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Nehemiah 12:27-47 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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We'll continue our work today through the book of Nehemiah.
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I believe after this morning we'll have one more sermon in the book.
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and I hope that it's blessed your heart the way it has mine over this past few weeks.
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Nehemiah chapter 12.
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Now to give you just a brief summary up to this point,
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catch your mind up to speed for this morning.
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God has brought His covenant people home to Israel
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after 70 years of Babylonian captivity.
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Remember, they were carried off into captivity because of their sinfulness.
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Because of the way they had disregarded God's law.
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And so they were taken captive and led away.
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They've been brought back now.
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A couple of different movements coming back.
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But they're home now in Israel, in the promised land.
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And they've now refinished rebuilding the temple we see in the book of Ezra.
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And now the wall surrounding Jerusalem here in the book of Nehemiah.
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There's been a great revival that I believe started prior to chapter 8.
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But we certainly observe it take its full swing.
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In chapter 8, it's broken out amongst them.
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In this past few weeks, we've observed together the evidences of God-sent revival.
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That revival is not something that we put on a calendar or on a sign.
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We don't pitch a tent across from Kroger and Gainesville.
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That's not revival.
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But that God brings revival.
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A special returning of His people to Him.
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And we noted that if revival is God's sin, God's people will be praying.
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That they will reestablish the Word of God as the ultimate authority in their lives.
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I hope you at least have a copy of it with you this morning.
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That they will recognize their defiance of God and view His chastisement as just.
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They'll quit making excuses and justifying the things that they do.
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But they'll recognize that they have not observed God's law as He requires.
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And they'll turn from that defiance to obedience.
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They'll say, God, in all ways I want to honor You.
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If Your Word says it, I want to do it.
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And I will work to that end.
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This is a mighty work of the Spirit in the hearts of men.
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But it is something we ought to be endeavoring to do.
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And as we see these things happening in our lives,
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we can certainly say that the Spirit is at work and moving in our hearts.
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We see here in Nehemiah that the Spirit draws the sword from the scabbard.
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And has His work, has His way with His people.
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And it has been my prayer for us that the same will be true.
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That we'll no longer be complacent Christians.
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But that we will devote ourselves to God the way He deserves our devotion.
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Now this morning I want to draw our attention to the dedication service for the wall
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that we see recorded in chapter 12, verses 27 through 47.
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But I don't want to totally neglect chapter 11 and the beginning of chapter 12.
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There is some significance there.
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And there may even be some significance beyond what I'm about to share with you.
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But for us today, I think the significance we need to see is this.
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Chapter 11, verses 1 through 2.
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Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem.
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And the rest of the people cast lots to bring 1 out of 10 to live in Jerusalem, the holy city.
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While 9 out of 10 remained in the other towns.
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And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem.
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A number of weeks ago we talked about the fact that the wall had been built
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and yet nobody lived in Jerusalem at that time.
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The thing that ultimately grieved Nehemiah's heart, as we see recorded in chapter 1,
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is that the city was in ruins.
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And as such, the state of the people of God looked horrible.
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Their capital city, the place that should have been the center of all activity and trade,
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the place where the temple was located,
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no one even inhabited it at this time.
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And so they rebuilt the wall for the glory of God.
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Not for protection, but for the glory of God.
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But yet people still didn't come in to live and dwell in that place for his sake.
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But we see here now a correction of that.
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So remember in chapter 7, I spoke to you, verse 4, it says,
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The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few,
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and no houses had been rebuilt.
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And then in verse 73 of the same chapter,
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So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers,
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some of the people, the temple servants in all Israel, lived in their towns.
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And when the seventh month had come, the people of Israel were in their towns.
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They had yet to reoccupy the city.
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And to say to the nations around them,
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God is certainly good to his people.
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So it's important for us to see that they've now made reparations for that.
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They have fixed that now.
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They have now sent people into the city to live.
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Now, verse 3 in chapter 11 through chapter 12, verse 26,
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I just want you to get one thing.
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It is a massive list of names.
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And this is what I want you to get from it.
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God has set apart for himself a covenant people.
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People group.
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Here it was Israel.
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Now it is the church.
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It's us, right?
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But a people is certainly made up of individuals.
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And individuals matter.
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God is concerned for the individual, right?
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Which means he cares for you.
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He cares for you.
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And as such, we should care for individuals.
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I've been encouraging you over some time just to get to know each other's names.
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There's a good starting point, right?
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And here we see a massive list of names of the people who came to occupy the land.
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So, we skipped a stone off of chapter 11 and the beginning of 12.
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I'm sure there's some more depth to it there.
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But I want to get into this worship service that we can see in chapter 12, beginning in verse 27.
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So, let's read that together.
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I'm actually going to hop and skip a little bit through it to avoid the burdensome nature of some of these names,
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both for my sake and for yours.
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So, bear with me as we do that.
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And I'll give you some explanation as we go along here.
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So, beginning in verse 27.
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And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites in all their places
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to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness,
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with thanksgiving, and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.
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And the sons of the singers gathered together from the districts surrounding Jerusalem
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and from the villages of the Nataphatites,
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also from Beth Gilgal and from the region of Geba and Asmoth Beth,
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from the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem.
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And the priests and the Levites purified themselves,
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and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.
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Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall
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and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks.
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One went to the south on the wall to the dung gate.
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Verse 38.
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We're going to hop over this list of people that went in this procession along with this one choir.
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Verse 38.
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The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north,
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And I followed them with half of the people on the wall above the tower of the ovens to the broad wall,
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and above the gate of Ephraim, and by the gate of Yashana,
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and by the fish gate and the tower of Hananel, and the tower of the hundred to the sheep gate,
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and they came to a halt at the gate of the guard.
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So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God,
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and I and half of the officials with me.
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And then we're going to jump down a little bit further to verse 43,
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and we'll finish out the rest of the chapter.
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And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced,
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for God had made them rejoice with great joy.
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The women and children also rejoiced,
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and the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.
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On that day men were appointed over the storerooms,
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the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes,
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to gather into them the portions required by the law for the priests,
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and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns.
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For Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered.
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And they performed the service of their God in the service of purification,
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as did the singers and the gatekeepers,
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according to the command of David and his son Solomon.
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For long ago in the days of David and Asaph,
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there were directors of the singers,
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and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
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And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel,
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and in the days of Nehemiah,
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gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers.
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And they set apart that which was for the Levites,
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and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.
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Join me in prayer.
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Father, we thank you for your word,
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your very spoken word, your breath to us.
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And I pray this day that you will, by your spirit,
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apply it to our hearts.
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And don't let us just take these things in
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and have some mental understanding of the last part of chapter 12,
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but show us how it is that the activity recorded here
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for the nation of Israel means something for us this day.
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Help us, Father, to see how to rightly worship you.
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And we pray this in Christ's name.
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Amen.
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Now, again, the observation here is a worship service
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set apart for the dedication of the wall.
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And we've seen a couple of other worship services.
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This one consists primarily of music.
