Music and Worship RAYBURN

THE IMPORTANCE OF WORSHIP CHAPTER 1

True believers most important activity
What is the significance of true worship and what are the blessings of rich,
rewarding corporate worship?
Most often the worship is boring and yet, for the Christian, worship should be
among the most joyous, most deeply satisfying experiences of life, uplifting
and fulfilling this should be the experience of corporate worship of the
Triune God. To be spiritually stirred and refreshed by more than the sermon
in the service is sometimes unusual.
a. Christians need specific instruction as to the importance and meaning
of worship.
b. The instruction should include the means by which the worshiper can
attain the desired end of true spiritual worship.
c. Every minister must understand the basic scriptural principles of
worship himself and instruct the congregation.
Pastors must recognize that their preparation is the key so that the worshiper
may clearly understand the meaning of what is transpiring and be aided in
lifting his praise and prayers to God in fellowship with other believers.There
are demands by a holy God upon worshipers. Spiritual enrichment and
growth which are deeply satisfying will result when the importance of true
worship is understood.
The importance of the conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well is
that John records the most important single statement that was ever made
concerning the vital subject of worship. true worshipers shall worship the
Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God
is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth
(John 4: 23,24).
Nowhere is all the Scriptures do we read of Gods seeking anything else from
the child of God. One often hears we are saved to serve, but heavenly
service will itself be primarily worship (Heb. 9:14; 12:28: Rev. 22:3).
Nowhere in the Bible are we told that the Lord seeks our service. It is not
servants He seeks, but true worshipers. The only time the word seek is used
of Gods activity is in connection with seeking true worshipers.
Westminster Shorter Catechism What is the chief end of man? To glorify
God and to enjoy Him forever. Man was created for the purpose of bringing
glory to his eternal Creator God. Everything a believer does is to be done to
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the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31) Whatsoever you eat or drink, do all to the
glory of God. In Him we live and move and have our being.: The wrath of
God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of
men, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God
(Romans11:18,21) Sin and perversion are not mentioned first. These come
because there is no willingness to give glory to God. So, what is the true
meaning of life? Life is not meaningless. We are created for a high purpose
of bringing glory to God.Response in continual spiritual worship to the
seeking God who loves and saves us is our true purpose in life. There is
acceptable worship and unacceptable worship. The activity which is of
primary importance in the life of every believer is true spiritual worship of
God. Worship alone of all the activities of the believer will continue in
heaven forever. When all other earthly activity has ceased, worship will
continue. (Rev. 4:10, 11: 5:11-14; 19:1-7,10; 22:8,9).
p.18 God gave specific details to His children concerning how they were to
carry on their worship. In Exodus the construction of the place of worship,
the tabernacle as well as in Leviticus where we find instruction concerning
regulations to observe in order to render acceptable worship. The Book of
Psalms is a book entirely of worship.
The prophets rebuked the people severely for the abuses which had crept
into their worship. Jeremiah warned the people about having pure hearts in
worship. The prophets recognized the supreme importance of the worship of
God they cried out against the sins of the people which made their worship
unacceptable. If God could not accept their worship, He would not bless
their nation. If ever there has been a time when Gods people needed to be
warned about the wickedness of a presumptuous approach to God in
worship, coming to Him without true understanding of what is involved in
worship, without confession of sin and a cleansing of the life, it is today.
It is only the pure in heart who shall see God, those whose lives have been
cleansed from evil. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear
me. (Ps. 66:18) Repentance for sin If I regard iniquity in my heart, the
LORD will not hear me(Ps. 34:18). Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God.
Definition of Worship Worship is the activity of the new life of a believer in
which, recognizing the fullness of the Godhead as it is revealed in the person
of Jesus Christ and His mighty redemptive acts, he seeks by the power of the
Holy Spirit to render to the living God the glory, honor, and submission which
are His due. Corporate Christian worship adoration, praise, confession,
intercession, thanksgiving, obedience God is entitled by virtue of the glory
of His person and the grace of His acts of redemption in Jesus Christ.

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Worship is always regulated by faith a mans worship is governed by what

he believes. Do we understand the attributes of the Triune God, the
particular ministry of the members of the Godhead should be understood
and worshipped. The very core of worship is the substitutionary death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Worshipers must be born again and have the
spirit of Christ.
Many distort the nature of the one true God, an imitation of the God of the
Bible, a god who is actually the creation of their own imaginations, therefore
a false god, an idol of their own making.
The nonpersonal god is worshiped in thousands of liberal congregations.
This is not the god of the scriptures. The enabling of the Holy Spirit, by His
power, helps us in worship.
Anglo-Saxon worth-ship to accord him the proper recognition of his dignity
and value. He is worthy. (Rev. 5:12)
Biblical terminology
Matt 4:10 It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only
shalt thou serve Greek Proskynein, - bow down prostrate oneself. (worship)
Latreuein - (serve) to serve as a slave serves his master or hired servant his
employer.
Abadah servant in Hebrew ebed dba Yahweh
Significance of Biblical terminology
The sincere believer is prostrating himself before the living God, the true
worshiper is offering himself to God in submission as an obedient servant.
Jesus is the perfect worshiper, resisting every temptation.His worship took
Him to the cross, our worship of God takes us to the cross. Phil. 3:10 the
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death
Surrender to Him involves a willingness to die to ourselves and our selfish
interests and even to suffer for the salvation of the souls of men. The cross
of Christ is at the very center of all true Christian worship.
Problems in evangelical services
Following an order of worship for too many years, or, NOVELTIES in worship
introduced by the young.
Services are called not relevant to man in the modern world. The problem is
not with the parts of the service prayers, hymns, anthems. The problem
arises from the lack of planning of the order of service and also the
congregations lack of instruction or what eir own participation involves.
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To express dissatisfaction with a service because it does not communicate

