The Three R's: Why Christians Sing

By Bob Kauflin from the Desiring God Blog.

Christians sing together during corporate worship gatherings. Colossians 3:16-17 helps us understand why. Paul tells us that worshiping God together in song is meant to deepen the relationships we enjoy through the gospel. This happens in three ways (or three R’s):

1. Singing helps us remember God’s Word.

Paul says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly…singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” The “word of Christ” mostly likely means the word about Christ, or the gospel. Songs whose lyrics expound on the person, work, and glory of Christ tend to stay with us long after we’ve forgotten the main points of the sermon.

2. Singing helps us respond to God’s grace.

While no one is exactly sure what “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” refers to, we can at least infer some kind of variety in our singing. No singular musical style captures either the manifold glories of God or the appropriate responses from his people.

We’re also told to sing with “thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Singing is meant to be a whole-hearted activity. Emotionless singing is an oxymoron. God gave us singing to combine objective truth with thankfulness, doctrine with devotion, and intellect with emotion.

3. Singing helps us reflect God’s glory.

Doing “everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,” implies bringing God glory. Worshiping God together in song glorifies God for at least three reasons. First, it expresses the unity Christ died to bring us. Second, because all three persons of the Trinity sing (Zeph. 3:17;Heb. 2:12; Eph. 5:18-19). Finally, it anticipates the song of heaven when we’ll have unlimited time to sing, clearer minds to perceive God’s perfections, and glorified bodies that don’t grow weary.

Worshiping God in song isn’t simply a nice idea or only for musically gifted people. The question is not, “Has God given me a voice?” but “Has God given me a song?”

If you trust in the finished work of Christ, the answer is clear: Yes!

So remember His Word, respond to His grace, and reflect on His glory.



Bob Kauflin is a pastor, songwriter, worship leader, and author of Worship Matters. Bob serves as the Director of Worship Development for Sovereign Grace Ministries and blogs at www.worshipmatters.com. He and his wife, Julie, have 6 children and an ever growing number of grandchildren.

vocation

I have begun blogging with a group of other guys over at this site, the post below is my latest post over there...

Amongst the group of guys who blog here, I think I may be the odd man out in the area of vocation. As far as I know I am the only one not making a living in the music industry, or at least not heavily involved in it in some way.

I know (thanks to Eric) that everything in that scene is not always as it appears. Both for the the better and for the worse.

But regardless of anyone's opinion, it would be a hard sale to say that being a Christian artist does not provide many opportunities for ministry, even for those who do not see it mainly as a ministry.

A few years ago I resigned as a part time youth pastor of 8 years. That was a season in my life when my vocation (at least my part time vocation) was an obvious ministry. So after resigning, I took a long look at my life to see if another form of "ministry job" was an option.

Then while reading Gene Edward Veith's book "God at Work" my outlook for my everyday life as a plumber changed drastically.

To quote Veith...

"... vocation is played out not just in extraordinary acts - the great things we will do for the Lord, the great success we envision in our careers someday - but in the realm of the ordinary. Whatever we face in the often humdrum present - washing the dishes, buying groceries, going to work, driving the kids somewhere, hanging out with our friends - this is the realm into which we have been called and in which our faith bears fruit in love. We are to love our neighbors - that is, the people who are actually around us, as opposed to the abstract humanity of the theorists. These neighbors constitute the relationships that we are in right now, and our vocation is for God to serve them through us. The doctrine of vocation, though it has to do with human work, is essentially about Gods' work and how God works in and through our lives...

The doctrine of vocation helps Christians see the ordinary labors of life to be charged with meaning. It also helps put their work in perspective, seeing that their work is not saving them, but that they are resting in the grace of God, who in turn works through their labors to love and serve their neighbors."

Throughout Veith's book he reminds the reader that vocation is God working through everyday people to serve other people. We tend to think the ministry vocations are those like "pastors" or  "Christian artists" or "___________(fill in the blank)". But not... plumbers. And even when there is a Christian plumber who wants his vocation to be a ministry, it usually entails putting a fish logo or a scripture verse on his van or business card (and I am not knocking those things, but rather saying I think there is more to it than that).

But after reading Veith's book, it was both encouraging and convicting. Encouraging to know that when I went to work each day in my Luigi outfit I was actually going to my ministry vocation. Convicting in the sense that I need to take my job seriously at all times and not just go to and fro just to bring home the bacon.

Some may still be wondering, in what way is plumbing (or farming, or being a bank teller, etc...) a ministry vocation?

