Lesson 6: Music in Worship

Memorize Colossians 3:15-17.

Matthew wants to resign from his position of pastor at his church. He arrived at Lakeside First Church with great excitement and hope. He loves studying and preparing sermons. He enjoys visiting people and bringing comfort to those who are hurting. He is thrilled to have the opportunity to share the gospel with unbelievers. His church members love his sermons. New people are attending. Matthew should be excited as a pastor. But something is wrong. It all comes down to conflict over music.

Every Monday morning, Josiah calls the church office. “Pastor, yesterday’s music was terrible! I didn’t know the last song. The keyboard was too loud. I can’t stand it. You have to do something about the music in this church!”

Then every Tuesday, Matthew meets with his music director, Thomas. Thomas has a different complaint. “Pastor, why are we still singing so many old hymns? The choir is tired of these songs. Sunday, we sang two old hymns and only one new song. Why can’t we get rid of these hymnals? All the big churches have changed. Please let me change the music!”

By Tuesday night, Matthew feels like quitting. Part of Lakeside First Church loves the old hymns; they complain each time a new song is introduced. Part of Lakeside First Church hates the old hymns; they want to sing only praise and worship songs. Matthew can’t find a solution.

► What advice can you give Pastor Matthew? How can the music of his church minister to each group in his congregation?

In an interview about music in the church, a pastor once said, “We don’t need music in worship. If I preach the Word of God effectively, singing isn’t necessary.” This pastor did not see any value for music in worship.

► How would you answer this pastor? Why is music important in our worship?

Christians are a singing people. Muslims don’t gather to sing. Buddhists don’t gather to sing. Hindus don’t gather to sing. Christians gather to sing. Not every Christian preaches, leads in prayer, or publicly reads scripture. All Christians can and should sing. Here are a few reasons that music is important in Christian worship.

A Biblical Reason for Music in Worship

Music is important in worship because music is important in the Bible. There are nearly 600 references to singing and music in scripture. 44 books of the Bible refer to music.

Biblical songs related to various kinds of events:

• Israel praised God for victory over Pharaoh’s army (Exodus 15).

• Israel praised God after Deborah’s victory over Jabin (Judges 5).

• Singers worshipped at the dedication of the Temple (2 Chronicles 5:11-14).

• Singers led worship at the rebuilding of the Temple (Ezra 3:10-12).

• The book of Psalms is a collection of hymns for Jewish and Christian worship.

• Jesus and the disciples sang a hymn at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:30).

• Paul and Silas sang praises in prison (Acts 16:22-25).

• John saw that singing is part of the worship in heaven (Revelation 4 and 5).

Theological Reasons for Music in Worship

Jewish worshippers sang as they worshipped. Early Christians sang with thankfulness in their hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3:16). Music was an important part of Christian worship.

Unfortunately, during the Middle Ages, the role of music in worship changed. Churches rarely allowed the congregation to sing the hymns. Instead, the congregation watched and listened as trained choirs sang complicated anthems.

Martin Luther returned worship music to the congregation. Congregational music expresses the theological principle of the priesthood of the believer. This principle taught that every Christian can come directly to God; we do not need a priest to serve as an intermediary. This means that every believer has the privileges and responsibilities of:

• Praying directly to God.

• Listening to God speak through his Word.

• Singing in worship.

Martin Luther saw a connection between the reading of scripture and singing. He said, “Let God speak directly to his people through the scriptures, and let his people respond with grateful songs of praise.”[1]

A second theological principle expressed by music is the unity of the church. Most biblical references to singing are congregational singing, the singing of all the people. Paul commanded early Christians to teach and warn one another with song (Colossians 3:16). As the church sings together, we express the unity of the church.

Isaac Watts’ great hymn says,

“Let those refuse to sing who never knew our God.
But children of the heavenly King may speak their joys abroad!”[1]

Martin Luther said, “If any would not sing and talk of what Christ has done for us, he shows that he does not really believe.”[2] The privilege of congregational song that was lost in the Middle Ages was returned by the Reformers. They believed that worship in song belongs to the people. Sadly, in many churches this privilege is again being lost.

The musical expression of the priesthood of the believer is threatened by music that is inaccessible to the ordinary singer. This happens when trained choirs sing music that is too difficult for most people. It happens when praise teams sing new songs that few people can learn. We should never allow small groups to replace congregational song.

