Let's Sing Praise To Our God, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ not only worshiped once in the command benefits us. Sometimes you just can't help how many of you have always listened when the great subtitles of all partners loves us sing love songs to great Mark why when you love someone you want to sit in one assignment. Think about that in nursing going out today on this additional fellowship in the world with pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana.

Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word meets July concert choosing not to sing praises to God.

Many of the mega churches have professional praise teams and they they do a really great job, except that what they've done is they've created a concert atmosphere and so the rooms are almost always darkened almost like a feeder real black spot lights are on all the musicians and singers and then the audience just sits there like in a concert decides whether it approves or disapproves of what the people were singing upfront and the people upfront see themselves as performers singing the congregations not so much in churches just like ours. Their people to just choose not to sing not going it's an elective anyway is in it. It's not. It's not even close to an elective. I hear all the excuses will you know I just don't like to, I can sing well of the Bible has a covered by the way the Bible says make a joyful noise so you really can't go to that scene is not my thing, which should be biblically speaking, singing for believers is not an option. God's people have always been should be now and always will be singing people and I don't know if you find invited enough from a biblical point of view. I read not long ago. The commentator was saying. Of all the different commands that God gives his people. What command in Scripture.

Does he give the most to his people and he said it's not even close. You and I are commanded to sing praises the God more than any command in the word of God. 55 times.

I counted them 55 times in the Bible, God commands us to sing to him and we view it like it's an elective. Why do it if I really want to. We need to be very careful about this. You know why is it so important you know for us the same is music really that important. Yes, it is a side effect that God commanded us 55 times which should be more than enough for some unique aspects. The singing and music is one of the most unique gifts from God. In fact, if such a unique gift from God that music and singing occurred long before there was a creation nothing was created and it was music and sing amazing the book of Job is you know is a book about the suffering of Job and we all sympathize with that and Job said over and over again. All I want is an audience with God and eventually in chapter 38, he gets in God comes out of the whirlwind and rebukes Job and he starts out with this whole idea where were you wherever you want I can.

I don't remember seeing you when I created everything, the whole idea who you to question me. But one of the things God said about that is, he said when I created all things are created, he said. That's when the morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy. The angelic world, saying when God created creation, so as long before man was ever on the scene long before any created thing existed. It's an interesting thought. Also, there's something else about singing and that is is that singing affects us in multiple ways. I mean, it affects us cognitively but also affects us so loosely your emotionally and you know that that's why we listen to songs we like to listen to songs because they have a way of grouping us in a way other things wouldn't you ever notice that if there songs that you like how easy it is to remember the lyrics. Just remember, because it song but you could read something you like and if you don't write it on your forget it all. That was really good. I remember reading it but I can't remember. That's another one of the good aspects that you see when it comes to singing, singing, and I find this in secular sources singing has tremendous effect on human beings.

I find this this week. One of the benefits of singing.

Singing is one of the greatest benefits of singing, it relieves stress. I singing appears to be one of the great stress lease is, in fact, some treatments now incorporate singing that help people try to read reduce stress in their lives singing. Stimulate your immune response. So maybe one of the reasons you didn't get covert was your singer. You see, because your immune responses. An awful lot stronger singing increases your pain threshold.

I'm going to try that the next time I'm in the dentist chair that he may not like it will see how it works. This one singing may improve snoring and for some of you in churches could be a real benefit. It improves your lung function. It develops a sense of belonging in connection it enhances memory in people with dementia. It helps people deal with grief to produces a sense of community and it says that it activates are neurotransmitters of our brain when we say so. Singing not only worshiped God, and he wants and he commands it to us, but it benefits us. Sometimes you just can't help but sing how many of you have a revolvers list. One of the great subtitles of all pop music love songs. Love songs you sing love songs. It's a great market why when you love someone you want to sing. You want to sing about nothing about that in your singing.

When it comes to God. Psalm 18 David this is for the choir director. It's a song David says here's how we started out singing I love you oh Lord, my strength as a lump sum I love you Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliver, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised.

