EXCELLENT WORSHIPER (c)

CHAPTER 09:   EVERLASTING MUSIC

From the beginning of time, God has been worshiped with music and praise. even as God laid the earth’s foundation-

Job 38:4-7

 ⁴ “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?     Tell me, if you have understanding. 

⁵ Who determined its measurements—surely you know!     Or who stretched the line upon it? 

⁶ On what were its bases sunk,     or who laid its cornerstone, 

⁷ when the morning stars sang together     and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

The first account we have of God’s people praising Him with music is when Moses and the Israelites sang an incredible hymn of praise, thanking God for the spectacular win over Pharaoh and his army. Their shouts of joy must have sounded so victorious as they sang.

Exodus 15:1-7

The Song of Moses

 ¹ Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying,   “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;     the horse and his rider^[a] he has thrown into the sea. 

² The LORD is my strength and my song,     and he has become my salvation;  this is my God, and I will praise him,     my father's God, and I will exalt him. 

³ The LORD is a man of war;     the LORD is his name.

 ⁴ “Pharaoh's chariots and his host he cast into the sea,     and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea. 

⁵ The floods covered them;     they went down into the depths like a stone. 

⁶ Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power,     your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy. 

⁷ In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;     you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.

Singing was the immediate response of the children of Israel to God’s incredible deliverance. Notice, they never sang to each other, but they responded to the Lord with a song of praise to Him.

Music is a powerful force created by God to stir the core of a person like nothing else can. Thousands of new songs are written about our  King everyday, which is incredible. Some are musical, masterpieces and some are incredibly simple is the form they take, but we are continually amazed by seemingly endless ideas and countless soul stripping melodies and lyrics that are composed by writers who try to describe the wonder of our king,. The church always embraces new melodies that allow worshipers to express the song in their hearts to our Lord and King.

21^st century hymns and anthems are being written and sung by crowds that defy age barriers. These songs are made possible to e sung by even the least musical person, and they ignite passion and fire inside everyone that enters unto its expression of praise.

The Lord is sending new ways for us to sing, they are prophetic songs of praise. they are songs of unity, songs of harmony and songs of war, they are rising among us, restoring peace and righteousness. They are songs of grace and forgiveness songs of mercy and compassion, songs of strength and justice and songs of power and might. The sound of worship id being restores to its rightful place tend begin offered to us its only Benefactor.

As we embrace the new songs let’s also remember the great anthem written over the centuries by legends such as Charles Wesley, who wrote approximately 600  hymns. Charles was a phenomenal writer and penned awe-inspiring songs such as Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing, and many others.

A songwriter could go to a hundred classes on how to create great songs or how to write “hit” songs, but the craft is only a part of the writer’s commission when it comes to bringing the sound. Songs that truly connect the spirit of man with his Creator will always be breathe through the well-worn path to the throne room of God, a path the writer has traveled to and from and many times.

Romans 8:9

 ⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

More songs must be birthed out of the full knowledge that we, God’s own sons and daughters, have of Him. God is to be praised! we must take our rightful places in this chorus of praise so that the glory of the Lord will be seen through all the earth. A Christian musician institutionally knows the difference between playing music and playing music that touches God’s  heart. They must have a heart that pursues the things of God and not the praises of men.

The strongest praise and worship is the living, breathing, infallible, Word of God. I love to sing about the majesty and the wonder of God and it is wonderful to be able to express the words of intimate devotion to Him.