The musical expression of the unity of the church is threatened in churches that divide the congregation into separate services based on different worship styles or generational differences. It is difficult to see the church as one body when the older members of the body never see the younger members.

Imagine Paul’s directions to the Ephesian church retranslated for some modern churches:

• Those who sing psalms will meet on Sundays at 8:30 a.m.

• Those who sing hymns will meet on Sundays at 11:00 a.m.

• Those who sing spiritual songs will meet on Saturdays at 7:00 p.m.

No! Paul was talking to all church members when he urged them to be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord (Ephesians 5:18-19).

In practice, this means that each part of the body of Christ surrenders some of its preferences for the sake of the unity of the body. A teenager sings a hymn with a tune that isn’t very exciting. Why? Because he is part of the body, and the body is singing an old hymn. An older saint joins in a new praise song that she doesn’t enjoy. Why? Because she is part of the body, and the body is singing a new song.

A trained musician in a small rural church sings songs that are not musically challenging. Why? Because he is part of the body, and the body includes members who do not appreciate great music. An untrained church member may say “Amen” at the end of a song sung in a style she doesn’t fully appreciate. Why? Because she is part of the body, and the body includes members who sing music beyond her appreciation.

This principle goes further than music. A pastor simplifies his sermon to make it understandable to children and new believers. New believers study to understand a sermon text that stretches their limited knowledge of the Bible.

Teenagers sit in a service that seems too long. Why? Because they are part of the body and know that some aspects of the service may be above their understanding. Older saints welcome a baby who cries aloud in the service. Why? Because they are part of the body, and they rejoice that the body includes young, noisy life.

Is this part of worship? Absolutely! A biblical theology of worship includes an appreciation for the unity of the church. This means giving up personal preferences for the sake of the body. It means singing a song that isn’t your favorite. For leaders, it means choosing songs that minister to all parts of the body, not just favorite hymns. Congregational songs must minister to the entire church, not to limited groups.

► Think of the music you have used in worship during the past four weeks. Did you sing songs that speak to every part of your congregation? As a leader, have you willingly chosen songs that are not your favorite, but that speak to the congregation? Does your music demonstrate the priesthood of the believer and the unity of the church by encouraging the participation of every member of the congregation?

Practical Reasons for Music in Worship

Along with biblical and theological reasons, there are practical reasons to value music in worship. The power of music comes from its ability to speak to all aspects of our being.

Music speaks to the mind.

School teachers know that setting a grammar rule to a simple tune makes it easier for children to memorize. Singing scripture makes it easier to learn. Some people who say, “I can’t memorize the Bible” already know many scripture verses; they sing them in praise choruses. Some of the best praise songs are scripture verses set to memorable melodies.

Two principles related to music and the mind are important.

(1) Music should speak to the mind, not the emotions alone.

Music is emotional; that is part of its power. There is nothing wrong with the emotional power of music, but music must also speak to our mind.

Some worshippers think they can turn off their mind when they sing. The guitar is loud, the beat is strong, the music is emotional, so they assume they are worshipping. We must never forget that Paul said, “I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also” (1 Corinthians 14:15).

When our music speaks to the emotions without speaking to the mind, we are in danger of false worship. There is nothing wrong with music that speaks to the emotions; the danger is music that speaks to the emotions without speaking to the mind. Wise pastors will make sure that worship music does not bypass the mind.

(2) The message we sing must be true.

[1]Music speaks to the mind, so songs are a powerful tool for teaching doctrine.

In the 18th century, God used two brothers, Charles and John Wesley, to proclaim biblical truths that many people needed to hear: All people can be saved from sin, and all people can have personal assurance of salvation. The brothers spread this truth in two ways: John spoke the truth in sermons while Charles wrote hymns that explained the truth. His hymns were easy for anyone to sing because the music was not complicated. Those who heard and sang Charles’ hymns could understand and remember God’s truth, even if they could not read. Our songs today also need to teach solid biblical truths to singers and hearers.

► Read the lyrics of Charles Wesley’s hymn, “And Can It Be?” in a hymnbook or online.[2] What doctrines are taught in this hymn?

Pastors, if you allow unbiblical songs, you weaken the effectiveness of your ministry. People will remember the song long after they forget the outline of your sermon. Spend time to plan the music for services. Make sure the songs support the truth of the sermon.

