The Joy Of Singing

[ In this pic Rev Adbhuta rao using gazals when his daughter Mrs vinodini John 

  is singing a song in a worship time ]

INTRODUCTION

1. Another important element of our walk with God is the act of singing
   praises...
   a. We spend nearly a third of our assemblies engaged in this
      activity
   b. It also has a place in our private devotions to God
   -- And rightly so, for it has the potential of reaping great
      spiritual benefits to those who engage in it properly

2. It is clear that those who walked with God in Old Testament times
   delighted in singing - cf. Ps 146:1-2

3. Christians were taught to respond to the goodness of God in a
   similar way - Jm 5:13

4. But there are indications in many churches which cause me to wonder
   if some have lost the joy of singing
   a. Many Christians sing with virtually no emotion
   b. Some go one step further, and do not sing at all!
   c. I have personally known Christians, who...
      1) Complained because time available for classes was taken up by
         the singing of a few hymns
      2) Will not attend a worship service if they know it will be
         devoted primarily to singing
   d. In contrast, it was common in the past for people to travel some
      distance to attend a service devoted to praising God in song

5. WHY DO SUCH CONDITIONS EXIST?  I suspect it may be a failure to
   appreciate:
   a. The true purpose of singing
   b. How we can get more out of singing

[In an effort to assure that we will experience the JOY of singing,
let's first examine...]

I. THE PURPOSE OF SINGING

   A. TO PRAISE THE LORD - Ac 16:25
      1. This is the most popular concept of the purpose of singing
         a. Indeed, this is certainly the idea inherent in the word
            "HYMN"
         b. Which comes from the Greek word HUMNOS, meaning "a song in
            praise of"
      2. Praising God should be "a natural" for Christians!
         a. For if David in the Old Testament reacted this way to the
            blessings God gave him ... - Ps 28:6-7
         b. How much more should we!
      3. In fact, singing is one of the "spiritual sacrifices" that we
         are to offer to God - He 13:15
         a. As "spiritual priests" we are to offer up "spiritual
            sacrifices acceptable to God" - 1Pe 2:5
         b. If we are not careful, we might be guilty of offering
            "defiled" service to God as was the case in Malachi's day!
            - cf. Mal 1:7-8, 12-13

   B. TO TEACH AND ADMONISH ONE ANOTHER - Col 3:16; Ep 5:19
      1. Our singing is not just directed toward God...
         a. Certainly, many songs are
         b. But many of the songs are directed to each other
      2. That's because many songs are designed to teach one another
         a. Teaching and admonishing us to live properly, enjoying the
            blessings of the Christian life
         b. It might even be said that "congregational singing" is
            often "congregational teaching"!
         c. Thus singing is a way that we can encourage our brethren
            and ourselves as well!

II. GETTING MORE OF OUR SINGING

   A. WE MUST ENGAGE THE "MIND" AS WE SING...
      1. Remember, singing is "teaching and admonishing one another"
         a. This assumes that we UNDERSTAND what we sing
         b. We must be careful that our enjoyment of singing is not
            like the way many people enjoy their popular music (liking
            the music without necessarily understanding the words)
      2. Therefore, give careful attention to the WORDS of the song

   B. WE MUST ALSO ENGAGE THE "HEART" AS WE SING...
      1. When we sing, we must do so...
         a. "with grace in our hearts" - Col 3:16
         b. "making melody in your heart" - Ep 5:19
      2. This assumes that we involve our EMOTIONS as we sing!
      3. To sing without emotion (without grace in our hearts)...
         a. Will be evident in our countenances! - Pr 15:13
         b. Is hypocritical, and condemned by Jesus! - Mt 15:7-8

[ In this pic Mrs vijaya paul who is choir leader in our ministry is worship the 

  lord Jesus Christ with her honey dew voice ]

III. QUESTIONS TO EVALUATE YOUR SINGING

   A. DO YOU LIMIT THE SPHERE OF YOUR SINGING?
      1. Is your singing limited just to the public assemblies?
      2. Or do you utilize opportunities to sing at other times with
         others, or even alone?
      3. Singing, like prayer, ought to be spontaneous, arising
         whenever the circumstances call for it - cf. Ac 16:25;
         Ps 34:1-3

   B. IS THERE LACK OF EMOTION IN YOUR SINGING?
      1. Remember, singing is to involve the HEART
      2. And not with just "some" heart, but as in all that we do for
         the Lord, with "all" our hearts! - Mt 22:37
      3. When it comes time to praise the Lord, it should not be done
         "half-heartedly"
         a. Remember Mt 15:7-9
         b. "It is a great sign of mediocrity to praise always
            moderately." - Vauvenargues
      4. Not all may be talented in voice, but all can and should bless
         the Lord with their "whole being"! - Ps 103:1

   C. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SINGING?
      1. Again, singing must also involve the MIND
      2. Some songs, though sounding beautiful, can be so complicated
         as to hinder understanding
         a. E.g., the musical arrangement can be such that one spends
            more time concentrating on the notes rather than the words
         b. E.g., the pace of the song can be so fast that we don't
            absorb the meaning of the words
         c. E.g., the words used may be unusual and not understood by
            the average singer
      3. Song leaders can perform a valuable service by being careful
         in the songs they select to lead
         a. Carefully introducing songs that may be new to the congre-
            gation
         b. Taking a moment to explain the meaning of the song or
            unusual words in it
      4. But the ultimate responsibility falls on us who sing, so we
         should make every effort to understand what we are singing

   D. DO YOU STRESS MUSICAL HARMONY TO THE DETRIMENT OF NEW TESTAMENT
      SINGING?
      1. Fortunately, God stresses making melody in our hearts over
         making harmony with our voices
      2. In a natural desire to offer beautiful praise, do you
         discourage those who might not have trained voices but still
         love to praise God with their whole being?
      3. I have occasionally seen some Christians give a criticizing
         look at others who sang "off key"
      4. But the emphasis should be on praising God in heart and mind,
         and not how it may sound to the human ear!

   E. DO YOU HINDER YOUR OWN SINGING BY WHERE YOU SIT?
      1. Sitting alone or spread out naturally discourages many from
         singing as they otherwise might
      2. People become more involved, are more uplifted, edify others
         better, when they sit together and close to the song leader
      3. One of the first steps to better singing is to sit with others
         who love to sing!

CONCLUSION

May David's attitude, a man after God's own heart, describe our own:

      "I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
         I will sing praise to my God while I have my being."
                                   - Ps 104:33

      "Praise the Lord!
         For it is good to sing praises to our God;
         For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful."
                          - Ps 147:1

For more information, Prayers and counseling you can contact,
Rev. Adbhuta Rao. Garnepudi
Millinium Baptist Church
Nambur, Guntur (Dist), A.P
milliniumbaptistchurchministries@yahoo.com
mbcministries.india@gmail.com
(+91)9848150491, 9908054910