Do you sing in a Choir at your church? The role of singing is more important to the Christian worship experience than many realize. Making a ‘joyful noise’ to the Lord glorifies him – and drives away the Devil. In this post, the power of our songs and singing is explored. As well, Gospel videos and Scripture -to support you in your personal devotion- are provided. Glorying God, Ambushing Satan In his thought-provoking, insightful Sermon “Ambushing Satan with Song” (Desiring God Foundation), John Piper states:
“We have two great weapons in worship: the Word of God and song. So let us give heed to the Word of God and let us sing with all our heart”
Exploring the ‘singers on the frontline of battle’, two verses from 2 Chronicles 20 state:
21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” 22 As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 2 Chronicles 20: 21-22 (NIV) [Emphasis added]
While he references many who have written on the role of songs and singing, I found his quoting of Martin Luther (Here I Stand, p. 266) to be particularly interesting. In that book, Luther states:
Music is a fair and lovely gift of God which has often wakened and moved me to the joy of preaching . . . Next after theology I give to music the highest place and the greatest honor. I would not change what little I know of music for something great. Experience proves that next to the Word of God only music deserves to be extolled as the mistress and governess of the feelings of the human heart.
Piper’s article, along with a close reading of Colossians 3, give one a good handle on why singing and songs are so important to the lives of Christians. It is through singing, including Choirs during worship services, that Christians glorify God – and ‘ambush’ Satan.
- Check out Piper’s sermon (link) – Full transcript and audio.
Gospel Songs that Bless the Lord & Beat the Devil!
To publish a post on musical praise without any music (videos) didn’t make a lot of sense. I’ve chosen a few of my favorite Gospel videos.
Part of the power of the Black Church experience I’ve personally witnessed lies in, I feel, the anointed choirs of those churches. While I hold the Pastor (Dr. Rev. James A. Webster) of my church (Oak Ridge First Baptist Church) in very high regard, the choirs at my church are a big part of what make going to church (since 2007) for me such a joy! As I read the transcript of John Piper’s sermon, I came to realize that many other vibrant churches also offer their members the same joy. They bless and magnify the Lord, and beat the Devil, every single Sunday!
While my church training as a Choir member, under the direction of the Minister of Music (Dr. Derrick W. Webster), taught me the spiritual concepts covered in this post, I wanted to share them with others today.
- A well-led church, of any denomination, with anointed choirs makes for a Sunday worship experience that’s pleasing to the Lord, it’s members, and it’s guests. There’s a spiritual synergy of good preaching (Ministers) and good singing (Choirs) that effectually draws the Holy Spirit – and forces the wicked Devil to flee.
- Let the church say Amen. Let the church’s Choirs sing Praises!
- Nine Gospel songs, listed below, can be found on Page 2 of this post. Some are current and still playing regularly on the radio airwaves. Some are older songs that I still enjoy. One, “Holy One”, is by a local (Greensboro NC) choir that has never recorded (to my knowledge), but has a video that I find to be phenomenally anointed and powerful!
Click Page 2 below, and fasten your seat belts, for the following videos:
Champion – Shekinah Glory Ministry
I Rather Have Jesus – Dallas Fort Worth Choir
Holy One – St. Matthews UMC Fellowship Choir featuring Kaize Adams and Tyshawn Griggs
I Came to Magnify the Lord – Bishop Clarence McClendon and the Harvest Fire Mega Mass Choir
Amazing – Ricky Dillard and New G with Tiffany McGhee
Lord, Bless My House – Dorinda Clark-Cole
They Got the Word – Mississippi Mass Choir
Stranger – Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers
I Am God – Donald Lawrence and the Tri-City Singers
What Saith the Lord: Music and Songs (Scripture)
Colossians 3:14-17 (NIV)
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
2 Chronicles 20: 18-20 (NIV)
Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice. Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”
James 5:13 (NIV)
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.
Psalm 100 (KJV)
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
Acts 16:25-26 (KJV)
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
[Emphasis added]
- ‘Your PRAISE: On all days, to the Almighty is one of the six Potent Pillars of ‘Real’ Christian Living (post). As I stated in that post:
Praise is [gratitude] for God’s grace and goodness . . . Praise can be expressed in many ways. Be it in Scripture (from the Bible), Spiritual Songs (‘joyful noise’), Sermons (from the pulpit), or Words (written or spoken), PRAISE goes well beyond your talks with Jesus and Bible verses.
- If you sing in a Choir, know that the Musical Ministry you’re in plays a vitally-important role within your church. While the Ministers in the Pulpit hold the key role, those behind the Pulpit (in the Choir Stand) hold a vital secondary role many feel. I’ve been a member of the Gospel Choir at my church since October 2009. It’s been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my entire life!
- If you do not sing in a Choir now, be open to doing so if the Holy Spirit moves you to.
In the prior post in this Series, Christian Praise: Gratitude with Your ‘Spiritual Signature’, I stated:
Like your written signature, your Praise is unique to you. The Spirituality of your Praise is based in YOUR distinct life stories and personal relationship with Christ. To not praise the Lord is like giving God an unsigned check. Real Christians praise Him.
Hopefully, the scripture set forth in this post has allowed you to see the power of Singing and Songs. The gospel videos and Biblical scripture I’ve shared in this post were provided to help you in your personal Christian devotion.
To God be the Glory. He’s worthy to be praised.
Photo credit: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)/flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Pages
- Page 2 – Gospel Videos
66 Assurance Way 