Checkup

Are your worship songs true to biblical doctrine? Many churches sing songs that either teach error or teach nothing (the words are empty). Do your songs teach the reality of victory over sin? Do your songs teach that salvation is available to all? Do your songs teach that God intends to give every believer a pure heart?

Music speaks to the heart.

Jonathan Edwards said that we are commanded to sing praises to God because singing “moves our emotions.”[3] While a focus on emotion for its own sake is dangerous, emotion is a normal and worthy response to music. Singing brings an emotional response to the truth. Music speaks to both the mind and the heart.

Some western Christians fear music that speaks deeply to the emotions, but people in the Bible who entered God’s presence always felt an emotional response. The best worship music speaks to the mind and demands a response from the heart:

Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.[4]

► Look through a collection of hymns and choruses. Find an example of a song that is written as a personal prayer of surrender to God.

Music speaks to the body.

Watch a child at a concert; if the music has a beat, they will move. Music speaks to the body.

Music that speaks only to the body is sensual. However, when the Bible speaks of worship, it often talks about the physical position of worshippers: raised hands, bowed knees, prostrate bodies, and physical movement. Our posture and physical gestures sometimes communicate more powerfully than our words.

In Psalm 149:3, Israel is called to “praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.” Although some modern cultures dance only in terms of sensual motion; the Bible uses the word dance to describe any physical movement in worship. The psalmist recognized that even the physical body is involved in praise.

This is not the sensual dance of the nightclub, but neither is it sitting quietly in formal pews. Biblical dance involved some degree of movement during songs of worship. When we lift our hands in praise or move in some way to the music, it fits the biblical term dance.

While the meaning of physical gestures differs from culture to culture and generation to generation, we must never allow the sacred worship of God to be modeled after the profane practices of our surrounding culture.

► Review Exodus 32 for worship that combined a sacred so-called “feast to the Lord” (32:5) with the profane images of Egyptian worship (32:4) and the shameful practices of pagan culture (32:25). Our worship must influence the surrounding culture through evangelism. The surrounding culture must not determine our worship practices.

Wise pastors and leaders will find music that avoids profaning worship, but that also speaks to the whole person, allowing the congregation to truly worship in song.

Checkup

Does your worship music speak to the body in a manner appropriate to worship? Do your worshippers physically express their praise and worship without profaning worship with sensual practices?

Music speaks to the will.

Music often calls for a response of the will. Paul commanded the Colossians to admonish one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16). To admonish is to correct an error. A rebuke asks for a response; a correction asks a person to make a change in their behavior. Paul expected music to be a cause of change.

Outside the church, we see how music speaks to the will. When African Americans (campaigning for civil rights in the 1960s) sang “We Shall Overcome,” the song spoke both to hearts and to the will. This song became an invitation, “Will you join us in the battle for freedom?”

Music calls the will to a response. Think of the commitment involved when we sing:

“Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord to Thee.
Take my moments and my days;
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my will and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart - it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.”[5]

► Look through a collection of hymns and choruses. Find an example of a song of personal dedication and commitment to God.

Music in worship is important because it speaks to the whole person. Because of this, music is both valuable and dangerous. It is valuable because it can present truth in a powerful way. It is dangerous because it can make false teaching attractive. Warren Wiersbe warned, “I am convinced that congregations learn more theology (good and bad) from the songs they sing than from the sermons they hear…. [Music] can become a wonderful tool in the hands of the Spirit or a terrible weapon in the hands of the Adversary. Naïve congregations can sing their way into heresy before they even realize what is going on.”[6]

Music is powerful; use it wisely.

Checkup

Think of the songs you have sung during the past four weeks. Did you sing songs that spoke to the whole person?

• Name a song that taught doctrine to your congregation.

• Name a song that spoke deeply to the emotions of your congregation.

• Name a song that challenged your congregation to a deeper commitment to God.

We began this lesson with a story of conflict over worship music. If you are a pastor who faces this type of conflict, realize that this is not a new problem! In every generation, the church has struggled to determine the type of music that is appropriate for worship. For many churches, music has become a source of conflict rather than a means of true worship.

Music is central in worship services. In many churches, half the service involves music: prelude music, congregational singing, special songs, a postlude, and soft music during prayer. Because music is important in worship, conflict about music becomes serious.

People have strong preferences for music styles. Many people do not want to tolerate styles of music that they do not enjoy.

