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[0:00] This is the First Mustang Pulpit Podcast, a podcast of the weekly preaching and teaching at First Mustang.! Thank you for joining us. Be seated.

[0:14] Our normal practice at our church is to walk verse by verse through books of the Bible. We finished the first of the year our study through Mark's Gospel.

[0:29] On Sunday evenings, we were going through First Thessalonians. In the spring, we went through all of Second Thessalonians. And then the summer through the book of Obadiah.

[0:42] Lord willing, my plan is for us to begin a study through the book of Philippians in a couple of Sundays. But between now and the start of that, I want to take just one Sunday, maybe a second, and just talk about a couple of things that are important to us as a church.

[1:05] And just consider why we do what we do. There are some things that as a church we believe in, that we practice.

[1:18] And I just want to help you to understand at least one of those things that we do that relates to what we have just concluded, and that is congregational singing.

[1:30] I've got a friend of mine that he and I met about a year and a half ago. We were both speaking at a conference together, at a panel discussion related to music specifically, and to leading the church in worship and a congregational singing.

[1:51] I have no musical talent whatsoever, but I love and appreciate the gift and the role that music plays in the lives of believers and in the church.

[2:02] And he and I, one of the guys on the panel, got to know each other that way and built a friendship that's been a blessing to me. He actually is one of the songwriters that we do quite a few of their songs, including the one that we did today, I Set My Hope on Jesus.

[2:20] His name is Matt Boswell. He writes with Keith and Kristen Getty, would be a name familiar to many of us. And he and I have talked a lot about church music and congregational singing through the last year and a half.

[2:35] In fact, he's got a small book coming out in the fall that is on that topic, and I look forward to that being available. He and I spent some time a few months ago.

[2:48] He was with our staff on Zoom, and he and I recorded a conversation about the importance of congregational singing. And I mentioned to him a few months ago that I had preached on this, but it's been many years ago, and it had been in my heart to just remind our congregation of why we do this and why it's so important.

[3:10] And was just kind of waiting for a time to be able to do that. And so we finished up Obadiah a couple of weeks before we start Philippians. So I just want to give you something that's on my heart, that's been in my heart for many, many years.

[3:27] This will be more perhaps of just taking a look at this topic of congregational singing. And we may spend just one week on it, perhaps just today, maybe another.

[3:38] But I hope it will be an encouragement to you. Singing in Scripture for the people of God, this is a privilege for us.

[3:49] This is a joy for us to get to do this. It's not optional, in fact. It is a command to God's people that we are to sing.

[4:00] But it's a command that is to be done with joy and with delight. In a similar way that as a father, biblically it wasn't optional for me to spend time with my sons.

[4:14] It was a command to teach them. It was a command to love them. It was a command to instruct them from God's Word. However, it was the absolute joy and delight of my heart.

[4:24] And I wanted to do that because of the privilege and the joy that it was. In a similar way, singing is that for the church. It is a command. It's not optional.

[4:35] But it's not a command that we approach as though it's just something we have to force ourselves to do. It is a privilege to be able to sing to the Lord and a joy for the people of God to do that.

[4:48] In fact, one of the things the Bible tells us, Old and New Testament, is that one of the judgments of God against those who do not believe is the silencing of their songs.

[5:02] In fact, when you go to the book of Revelation, in chapter 18, speaking of what is to come, one of the judgments of God upon the planet will be that the music comes to a halt.

[5:20] This gift of music is something that the Lord has given to us that is a privilege and a joy. Now, you might wonder, how do we choose songs at our church?

[5:33] If you've been here for a while, you've heard me speak to this. But there really is a threefold criteria that we use for songs that we sing here. The question is, is it biblical?

[5:47] Is it edifying? And is it generally singable? We want to sing songs that are biblical, that are doctrinally true, that express the truth of God's Word, that we can have a way to sing it.

[6:02] And we want to sing songs that are edifying, that build up the body of Christ. We want to speak to all of life as best we can and speak to all seasons of life as best we can.

[6:15] And then that third category, is it generally singable? The most important sound of a congregation in terms of music is the sound of the congregation singing.

[6:31] It's always the most important song the church has. And so we want to sing songs that are generally singable by just normal people, non-musicians, musicians, people that, like me, don't know how to sing just in one key.

[6:46] I always found singing on key to be too restrictive. Why sing in one when there's so many at your disposal? But can we generally sing this? Now, one of the...

[6:59] So that's our threefold standard. Is it biblical? Is it edifying? Is it generally singable? It's biblical. You'll notice that not on that list is, is this one of John's favorites, or is this one of Michael's favorites.

