Psalm 104:1; Psalm 103:1-5
Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
A. W. PINK (1886-1952): What is worship? Praise? Yea, more; it is adoration flowing forth from a heart which is fully assured of the excellency of Him before whom it bows, expressing its profoundest gratitude for His unspeakable Gift.
WILLIAM KELLY (1821-1906): What is worship but thanksgiving and praise? Thanksgiving for what God has done in Christ and gives freely to us who believe; praise for what we know by His Word and Spirit He is, not only to us, but in Himself—His majesty, holiness, truth, goodness, mercy, love, and delight in us, the eternal self-existing One, now revealed as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892): Some say God is best praised in silence—others that He is best honored with flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and I know not what kinds of music!
C. H. MACKINTOSH (1820-1896): The subject to which you call attention to is deeply important—the great use that Satan is making of music in this day. It is indeed quite common to hear the statement, “It was music that led her into the world.” And this of the young, who once professed to belong to Christ.
THE EDITOR: This has proven true for many young people during the last century, especially during the 1960’s. Many famous singers of that era’s so-called “soul” music came out of black Gospel churches—Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, and Marvin Gaye were singers whose fathers were Christian pastors; Otis Redding was the son of a deacon; and the musical talents and tastes of many others, both then and now, have lured them openly into the world, or into a worldly religiosity where they pursue worldly ambitions inside a church.
H. A. IRONSIDE (1876-1951): There was a young lady with great musical ability preparing to go on the concert stage when the Lord saved her. She said, “You know I have made an amazing discovery. My love for music is coming between my soul and Christ.” That young woman, for eight years, would not touch a musical instrument for fear she would become so absorbed that she would not enjoy the things of God. But the time came when she said, “Although I can’t enjoy music for its own sake, I can use it as a vehicle to bless the souls of people.” She gave her talent to Christ, and He used it in attracting people to hear the gospel.
THE EDITOR: Music and singing used to attract sinners to hear the Gospel preaching of the Word that they might be saved, is a different thing than singing in worship to God during a church service. Songs of worship should be directed primarily to God, not to man’s attention.
STEPHEN CHARNOCK (1628-1680): This is God’s music—“Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,” Ephesians 5:19. Singing and all other acts of worship are outward, but the spiritual melody is “by grace in the heart,” Colossians 3:16—this renders it a spiritual worship; for it is an effect of the fullness of the spirit in the soul, as “filled with the Spirit,” Ephesians 5:18. The overflowing of the Spirit in the heart, setting the soul of a believer thus to make a spiritual melody to God, shows that something higher is put in tune in the heart.
H. A. IRONSIDE: We cannot all make melody on an instrument, but every believer’s heart is like a harp. As the Spirit of God breathes over the heartstrings, real melody goes up to the ear of God.
C. H. MACKINTOSH: What then, is the Christian’s path as to music?
MARTYN LLOYD-JONES (1899-1981): Music in its various forms raises the problem of an element of entertainment insinuating itself…I have even taken part myself in a religious conference, where at the commencement of every service, there was forty minutes of Xylophone solos, organ solos, people singing.
C. H. SPURGEON: It is overwhelming to my spirit to see the growing worldliness of the church.
THE EDITOR: The concept of a “worship team” reflects that worldly spirit. Its phraseology sounds like a football special team taking the field for the opening kick-off; and isn’t that a “worship” team’s function in a church? The eyes focus on those on stage, not God. It often resembles a rock and roll concert with a band of drums, electric guitars, keyboards, and singers—all of them making as much amplified noise as possible.
C. H. MACKINTOSH: And is not true spiritual worship lost, whether in the strains of the organ, or the noise of the drum and horn?
THE EDITOR: The sole appropriate function of musical instrumentality is keep a congregation in tune. It is always wrong when the music overwhelms the voices of the congregation, or becomes the focus of attention. Does the singer’s musical expression, instead of the words of the lyrics, draw one’s attention towards God, or towards the singer? Is it really worshipping God, or is it more often only a form of self-expression and religious entertainment?
H. A. IRONSIDE: One reason the spirituality of the church is at a low ebb today is because people are so careless about the music that occupies their minds. They are so ready to drop from the high and holy state that should characterize those that are filled with the Spirit of God.
C. H. SPURGEON: Is it so difficult, then, to know what kind of worship God will accept? Here is a test for you to tell whether a thing is true or not: Does it glorify God?
THE EDITOR: That test also applies to the musical genres used in worship. Some are totally inappropriate. “Rock and roll,” by its nature and cadence, excites a spirit of fleshy sensuality and sentimental emotion, sometimes as if one was singing to a boyfriend—it demonstrates no filial fear of God in true reverence and praise. So also, the salient spirit of “rap” music is gangster criminality, angry rebellion, and nihilistic anarchy, as opposed to a spirit of worship in thanksgiving and praise. The spirit of modern worldly ‘worship’ savours of primitive fleshy paganism, with a “worship team” pounding drums, and people wailing repetitive choruses, while they sway to an incessant backbeat around a flaming bonfire of emotional fervour.
A. W. PINK: The music which they produce is earthly not heavenly, human not Divine, fleshly not spiritual, temporal not eternal.
D. L. MOODY (1837-1899): The trouble is, we have let down the standard.
R. BEACON (circa 1886): There is no true worship apart from holiness, reverence and godly fear.
JOHN NEWTON (1725-1807): Do the professed lovers of sacred music, in this enlightened age, generally live as if they really believed that “the Lord God omnipotent reigneth?” Rather, do not most of them live as they might do, if they were sure of the contrary?
A. W. PINK: The more spiritual our worship, the less attractive to the flesh will it be. How far astray we have gone! Modern “worship” is chiefly designed to render it pleasing to the flesh: a ‘bright and attractive service,’ with beautiful surroundings, sensuous music, and entertaining talks. O that we all would heed that pointed word in Psalm 89:7, “God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him”—how different things would be.
