WEBVTT 00:00:01.229 --> 00:00:03.950 Welcome to Healing Scars with Pastor Burton, 00:00:04.129 --> 00:00:07.269 the official podcast of Cross Christian Fellowship, 00:00:07.290 --> 00:00:10.769 Route 66, in the heart of Albuquerque, New Mexico, 00:00:10.990 --> 00:00:14.150 where Burton is the lead pastor. We're glad you're 00:00:14.150 --> 00:00:17.829 here. Hey everybody, welcome back to the sanctuary. 00:00:17.850 --> 00:00:21.199 As always, it is great to have you with us. This 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:23.859 episode is another one of those sermons that 00:00:23.859 --> 00:00:26.100 I had a while back when we were getting our equipment 00:00:26.100 --> 00:00:28.519 and everything upgraded where the audio just 00:00:28.519 --> 00:00:31.120 didn't work out. So I wanted to come back and 00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:32.759 re -record it. And of course, you know, the great 00:00:32.759 --> 00:00:34.979 thing is when I come back and I deliver these 00:00:34.979 --> 00:00:38.200 sermons again, you know me. I like to go down 00:00:38.200 --> 00:00:40.020 those rabbit trails. So there's always something 00:00:40.020 --> 00:00:42.179 new that wasn't there the first time. That's 00:00:42.179 --> 00:00:44.420 the beauty. And any pastor that's out there will 00:00:44.420 --> 00:00:46.259 tell you, especially like... In those churches 00:00:46.259 --> 00:00:48.500 where they have multiple services in a day, you 00:00:48.500 --> 00:00:50.020 know, like two in the morning and one in the 00:00:50.020 --> 00:00:52.539 afternoon or just whatever. And they're delivering 00:00:52.539 --> 00:00:54.759 the same message over. It's never the same. There's 00:00:54.759 --> 00:00:57.179 always something different. And I love that. 00:00:57.259 --> 00:00:59.359 It's exciting. You know, and to me, it just says, 00:00:59.420 --> 00:01:01.840 hey, the Lord has something for someone out there 00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:04.200 who's listening, which is absolutely awesome. 00:01:05.800 --> 00:01:09.840 So with that said, let's get started. This time 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:11.799 around, we're going to talk about something that 00:01:11.799 --> 00:01:14.540 I've spoken about before. Everybody knows it's 00:01:14.540 --> 00:01:18.379 something that's near and dear to my heart. As 00:01:18.379 --> 00:01:22.299 a matter of fact, in our church, before we even 00:01:22.299 --> 00:01:25.359 do announcements, the first thing that we have 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:29.500 is our music, our praise and worship. I grew 00:01:29.500 --> 00:01:32.540 up. playing music. I've played the flute. I played 00:01:32.540 --> 00:01:36.959 drums for years, bass guitar for a year still. 00:01:38.239 --> 00:01:42.040 I've played with a lot of great people because 00:01:42.040 --> 00:01:43.980 of that. It's been a great blessing in my life. 00:01:44.060 --> 00:01:47.340 So music is something really, really important 00:01:47.340 --> 00:01:52.760 to me. And really, it's something that's biblically 00:01:52.760 --> 00:01:56.040 important as well. So yeah, music. That's right. 00:01:56.060 --> 00:02:01.269 We're talking about music. And the reason I've 00:02:01.269 --> 00:02:05.150 brought it up here is because it's something 00:02:05.150 --> 00:02:08.490 that can be controversial depending on who you 00:02:08.490 --> 00:02:11.229 ask. I've talked about this before, so some of 00:02:11.229 --> 00:02:14.870 this may sound familiar to you. Depending on 00:02:14.870 --> 00:02:16.770 where you go and what kind of service you have 00:02:16.770 --> 00:02:19.449 for some people, music is... It's a huge thing. 00:02:19.870 --> 00:02:23.310 There's some places that are extremely legalistic 00:02:23.310 --> 00:02:25.909 about it and insist you have to bring out the 00:02:25.909 --> 00:02:29.629 old, you know, hymnal, aka the Red Book. Some 00:02:29.629 --> 00:02:32.030 of you know exactly what I'm talking about. You 00:02:32.030 --> 00:02:34.770 know, in other places, they drop the lighting, 00:02:34.990 --> 00:02:38.110 they crank up the speakers, and it's like walking 00:02:38.110 --> 00:02:41.849 into a concert. You know, it's a whole show. 00:02:41.909 --> 00:02:45.110 It's a thing, right? You know, and of course, 00:02:45.110 --> 00:02:48.669 you know, here at the Cross, At 66, we tend to 00:02:48.669 --> 00:02:50.849 fall more in the middle. It's very relaxed, almost 00:02:50.849 --> 00:02:53.849 a campfire -type playing music. Some people want 00:02:53.849 --> 00:02:57.009 to say it's like a cowboy style because we don't 00:02:57.009 --> 00:02:59.830 drop the lights. We don't crank it up too loud 00:02:59.830 --> 00:03:05.729 or anything like that. It's just a real peaceful, 00:03:05.830 --> 00:03:08.050 just come in, and we're just going to do our 00:03:08.050 --> 00:03:10.590 thing, and we're going to do our version of what 00:03:10.590 --> 00:03:14.860 we play, which is great. And right now, you know, 00:03:14.860 --> 00:03:16.300 we're blessed. We've got three of us that are 