This morning we are dedicating new hymnals for use in our worship. Lord willing, these hymnals will bless our congregation for many years to come. We are thankful to have them. We are thankful to the committee which compared and evaluated several hymnals before choosing this one. And we are thankful as well that as Americans we are citizens of a nation in which the worship of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit can be openly practiced without fear of persecution. May that always be the case.
And so, on this happy occasion, it is fitting that we consider the important role that the singing of hymns plays in our worship, and what that means for our lives as followers of Jesus Christ. Perhaps we’ve come to take for granted that whenever we come together, whether on a Sunday morning or on special occasions, the order of service typically includes a time when we raise our voices in song and give praise and thanks to God.
But let’s think about that for a moment: why do we sing, as a regular part of our worship services? What is it about this practice that makes it essential for us as a congregation, and for each of us as individual believers? Why, for the last twenty centuries, regardless of the era, or the country, or the culture – whether Medieval church or modern, formal or informal, Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant; in English, French, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese or hundreds of other languages, why, always, have Christians sung hymns whenever they have come together?
Well, first of all, we have the example of the early church, beginning with Jesus and the apostles. Did Jesus sing hymns? Yes! What was the last thing that Jesus and the disciples did in the Upper Room after observing the Lord’s Supper? The gospels of Matthew and Mark tell us that before going out to the Mount of Olives, they sang a hymn. Wouldn’t you like to know what hymn that was? Most likely it was one of the Psalms. Why? Because the Psalms were the hymnal of ancient Israel. Perhaps it was Psalm 22, a Psalm of David.
Psalm 22 would have been an appropriate choice on that occasion, because it foreshadowed the crucifixion. It begins with these words:
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of
anguish?
The same words that Jesus cried out on the cross, although they were written a thousand years earlier. But that isn’t the final word, as the Psalmist looks to the future and proclaims,
22 I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you.
23 You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but
has listened to his cry for help.
And then, finally, he brings forth this prophecy:
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down
before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.
30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!
In this Psalm, number 22 in the hymnal of ancient Israel, we have the suffering of Christ foretold, but then also his final triumph and eternal reign. What a glorious picture! And so, let’s assume, for a moment — again, we can’t know, but let’s assume —that this was the hymn that Jesus and the disciples sang before they went out to the Mount of Olives, and then on to Gethsemane, where Jesus was betrayed. Let’s assume that this was the hymn they sang before Jesus was arrested and taken to the Sanhedrin, and then to Pilate’s courtyard, and ultimately, to Golgotha, where he was crucified and died.
During the terrible events of that night and the following days, as the disciples saw their master beaten and bleeding, mocked and reviled, and ultimately yielding up his life, as it seemed that all of their hopes were being crushed, as the light they had been following was extinguished, do you think the verses of Psalm 22 resonated in their minds? As they witnessed the anguish of Christ on the cross, echoing the anguish of the Psalmist, did they also remember the shout of victory which concludes the hymn? “He has done it!” Did that help to encourage and sustain them? We can’t know this for certain, of course. But what I am confident of is that whatever they sang in the upper room, whether it was Psalm 22 or another hymn, it was not random, but chosen by the Holy Spirit for their need at that moment, to remind them that God was in control, and that despite the suffering that was soon to come, God would ultimately triumph and would reign eternally.
And that’s one of the great benefit of hymns, isn’t it? They imprint themselves on our minds. Through rhythm, and meter, and melody, and repetition, they lodge themselves in our conscious thoughts and even burrow into our subconscious. When we sing hymns, God’s Word, God’s truth, is embedded in our spirits. And then, when we need those truths, we can recall them from the hymns that we have come to know and treasure. Perhaps you have struggled to memorize Scripture. But if I recite to you, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me; I once was lost but now am found . . .” you can recite back to me “. . . was blind but now I see”. By singing that hymn, you’ve memorized Scripture without even knowing it. Because that is the testimony, in the gospel of John, verse 25, of the man whom Jesus healed, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see”.
Let’s take another example from the book of Acts. When Paul and Silas were preaching the gospel in Philippi, they were accused of inciting a rebellion against the Roman government. They were beaten, thrown into jail, and chained. What was their response?