I will use the idea that Martin Luther had (and many of the Reformers had of vocation) that Veith expounded throughout his book.

When you sit down at your dinner table at night and thank God for providing the meal you are about to woof down, you no doubt believe that God truly did provide that meal. But think about this for a minute. There was a man selling seed, then a farmer who purchased the seed, then planted the seed and harvested the crop, then there were many people who were employed to get the harvested crop to a distribution center, then people who trucked the crop from the distribution center to the shelves of your local super market, then people there who are employed to take care of getting it out for you to buy, with the check card (that someone employed by someone else designed with your bank logo on it), that someone will process in order for the funds that you put in the bank (with the help of a bank teller) into your account... do you see where I am going with this. Yes, God put that food on your table... but He used many, yes many, people to make a way for the food to get to your table (which by the way some carpenter built, this could go on and on).

So, although I am not digging wells in Africa (and oh how that is needed), I am working on a daily basis to make sure people have sanitary water coming into their houses and businesses as well as making sure that is leaves in a sanitary manner as well. Even people in America need clean water. God is providing people with clean water here in North Carolina and I am glad He is using me to serve my neighbors in this way.

Lesson from my 8 year old

I enjoy talking, reading and thinking theology as much as the next guy. I am reading multiple books right now concerning holiness and fighting sin. I have made a systematic plan for personal growth. And I have mapped out a short term and long term plan for the discipleship of my family.

And before you think I am coming across as extremely sanctified, let me nip that in the bud and say for the most part... I suck. Really, that is not me being "humble"... I really do. I lose my temper, I am short with my wife, I am not consistent in my discipline with my daughter, I fail in my responsibilities within my church, I battle lust, lying, pride, envy... need I continue.

So there you go, I have given you an introduction into some of my struggles and few of the plans I have to fight them. But then along comes my eight year old daughter the other day and says that she prayed that day that she would love God more than her mommy and I. I thought that was interesting (and good theology, by the way) and upon further investigation I realized that in her personal bible reading that day, she read this verse...

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me" - Matthew 10:37

She had read the bible, had come across a verse that was contrary to her heart and she prayed for her heart to change. Period.

Then it hit me. I spend much time studying and mapping out how to grow in holiness, but
maybe sometimes
the best way is simply to read God's Word, evaluate myself against that and pray for grace to change in the very obvious ways my life needs adjustment.

That should keep me busy for a while.

SHF Liturgy 03.13.2011

Songs

• Immortal, Invisible (Laura Story)


• Oh, for a thousand tongues (Wesley, Crowder)


• Nothing but the blood (Redman)


• Arise my soul (Wesley, Twit)


• The River (Doerksen)

Word

• Scripture: Acts 18:1-16


• Message: Upside Down: Corinth


• Speaker: Dan Rolfe

See what the saints throughout sang today... click here.

What You Ought To Know

Thanks to Challies... I have found a whole nother favorite website.

ThingsYouOughtToKnow.com

The Lord's Day

From the Valley of Vision.

O Lord My Lord,

This is thy day, the heavenly ordinance of rest, the open door of worship, the record of Jesus' resurrection, the seal of the sabbath to come the day when saints militant and triumphant unite in endless song.

I bless thee for the throne of grace, that here free favour reigns; that open access to it is through the blood of Jesus; that the veil is torn aside and I can enter the holiest and find thee ready to hear, waiting to be gracious, inviting me to pour out my needs, encouraging my desires, promising to give more that I ask or think.

But while I bless thee, shame and confusion are mine: I remember my past misuse of sacred things, my irreverent worship, my base ingratitude, my old, dull praise.

Sprinkle all my past sabbaths with the cleansing blood of Jesus, and may this day witness deep improvement in me.

Give me in rich abundance the blessings that the Lord's Day was designed to impart;

May my heart be fast bound against worldly thoughts or cares;

Flood my mind with peace beyond understanding; may my meditations be sweet, my acts of worship life, liberty, joy, my drink the streams that flow from thy throne, my food the precious Word, my defence the shield of faith, and may my heart be more knit to Jesus.

A Father’s Role in discipleship

From the Resurgence by Tyson Paoletti.

Every Dad wants to raise children who will grow up to love Jesus. Parents tend to specifically seek out churches that have active kids ministries to lead their kids toward Jesus. However, according to the Bible, it is we parents—specifically dads—who have the primary responsibility for teaching our kids about God, not the church. The church is there to supplement what our kids should already be learning at home.

Scripture on a Dad's Responsibility

Several months back I was able to look deeper at what the Bible has to say about my responsibility as a Dad.

