FERVENT IN SPIRIT: SERVING THE LORD !. ROMANS 12.11. SERVING THE LORD WITH JOY.. Introduction. Psalm 100. "Serve the Lord with gladness!" Seven times in the Psalms the People are instructed to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. We must come into His presence with singing. There are very valid reasons for this instruction. 1. WHY COME WITH JOY? 1/ HE IS OUR GOD. We serve a REAL God. We serve a Living God. We do not serve AN IDEA - nor A PRINCIPLE - nor A CAUSE - nor even A MOVEMENT. WE SERVE THE LORD. He is not a figment of our imagination The Born Again Christian knows the reality of a Living God. We do not serve a System nor worship a Creed. 2. HE IS OUR CREATOR. He has made us and not we ourselves. The world is full of self made men who worship their creator - self worship is deadly. The purpose of serving God is not so that we can say - "I've made it !" - "I have succeeded !". We haven't even made ourselves. 3/ WE HAVE A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. We have a good Heavenly Father and a Good Shepherd. The basis of our rejoicing is found in Psalm 23. 4/ OUR GOD IS A GOOD GOD. He has given to us bountifully:- Health (Gen.43.28.) Success (Josh.1.8.) Courage (Psa.27.14.) Mercy (Psa.109.21) Hope (2 Thess. 2.16.) Zeal (Gal.4.18 + Titus 2.14.) Read through Psalm 147 and note the contexts carefully. There are many reasons why we should praise the Lord. a. It is good for us. b. It is a pleasant occupation and it makes our service pleasant. c. Praise is comely. It is beautifying. It makes you beautiful. d. Because of His Providence. Vss.8-9. e. Because of His sense of values. He does not take pleasure in the strength of a horse or the speed a person can run - go somewhere - He delights in those that fear Him and hope in His Mercy. f. Because of His Word. Vss.15-18-19. His word runs very swiftly. His Word causes the wind to blow and the waters to flow. His Word is revealed to His Chosen. 5/ OUR GOD IS MERCIFUL TO EVERY GENERATION. His love flows on, full and free as a river, And His mercy endureth for ever and ever. 6/ HIS TRUTH IS ETERNAL. The God we serve - the Truth we proclaim - is unchanging and unceasing. The same yesterday, today and for ever. THERE IS NO NEW TRUTH. TRUTH IS COMPLETE IN GOD. Therefore serve the Lord with gladness and come into His presence with singing. 2. THE JOYFUL SERVICE OF THE LORD. The Church of Jesus Christ owes a heritage of music and song to the fact that the people of God who have gone before us praised Him with Melody. THE WORLD OWES ITS MUSIC TO THE CHURCH. Without the Church of Jesus Christ there would be nothing in the world but the lunatic beat of the jungle and the shrieking and mumbling of heathen rites. TODAY, the unregenerate are turning our towns and cities, world wide, into concrete jungles, and debasing our music with the elements of evil, wickedness, rebellion, and heathen frenzy. We do not need to work ourselves up to worship God. we don't whip ourselves into a religious frenzy. These are efforts of the flesh and NO FLESH SHALL GLORY IN HIS PRESENCE. ALL THE TRAPPINGS OF MODERN MUSIC (so called), THE HEAVY BEAT, THE PSYCHEDELIC FLASHING LIGHTS, are foreign to the Gospel and the worship of the Living God. We come into His presence with singing, and serve the LORD WITH GLADNESS. I have noted the progress of our music over 52 years. Keep the fresh open worship you have in this land [Italy]. Resist the corruption of it by other expressions. There have been changes since the days of David. He sang to a FIVE NOTE SCALE. Our music is refined. What is noteworthy is that THE WORDS HE SANG WERE INSPIRED AND ARE STILL WITH US AND USED BY US. Let us bear in mind that the music we sing can control our MOOD. The enemy of our souls knows how to use music to stir rebellion in the hearts of men and women. We need to sing the songs of ZION to stir obedience to our God in our hearts. 3. THE SONGS OF SCRIPTURE. There are songs specially mentioned in the Scriptures. They are important AND CONNECTED WITH SERVANTS OF GOD. 1 Chronicles 25. David separated the singers for the temple service with the help of the chief of the Levites. 