Conflict comes from differences of opinion about the morality of music styles. Here are three common perspectives:

1. Some people believe that certain music styles are evil. They choose to use music styles that they believe to be pure.

2. Some believe that music styles cannot be good or evil, and therefore every style is acceptable. These people usually want to use the music styles of culture for worship.

3. Some believe that music styles are morally neutral yet have emotional and cultural associations that affect their usefulness for worship. These people evaluate each style to consider whether it will help the congregation worship in a way that honors God.

In this section, we will look at biblical principles that address the music in our worship.

The Text of Worship Music Must Clearly Communicate Truth

The primary focus of scripture is on the content of song text, not on the style of the music.

[1]Regardless of the musical style, songs with a false message (or no message) are inappropriate for worship. Warren Wiersbe warns that many texts are “vague and sentimental, not theological.”[2] One test for our musical message is, “Could a deist, Hindu, or Muslim sing this text without changing the words?” If you can substitute the name Buddha without changing the song’s message, it is inappropriate for worship. If a song does not speak truth clearly, we should question its value in worship. Our songs should express our faith. If they do not, our songs will not point worshippers to God.

Listen to a song from scripture:

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens;

Praise him in the heights!

Praise him, all his angels;

Praise him, all his hosts!

Praise him, sun and moon,

Praise him, all you shining stars!

Praise him, you highest heavens,

And you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord!

For he commanded and they were created.

And he established them forever and ever… (Psalm 148).

Compare this to a recent popular song:

“It's alright to dance when you dance in Jesus' name
It’s alright to dance when you’re dancing for the Lord…”[3]

Which song proclaims God’s Word? Paul warned against worship that is unintelligible. He said, “I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also” (1 Corinthians 14:15). When we study the songs of scripture, we find that they teach with clarity. The text of our worship music must communicate biblical truth.

Song Evaluation Form[4]

Checkup

Are your worship songs truly biblical? Would a new believer recognize the God of the Bible in the songs at your church?

Styles of Worship Music May Differ

God is a God of infinite variety. He inspired four Gospel records in the New Testament, not one. He spoke through the unique personalities of each writer. He created thousands of species of fish, not one. He created the human eye with the ability to distinguish between 8 million color differences. Creation displays God’s glory in its variety and beauty. He created unique individuals, not just one personality type. God shows infinite variety.

Our music should reflect the creative variety of the God we worship. In Colossians 3:16 Paul lists three types of songs that should be used for worship: psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. (See also Ephesians 5:19.) Paul did not give definitions of these three styles. Many writers have defined them like this:

• Psalms probably refers to the book of Psalms.

• Hymns are probably humanly composed songs. Many writers limit this term to songs sung to God or about God. This may include biblical songs other than the book of Psalms.

• Spiritual songs are the most difficult to define. Some writers define these as informal songs; others consider spiritual songs to be songs about the Christian life and songs of personal testimony.

Regardless of the definition, these verses show that the church sang a variety of music from its earliest days.

Warren Wiersbe speaks of the principle of authenticity. He writes, “Expressions of worship must be authentic, revealing the cultural distinctions of the people.”[5] Authentic worship speaks the living Word of God in the language of each culture. In every generation, Christians have written songs that communicate praise to God in the musical style of their culture. We should not assume that the music of our culture is the only authentic sacred music. Instead, unless a style contradicts clear principles of scripture, we must allow each culture and each generation to praise God in their language.

Checkup

Does the music of your church show the creative variety of our God?

Not Every Style Is Appropriate for Every Situation

Though many people have attempted to define a biblical music style, the Bible does not command a specific music style. After studying the philosophy behind music styles, Francis Schaeffer wrote, “Let me say firmly that there is no such thing as a godly style…”[6]

Musical sounds do not communicate ethical content. A musical chord is neither godly nor ungodly. Does this mean that every music style is appropriate for worship? No. Some styles are so associated with sinful culture that they will not communicate a godly message in worship.

Musicians and missionaries have found the same thing: people respond to musical sounds in different ways. If two people are listening to the same music, one may begin to cry because of how they are affected by the song. The other person may feel nothing in response to the music.[7]

The ultimate test for worship music cannot be, “Do I like it?” or “Does it inspire me?” The ultimate test is the glory of God. This means that we must evaluate what a musical style communicates within our cultural context. We must ask, “In my cultural context, does this musical style glorify God?”

