Has the question ever crossed your mind, “Why do we sing together at church?” or “What’s the big deal with singing?” For those of us who are regularly a part of a weekly worship service, we can sometimes forget that what we do as the people of God can seem a little strange to the world around us! On one hand, we as humans are no strangers to singing and song. We sing at concerts, football matches, pubs, karaoke bars, birthday parties…etc. Singing is all around us but no place so much as the gathered church and never with as much purpose as in the corporate worship of the living and true God.
I think for those of us who lead worship at churches, we can take the question of why we sing for granted. After all, it is our very job to lead people to sing, and I think we can just come to expect that people will and that they desire to. We can forget that for some people in our churches, singing is not naturally enjoyable or a talent that they feel they possess at all. It can be an exercise that some people are uncomfortable with or at the very least unsure of. If you are one of those people, I hope that this will be an encouragement to you. I’m confident that there is deep and lasting joy found in the singing of our faith and in worshipful song to Jesus…even for those who have mixed emotions about opening up their vocals chords and joining in. There are SO many reasons why God’s people are called to be, and must be, a singing people!
Lets look at just a few, and hopefully you will be encouraged to sing all the more…or even for the first time as you gather in corporate worship…
1. You were made for it
You were designed to be an eternal worshiper. In fact, you were created in such a way as to find the greatest joy in life when you are actively worshiping and enjoying the Triune God. Worship is all encompassing. It includes every part of our life and yet one of the most beautiful expressions of our worship is when we gather to respond in songs of praise and worship to our God. We see in Revelation chapters 5, 7 and 19, a picture of heaven erupting in songs of worship at the majesty, the worthiness and the beauty of Jesus. The worship of God will be sung forever into eternity and when we engage in the singing of our worship here, we are tasting the eternal and tasting what we were made for.
2. To sing is to obey
We aren’t just simply invited to sing in scripture, we are actually commanded to sing. The Psalms (which are songs themselves) are absolutely filled with the instruction for God’s people to sing! Psalms 9:11, 30:4, 33:3, 47:6, 66:2, 135:3, 147:7... just to list a few. When God commands us to something in scripture it’s always with His glory and our joy in mind! He created us and knows what we need. We are also told in Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:18-19, to be a people that sing. It seems clear that we cannot look at worship by singing as an option that we are free to take or leave. It’s much bigger than our preferences, insecurities or selfish desires and there is deep joy found in this obedience.
3. Singing puts scripture in us
Colossians 3:16 says, ”Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” This is why is it so vital for churches to sing songs that are biblically sound and that have good theology! Singing is a way that God has designed us to let the word of Christ…the gospel message…the living Word of God, sink deep into our hearts and souls. You most likely wouldn’t be able to quote two sentences verbatim from a sermon that you heard a month ago in church, but you would probably be able to sing back to me some lyrics from a favorite chorus or hymn you have sung.
4. If you follow Jesus you have a song
What about the people who say, “You don’t want me singing loudly in church! I have a horrible voice and so I just listen.” As a worship leader I have heard that often over the years and I love what Bob Kauflin says about this in a message he spoke at the 2008 Desiring God National Conference, entitled Words of Wonder: What Happens When We Sing? He says this…
“We are called to sing with others, especially in the context of our local church. The question isn’t, Do you have a voice? The question is, Do you have a song? If you’ve turned from your sins and trusted in the finished work of Christ, if you’re forgiven and reconciled to God, then you have a song. It’s a song of the redeemed, of those who have been rescued from the righteous wrath of God through the cross of Jesus Christ and are now called his friends. Once we were not a people, but now we are the people of God, and our singing together, every voice contributing, is one way we express that truth.”
I love how he takes the focus in this statement from ourselves, to what Christ has done! It’s not about our vocal ability or personal preference but rather, it’s a matter of letting the joy found in all that Christ has done and will do for us, come out in corporate worship. We have a duty to lend ALL of our voices be heard because for those of us that trust in Jesus, we have a song worth singing!
5. Singing combines SPIRIT and TRUTH
This is a call back to my last post, but in singing worship songs together we are actually taking the beauty of music, and pairing it with the truth of the gospel and scripture. Music can help to stir our affections and emotions as we combine melodies, instruments and our voices with the truth about who Jesus is, all He’s said and all He’s promised us! Through song we can take deep truths about who God is and combine them with creativity and the expression of art. Songs can help us convey our praise, gratitude and adoration of our God in such a way that our souls are deeply stirred. Matt Redman often talks about breathing in the grace of God and breathing out His praise. Good worship songs help us do this well.
6. Singing creates space for the Holy Spirit to work
I believe that as we gather together and sing, it is a great occasion for us to be open to the reminding, the encouragement and the conviction of the Holy Spirit of God. Singing together as the church is a means of grace to us and as we sing together, the Holy Spirit is at work. As we sing we should pray that the Spirit would remind us of the majesty, beauty and greatness of Jesus. We should expect that He would convict us in the places we fall short and fail God and each other, and we should desire that He would encourage our hearts in the hope we have in Christ. Through Jesus we are loved, seen, accepted, known and invited to approach the throne boldly and it’s a work of the Spirit to remind, convict and encourage us in this as we sing.
I could write quite a few more reasons, but for the sake of post length I’ll stop here. I finish with an invitation for you. Please don’t deprive yourself of the irreplaceable joy-filled opportunity you have been afforded by singing out your worship to God. Father, Son and Spirit. If you have held back or remained quiet in the past, I invite you to try… to start. You won’t regret joining in the eternal song!