2 Chronicles 29.27. When the sacrifice was made "THE SONG OF THE LORD BEGAN." Vs.30. They sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshipped. Vs.36. Hezekiah rejoiced and all the people, "THAT GOD HAD PREPARED THE PEOPLE." Psalm 33.3. "Sing unto Him a new song." THE FIRST OF THE NEW SONGS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT. There are SEVEN NEW SONGS in the Old Testament. Psa.33.3. Psa.96.1. Psa.98.1. Psa.144.9. Psa.149.1 + Isa.42.10. There are TWO NEW SONGS in the New Testament. Rev.5.9. Rev.14.3. Exodus 15.1. Then SANG MOSES and the children of Israel. "I will sing unto the Lord FOR HE HATH TRIUMPHED GLORIOUSLY." NUMBERS 21.17. Then Israel sang this song, "Spring up O well, sing ye unto it." Then they all dug with their STAVES. They had a miraculous supply of water. DEUTERONOMY.31.22. Moses therefore wrote this song the same day and taught it unto the children of Israel. He was born the 1st day of February. He died on the same date. He composed this song on the same day. Happy Anniversaries. 2 Samuel 22.1. "And DAVID spake the words of this song IN THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAD DELIVERED HIM OUT OF THE HAND OF SAUL." REVELATION 5.9. "And they sung a New Song." The living creatures and the 24 elders. BUT the song is the SONG OF THE REDEEMED.. REVELATION 14.3. "The redeemed sang a new song before the throne, before the living creatures, before the elders. None but the redeemed could learn that song. REVELATION 15.3. THE VICTORIOUS IN HEAVEN. "They sing the song of MOSES the servant of God and the song of THE LAMB. SONG OF MOSES - Triumph over Pharaoh and his armies. SONG OF THE LAMB - Triumph over Satan all the enemies of God. 4. THE SONG OF THE LORD. I want to go back to 2 Chronicles 19.17-18. "And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also, with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David King of Israel." There are elements in this holy record which explain the joy and singing of those who labour for God. The occasion is when Hezekiah commanded to offer a burnt offering upon the altar. There is a particular and outstanding statement:- WHEN THE OFFERING BEGAN, THE SONG OF THE LORD BEGAN ALSO. While the sacrifice was burning the congregation worshipped, the singers sang, the trumpets sounded. Reference is made in Verse 30 "to sing praises unto the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the seer." - this is a reference to Psalms. In singing psalms they sang THE SONG OF THE LORD. Vs.36. Hezekiah rejoiced and all the people, that God had prepared the people; FOR THE THING WAS DONE SUDDENLY. THE SONG OF THE LORD, Not a ditty to dance by. A soul upsurge from the depths of their being. IN OUR TEXT there is a description of a historical event, AND THE LAYING DOWN OF A DIVINE PRINCIPLE. In Hezekiah's day the Temple was cleaned and worship was renewed. THERE IS NO RENEWAL WITHOUT REAL WORSHIP. THE NATION was called back to the CENTRAL THINGS OF FAITH AND DEVOTION. The offering they made, and the service they rendered, were linked with THE CONSECRATION OF THEMSELVES TO GOD. GOD DOES NOT WANT OUR GIFTS APART FROM OURSELVES. FIRST - Give yourself in the service of God. HERE IS THE BASIC PRINCIPLE. When we give - WE MUST GIVE OURSELVES. COMPLETE DEVOTION is implied in the act. THE SONG OF THE LORD comes upon the SACRIFICE. 3 A. THERE HAD BEEN A TIME WHEN THEY HAD NO SONG. 1/ IN EGYPT ISRAEL HAD NO SONG. They groaned under the task masters. They even turned in their distress to the gods of Egypt. They tried the pleasures of sin for a season. DELIVERANCE CAME BY THE PASSOVER AND THE RED SEA. After God had seen them through, defying all the gods of Egypt, THERE CAME A NEW SONG. THE SONG MIRIAM SANG. "Sing ye unto the Lord for He hath triumphed gloriously." They had committed themselves to leaving Egypt and God was working with them. THEN SANG MOSES AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL THIS SONG UNTO THE LORD. Exodus 15.1. 2/ IN CANAAN ISRAEL HAD NO SONG. There were periods of declension and backsliding. The nation neglected God and broke His Commandments. Only when a king like Hezekiah or Josiah led the people back to God did they find THE SONG OF THE LORD. With spiritual declension THERE ALWAYS COMES RITUALISM AND FORMALISM. In such times the Temple lost its supremacy and IDOLATRY seduced the nation. ONLY WHEN THE BURNT OFFERING BEGAN THE SONG BROKE OUT. THE SONG SANG. 3/ IN BABYLON ISRAEL LOST HER SONG. Psalm 137.4. "How shall we sing THE LORD'S SONG in a strange land?" In exile the people made sport of them. "Come on. Sing to us. Let's have some of your famous songs!" BUT they could not sing THE LORD'S SONG. That is a very special song. 4/ IN DECLINE THE EARLY CHURCH HAD NO SONG. Different periods of the Church testify that when the Church was at ease and complacent the song died away. PRECEDING THE REFORMATION THERE WERE VERY DARK DAYS WITH NO SONG. When Luther and the Reformation came, the SONG OF THE LORD was heard once again. "A mighty fortress is our God." BUT there was a price to pay for the experience. BEFORE THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY and the Evangelical Revivals, THERE WAS NO SONG IN THE CHURCHES. In our tradition, the Wesleys and Whitefield came with the glad Tidings of Salvation and A SONG. 5/ THE DISCIPLES HAD NO SONG AS THEY FACED THE CROSS. It is true that they sang a song as they left the last supper. BUT that song would have been one of the solemn ones - A HALLEL.....ONE OF THE PSALMS connected with sacrifice. JOY CAME WITH THE RESURRECTION. 