Acts 16:25
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Sometimes we think of the apostles as being so full of the Holy Spirit that nothing ever discouraged them, as if they could simply shake off the abuse and hatred they experienced. But that wasn’t the case. They suffered terribly, both physically and emotionally. The account in Acts chapter 16 tells us that they were “beaten with rods” and “severely flogged”. They would have been in severe pain. Their feet had been placed in stocks, so they couldn’t even change position to relieve the pressure on their wounds, their bruised and bleeding flesh. And emotionally, they didn’t know what would come next. Perhaps there was worse to come. More beatings. Or worse, they could be stoned to death or executed. Outside the prison there was an angry mob, ready to attack them.
Not only that, but their ministry had been bearing fruit and people were coming to faith. But now they were in prison, unable to preach, unable to continue the work God had called them to do. And so what did they do? Did they mourn, and curse their luck, and agonize over what would become of them? Did they despair? No. They prayed and they sang hymns. They sang hymns as an expression of their faith. They sang hymns to strengthen their faith. They sang hymns to encourage one another. Let me ask you: Is that what you do when you are suffering? Do you pray, and sing hymns? That’s what Paul and Barnabas did. They sang hymns that they had learned, hymns they had sung many times, hymns that they knew by heart. Maybe even all four verses!
What hymns do you suppose they sang? What modern-day hymn would you sing in that situation, to express your faith in God during a time of suffering? To strengthen yourself spiritually to persevere? How about “It Is Well With My Soul”? Now, we won’t stand, because remember, our feet are in stocks, so we can’t stand up. And we’ll sing a capella, since Paul and Silas didn’t have the benefit of a beautiful organ accompaniment. But let’s open our new hymnals and sing all four verses of “It Is Well With My Soul”. And as you sing, imagine yourself in jail with Paul and Silas, joining together in this hymn of faith in the midst of suffering and adversity.
Let me ask you a question: do you feel any different after singing that hymn? More encouraged? Less stressed? More confident of God’s love and care for you? I hope so. Because when we sing hymns of praise to God, it both expresses our faith and strengthens our faith. It encourages us. It keeps doubt and fear at bay. It reminds us of God’s love.
In addition to the example of Jesus and his disciples, and the example of Paul and Silas, we also have Scriptural commands to sing. Let’s look at Colossians 3:12-17:
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
From this passage, we see that one of the benefits of singing together as a congregation is that it promotes peace. It promotes “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience”. How does it do that? By enabling the message of Christ to dwell among us richly; that is, it allows the gospel to remain and persist among us with depth and power. Singing hymns together reminds us of who we are; that is, brothers and sisters in Christ. And it reminds us of what we owe one another, which is to bear with one another, and to love, and forgive one another. It’s difficult to sing, “Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above”, and then turn around and gossip, or harshly criticize one another, or act hatefully toward one another. Not impossible, unfortunately, but more difficult, at least. If we are tempted to treat others badly, then singing that hymn or similar ones will hopefully convict us of our sin and prompt repentance. Which is why Paul commends it to the Colossian church, and to us.
Not only do we have these examples and commands, we are also told that singing will be a part of our worship in heaven. And so this is not a temporary activity, something we do only in the here and now, but it will be a part of our worship eternally. And this emphasizes its value and importance. [Rev. 15:2-4]
2 And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God 3 and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb:
“Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations. 4 Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.”
Now, I don’t know if that particular hymn is included in our new hymnals, but if not, you have the words in your Bible, so you have some time to learn it before you get to heaven.
I’ll conclude this portion of the sermon by reading just two of the many exhortations in the Old Testament to sing praise to God; because singing has always been important to the people of God, both in ancient Israel and now in the church age, and as we have seen, in the future eternal state as well:
1 Chron. 16:8-10, 23-24
8 Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
9 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Psalm 96:1-3
1 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
Perhaps you have tended to view the singing in the worship service as just a kind of prelude to the real “meat” of the service, the sermon. Just a way to set the stage, to ease into things, prepare your heart and mind to pay attention to the preaching. And a way to wrap things up at the end. And it is that. But as we’ve seen, it is much more than that. It is a vital part of the act of worship, and one that we should give our full attention to.