[7:14] It's not a part of the criteria. In fact, there are songs we sing that match all three of those criteria that are not John's preference.

[7:27] We still sing them. There's a couple of songs that meet all three of those criteria that are not my preference. But we still sing them. I know a couple of songs that John's not fond of that we still sing.

[7:41] He doesn't know the songs I'm not fond of that we still sing. I don't want him to feel weird if we... Because we should still sing them. If they match all three of those criteria, the fact it's not my favorite melody or my favorite song shouldn't be a part of the discussion.

[7:58] So this isn't about preference. It's about priority. We want to sing songs that teach us theology, sing songs that unite our congregation.

[8:13] It's also one of the reasons why, and I want to be careful here, I'm speaking only for our church. This is not a word against any church who does this differently than we do.

[8:25] But for us, this is one of the reasons why we don't have multiple services that are different based on musical preference. That's on purpose.

[8:38] Because we want music to be what unites us, not divides us. And we don't want to have different services where this is the service for the young people and this is the service for the old people.

[8:52] That's the way it often gets, in reality, assumed. But the church is supposed to be a family. And so dividing by preference, or dividing by age, actually, in our thought, goes completely counter to the gift that music is to unite the body of Christ.

[9:17] So let me say again, there are churches who disagree on that and they love the Lord as much as we do. They care for their people as much as we do. That's not anything about any other congregation who may do it differently than what I just described.

[9:31] I'm going to be very clear on that. But for us, we believe that the most important thing that music does in the church is unite God's people to sing and praise the Lord with focus on Christ, not personal preference.

[9:47] So if you ever wondered, why don't we do that? Why don't we have, we have two services. Why don't we do one that's this style of music and one that's that style of music because we don't want to divide over preference.

[9:59] In fact, I'll go a step further. I think one of the healthiest things we can do is give preference to each other, not demanding our own way.

[10:14] So when you think about the Bible and it tells us to make a joyful noise to the Lord, what is so joyful about this noise? Why is it such a beautiful sound to the Lord when His people sing?

[10:30] Well, we're going to look in Ephesians chapter 5 if you want to make your way there. I'm going to look at a little bit of what Ephesians 5 says to us.

[10:41] Because one of the ways that we accomplish what we're trying to do in a congregational worship service is done through singing. In fact, a few months ago, John helped us to put into words what we're trying to accomplish in congregational worship.

[11:04] The three statements that have been penned that we're trying to do in here would be, number one, as we gather for congregational worship that believers are learning and maturing.

[11:19] We gather for worship. We want this to be a place where we're learning. That's knowledge. And maturing. That's obedience. Second, as we gather, it's a time when biblical affections are being cultivated and expressed.

[11:35] Biblical affections. Biblical desires. Biblical joy is being cultivated and expressed. And then a third thing that's happening when we gather for worship is that the body is growing in holiness both individually and corporately.

[11:55] That as you pray and read and listen and sing and engage in worship, you are growing in holiness and also as a congregation collectively we are to be growing in holiness.

[12:09] And one of the ways that we accomplish those three things I just mentioned is through the gift of singing. Now, for some in the congregation, this will be true in every church I would imagine, for some in the congregation, you love music, you are musical, you love to play music, you love to sing, maybe you have a background in music.

[12:34] And so to talk about the gift and the joy and the beauty of music is speaking your heart language. For others of you, not so much.

[12:46] Others of you weren't raised in a musical family or others of you maybe never learned to play an instrument or others of you don't know a bass clef from a treble clef and you may wrongly conclude that if you're not musical, that music is not really for you.

[13:07] That maybe it's just something as a part of a church service we do because it's just tradition and you just kind of wait through the music to another part of the service.

[13:19] Or maybe you're someone who would say you're not musical but you really appreciate music and so you enjoy when somebody sings that's skilled at or you enjoy when our choir leads us in worship when you get to hear them because they're rehearsed and they are more musical maybe than you may be.

[13:45] But let me remind you what I said a moment ago that the greatest song the church ever sings is the sound of the congregation singing. This is another reason why while God gave us instruments and we're thankful for all those who do play that rehearse and practice and use their skill to play there's a reason why we don't want the sound of instruments to be overwhelming.

[14:13] That's on purpose. because the greatest song the church sings is the song of the congregation. And if the instruments drown that out you may get some kind of an emotional buzz from it but they would have drowned out the song.

