The Aspects of Worship

 Temple Baptist Church - 6-7-2026

Psalm 96

 

A.  The Psalms teach over and over to God’s people how and when to worship.  I call “worship” the missing ingredient in churches. 

 

1.  Worship is not just attendance.  A believer can attend every church service and still not get involved in the worship service.

 

2.  Worship is a personal thing that leads to the corporate worship of the local church. 

 

3.  Worship requires involvement along with order.  I have seen worship services that got out of control.  I have seen singing and praise take the place of preaching. 

 

4.  Preachers said, “It got on tonight, and I didn’t even get to preach.”  At that point, my question is “Got on what?’ 

 

5.  The church house is the pillar and ground of the truth!  The church is where the pastor is commanded to preach the Word.

 

B.  Worship also encourages one another.  Hebrews 10:25 tells us to encourage one another.  “One another” means I need to encourage you but you also need to encourage me!  It is reciprocal! 

 

C.  So, I believe that Psalm 96 deals with the personal aspect of worship. Let’s break the psalm down into its parts as they concern worship.

 

1.  The Aspect of Singing.  Verses 1-2.  I cannot overstate the importance of personal singing.

 

Psalms 96:1-2  O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.  (2)  Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

 

a.  Our singing is to be vocal.  Totally different from the making melody in our hearts when filled with the Spirit.  Open your mouth and let her go!  Make a loud noise.

 

b.  Our singing is to be continual.  This speaks of a new worship each time we worship.  Worship last week did not extend to this evening.  

 

2. The Aspect of Worship. Verses 3-5.  “worth ship”  Declaring what God means to us.

 

Psalms 96:3-5  Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.  (4)  For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.  (5)  For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

 

a.  Declaring God's Glory to an unsaved world.  Don’t be afraid to talk about the Lord before the lost.  “Let your light so shine” that the world will see Christ in you, the Hope of glory.

 

b.  Declaring God’s Greatness before the Church.  Popcorn testimonies.  If God has done something special for us, we need to share it in the church as an encouragement.

 

3.  The Aspect of Giving.  Verses 6-9.  

 

Psalm 96:6-9  Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. (7)  Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.  (8)  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. (9)  O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth. 

 

a.  Give the Lord Honor and Majesty.  Put God in His proper place.  He is worthy to be praised.

 

b.  Give the Lord Your Strength.  Allow God to use you.  God wants and uses bodies.

 

c.  Give the Lord an Offering.  An offering is above the tithe. 

 

d.  Give the Lord a Holy Life.  The beauty of holiness.

 

4.  The Aspect of Submission.  Verse 10. 

 

Psalm 96:10  Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously. 

 

a.  Worship bows to the Sovereignty of God.  Acceptance of God’s will and way as what he deems best.  Just praise the Lord despite of circumstances.  People normally praise the Lord when all things are good and what we want. 

 

b.  Worship submits to God’s Ruling. 

 

Luke 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

 

5.  The Aspect of Anticipation.  Verses11-13. 

 

Psalm 96:11-13  Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.  (12)  Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice  (13)  Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.

 

a. Creation rejoices in anticipation as:  The heavens rejoice, the earth is glad, the sea roars, the field is joyful, and the trees rejoice. All creation looks forward to the reign of their Creator.

 

b.  The believer is filled with Hope.   Titus 2:13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

 

The Importance of Worship

 Temple Baptist Church - 5-24-2026

Psalm 145

 

Introduction:   Psalm 145 sets the stage for Psalms 146-150 as each of those Psalms begins and ends in the phrase of praise: “Praise ye the Lord!”

A.  I often say that this generation will never know the America we grew up in.  There is truth to that statement because of the degradation of the society in which we must live. 

 

1.  The change affects us older people because of the drastic shifts from the 40s and 50s to the present day.  Common sense, integrity, submission to authority, truthfulness, honesty, modesty, and self-respect are becoming things of the past. 

 

2.  Unfortunately, our children and grandchildren have never experienced these things.  If evolution is moving toward a higher plane, this generation we see today did not evolve in the right direction.