Now, we’re not quite finished. Because there’s another reason for us to sing that I haven’t touched on yet, and one that we don’t often think of. But it’s also very important, perhaps the most important reason that we sing. And that is because it gives God pleasure. God enjoys it when we sing. And in fact, that’s fundamentally what worship is about and who it’s for. Worship is not primarily for us, although it benefits us greatly. Worship is for God. The purpose of worship is to honor, and praise, and exalt God. And so, if you are sitting at home next Sunday morning, deciding whether to come to church or not, and you’re saying, “I’m not sure I’m going to church today. I didn’t sleep very well last night. I have a lot to do. And besides, I don’t always get a lot out of it.” What I would say to you is, that’s fine. Come anyway. Because it’s not all about you. Worship is for God. Worship is something you do to bless God. Hopefully, you will be blessed also. But that’s a bonus. Because worship is for God. Your worship makes him glad. It gives him joy. And he is worthy of it and deserving of it.
When we worship in song, we are telling God that we love Him, that we are grateful to him for all that he has done for us, that we appreciate Him for who He is, and that we value Him above everything else. That pleases Him. It makes him happy. For those of you who are parents, how does it make you feel when your children tell you how much they love and appreciate you? Assuming that ever happens. It makes you feel great! And that’s how God feels when we worship him from the heart.
What do the Scriptures say?
Psalm 69:30-31
30 I will praise God’s name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving.
31 This will please the Lord more than an ox,
more than a bull with its horns and hooves.
The ancient Israelites brought animals to sacrifice as part of their worship. An ox was the most expensive and greatest sacrifice that one could offer. Only the wealthiest could afford that. But what God valued most highly wasn’t their sacrifices, not even the sacrifice of an ox. What he valued most highly was their worship, and specifically their singing. And so when we praise God in song, when we glorify him in song, and give thanks to him in song, it pleases him, more than any gift or sacrifice. Our worship gives him pleasure. It gives him joy. It makes him glad. What an incredible thing! You, and I, and each one of us, have the ability to give joy and pleasure to the God of the universe, by simply joining together and singing the hymns in this hymnal. Amazing.
Maybe you have this idea of God as aloof and above it all, having no emotions, sort of a serene, Buddha-like figure who watches over his creation but is unmoved by it. Nothing could be further from the truth. God loves us – passionately. He cares for us – deeply. He rejoices when we obey him and keep his commandments. And he absolutely loves it when we worship him in song.
Not only that, but — and this may be a new idea for some of you — the Scriptures tell us that God himself sings. The prophet Zephaniah tells us:
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”
I’m looking forward to hearing that. Aren’t you? Not only the angels, but God himself, will be singing to welcome us when we enter into heaven. That will be amazing. And our voices will join with theirs in an incredible chorus. No one will ever want to miss choir practice.
Now at this point, some of you may be saying to yourselves, “well maybe God enjoys it when ________ sings. She has a beautiful voice. But I can barely carry a tune. When I sing, I don’t imagine God smiling. I imagine God wincing. I imagine God saying, um, could you maybe sing a little more quietly?” But that’s not the case. At all. Because God isn’t listening just to your voice. He’s listening to your heart. And so when you sing, what gives him pleasure it isn’t whether you are on key, or whether you get all the words right. What pleases him is that you are singing from the heart, that you are expressing to him the love and the thankfulness that are in your heart. And that sounds beautiful to him.
Let me give you an illustration. It’s from the movie “The Music Man”. Have you seen that movie? “Ya got trouble, my friend, I say, trouble right here in River City.” In that movie, the con man Harold Hill has been selling band instruments, promising the townspeople that he will teach their children to play in a band, to keep them out of the pool hall. But he has no musical training whatsoever, and his “Think system” of instruction is completely bogus. His plan is to skip town before they find that out. But instead, he falls in love with the local librarian, and misses his train. As a result, he is forced to make good on his promise.