[14:37] That's why it's that way. It's on purpose. It's by conviction that we want the instruments to aid the congregation not overwhelm the congregation.

[14:52] So in Ephesians 5 let's look together here at verse 18. It says do not get drunk with wine for that is debauchery but be filled with the Spirit.

[15:06] Verse 19 expresses an expression of that reality that we're filled with the Spirit. Verse 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

[15:41] We could we could do a biblical theology of singing and look at a number of different texts but for this morning I want us just concentrating here in Ephesians 5 let's look at a few things that I think are significant for us to understand for us to grasp the importance of music in the church.

[16:00] Number one the Spirit-filled life produces a song in the heart of a believer. The Spirit-filled life that's verse 18 produces a song in the heart of a believer that's verse 19.

[16:22] This is written to the church this isn't written simply to the choir this isn't written simply to those who love music this isn't written to those who are musical this is written to believers to be filled with the Spirit and as we are filled with the Spirit verse 18 we will verse 19 address each other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody of the Lord with your heart.

[16:53] Walking with the Lord produces a song. We want to flood our lives with God's Word.

[17:06] We want to read it we want to listen to it preached we want to memorize it we want to pray it we want to listen to songs that are biblical and inspire and encourage our faith and when we are walking with the Lord and our heart and our mind is filled with the things of God it will be expressed through song.

[17:34] We see this Old Testament as God delivered Israel out of Egypt we see it in Judges 5 with Deborah we see it in the New Testament at the Last Supper as Jesus and the Apostles end their time there with a song we see in Acts 16 as Paul and Silas of all things are in jail and yet still singing together the Spirit filled life produces a song in the heart of a believer.

[18:07] I don't think it's a stretch to say that a church that's growing in its theology will be a singing church. Now the opposite of that's not always true.

[18:20] You can be a singing church and have no theology. You can have a singing church filled with people who love to make sounds and love songs and love the emotion that comes with singing but if that's not based on doctrinal truths then it may be singing but it's not worship.

[18:44] True biblical worship always includes a song but it's a song built on the theology of God's word. It's built on truth.

[18:57] So one of the things that I want to encourage you with is that if you are walking with the Lord engaging with the Lord and His word one of the evidences of that will be a love to sing with the body of Christ.

[19:19] Years ago when my boys were at home I would get up early in the morning to go to the gym so that when I got home after work I was there at the house or practice or whatever homework whatever we were doing so I'd go lift in the morning and one day I woke up early could not go back to sleep so I just I went to the gym earlier than usual which means I got back home early than usual and usually I was just there as the kids were leaving would tell them goodbye that was about it Fridays I would take them to school but on this day I got back early and Marcy and the boys were eating breakfast I'd already been up a couple hours at that point I already got my workout in I was wide awake fully engaged in the day and I opened the door going into the kitchen literally just singing maybe more like yelling these hymns in my mind and it was greeted exactly in a biblical way there's a proverb that says something about ought not to greet your neighbor with song in the morning

[20:24] I was greeting my family with song in the morning and it was not appreciated and Marcy very succinctly said to me Michael we don't do this in the morning here you're like you're not usually here for breakfast that this isn't how we do it that's actually biblical you don't greet your neighbor with song in the morning but at some point the song gets produced at some point as you walk with the Lord as you fellowship with God's people as you meditate on God's word it produces a song second thing I want you to notice from this is that we sing to God but always with each other this is congregational worship we sing to God but always with each other look again at verse 19 we are addressing one another in psalms hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody to the Lord so the prepositions here matter we're singing to the Lord but we're singing with each other now when you are home alone and you're reading your Bible and you sing a song of praise to the Lord it's a beautiful thing and the Lord is glorified in that as you drive down the highway and you've got your favorite music playing and you're by yourself that can be a beautiful thing but when the congregation gathers for worship there is something unique that's happening and what's unique is that we're blending our voices together yes still singing to the Lord but with each other that's not our words that's biblical verse 19 we are addressing one another so if I were to ask you who are you singing to in congregational worship in one sense we're singing to the Lord he's the audience but it would also be correct to say that we're singing with each other addressing each other with psalms hymns and spiritual songs by the way this is why when we sing the lights remain up again

[23:08] I'm speaking just for our church this has nothing to do with any other congregation who may do it different ways alright it's not that we love the Bible more than someone else that does it differently I'm just speaking as for us but there's a reason why we leave the lights up when we sing because biblically we're singing with each other we're addressing each other our heart is singing to the Lord verse 19 but we are addressing one another if the lights are dim and all I can see is the platform and there's a spotlight on a few people that are up here and out here I can't see anybody we're actually doing the exact opposite of verse 19 but congregational worship is not about me and the Lord it is about we to be sure our congregational singing should be a personal expression of worship but it's done in the congregation as we address each other that's why the lights stay up you may wonder why don't we have louder instruments you may wonder why don't we turn the lights down maybe you you may even be one that says