Maybe that's one of the reasons David is called the man after God's own heart sing love songs, saying it had a positive effect on and singing can be done in a myriad of ways over a myriad of topics when it comes to you singing to the Lord, open your Bibles to Deuteronomy chapter 32 Deuteronomy chapter 32, look at the last verse 31, then upwind to 32. If you look at this chapter and I invite you sometime in the next week why you're remembering it to read it on your own is 52 verses long so long chapter by the way, it's a song the whole thing is a song is called the song of Moses he started part of the song in Exodus 15, but this is the song of Moses and later we'll figure out why am saying that's important, but I wanted to see something of the last verse of chapter 31 then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel, the words of this song until they were complete, and then he goes on to see and Moses starts with a song. But I want to see within that verse. Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel, the words of the song sent me is the first rap song is just wrap you nothing.

He's talking he's talking the music he's talking this he says give Vero heavens, let me speak that the earth hear the words of my mouth but my teaching drop as the rain my speech to steel was the do as the droplets on the fresh grass as the showers on the urban for I proclaim the name of the Lord described greatness to our God, the rock, his work is perfect for all his ways he said are just a God of faithfulness and without injustice righteous and upright. You see what he introduces.

Here is something that I find kinda fascinating. He's going to talk in this song over and the song that he has enter some of it. Only a small portion about who God is. The rest of the most of it is about who we are. The song is actually a warning to the nation Israel he's warning them about how they act or what they do. There's a message in the song and I don't know if you think about that but often I think we think that the only aspect of Christian singing, especially corporate singing is praise the God and that's a very important part were commanded to do this, but there's more to it. Singing has all kinds of ways of bringing messages in the people's hearts, and it can even be evangelistic member. Last week I was talking asked chapter 16 Paul and Silas were thrown in the jail in Philippi and they were beaten with rods first and all that and then what did they do singing. That's what they were doing. They were singing how to work with me in jail or what must I do to be saved.

Why, he asked the question who sings when you're chained in prison and enters an earthquake and you could get out and you won't.

I want to know more about this and so they told him believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved and he was up tremendous amount of power when it comes to that.

This whole idea of what singing can do the upper room discourse of Jesus Christ. We talked about that over the bit in the past and it's probably up until Good Friday or what we call the crucifixion day one of the worst days in Jesus life. He's betrayed by Judas. He's arrested they beat them. They mock him, they spit on him. The disciples panic there in terror of those this whole night, but when they left the upper room on the way to Gethsemane whether they do say Jesus had him sing and but sing now how many of you want to sing on the worst day of your life. Not now know we did seat has a real effect on us and that way, as I said earlier, what is it that we should sing about will notice what Moses sings about here he talks about.

First, the nature of God, who is I proclaim verse three.

The name of the Lord described greatness toward God the rock.

His work is perfect for all his ways are just a God of faithfulness and without injustice righteous and upright is he is is singing who God is, I really believe that's why God created music you see is an extremely important thing to God. Why is it so important to him as one of the only things he seeks. Remember when Jesus was talking to the woman at the well Samaritan, and they were debating on where you should worship God in Jerusalem or you see in Samaria and Jesus of the days coming won't matter where you worship God. We also something else to. He said you have to worship God in spirit through your emotional spirit and truth, and then he said, God is seeking worshipers. God see what what does God seek you see has everything is God. He seeks worshipers and that such an important part of this God is seeking you and I to be worshipers of him now could he make us worship now only free will brings can worship you.

You make someone worship you, that's not worship that's not ascribing worth. It is made of doing so.

