TEXT:  Col. 3:16

INTRODUCTION:

A.      SINGING PRAISE IS OLD ( Exodus 15:1, 21 ).

B.      SINGING WAS DONE BY ALL AMONG THE JEWS ( Psa. 95:1-2;  96:1-3 ).

C.      THE POWER OF SINGING IS GREAT.

          1.       Luther's A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.

          2.       The songs Dixie and Battle Hymn of the Republic.

          3.       I Shall Not Be Moved during the sixties.

          4.       "I care not who writes the laws of a nation, let me write the songs."

D.      NOT ALL PARTICIPATE, SOME INCORRECTLY, STUDY NEEDED.

I.      THE PURPOSE OF SINGING IN WORSHIP.

A.      IT IS AN ACT OF PRAISE TO GOD( Heb. 13:15 ).

          1.       Christians are a happy people ( Psa. 32:1-2;  Matt. 5:3-12;  James 5:13 ).

          2.       It is an expression of gratitude.  Singing and thanks are inseparable

                   ( Eph. 5:19-20;  Col. 3:15-17 ).

          3.       It is a means of petitioning God( Eph. 5:19 ).

B.      IT IS AN ACT THAT INFLUENCES OTHERS.

          1.       It is a means of teaching the non-christian present ( 1 Cor. 14:15, 23-26 ).

          2.       It is a means of teaching and admonishing each other ( Eph. 5:19 ).

          3.       It is a means of promoting unity in the church ( Col. 3:15-16 ).

C.      IT IS AN ACT THAT AFFECTS THE INDIVIDUAL CHRISTIAN.

          1.       It keeps God before us ( Psa. 95:1-7 ).

          2.       As we sing, we are encouraged and strengthened( Acts 16:25 ).

II.     THE CONTENT OF SINGING IN WORSHIP.

A.      PSALMS.

          1.       Difficulty to distinguish between these forms.  Like Psalms of David.

          2.       psallo, in NT, to sing, even tho Classic Greek means to pluck strings.

          3.       Examples: 

a.       Psa. 23 ( The Lord’s My Shepherd,  The Lord My Shepherd Is ).

b.      Psa. 90 ( As The Life of a Flower ); 

c.       119:105 ( Stepping In The Light )

d.      148 ( Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah! ).

B.      HYMNS.

          1.       Inspired or not, set to music in praise of God.  Augustine defined it:

                   a.  Must be sung.

                   b.  Must be praise.

          c.  Must be to God.

          2.       Examples in the NT

                   (Luke 1:68-79, 46-55;  Eph. 5:14;  1 Tim. 3:16;  2 Tim. 2:11-12 ).

          3.       Some that we sing:  Worthy Art Thou  ( Rev. 5:12  ); 

                   Holy, Holy, Holy ( 4:8 ).

C.      SPIRITUAL SONGS.

          1.       General term which include all other forms appropriate for worship.

          2.       "Spiritual" has to do with the subject matter of the songs, not their source.

          3.       Countless examples.  Most edifying.

III.    THE MANNER OF SINGING IN WORSHIP.

A.      MUST SING WITH THE SPIRIT ( 1 Cor. 14:15;  John 4:24;  Matt. 15:7-9 ).

          Do we mean it?

          1.       Break Thou the Bread of Life.

          2.       I Need Thee Every Hour.

          3.       Purer in Heart.

          4.       It Is Well With My Soul.

B.      WE MUST SING WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ( 1 Cor. 14:15 )

          1.       Context indicates our singing must be intelligible.

          2.       It we are to be edified, we should understand our songs.

                   a.       ebon pinion                     c.       walk the vail.

                   b.       Ebonezer                        d.       panoply of God.

C.      WE MUST SING WITH GRACE IN OUR HEARTS ( Col. 3:16 ).

          1.       Prompted by grace?       3.       With gratitude?               5.       All four?

          2.       Conscious of it?              4.       In a gracious way?

CONCLUSION:

A.      SINGING IS A VERY IMPORTANT ACTIVITY.

B.      A PART OF OUR HEAVENLY SERVICE.

C.      WE OUGHT TO EXPRESS OUR JOY FOR SALVATION IN SONG.

D.      WE URGE OTHERS IN SONG.