the Christian faith to contemporary man is to miss the point of what Christian
worship essentially is, the offering to God because He is worthy of our
worship. It also must be said that corporate worship is different from a
gathering designed for evangelism.
What does the word RELEVANCE mean? Unfortunately, relevant worship
means worship which shows the influence of the secular world and has been
adapted the the secular society of the day. Or, people think about what
worship should do for the individual worshiper. The most basic consideration
in worship, is not the effect it has on the one who worships, but the effect it
has on God we are to worship HIM in spirit and in truth .
To think in terms only of relevance is to deal simplistically with matters very
complex, to obscure deeper issues by stating only the surface problem.
Ministers who plan and conduct worship services must not be too concerned
that their services are lively, or have enoughswing in them to attract the
non-Christian. Movies move everything at a fast pace, shock, destroy, etc.
Those assembled to worship are to offer up to God pure devotion.
Distractions and meaningless activity offered as spiritual worship will not
inspire uninterrupted devotion. Worship invokes an involved response with
both heart and mind.
Benefit of corporate worship full richness of worship is known when we
unite with other members of the body of Christ. By individual, private
devotions, we can grow but God has created man that there are deeper
delights and more intense inspiration in the worshiping congregation than in
individual devotion. God has commanded us not to forsake the assembling
of ourselves together (Hebrews 10:25)Matt. 18:20 where two or three
are gatheredGod says he will be present in a special way when His
children assemble to give Him common worship.
The one significant thing in worship is the presence of Jesus Himself. His
presence makes worship sweet. His presence is always a gift of His love, a
fulfillment of His promised presence. In corporate worship, every believer is
a member of the body of Christ, the family of God.When one becomes a
Christian, he becomes a member of the body, one body. Remember the high
and holiest function of the Christian is the worship of God. The
corporateness of worship is also emphasized by the doctrine of the church
universal, the body of Christ which is made up of all believers of the past,
present and future. It was not our action but that of Christ who first
constituted the church, His body, we respond to His initiative in worship, a
sense of the universal and corporate is always necessary if worship is to be
authentically Christian. The rich blessing of a great heritage of faith, of his
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connection to the saints of the past being united with the faithful company of
those who have gone before make more real the communion of the saints.
Believers can sense in a rooted way, in a deep way, their own place in the
church triumphant as well as in the church militant. Chrysostom, Augustine,
Calvin, Cranmer, German Reformers, English Puritans, American
evangelists..this self-identification with fellow believers means the
experience of the richest blessing in worship is opened to the worshiper. The
promise of the presence of Christ in the midst of those who are gathered in
His name clearly indicates an essential element of corporate worship which
is not in the same sense present in individual worship.
The worshiper needs a clearer understanding of the revealed will of God and
a desire for a higher obedience to it. God, His person, His work is where our
minds are to go toward in worship. Is there worship in the hearts?
Some confusion
1. Emotional reaction being deeply stirred is not necessarily a
worshipful response to God.
2. Purely aesthetic response beauty of a church will not necessarily
move you spiritually.
3. Being entertained with worship. Theatrical productions or
sentimentality does nothing to stir the hearts of the listener to enable
them to worship God meaningfully in a service of worship.
4. False worship is not acceptable worship. We must be very careful to
worship Him in an acceptable manner.
Corporate worship is of supreme importance because it is the principal
means by which God is glorified in His church. We are united with the
worshiping saints in heaven where we will someday continue forever with
them.
Pastors need to be diligent to teach to their congregations giving close
scrutiny to the worship they lead.
CORPORATE WORSHIP IN THE OT CHAPTER 2
Learn from the origins and development of worship as these are revealed to
us in the Bible.
CREATION God created man in His own image, and in doing so He gave
man the capacity to communicate with and to worship His Creator. God had
made delightful, abundant provisions for man. Such a design gave to man
much cause for offering praise and thanksgiving. Continual personal
fellowship with His divine Creator, who had made everything good.Worship of
God must have begun in the Garden of Eden before the fall as Adam and Eve
enjoyed unbroken communion with their Creator God. Face-to-face
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encounter. After the fall, God comes looking for Adam. God has a desire for
the fellowship and worship of His children. Cain and Abel show the difference
between acceptable and unacceptable worship of the LORD. After the
Exodus God gave specific instructions concerning worship which were
recorded.
In Eden, setting apart of the Sabbath first specific ordinance of worship.
Cain brought his offering, it was not the proper offering and God was
displeased. The Sabbath later became the sign of Israels special covenant
relation to the Lord (Exodus 31:13). In Genesis 4:3 the beginning of
sacrifice in worship. In light of full Biblical revelation, every sacrifice pointed
forward to the one perfect and final sacrifice which would be made by the
Son of God Himself. Through the visible means of sacrifice God showed to
man a way to comprehend in part the truth of the awful gult which separates
man in his sin from a holy God. Through blood sacrifices without shedding
of blood there is no forgiveness (Heb 9:22) Every sacrifice pointed to Gods
offering of His own Son as a sufficient sacrifice for the sins of man.
God had given the sons of Adam specific instructions about their worship.
Cains willfull disobedience in bringing a sacrifice of his own choosing shows
from the earliest days the rebellious heart of natural man who feels God
should accept whatever a man chooses to bring to Him. People continue to
offer to God whatever they are pleased to bring to Him without consideration
of the express commandment of His Word. Gen. 4:26 men began to call
upon the name of the LORD. Perhaps this means the godly seed of Adam
began to gather for worship. Ungodly civilization is in sharp contrast (Gen
11:4) Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will
reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name; ( discussion of
Nimrod and Babylonian mystery religions)
Noah and his family went out of the ark , Noah built an altar as a special act
of worship first mention of a burnt offering of a cleananimal. This is the
recognition that God can accept from man only that which is clean and pure.
Ps. 24:3,4 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in
his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart. If our hearts are
full of unconfessed sin, we should not offer worship. Noahs first concern
after leaving the ark was to worship God. Gen. 8:21-9:17 God promised to
spare the world from another flood. Gods rainbow should cause us to
worship, thanking Him for His eternal covenant with us.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob see worship before the exodus. Abrahams
worship Wherever he pitched his tent, he built an altar to worship. The
theological character of his worship calling upon the name of the LORD.
To Abraham were revealed several different names El-Elyon, God Most
High, El-Shaddai, God Almighty, Jehovah-El Olam, God everlasting, and
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Jehovah-jireh the Lord who provides. Thus, Abraham had insight into the
character of God. To call upon the name of the LORD meant recognizing and
believing all that is indicated in the various names of the LORD worshiping
Him for all the aspects of His character. Worshiping congregations need to
understand the significance of the name of the LORD and what it means to
pray in that name.
Circumcision as a sign of the covenant, later (Deut 10) circumcise your
heart. Introduction of tithing in Gen. encounter with Melchizedek - for
believers, this is a concrete acknowledgement that all comes from the hand
of God. Christ is the essence of worship. Jesus is the presence of God with
His people only in the presence of Christ can true Christian corporate worship
take place.
Exodus decisive event in the history of Israel, determined Israels worship.
God gave an understanding of what it means to be redeemed. Ten
Commandments I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land
of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Distinguishing mark of Hebrew and Christian worship worship of those who
have been redeemed. True Biblical religion what has God done, not what
He requires of men or what men decide to bring to Him.
Having heard the cry of His chosen people, weak and suffering in slavery, He
saved them from their bondage in Egypt. God is the Savior-God He took
the initiative in their redemption, their worship was a response of gratitude
to Him.
Passover celebration God chose to reveal Himself and His character in a
progressive manner, He established external ceremonial acts of worship,
serving a pedagogical function as well as a means of gratitude and praise.
Gods purpose is that His people should reflect His own character, be a holy
people. Moses and the burning bush the presence of the LORD made the
ground holy. God is represented as being in the midst of His people. The
language of Israels worship makes it clear that the devout Israelite thought
of God as being present. The very presence of God with them in the
wilderness (pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night). Very presence of
God produced a consciousness of sin and a desire for holy living, Lev. 19
You shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy.
THE QUALITY OF ANY MANS WORSHIP DEPENDS UPON AND IS CONDITIONED
BY THE OBJECT OF HIS WORSHIP. Understanding the divine attributes adds to
our understanding of the character of God. Ps. 115:8 Those who make
idols with eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear will become like
them. Those who trust in God and truly worship Him will become like Him.
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Righteousness, justice, grace, mercy, lovingkindness. the character of the

One who was the object of Israels worship needs to be understood in our
churches today.
WHO IS GOD?
Misunderstanding today that God is indulgent with respect to sin and
indifferent with respect to justice. He is sovereign, inflexible in holiness,
righteous , unwilling to look at sin, gracious beyond all human capacity as
shown in the sacrifice of His own Son.
God began to teach His children spiritual principles through the elaborate
sacrificial system and the tabernacle. He taught them the importance of the
coming Redeemer who would forever satisfy the demands of perfect
righteousness bearing in His own body the sins of men providing forgiveness
and eternal salvation.
The covenant was made with the children of Israel sealed by sprinkled
bloodinstructing them that only through shedding and sprinkling of blood did
God accept them by atoning sacrifice. Today our Savior has come and has
offered His blood for sinners once and for all. Our salvation depends fully on
the shed blood, 1 Peter 1:18,19 You were not redeemed with perishable
things like silver or gold but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished
and spotless, the blood of Christ.
God took the initiative to give directions concerning the building of this
house of worship the tabernacle Let them make me a sanctuary; that I
may dwell among them. Ex 25:2
The principle in scripture is that our worship of God is a response to His grace
and goodness we need to make the proper response.
TABERNACLE temporary abode, Jesus dwelt with us this prefigures the
human body of Jesus during His sojourn on earth, also a figure of the fail
body of every believer in his earthly pilgrimage. The worship of God ,
according to Gods own design of the tabernacle, regularity was designed to
instruct that God was honored by proper and propotion, even in its smallest
parts. Dimiensions were all in multiples of ten. Entire structures,
construction and furnishings was to be a lesson in the importance of order.
God is honored by proper and harmonious arrangement of all their lives,
especially by worship. Colors, materials, form, shapes, drapery,
candelabrum, jewels, priestly robes as ornamental. the aesthetic is never
neglected by the divine Architect, nor was it sacrificed to utility any more
than it is in nature where birds and flowers mingle with rugged aspects of
existence.Man in his sinfulness would not dare to approach God but God
approaches man meeting him as a repentant sinner. Justice and judgment
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condemns but mercy and truth bring grace and salvation. God is Lord of
heave and earth seated upon the thron as represented by the ark of the
covenant. The shekinah glory hovered over the mercy seat was intended to
mark the divine presence in a visible manner. The residence of Jehovah their
God was in the style of a king. Successive screens of the tent kept out
unqualified visitors, the gold furnishings spoke of royalty. Moving ahead to
Jesus, He is our king.
Ark of the covenant throne of judgement and justice. Gods gracious
covenant with the Jews and His sanctuary or dwelling place with them the
ark was to show God would preserve His covenant even in the m idst of a
sinful people. God will never break His covenant.
Showbread Christ is the bread of life presence bread- pointed to Christ
and the never-failing source of spiritual sustenance and refreshment for His
people. He is the One who is food and drink of His people, supplying all
needed nourishment for life and growth.
God delivered His people out of bondage in Egypt ; they were to be a
separated people, a kingdom of priestsPriests draw near and speak with
God in the way it was not safe for the people to enter they needed a
mediator. Moses, then Aaron was called. The Aaronic priesthood no longer
exists, for Jesus has become the mediator of the new covenant. Jesus is the
great High Priest.
God sees all true believers in His Son all belong to royal priesthood. Each is
allowed not only in to the outer court of forgivenss and cleansng from sin but
also into the very presence of God to offer pure worship.
Brazen altar the place where the blood of atonement was shed, sin dealt
with The altar prefigured Christs meeting of the fire of divine judgment on
the cross
Laver priests washed their hands and feet 1 John 1:6 personal holiness
Incense a symbol of the prayers of the saints
Offerings burnt on altar intended for Him - this gift was the expression of
the self-surrender and obedience of the worshiper.
Every offering must be a token of self-surrender intended for God alone.
Book of Leviticus called the worship manual for OT saints.
Burnt offering sweet savor included the meal offering and the peace
offering Jesus gave himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweet smelling savor (eph. 5:2)The Son gave to God that which pleased Him
and satisfied Him forever.
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Burnt offering satisfaction of Gods holy requirement

Sin offering - satisfies offended justice
Jesus was flawlessly perfect in His own character, His atonement perfectly
met the just penalty for all believers.
Sin offering needed to be without spot or blemish foreshadowing the
perfect Son of God who was absolutely free from any stain of sin Himself and
could take away the sin of men.
It was burned outside the camp. Jesus, suffered outside the gate.
Trespass offering always a ram without blemish.
PRINCIPLE -principles involved in worship of His name are not different from
those which He made clear to His people in the wilderness.
Years after the tabernacle was constructed and the Levitical offerings
introduced, when David became the second king of Israel, he wanted to build
a temple for God which would be a permanent resting place for the ark of the
covenant and a permanent dwelling place for the LORD among His people.
Temple Solomon built, the interior was pure gold!
King Solomon prayed a great prayer of dedication the worship of the Lords
people under solomons reign great choirs trained under professional
musicians provided sublime music for aw-inspiring services of worship.
Splendor of the ceremony same sacrifices, offerings, feasts were observed.
Worship through music, both instrumental and vocal poetic, musical gifts
given to King David were used. Ps. 69:30 Our songs truly need to praise
the name of God.
CORPORATE WORSHIP IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
What we know of worship practices of the earliest Christians is limited. NT
gives us no suggestions of the order of the services mentioned .
Christian worship has its origins in the worship of the temple and the
synagogue. The first Christians, who were Jews, did not inaugurate an
entirely new kind of worship. Jesus and His disciples worshiped in both the
temple and the synagogue.
CHRISTIANS SEE THE THE SCRIPTURES OF THE NT NOT AS CONTRADICTORY
TO, BUT RATHER CONTINUOUS WITH THE OT SCRIPTURES. The Bible is the
complete written revelation of God, a composite whole. The OT reveals what
is in the NT fully expounded. The OT reveals in detail what the NT fully
reveals in Jesus, His love for man whose death on the cross is anticipated in
every OT sacrifice.
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NT writings were built on a foundation of OT words, the worship of Christians