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That's a major activity in this particular worship service.
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We saw at the beginning of chapter 8 a worship service
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that was primarily the reading of God's word.
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Half the day, teaching and reading of God's word.
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We see another in chapter 9,
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which consisted of the reading of God's word,
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and then confession through prayer.
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So we're seeing this mix of different types of service
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as they come together and worship God.
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We have to be very careful as we talk about worship.
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And so we're going to spend a little bit of time this morning
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simply defining our terms.
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What do we mean when we say worship?
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This is something that has been far misconstrued
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in the Christian church these days.
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When did the worship of God become just about music?
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Oh, that was wonderful worship this morning.
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What do people are referring to when they say that?
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The music.
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What do we call the guy with the guitar?
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The worship leader.
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As if the only activity of the Christian life
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that is worshipful to God is singing songs.
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Shame on us.
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This is a trite view of what worship actually is.
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When did this happen?
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I wish I knew.
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I want to do a sociological observation experiment.
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I wish I could see through history and see what happened.
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I would expect that at some point
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the term music minister didn't apply
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to the skinny kid, Gene,
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getting up there with the faux hawk playing the guitar.
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And they had to come up with a different term for him.
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Right?
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Because the music minister is a guy
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that leads music with his hand
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and puts together cantatas.
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Right?
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But I don't really know what happened.
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What has happened to our thinking
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about this term worship?
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Now get me,
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many of us say words
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and we're trying to communicate something
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and if somebody were to correct us
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we would say,
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oh well, I don't mean that.
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Many of us would do that.
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There's a very important biblical teaching
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that simply says,
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out of the outflow of the heart,
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the mouth speaks.
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What you say directly connects
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to what you think about particular matters.
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Right?
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We go after you pretty hard
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about calling this
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building the church.
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Right?
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Because it clearly communicates
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that in your mind
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the gathering of God's people
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is not about people.
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It's about institution.
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Building.
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Lights.
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And trappings.
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It's not about that.
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It's about God's people
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coming together.
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We are the church.
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This is an example.
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Worship is another.
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It's a burr in my saddle.
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Let me show you why.
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Hebrews chapter 12
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verses 28 and 29.
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You can turn there if you want to.
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I'm going to go pretty quick
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because I have twice as many notes
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as I normally do
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on a Sunday morning.
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The writer of Hebrews says,
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Therefore, let us be grateful
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for receiving a kingdom
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that cannot be shaken.
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He's just presented the gospel
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in a very clear way.
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And thus, let us offer to God
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acceptable worship.
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Acceptable worship.
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Is he talking about music here?
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No.
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With reverence.
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Not relevance.
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Catch that.
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With reverence and awe.
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For our God
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is a consuming fire.
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Now, we are so quick
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when we're reading the scriptures
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to let these man-made divisions
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block our thinking.
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But the writer of Hebrews
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didn't stop at that point,
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take a couple of week break,
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and then pick back up
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and start chapter 13
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as an entirely different
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subject matter.
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He goes on to explain
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exactly what he's meaning
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when he talks about
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offering acceptable worship
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with reverence and awe.
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Let's, just a quick summary.
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What does chapter 13
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tell us we ought to be doing
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to worship our God?
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Let brotherly love continue.
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Show hospitality to strangers.
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Remember persecuted Christians.
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Honor marriage.
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Be sexually pure.
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Do not love money.
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Be content.
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Imitate the faith of your leaders.
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Do not be led away
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by false doctrine.
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Bear the reproach of Christ.
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Acknowledge Christ with your lips.
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Do good.
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Share what you have.
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Obey and submit to your leaders.
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This is worship.
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And what I fear happens
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is that when we think of music
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as the only thing
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that is worship to God,
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we neglect all of these things.
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Now, would music be found in this list?
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Yes.
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It absolutely would.
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Right?
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We are to acknowledge Christ
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with our lips.
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And we do that
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when we sing together.
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John MacArthur,
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in a book I would commend to you
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called Worship,
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The Ultimate Priority,
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said,
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Worship is any essential expression
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of service
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rendered unto God
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by a soul who loves
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and extols Him
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for who He is.
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Real worship, therefore,
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should be the full-time,
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non-stop activity
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of every believer.
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And the aim of the exercise
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ought to be
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to please God.
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That is worship.
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Our lives are meant to be lives
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of worship.
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As a person,
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you are always going to be
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worshiping something.
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You're going to either be
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worshiping the Most High God
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or something else.
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Yourself,
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sports,
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success,
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your wife,
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your husband,
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just relationships in general.
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You're always going to be
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worshiping something.
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Proper worship
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is worship
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of God.
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The Puritans had a
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principle
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they called
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the regulative principle.
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the regulative principle.
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Excuse me,
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not the Puritans,
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the Reformers.
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Sorry,
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history buffs.
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Listen to what John Calvin said.
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I think this sums up
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the regulative principle well.
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He said,
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We may not adopt
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any device
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in our worship
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which seems to fit
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ourselves,
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but look to the injunctions
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of Him
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who alone
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is entitled to prescribe.
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Therefore,
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if we would have Him
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approve our worship,
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this rule
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which He everywhere
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enforces
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with the utmost strictness
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must be carefully observed.
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God disapproves
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of all modes
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of worship
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not expressly
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sanctioned
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by His Word.
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So I'm taking you now
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to talk about worship
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and life as general.
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What He's saying
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certainly applies to that.
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Talk about how it is
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that we ought to
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worship together
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in our services.
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Right?
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Matthew 15,
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8 and 9.
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Jesus said,
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This people honors me
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with their lips,
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but their heart
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is far from me.
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In vain
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do they worship me.
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Teaching as doctrines
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the commandments
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of men.
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As they're gathering together,
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they were doing things
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to worship
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that were man-made,
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man-created,
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ways in which
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we should worship God.
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We've been given
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the instruction manual
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for how we ought
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to worship God.
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Certainly,
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it applies to how
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we worship God
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together.
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All of our service
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is worship.
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This is a worship service.
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That's what we have
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come together to do.
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From the very beginning
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all the way to the end,
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that's what we have
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come to do.
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If anybody rightly
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gets the title
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of worship leader,
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it would be me
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because I take responsibility
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for everything
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that happens
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when we're together
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on a Sunday morning.
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Right?
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Here in our text,
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who are the worship leaders
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here?
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I didn't read
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the name out to you,
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but we see a singer
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being led
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at the very end
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of verse 42.
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The singer's leader
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is Jezrehiah.
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Is he the worship leader?
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I would say to you,
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no.
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He was the leader
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of the singers.
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Nehemiah
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and Ezra,
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the men who were
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leading the people
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and put together
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this thing
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are the worship leaders.
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So this morning,
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I'm going to use
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the term musical worship
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because certainly
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our singing
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is that.
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And unfortunately,
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people have
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done two things
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if they're doing
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anything wrongly
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with music.
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They've either made it,
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they've relegated it
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to a lesser thing.
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It's the thing we do
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in order to prepare
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ourselves
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to hear the word
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preached.
