Temple Baptist Church - 12-21-2025
Ephesians 5:18-19; Psalm 100
Introduction:
A. Tonight, we will have a little Christmas music and a time of fellowship after the service, so I will not be long in preaching. And please, no laughter or applause! I want to look at two realms of singing tonight: Private Singing and Public Singing in worship.
B. I want to ask two questions tonight.
1. How important is our singing to God? Enough that He commanded singing when we come into His presence. God loves to hear His people sing!
a) In the presence of many. Church singing. Psalms 100:1-2 A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. (2) Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
b) In the presence of two or three. Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
2. How important is our personal singing to God? Enough that He commanded it. Ephesians 5:19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
C. Let us look at these two types of singing.
1. Private Singing in worship is found in Ephesians, chapter 5:18-19. This is not worldly singing, but a Spirit-filled private singing unto the Lord. The Lord does not care how beautiful the voice or how talented the player of instruments. God loves to year you make music to Him.
Ephesians 5:18-19 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; (19) Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; (As there is praying in the Holy Ghost [this is not praying in tongues, it is praying in the will of God through the leadership of the Holy Ghost], there is also singing in the Holy Ghost.)
a. “Speaking to yourselves” is individual because being “filled with the Spirit” is individual. While walking, working, or driving—I often sing to the Lord. He loves to hear His children worship Him with song.
b. I remember, as a little boy, going out to my dad’s workshop and hearing him sing “Amazing Grace.” I have listened to him sing more than once, but it was always a private thing. He would be singing to himself, but out loud to the Lord.
c. Singing unto the Lord is always Scriptural singing. “Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs!” These are songs of praise for what the Lord has both promised to us and performed for others.
d. Dr. Alfred B. Smith published a book, “Al Smith’s Treasury of Hymn Stories.” I knew Dr. Smith personally and loved and respected him. THERE ARE STORIES BEHIND THE HYMNS.
d. “Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord!”
2. Public Singing in worship is found in Psalm 100:1-2. This is church singing.
Psalms 100:1-2 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. (2) Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
a. “Make a joyful noise” is a command! These four words are one word in the Hebrew but that one word means to split the ear, shout, sound an alarm. I have had people to admonish me for singing too loud in church. Leave me alone! I am not singing to you; I am enjoying what I am doing; I am singing along with you to Him!
b. “Unto the Lord” is a direction. Our singing is to be directed to God, not the people. In most of today’s churches, singing has become entertainment and performance. We may not have the best singers in the world, but God wants them to be the loudest! Not for show but for praise!
c. “All ye lands” is a people. All people, everywhere. Over the years, I have noticed that many people are silent in the church during congregational singing. I am not complaining, I am just explaining. Sing, sing, sing! “A joyful noise” is a sound, not carrying a note. It is a testimony to God before the people. An acknowledgement of who He is and what He has done and what He means to us.
d. “Serve the LORD with gladness” is a heart condition. Glad to be saved; glad to be able to serve; makes for gladness in our singing.
Psalms 144:15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.
e. “Come before his presence with singing” is worship. God loves to hear His people sing to Him! Tonight, let us worship the LORD with our singing as He is worthy of our praise.
3. Singing to the Lord in the Bible is found 34 times:
a. The Psalms (Primary Worship Book of Israel)
Psalm 7:17 – “I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.”
Psalm 9:2 – “I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.”
Psalm 13:6 – “I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.”
Psalm 18:49 – “Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.”
Psalm 30:4 – “Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.”
Psalm 33:3 – “Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.”
Psalm 40:3 – “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God…”
Psalm 66:4 – “All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name.”
Psalm 68:4 – “Sing unto God, sing praises to his name…”
Psalm 95:1 – “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.”
Psalm 96:1–2 – “O sing unto the LORD a new song… Sing unto the LORD, bless his name…”
Psalm 98:1 – “O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things…”
Psalm 100:2 – “Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.”
Psalm 104:33 – “I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live…”
Psalm 147:1 – “Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God…”
Psalm 149:1 – “Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.”
b. Historical & Prophetic Books
Exodus 15:1 – “Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD…”
Judges 5:3 – “I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.”
2 Samuel 22:50 – “…I will give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.”
1 Chronicles 16:9 – “Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him…”
2 Chronicles 5:13 – “…the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD…”
Isaiah 12:5 – “Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things…”
Isaiah 42:10 – “Sing unto the LORD a new song…”
c. New Testament References: Jesus & the Early Church
Matthew 26:30 – “And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.”
Acts 16:25 – “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God…”
d. Epistles (Instruction for the Church)
Romans 15:9 – “…For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.”
1 Corinthians 14:15 – “I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”
Ephesians 5:19 – “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”
Colossians 3:16 – “…teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
Hebrews 2:12 – “…in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.”
James 5:13 – “Is any merry? let him sing psalms.”
c. Heavenly Worship
Revelation 5:9 – “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy…”
Revelation 14:3 – “And they sung as it were a new song before the throne…”
Revelation 15:3 – “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb…”
Conclusion: Singing unto the LORD is not entertainment; it is worship! So much of Southern Gospel Singing has become entertainment rather than worship. We are to come into His presence and to Him.
1. Commanded - Psalms 96:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
2. Congregational - Psalms 149:1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
3. Doctrinal - Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
4. Christ-centered - Hebrews 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
5. Eternal - Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
No comments:
Post a Comment