Even if all things are lawful, not all things build up (1 Corinthians 10:23). If one goal of worship music is to edify believers, the style we use must not hinder this purpose. The same music may be a help to worship in one culture, and a hindrance in another culture. A careful worship leader will choose music that is appropriate for the people he leads.

How do we determine if a particular style of music is appropriate? As a leader, you are responsible to help your people work through this question in your cultural setting. What is appropriate in one culture may not be appropriate in another. Because of the religious connotations of a particular style or because a style has become associated with sinful practices of the surrounding culture, a musical style may not be appropriate for worship. You must evaluate music in terms of its appropriateness for your situation.

Paul commanded us to test everything and then to hold fast what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We must accept nothing without testing and proving it. This includes the music we sing.

Checkup

Do you sing songs that are inappropriate within your cultural setting? Does the music communicate a sensual or worldly style in your culture? Does the message of the music contradict the message of the text?

There Should Be Balance in our Worship Music

The book of Psalms shows that God values variety in worship. The book of Psalms contains praise, laments, cries for help, and thanksgiving for deliverance. Psalms speak to the worship needs of all worshippers.

One mark of maturity in the church is diversity (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). The body of Christ includes different cultures, different languages, different personalities, and different gifts. Our worship, including our music, should speak to all members of the body of Christ. In fact, our worship should speak beyond the church itself to give the gospel to unbelievers. Songs in the Bible speak to three audiences.[8]

Music should proclaim praise to God: “Singing and making melody to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).

► Read Psalm 92:1-4.

Psalm 92 shows that we sing to the Lord. Music should express praise to God. From the song of praise in Exodus 15 to the heavenly songs in Revelation, biblical songs praise God for his greatness. The primary theme of music in the Bible is praise. Psalms of lament, request, or praise are often addressed to God.

Sing through the book of Psalms and you will sing:

• “I cried aloud to the Lord…”

• “Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!”

• “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart.”

• “I will sing to the Lord.”

• “I love you, O Lord.”

Music should proclaim truth to the church: “Teaching and admonishing one another” (Colossians 3:16).

Many worship leaders have said, “We shouldn’t sing to other audiences; we sing only to God.” However, many of the psalms sing to Israel. While it is true that many biblical songs speak to God, it is also true that many biblical songs speak to the congregation.

Ephesians 5:19 instructs believers to speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Colossians 3:16 is more specific regarding the purpose of our singing: “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.”

Paul shows that the word of Christ is proclaimed through the church’s singing. As we sing, we speak God’s truth to our fellow worshippers. Through song, the church teaches one another. Through song, believers are built up and the body of Christ is edified.

Music should proclaim the gospel to the world: “Declare his glory among the nations…” (Psalm 96:3).

The psalmist called us to sing as a testimony to the nations:

Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! (Psalm 96:1-3).

► Read 1 Kings 8:41-43.

When God is praised, the gospel is proclaimed to the nations. At the dedication of the Temple, Solomon prayed that even foreigners would worship at the Temple; he prayed that the name of the Lord would be known to all the peoples of the earth. As we worship, the gospel is proclaimed to a watching world.

Our worship music should speak to God and about God; our worship music should speak to the church; our worship music should proclaim the gospel to the world.

When we forget one of these audiences, our worship fails to achieve God’s full purpose for the church. When we forget that God is the ultimate audience for worship, our worship fails to speak primarily to God. When we forget that the church is an audience for worship, we fail to teach and admonish one another in worship. When we forget that worship should proclaim the gospel to the world, we fail to evangelize and to fulfill the Great Commission.

Checkup

In your songs do you speak to God, to the church, and to unbelievers? Not every song speaks to each of these; but throughout the service, we should speak to each of these audiences.

Putting It into Practice

We have seen why music is important in worship. We have examined biblical principles for music in worship. We will finish this lesson by looking at practical ideas for music in worship. You can adapt these to fit your congregation and church setting.

In response to the principles listed above, a student asked, “If styles of worship music differ and if music styles are not inherently good or bad, are there any guidelines that can help us in choosing music for our church?”

Yes, there are practical guidelines that can help us. You must determine how to apply these to your particular situation, but some basic principles should guide our decisions about church music.

The Most Important Music of the Church Is Congregational Singing

Since the music of the church expresses the unity of the church and the priesthood of believers, our most important music is the singing of the congregation. While choirs, solos, praise teams, instrumental groups and other special music are valuable, congregational music is the most important music in Christian worship. There are some practical steps we can take to develop congregational song.