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It could be a way
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that you treat it.
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I know this is true
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because I used to be
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that way.
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Especially when the
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whole praise and worship
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movement started
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coming out.
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I started to stop
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seeing the value
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in singing some of
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these songs
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that were being sung
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and I just bore
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through it so I could
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get to the teaching
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of the word.
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Some of you may be
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that way.
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Others of you may
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make it too big
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of a deal.
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You may just bear
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through the preaching
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so that you can
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sing some more songs.
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Have your emotional
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tank filled back up.
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Properly,
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our musical worship
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is worship of God.
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We should come
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together prepared
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to do this activity
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together.
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We should want
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to please Him
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with what we do
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together in song.
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So today I want
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to give you
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four characteristics
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of proper
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musical
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worship.
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Proper musical
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worship.
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And I want you
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to keep two questions
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in mind
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as we do this.
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One,
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do you think rightly
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about musical worship?
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Do you think rightly
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about it?
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Do you understand
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what it is supposed
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to be and what it
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is supposed to look
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like?
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And then secondly,
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do you participate
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rightly in musical
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worship?
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Do you think rightly
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about it?
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Do you participate
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rightly in it?
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One of the questions
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that kind of got at
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my mind though
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as I was looking
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at this is the
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question,
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is musical worship
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important to our
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meetings?
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I would venture to
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say,
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I may be wrong
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about this,
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but I would venture
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to say that there
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is not a church
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in this nation
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that you would go
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to this morning
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that wouldn't
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sing in some
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fashion on a
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Sunday morning.
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Why?
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Why do churches
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do that?
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Is it just that
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it's the thing
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we're supposed to
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do?
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We just know
18:54
when we come
18:55
together as a
18:55
church,
18:56
you sing.
18:56
I don't know
18:56
why we sing,
18:57
but we sing.
18:59
Some of you
18:59
may feel that
19:00
way.
19:00
Some of you
19:01
might stand
19:01
stoically without
19:02
uttering a word.
19:03
I don't have a
19:03
good voice.
19:04
I don't want to
19:04
sing.
19:05
I hate the
19:05
singing.
19:05
Why do we sing
19:06
in church?
19:07
Is musical worship
19:08
important to our
19:10
meetings?
19:11
If you were to be
19:12
a careful student
19:12
of the word of
19:13
God, you could
19:14
emphatically answer
19:15
that yes.
19:17
Music is all
19:18
throughout the
19:20
Bible.
19:20
From the very
19:21
first book,
19:22
there are hymns
19:22
recorded, songs
19:24
sung to praise
19:24
God in Genesis
19:25
all the way
19:27
through to the
19:27
book of
19:28
Revelation.
19:29
Except for the
19:30
book of Psalms,
19:31
you know that
19:31
Revelation has
19:32
more songs of
19:33
praise in it than
19:34
any other?
19:34
There's 14 songs.
19:36
I don't have my
19:36
14 songs sung in
19:40
the book of
19:41
Revelation.
19:42
It is everywhere.
19:43
Why were the
19:44
Psalms even
19:45
written?
19:46
What was the
19:46
very point of
19:47
them being
19:47
written?
19:48
It was written
19:48
to give God's
19:49
people songs to
19:51
sing together.
19:53
Listen to just a
19:54
couple of examples
19:54
of the Psalms
19:55
speaking to this
19:56
very point.
19:57
Psalm 22,
19:57
22.
19:59
I will tell of
19:59
your name to
20:00
my brothers.
20:00
In the midst of
20:01
the congregation,
20:02
I will praise
20:03
you.
20:04
The picture in
20:05
Hebrew of singing
20:06
praise to God's
20:07
name.
20:08
Psalm 35,
20:08
18.
20:09
I will thank you
20:09
in the great
20:09
congregation.
20:10
In the mighty
20:11
throng, I will
20:12
praise you.
20:13
Psalm 68, 26.
20:15
Bless God in
20:16
the great
20:16
congregation, the
20:17
Lord of you who
20:19
are of Israel's
20:19
fountain.
20:21
Yes, it's key.
20:23
Yes, it should
20:24
be done.
20:25
John Calvin
20:26
called the Psalms
20:27
the anatomy of
20:28
all the parts of
20:29
the soul.
20:31
These songs have
20:32
been given to us
20:34
to relate to and
20:35
express with and
20:36
to understand some
20:38
of the realities of
20:39
God in our
20:40
inner being, in
20:42
our very emotion,
20:43
the seat of who
20:44
we are.
20:47
Laura Melendez
20:47
put up on
20:48
Facebook a cool
20:49
quote from
20:49
Jonathan Edwards
20:50
this week, which
20:51
was so timely,
20:51
so I nabbed it
20:52
and I put it in
20:53
here.
20:53
Jonathan Edwards
20:54
said,
20:54
the best,
20:55
most beautiful,
20:56
and most perfect
20:57
way that we have
20:58
of expressing a
20:59
sweet concord of
21:00
mind to each
21:01
other is by
21:02
music.
21:03
Hear that
21:03
again.
21:04
The best,
21:05
most beautiful,
21:05
and most perfect
21:06
way that we have
21:07
of expressing a
21:08
sweet concord of
21:10
mind to each
21:10
other is by
21:12
music.
21:13
Martin Luther,
21:15
a great reformer,
21:15
said,
21:16
next to the word
21:16
of God,
21:17
music deserves
21:18
the highest
21:18
praise.
21:19
The gift of
21:20
language combined
21:21
with the gift
21:22
of song was
21:23
given to man
21:23
so that he
21:24
should proclaim
21:25
the word of
21:25
God through
21:27
music.
21:28
That's what we
21:29
come together to
21:30
do when we
21:30
sing.
21:32
That's why the
21:33
music isn't so
21:34
loud that you
21:34
can't hear yourself
21:35
and the person
21:36
standing next to
21:36
you in this
21:37
room.
21:39
It's not a
21:39
concert.
21:40
Congregational
21:41
worship and
21:42
songs should
21:42
look much
21:43
different than
21:44
a rock show,
21:45
to be sure.
21:47
And this is all
21:47
me.
21:48
This is my
21:48
quote.
21:49
I just want to
21:49
get myself in
21:49
the mix with
21:50
these guys.
21:53
Singing is
21:54
vital to our
21:55
meetings because
21:56
songs most
21:57
readily,
21:58
it's not the
21:58
only way,
21:59
but songs most
22:00
readily unite our
22:01
minds and our
22:02
hearts.
22:04
We get the
22:04
information packed
22:05
in to our heads
22:07
and songs help
22:08
it unite with
22:09
our heart.
22:09
We feel the
22:10
truth when we
22:11
sing.
22:12
At least I
22:12
hope you feel
22:13
the truth when
22:15
you sing.
22:17
You ever
22:17
wondered why we
22:18
do two songs
22:19
before the
22:19
preaching and
22:20
three songs
22:21
after?