• "You shall teach [God's words] to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking in the way, and when you lie down and when you rise" (Deut. 11:19).


• "...the father makes known to the children your faithfulness" (Is. 38:19).


• "Make them known to your children and your children's children" (speaking of the things that God has revealed) (Deut. 4:9).


• "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Eph. 6:4).


• "Which he commanded our fathers to teach their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments" (Psalm 78:5b-7).

There are hundreds of things that can get in the way of taking the time to sit with your kids and spend time learning the Word of God: lack of discipline, lack of experience, lack of a sense of importance, and many more. Sometimes it's getting over the ideal that you might have in your head. There will be chaos, your wife will need you to do something, the dog will need to go out, your son will not think it's cool at all—but those memories of parents who loved them enough to make an effort will leave a lasting impression on your kids' hearts.

So Dads, parents—lets do this!

4 Tips for Teaching Your Kids to Memorize Scripture

1. Set a Goal. Try one verse a week. This will allow you to dwell on that verse, apply it, and talk about it through the week. Not all the kids will learn at the same pace, so this will also allow some flexibility.


2. Be Consistent. Figure out when, where, and what works for your family. Make it realistic: maybe it's morning, or dinner time, or in the car on the way to and from school—or have them say their verse to you before you leave for work.


3. Choose the Verses. Pick verses that make sense for your whole family to learn. You can even taper the verse to just a section for the younger kids.


4. Make it Fun. SING SONGS! Repetition is key. So whatever way works for your family, have fun doing it and be creative.

Psalm 119:11 says "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." The Word of God is "living and active," it's "profitable for teaching, reproof, for correction and training in righteousness," and it "does not return empty."

Thank you God for your powerful Word. It's life-changing, life-shaking, and I desire for it to penetrate not only my life, but the life of this amazing family you entrusted to me.

Check out The Rizers: a great resource for helping your kids memorize Scripture through fun, original worship songs. Listen to the Rizers here.

Leading Your family in worship

by Tim Smith

As a pastor who leads others in worship through song and teaching, there is an overwhelming temptation to value what happens in public over what happens in private. It’s so easy to value public gifts over private faithfulness, and what happens on a stage more than what goes on in your closest relationships. This is true in many areas, but one of the most troubling is the neglect of fathers in leading their families in regular times of family worship.

Your Family: Your First Ministry

Before anyone can qualify to lead others through preaching, teaching, or song, they have to first be able to lead their family. This responsibility falls first and foremost on fathers, who are charged by God to bring their children “up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). This is one of the foundational qualifications for leadership, “for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (1 Tim. 3:4–5) We are called to diligently teach our children both as a lifestyle and in specific times as we gather (Deut. 6:6–7).

The sad truth is that for many Christians, leaders or otherwise, this foundational time of fellowship and instruction simply never happens.

I was deeply convicted of my inadequacy in this area when I heard Don Whitney lecture from his excellent book Family Worship a few years ago. I was on autopilot with my family. My schedule was full and I felt very important to be so busy. I got up every day, went right into work mode, and returned every evening tired, spent, and looking to turn my brain off. I had everything backwards as I neglected my first and most important congregation—my family. I had no idea the opportunity I was missing; an opportunity to speak into my daughters’ young lives—not to mention the unequaled joy of seeing my kids grow in faith in Jesus.

There is nothing like walking in on my oldest daughter journaling her thoughts on the scripture we just read, or my youngest stating a profound observation when she appeared to only be dreaming of “My Little Ponies”—and I was missing it.

Lead Your Family

Leaders, make no mistake: if you neglect to lead your family in regular family worship, you have disqualified yourself to lead anyone else! If that is you, like it was me a few years ago, don’t throw in the towel. We serve a God of grace and new life. Repent of your neglect and start something new in your family today. Don’t wait! It’s not as hard as you might imagine, and even when it is hard, you are cultivating soil that will produce a harvest.

In my next post I will give you some practical ideas to get started.

One great resource to help you lead your family in worship is the music ofThe Rizers, the latest Re:Sound release. The Rizers have created an album of fun, original music that helps kids memorize Scripture. Check out the Rizers here.

BTW... the album he mentions by The Rizers is a free download.

Kevin Twit on hymns and songwriting @ Sojourn

From Sojourn Music...

Recently, Indelible Grace music founder Kevin Twit talked about the modern hymn movement and songwriting during a Sojourn Music training event at our Midtown Campus here in Louisville.

You can find and download that audio freely by clicking here.