of the NT was built upon the foundation of OT worship. A distinct continuity
between Israels worship and our own Christian worship. Christian worship,
was continuous with the worship of the devout believing Israelite, yet
because of the completion of the redemptive plan in the death and
resurrection of Christ, it stands in marked contrast to the worship of the
devout Jew. Distinctively Christian aspects of the worship of the NT ,
although born within the context of the temple and the synagogue, consisted
of their most decisive concern being for the recognition of Jesus Christ as the
Son of God and the only Savior of men.
What was eliminated was the Shema a confession of faith in the one God of
Israel, not Trinitarian understanding, it emphasized the formal
acknowledgment of God by outward sign, while Christ emphasizes the
attitude of the heart and warns against the danger of mere formality and
outward signs. What is to be understood is that the fuller revelation of God
found in Jesus Christ recognizes a spiritual kingdom in which each born-again
believer participates. The gift of the Holy Spirit together with the deeper
understanding of the Third Person of the Trinity Himself and the reality of a
new relationship to God through the living Christ possessing their hearts,
believers began to worship in a new and more meaningful manner.
Corporate worship of God was the most important activity of life. Because of
their deeper insight into the character of God as revealed in his Son Jesus
Christ, they knew that elaborate ritual and external trappings meant little.
The attitude of the heart mattered.
HOW DID THE LORD WORSHIP
Jesus worshiped in the temple. He had zeal for the purity of the temple. He
cleansed the temple of the moneychangers. This demonstrated by the Savior
that the worship of God must be pure and undefiled and that there must be
no ulterior motives in our going to His house to worship.
The function of the temple ceased after He offered Himself once and for all
as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the elect.
I will have mercy and not sacrifice: Jesus called His earthly body the
temple of God His body of flesh and bones was the dwelling place of the
living God. It was in that body that the eternal and perfect sacrifice for the
sins of men was made, and once this sacrifice had been offered to God there
would be no further need for the temple. When He died, the veil of the
temple was rent in two symbolizing the end of temple worship. The perfect
cleansing from all sin and the perfect entrance into the holy presence of God
had been purchased and provided Jesus was the new focal point in worship
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His body which is the church and which He calls the temple of God is the
place of corporate worship today Where two or three are gathered , there
am I in the midst of them.
Christian worship is closely related to synagogue worship, synagogue
worship contained no sacrificial element. It consisted largely of prayer and
the reading and exposition of the OT scriptures. Jesus exegesis of the
scriptures would have been different from the scribes of his day. Jesus
proclaimed something only a devout handful of believers had anticipated,
the interruption of Jesus into the affairs of men to provide eternal salvation
by the offering of Himself for the sins of men, Jesus wanted man to
understand that he cannot expect to win forgivenss by the shedding of the
blood of animals but it is bestowed upon him by the grace of God because of
what He himself has done. Righteousness is the gift of God, it cannot be
earned. Jesus did not need to overthrow the worship of the temple by
violence. Those who truly believe in Him and who are therefore members of
His body already live in Him, live by Him, and find Him the object of their
worship and the source of true fulfillment and joy.
In the apostolic period, the apostles and the Jewish Christians continued to
worship in the temple. Luke writes they were continually in the temple, Paul
went to the temple. The first Christians continued to worship but the basis of
their worship was what God had accomplished. They used the OT scriptures
in worship, but they realized Christ had fulfilled them. Jesus of Nazareth was
worshiped as God manifest in the flesh, as the perfect sin-bearer, and as the
author of life. The rulers of the Jews forced the Christians from the
synagogue.
Synagogue worship reading , chants from Psalter, prayer, homily
The addition to Christian worship was the sacramental, Lords Supper was
preceded by a meal the agape, or love feast.
Acts 2:42-47
Apostles teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, prayer, praise
Christian worship has been characterized by the Word of God being central.
Doctrine is the very soul of the church. Believers near to the death and
resurrection of their Savior needed the blessing of frequent observance of
the Lords Supper, how much more do we today.
Singing would have been a major part of the worship services of the earliest
Christian churches. Paul wrote to the Ephesian Christians that they were to
speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. They were
offering PRAISE.
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Eph. 5:19 singing and making melody in their heart to the Lord
Col. 3:16 to teach and admonish one another with psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in their heart to God
1 Cor 14:26 suggest a psalm for singing
Paul spoke of the importance not only of singing with the mind but also of
singing with the spirit.
Psalm singers based on Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 21
If the Holy Spirit had intended that we sing psalms exclusively, He would
have made this very clear by using only the one word. psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs
The word psalm,both in the Hebrew and in the Greek, is a song with
instrumental accompaniment
THE NATURE AND MANNER OF TRUE WORSHIP
WORSHIPING IN a manner which will glorify God is of supreme importance
the spiritual integrity of the corporate worship of the church will determine
the vitality of the churchs life. The problem is that the church is faced with
strong pressures because of the secularization of society strong pressure to
secularize the churchs worship. To offer up appropriate worship to God, .
John 4:24 They that worship him must worship in spirit and in truth
The object of our worship is all-important Jesus said to the Samaritan Ye
worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the
Jews
The Christian knows there is only one true and living God, -He exists in three
distinct persons.
Satan seeks to be the object of the worship of men, he sought the worship of
Jesus (Matt 4:9)
Non-Christian worship is an expression of Satans attempt to draw away
worshipers from the one true God and to bring them to worship him. Is.
1:10-20 worship will not be received by a righteous God from unforgiven
sinners.
There is a danger of being more sensitive to contemporary cultural
influences that to eternal theological truth. Acceptable worship must be
directed to the God of the Bible, the one, true and living God.

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We have the holy spirit , the work of the Holy Spirit is inseparably related to
the Lord Jesus Christ. Hi ministry is to not only teach the truth concerning
Christ to believers but also to glorify Christ the supreme objective of all
Christian worship. Christian worship is open to the free and sovereign
action of its Lord; it does not seek to manipulate it it is the antithesis of
magic
The Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ in the hearts of men and
women gathered in the church for sworship, He must not be quenched or
grieved by sin. Complete yieldedness to the Holy Spirit on the part of the
people of God, this is important in the everyday life of the Christian. Grieve
and quench the Holy Spirit by unconfessed sin in our lives confession of sin
belongs in the very beginning of a service of worship. Our unworthiness to
approach Him because of our sin is to be unprepared to appropriate the
majestic presence of Christ.A truly repentant heart is sensitive to daily sins
which are an offense to God. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will
not hear me. Ps 34:18 A well-born and charming Anglican lady objected to
her rector that I am not a miserable offender. A parent of a child I was
teaching the piano to objected to the words from Amazing Grace who
saved a wretch like me.
Holy Spirit convicts -, gives liberty , gives a sense of the unity of the Spirit,
enables singing to be truly worshipful (Singing is not worshipful when people
sing unthinkingly, very familiar words to well-known tunes. He directs the
congregation as they pray together, his special ministry through the pastor,
the people people are enable to understand the deep things of GodApart
from the operation of the Holy Spirit, Christian worship would be merely a
human act, like heathen worship. It would be human effort to please God.
Because of the Holy Spirit, however, Christian worship is actually a work of
God in and through the believing community gathered unto Him. He glorifies
His own name among the people in the midst of whom He dwells. Worship in
the Spirit will be accompanied by rejoicing. Exuberant joy which is spoken of
in connection with the worship of the early church (Acts 2:46) and with the
worship of heaven (Jude 24, Rev 19:7) is not the result of human effort. It is
the product of the Holy Spirit. I will be their God, and they shall be my
people (Ezek 37:27)
Worship must be spiritual activity in contrast to purely intellectual.
SO WHAT IS INVOLVED?
A Persons thinking, feeling and willing.
Deterants to worship skepticism denies mans capacity to touch reality
apart from the material universe, but the witness of saints through the
centuries of history to the reality of spiritual communication with God stands
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sure. Also, there is an unbelieving rationalism which demands the

satisfaction of the intellect in all religious activity, including faith.
Faith in Gods Word, produced by the Holy Spirit, is essential for conversion.
The unregenerate are spiritually dead. when a man repents, the Holy Spirit
gives him the gift of eternal life. He is born again. From this time on, he has
spiritual capacities, one of which is the ability to communicate with God in
worship and to learn from Him spiritual truths which cannot be known apart
from the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We live in a dark, rebellious spiritually
powerful universe arrayed against the true and living God.
Spiritual worship is produced through faith in a known God and leaves one
with a sense of peace. We worship God in the beauty of holiness, we are
never to confuse the aesthetic response to beauty with a spiritual response
to God who is beautiful Himself, who has created the beauty of this world,
who blesses us with all spiritual blessings in Christ. Worship must be
beautiful. Our worship should reflect our understanding that strength and
beauty are in his sanctuary. (ps. 96:6)
ANYTHING WHICH MAKES IT EASIER FOR US TO WORSHIP SPIRITUALLY
SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED WHILE ANYTHING DRAWING ATTENTION TO ITSELF
RATHER THAN TO GOD SHOULD BE ELIMINATED.
Lift your spirit to God, humble your spirit before God.
WORSHIP HIM IN TRUTH
The Eternal Word became a man in order that He might deliver man from the
bondage of sin, every OT sacrifice pointed forward to the sacrifice of Christ.
By the sacrifice of Himself, the Lord offered the one absolutely sufficient
sacrifice for sin, which is the basis of all Christian hope, , the corporate
worship of the Christian church will always have that salvation event as its
firm foundation. The sacrifice of Jesus cannot be repeated as the priest of
the Catholics would attempt to repeat it day after day. It was offered once
for allThe terrific price that was paid by the Savior when He died is undercut
if repeating this sacrifice is practiced. Everything in corporate worship, the
preaching of the gospel is the proclamation of this event, the prayers of the
congregation are offered through the merit of it, the celebration of the Lords
Supper is the remembrance of it, the Lords Day is a part of the triumphant
climiax of the redemption event in Christs resurrection from the dead. Paul
urged us to yield our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto GodA
spiritual service of worship makes clear the fact that any form of worship
which pretends to contain an element of sacrifice is meaningless, in the light
of Christs death upon the cross.

