Songs Matter: Doctrinal Discernment in Congregational Singing (Part One)
Songs Matter: Doctrinal Discernment in Congregational Singing (Part One)
Brothers and Sisters, we are blessed. Since the mid-1970’s, the western, English-speaking church has been blessed by a plethora of new music. From the simple choruses of Integrity’s Hosanna Music in the 1980’s, to the prolific output of Chris Tomlin, to new hymns written by Keith & Kristyn Getty, we are not in short supply of new songs to sing. The number of songs available multiplies exponentially when you factor in the massive impact of Hillsong, Bethel, and Elevation Music.
We are blessed, and yet, we must exercise great discernment. Not all “worship” music honors the Lord. We have to ask the question: by what standard do we choose songs for Sunday morning? Is it how popular the song is? Does it have to be a certain style? Must it come from a certain church or music ministry? Does it have to include a large band, with attractive singers, surrounded by people with hands raised, in perfect lighting? Must it include lyrical references to water, victory, resurrection power or fighting battles? In the last 20+ years, thanks to the many worship videos on YouTube, and the large of impact of certain churches, we may want to answer “Yes!” to these questions. But my friends, the standard is not any of these things, and especially not what we see on YouTube. In this article, my goal is to remind us who sets that standard.
We start with what may sound like an obvious statement – God sets the standard of what we sing. But why is this statement true? The answer takes us to the larger point that God Himself directs us on how we are to worship Him. In the Old Testament, God was very clear with the Israelites in how they were to worship Him. He sets the stage in Exodus 20:2-3 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” In the same chapter, verse 24, God goes on to be more specific in how the Israelites were to worship him – “An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.” Later on in Exodus, we read about the precise instructions on the construction of the tabernacle, the bronze altar, and how the priests were to be dressed. In all of this, we learn about the nature and character of God. A God of order and beauty, a God who is to be worshipped and adored because of His mighty deeds and His holy character, a God who demands that care and precision be taken as we approach Him, a God that invokes a holy fear and reverence, and a God who loved His people before the beginning of time.
“He doesn’t get lost in the details. He shows Himself in the details.” – Stephanie Swezey
A second consideration for this article, is to note the implications when God’s commands in worship are disobeyed. He has given us the account of Nadab and Abihu, found in Leviticus 10:1-3. Nadab and Abihu were the oldest and second oldest sons of Aaron, the brother of Moses and the high priest of Israel. They also served as priests before the Lord. In Leviticus, we have this sobering story of their disobedience.
“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.”
Why did the Lord put them to death? Verse three tells us – “Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said: ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” Those who served as priests before the Lord were required to serve Him honorably. If they did not, the consequence was death. In the case of Aaron’s sons, they dishonored the Lord by disobeying His command to only use fire from the brazen altar in the tabernacle (see Leviticus 16:12). The “unauthorized fire” they offered was taken from another source.
This story shows us the immense gravity of how we are to worship God. Too often today, we reduce God down to our “bro” who is just happy to hang out with us. We have lost the holy reverence and fear that comes from knowing our Creator as He is revealed in scripture. Today, under the terms of the New Covenant, we have direct access to God the Father through the work of Christ. However, this does not change the truth we are considering here: God Himself sets the standard for how we come to Him in worship, even down to what songs we sing.
In part two, we will look at God’s direction for New Testament worship and how that must lead to discernment in what we sing on Sunday.