00:03:16.300 --> 00:03:18.199 doing it. Hey, matter of fact, if you're in the 00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:19.879 Albuquerque area and you're interested in joining 00:03:19.879 --> 00:03:22.240 us, you know, we are always looking for more 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:26.199 musicians to join our lineup. So guitar, drums, 00:03:26.680 --> 00:03:28.719 keyboards, you know, even singing. If that's 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:30.800 something that tickles your fancy, if that's 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:33.419 in your gift set and you'd like to share that 00:03:33.419 --> 00:03:35.500 with the world, come on out. You know, we'd love 00:03:35.500 --> 00:03:38.520 to talk to you and get you plugged in. And with 00:03:38.520 --> 00:03:41.219 that said, let's get into the message. All right, 00:03:41.240 --> 00:03:43.180 so let's go ahead and let's open our Bibles up 00:03:43.180 --> 00:03:47.439 to the book of Psalms. Specifically, we're going 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:51.240 to be looking at Psalm 98. All right, so I'll 00:03:51.240 --> 00:03:57.240 give you a second. Let's look at Psalm 98. It's 00:03:57.240 --> 00:03:59.819 kind of towards the middle of your Bible, most 00:03:59.819 --> 00:04:03.599 cases, a little bit before. But with that said, 00:04:03.639 --> 00:04:06.639 Psalm 98, specifically verses 4 through 6. The 00:04:06.639 --> 00:04:10.740 word says, Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the 00:04:10.740 --> 00:04:14.620 earth. Break forth in song. Rejoice and sing 00:04:14.620 --> 00:04:18.259 praises. Sing to the Lord with the harp, with 00:04:18.259 --> 00:04:21.980 the harp and the sound of a psalm, with trumpets 00:04:21.980 --> 00:04:25.740 and the sound of a horn. Shout joyfully before 00:04:25.740 --> 00:04:30.100 the Lord, the King. You know, I would encourage 00:04:30.100 --> 00:04:33.459 you, underline, highlight, make a note right 00:04:33.459 --> 00:04:37.000 there where it says, joyful. noise because it's 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:40.379 such a perfect description of what we're talking 00:04:40.379 --> 00:04:42.939 about or what this is. I mean, noise, you know, 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:45.139 music to some, but not all. Let that sink in 00:04:45.139 --> 00:04:48.519 from it. Meditate on it, you know, because the 00:04:48.519 --> 00:04:50.560 kind of music you like might not be the kind 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:53.000 of music another person likes and vice versa, 00:04:53.180 --> 00:04:55.639 right? And throughout the Psalms, it repeatedly 00:04:55.639 --> 00:05:00.459 talks about making a joyful noise to the Lord. 00:05:00.540 --> 00:05:03.819 And that's all it really is. You know, it's just 00:05:03.819 --> 00:05:08.629 noise. It's all You know, we all have that style 00:05:08.629 --> 00:05:11.949 that we love. Some of us can't carry a tune despite 00:05:11.949 --> 00:05:14.550 our best efforts, and you know who I'm talking 00:05:14.550 --> 00:05:18.209 about. You know, all right? Matter of fact, some 00:05:18.209 --> 00:05:20.350 of you know you can't carry a tune, but you still 00:05:20.350 --> 00:05:22.389 do your darn understanding away, and God bless 00:05:22.389 --> 00:05:25.029 you for that, because that's what it's all about. 00:05:25.569 --> 00:05:28.529 You know, depending on where you live in the 00:05:28.529 --> 00:05:30.290 world, matter of fact, it's different. Even in 00:05:30.290 --> 00:05:33.529 our country, here in the U .S., the predominant... 00:05:33.949 --> 00:05:37.170 Form of music changes from one area to the next. 00:05:37.689 --> 00:05:44.529 Even the sound of individual genres change. But 00:05:44.529 --> 00:05:47.329 when we use it to praise and worship and bring 00:05:47.329 --> 00:05:49.329 glory to God, it all sounds beautiful to Him. 00:05:49.410 --> 00:05:50.490 And that's what we're looking at. That's what 00:05:50.490 --> 00:05:53.810 we're talking about today. I'm going to back 00:05:53.810 --> 00:05:57.170 up here a second. Like genres, right? I'm going 00:05:57.170 --> 00:05:59.490 to date myself a little bit. I remember the East 00:05:59.490 --> 00:06:01.810 Coast, West Coast wars with rap. I'm not big 00:06:01.810 --> 00:06:06.579 in rap music at all. But East Coast versus West 00:06:06.579 --> 00:06:09.540 Coast, there are substantial differences there, 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:11.759 at least back in the 90s there were. I couldn't 00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:13.779 tell you about today. I couldn't tell you a rap 00:06:13.779 --> 00:06:18.240 song to save my life. I'm more, especially considering 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:20.240 the instruments I play, I'm more of a pick up 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:21.899 that guitar and let's do something, let's jam. 00:06:22.939 --> 00:06:25.180 Not to say that there's bad stuff out there. 