Remember:

1. The accompaniment should not be so elaborate or loud that it draws attention from the singing. In the New Testament, singing is the primary music of the church. Organists, pianists, guitarists, and drummers are not the primary music of the church. Let the church sing!

2. Some songs are best sung with no instruments. Prayer songs can sometimes be best expressed with quiet singing and no instruments. This allows the congregation to focus on the message of the text with no distraction.

3. The music should not be so difficult or new that the congregation cannot participate. New songs are good, but we should allow the congregation time to learn a new song well before adding more new songs. A constant diet of new songs becomes overwhelming until we cannot absorb the message. A good general approach is to add the new while keeping the familiar.

4. Pastors must sing with the congregation. If congregational singing is worship, you must worship. When the pastor does other things during congregational singing, his actions say, “Only my sermon is important in the worship service.” Pastors should model worship for the rest of the congregation.

The Music Must Serve the Text

Since worship music is intended to proclaim praise to God, to speak truth to the congregation, and to proclaim the gospel to the world, the text is the most important element. Regardless of the style of the music, if the music hinders the communication of the text, we are not addressing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

This does not mean that instrumental music is unimportant. Instruments can help us concentrate our minds, emotions, and will on worship. Instrumental music can be valuable in worship, but in congregational song the primary focus should be the text.

The leader must help the congregation focus on the meaning of the text.

Leaders can make the text more meaningful by how they lead. Two examples will show how a leader influences the message of the song.

Amos does not think carefully about the message of congregational song. Last week, Amos led two songs that speak of the Trinity. First the congregation sang, “Come, Thou Almighty King.” Amos said, “We will sing stanzas 1, 2, and 4.”

What is wrong with leaving out stanza 3 of this hymn? Look at the text; it is a hymn about the Trinity. The message is weakened if you leave out a stanza about one of the three persons of the Trinity.

Stanza 1: Come, Thou Almighty King….. (about the Father)
Stanza 2: Come, Thou Incarnate Word…. (about the Son)
Stanza 3: Come, Holy Comforter…. (about the Spirit)
Stanza 4: To Thee, great One in Three…. (about the Trinity)

The next song was the praise song, “Glorify Thy Name.” Each stanza was worship and praise to a specific person of the Trinity. Amos said, “Let’s sing two stanzas.” Again, Amos forgot that a song to the Trinity must include all three persons. Leaving out stanzas of a hymn without considering the text hinders congregational worship.

Seth knows that the singing of the congregation is important in worship. On Sunday, he led an unfamiliar hymn. He began by saying, “This song is new to us. Listen to Psalm 150, the psalm on which this hymn is based.” With a few words, Seth helped the congregation focus on the meaning of a new song.

Later in the service, Seth led the contemporary chorus, “How Great Is Our God.” Before they sang, Seth read 1 Timothy 1:17; “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” A song that the congregation had sung many times was made fresh as the worshippers heard the scripture that inspired the song. Connecting a hymn to its biblical foundation encourages congregational worship.

► Look through a collection of hymns and choruses. Choose a song and a scripture passage that could introduce it.

If you use a projector, the person in charge of the projector is part of the worship leadership.

The words on the screen can help worshippers focus on the text or can distract from the text. The person in charge of the projection should be careful in their leadership. Here are some problems to avoid:

• Misspelling words

• Punctuating the text incorrectly

• Dividing the lines of the lyrics in the middle of phrases instead of between phrases

• Putting the slides in the wrong sequence

• Not changing the slides at the right time

All of these problems distract from worship. When there are mistakes, people will be thinking about them, instead of being able to focus on worship. The appearance of the words on the screen affects the congregation’s singing.

In worship music, the music serves the text. Since this is true, worship leaders must help the congregation sing with meaning. None of this creates worship; worship is from the heart. However, eliminating distractions encourages the worshippers to focus on the true object of worship, God.

1. Teach the importance of worshipping in song. Just as Christians must be taught the importance of prayer and other spiritual disciplines, so they must learn how God intends them to sing.

2. Make sure the congregation knows why they are singing a song. If it’s a prayer, remind them. If it’s a song of commitment, point that out. If it reflects the preached message, make that clear. People will sing more enthusiastically if they know why they are singing a song.