22:21
Not that those
22:22
are magic numbers
22:22
at all, but the
22:23
ways when we
22:24
broke it up that
22:24
way is because we
22:26
want you to
22:26
rejoice in the
22:27
truth of the
22:27
gospel after the
22:29
preaching of the
22:30
gospel.
22:31
If you're not a
22:32
person that really
22:32
engages with lyrics
22:34
on a screen, we
22:35
want you to
22:35
have heard it
22:36
spoken to you so
22:37
that you'll be
22:37
more likely to
22:39
have these things
22:39
happen, to have
22:40
your mind and
22:41
your heart unite
22:42
around these
22:43
truths.
22:43
So yes, yes,
22:45
music is important
22:46
to our meeting
22:47
together.
22:49
All right, so
22:50
first observation,
22:51
proper musical
22:52
worship is
22:54
ordered.
23:01
Proper musical
23:02
worship is
23:02
ordered.
23:05
Take a look at
23:06
the activity of
23:07
the choirs here.
23:08
This is not
23:09
something that just
23:09
got suddenly thrown
23:10
together in a
23:11
spontaneous fashion.
23:12
There are some who
23:12
think that musical
23:13
worship ought to
23:14
always be just
23:15
spontaneous, right?
23:16
That it just
23:16
ought to come from
23:18
the spirits leading
23:18
and then somebody
23:19
just starts playing
23:20
and somebody starts
23:20
singing.
23:21
Or that when they
23:22
are in fact given
23:22
a slotted time to
23:24
sing, they go on
23:26
and they go on
23:27
and they go on
23:27
and they go on.
23:28
And I'll tell you
23:28
this, that a person
23:29
that cannot bring a
23:30
resolution to a song
23:31
usually isn't being
23:32
spirit-led, but
23:32
they're not good
23:33
enough to resolve
23:34
a song.
23:35
If they just play
23:35
that chorus one
23:36
more time, they're
23:37
going to figure out
23:37
how to end the
23:38
song on that
23:39
go around.
23:41
Proper musical
23:42
worship is
23:42
ordered.
23:43
Look at the
23:43
activity of the
23:44
choirs.
23:45
The first part of
23:45
verse 31, there's
23:46
these two great
23:47
choirs appointed
23:48
to give thanks.
23:50
The first group
23:51
goes up on the
23:52
wall.
23:53
We skipped over
23:54
some of this,
23:54
right?
23:54
But they go up
23:55
on the wall and
23:56
they move in a
23:56
counterclockwise
23:57
direction.
23:58
All of this record
23:59
of the places they
24:00
were passing by,
24:01
if you understood
24:02
the city, you
24:02
would just know.
24:03
He's just telling
24:03
us the direction in
24:04
which they flowed as
24:06
they walked on this
24:06
walkway that would
24:07
have run around the
24:08
inside of the edge
24:10
of the wall.
24:12
That's what's going
24:12
on here.
24:12
I had to pull up a
24:13
map and carefully
24:14
plot the course and
24:15
see what they did.
24:16
You've got the first
24:17
group that goes and
24:18
they go counterclockwise
24:19
around the wall.
24:20
The second group goes
24:21
up and they go
24:21
clockwise around the
24:23
wall.
24:23
The first group is
24:25
led by Ezra.
24:26
The second group
24:26
followed by Nehemiah.
24:28
And they come around
24:29
the city and meet
24:31
at the house of God.
24:32
That's where we end
24:32
up seeing them
24:33
standing.
24:34
They stood in the
24:35
house of God, you
24:35
see in verses 40
24:37
through 43, offering
24:38
great sacrifices and
24:39
rejoicing.
24:41
Most of our
24:41
translations probably
24:43
record the great
24:45
number of choirs.
24:46
Let me see if I can
24:47
spot that real quick
24:48
as I didn't make a
24:49
note about it.
24:51
Yep, yep, yep.
24:52
Gather Together from
24:53
the District's
24:53
Rounding.
24:57
Okay, anyway, there's
24:59
a record of it being
25:00
a great choir.
25:01
Okay, this is not
25:02
speaking to the
25:03
choir's quality of
25:05
voice, that they were
25:06
a well-trained choir,
25:07
although I propose
25:08
that they were, but
25:09
speaking to their
25:09
number, a massive
25:11
number of people that
25:14
were a choir that had
25:15
to coordinate.
25:17
You've got two
25:18
choirs getting up on
25:19
the wall and singing
25:20
and passing around
25:21
and then going
25:21
together and
25:22
into the house
25:22
of God.
25:23
This was
25:23
incredibly ordered.
25:26
Right?
25:26
So practice matters
25:27
at this point, is
25:28
what I'm trying to
25:29
say.
25:30
Notice in verse 28,
25:31
you see this
25:31
interesting phrase,
25:32
the sons of the
25:34
singers.
25:35
The sons of the
25:36
singers.
25:37
Is he referring
25:37
here to those who
25:39
were descendants of
25:40
the singers?
25:41
That could be a
25:41
possibility since we've
25:42
now seen Israel go
25:44
away and return from
25:45
Babylonian captivity
25:46
because these be the
25:47
sons of the men who
25:48
were singers before
25:49
Babylonian captivity,
25:50
now returned?
25:51
No, that's not what
25:53
he's talking about.
25:53
This was common
25:54
Hebrew language.
25:55
To say sons of
25:57
something was a way
25:58
of saying in the
25:58
order of.
26:00
That it was their
26:01
job.
26:02
It was something that
26:02
was prescribed to
26:03
them.
26:03
It was their nature.
26:05
They were the sons
26:06
of the singers.
26:07
You'll notice it
26:08
again, a similar
26:09
phrase in verse 47.
26:10
You'll see the sons
26:11
of Aaron.
26:13
Right at the very end
26:14
of the chapter,
26:15
the sons of Aaron.
26:16
Were they descendants
26:17
of Aaron?
26:17
And certainly they
26:18
were.
26:19
But the point he's
26:19
making here is that
26:20
these were the
26:20
priests.
26:21
These were the ones
26:21
who were in the
26:22
priestly order.
26:24
They were the ones
26:24
given the task of
26:25
serving as priests.
26:27
So we see men,
26:30
potentially women
26:30
here, that are
26:31
specifically given
26:32
the task.
26:33
That was their
26:34
calling to do
26:35
this very thing
26:36
for the people of
26:37
God.
26:38
Notice in verse
26:39
29.
26:40
They've actually
26:41
congregated together.
26:43
For the singers
26:43
had built for
26:44
themselves villages
26:45
around Jerusalem as
26:46
the people weren't
26:47
living in Jerusalem.
26:48
They had congregated
26:49
together.
26:50
And I would imagine
26:50
that this was because
26:51
they were practicing
26:52
their skill.
26:53
They were together.
26:54
I don't know what
26:54
kind of picture this
26:55
brings up in your
26:56
mind.
26:56
Maybe for some of
26:57
you it's robes and
26:58
books in a room
26:59
behind the sanctuary.
27:00
Them gathering
27:01
together and honing
27:02
their craft as they
27:03
came together.