00:06:25.220 --> 00:06:27.240 I've heard some pop songs that are pretty good. 00:06:29.550 --> 00:06:32.490 But again, we're talking about that today. Even 00:06:32.490 --> 00:06:36.029 forms of country music change from one decade 00:06:36.029 --> 00:06:38.329 to the next, one area to the next. Some areas 00:06:38.329 --> 00:06:40.029 it's a little bit more bluesy, other ways a little 00:06:40.029 --> 00:06:42.069 bit more bluegrass. Some places a little bit 00:06:42.069 --> 00:06:45.170 more folksy. Rock music is no different, right? 00:06:46.069 --> 00:06:47.970 So let's bring it to the first point. Since the 00:06:47.970 --> 00:06:51.209 beginning. Music has been here since the very 00:06:51.209 --> 00:06:54.189 beginning. And when I say beginning, I mean the 00:06:54.189 --> 00:06:58.120 beginning. We're talking Genesis 4. Verse 21, 00:06:58.379 --> 00:07:02.540 the word says, And his brother's name was Jubal. 00:07:02.579 --> 00:07:06.759 He was the father of all, such as Handel, the 00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:10.199 harp and organ. Other translations say harp and 00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:14.139 organ. In Exodus 15, verses 1 -20, we find the 00:07:14.139 --> 00:07:17.759 song of Moses and Miriam believed by many to 00:07:17.759 --> 00:07:21.560 be the absolute oldest recorded song. You know, 00:07:21.560 --> 00:07:23.560 and it's all about, you know, it's a song about 00:07:23.560 --> 00:07:26.620 God's victory. It's, you know, the music, it's 00:07:26.620 --> 00:07:30.180 an expression of so much. Moses and the Israelites 00:07:30.180 --> 00:07:33.180 used it to praise the Lord and as a way to preserve 00:07:33.180 --> 00:07:35.779 and pass on the oral traditions, right? How they 00:07:35.779 --> 00:07:39.279 shared their history. You know, music hasn't 00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:41.439 always been and it still isn't simply just a 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:44.209 form of entertainment. Even back then, music 00:07:44.209 --> 00:07:46.430 was a way to show their love and their thanks, 00:07:46.509 --> 00:07:49.610 to celebrate things, to celebrate the Lord, to 00:07:49.610 --> 00:07:51.689 share their culture, to share their history. 00:07:52.290 --> 00:07:57.269 And you see, even then, it was used much like 00:07:57.269 --> 00:08:01.230 it is today. It expresses relief and praise and 00:08:01.230 --> 00:08:05.009 joy and stress and troubles. It heals us from 00:08:05.009 --> 00:08:08.250 those pains, those stressors in the world. We 00:08:08.250 --> 00:08:12.089 hear a tune and it takes us back in the day. 00:08:12.430 --> 00:08:14.509 It reminds us of places and people and events, 00:08:14.629 --> 00:08:17.569 things that are long gone even, right? It connects 00:08:17.569 --> 00:08:20.410 us emotionally. It changes our very state of 00:08:20.410 --> 00:08:27.009 mind. You know, prime example here. My wife. 00:08:27.930 --> 00:08:31.990 My wife knows. that if I have a really stressful 00:08:31.990 --> 00:08:34.389 day, and she'll hear it in my voice when I call 00:08:34.389 --> 00:08:36.450 on my way home from work, and I say, hey, babe, 00:08:36.509 --> 00:08:39.389 I'm on my way. She knows, and she's like, you 00:08:39.389 --> 00:08:41.610 know what? Hey, I'm going to let you go so you 00:08:41.610 --> 00:08:43.929 can crank that music up and enjoy it on your 00:08:43.929 --> 00:08:46.009 way home. Because she knows, especially when 00:08:46.009 --> 00:08:49.090 I'm stressful, one of my go -tos, especially 00:08:49.090 --> 00:08:55.889 when I'm by myself, is I crank it. I make it 00:08:55.889 --> 00:09:00.149 loud. And I just jam out. Even on my motorcycle. 00:09:00.409 --> 00:09:03.990 My motorcycle helmet has Bluetooth in it. And 00:09:03.990 --> 00:09:06.250 I can do the same thing when I'm writing. I can 00:09:06.250 --> 00:09:09.570 just crank it up and let the music play. And 00:09:09.570 --> 00:09:14.330 it just takes everything else away. As a matter 00:09:14.330 --> 00:09:17.049 of fact, it's one of the many ways in which God 00:09:17.049 --> 00:09:18.889 even talks to me. Because it's such an important 00:09:18.889 --> 00:09:23.070 part of my life. Music is always with me. shape, 00:09:23.690 --> 00:09:26.370 or form as it is with all of us. You see, it's 00:09:26.370 --> 00:09:29.590 not just what services start with in many places, 00:09:29.629 --> 00:09:32.750 but it's part of our daily lives. It's very much 00:09:32.750 --> 00:09:36.289 a soundtrack in a show, and it's all around us. 00:09:37.289 --> 00:09:40.190 It's the soundtrack of our daily lives. We all 00:09:40.190 --> 00:09:42.110 have a soundtrack in our life, and that soundtrack 00:09:42.110 --> 00:09:46.090 connects us to each other, to God. It even connects 00:09:46.090 --> 00:09:47.830 us to our environment. If you've ever thought 00:09:47.830 --> 00:09:49.250 about it, it connects us to our environment. 00:09:50.429 --> 00:09:53.629 Think about this even. And I know I've talked 00:09:53.629 --> 00:09:56.250 about a lot of this before. But you go to a concert. 