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Worship in truth means to worship God in a manner consistent with His

revelation of Himself in the scriptures. Genuine faith in Him, absolute
confidence in His Word. If in any part of our worship service there is a
suggestion of sentimentality, of insincerity, if words are spoken or sung
without the worshipers thinking about what he is saying or singing, or if one
participates simply to make an impression or for the gratification of ones
ego, then the validity and integrity of worship are lost. Christianity demands
truth.
PRINCIPLES OF WORSHIP
Worship is a dialogue God speaks to His people and the people answer Him
Basic elements of worship a sacred book, a faithful preacher, an assembly
of Gods people, a sacrament, a divine covenant and then, human
commitment.
God has spoken to the world in His Son (Heb 1:1,2)
True believers respond to Him by yielding of their bodies as a living and holy
sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is their spiritual service of worship. (rom
12:1)
During the Middle Ages, the Roman church distorted the church that those
who gathered in the churches lost any sense of personal response to a loving
and forgiving God. The scriptures were no longer read in the language of the
people. The priest seldom gave a sermon. The worshipers became mere
spectators to the activity of the priest, who was the sole worshiper as he
stood before the altar with his back to the congregation. The people just
observed the rite. They could not respond because they did not hear the
Word of God.
As a result of the Reformation, the active participation of the people in
worship was restored. Luther gave to the people the Bible in their own
language so that God could speak to them clearly, but he also gave them
beautiful hymns in the vernacular with which they could unitedly respond to
the grace of God in praise and adoration. Luther and Calvin, as well as the
lesser Reformers, returned to the people their active participation in the
worship of God.
Calvinistic emphasis on the sovereignty of God, with prominence given to His
work, there was a tendency to lay excessive stress on the divine side, to
neglect the upward human response. The Puritans, so emphasized the
holiness of Godthat the assembly became little more than an opportunity to
hear the Word of God read and preached. Psalms were sung, long prayers
,any sense of corporate response to a loving God of infinite compassion and
mercy was lost and again the people became spectators. The response of
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the children of God was to come in daily living of the Christian life, not in the
service of worship.
Anglicans/American Episcopalians, the emphasis was placed too much on the
corporate activity of the people and not enough upon the Word of God.
Cranmer compilation of the Book of Common Prayer made provision for the
scriptures to be read morning and evening, but there was little emphasis on
preaching brief homilies. The emphasis , borrowed frm the Roman church
was placed on what was transpiring on the altar during the communion
services.
Believers do not understand the special meaning of corporate worship. They
do not understand that a group of sincere worshipers in a church has
something which is not present in other groups, something both spiritually
and psychologically valuable. Americans have developed a spectator
mentality. From early childhood, they sit in front of a screen they have
learned to be enthusiastic for entertainment and emotional thrills. There is a
catering for entertainment in modern churches - the latest current musical
patterns, with thythms more appropriate to the stage or dance hall, singers
sing sentimental songs which the audience enjoys. In this, there is no
corporate worship involved. The skill of the performers, the personality of
the musicians and etc.
TRUE CHRISTIAN WORSHIP IS THEOCENTRIC the focus of worship is
Godward. This is why if you go to a service for what we get out of it, this is
a big miss for the main consideration is that God be praised and glorified.
The worshiper who seeks with all his heart to adore God and listens
reverently to His Word will be the one who goes away from the service with
the deepest sense of personal blessing. Worship is giving to God the glory
and honor due to His name. God never ignores the needs of His children. He
seeks our worship; at the same time He knows we are completely dependent
on Him for the riches of His grace and goodness which alone sustain and
satisfy us as we live the Christian life in this world.
The presence of Jesus in corporate worship makes the worship.
EXAMPLE of Jesus He lived all His earthly life for the glory of God His Father
and not to please Himself, He was here not to be served, but to serve.
Because of this, Jesus is active in our services of worship, He will always
minister to the needs of His faithful worshipers. The most essential nature
God bears toward His creatures is that He is that life on which they depend.
THE PRIMARY EMPHASIS OF OUR WORSHIP IS THE MAGNIFICATION OF GOD,
THE MOVEMENT OF THE SERVICE IS GODWARD, then the results will be
subjective in the lives of the Christians.
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Worship must be regarded as offering. The very beginning of the history of

mankind, those who desired to worship God brought an offering. Abels
offering was a sacrifice offered by faith while Cains was an offering of the
fruit of the ground. Four our present purposes, the worship of God began
with offering. Abels offering was a sacrifice offered by faith; Caint was an
offering of the fruit of the ground. Hebrew history is a history of altars and
offerings. The great patriarchs, who were the high priests so to speak before
the Egyptian bondage, or in front of the tabernacle in the wilderness, or
within the courts of the temple in Jerusalem, to worship God was to bring an
offering. Give unto the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering,
come into his courts (Ps 96:8) This is perhaps the simplest statement in the
scriptures as to what is involved in the worship of God. Worship is not to be
considered as getting from God; worship is giving. Worship is offering.
OT offerings were sacrifices mostly. Since Jesus, offered Himself as the
perfect sacrifice for the sins of men, no need any longer for blood sacrifices.
The Catholic teaching that the mass is a repetition of the sacrifice of Christ is
erroneous teaching concerning the reoffering of the sacrifice of Christ. The
sacrifice of Christ is the basis of all Christian faith and hope, if we are to be
faith to Him that sacrifice must always be prominent. Christs sacrifice
involved his death but also involves his resurrection and ascension, an
eternal covenant with believers as well as his present intercession. All this is
included in His offering of Himself for sinners.
Christians are to continue to sacrifice to the Lord as a part of their worship of
Him. Precious doctrine of the Reformation is the truth of the priesthood of all
believers. We belong to a holy priesthood with priestly functions. Coming
to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the
sight of God, you also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house for a
holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices . The exercise of that
priesthood for the Christian is to offer up spiritual sacrifices. This is a rich
link with the OT. These do not replace the one offering of Christ. They are
made possible by that one eternal sacrifice and are to be offered as a
response to and in perfect union with that sacrifice.
WHAT ARE THE SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES THE BELIEVER OFFERS?
A SACRIFICE OF PRAISE TO God, the fruit of lips Through Him, then let us
continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, the fruit of the lips that give
thanks to His name (Heb 13:15)
This must be the response of the spirit to the grace of God in Jesus. As we
sing in the services of worship, our songs are to be sung to the Lord, but they
edify and admonish other believers. Let the word of Christ dwell in you

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richly in all wisdom, teaching one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord (Col 3:16)
OFFER GOOD WORK Do not neglect doing good, for with such sacrifices
God is pleased. Heb 13:16 Any deed which is done because of the love of
God and the desire to serve Him is a spiritual sacrifice acceptable to God.
Paul warns about the wrath to come on those who offer to God their own
good works instead of placing full trust and confidance in the sacrifice of
Christ. This is alarming for those around us who are doing that. (1 Thess
2:16)
A THIRD SPIRITUAL SACRIFICE IS SHARING (Heb 13:16)Phil 4:18 Paul writes
I have all, and abound, I am full, having received the things which were
sent, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.
The sharing of material substance with those doing ministry of the Word, or
when he places a check in the offering is making an offering to the Lord.
Offerings belong in the worship service. The presentation of the offering
should be a response to the goodness of God.
PAUL SPOKE OF HIS EVANGELISTIC WORK AS AN OFFERING TO GOD
THE Gentile converts of his ministry were offered up to God as a spiritual
sacrifice romm 15
MARTYRDOM (phil 2:17 ) Pauls final offering to God
ALL CHRISTIANS ARE TO OFFER THEIR BODIES AS LIVING SACRIFICES. In
offering our bodies we are united with Jesus Christ who through the eternal
Spirit offered himself without spot to God (Heb 9:14)
Romans 12:1 present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to
God, which is your spiritual service of worship. At some point in every
corporate worship service, individuals are to make a climactic dedication of
their entire personality to God. Have thine own way as in a hymn following
the sermon. Maybe part of the response following the confession of sin and
the declaration of pardon. When the communion is being observed, it is very
appropriate as a part of the communion service. Included in such an offering
is the willingness to do His will no matter what the cost, to love the believers
with pure Christian love, to seek in all aspects of life to demonstrate the
reality of the living Christ dwelling within.
HOLY COMMUNION AS OFFERING the Lords supper may be considered as a
sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for the saving grace of God in Christ and
for the multiplied blessings which come to us from being able spiritually to
feed continually upon the Bread of life Himself and to be constantly cleansed
by the efficacy of His shed blood from the stain of our daily sins. Genuine
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thanksgiving and personal offering of the believers themselves fully to the