5. THE SONG OF THE LORD - THE SONG BORN OF SACRIFICE. FIRST there must be a surrendering of ourselves. You owe the freedom of worship you enjoy today to men of God who sacrificed themselves in this land for the work of the Lord and the cause of the Gospel. There must be a compliance with God's Word. THERE IS NO EASY WAY TO THIS SONG. Only the redeemed can sing it. THE HYMNS WE CHERISH WERE BORN OF ADVERSITY. If a song is to mean anything to you - your whole dedication must be in it. THE SONG OF THE LORD BEGAN....If you read that again and again, you will find that the implication grows stronger that the song sings itself. THIS IS NOT A MAN MADE EFFORT TO BOLSTER UP THE EGO. Hezekiah rejoiced THAT GOD HAD PREPARED THE PEOPLE. This song was gushing from the depths of their being....they had obeyed the Lord, they had served the Lord, AND THE SONG OF THE LORD BEGAN. 6. WHAT IS THIS SONG OF THE LORD? We can describe its character although we do not know its contents. (1) IT WAS ESSENTIAL ESSENCE. Elemental but not elementary. It was of the essence of creative power. BASIC - born in the being. "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and MY SPIRIT hath rejoiced IN GOD MY SAVIOUR." NOT SOULISH because the impetus comes from THE SPIRIT. We are living in days of canned music, contrived harmonies, electronic sounds, manufactured songs. There is a drift back into the ELEMENTAL MUSIC OF THE CARNAL KIND - THE JUNGLE BEAT. It is significant that at such a time Christian Believers world-wide have been turning to the singing of the Scriptures. We must beware of manipulation by clever people and those to whom the publication of music is but a BUSINESS. WE CANNOT FOLLOW THE WORLD IN ITS TRENDY MUSIC. We seek the beat of the heart of God, and to find this we search for the inspiration of the Word of God and experience the JOY OF A LIVING SACRIFICE. It is not that this generation is incapable of writing NEW WORDS and NEW MUSIC for NEW HYMNS and CHORUSES - we are being led back to those themes that truly satisfy the heart of man. WE are coming back to basics - note the emphasis on the psalms. Herein lies THE SONG OF THE LORD. (2) IT WAS EMOTIONAL. There is nothing wrong with emotion. We need to LET GO AND LET GOD. Remember Miriam's song - It would have been of little use telling them not to get emotional. ALL ISRAEL JOINED IN. Consider the experience they had been through. After facing certain slaughter, they were saved by the Power of God. HER WHOLE BEING RESPONDED TO THE TOUCH OF GOD. GOD HAD TRIUMPHED GLORIOUSLY! the release of all their pent up agony came out in a pean of praise. Weeping may endure for the night, but JOY cometh in the morning. THIS IS THE JOY OF THE SINGING HEART. IT IS THE SONG OF THE LORD. Singing and making melody in your hearts unto the Lord. Certain types of traditional singing began with a great stirring in the hearts of the people. Negro spirituals - Minor Key Hymns - Major songs of Triumph. Unfortunately, when they are absorbed into common secular use, the SONG OF THE LORD is filtered out. WHAT MUST THE SONG OF THE LORD HAVE SOUNDED LIKE IN THE FIVE NOTE SCALE OF THE ANTIPHONAL SINGING OF DAVID'S DAY. A rising crescendo, only checked by an occasional SELAH. We have all heard of the old argument, NOT SO MUCH MUSIC. BUT the SONG OF THE LORD is something we can enjoy for ever. When the sacrifice is made, and the victory is won - THE SONG OF THE LORD expresses the fullness of the heart. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE WHOLE WORLD. The yielded life hears the harmony of heaven and SINGS in consecration:- A SONG OF DELIVERANCE A SONG OF SALVATION A SONG OF GLORY A SONG OF HONOUR Sacrifice without the SONG OF THE LORD is DEPRESSIVE and ultimately DESTRUCTIVE. LET THE SONG BEGIN. A miserable Christian is a travesty of the Truth. The joy of the Lord is our strength. The Song of the Lord is in its expression. O SING TO THE LORD - O SING HIM A NEW SONG. Copyright (c) 1996, Hedley Palmer. All rights reserved. ----------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/hpalmer/snotes: serve-4.txt .