[24:43] I really like it when the lights are down and it's really dim and there's this mood that's created it's just me and God but that's actually not what Ephesians 5 is telling us to do it's not about me and God this isn't proper grammar but it's about we and God not me and God it must be from the heart and be authentic yes but when I sing I'm singing to God but I'm singing with you in fact if you look at the language of verse 19 I'm addressing you and you're addressing me we're speaking with each other that's why I think it's best that you can see each other when you're home by yourself in your quiet time with the Lord that's you and God but when you come together with the body of Christ it's not me and God it's we and God we're singing to him but with each other and so we don't want to drown out the congregation we don't want to black out the congregation and if all the bright lights are up here and all the dark lights are out there what have we just communicated that this is where it's all about but notice even right now it's bright over the congregation because you need to see your Bible if it was just about the preacher seeing his

[26:35] Bible we can blacken out the house but we don't blacken out the house in fact I go crazy if we blacken out the house because you need to be able to see your Bible and when we sing you need to be able to see each other let me say it for a third time this isn't about any other congregation other churches may do it differently that love Jesus just as much as we do this is not about judging or critiquing anybody else this is about as far as we can say for our congregation what do we do to be the closest we can be to what the Bible has taught us to do in all aspects and I don't see for us how we address each other if all the focus is on a few people in the front so we want the lights up if you're in your living room with your quiet time you like the lights off turn them off if you're in your living room in your quiet time and you like different styles of worship music have at it that's just you and the

[27:41] Lord when we come in this place together it's congregational it's family and we sing to God but always with each other it says in verse 19 here's the kinds of songs we sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs psalms primarily a reference here to the power of God hymns primarily a reference to the person and work and ministry of Jesus spiritual songs primarily a reference to songs of personal testimony I think the best way to understand verse 19 is that these aren't necessarily meant to be hard and rigid categories as much as it is to communicate that we are to sing in fullness in other words we are to sing about God's love and power and might we are to sing about the truth that

[28:44] Jesus is our Savior we're to sing about sin and redemption and heaven and the Christian life and church and prayer we're to speak of all and sing of all these things and there's a place for songs of personal reflection that would be the spiritual songs do be careful though churches that only sing spiritual songs inadvertently make the worship about themselves if every song is just about you your thoughts your response your belief your expression those things are not wrong but it would be grossly out of balance if that's all you sing you need to sing songs about God's power and his might a mighty fortress is our God a bulwark never failing let's sing about that how deep the father's love for us how deep the father's love it's good to sing songs that are about the power and the love and the majesty of

[30:07] God now there's a place for a response to that all to Jesus I surrender all to him I freely give I will ever love and trust him in his presence daily live I surrender all it's a spiritual song that's the heart of expressing how you respond to the truth of who God is but you can't respond to the truth of who God is if you don't know the truth of who God is so this is reminding us that we are to sing in fullness!

[30:45] There are times where there may be a song that one of our pastors has heard maybe a song that John is familiar with that we introduce but often the way the conversation behind closed doors goes is more like this is there a doctrine that we're not singing enough about let's go find the best song that speaks of that doctrine is there a part of scripture where maybe we don't have enough songs that speak of that theme let's go find the best song we can sing for that theme it's not that it's wrong to just say here's a new song I like it it's biblical let's sing it that's fine but I think the better question is to say why are we introducing a new song and is this song we're introducing helping to prop up and to give voice to scripture that maybe we just don't sing enough about and so we want to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs meaning all different ways of expressing our praise to the

[32:01] Lord number three our singing must be in spirit and in truth that language of course comes from John 4 but it's the heart here in verse 19 singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart this doesn't rule out the fact that we also sing with our lips obviously and with our voices it does tell us that our singing must be in spirit and in truth that it must be to the Lord and with all of our heart old hymns!