 

B.  Thus, it is with true worship: spirit and truth.  I go to many churches today and am uncomfortable.  This newfangled form of worship steals my worship away because I have known days when church was a place of reverence, holiness, order, and separation from the world.  I find little of these things in present-day churches.

 

C.  I said all that to say this: Our children and this present world will never know these things unless we praise the works of God to them.  This is an action, not just words spoken.  I believe the key verse of Psalm 145 is verse 4.

 

Psalms 145:4  One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.

 

D.  We have a lot of visitors who come here a time or two, then never come back.  Why?  Great question!

 

1.  They do not like our music.  They are so used to churches being entertainment centers, with music that has the beat and lyrics of the world.  We sing as our spiritual fathers once sang.  Ever heard of singing out of a Hymn Book?

 

2.  They do not like our Bible.  Having never been taught doctrine, they have worldly bibles in their hands, not the Holy Bible of our fathers.  Many do not even bring a Bible, as the TV screens on the walls are available for them to read.

 

3.  They do not like our preaching.  Let me rephrase that.  They do not like my preaching!  Straight and to the point!

 

E.  There are no complaints here, no petitions, no cries for deliverance. This psalm is filled with worship. Why this introduction?  Because the Bible tells us, through the personal life of King David,  how and why to worship.

 

1.  The Responsibility of our Worship.  “I”  I cannot worship for you, and you cannot worship for me!  Every child of God is admonished to worship their Creator.

 

2.  The Resolve of Worship.  “Will”  Psalm 100 sets the pattern of worship that God wants and requires.  When it is church time, resolve to come into His presence with praise, singing, and thanksgiving.

 

3.  The Reverence of our Worship.  “Extol Thee”  To place in a place of high esteem.  Reverently as His name is Reverend!  I refuse to be called Recverend because of my esteem and love for God.  He is worthy, not I.

 

4.  The Reason of our Worship.  “My God, O King”  He is LORD.  You do not make Him LORD!  He is also Ruler: King.

 

a.  Verses 5-13.  For Who He Is!  “My God, O King”  He is our God, but He is also the child of God’s King!  This is reason enough to worship Him. We will take a short look at what God does for us, but if God never did anything other than save us, that’s enough! 

 

1)  Verses 5-6.  His mighty works, His majesty, and His greatness.

 

2)  Verses 7-9.  His goodness, righteousness, graciousness, compassion, long suffering, and mercy.

 

3)  Verses 10-13.  His kingdom, both now and to all generations, and eternally.

 

b.  Verses 14-20.  For What He Does!  The things that God does for us are beyond numbering, so I will briefly mention a few of them found in this Psalm.

 

1)  Verse 14.  He upholdeth and raiseth up.  When we fall, He catches us.  When we stumble, He stabilizes us.

 

2)  Verse 15.  He watches over and provides for us.

 

3)  Verse 16.  He satisfies the hungry.

 

4)  Verse 17.  All His work is holy.  You can depend upon that.

 

5)  Verse 18.  His is nigh and hears our prayers.

 

6)  Verse 19.  He is always there with and for us.

 

7)  Verse 20.  He preserves and delivers us.

 

5.  Verse 20.  The Regularity of our Worship.  “Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.”

 

6.  Verse 4.  The Relegation of our Worship.  “One generation … to another” – In this present evil world, our children and converts MUST see the reality of our Saviour and the change that our salvation brings.  If they do not see it in us, they probably will not see it in the world.

Worship and Warning

 Temple Baptist Church - 5-10-2026

Psalm 95

 

Introduction:

A.  Psalm is an interesting one with a two-fold breakdown: Verses 1-7 – A call to worship. And Verses  8-11 – A solemn warning.  It begins with praise and ends with admonition. 

