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A faithful presence of love in the absences of our city.

Because God Sings, So Do We

On Sunday we talked about how God is a singing God. He rejoices over with singing. And because God sings…so do we…

We are a singing people: Reggie Kidd in his excellent book With One Voice says,

It's only when we understand [Jesus'] presence in the church as being the fulfillment of God's promise in Zephaniah 3:17 to "quiet you with his love" and "rejoice over you with singing" that a crucial aspect of our salvation comes into perspective. Jesus didn't coldly settle accounts for us. He doesn't bark us into improving ourselves. He united us to himself in the glorious communion he has enjoyed for eternity with his heavenly Father. He resides within us to heal the broken places and refresh cauterized hearts. He sings us into a new mode of existence.... When, as Paul does, we imagine Jesus singing nations into submission to his rule, our hearts come joyfully under the sway of a love that is infinite and powerful.

A theology that cannot be sung is not worth having.... Authentic Christian faith is not merely believed. Nor is it merely acted upon. It is sung - with utter joy sometimes, in uncontrollable tears sometimes, but it is sung

Singing glorifies God.
Spirit-filled churches, according to Ephesians 5:19, are those that sing and make melody to the Lord with all their heart. The first function of singing is vertical, a harmonious declaration of all His wonderful works (1 Chron. 16:9).

Singing teaches.
One way we teach one another is by “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Col. 3:16). Singing is biblical and systematic theology set to meter and melody. Want to help your church understand sin has the two-fold effect of curse and corruption, and that Christ justifies and sanctifies? Have them sing good Mr. Toplady’s “Rock of Ages”:
“Be of sin the double cure, save from wrath and make me pure”

Singing encourages.
The horizontal dimension of singing to “one another” (Eph. 5:19) means teaching and encouraging. They are closely related and functional synonyms, but it seems wise to distinguish them. Has a church member in your congregation recently lost a child through miscarriage? Help your church encourage them by singing “How Firm a Foundation”:
“Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid
I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand”

Singing brings life…

I hope then it is clear why we pray for God to form us into “A Singing Church.”
We want to mirror God’s character, so we sing.
We want to be obedient to His word, so we sing.
We want to glorify God, so we sing.
We want to teach one another in truth, so we sing.
We want to encourage one another in the Spirit, so we sing.
We want to humble our hearts before God, so we sing.
We want to be quieted by His love…so we sing.
We want to know God’s love…so we sing…we want to have life…so we sing. We sing because we want to know the heart stretched out…that at the end Love will find us…

By His power and for His glory, may He form us into a singing church.

~ Justin Edgar 

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