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| Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. |
The
Ministry of Congregational Singing
Eph 5: 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
1. The Prerequisites for this Spiritual Work
a. “… but be filled with the Spirit”:
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this will enable us to perform this spiritual work well
b. “…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
in all wisdom”:
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this will enable us to sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord with
understanding
2.
The Nature of this Spiritual Work
a.
“… of making melody in our heart to the Lord”
b. “… singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord”
c.
Singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs is chiefly making melody in our
hearts to the Lord and singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord
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It’s a service unto the Lord, a spiritual service to the Lord… so, sing
spiritually, not just formally, mechanically, outward… without the mind and
heart engaged in singing!
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The Lord seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth.
3. Congregational singing is ministering to one another
a.
We are not only making melody in our heart to the Lord but also speaking to
ourselves…
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it is ALSO prophesying/preaching/proclaiming the truth being sung…
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it is ALSO teaching one another… through the truths being sung…
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it is ALSO admonishing one another… through the truths being sung…
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when we sing in this manner, we are ministering to one another.
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You want a ministry in the church? Sing the truth of God well, preach from the
pews
b.
The appointed means of speaking to one another, and teaching and admonishing
one another:
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psalms, hymns and spiritual songs… all these are means of conveying God’s truth
through songs.
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Hymns properly sung is like preaching on the subject being sung. They are
designed for the edification and instruction of saints.
4.
Sing with understanding:
a.
We must sing with the spirit and understanding
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Psa 47:7 “ For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with
understanding.”
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1Co 14:15 “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with
the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the
understanding also.”
Let us consider carefully our congregational singing in the worship service.