Sex and I can make someone who will love me, that will work, but the angelic world worships God you seek the free will brings the human world can worship God were free will brings we choose to worship God. And it's amazing that's what got us seeks now. He's amazing what he's accomplished ferocity and whose person is and all that but what he wants from his creatures as he once in the worship in a very big part of that is he wants him to saying that's the way this works and so if you look again in Deuteronomy. Here he normally says what the nature of God is, but he talks about us. If you look at 3236 it says for the Lord will vindicate his people, and will have compassion on the servants he talked about look if you keep in sin. I'm going to judge you but if you repent a vindicate you why I have compassion and most of what we sing has a great deal to do with that. You see who God is who we are what God is done. God loves us in such a way and he wants us to respond to that through our love and worship of him. Notice in verse 10 it says he thinks talk about Israel you find him in a desert land and in a howling place of the wilderness. He encircled him care for him. He guarded him as the pupil of his eye, and like an angel Atman like an eagle that stirs up its nest that hovers over to young, he spread his wings and caught them and he carried him on his opinions and he says in the Lord on guided he does have awful lot for us. So are singing. When we get together as we sing who God is and we sing whether what's he done and what we like you already did that today did you think about that. I met be honest as you think about that or did you do simply to avoid harming more than when we get this get this role or did you just simply do the words and not even think about what you're saying is, I'd hate to give you a test right now to tell me exactly the songs you say is only five, but I wonder how many you get kindly think about think you should effect on me remind you the first song we sung was great things by Phil Wickham great things just how to start, come, let us worship our king, let us bow at his feet.

He's done great things did you feel that when you sang it, but if you do simply go through the tune since a very important part of this. The second song we sing is glory beat Chris Tomlin and one of the things is written in error is seen. He said for the one who is rescued me. He said with the heavens. I will sing I will lift you high.

He rescued me. I want to thank him for that. Three.

I got saved. Selah. The chains of the past are broken at last I got saved.

I'm undone by the mercy of Jesus. I'm done by the goodness of the Lord. Sing Everhart just a very important thing to get sick. But he did not sing at all. I don't think Chris Tomlin again, the God who listens the great Creator of all the stars above and yet you draw close to me. He said I'm not just hoping I'm not just wishing I know I'm praying to the God who listens who knows me who loves me who never will fill me. He said who tells me that on his own as worship God loves us the worship he commands us to sing this way to the last one is mercy is more Shane and Shane praise the Lord's mercy is more our sins, they are many. But his mercy is more he remembers them no more. His blood was the payment his life force the cost while we sing and at the God is a part of the problem that we have is somehow not going over this in the past you view yourself as in a sense an audience and a critic of what goes on a pair got a car on what you thought that sermon had no idea restocked the new thing for me when living in Louisiana that was my favorite Wiest we could take what we like when audience that would explain something you're not an audience, not at all. You see good news get evaluated today you every one of you every single one. God is looking your heart consider you worshiping me see my job or Matt's job were just directors or pumpers. Our job is to help you get to know God better. That's what I'm trying to teach her from the word of God. That's what we doing song.

You see, so were the prompters and then you're the performers some time ago I read of the pastor guy was coming I was church and said pastor I got a taste of mining get much out of that worship service today not. I give all thought it and the pastor said to him, that's good.

We were worshiping you she would do you think of it that way though. You see we we start viewing ourselves as the audience and organize the side of what we thought of it. Don't do that usually worship God. He's the audience he reads the intentions of your heart. He asked you to worship him through song.

He 55 times commanded you to sing praises to his name.

You know it's not just here, this might be bad news for you. It's not just once a week I gimme once we Get together with these other people and sing yes, but it's way more than that. It's way more than it tells me now. Ephesians chapter 5 Ephesians chapter 5 know if you understand the epistle to the Ephesians. If you understand it there something you know about it is typical Paul. The first three chapters of the book of Ephesians, Paul tells the Ephesian believers when God's done for them just how special they are in God's eyes.

He not only saved by his grace and all that but in Ephesians 1. Paul Paul writes them and says God has blessed you and me with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.

That's an amazing statement. There is no spiritual blessing God has bestowed on every single one of them and he tells us over and over through these first three chapters, all this greatness it means to be a believer in Jesus Christ.

And then he gets the chapter 4 when he gets the chapter 4 verse one he says therefore either prisoner of the Lord, implore you to live in a manner worthy of your calling what you have been called. I told you what God's done for you.

Now I want to tell you what you should be doing for God. You should live and walk in a manner worthy of your calling and that's where this comes in. So as you read this you start thinking man, it's a lot of responsibility.

I'm going to imitate God. I gotta let no unwholesome word come out of my mouth. I gotta speak the truth in love, and if you're honest with yourselves and I don't think I can do that.

I just don't think I can do that gotchas know you can, but I that's why I gave you hers bathroom number if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like to listen to the message one more time.

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