3. Choose congregational rather than performance songs. Congregational songs tend to have singable and memorable melodies. If you want all the people to sing, consider, “Can children sing this song as they are traveling home?”

4. Turn down the musical accompaniment. Don’t allow guitars, organ, drums, or choir to drown out the sound of the congregation. The loudest sound in a room should be the voices of the congregation.

5. Look for a balance between new songs and old songs.

6. Use songs that represent a broad range of Christian experience. If all the music is joyful, you don’t speak for the suffering members of the congregation. Like the Psalms, our hymns should have words for happy Christians, sad Christians, tempted Christians, and suffering Christians.

7. The pastor and church leaders should model enthusiastic singing even if they do not feel they sing well. Off-key singing is better than no singing. The pastor who is looking over sermon notes during the singing is saying, “Singing in worship is not very important.”

8. Remind the congregation that they are the primary instrument in corporate worship. If the people do not sing with enthusiasm, congregational music fails in its purpose. Congregations must be taught that it is their privilege and responsibility to sing as an act of worship.

Does God speak through worship music? Listen to the testimony of a pastor from Taiwan.

When Gloria walked into our church, she had never heard the gospel. She wasn’t looking for a sermon; she wasn’t interested in becoming a Christian. Gloria wasn’t looking for God, but God was looking for Gloria!

Gloria visited our church to improve her English. She had heard that our church offered free English classes, so she came to learn English. On her first visit, Gloria arrived late. As she walked into the sanctuary, the church was singing a simple chorus based on Psalm 42:1, “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.”

A year later at her baptism, Gloria gave this testimony:

“I don’t remember anything of that service except the song you were singing when I sat down. As I listened to the song, I began to weep. For 30 years, I have been thirsting for God like a deer thirsts for water, but I never knew what I was thirsty for. I tried education; I tried money; I tried entertainment; I tried everything - and I was still empty. I decided to try English, so I came to your church.

“Instead of English, I found the water I needed. As I sat in the service, I wept to realize that God is the fulfillment of my heart’s desire. He is the real joy-giver. That day, I determined to give my heart to God. Today, he is the apple of my eye.”

To view or print Reviews of all lessons, click here for a PDF.

(1) Music is important in our worship

• Because music was important in worship in the Bible.

• Because it expresses the theological principle of the priesthood of the believer.

• Because it expresses the theological principle of the unity of the church.

(2) Music

• Speaks to the mind, so the message we sing must be true.

• Speaks to the heart and touches the emotions.

• Speaks to the body and should not be modeled after profane practices.

• Speaks to the will and calls for a response.

• Speaks to the whole person. This makes it valuable when it teaches truth and dangerous when it teaches heresy.

(3) Scriptural principles for worship music include:

• The text of worship music must clearly communicate truth.

• Styles of worship music may differ. Paul refers to psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. From its earliest days, the church sang a variety of music.

• Not every style is appropriate for every situation. We should ask, “In my cultural context, does this musical style glorify God?”

(4) Music should speak to three audiences:

• Music should proclaim praise to God.

• Music should proclaim truth to the church.

• Music should proclaim the gospel to the world.

(5) Principles for church music include:

• The most important music of the church is congregational singing.

• The music must serve the text.

(1) To appreciate the variety of music available for worship, make a list of 4 or more songs that address each of the following topics. Your list will be used as you plan a worship service in a later lesson. Look for songs that speak to the mind, the heart, and the will.

• 4 songs on the nature of God

• 4 songs on Jesus and his death and resurrection

• 4 songs on the Holy Spirit and the church

• 4 songs that call God’s people to a surrendered, holy life

• 4 songs for evangelism and mission

If you are studying in a group, share your lists and then discuss, “How many of these songs have we sung in the past year? Are we proclaiming the whole gospel in our singing?”

(2) At the beginning of the next lesson, you will take a test based on this lesson. Study the test questions carefully in preparation.

To view or print Tests of all lessons, click here for a PDF.

(1) List three songs from the Bible.

(2) List two theological principles that should be demonstrated in our worship music.

(3) List four practical reasons for music in worship.

(4) List four principles that should guide our choice of music for worship.

(5) What three types of songs are listed by Paul in Colossians 3:16?

(6) What is the ultimate test for our worship music?

(7) Based on the songs in the Bible, list three ways that music should speak to different audiences.

(8) What does Colossians 3:16 teach about the purpose of worship music?

(9) Write Colossians 3:15-17 from memory.