[32:40] New songs! Acapella! Instruments! There's a place for all those things but it must be in spirit and in truth in Amos in the Old Testament one of the judgments against the sin of the people chapter 5 verse 23 says take away from me the noise of your songs I will not even listen to the sound of your harps take away this noise and yet other places the psalmist says make a joyful noise to the Lord is noise pleasant or is it annoying depends on who's making it and depends on the context if you are at a nice restaurant for your anniversary and right beside you are children who are not being taught and led to act respectfully and they're just screaming and yelling right in your face that's

[33:59] Amos 5 take this noise away from me but when you're playing with your baby and you're teaching them how to talk and laugh and you're just having a great time and they're making all kinds of giggles and noises it's the sweetest sound when somebody says something to you that's sincere the noise they make in those words warms your heart when somebody says something that you know is a lie that noise is offensive the same scripture that tells us to make a joyful noise also says that if our hearts are harboring sin the Lord's response is get this noise away from me our singing must be in spirit and in truth in other words the message of the scripture is that

[35:05] God is not looking for merely singers he's looking for worshippers we need to know the difference God's looking for worshippers part of our worship includes singing for all of us and if you say but I'm not really a singer what you mean by that is you're not gifted maybe with a great voice or musical ability but you absolutely can and should still worship the Lord through your song and let's take it even a step further even if you say but that makes me uncomfortable or it's not my favorite thing to do it may just be then that singing is an even greater sacrifice of praise to you because you're doing it because it pleases the Lord not because it's easy for you in fact I really think the churches they're the most filled with sacrificial worship is because of people who maybe by themselves aren't musical but choose to say let's be biblical and express our worship to the

[36:20] Lord and I may hit a clunker of a note and I may mess up the phrasing of the song and I may mess up the words from time to time but my heart is to help the congregation express psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and you do it not because it's easy for you but because it's a blessing to the Lord that is a sacrifice of praise our singing must be in spirit and truth look back at the text here in verse 19 singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart this is a work of the heart and it's to him verse 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ one of the ways that we express our gratitude is through singing one of the things that makes us stay grateful is through singing!

[37:20] verse 21 as we submit to one another out of reverence for Christ so the priority of choosing a song is not my preference nor yours it is about reverence for Christ singing in the church should be a reverent thing there's a place for joy there's a place for celebration not Christians congregation singing it doesn't have to be boring but it should be reverent that's why there's some songs we don't do in here even if it had lyrics if it's irreverent it's not fitting of a congregation so what we want to do is say let's not import our preferences on the church let's take the music that the scripture itself tells us is pleasing to God and then say how can we lead in that now that's why we do what we do let me give you a second category briefly of the benefits of congregational singing and if you're new here and you say

[38:42] I didn't realize the preacher is also a musician he's not I wish that I were but there are benefits for those like me who are not musical that enjoy the blessing that the scripture promises to us as we sing here's one of the benefits number one it strengthens our joy you could say it expresses our joy and it does but I purposely use the word strengthened because it takes the joy that's there and it grows it it strengthens it because we're singing and celebrating together James 5 verse 13 is anyone cheerful what's the very next phrase what's the answer in James 5 13 is anyone cheerful let him sing praises are you happy sing why because it strengthens our joy it increases it grows as we join with the congregation to worship psalm 147 verse 7 sing to the

[39:55] Lord with thanks giving number two it shows our unity it shows our unity psalm 95 verse 1 oh come let us sing for joy to the Lord let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation it shows unity when the congregation sings we're expressing the same words in the same way at the same time congregational singing it's not me and God it's we and God it shows our unity so on those Sundays where we sing your favorite songs sing on those Sundays where you say this song is biblical!

[40:50] this song is true! this song is helpful! it's not my favorite! sing! Don't let your preference determine your obedience!

[41:00] let your worship and your desire to make much of Christ drive your obedience! Number three singing simplifies our life it simplifies our life how so?

[41:21] Psalm 63 verse 3 because your loving kindness is better than life my lips will praise you because your love is better than life I have a song to sing this simplifies your life because when you come into a congregational worship service on a Sunday morning often what you're thinking of is the stress of last week the problems of last week your teenagers grounded your parents just don't understand you your boss is impossible you're underpaid your employees aren't trustworthy!

[42:15] What's happening in the world around us your health and then you come into worship and you say to yourself his loving kindness is better than life and because it is my lips will praise you you walk into the sanctuary filled with distractions and frustrations and disappointments and then as we did this morning you stand and sing no fate I dread I know I am forgiven the future is sure the price it has been paid for Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon and he was raised to overthrow the grave because that's true you have a reason to praise it simplifies your life!

