I give thanks to God for the awesome praise team God has given our church to lead our worship. We have been studying the letter to the Ephesian church on Wednesday nights. In Paul’s teaching, he uses a series of comparisons to highlight what the church should be and how the people of God should live. We are now in chapter 5 where we see that God’s people should live lives that are different from people who are in the world. Believers should act differently than non-believers. The church should live above the culture and demonstrate what Godliness is.
Paul calls this the difference between living in the light rather than in the darkness, “Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:7-10). Light is different than darkness. Light pleases God. Light dispels darkness. God’s people are to be people of the Light.
One of the ways God’s people let their Light shine over darkness is by what they sing and how the sing. The songs of the Light are not like the songs of darkness. People inside the church sing differently than those outside. Paul says, “…but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). The songs of the Light must be different songs than the world sings. The songs of Light must be sung differently than the world sings. The music God’s people sings is to be higher, cleaner, happier, and holier than any song you hear in the secular world. We simply do not sing like they sing.
I am not talking about the difference between contemporary and traditional music. I am not comparing the music sung by choirs and the music sung by praise teams. I’m talking about music sung by rock bands, country singers, hip-hop, and gross uncouth grunge groups. I’m talking about the difference between what we sing in church and what the world sings in bars, back alleys, beer bashes, tailgate parties, or even department store elevators. Paul calls that kind of music, “…disgraceful even to speak about” (Ephesians 5:12). We are not to sing like the world sings.
I praise God that Brian and all our praise team folks get it. They know what singing songs about Light is and that darkness has no place in the worship of God’s people. Paul says, “But all things become visible when they are exposed by light, for everything that becomes visible is light” (Ephesians 5:13). We sing differently than the world sings. Our music on Sundays rises above the dark music of the world around us. Praise God! Let’s sing today the songs of light like we mean it.
The other day I was putting gas in my trunk when a convertible pulled into the place with its blaster blasting full blast. The sound was so loud the concrete underneath my feet was shaking. The guy’s music was vibrating the concrete. I thought, man this concrete will crack under this kind of pressure. There was an older man filling up his car behind my truck. I asked him after the blaster guy turned his car off and the noise went silent, “Did you hear that?” He nodded yes and we both made unapproving faces at each other.
Why is it that some people’s music is noise to other people?
Why does the Light of the Gospel not dispel more of the darkness?
Sometimes the volume of Light is not turned up enough. Thanks Brian and Praise Team for the volume and commitment you have to the Light of Jesus.
Paul calls this the difference between living in the light rather than in the darkness, “Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:7-10). Light is different than darkness. Light pleases God. Light dispels darkness. God’s people are to be people of the Light.
One of the ways God’s people let their Light shine over darkness is by what they sing and how the sing. The songs of the Light are not like the songs of darkness. People inside the church sing differently than those outside. Paul says, “…but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). The songs of the Light must be different songs than the world sings. The songs of Light must be sung differently than the world sings. The music God’s people sings is to be higher, cleaner, happier, and holier than any song you hear in the secular world. We simply do not sing like they sing.
I am not talking about the difference between contemporary and traditional music. I am not comparing the music sung by choirs and the music sung by praise teams. I’m talking about music sung by rock bands, country singers, hip-hop, and gross uncouth grunge groups. I’m talking about the difference between what we sing in church and what the world sings in bars, back alleys, beer bashes, tailgate parties, or even department store elevators. Paul calls that kind of music, “…disgraceful even to speak about” (Ephesians 5:12). We are not to sing like the world sings.
I praise God that Brian and all our praise team folks get it. They know what singing songs about Light is and that darkness has no place in the worship of God’s people. Paul says, “But all things become visible when they are exposed by light, for everything that becomes visible is light” (Ephesians 5:13). We sing differently than the world sings. Our music on Sundays rises above the dark music of the world around us. Praise God! Let’s sing today the songs of light like we mean it.
The other day I was putting gas in my trunk when a convertible pulled into the place with its blaster blasting full blast. The sound was so loud the concrete underneath my feet was shaking. The guy’s music was vibrating the concrete. I thought, man this concrete will crack under this kind of pressure. There was an older man filling up his car behind my truck. I asked him after the blaster guy turned his car off and the noise went silent, “Did you hear that?” He nodded yes and we both made unapproving faces at each other.
Why is it that some people’s music is noise to other people?
Why does the Light of the Gospel not dispel more of the darkness?
Sometimes the volume of Light is not turned up enough. Thanks Brian and Praise Team for the volume and commitment you have to the Light of Jesus.
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