00:09:56.590 --> 00:09:59.129 Matter of fact, here this weekend, we're going 00:09:59.129 --> 00:10:01.190 to a concert. My wife, my kiddo, and one of my 00:10:01.190 --> 00:10:03.490 kiddo's friends. We're going to go see a show. 00:10:03.669 --> 00:10:05.450 Thank you VetTix for that. I'm going to give 00:10:05.450 --> 00:10:08.029 them a shout out. Because that's the only way 00:10:08.029 --> 00:10:10.669 we can really afford it right now. But we're 00:10:10.669 --> 00:10:12.809 going to go see this show. And what happens when 00:10:12.809 --> 00:10:15.470 you go to a show? You're surrounded by strangers. 00:10:15.929 --> 00:10:21.379 Strangers! You don't know anybody. Everybody 00:10:21.379 --> 00:10:23.600 looks different. Everybody acts different. Everybody 00:10:23.600 --> 00:10:26.600 talks different. But here's the thing. Nobody 00:10:26.600 --> 00:10:31.899 cares who you are outside of there. Nobody cares 00:10:31.899 --> 00:10:34.799 where you're from, what you do, what your social 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:38.100 or working class is. Everyone's just excited 00:10:38.100 --> 00:10:40.139 to be there. They're pumped up. They're like, 00:10:40.220 --> 00:10:42.340 hey, we're here. Let's hear that glorious sound. 00:10:42.440 --> 00:10:46.740 Let's do this. And as soon as that first note 00:10:46.740 --> 00:10:53.710 hits, You're surrounded by instant friends and 00:10:53.710 --> 00:10:56.269 family. You're in the moment. You're feeling 00:10:56.269 --> 00:11:01.789 good. You're pumped. It's exciting. Those of 00:11:01.789 --> 00:11:06.789 us who served in the military and first response 00:11:06.789 --> 00:11:10.190 services, those who are still serving, we're 00:11:10.190 --> 00:11:13.889 seeing military cadences and shanties. There's 00:11:13.889 --> 00:11:18.360 trumpet and bugle calls. From one moment, they'll 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:21.259 have a standing at attention, saluting, or even 00:11:21.259 --> 00:11:25.000 bidding farewell to a fallen warrior, that brother 00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:29.519 or sister in arms. And because of all this, music 00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:34.159 is often referred to by a lot of people as the 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:36.759 great uniter. If you've never heard that before, 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:40.080 a lot of philosophers and whatnot, even in psychology, 00:11:40.460 --> 00:11:44.519 music is looked at as the great uniter. We may 00:11:44.519 --> 00:11:48.240 not always agree on music styles or genres or 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:51.919 volume level, but we all love it. Throughout 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:56.740 history, every single known society and culture 00:11:56.740 --> 00:12:05.159 has had some form of musical expression. Which 00:12:05.159 --> 00:12:07.259 brings me to the next bullet point. Roll the 00:12:07.259 --> 00:12:10.769 opening credits! Because many churches these 00:12:10.769 --> 00:12:13.370 days open with music, right? We're not the only 00:12:13.370 --> 00:12:17.190 ones. 1 Chronicles, or as some people will say, 00:12:17.269 --> 00:12:22.009 1 Chronicles, chapter 6, verses 31 and 32, the 00:12:22.009 --> 00:12:25.610 Bible says, Now these are the men whom David 00:12:25.610 --> 00:12:28.549 appointed over the service of song in the house 00:12:28.549 --> 00:12:32.980 of the Lord after the ark came to rest. They 00:12:32.980 --> 00:12:35.820 were ministering with music before the dwelling 00:12:35.820 --> 00:12:38.799 place of the tabernacle and meeting until Solomon 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:41.259 had built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, 00:12:41.460 --> 00:12:44.440 and they served in their office according to 00:12:44.440 --> 00:12:48.419 their order. Again, that's 1 Chronicles 6, verses 00:12:48.419 --> 00:12:53.240 31 -32. Now, this is when and where David brought 00:12:53.240 --> 00:12:57.259 music in, not just as a form of individual worship 00:12:57.259 --> 00:12:59.899 or as a hobby or anything else, but as a part 00:12:59.899 --> 00:13:04.139 of the whole. You see, David was an accomplished 00:13:04.139 --> 00:13:08.759 musician. If you refer back to 1 Samuel 16 verses 00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:11.480 15 through 23, you'll see he was commissioned 00:13:11.480 --> 00:13:15.019 to play the harp for King Saul. So we know he 00:13:15.019 --> 00:13:18.320 wasn't a novice or just some random person pulled 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:20.620 off. He was far from being an amateur because 00:13:20.620 --> 00:13:24.399 it's not anyone. who gets to play for someone 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:27.379 of stature or office or position, you know, someone 00:13:27.379 --> 00:13:30.200 of prominence. You think about it. Do we just 00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:32.220 call in a kid who's learning how to play a recorder, 00:13:32.379 --> 00:13:34.419 you know, and tell them, hey, we want you to 00:13:34.419 --> 00:13:37.039 serenade the president? No, of course not. You 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:39.539 know, we don't call in some random guy off the 00:13:39.539 --> 00:13:42.779 street, you know, carrying a guitar and telling 00:13:42.779 --> 00:13:44.299 him, hey, guess what? You're going to play before 00:13:44.299 --> 00:13:47.320 the Royal Court of England. You know, no, I mean, 00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:49.179 it's ridiculous. It just, it doesn't happen. 