Lord. The bridegroom gives a ring as a sign of his loyal-love and
commitment, in genuine worship, psalms hymns, prayers , gifts are sign of
self-oblation. No man has truly worshiped unless he has given himself to
God. This sacrifice, must be made in life and conduct, work and service for
the Christian service does not end with the benediction. In order that it may
be made in life as a whole, it should also be made in worship.
HYMNODY IN THE CHURCH CHAPTER 8
Major contributing factor to superficiality of the lives of evangelical Christians
is the failure of churches to teach and use the great hymns of the church
universal in worship. A generation or two of Christians who prefer
sentimental songs with questionable theology to great Christian poetry found
in the hymns mean Christians are woefully ignorant with respect to the
almost inexhaustible riches of sacred song which are our in the great hymns
which have come down through the centuries. A good hymnbook is the
repository of the deepest devotion of the saints of the ages. Its treasures are
priceless.
HYMNBOOK IS A DEVOTIONAL GUIDE, next to the Bible
A true hymn must be thoroughly scriptural, it must be an objective
expression of praise to God, God must be addressed personally in any true
hymn but He must be uppermost in the thought of the singer, the motion of
a true hymn is Godward. A hymn must have such lyrical quality it must be
sung in order for it to receive its best interpretation.
Corporate worship of God means we are concerned for the highest and best
of musical praise. A hymn is sung praise to God for all that He is and for all
that He has done in creation and in salvation. God must be worshiped in
truth, every line must be consistent with Scripture
Wesley and Watts were extremely careful to be faithful to the scriptures.
The Psalter was the principal hymnbook for the church for the first 1000
years. We should sing some of the Psalms constantly. To be educated in
hymnody means the clergy and the seminaries should not neglect instruction
in worship. Christian men and women need to learn to appreciate great
hymnody people can be taught!
Churches should offer classes iin SS or in its weeknight education program
which would in turn enrich their worship.
The great hymn writers walked with God, experienced the grace of God and
were gifted of Him to be able to translate their experiences and their
devotion into singable praise which has blessed worshiping multitudes down
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through the centuries. The name of the Lord has been exalted for centuries.
Christians started to sing right away after Pentecost. The Emperor Trajan
about a.d.110 received a letter about the Christians singing hymns to Christ
as God, these would not have been from a Jewish perspective. Earliest
Christian hymns were paraphrases of NT scriptures. The early church kept
close to the scriptures with regard to singing praise. The Gloria Patri is an
ancient hymn still sung today. First songs would have been in Greek. The
Protestant Reformation saw the hymn reach a position of importance in
public worship which it had never previously known. The Roman Church
from early times never encouraged congregational singing. Choirs of monks
did the singing in the worship services. The priest sang in Latin, the people
had no opportunity to sing in their own languages. The Reformation changed
all this. The German people have always loved to sing. Even the pope in
Rome allowed German congregations to sing. Martin Luther and the
Reformation brought about the opportunity for people to sing during worship.
England, Scotland , Wales the people brought congregational song to a
regular place in worship.
In the Lutheran sector, the hymn had a prominent place in the Reformation.
The Calvinist areas of Switzerland, France, Scotland and England, Calvin felt
that the metrical psalm was the answer for singing in public worship. Calvin
felt only the Psalms fulfilled this requirement of being only biblical. A century
and a half later Isaac Watts came upon the scene and broke the grip which
the exclusive use of metrical psalms had upon Reformed congregations.
ISAAC WATTS a poetic genius. This godly minister contributed much to the
enrichment of the worship of Christians in the last three centuries should be
familiar to Christians. His greatest hymn, When I survey the wondrous
cross is completely convicting. He added NT flavor to the psalms. He
published a book Hymns and Spiritual Songsin 1707 this could be said to
mark the birth of modern hymnody. He gave the English-speaking people a
large number of great hymns masterpieces. The hymn was established as
a thoroughly acceptable form of corporate praise.
JOHN AND CHARLES WESLEY born about the time of 1707. Published
hymns for the Methodists. Charles Wesleys hymns rank among some of the
greatest ever written.
BISHOP THOMAS KEN All praise to thee, my God, this night He had
courage to stand against a wicked King, Charless II.
REGINALD HEBER- published a hymnal in 1827, so psalms, hymns, and
spiritual songs were combined in the best hymnbooks.

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IN AMERICA , the early part of the 19th c. saw the hymns of the Wesley s
spread thoughout the US, but the camp meeting influenced the singing with
American folk melodies as in John Newtons amazing Grace
US contribution is the gospel song camp meetings , evangelistic campaigns
of Moody, Sankey, Blly Graham. Informal occasions and evangelistic
missions rather than worship services. Common worship needs to be
enriched, and part of theis enrichment could come from a better
understanding of the great hymns of the church. A steady discipline of hymn
singing would help worship be more meaningful to the individual worshiper.
This would contribute to the true praise of the glory of Gpod. Hymns are not
just a pious song for us to enjoy but a corporate act of the whole church as
we offer up to God our praise.
The church is a body. Each is a member of every otherWhen the Christian
church meets together for worship, it is not just to meet the needs of the
individual members of the congregation, but it is to afford the church as the
body of Christ opportunity to adore and worship the divine Head of the body.
The hymn is a corporate expression of theadoration. It is not a means of
taking part. It is a united offering of the congregations worship and not
just an opportunity for sincere and devout Christnas to conduct their
personal devotions.
Object the worshipers are consciously united in worship, there must be a
structural unity. The choice of the correct hymn for each place in the liturgy
in song is of great importance. The wrong hymn inserted in a service may
distub the structural unity. No thought to the unity of the service means the
hymns chosen to fit in plathe place chosen. In the vast reservoir of English
hymnody, the array of Hymns available are vast to choose from! Ministers ,
in preparing the order of worship, need to pay attention to selecting hymns
which are fitting for the place in the service where they are to be sung.
Careful and patient instructin n hymnology needs to be undertaken.
Christians are not so different from one another that the truly great hymns
which have stood the test of time will not be loved by others if they are given
an opportunity to learn to appreciate them. Ministers need to get to know
the hymnbook. Members of the congregation are to be able to make proper
use of their hymnbook and thus to contribute to the corporate worship.
Adequate instruction and reminders of what they should be doing when they
sing a hymn, otherwise, the hymn the hymn becomes only a point where the
e opportunity to change from sitting to standing or to stretch your legs is the
reason for singing a hymn.
All of worship is an offering of something to God, every hymn must be placed
in the service as an act of praise or prayer , an expression of faith
ordedication. Hymns and Hymn singing should be taken seriously.
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The hymnbook is not only the repository of the devotion of the saints of the
ages, but it also provides materials, from the church universal for the offering
up of the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. It is a prayer book as well as a
songbook. Christian doctrine and the proper response of the believer to that
doctrine mean all of the truly good hymns are concerned with things which
do not change. They are the same in every generation. As the Word of God
is unchanging, so the good hymn, scriptureal, deals with
Singing for the past two generations has been superficial. Notice the
tremendous truth which you are offering praise to God
The hymnbook is a rich resource book and should be mastered, not by the
ministers alone, but by every earnest Christian who desires to offer to God
the very highest and best in the praise of hHis name. We are faithful to the
very finest motivations for corporate worship when we are careful to sing
great expressions of praise and devotion which have stood the test of time in
the worship of believers.
SERMON IN SONG: SACRED MUSIC AS PROCLAMATION

Jones

Chapter 1 Music appears separate from elements of worship that seem to be more
spiritual such as praying and preaching. This worship dichotomy does not exist in
scripture musicians and preachers actually share in the ministry of the Word.
Ultimate goal is giving glory to God with proclamation and interpretation of the
Bible, edification and encouragement of the saints, these are purposes of sacred
music.
Martin Luther (1483-1546) realized the significant role that music could play in the
spiritual growth of the Christian. He felt it was so significant that music and notes
helped the Christian gain a better understanding of the biblical text! Especially
when sung by a congregation and when sung earnestly. Putting music to the living
and holy Word of God in order to sing, praise and honor it wanting the beautiful art
of music to be properly used to serve the Creator and his Christians. We are made
better and stronger in faith when his holy Word is impressed on our hearts by sweet
music Luther was not simply fond of mujsic. Luther thought music has a
theological reason for being: a gift of God which comes from the sphere of
miraculous audible things just like the Word of God. Music is unique in that it can
carry words. Words carry the Word of God, music and the Word of God are closely
related. It almost seems as if Luther sees music in its own right as a parallel to
preachingbut the weight falls on its association with the Word and words that
carry the Word.
ONE GOAL OF LUTHER to properly educate the youth of his day
Page 4 , to help the youth be trained in music and other fine arts away from love
songs and carnal pieces, to give them something wholesome to learn instead
Luther found the relation of music and the proclamation of the gospel contained in
the Bible. The Bible contains more than six hundred references to music, we know
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scripture that singing is eternal, singing should be a daily activity. Luther believed
that music should be composed to teach doctrine and to instruct young people, by
singing the Word of God, ones faith can be strengthened.
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH preached through his music, his church music is
hermeneutical,
Good church music possesses the qualities of a good sermon, when a composition is
performed, you hear a charming and beautiful harmony, in which God grants His
people on earth a foretaste of heavenly joy and the marvelous sweet sound of the
choir of angels so that they can be reminded even better of the divine being.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in
all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your
hearts to God. Col 3:16 Music is advocated for exhorting one another. So, the Bible
is unambiguous in stating that sacred music has a spiritually educational purpose.
Singing the Word of God strengthen ones understanding of it, it should be a result
of hearing and meditating on Gods Word ..Psalm 119 Your statutes have been
my songs in the house of my sojourning Singing is a biblical response to Gods
Word, the singing of psalms, hymns, or other musical responses follow the reading
and preaching of Scripture in our worship.

Musical proclamation can be broadly defined to include any text that teaches or sets
a passage of scripture, recounts Gods work, issues a call to repentance, or reminds
us of Gods promises. Proclamatory hymns focus on the gospel, the birth , life,
death, resurrection , ascension of Christ and the abundant life available to us
because of Christs sacrifice. The gospel can be preached through music, biblical
teaching can be recalled through music and appropriated, it must be done well.
When music is like a sermon, it needs to be well prepared and presented and
requires unity and coherence, it should make sense to the listener. It should
evidence thought and skill and should feed the people by teaching the Word of God,
it is a work of the Spirit of God.
Luthers commentary on 1 Cor 15 And now St. Paul appropriately concludes with a
song which he sings: Thanks and praise be to God, who gave us such a victory!
We can join in that song and in that way always celebrate Easter, praising and
extolling God for a victory that was not won or achieved in battle by us. But we
must. sing of this victory in Christ.
CHAPTER TWO
1 Cor 14:15 I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing
praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.
Mistaken belief growth in church attendance on the basis of musical style secures
spiritual growth, or that we have to package the gospel in modernitys clothing.