27:04
I think of kind of
27:06
hippie guys sitting
27:06
around in their
27:07
flip-flops in a
27:08
circle playing drums
27:10
and guitars.
27:11
But they were
27:12
together in towns
27:13
together working on
27:14
this craft.
27:15
They were prepared
27:16
for this activity.
27:19
We see no record of
27:20
them having to go for
27:21
weeks and weeks of
27:22
practice so they could
27:23
get together to lead
27:24
this massive congregation.
27:26
30,000 to 50,000
27:28
people are back now
27:29
from Babylonian
27:30
captivity in the
27:31
song.
27:32
No, they were ready.
27:33
They knew the songs
27:34
and all they had to do
27:35
was be coordinated in
27:36
this movement around
27:37
the city.
27:39
Notice in verse 47
27:41
that there was
27:41
actually provision made
27:43
for these singers.
27:44
This was a job,
27:46
a task,
27:46
an official assignment
27:49
given to them.
27:52
Money, provision
27:53
was set aside
27:54
to care for them
27:54
so that they could be
27:55
better and better
27:56
and better at their
27:57
craft.
27:58
We, for the size of
27:59
our church, we are
28:00
immensely blessed with
28:02
musical talent.
28:03
Kind of blows my mind.
28:05
I'm mentioning
28:05
Lauren Melendez again.
28:07
She won the Eddie's
28:07
Attic open mic night,
28:09
if you know that or not,
28:10
which is a pretty
28:10
incredible task.
28:12
Yeah.
28:13
Yeah, pretty incredible.
28:14
We have great, great
28:15
talent here.
28:16
What if, what if,
28:18
wouldn't it be just
28:18
fantastic if Wes,
28:21
rather than having to
28:22
show up at 8.30 on
28:23
Sunday morning and get
28:24
everybody together and
28:24
get their talents on the
28:26
same page together,
28:27
what if he could spend
28:27
more time in the week
28:28
preparing and doing that
28:30
to lead us in this very
28:31
important aspect of
28:34
worshiping God together
28:35
in our singing, right?
28:36
This is something that
28:37
the people of Israel
28:38
recognized was important
28:39
to set aside provision
28:41
for the singers,
28:43
for those who are in
28:44
the order of singing.
28:46
Just as an interesting
28:47
side note, it says
28:48
very little to do with
28:49
what we're talking about
28:50
here, but with that
28:52
in mind, thinking of
28:53
these people being the
28:54
sons of the singers,
28:55
we see the sons of
28:56
Aaron.
28:57
Isn't it interesting that
28:58
Jesus is called the
28:59
son of God?
29:02
Certainly he was born,
29:03
we came into the earth
29:05
that way, but it means
29:06
more than that.
29:07
To the Hebrew reader,
29:09
they would have seen
29:09
and understood that he
29:10
was in the very order
29:11
of God.
29:12
He himself was God.
29:15
His deity is found in
29:16
that very title, being
29:17
the son of God.
29:19
I thought that was
29:19
pretty cool when I
29:20
discovered this this
29:21
week.
29:22
So, firstly, proper
29:23
musical worship is
29:25
ordered.
29:28
Secondly, proper
29:28
musical worship is
29:30
content-driven.
29:33
It's content-driven.
29:36
So we look at the job
29:37
of these singers.
29:38
It's mentioned a couple
29:39
of times.
29:39
Verse 31, verse 38,
29:41
verse 40.
29:42
Their job was to give
29:43
thanks.
29:44
That was the work that
29:45
they were about.
29:46
But what was it that
29:47
they were to give
29:48
thanks for?
29:49
What is the very thing
29:50
that they're praising
29:51
God for?
29:53
Verse 46 says,
29:54
For long ago in the
29:55
days of David and
29:55
Asaph, there were
29:57
directors of the
29:57
singers and there were
29:58
songs of praise and
29:59
thanksgiving to God.
30:01
They had songs that
30:02
they were singing.
30:04
There's a record of it
30:05
here.
30:05
That they had the very
30:06
songs of David and
30:07
Asaph.
30:07
What are they
30:08
referring to?
30:08
The Psalms.
30:10
They're referring to
30:11
the Psalms.
30:14
What would have been
30:15
the major thing that
30:17
would have been praised
30:18
for David and
30:19
Asaph?
30:19
What was the major
30:20
activity, the major
30:21
praising of God in
30:22
song?
30:23
His person and his
30:24
work in the Exodus.
30:27
Right?
30:27
Psalm 105 is a really
30:29
like perfect example
30:30
of this.
30:31
They praised him for
30:32
the work he had
30:32
done on their
30:34
behalf.
30:35
Right?
30:36
His goodness to
30:37
mankind has been
30:37
evidenced in his
30:39
work.
30:40
Right?
30:41
So truth.
30:42
That is what the
30:43
songs were about.
30:44
That was what they
30:45
were returning
30:45
thanks for, for the
30:46
things that God had
30:47
done.
30:50
John 4, 23-24,
30:53
Jesus says,
30:53
The hour is coming
30:54
and is now here
30:54
when true worshipers
30:56
will worship the
30:56
Father in what?
30:57
spirit and truth.
31:00
Not spirit and song.
31:03
Spirit and truth.
31:04
Not spirit and emotion.
31:08
Spirit and truth.
31:09
For the Father is
31:10
seeking such people
31:11
to worship him.
31:11
God is spirit and
31:12
those who worship him
31:13
must worship in spirit
31:15
and in truth.
31:18
Right?
31:19
You know that this
31:20
return from Babylonian
31:21
captivity back to
31:22
Israel became known
31:23
as the second
31:25
Exodus?
31:26
That it was a
31:27
another picture of
31:28
God's goodness in
31:29
that way?
31:31
And you know that
31:31
what we've experienced
31:32
in Christ, a
31:34
deliverance from the
31:35
bondage, the slavery
31:36
of sin and death, is
31:38
known as the third
31:39
Exodus?
31:42
These are the things
31:44
that they and we are
31:46
to be praising God
31:47
for.
31:47
The truth of the
31:49
gospel.
31:50
Who he is and how
31:51
it is that he's
31:52
displayed who he is
31:53
to us.
31:55
Turn with me to
31:55
Revelation chapter 5.
31:57
We really ought to
32:01
take cues from the
32:02
scriptures, particularly
32:04
pictures into heaven
32:06
about how we ought to
32:08
be praising God.
32:09
Doesn't it only make
32:10
sense that we take a
32:11
glimpse, John's vision
32:12
of the praise that's
32:13
happening in heaven,
32:14
this musical worship,
32:15
and go, oh, is that
32:16
how it's done?
32:17
We will model after
32:19
that.
32:19
This must have
32:20
pleased God.
32:20
It's taking place in
32:21
heaven where his will
32:22
is perfectly accomplished.
32:23
Let's ask for God's will
32:25
to be done here in our
32:26
musical worship.
32:28
Revelation chapter 5
32:29
verses 9 through 10
32:30
and then 12 through 13.