 

B.  Worshipping in spirit and truth, which is commanded, has become lost on our generation.  So many of God’s people think they do God a favor when they come to church, hear a sermon, and give a big dollar.  A cute story:

 

One little boy was listening to his parents discuss the church service.  The mother stated she did not like the song services.  The dad said that the preacher’s sermon was too long.  The little boy said that he thought that it was a pretty good show for a buck.

C.  The same God who invites us to sing also demands that we hear His voice.  One preacher from Great Britain, many years ago, said this about worship:

 

“For to worship is to quicken the conscience by the Holiness of God; to feed the mind with the truth of God; to purge the imagination by the beauty of God; to open the heart to the love of God; to devote the will to the purpose of God.”

 

D.  The dictionary defines worship as adoration, homage to be given to God. This reminds us that true worship is not merely an outward expression but an inward submission.  True worship involves praise, singing, giving, and involvement.  It is a marvelous event when the corporate body of believers in a local church can truly worship together.

 

E.  Now the breakdown of the Psalm.

 

1.  Verses 1-5.  An Invitation to Worship. 

 

a.  “O come,”  Worship is corporate as well as individual.  This invitation to worship is all-inclusive.

 

b.  An expression of Joyfulness.  “let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.”  Not me sing; not you sing; but we sing!

 

c.  An expression of gratitude.  “Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving”  God has been good to us all.

 

d.  As expected attitude.  “For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”  We do not worship based upon how we feel; we worship God because of who He is!

 

2.  Verses 6-7a.  A Call to Adoration. “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”

 

a.  Here we find Reverence.  “Bow down… kneel”   Worship involves humility: the humbling of self and elevation of God.

 

b.  Here we find Relationship. "For he is our God”  We are His, and He is ours.  Children of G through faith and a new birth.

 

c.  Here we find Dependence.  “We are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand”

 

Interlude:  Four times in the verses above, we find the admonition “let us.” That shows us that worship of God, though commanded, is still a matter of personal choice! “Let us” rejoice in the God of our salvation with thankfulness and adoration. Or, as the children of Israel did during their years in the wilderness, let us choose to harden our hearts through unbelief and sinfulness. The same choice remains today.

 

3.  Verse 7b.  A Call to Obedience.  “To day if ye will hear his voice”

 

a.  A Present Moment.  “To day”  Today, not Tomorrow.  An immediate response is indicated here.

 

b.  A Responsibility to Listen.  “if ye will hear his voice”  “If” is conditional, which leads to the warning of the rest of the Psalm.

 

 

4.  Verses 8-11.  A Warning against Hardening the Heart.  Reiterated in Hebrews 3:15-19.

 

a.  As Example Given.  “Harden not your heart, as in the provocation…”

 

Exodus 17:4-7  And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.  (5)  And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.  (6)  Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.  (7)  And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?

 

b.  A Danger Exposed.  “They do alway err in their heart”  Both obedience and sinfulness are heart issues. 

 

1)  Deceitful hearts.

 

2) Divided hearts.

 

3)  Discouraged hearts

 

4)  Dirty hearts.

 

5)  Defiled hearts

 

c.  A Consequence Promised.  “Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.”

 

Conclusion:  Let us observe to worship and flee the warning.  It is possible to be near God’s work but far from God’s will.  Psalm 95 presents a powerful contrast:

 

1.  Joyful praise vs. stubborn rebellion.

 

2.  Soft hearts vs. hardened hearts.

 

3.  Entering rest vs. missing blessing.

Flourishing In Old Age

 Temple Baptist Church - 3-1-2026

Psalm 92

 

A.  A Song for the Sabbath Day. 

 

1.  This is the only Psalm labeled as such.  By interpretation, it was meant to be taught on the Jewish day of worship.  By application, it is a Psalm to be taught in all churches of the saints today.

 

2.  This is not just about a church service, though; it is about a life lived or to be lived.  It teaches us what a righteous life looks like over the years.  I guess you can call it the “Old Folks Psalm.”  For thousands of years, one generation after another has lived and died, leaving an example, good or bad, for those who follow. 