00:13:49.899 --> 00:13:53.519 So we know David was a professional musician. 00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:56.580 And he was exactly the kind of person that you 00:13:56.580 --> 00:14:00.419 would want to bring in to establish song leaders 00:14:00.419 --> 00:14:06.620 and choirs and bands and that sort of thing to 00:14:06.620 --> 00:14:10.440 perform and worship. And also, he wrote many 00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:13.559 of the songs that we find in the book of Psalms. 00:14:13.559 --> 00:14:18.070 Not all of them, but many. Now, the next one 00:14:18.070 --> 00:14:21.950 that we're going to go to, Psalm 81 specifically, 00:14:22.110 --> 00:14:25.149 was actually written by one of David's top musicians 00:14:25.149 --> 00:14:30.450 himself. It was written by Asaph. Psalm 81, we're 00:14:30.450 --> 00:14:33.009 looking at verses 2 through 4 here. Again, Psalm 00:14:33.009 --> 00:14:37.529 81, verses 2 through 4. These verses sing, raise 00:14:37.529 --> 00:14:41.289 a song and strike a timbrel, the pleasant harp 00:14:41.289 --> 00:14:45.159 with the lute. Blow the trumpet at the time of 00:14:45.159 --> 00:14:49.039 the new moon, at the full moon on our solemn 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:54.340 feast day. For this is a statute for Israel, 00:14:54.519 --> 00:15:00.200 a law of the God of Jacob. It's the opening of 00:15:00.200 --> 00:15:04.820 worship. In the words of the cars, let the good 00:15:04.820 --> 00:15:08.340 times roll. Now, music and worship, they go hand 00:15:08.340 --> 00:15:12.009 in hand. Why? Because music reaches... deep down 00:15:12.009 --> 00:15:15.730 into us. It gets into our emotions. It lifts 00:15:15.730 --> 00:15:19.929 up our thoughts. Music helps us to get out of 00:15:19.929 --> 00:15:24.450 ourselves and to lift up our worship even. Some 00:15:24.450 --> 00:15:28.710 might say to lift it up fully. Some would say 00:15:28.710 --> 00:15:30.889 body, mind, and soul. This would say hearts and 00:15:30.889 --> 00:15:37.070 minds. It gets down. It gets in there to your 00:15:37.070 --> 00:15:43.669 soul. It really does. And with that said, that 00:15:43.669 --> 00:15:45.509 brings us to my next point. I'm going to tell 00:15:45.509 --> 00:15:48.389 you. Rebel against the legalist. That's my third 00:15:48.389 --> 00:15:50.750 point. Rebel against the legalist. There are 00:15:50.750 --> 00:15:54.230 a lot of people who will say that modern music 00:15:54.230 --> 00:15:59.730 has no place in worship. None. Can you believe 00:15:59.730 --> 00:16:03.929 that? It's crazy, right? Let me read to you a 00:16:03.929 --> 00:16:07.350 couple of letters. And some of you may have heard 00:16:07.350 --> 00:16:09.210 me read these before. It's not the first time 00:16:09.210 --> 00:16:12.159 that I've done this. The first one reads, I am 00:16:12.159 --> 00:16:14.759 no scholar, but I feel I know appropriate church 00:16:14.759 --> 00:16:18.539 music when I hear it. Last Sunday's new hymn, 00:16:18.580 --> 00:16:21.840 if you can call it that, sounded like a sentimental 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:25.519 love ballad one would expect to hear crooned 00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:29.000 in a saloon. If you insist on exposing us to 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:33.240 rubbish like this in God's house, don't be surprised 00:16:33.240 --> 00:16:36.600 if many of the faithful look for a new place 00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:40.389 to worship. The hymns we grew up with are all 00:16:40.389 --> 00:16:45.110 we need. This was a letter written back in 1863 00:16:45.110 --> 00:16:50.830 about the song Just As I Am. I'm going to read 00:16:50.830 --> 00:16:54.590 another letter to you now. This one reads, What 00:16:54.590 --> 00:16:57.309 is wrong with the inspiring hymns with which 00:16:57.309 --> 00:17:00.649 we grew up? When I go to church, it is to worship 00:17:00.649 --> 00:17:04.069 God, not to be distracted with learning a new 00:17:04.069 --> 00:17:07.470 hymn. Last Sunday's was particularly unnerving. 