And so, standing before his so-called band of children he has supposedly been teaching to play their instruments, he begins to wave his baton in an attempt to conduct. The sound that the band produces is full of wrong notes, and barely resembles the song they are trying to play. Professor Hill winces. But here’s the amazing part. As the camera pans to the audience, we see that the parents aren’t disappointed or outraged. They aren’t angry or frowning. They are absolutely delighted. They don’t care that the music is off key. They are full of joy as they listen to their children play their instruments. Because they are listening with love. And that’s how God listens to us, and hears us, when we sing. He’s listening with love. And what he hears is our heart. So let’s all make a joyful noise, knowing that it gives God pleasure, and makes him glad.
So why do we sing, and why do we sing hymns? Because of the example, first, of the Old Testament people of God, the ancient Israelites, as well as the examples of Jesus and his disciples, and of the apostles Paul and Silas. We sing because it strengthens and encourages our faith. We sing because when we sing together, it builds us up as a body, and helps us to love one another. And most importantly, we sing because it gives God pleasure.
I’d like to close with a bit of application. I’ve been speaking about singing. But this sermon isn’t just about singing. Because worship isn’t only what we do here in this building on Sunday morning. Our worship is how we live our lives, every day. But here’s the thing: just like our singing, our lives are often full of wrong notes, aren’t they? We may or may not sing off-key, but we definitely sometimes live off-key. Our timing is off, we forget the words or the tune, and sometimes at the end of the day, we think that God must be pretty disappointed in our poor attempt at following Christ. We think that our life must look and sound pretty bad to him.
And what I want to tell you this morning is that this isn’t the case at all. Just as God hears our heart when we sing, he sees our heart when we do our best to serve and obey him. Yes, we make mistakes. We sin. James writes in his epistle, verse 3:2, that “we all stumble in many ways”. Each one of us can testify to the accuracy of that observation in our own lives. But God sees the intent, not the stumble. Because he loves us. And because we love him. And so he’s not angry or disappointed that we stumble – his anger and disappointment were completely poured out on Christ at the cross. He’s pleased that we tried. And he’s even more pleased when we get up and try again, better, and when we keep trying, despite our failures, and keep striving, and keep following, without giving up. It pleases him when we continue to run the race, when we continue pressing on, when we stumble, and get up, and keep going. And so I want to encourage each of you today not to be discouraged by the wrong notes in your life. God doesn’t hear those. What he hears is the music of your love and faith as you continue to seek after him, despite your stumbles. Psalm 103:12 tells us,
Psalm 103:12
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
“As far as the east is from the west.” How far is that? An infinite distance. When God looks at us, he doesn’t see our sin. It has been removed from us entirely. Christ, in his death and resurrection, caused it to be completely done away with. Hebrews 9:26 tells us,
Hebrews 9:26
But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
He “did away with” our sin. He extinguished it. He obliterated it. He annulled it. The power of his life, and the power of his resurrection, were so great, so profound, that they completely eradicated our sin. And so when God looks at us, he no longer sees our sin. He sees his beloved children. And he rejoices over us; he even sings over us in joy.
Our sin has been completely and utterly, done away with. That is how God sees us now, and that is how we will be in our experience when Christ returns and we are finally, and fully transformed. That is why we can approach him, at any time, with full confidence that he will receive us, with full confidence that he will gladly hear us. Because there is no longer anything to make us feel ashamed, nothing to make us reluctant to stand before our God and Father. All of the filth, and the darkness, and the shame, and the guilt, of our sin has been washed away. All of it. No stain, nothing, remains of it. And so we stand before God holy, and clean, and pure in Christ. As the hymn we sang earlier puts it:
My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Amen? Hallelujah!
I have just one more application to make. Just as you sometimes live off-key; just as you sometimes stumble, so do your brothers and sisters in Christ, those traveling with you on your journey to heaven. And what I would ask is that you listen to them, and see them, as God hears them and sees them, with ears and eyes of love, rather than judgement. They need your forgiveness and forbearance, just like you need God’s forgiveness and forbearance. Just as you stumble in many ways, so do they. Don’t judge them. Help them back up. As Paul wrote in Ephesians, chapter four:
“1 . . . I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace . . . . 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
May we strive to do that today, and this week, and every day. Amen.