[43:52] it reminds you that if you have Jesus you have a reason to sing period and so we worship through song because he's worthy it simplifies your life you come into the church service burdened overwhelmed and then you hear the lyrics when peace like a river attendeth my way and sorrows like sea billows roll whatever my lot thou has taught me to say it is well it is well with my soul and in 30 seconds your life comes into order your priorities refocused biblical congregation singing can do in minutes what would take me an hour to accomplish because of the unique gift of music that is memorable that is easily memorized that is able to be spoken and sung by the whole congregation at the same time number four congregational singing blesses and benefits us because it sustains us through all seasons of life it sustains us through all seasons of life psalm 104 33 i will sing to the lord as long as i live as long as i live it sustains us there's a place in the church to sing simple songs this may surprise you i don't think every song we sing has to be as deep as the lyrics of in christ alone great hymn but there's a place to sing something simple something that even the youngest believer among us can grasp if all your songs are simple you're going to have really stunted growth if none of your songs are simple you're probably overlooking the younger generation all of our seasons of life you get to be a teenager you need songs that you can recite when you get to be older you need music that expresses your faith and your trust in the lord i say this you've heard me say this before i say this with all sincerity i say this with all respect one of my favorite things to do is to sing with our senior adults about heaven because they've lived life they're not they're not through living they're not tired of living but they're not chasing a career they're not chasing worldly dreams they've got some scars on them from the world and they see the greatest prize of all to be being with the lord you need to be around older people singing not because their preference is better than yours but their perspective may just be a little sharper teenagers sing about heaven in the back of their mind you know most are not all but many are thinking of not yet

[47:53] I've got a car to drive I want to go on a date one day I want to build my own house I want to go on a dream vacation sometimes when we're young if we're honest the thought of heaven feels like a bit of a divine interruption but gather around people who have buried spouses and attended funerals for many of their friends and listen to them say when we all get to heaven what a day of rejoicing it will be when we all see Jesus we'll sing and shout the victory it's good for your soul to hear people who sing about heaven because they long for it as much as we need that we need the sound of children singing too

[49:07] I love when children are new into worship service and when they learn the songs they just sing the church needs that all seasons of life from the rising of the sun to its setting the name of the Lord be praised so in conclusion children sing out learn the songs sing out teenagers sing out let this be a time where you lead by example and are faithful to sing in fact for teenagers teenagers have such an amazing role in the church because children look up to them and adults are inspired by them our church today will have I don't know 400 people children!

[50:14] 200 that are teenagers 600 adults something like that teenagers you're right in the middle of that you get all these people younger than you they're not aspiring to be old like me that sounds awful they want to be smart like you and the older people in the congregation when they see teenagers worshiping and singing and showing honor and respect to the Lord they are encouraged and inspired so teenagers you keep singing keep leading out and adults sing out in fact as you do family devotion time there is something I look back on with some regret as a father I wish I had done a much better job of this you need in your family a Bible and a hymnal to sing I wish I would have led my family to sing more as a family with just our voices do that my poor grandkids

[51:22] I'm going to make up with them they're going to hear me they're going be so tired of! singing! voice it's okay you're not singing for their pleasure you're singing to help them but for the pleasure of God in a Bible you need a good hymnal to walk through as a family to sing and express in your living rooms the truths that we believe so let us address each other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and making melody of the Lord with all of our heart children teenager adult let everything that has breath praise the Lord that's why we do what we do Lord we thank you for the privilege of being able to sing to you and worship and the reason why it's important is because you're worthy of it you're the one who sent your only son to die for us our salvation is accomplished in his work on the cross and because of that we always have a song to sing and a reason to sing it

[52:41] Lord I pray for those of us in this room that are believers that we would approach the importance of congregational singing with the reverence and the focus and the effort it deserves and Lord for those that may not be believers in this room today may they understand that we sing not because we can't figure out anything else to do but because it's the response of a heart that's been saved by grace may we keep our hearts focused on your grace and may the results and response of that be that we sing to you a new song and that we sing from the rising of the sun into its setting we give you praise and are thankful for the gift of being called your children and being given a gift of how to express it through song in the name of Christ our Savior we pray amen love you church family god bless you you're dismissed on behalf of first baptist church of mustang we want to thank you for joining us this morning for our live stream broadcast we are so thankful for the gift of technology and that we are able to reach so many people not only across the state and in our nation but around the world and what a truly indescribable gift that is

[54:08] I do want to encourage you if at all possible if you are able to be here in person there is no substitute for gathering with the people of God in person so we encourage you to be here in person at any one of!

[54:30]  or recordings recordings the people the people are in the way all with them from have them have time and they can them can make them just from not they can will them fathers or they they or they can going in all they or they can will them they can really they can they they can hear