00:17:07.869 --> 00:17:11.410 The tune was unsingable, and the new harmonies 00:17:11.410 --> 00:17:15.470 were quite distorting. This was a letter written 00:17:15.470 --> 00:17:20.990 back in 1890 about the hymn, What a Friend We 00:17:20.990 --> 00:17:24.910 Have in Jesus. Now, that one is still popular 00:17:24.910 --> 00:17:28.289 today. We've got modernized versions of that. 00:17:30.240 --> 00:17:34.359 It's insane. Insane numbers of people have done 00:17:34.359 --> 00:17:38.200 that one. The point is, people become stuck in 00:17:38.200 --> 00:17:40.259 their ways, and they want the music of their 00:17:40.259 --> 00:17:42.500 youth, or possibly to go back to the old hymnals 00:17:42.500 --> 00:17:45.819 that they used to know. On a side note here, 00:17:45.920 --> 00:17:47.680 I'd like to just mention, the music that these 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:51.759 people want to go back to, when it came out, 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:53.319 when it was new, it was considered controversial 00:17:53.319 --> 00:17:56.920 as well. Of course, these are the legalists. 00:17:57.309 --> 00:17:59.410 They get all wrapped up in their traditions. 00:17:59.609 --> 00:18:02.950 They're more wrapped up in that than actual worship, 00:18:03.250 --> 00:18:05.349 right? Because it's all about going through the 00:18:05.349 --> 00:18:07.990 motions. Everything has to be done a certain 00:18:07.990 --> 00:18:10.930 way at a certain time. And they're missing out 00:18:10.930 --> 00:18:15.490 on the point. Ecclesiastes 7, verse 10, the Bible 00:18:15.490 --> 00:18:20.029 says, Do not say, Why were the former days better 00:18:20.029 --> 00:18:23.430 than these? For you do not inquire wisely concerning 00:18:23.430 --> 00:18:28.309 this. We hear this, a lot in different things. 00:18:28.369 --> 00:18:31.849 People cling to the good old days, right? The 00:18:31.849 --> 00:18:35.329 good memories. They forget about the rest, right? 00:18:35.470 --> 00:18:38.430 It's like, oh, back in the day, it's like, okay, 00:18:38.490 --> 00:18:41.750 grandpa, sit down, right? And I'm the first to 00:18:41.750 --> 00:18:45.509 admit, I've done the same thing, right? However, 00:18:46.809 --> 00:18:48.990 you know, when we look back at it, there were 00:18:48.990 --> 00:18:52.890 troubles back then too. You know, legalists, 00:18:52.890 --> 00:18:54.769 they like to think that if we just go back to 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:58.440 how they remember things as, you know, the good 00:18:58.440 --> 00:19:01.079 stuff, the good old days, that everything's going 00:19:01.079 --> 00:19:04.619 to be well. You know, they forget that our focus 00:19:04.619 --> 00:19:08.799 isn't on the past and how the world, you know, 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:12.940 our focus should be on Jesus. Not how the world 00:19:12.940 --> 00:19:17.619 has changed, but on Jesus. In Mark 7, verses 00:19:17.619 --> 00:19:21.660 4 -23, Jesus talks about this hypocrisy and how 00:19:21.660 --> 00:19:24.880 legalists place tradition just as high and often 00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:28.059 higher than God's word itself. Don't get me wrong. 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:31.400 Traditions are good and fine. We have them for 00:19:31.400 --> 00:19:34.200 a reason. However, they're only good and fine 00:19:34.200 --> 00:19:39.259 as long as they shine a light on God and serve 00:19:39.259 --> 00:19:43.440 to encourage or point the way to Him. Once they 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:47.910 become elevated, To a point of equal or higher 00:19:47.910 --> 00:19:50.930 than God's word? You know, or even replace it? 00:19:51.009 --> 00:19:55.049 Guess what? They've become an idol! Now, musical 00:19:55.049 --> 00:19:57.589 taste, they have an influence here. But it's 00:19:57.589 --> 00:20:00.369 not as much as it's widely accepted that Christian 00:20:00.369 --> 00:20:05.210 music is just different, right? But does it need 00:20:05.210 --> 00:20:10.069 to be? No! Now, it doesn't mean that it all needs 00:20:10.069 --> 00:20:12.710 to be pop or it all needs to be country. I mean, 00:20:12.730 --> 00:20:14.309 it could be rock. It could be punk. It could 00:20:14.309 --> 00:20:17.329 be blues, metal, rap, hip -hop, R &B, and so 00:20:17.329 --> 00:20:21.690 on and so forth. All genres can be used to the 00:20:21.690 --> 00:20:24.789 benefit of the Lord and getting His Word out 00:20:24.789 --> 00:20:27.809 to the people. And the Word tells us everything 00:20:27.809 --> 00:20:33.309 can be used by the Lord. He will use everything 00:20:33.309 --> 00:20:38.319 to His glory, right? This is going to bring me 00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:40.500 into our next point here. I'm trying to stay 00:20:40.500 --> 00:20:42.799 on course and not go down too many rabbit trails 00:20:42.799 --> 00:20:45.819 because I know this is already a lengthy message 00:20:45.819 --> 00:20:48.420 as is. Our next point is the power of music. 00:20:48.700 --> 00:20:51.019 And I promise you, we're getting close here, 00:20:51.059 --> 00:20:54.859 folks. We're getting real close. Earlier, I mentioned 00:20:54.859 --> 00:20:59.619 music impacts so many parts of our lives. And 00:20:59.619 --> 00:21:02.500 it helps us to cope with things. In Acts 16, 00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:07.000 verses 22 through 25, Paul and Silas, they were 00:21:07.000 --> 00:21:10.400 wrongly arrested, stripped, beaten, and then 00:21:10.400 --> 00:21:14.099 not only jailed, but their feet were put in stocks. 