 

3.  There is no authorship given to this particular Psalm as it is meant to represent the life of every believer.  King David said in Psalms 37:25,  “I have been young, and now am old!”  My, how time flies, and the years pass by. 

 

B.  First of all, I want to thank the older folks (Notice I said older and not old) for being so faithful to the Lord, the church, your pastor, and those who watch you.  You are the “rock” of your church.  Built upon Christ because of you!

 

C.  This Psalm is not about an instance or moment of time; it is not about a singular circumstance either good or bad; it is a lifetime!

 

D.  I want to break the Psalm down into three parts tonight, which show that life lived for Christ.

 

1.  Verses 1-4.  They Worship their Saviour.  Notice the words “It is a good thing.”

 

a.  It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  Thankful is thinkful!  Meditating upon the manifold blessings of God!  Get a notebook and a pen.  Begin to count your man blessings, name them one by one.  It will surprise you what God has done.

 

b.  It is a good thing to sing praises unto His name.  Coming into His presence with singing and making a joyful noise.  Ephesians 5:19  Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord!

 

c.  It is a good thing to shew forth (to stand boldly, to make manifest) God’s lovingkindness and faithfulness.  Tell the world that we serve a wonderful, loving, faithful God.  Pick up your chin and walk with the same loving grace and faithfulness to Him.  Let your light so shine so that those around you know that you have been with God and He is on your side.

 

d.  It is a good thing if you can play an instrument for the Lord.  I cannot play one, but I can sure enjoy hearing you play one. Music, played in a godly manner, is a blessing to those who cannot play.  God loves it also.  When He created Lucifer, He made him musical:  “the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.”  In heaven, we find one of the most soothing of all stringed instruments, harps.  I believe that heaven will be a musical place as the saints are found singing songs of praise.

 

e.  It is good to triumph in the works of God’s hands.  Worship with joy for God’s works in nature, in our lives, because He careth for you. Learn to enjoy God’s nature as He created it for our pleasure and joy.

 

2.  Verses 5-11.  The Weather Their Storms.

 

a. Verses 5-6.  They have learned to trust in the Lord’s knowledge and power.  What sustains us during the hard times is the knowledge that “nothing has ever occurred to God.”  He knew where we would be before the trial came.  He knows where we are and how we feel during the trial.  Old people have endured hardship and have learned that God is good all the time.

 

Philippians 4:11-13  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  (12)  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  (13)  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 

b.  Verses 7-9.  They have come to understand that the prosperity of the ungodly is brief, and justice and judgment will ultimately come.

 

Psalms 37:37-38  Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.  (38)  But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

 

c.  Verses 10-11.  They understand that God does not change.  His love and protection for His children never diminish!  My favorite text on this subject is found in 2 Timothy chapter 4.

 

2 Timothy 4:16-18  At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.  (17)  Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.  (18)  And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 

3.  They Wear Their Salvation – Verses 12-15  

 

a.  Verse 12.  They are Resilient!  They are like the Palm Tree.  They are resilient and bend during the storms.  The mightiest storms on earth cannot blow them away.  Though they may bend in the wind, they straighten up when the storm is over.  You cannot blow them away, you cannot make them quit, they will be there until the end.

 

b.  Verse 12.  They are like the Cedars in Lebanon.  They are known for their strength and longevity.  They grew slowly over the years, they developed a strong root system, and they have lived a long time.  Pattern yourself after them, not after those who have given up and fallen into the ways of the world!

 

c.  Verse 13.  They are planted in the Church.  They come faithfully and stay through the local church's winter seasons.  They are dependable!  Though we am getting older now, these are the backbone of the church.  You're younger, the muscles that are attached to the bones!

 

d.  Verse 14.  They are fruit-bearing.  They do not dry up in the droughts of life.  They are the heart and soul of the local churches.  They act like Christians!  They live like Christians! They are a living sermon of the grace of God!

 

Conclusion:  What will our lives be remembered for?  Learn to worship, trust, and be resilient.  One day, your life will be remembered.  Nehemiah said, “Remember me for good!”

The Praise of Singing

 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;