32:32
Here's the picture, the
32:33
singing.
32:34
What are they praising God
32:35
for, giving thanks for?
32:36
Worthy are you to take
32:37
and open its seals.
32:39
For you were slain and
32:40
by your blood you ransomed
32:41
people for God from every
32:42
tribe and language and
32:44
people and nation.
32:45
You have made them a
32:46
kingdom and priests to
32:47
our God and they shall
32:48
reign on the earth.
32:50
Verse 12.
32:51
Worthy is the Lamb who
32:52
was slain to receive
32:53
power and wealth and
32:54
wisdom and might and
32:55
honor and glory and
32:56
blessing.
32:56
And then further down in
32:57
13.
32:58
To him who sits on the
32:59
throne, the Lamb be
33:00
blessing and honor and
33:01
glory and might forever
33:03
and ever.
33:05
You see the truth,
33:06
praising God for the
33:07
good things he's done
33:08
for us in Christ.
33:10
This should characterize
33:12
our songs together.
33:15
Now, that doesn't mean
33:17
that we can't sing
33:18
simple songs.
33:19
I'm not suggesting that.
33:20
We don't tend to sing
33:21
many songs here that
33:22
don't have a lot of
33:23
words in them.
33:25
And I fully recognize
33:26
that.
33:26
Simple songs can be
33:28
okay, but are they
33:29
true songs?
33:31
Is there actual
33:33
content?
33:34
Is there a weight in
33:35
the content of the
33:36
song itself?
33:38
Many of you have heard
33:38
me say, if you can
33:39
replace Jesus' name or
33:41
God's name in a song
33:42
with your girlfriend's
33:43
name, it really isn't a
33:44
song to be sung in
33:45
church.
33:46
There should be some
33:47
weight and some truth
33:48
when we speak and sing
33:49
praises to our God.
33:51
Let's look this morning
33:52
at the bulletin insert
33:54
we gave you.
33:55
If you don't have one,
33:56
look on with somebody
33:56
else.
33:57
Just take a look.
33:59
Now you know why we
34:00
printed these out today.
34:05
Just take a look at
34:06
these titles that Wes
34:07
very carefully picked
34:09
out for us.
34:11
Look at what he
34:11
included.
34:13
He included the
34:13
scripture reference.
34:14
The very words of God
34:16
to us in song.
34:19
That's what these are.
34:20
If you know your
34:21
Bible well, when you
34:21
sing these songs, you
34:23
can, oh, that is the
34:25
scriptures.
34:25
I have read that.
34:26
I know.
34:27
I know what he's
34:27
talking about.
34:28
He's singing straight
34:29
from the word of God.
34:31
That's what the record of
34:32
this is here.
34:32
Look at the song we
34:33
just sang, How Great
34:34
Thou Art.
34:35
First verse, praising
34:36
God for his creation,
34:38
his mighty works on man's
34:40
behalf in creation.
34:42
Second verse, his
34:44
redemption of our souls.
34:45
Third verse, our final
34:47
glorification.
34:48
The fact that one day
34:49
we will exist with him
34:50
in glory perfected
34:51
forever.
34:53
You see the totality of
34:55
the truth here.
34:57
Many of our great old
34:58
hymns, a lot of us
34:59
probably grew up in
35:00
Baptist churches where
35:01
the songs were just too
35:02
long, so we sang like
35:03
the first, the third,
35:04
and the fifth verse.
35:05
You're familiar with
35:06
that?
35:06
But most of them were
35:07
written very carefully to
35:08
give us a broad
35:09
spectrum of the gospel.
35:12
To take us from the
35:12
very beginning, who we
35:14
are, what Christ has
35:15
done for us, how it is
35:16
that we're continuing
35:17
life to death, and what
35:18
will happen finally and
35:19
fully after that.
35:20
They're beautiful pictures
35:21
of the gospel.
35:24
So we unite our minds
35:25
with our hearts as we
35:26
sing true words together.
35:29
That's why we do things
35:31
that way.
35:33
Now music, I think,
35:34
should be good.
35:35
I think that if we're
35:36
going to do anything to
35:37
praise God, we should
35:38
work at it.
35:39
Right?
35:39
As I noted before,
35:41
music was ordered.
35:42
They practiced.
35:43
I'm sure this was a
35:44
very pleasing sound.
35:46
We ought to strain at
35:47
that.
35:48
If you're in the
35:48
congregation and you
35:49
don't feel like you're
35:49
a good singer, sing
35:50
anyway, but try to sing
35:52
well.
35:53
You don't have to get in
35:54
your own little zone and
35:55
sing horribly off key,
35:56
but if you can't sing on
35:57
key, that's alright.
35:59
Just sing.
36:00
Right?
36:00
It's good to try to hear
36:02
the notes.
36:02
It's good to try to know
36:04
the music.
36:04
It's good to do those
36:05
types of things, but it's
36:06
not the ultimate thing.
36:07
That's not what matters
36:07
mostly.
36:09
So many of us are
36:11
emotionally driven by
36:12
music.
36:13
You recognize that that's
36:14
part of our fiber, very
36:15
part of our being.
36:16
There's a reason that
36:17
we're moved by music, that
36:19
crescendo lifts our
36:20
spirit.
36:22
Right?
36:22
But that shouldn't be the
36:24
thing that causes us joy
36:25
when we sing.
36:27
Right?
36:27
It should be the truth of
36:29
the gospel.
36:30
MacArthur, again, in
36:31
worship, the ultimate
36:33
priority, said,
36:34
Worship should engage the
36:35
intellect as well as the
36:36
emotions.
36:37
By all means, musical
36:39
worship should be
36:39
passionate, heartfelt, and
36:41
moving.
36:42
But the point is not to
36:43
stir the emotions while
36:44
turning off the mind.
36:46
True worship merges heart
36:48
and mind in a response of
36:49
pure adoration.
36:51
Based on the truth revealed
36:53
in the word, music may
36:54
sometimes move us by the
36:55
sheer beauty of its sound,
36:56
but such sentiment is not
36:58
worship.
36:59
You catch what he said
37:00
there?
37:01
If you're simply moved by
37:02
the beauty of sound, that's
37:03
not worship.
37:04
Music by itself, apart from
37:07
the truth contained in the
37:08
lyrics, is not a legitimate
37:09
springboard for real worship.
37:13
Truth.
37:14
It should be content-driven.
37:19
Thirdly, proper musical
37:22
worship is characterized by joy.
37:26
It's characterized by joy.
37:29
Content-driven, characterized by joy.
37:32
Look at verse 43 of chapter 12.
37:35
It says,
37:35
And they offered great
37:36
sacrifices that day and
37:37
rejoiced, for God had made
37:39
them rejoice with great joy.
37:42
The women and children also
37:43
rejoiced, and the joy of
37:45
Jerusalem was heard far away.
37:48
Now here the record doesn't
37:49
tell us exactly how it is that
37:51
God made them rejoice with
37:52
great joy, because it already
37:54
did.