00:21:14.319 --> 00:21:16.900 Let's paint this picture. Their clothes were 00:21:16.900 --> 00:21:21.240 taken off. Usually ripped off, right? And then 00:21:21.240 --> 00:21:23.859 using rods, they were flogged. Basically, they 00:21:23.859 --> 00:21:27.099 were beaten mercilessly. And then as if that 00:21:27.099 --> 00:21:29.079 wasn't bad enough, they're sat down in a jail, 00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:31.579 likely on a surface that wasn't very comfortable 00:21:31.579 --> 00:21:34.559 to begin with, right? Just a hard, dirty floor. 00:21:36.539 --> 00:21:40.819 And they were locked in the stocks around their 00:21:40.819 --> 00:21:42.940 ankles. So they're already sitting down on the 00:21:42.940 --> 00:21:45.200 floor and then their ankles are locked in those 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:47.799 stocks. So their backs are already in severe 00:21:47.799 --> 00:21:49.960 pain. So they probably couldn't even sit back 00:21:49.960 --> 00:21:52.059 because of it, let alone lean back on something. 00:21:52.599 --> 00:21:55.859 And they were locked. So trying to adjust to 00:21:55.859 --> 00:21:58.240 try to find some kind of comfort is out of the 00:21:58.240 --> 00:22:02.299 question. And prisoners in these positions, well... 00:22:02.539 --> 00:22:04.799 I'm not trying to get graphic here. I'm not trying 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:06.420 to be gross. I'm just trying to be honest and 00:22:06.420 --> 00:22:09.039 paint a real picture here. How well do you imagine 00:22:09.039 --> 00:22:11.000 that they relieved themselves when they had to 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:14.500 go? It doesn't matter. Number one, number two, 00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:18.680 whatever. Not a pretty sight. Not a pretty smell. 00:22:19.059 --> 00:22:21.759 Matter of fact, some people after getting beaten 00:22:21.759 --> 00:22:26.259 like this became nauseous. Where do you think 00:22:26.259 --> 00:22:29.789 they vomited? I'm not trying to be gross and 00:22:29.789 --> 00:22:31.789 I apologize if that hits your ick factor. I'm 00:22:31.789 --> 00:22:35.950 not trying to do that. I want us to realize the 00:22:35.950 --> 00:22:39.029 real picture and the true gravity of the situation 00:22:39.029 --> 00:22:43.069 that they were in. This is one of the worst positions 00:22:43.069 --> 00:22:47.970 for anyone to be in. But what did they do? What 00:22:47.970 --> 00:22:51.789 did they do? They sang. They prayed and they 00:22:51.789 --> 00:22:55.809 sang. They sang hymns to God. And the Bible says 00:22:55.809 --> 00:22:59.369 it right there in Acts 16. 25. They prayed and 00:22:59.369 --> 00:23:02.089 sang hymns to God. They used their music to help 00:23:02.089 --> 00:23:04.829 with their situation and to continue to praise 00:23:04.829 --> 00:23:09.410 God. Not to beg for help or mercy, rather simply 00:23:09.410 --> 00:23:12.690 just to praise Him. Because they knew He was 00:23:12.690 --> 00:23:15.809 with them. It's something they continued on and 00:23:15.809 --> 00:23:18.710 praised for other prisoners to hear even. They 00:23:18.710 --> 00:23:21.849 demonstrated that no matter what's going on in 00:23:21.849 --> 00:23:23.970 our lives, no matter how hard it is, how tough 00:23:23.970 --> 00:23:28.319 things get, no matter our situation, we still 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:31.099 need to praise the Lord. There's still something 00:23:31.099 --> 00:23:36.539 there to praise Him for. The bottom line, we 00:23:36.539 --> 00:23:41.759 need to praise God. Even at our lowest points, 00:23:42.019 --> 00:23:44.940 He's there with us. He cares for us. He wants 00:23:44.940 --> 00:23:46.880 what's best for us. Best for us. He wants that 00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:49.279 relationship with us. He wants to be able to 00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:52.079 get us through those tough times. And they knew. 00:23:52.279 --> 00:23:56.019 They knew God was with them. Just like he's here 00:23:56.019 --> 00:23:58.819 with us. He's here with you. He's here with me. 00:23:58.960 --> 00:24:03.119 He's here with all of us. And the music. The 00:24:03.119 --> 00:24:06.160 music took their focus off that torment. Off 00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:10.059 the troubles. Instead of filling them with hate 00:24:10.059 --> 00:24:12.279 and discontent. It filled them with joy. Because 00:24:12.279 --> 00:24:15.339 it helped to elevate their mindset. Above what 00:24:15.339 --> 00:24:18.880 was happening to them. And focus on what was 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:21.059 most important. That first love that we should 00:24:21.059 --> 00:24:25.720 all focus on. God. That is the power of music. 00:24:25.759 --> 00:24:30.359 Because of the glory of God. Did you ever think 00:24:30.359 --> 00:24:35.759 of that? Go ahead into Colossians chapter 1. