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Note from Lee: I shared the following
message with the inmates of Hancock State Prison on June 19, 2004
at a Kairos
Prison Ministry Gathering. Kairos addresses the spiritual needs
of incarcerated men, women and children, their families and those
who work in the prison environment. Although it is a separate ministry,
Kairos has received the blessing and encouragement of other 4th
Day movements such as Cursillo, National Episcopal Cursillo, Presbyterian
Cursillo, Lutheran Via de Cristo, The Upper Room's Walk To Emmaus,
and independently ecumenical Tres Dias. Kairos is not a movement,
it is a ministry of the Holy Spirit.
I Love Jesus… and I Love Music:
and I REALLY love music about Jesus!!
 I
have been playing music for over 30 years now and I have performed
in front of thousands of people in hundreds of locations - mostly
secular music in secular venues. I wouldn't trade those experiences
for anything because they have made me who I am today. But believe
me when I tell you that leading praise and worship for God's people
over the last few years has been the most fun I have ever had in
my life - musically speaking, that is! It really has been such a
blessing!!
Ever since I was a child, I have had a passion and
a natural ability for making music. I didn't ask for it... I certainly
didn't do anything special to deserve that ability. Like my faith
in Christ, it was a gift from God placed in me for His own purpose.
(However, it took me quite a while to figure that out.) And like
any gift, we can either use it or misuse it. I am ashamed to tell
you that I misused the musical talents that the Lord gave me for
many years. I used them selfishly to glorify myself… to make money…
to impress women. But now I understand that God had a plan that
was far better than the one I had!
Because of this passion, the Lord has shown me a few
things though His Word about music over the last few years and if
you don't mind I would like to share some of these thoughts with
you today.
Let me ask you all a question: Who of you here today
likes to listen to music? Raise your hand...
Of course, everyone does!! We may all like different
STYLES of music but I have never met anyone who doesn't like SOME
kind of music. I believe there is a reason for this:
Music is a language that
speaks to our souls.
It opens up our spirit. It can lift us up and make
us happy. It can break our hearts and make us cry. Music is the
backdrop for parties as well as funerals. Music is a medium or a
pipeline through which ideas, imaginations, and emotions are conveyed,
and so it's a very effective mode of communication. No offense to
the preachers here today, but a good songwriter can deliver a message
in a few moments that would take an hour of speaking to do.
SO where did music come from and what is its purpose?
As with everything in the universe, music was created by God. If
you listen, you can hear music from Genesis to Revelation and it
ALL gives glory to God. That is its purpose. Here are a just a few
interesting facts about music in the Bible:
Music was there in the very beginning.
The book of Job is the oldest book in the bible. In Chapter
38, God speaks to Job and asks him:
"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth…
while the morning stars sang together, and all the angels shouted
for joy?"
Think about that: before God had even created the world, He had
already created music. While He was working, He had His praise
band going and they were singing, "You are Holy, God!!
The largest book in the Bible is…? The Psalms!
150 chapters! The biggest book in the bible is a song book!
That ought to tell you something about how important music is to
the Lord. Many of the Psalms were written by King David. David was
also a musician. He was a sneaky, lying, adulterer who impregnated
another man's wife, then arranged to have the man killed in battle
to cover up his infidelity! (Yep, that sounds like most musicians
I know!) But David was also repentant, humble and broken before
the Lord and God called him "a man after my own heart." Now that
gives me hope!!
First Samuel 16 says that when David was a just a young man, he
was a good-looking fellow who had a famous reputation as a skilled
player of the harp. Because of this ability, he was called into
the service of King Saul. Saul was troubled by an evil spirit that
was sent from the Lord and when David would play his music, Saul
would be comforted in his soul.
But here is the beauty of this situation: the whole time that
David was by the King's side playing his harp, he was learning
how to be king. God had already predetermined that David, a
shepherd boy, would some day rule the nation of Israel. Because
of David's God-given musical ability, he was allowed into the King's
inner court where he learned how to be a king!!
There are many songwriters mentioned in the bible.
The Song of Moses in Exodus 15:
"The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation. He is my God,
and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name."
The Book of Revelation says the Saints that are victorious over
the beast will sing the Song of Moses
There is the Song of Deborah, the Song of Hanna,
and the Song of Soloman. Even Mary, the mother of Jesus,
while she was "with child" by the Holy Spirit burst into
song.
"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God
my Savior…
…for the Mighty One has done great things for me -- holy
is His name."
And then there was Jesus
who also worshiped the Father through song, even during His darkest
hours.
Shortly before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus gathered with
His friends to celebrate the Passover.
"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks
and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take
it; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks
and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. "This
is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,"
he said to them. "I tell you the truth,
I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day
when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God."
When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount
of Olives. (Mark 14:22-26)
Throughout the Passover Meal, those at the table will sing the
Hallel, which consists of Psalms 113-118. At the end of the meal,
they sing The Great Hallel which is Psalm 136. Jesus, who was the
host of the Passover meal, would have lead the singing:
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures
forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords, His love endures forever."
And so on...
In just a few short hours, Jesus would face the betrayal of Judas,
His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, His torturous scourging,
and the humiliation of His cross and yet no less than 26 times
in the Great Hallel, He would lift His voice in praises to the ever
enduring love of His Father! Wow!
Later as Jesus suffered on the cross, He would cry out, "My
God, My God, Why have you forsaken me". He was actually quoting
the first line of Psalm 22 which would have directed the minds of
those in the crowd to that lament which had predicted His death
on the cross. As sadly as that Psalm begins, with words of abandonment
and defeat, listen to the closing verse:
"From You comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows. The poor will
eat and be satisfied; they who seek the LORD will praise him-
may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember
and turn to the LORD , and all the families of the nations will
bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules
over the nations."
Even at the most agonizing moment of separation from the Father,
Jesus was declaring His victory through a song!
And then with His final breath, Jesus says: "Father,
into Your hands I commit my spirit". This is a line from
Psalm 31:5, one of the most common worship songs of Jesus' day.
It was the type of simple bedtime prayer that every mother would
have taught to her child. It is almost the equivalent of praying:
"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep,
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take."
And praise God, Jesus rose again after three days and three nights
in the grave! We will forever sing of God's mercy and His amazing
grace toward those of us who believe in the resurrection of Christ.
I could go on and on but I will stop here and just say that God
surrounds Himself with song and He loves to hear you offer Him praise
though singing. It doesn't matter if you mess up the words or sing
off key as long as it comes from your heart.
Praise is irresistible to God. The bible says He inhabits
the praises of His people. So don't stop praising Him especially
when things look bad. Here is one final thing to consider: One day,
you will get to listen to God sing. Zephaniah 3:17 says:
"The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives
victory; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will renew
you in His love; He will exult over you with loud singing."
I can't wait to hear the song that God will someday sing over us!
Amen!
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