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God builds His church through faithful preaching of His Word and the biblical
worship of his people.
A way to sing hymns approach as prayer. Bachs chorales at the end of the
cantagtas often summarize the sermonic thought and ask Gods help.
CHAPTER THREE
Musicians are not performing, an act of service, an offering of prayer or praise.
Clap your hands Offerings in the context of worship are solely for the glory of
God. Amos 5:21 Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs
Four
Players should be skilled, just because they are willing to play does not mean they
should. Amos Woe to those who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like
David invent for themselves instruments of mus but are not grieved over the ruin of
Joseph Amos 6:4-6
Old Testament
1 Chronicles 23 David gathered the leaders of Israel and the Levites together to
divide them for temple service. 4000 of the Levite males assigned to be musicians.
David offer praises to the LORD with the instruments that I have made for praise
288 were trained in singing to the LORD
Harp lyre cymbals trumpets, sacred song the psalms are full of calls to worship
with instruments. Ps 33:2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to
him with the harp of ten strings Ps 98:5-6 sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
and the sound of melody
Ps 150 Praise him with trumpet sound, lute and harp, tambourine and dance, strings
and pipe, sounding cymbals, loud clashing cymbals
Instruments Miriams tambourine, Davids harp, trumpets used for feast day
NT references Matthew 9:23, 11:7, 1 cor 13 flute, harp cymbal trumpet
Eph 5:19 col 3:16
Instruments - can make valuable contributions to congregational singing
leadership, melodic support, color, strength, energy, interpretative meaning.
We will play my music on stringed instruments all the days of our lives, at the
house of the LORD IS 38:20
FIVE
1 Chronicles 23:5b and 4,000 shall offer praises to the LORD with the instruments
that I have made for praise David commanded appointments for singers who
should play loudly on musical instruments, harps lyres cymbals to raise sounds of
joy (when the ark of the covenant was moved to Jerusalem) All Israel brought up
the ark with shouting, horn, trumpets, cymbals loud music on harps and lyres
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Also, 2 Chronicles 5:12-14 (120 trumpeters) ps 136

1 chronicles 15 Chenaniah , a singer who led singer and choirs for he understood
it v 22
Asaph penned at least 12 ps 50, 73-88 appointed by David to minister before
the ark of the LORD, to play cymbals. Asaph was the chief musician whose
ministry included prayers , songs of thanks and praise accountable to David
Jeduthun and Heman chosen to give thanks to the LORD, to sound the trumpets
and cymbals - music director, named choir master
Maskil is an unknown musical or literary term either cultic song, a passage for
learning, a wisdom song put to music.
Mahalath leannoth translated after a sad manner or to make humble
Heman the kings seer 14 sons and 3 daughters 1 chron 25:6 under the
direction of their father in the music in the house of the LORD , cymbals, harps,
lyres clear reference to women serving as musicians in worship Ezra 2:65 200
male and female singers
Ethan listed as one of the lead musicians designated to play the bronze cymbals in
1 Chronicles 15
David credited with setting up the massive organization of music for worship that
lasted through the end of the second temple period. Set apart 4000 Levites for
temple music appointed 288 skilled leaders. A committee of elders whom David
entrusted with that task chose the leaders . original biblical chant of the temple
preserved by the meticulous tradition of its consecrated singers this system is
known as cantillation.In the Psalms, the use of choruses, soloists, harmony,
instrumentation
David was a musician from his youth , probably wrote and sang songs as he tended
the sheep. David composed psalms , instructed the three chief cantors of
Israel,Heman, Jeduthun and Asaph, these men played according to thechironomy
of David, refers to a system of hand gestures that symbolize degrees of a musical
scale, tempo, rhythm . 3000bc existence appearing in ancient Egyptian pictures
and hieroglyphs. The Davidic system of cantillation and chironomy must have been
set apart for the worship of Yahweh, distinguishing worship of the one true God from
that of the false gods of Israels neighbors. particular to the Hebrew people, far
removed from pagan rites of other ancient peoples. Sons were taught by musical
fathers, generation after generation, a family tradition or calling carefully guarded
and attentively taught. David and Solomons politically stable, culturally rich
environment, musical traditions must have flourished to the level of art. Can you
imagine the exiled Jews of the Babylonian period lamenting as they were asked to
sing the songs of Zion in a strange land? Ps 137
These songs were intricately linked to worship in the temple ; it would have been
excruciating for the exiles to sing them. It would remind them of their loss of the

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former joy in the tremendous glory of Solomons temple now a memory. (By the
waters of Babylon)
David sang and played music to God, concerned himself with worship of God,
organized worship practices, entrusted this work fto faithful, trained men, remained
involved in their training. David recognized that organizations are influenced from
the top down, from leadership, he set an example as a participant. Wrote music,
ensured they learned it skillfully. David was a real, thinking, emotional person who
recognized that musical lament, praise, thanksgiving, confession, petition through
voices and instruments were appropriate in the worship of God.
SIX - Leading in worship as an accompanist
In contrast to postmodern thought and deconstructionism in particular, Christianity
is based on absolutes. We have a moral compass, a standard, a center; the Word of
God Christ is our center.
Church music is logogenic or word born. It grows out of language of the Bible and
Christianity. Language propagates our fiath and proceeds from Christ, the Word, the
Logos. Music clothes the Word of God with sound and reinforces its message with
meaning beyond the realm of word. It communicates with our souls as a
metaphysical force.
Language and communication are at the heart of worship, musicians provide a a
vehicle in which much of this conversation occurs. The way in which one plays
affects the way the people sing. The accompanist directly influences singing.
It the accompanist who influences the way a congregation sings, tempo, rhythm,
volume, dynamic, pacing, style, articulation. One can affect peoples thinking as
well as their connection to the truths being sung. This last sphere of influence
thought is the most important, and all others are connected to it. Thought is
missing more and more in worship today. We are concerned about our emotional
connection and what we are getting out of the worship experience than in being
cognitively engaged or spiritually awakened. This mindset is one of the primary
reasons hymns have fallen out of popularity and use in many churches. They
require thought , people do not want to think. Today most evangelicals come to
church to be refreshed, not to work or to think. Proper worship does take work,
thought, preparation, action. Our singing is not for ourselves or directed to each
other but to and for God. This understanding makes a difference in how we engage
in it. When we sing we are praising God and praying to him, in the presence of the
King of Glory, this is important so we should know what we are singing.
Church music should deliver doctrine, quote scripture, offer a message of
encouragement to fellow believers while pointing to Christ. Congregational song is
prayer. How we think about these songs and how we sing them matters. The
accompanist has a lot to do with that. The single most important thing one does as
an accompanist is to help the congregation think about these songs and how to
sing them.

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The accompanist introduces the hymn setting key, meter, tempo, mood, character,
style and acquaints the ear with the tune. Parameters must be set. Choosing the
right tempo, pace, character; a rut of singing everything the same way, with the
same sound, is like painting everything in a mural one color. This is dull, does not
encourage thoughtful participation, resulting in disinterest.
PREPARATION to accompany congregation song, we need to study the music (text
and tune) - , is it prayer, praise, a narrative, doctrinal statement? Sing it yourself to
determine a reasonable tempo, is there time to breathe? Does the tempo feel
rushed or does it drag? Keep a consistent tempo in the introduction, without much
or any ritard, so that it is clear to the congregation just when and how fast to sing.
INHALATION life is in the breath; the way we breathe affects our communication.
Long, run-on sentences without stopping to breathe or reflect on what is said, no
change in inflection, the listener will lose interest or have trouble following the train
of thought. If stress or weight is placed onsignificant words, if there is a sense of
pace, if there is evidence of thought and meaning, communication will occur.
In speech or writing, the difference between run-on sentences lacking form, and
clear, concise, thoughtful phrases is punctuation. Do not ignore structure of
periods, commas, colons, semicolons , the pacing of delivery.
STANDARD RULE for choirs, breathe or rearticulate with the written punctuation . If
a congregation breathes together where the punctuation calls for it, resists
breathing corporately when a thought should be connected to the next, it will have
good ensemble. The people will have a greater chance of understanding the
thought behind the words. The error is that people breathe in the middle of words
rushing through phrases that should be separated. Singers with no vocal training,
nonmusicians will respond to the suggestion to breathe with punctuation.
Introducing the idea focuses a heightened level of attention on the text.
ORGANIST needs to encourage breathing some phrases need to be sung through,
or their meanings will be changed or lost. Other phrases require multiple lifts or
breaks in order to distinguish ideas in the text. Some hymns present challenges
because the musical logic fights the text.
ARTICULATION relates to inhalation. The attack, the amount of space between
notes, damper pedal, length of notes, emphasis, stress - all affect the sound and
character of the music. The cathedral organist may not regularly employ or even
approve of the articulative model of playing. Various spaces, acoustics, instruments
will dictate the way we play and lead. Our hymn playing should grow out of textual
consideration and should compel the congregation to sing thoughtfully.
REGISTRATION The choice of registration applies to organ, keyboard, piano. Most
church musicians think a different sound should accompany each successive verse.
The player is like an orchestra. Sound color should be used to the advantage of the
text. Prayerful - one could play quietly and legato. If a stanza is bold, one could
play louder and less legato.
portrays the character of the particular stanza, a cappella possibility
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IMPROVISATION - introductions or between stanzas. rhythmic deeficiency , cheating