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:38.779 So Colossians chapter 1 verses 16 through 17. 00:24:41.259 --> 00:24:44.079 So Colossians 1, 16 through 17, the word says, 00:24:44.240 --> 00:24:48.119 For by him all things were created that are in 00:24:48.119 --> 00:24:51.420 heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, 00:24:51.660 --> 00:24:55.079 whether thrones or dominions or principalities, 00:24:55.099 --> 00:24:59.299 also translated as rulers, or powers, also translated 00:24:59.299 --> 00:25:03.559 as authorities. All things were created through 00:25:03.559 --> 00:25:09.930 him and for him. And he is before all things 00:25:09.930 --> 00:25:14.029 and in him all things consist. Music was created 00:25:14.029 --> 00:25:18.490 by him and for him. So how can using it in worship 00:25:18.490 --> 00:25:24.809 possibly be wrong? The answer is it can't. The 00:25:24.809 --> 00:25:31.190 legalists are wrong. They're dead wrong. In Colossians 00:25:31.190 --> 00:25:34.450 chapter 3 verse 16. Oh, I love that. Colossians 00:25:34.450 --> 00:25:38.910 3 verse 16. No, not your Austin 316 for your 00:25:38.910 --> 00:25:42.150 wrestling fans. Get that out of your mind. Yes, 00:25:42.190 --> 00:25:43.950 I know. It came to my mind too. That's why I 00:25:43.950 --> 00:25:45.569 said it. I was a big wrestling fan back in the 00:25:45.569 --> 00:25:48.950 day. But Colossians 316, the Bible says, Let 00:25:48.950 --> 00:25:52.450 the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all 00:25:52.450 --> 00:25:56.390 wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another 00:25:56.390 --> 00:26:00.549 in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing 00:26:00.549 --> 00:26:05.970 with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Gratitude. 00:26:06.839 --> 00:26:10.299 It's a thankful heart. One that opens easily 00:26:10.299 --> 00:26:13.000 to the Lord and praises Him with cheer. Not hate, 00:26:13.099 --> 00:26:15.819 not discontent, not the need to be constantly 00:26:15.819 --> 00:26:18.400 evaluating what's wrong in your life, trying 00:26:18.400 --> 00:26:22.240 to compare it with others. You know, I gotta 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:25.839 tell you, it must absolutely suck to always feel 00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:28.970 like everyone's out to get you. You know, I feel 00:26:28.970 --> 00:26:31.009 bad for people who feel that way. You know, that 00:26:31.009 --> 00:26:33.809 feeling that everyone has an agenda or that they're 00:26:33.809 --> 00:26:35.789 trying to take you out. And I'm going to tell 00:26:35.789 --> 00:26:37.670 you right now, if you hear this and that's you, 00:26:37.910 --> 00:26:42.609 stop. Stop. Stop looking at your life like that. 00:26:42.730 --> 00:26:45.109 If you're truly a believer, if you're truly a 00:26:45.109 --> 00:26:47.289 follower of Christ, you're truly a Christian, 00:26:47.430 --> 00:26:51.730 you truly trust in Jesus, you don't have to worry 00:26:51.730 --> 00:26:55.289 about others coming after you because he has 00:26:55.289 --> 00:27:00.059 your back. There's always going to be a naysayer 00:27:00.059 --> 00:27:01.980 out there. There's always going to be someone 00:27:01.980 --> 00:27:04.960 saying out there that there's no anointing over 00:27:04.960 --> 00:27:06.980 you or your life. They don't know what they're 00:27:06.980 --> 00:27:09.119 talking about. They just want the limelight on 00:27:09.119 --> 00:27:13.980 them. Ignore them. If you feel compelled that 00:27:13.980 --> 00:27:16.299 you have to do something, pray for them and move 00:27:16.299 --> 00:27:21.640 along. Getting back on track. We need to recognize 00:27:21.640 --> 00:27:25.819 that Jesus was a rebel. Yeah, he was a rebel 00:27:25.819 --> 00:27:31.430 who stood. for what was right, for what is right. 00:27:31.930 --> 00:27:35.069 Rock music and other forms of music have always 00:27:35.069 --> 00:27:38.190 been regarded as rebellious forms of music as 00:27:38.190 --> 00:27:42.190 well. You know, people talked about, I don't 00:27:42.190 --> 00:27:44.309 know how many musicians, Elvis is a prime example. 00:27:44.430 --> 00:27:47.950 Oh, that's the devil's music, right? So don't 00:27:47.950 --> 00:27:50.950 worry. Don't listen to them. Raise your hands, 00:27:50.990 --> 00:27:54.970 raise your voice, and raise a hallelujah to the 00:27:54.970 --> 00:28:13.630 Lord. Psalm 150 tells us, Praise Him with loud 00:28:13.630 --> 00:28:26.670 cymbals. Praise Him with clashing cymbals. Let 00:28:26.670 --> 00:28:31.569 everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise 00:28:31.569 --> 00:28:35.470 the Lord! So raise your voice, sing, and play 00:28:35.470 --> 00:28:38.869 your music for the Lord because it truly is His 00:28:38.869 --> 00:28:48.490 favorite noise. Let it all praise the Lord. Remember, 00:28:48.670 --> 00:28:54.359 you are loved and you are blessed. Now go and 00:28:54.359 --> 00:29:23.650 be the church. Until next time, take care and 00:29:23.650 --> 00:29:24.569 God bless.