Reason #7 - To Help Share and Teach God’s Word to Others

We’ve talked about how our singing helps us remember and meditate on God’s Word.  Singing is good for our benefit by helping us better internalize God’s Word.  But it’s also a great tool for teaching and sharing God’s Word to those around us.

That is exactly what we’re doing through the Easter program this weekend.  It is a way for us to remember the cross and praise Him for His amazing love for us.  AND, it’s a way for us to share that story with our church and our community.

I love what Psalm 78:3-4 says about continuing to share God’s Word.

Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.  We will not conceal them from their children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.

And music is a powerful way to continue to tell God’s story.  People might be attracted to go see a concert more than a church service.  It’s a great tool for outreach.  But, when God’s word is proclaimed through the music, they are receiving a LOT more than just a concert.

While in college, I went on a music mission trip to Japan.  I sang with a choir who traveled around Japan and did about 10 concerts.  We setup a projector to display every word of our songs in English and in Japanese.  The music drew them in, but the message is what we wanted them to hear.  We were even able to share the entire program at a Buddhist High School.  They allowed us to do this because it was a “cultural experience” for their students. Amazing seeds were planted that day because we were able to use singing to share and teach God’s Word.

I have a strong heart for combining music and missions and would love to find ways to do even more of that.  But besides outreach-minded settings, what about the songs we sing during our regular Sunday morning services?

For people who visit with us, we want them to hear music and preaching that leads them to the one true God.

For our regular attenders, we want them to hear music and preaching that leads them into a closer relationship with the one true God.

In order to do that, we must be singing Scripturally accurate songs.  We need songs that are sung to God, there is nothing wrong with that.  But, in addition to singing songs to God, we need to be singing songs with objective truths about God.

If we don’t sing objective truths about the one true God, then many of our songs could also be sung by Muslims, Buddhists, or Hindus.  This doesn’t mean that every song has to have a full theological exposition of Scripture.  But, it does mean the collection of songs we sing should be Scripturally accurate and teach our congregation more about the one true God. 

One great example of this is the combination we just used on Sunday of Mighty to Save with I Will Rise.  Listen to this message:

            Everyone needs compassion, love that’s never failing

            Everyone needs forgiveness, the kindness of a Savior
            There’s a peace I’ve come to know
            There’s an anchor for my soul
            Jesus has overcome and the grave is overwhelmed
            The victory is won, He is risen from the dead
            And because of that, My God is mighty to save
            So, I’ll hear the voice of many angels sing “Worthy is the Lamb.”
 
No one can offer a love that’s never failing except the one true God.
There is no anchor for my soul outside of the one true God.
No other god can say they have overcome the grave and risen from the dead except the one true God.
No one is mighty to save except the one true God.
No one can promise that one day we will stand with the angels singing “Worthy is the Lamb.”  No one offers that promise of eternal life except the one true God.

Our songs must be filled with Scripturally accurate messages that give people a better understanding of who God is.  And we must keep singing to help share and teach God’s Word to others.