longer notes, fading away at the ends of phrases or stanzas, skipping beats
altogether, losing energy mid-measure. , The pianist needs to give rhythmic
direction and energy - When the hymn is sagging, does the organist follow the
congregation ? Lead the congregational singers into their next note. Help them
gather energy to sing with more vigor. It is a congregational hymn, not a solo
concerto.
REHARMONIZATION/KEY CHANGE - CHANGING STANDARD HARMONY - PUT A LITTLE
INTEREST INTO THE PIECE. Tempo changes key changes
However, planned accuracy beforehand is better than errant spontaneity.
Enhancement of the congregation's singing and not detracting is a noble effort.
PREPARATION - Prepare, think, rehearse...leading the congregation in the worship of
God demands preparation. Good point - Texts should be reviewed to determine how
the congregation can be encouraged to sing them with understanding and
conviction. Preparation is very important to being effective. Being prepared does
not mean that one must work in a sterile environment - room for spontaneity and
inspiration. "Stewardship of preparation" - if we expect our congregations to
approach him with thought and care, we are responsible to do the same as
musicians.
AUTHENTICITY IN CORPORATE WORSHIP MUSIC - VAPID TELEVISION PROGRAMS
AND MOVIES dominate our culture and are full of illusion, "reality" shows are
contrived. Other things that we do or accept as real are fake, including things in the
context of gathered worship. Church music can be inauthentic. Fifty years ago,
Frank Gaebelein noted "there is a great deal of music among evangelicals , cheap,
vulgar, aesthetically false, it use for good ends does not alter its character.
American evangelicalism urgently needs to progress to a higher level of music.
PRERECORDED MUSIC, ACCOMPANIMENT TRACK - less than real, their use in worship
should be eliminated. No one present in the church is playing the instruments, akin
to worship by proxy. No direct control over tempo, volume, expression, timing,
phrasing, pitch. If the soloist or choral director wants to alter any of these
parameters he or she is unable to do so. Using prerecorded music can make things
sound "professional",can mask technical deficiencies in one's vocal ability or an
undesirable choral tone. It can take the place of missing instrumentalist. But
should it?
Music is organic, it must have flexibility, subtlety, choice. Recordings remove these
dynamics. A recording is a single performance trapped in time, it becomes a "still
life" rather than a real-time, real-life occurrence. Music is then not creative, it is
fixed and therefore not really music it is pseudo-music- a reproduction. Playing a
recording does not represent the REAL people in the church should be offering the
music. It imports commercial players from a static moment in time, from a
recording studio miles away, like hiring an agency to offer worship instead of us.
ELECTRONIC ORGANS, ELECTRIC GUITARS - These are not authentic instruments any instrument that must be amploifed to be played is not a natural, acoustic
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instrument; it is a recording apparatus of sorts. The computer within the instrument

digitally records the sounds, then the recording is played back instantaneously
through speakers, like a CD. It is useful - finances, space may make less-than-real
instruments necessary. Acoustic organs are the real thing. To strive to give, do, be
all that we can, means we cannot be complacent means to pay attention to real
sound.
Acoustic instruments share one characteristic, they are modeled after the human
voice, the first and greatest instrument, created by God. 1. require an evergizing
source - usually movement of air or activation by part of the body, bow or mallet, a
vibrating element - strings, lips, membranes, reeds and a resonating space. The
human voice requires air from the lungs being forced over the vocal folds that
vibrate and sound into the resonating chambers/cavities of the head. A violin
requires movement of the bow, causes the strings to vibrate and then resonates
through its own hollow wooden body.
SYNTHESIZER PG 53
INAUTHENTIC WORSHIPERS: ORGANIST, WORSHIP TEAMS, SONG LEADERS,
SOLOISTS, PASTORS, CONGREGATION MEMBERS - PG 53 need to point people to
Christ
The song leader who sings loudly into the microphone while ignoring the
congregation's singing, talks too much, leaves hymn stanzas out, does not
adequately prepare gets in the way of real worship.
Soloists who draw attention to themselves, attempt music they cannot perform well,
accept praise that is due to God are not authentically worshiping. Not participating
in congregational singing is not worshiping.
ARGUMENTS FOR AUTHENTICITY IN CORPORATE WORSHIP
AUTHENTIC WORSHIPERS - God must be worshiped in spirit and truth (John 4:24)
We need the help of the Spirit of God to be true worshipers. We need the right
focus as well - God himself because worship is not primarily about us. Christ is
rightly the center of attention. Keeping Christ at the center may mean less time in
front of the microphone for musicians, more time in rehearsal, , singing more
psalms and hymns, it may mean not singing certain hymns or choruses. Someone
may need to retire. Maybe the music director should be more involved in Bible
Study, or that he needs to pray upon arrival in the sanctuary instead of getting her
weekly digest from a friend.
AUTHENTIC INSTRUMENTs Something real is better than something unreal. Since
we are to worship God with the best we can bring, can we not do better than
pseudo-music? Invest ina real piano or a pipe organ. Music budgets permit us to
engage and compensate excellent wind, string, brass musicians once a month. Buy
an acoustic for a teen instead of the electric guitar. Take lessons, if we can do
better, we should. Are we saving our best for someone more important than God?
AUTHENTIC PERFORMANCE/PRESENTATION -The use of live musicians is always
preferable to recorded tracks. Use your musicians, provide training and
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encouragement, do not mask the lack of tone or diction in your choir with backup
vocals on an accompaniment CD Build up the choir. Any choir can improve.
Voice lessons - church soloists attempt to imitate recording artist. Celebrity
problems, - Better worships!
CHAPTER 8 SERVICE MUSIC:
Prelude - a prelude to worship -the worship can more easily comprehend a sense of
place and purpose as being different from that of the world. It should turn the mind
toward God or provide a setting in which one can focus on the important and
serious work ahead - the worship of God. It is a time to pray, to listen , to think.
Praise and worship - misleading title - praise is, not exclusive of worship. praise is
part of our worship of God. Praise is part of our worship of God, only one part.
Worship is the whole thing. Priase is not just loud and fast, it can be reflective,
worship is not just slower and quiet, it can be energetic or serence.
Introit - brief choral song , a choral call to worship for the congregation, calling
people of God to lay aside worldly cares and actively begin to worship. complex
roman roots,
DOXOLOGY - HYMN OF PRAISE, typically called to praise the Trinity
GLORIA PATRI - latin hymn from 2nd c. A>D> For centuries, it has been used as a
response to psalm and canticle singing.
HYMNS/CHORALES - Greek usage, hymn refeered to a poem to a hero. In church,
Luther was convinced of music's power to transmit theological substance. Hymn, as
music of the people, serves to bolster faith and carry the gospel. Luther held
"priesthood of all believers" was realized when common people sang in worship. He
wrote 37 chorales for his congregations to sing, "the father of evangelical hymnody"
COMMUNION - cOMMUNION MUSIC - MUSIC APPROPRIATE TO THINKING ABOUT THE
lORD'S sUPPER Christs SACRIFICE, CONFESSION OF SIN, Instrumental music, choral
son, congregational song, or silence are all suitable.
ANTHEM - piece of music with sacred tesxt, intended for performance by a choir stand-alone part of the service. church choirs used to be composed of men and
boys
SOLO MUSIC - designated soloists in a well-loved hymn or gospel song "I'd rather
have Jesus"
SPECIAL MUSIC - is inaccurate, , "mjsical offering"
OFFERTORY - psalm or chant sung while the offering of bread and wine was brought
in procession to the altar - roman
CANTICLES - BIBLICAL songs outside the book of Psalms - Magnificat, Nunc dimittis,
RESPONSES - responses may follow scripture, prayer, sermon....
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POSTLUDE - music to come "after" the service. spirit of joy, thankfulness, energy, is
appropriate character
TRINITARIAN HYMNODY and psalmody are integral to the Christian faith. , They are
not a style of worship, they represent the corporate voice God God's people, over
the span of many generations, responding hto his Word, to creation to teaching, to
creeds, to truth. Good Christian hymns protect us from theology of the moment,
bolstering our knowledge of God. This is not a dead form or antiquated art. It is
living orgfanic, energizing force calling us to service reminding us of why should
serve communicating christian doctrines and biblical teaching. These are our
devotional responses and considered thoughts, prayers, battle songs, they are
spiritual DNA - our history, our present, our future.
The tunes are important as well. The music must be judged on the basis of musical
merit:, melody, harmony, rhythm, form, on aesthetic grounds, on its capacity to
deliver the meaning of the texts it accompanies. Long-lasting hymn and psalm
tunes is a link to our living spiritual history, part of our collective Christian repertory,
irrespective of one's familiarity with them or regard for them. We do not want to
diminish the strength of
Christian history or hymns. New tune, should be written, but excellent tunes of
previous eras do not require musical clothing of postmodernity. Each age make a
contribution to the ongoing, growing hymn repertoire, style and sound may change,
but solidity, quality, beauty, transcent time and speak authentically. Singing is
important in the Christian life.
TRINITARIAN HYMNODY CHAPTER 9
hYMNS TEACH CHRISTIAN DOCTRIN - Luther disseminated the gospel through
writing hymns and teaching them to people. 2nd c. hymn writers countered the
heretical teachings of the Gnowtics by writing hymns of Christ to affirm his deity
which was in dispute. 325 ad council of Nicaasea forumalated a statement about
the Trinity as it was attacked. This event led to development of hymnody
chamioning the Trinity. -There were ancient trinitarian hymns..
the oldest is Gloria Patri
Ambrose of Milan (340-397) fourth century serious introduction of hymnody to the
western church. reintroduced congregational song in psalms and hymns"Savior of
the nations, come" - very old.
Justinian, emperorcouncil of Epheseus in 4321trinitarian hymn
Holy HOLY HOLY - by HEBER - God in 3 persons, blessed Trinity!
Come thou almight King - trinity hymn God the Father 1, God the Son 2 God the
spirit 3 the trinity 4
HYMNS WITH CONCEPT OF ETERNAL PRAISE OR TIMELESS WORSHIP
Now Thank We all our God
Christ is made the sure foundation , Latin, 7th c
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Holy God we praise your name from the TEDEUM