37:56
Am I right?
37:57
That's what the first 11
37:58
chapters have been about.
37:59
What God had been doing for the
38:01
people, to make His name great
38:04
amongst them.
38:05
This is what God did to make
38:06
them rejoice with great joy.
38:09
Do you remember the taunts of
38:11
Sanbalat and Tobiah, the
38:13
opposers of the work of the wall?
38:15
I know a lot of you weren't here.
38:16
Turn back to chapter 4, the very
38:17
beginning.
38:18
I'll show you the taunts of
38:20
Sanbalat and Tobiah.
38:23
Verse 1.
38:24
They're beginning the work on
38:26
the wall.
38:27
Now when Sanbalat had heard they
38:28
were building the wall, he was
38:29
angry and greatly enraged, and he
38:31
jeered at the Jews, and he said in
38:32
the presence of his brothers and
38:33
of the army of Samaria, what are
38:35
these feeble Jews doing?
38:37
Will they restore it for
38:38
themselves?
38:39
Will they sacrifice?
38:40
Will they finish it up in the
38:41
day?
38:42
Will they revive the stones out of
38:44
the heaps of rubbish and burned
38:45
ones at that?
38:46
He's mocking them.
38:47
Look at these feeble, ridiculous
38:49
Jews.
38:50
They'll never be able to
38:51
accomplish this work that's
38:52
ahead of them.
38:53
And then verse 3.
38:55
Tobiah the Ammonite was beside
38:57
him, and he said, yes, what are
38:59
they building?
39:00
If a fox goes up on it, it will
39:01
break down their stone wall.
39:03
It's going to be such a poor and
39:05
pitiful wall that even if a
39:06
small animal, light-footed animal,
39:08
were to get up on it, it'll just
39:09
break down the stone wall.
39:11
These are the taunts that they
39:13
are experiencing.
39:14
Can you imagine as they marched
39:16
an army of singers with men and
39:19
leaders to follow them up onto
39:21
the wall, and they marched around
39:22
the entire circumference of the
39:24
city, that through their minds
39:26
they must have been saying, oh
39:27
yeah?
39:29
How about that, Tobiah?
39:31
Chapter 6, verse 15 and 16
39:33
says,
39:33
So the wall was finished on the
39:34
25th day of the month of Elul.
39:36
In 52 days, the wall's finished in
39:38
52 days.
39:39
And when all our enemies heard of
39:41
it, all the nations around us were
39:42
afraid and fell greatly in their own
39:44
esteem, for they perceived that
39:46
this work had been accomplished with
39:48
the help of our God.
39:49
So see, all the people around them
39:53
recognized this was a difficult work
39:55
to do, to rebuild this wall.
39:57
These poor, pitiful, feeble Jews
39:59
rebuilt it.
40:00
It must have been done with the
40:01
help of their God.
40:02
And they were afraid.
40:04
They stood in awe of who God was
40:07
as a result.
40:09
So these are the things that God had
40:11
done.
40:11
God had made them rejoice with great
40:13
joy, is what it says there in verse
40:16
43 of chapter 12.
40:17
This is how he made them rejoice.
40:19
Remember, again, the truth.
40:22
The things that God had done
40:23
on their behalf.
40:26
Now, all of this joy
40:27
is for the glory of God.
40:29
And in the same way,
40:30
ours should do that.
40:33
People who come into this place,
40:35
even people who may claim to be
40:37
Christians who aren't, or people who
40:38
are just lukewarm in their
40:39
Christianity, ought to come into this
40:41
place and go,
40:42
Man, that is a joy-filled
40:45
people.
40:45
They must worship a different God
40:48
than I do.
40:49
I am not filled with joy in the way
40:51
they are filled with joy.
40:52
What am I missing?
40:54
And I hope that in the lyrics of the
40:55
songs, and in our preaching,
40:57
in our prayer, and Aletheia,
40:59
all of those things, they see and
41:01
they get it.
41:01
They go,
41:02
That, it's the truth.
41:03
It's the truth.
41:04
I haven't been reveling in the truth
41:05
the way these people revel in the
41:06
truth.
41:06
I need to do that more.
41:07
I need to saturate myself with the
41:09
truth of God's goodness to me,
41:11
so that I will also overflow with joy.
41:15
Anyway, rightly understanding the
41:18
gospel, beloved, will cause this to
41:21
happen.
41:23
It's not a negotiable thing.
41:24
Like, well, it will if you're having
41:26
a good day, if you're feeling all
41:28
right, if you got plenty of sleep the
41:29
night before.
41:30
This will, in fact, happen.
41:33
And in fact, if you don't feel joy,
41:34
and I'm not talking about jumping up
41:35
and down nutty displays of joy, but if
41:39
your heart isn't warm when you're
41:41
singing songs, something's going on in
41:44
your life.
41:45
Because the realities of the gospel
41:47
aren't working themselves around in
41:48
your heart.
41:49
You fail to believe it, at least in
41:51
that moment.
41:53
Because if you truly understand who
41:55
God is, who you are, this great
41:58
separation between you, what Christ
41:59
has done on your behalf, you will be
42:01
filled with joy.
42:04
Men, there's nothing more precious to
42:07
me than men who sing and sing loud.
42:09
I love it.
42:11
I'm thankful that there's a very male
42:13
presence in our singing together, for
42:15
sure.
42:16
But we could do better.
42:18
Don't stand and be stoic.
42:21
Some of the most moving times I've
42:23
experienced in musical worship with
42:24
people is with somebody who does not
42:26
sing well, but just sings.
42:30
I love it.
42:31
Two great examples in this
42:32
congregation.
42:33
My father.
42:34
I love you, Dad.
42:36
Don't have a great singing voice, but
42:38
from an early child, I don't either, so
42:40
I'm definitely my father's son.
42:43
I'm a son of Jerry and the same type.
42:46
But from a very early age, my dad just
42:49
sang, and I always loved it.
42:53
Because I knew that he believed what he
42:54
was singing.
42:56
Clay has had two lung transplants.
42:58
Clay doesn't have the ability, I think,
42:59
to push good sound.
43:01
He's coughed so much in his life from a
43:03
CEF, and Clay is the same way.
43:05
Clay is a little quieter in his singing
43:07
because he can't push so much volume
43:08
out, but Clay warms my heart because
43:11
he sings.
43:13
Men sing.
43:14
If you think these things are true, sing.
43:15
And I'll find in my own life that
43:17
sometimes when I don't believe the
43:18
truths of the gospel in those moments,
43:20
that singing them helps me too.
43:23
Just getting it out there.
43:25
I should believe this.
43:27
I should.
43:27
It's true.
43:28
It's true.
43:28
I know it's true.
43:31
Sing.
43:31
Our joy is an encouragement to one
43:34
another.
43:35
Congregational meetings matter.
43:37
You can't do what we do here in a
43:40
building with the lights turned out,
43:42
blacked out windows or no windows at
43:44
all, and the music so loud that you
43:46
can't hear anybody around you.
43:50
You can't do it.
