sure ain’t much
But it’s all we got left.
I guess we ought to sell it too.
Oh, now who’ll start the bid
On this old violin?
Just one more and we’ll be through."
And then he cried,
"One, give me one dollar.
Who’ll make it two?
Only two dollars?
Who’ll make it three?
Three dollars twice now,
that’s a good price,
Now who’s got a bid for me?
Raise up your hand now,
Don’t wait any longer,
The auction’s about to end.
Who’s got four?
Just one dollar more,
To bid on this old violin?"
Well, the air was hot,
And the people stood around
As the sun was settin’ low.
From the back of the crowd,
A gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow.
He wiped the dust
From the old violin,
Then he tightened up the strings,
And then he played out a melody
Pure and sweet,
Sweet as the angels sing.
And when the music stopped,
The auctioneer, with a voice
That was quiet and low,
He said, "Now what am I
Bid for this old violin?"
Then he held it up with the bow.
And then he cried out,
"One, give me one thousand?
Who’ll make it two?
Only two thousand?
Who’ll make it three?
Three thousand twice,
You know that’s a good price,
Come on who’s got a bid for me?"
And the people cried out,
"What made the change?
We don’t understand."
Then the auctioneer stopped
And he said with a smile,
"It was the touch of the master’s hand."
You know there’s many a man
With his life out of tune,
Battered and scarred with sin.
And he’s auctioned cheap
To a thankless world,
Much like that old violin.
Then the Master comes,
And the foolish crowd,
They never understand,
Oh, the worth of a soul,
And the change that’s wrought
Just by one touch of the Master’s hand.
© 1976 Paragon Music Corporation (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc., 741 Coolsprings Blvd., Franklin TN 37067)
CCLI License No.
Is the way of God the music of your life? Are you in tune with God? Does both the melody of love and the harmony of grace flow out of you? And what about us as the people of God? Does the same hold true for us corporately regarding love and grace? Are we in tune with God?
Let’s let the Master apply His touch on our lives individually and corporately as His people so that others can hear the song of hope, love, and forgiveness in the music of our lives. Amen.