O perfect love
Angels from the realms fo glory
The god of Abraham praise
THE POINT OF BEING AWARE OF A HYMN'S BACKGROUND AND SUBSTANCE BEFORE
WE SING, WE ARE MORE APT TO SING THE TEXT WITH ENERGY AND CONVICTION
THAN BY ROTE. SOLEMN RESPONSIBILITY OF THOSE WHO LEAD CORPORATE
WORSHIP TO MAKE EACH SERVICE ELEMENT AS BIBLICAL, THOUGHTFUL AND
MEANINGFUL AN EXPERIENCE AS POSSIBLE.
CHAPTER 10 - HYMNS IN YOUR CHURCH
HYMNS AS DEVOTIONAL MATERIAL,, TAKE TIME TO THINK THROUGH HYMN TEXTS,
EXPLAIN THEM TO CHILDREN. A TEXT UNDERSTOOD IS ONE THAT CAN BE
MEANINGFULLY SUNG. THIS KIND OF STUDY IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WORSHIP
MUST BE INTENTIONAL AND THOUGHTFUL.
CONGREGATIONAL SINGING -FOR IT TO BE COMPREHENDED, TEXTS SHOULD BE
EXCELLENT,BIBLICALLY SOUND, MEANINGFUL, RICH. , SELECTION MEANS PRAISE,
CONFESSION, THANKSGIVING.
HYMN SERVICES, SHORT ORGANIZED HYMN-SING
HYMN OF THE MONTH,
HYMN FESTIVALS
chapter 11 psalm ascriptions
teamim
MARVA DAWN
Psalms ,hymns and spiritual songs
Definition psalms of course the psalter as we know it
Hymns development of specifically Christian songs in the traditions of faith
Spiritual Songs cannot be specifically defined . I would suppose songs that are
within the Christian expression of faith, words that bring us close to God
The 16th c Reformers valued the past, even as they discovered the new. Today,
there is utter confusion in the church because of music in worship. What do you
think of this sentence, churches that use essentially narcissistic music, focused on
self rather than God, find it increasingly difficult to engage members in service and
outreach. Churches whose music accentuates only the Holy Spirit, thus deficient
trinitarianism, have an insufficient doctrine of confession and forgiveness and thus

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find it difficult to deal with conflicts. The freedom of the Spirit must be matched
with the discipline of the truth.
The history of music as it is intertwined with the rebellions of the 60s and the
development of niche marketing. Before 1960, music unified diverse people. The
postwar rejection of elders authority by teenagers, intensified the separation of
young and old. Music in the 60s became an identiy marker, a sign of rebellion, a
unifier of one segment in protest against all the rest of the culture, a means for
flaunting independence.
Record industry realized they could make more money if they divided people into
smaller and smaller niches. Instead of one readio station playing diverse music,
numerous staions each had a specialty. The tween market (ages 9-13), have their
own styles and tunes and now marketers have discovered they have $1.4 billion to
spend.
The same sort of rebellion against the institution of the Church and of niche
marketing We want our kind of music! means congregations are split into various
styles of worship.
What happened
CHAPTER 6
The heavens are made by One whose character is steadfast love and faithfulness
Psalm 96:5b use of
LORD, YHWH, the covenant name.
Steadfast love and faithfulnessWe dont offer gifts of music or preaching or prayers
to elevate ourselves. What can substitute for the word perform?
Our songs are offered to adore God and for the spiritual well-being the edification of
all who worship, those gifts flow from the LORDs steadfast love and faithfulness
surging through us.
Our offerings of leadership enable the entire participating Body to glorify Him more
thoroughly
We are being overwhelmed in this culture by technology, it tends to replace
practices that engage us with devices that produce commodities. Difference
between buying the device of a backup tape to produce the commodity of musical
accompaniment, and training our children to make music that engages us all in
offering praise to God. The difference is the production of a recording company as
opposed to the sacrifice of someones praise as a worshiper. One is technology of
someone elses creation, the other is creation!
CHAPTER 7
Technology displaces God. But, many scientist seem to be playing God (abortion
pill, cloning)
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Technology is often an idol. We must always be concerned for the glory of God and
not to dazzle because of the spectacular use of technology. Movies do that for us.do
we trust the Holy spirits power to change hearts, not be dependent on technology.
The LORDs splendor and majesty are what matters. Not idolatry of
contemporaneity ! Is it better to utilize devices of technology in worship to
evangelize or should our evangelism concentrate more on personal conversations in
which we enable people to see both the dangers of their technological enthrallment
and also the genuine splendor and majesty of the only true God? As virtual reality
becomes less virtual and more real, more people, especially youth will choose
ignorance, a life lived inside movies and games rather than in families, schools,
relationships jobs.
Teenagers dont need more screens, they need relationships with really committed
Christians who live the way of Jesus. How can worship be of interest if they are
used to being dazzled by glitz and energy of their multimedia world?
We do not have to manufacture something interesting in God; we will in worship
express and reflect who God really is! God is brilliance without banality. It exhibits
excellence that encourages our own. It calls forth reverence. Jesus suffered a
horrible death but He exercised compassion in the midst of agony.
God is GOD, that is enough to claim our interest. If our worship services present
God truly, there is no need to manufacture glitz. The substance of God is
sufficiently inspiring. The basic fact of human existence is that we long for God,
even if we dont know it. Worship can be endlessly exhilarating and thoughtprovoking because we will never get done exploring all there is to discover about
gods dimensions, seemingly disparate, like strength and beauty, wrath and love,
power and tenderness, vulnerability and sovereignty.
There is a movement to contextualize and devalue or dismiss what is classical. If
worship is only contextual, then the Gospels uniqueness is easily lost in cultural
trappings and is more difficult to form Christians who live distinctly and differently
from the world.
c.s.lewis Novelty can only have an entertainment value. Believers dont go to
church to be entertained. Our attention is on God. Avoid novelty or monotony.
Some organists, choirs, worship bands perform concerts instead of enabling all the
people to worship more thoroughly. Worship should never be the performance of a
few trained people.
If we forget that worship is for God or if we give in to the idolatry of comfort, we
wont work very hard at being thoroughly involved if we dont feel like it. If we
remember that worship presents the opportunity to unite with others in gratitude to
the King of the cosmos, we will each want to do our best and offer our most
excellent singing, our finest performance, and join with all the other saints in
thorough participation in the act of worship.
PSALM 33:3 Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of JOY! If we
enter into praising the LORD and offer our adoration as skillfully, excellently,
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wholeheartedly as we can, it will increase our heavenly joy. Investing ourselves and
our wills in discovering, lauding the glory of Gopd, the more we will be filled with the
bliss of His Triune presence.
Choir directors dont forget to tell the choir part of their purpose is to help the
congregation sing better.
Our worship to point to God, to encourage everyones participation, to knit us
together as a believing community.
Worship emphasizing only celebration highlights one dimension of faith. We need to
worship with lament, confession, our doubts, frustrations, lifes pains, sorrow so that
our vocabulary for God displays Gods presence in every aspect of our lives.
Genuine renewal requires continual mind renewal. Continual development of the
mind of faith in our culture of mindlessness. (Romans 12:2), Paul encourages us to
be being transformed by the renewal of your mind.. Gods constant work to
transform us and renew our minds.
Psalm 33
The poet is cerebral and celebrative, our worship ought not to concentrate on one to
the exclusion of the other, but encompasses the whole range of human emotions
and will, mind and heart, being and action, prayerfulness. Our soul waits for the
LORD, He is our help and shield, our heart rejoices in Him, we trust in His holy
name.
Contemporary hostility towards pipe organs arose because some organists played
them overbearingly or for their own glory, some instruments are too large for their
space and overwhelm the singers, or because some musicians do not know which
stops to use to best support congregational singing. The primary instrument for
worship resulted because one musician could play so many different sounds and
not because it has greater endorsement from God. It is tragic that such a versatile
instrument generates animosity. Most well-built organs, can sound like strings,
brass, woodwinds, an entire orchestra.
Worship bands can crank up the amplifiers to high decibel levels thinking they bring
magnificence to God.Think of Gods royalty needing a trumpet stop on the organ.
Percussionists use the same rhythms and patterns endlessly repeated without
attention to how those sounds match the meaning of the words being sung. A
timpani rolling at the climax of a hymn of praise is entirely appropriate.
Percussion in worship is often a trap set featuring snare drums. The human ear ,
unless it is played with soft mallets, find the snare drum too percussive.
Snares were invented to be heard on the battlefield above the roar of muskets.
They produce a sound causing the ear to close up in self-defense. The result is that
singers dont really hear each other, in turn, they sing less. Perhaps we could
produce our percussion by involving more people playing a few octaves of bells ,
drum boxes with varied pitches, orff instruments, claves, zimbelstern
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Observers find people rendered passive if snare drums are too sharp for their ears,
then they watch worship instead of participating in the singing. A drummer said
Lots of people plug their ears. Shouldnt this tell him he is not concerned that his
playing ispreventing peoples participation in worship rather than assisting it?
In a culture in which our musical tastes are narrowed by the bombast of music
produced to market, could not the sounds of worship expand our experience? Could
we not better demonstrate the greatness of Gpod with more varied sounds?
Different kinds of sounds, according to the seasons of the church year, according to
whether we are confessing, rejoicing, preparing to worship, preparing to re-enter the
world for mission.Sometimes we need simple unaccompanied singing; sometimes
we need bombastic sounds.
Whatever musical accompaniment we use must always be faithful to the character
of the LORD and glorifying to God, congruent with the text it accompanies, enabling
worshiper to participate. Organists in the past dedicated their entire lives to play
their instruments well for the glory of god. They spent many years learning to play
appropriately and many hours practicing for each worship service. Those who offer
their musical gifts to facilitate and enhance the congregations worship should
practice.
CHAPTER 8

Marva Dawn

The churchs development of worship pg 95

Pg. 146 what people want may not be good for them
Pg 168

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