43:51
You can't be encouraged in the way we
43:52
should be encouraging each other as we
43:54
sing together.
43:55
You matter in this setting.
43:57
This is not a come and consume.
43:59
Come look at the show, the concert, do all
44:01
that thing.
44:02
You matter.
44:03
In so many ways, before and after, but
44:06
certainly as we worship God together in
44:08
music, the people in front of you, behind
44:10
you, around you, need to hear you sing, and
44:12
they need to hear you sing with joy.
44:14
It's important for our meetings together.
44:17
If you think that you can properly praise God in
44:24
musical worship with the congregation in the
44:27
ways I've mentioned, blacked out, music so
44:30
loud, just sit in your car and turn the music
44:33
up.
44:34
It's the same thing.
44:35
It's the very same thing.
44:37
I hope you come together to praise with the
44:39
people of God.
44:41
And fourthly, I've got to move, sorry.
44:45
Proper musical worship is prepared for.
44:49
Proper musical worship is prepared for.
44:51
Notice in verse 30.
44:53
And the priests and the Levites purified
44:56
themselves, and they purified the people and
44:59
the gates and the wall.
45:02
They purified themselves.
45:03
This was Old Testament ceremonial purification.
45:07
What would this have included?
45:10
It was all external things.
45:11
It would have included the washing of their
45:12
bodies.
45:13
It would have included the washing of their
45:14
clothing, the abstaining from any sexual
45:16
activity, fasting and prayer.
45:19
It would have included a blood offering.
45:21
This blood would have been sprinkled on the
45:23
gates and the wall.
45:24
That's what's being referred to in this
45:26
case.
45:27
Ceremonial purification was a vital part of
45:30
Israel's worship.
45:31
That's what the book of Leviticus is all
45:33
about.
45:34
So there's a lesser implication.
45:37
Of that reality that they prepared here,
45:39
that we also ought to prepare to come
45:41
together.
45:42
That you ought to get up a little bit
45:43
earlier.
45:44
We meet at 1030.
45:46
That is late in the morning.
45:49
You ought to get up and prepare yourself
45:50
to come together.
45:51
You ought to be ready to come and be
45:53
joy-filled by the things that are
45:55
happening.
45:55
Be expectant to meet together with the
45:57
people of God.
45:58
You should be doing that.
45:59
But that's the lesser implication here.
46:02
The greater thing that should be
46:04
learned.
46:04
We have to ask the question,
46:05
what was all this for?
46:07
Why was it that they did all of these
46:09
external things to prepare themselves
46:11
for worship?
46:14
It was to show them that God is holy,
46:17
perfect,
46:18
and that he must never be approached in a
46:22
flippant, cavalier, or an impure matter.
46:26
God is not to be approached in that way.
46:30
So purification always preceded the worship
46:33
of God.
46:33
It was carefully ascribed in that way,
46:36
in this very external way.
46:40
Turn with me to Isaiah chapter 6.
46:42
beginning of verse 1.
47:02
In the year that King Uzziah died,
47:04
I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne.
47:05
Isaiah is having a vision,
47:07
high and lifted up,
47:08
and the train of his robe filled the
47:09
temple.
47:10
Above him stood seraphim,
47:11
each had six wings,
47:12
with two he covered his faith,
47:14
with two he covered his feet,
47:15
and with two he flew.
47:15
And one called to another and said,
47:17
Holy,
47:18
holy,
47:18
holy is the Lord of hosts.
47:19
The whole earth is full of his glory.
47:23
And the foundations of the threshold
47:24
took,
47:24
and the voice of him had called,
47:25
and the house was filled with smoke.
47:27
So here we see Isaiah simply,
47:29
we can't explain all this in the time we have,
47:31
but beholding the glory of God.
47:33
And look at his reaction,
47:35
proper reaction.
47:36
And I said,
47:37
Woe is me,
47:38
for I am lost,
47:39
for I am a man of unclean lips,
47:41
and I dwell in the midst of a people
47:42
of unclean lips,
47:43
for my eyes have seen the King,
47:46
the Lord of hosts.
47:47
Verse 6.
47:49
Then one of the seraphim flew to me,
47:50
having in his hand a burning coal
47:51
that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
47:53
And he touched my mouth and said,
47:54
Behold,
47:55
this has touched your lips.
47:57
Your guilt is taken away,
47:59
and your sin atoned for.
48:01
And then,
48:03
verse 8,
48:03
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
48:05
Whom shall I send,
48:06
and who will go for us?
48:07
Then I said,
48:08
Here am I,
48:09
send me.
48:10
Verse 9.
48:10
And he said,
48:11
Go and say to this people,
48:12
we'll let it off there.
48:15
So Isaiah enters into the presence of God,
48:17
recognizes his great sinfulness,
48:20
and then symbolically,
48:22
a seraphim comes and touches a coal to his neck
48:23
and says,
48:24
Your sins have been atoned for.
48:26
So there was a purification,
48:28
but not an external purification,
48:30
but an internal purification on Isaiah's behalf.
48:34
His sins had been forgiven.
48:39
All of this Old Testament external cleansing
48:41
was prefigurative.
48:43
It was a shadow of the greater thing,
48:46
the internal cleansing that was to come in Christ.
48:50
It was meant to teach them and us
48:53
that we cannot enter into the presence of God
48:56
without the righteousness of Christ.
49:00
So the greater implication of this for us
49:02
is that proper musical worship
49:05
begins with regenerate hearts.
49:08
You cannot not be found in Christ
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and have your worship be pleasing to God.
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You must be found in Him.
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God will have nothing to do with you
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if you're not found in Christ.
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You cannot enter into His presence.
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All that God will have to do with you
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would give you some general grace now
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and then damn you forever
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for your rebellion against Him.
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You can't do enough coming into the presence.
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Sing well enough, lift your hands,
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close your eyes,
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do all of those things to earn God's favor.
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You'll find His favor in the person
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and work of Christ.
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That's a big question
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for us to ask ourselves this morning.
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If we desire to please God in musical worship,
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are your hearts regenerate?
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Have you in fact placed your faith in Christ?
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And I really hope that of every person in this room,
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we can say yes and amen.
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Absolutely.
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I ask that you ask the Spirit
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to search your heart in that matter.
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1 Corinthians 6, verse 9-11.
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We'll close with this.
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Paul says,
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Do you not know that the unrighteous
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will not inherit the kingdom of God?
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Do not be deceived,
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neither the sexually immoral,
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the idolaters,
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nor adulterers,
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nor men who practice homosexuality,
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nor thieves,
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nor the greedy,
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nor drunkards,
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nor revilers,
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nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God?
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And such were some of you.
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And such were some of you.
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But you were washed.
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You were sanctified.
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You're hearing the language?
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You were justified
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in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ
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and by the Spirit of God.
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So do we think rightly
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about musical worship
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and do we participate rightly
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about musical worship?
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We would do well to ask ourselves
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those questions today.
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Let's pray together.
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Let's pray together.
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Thank you.