Sermon Idea: Congregational Singing is a means of grace by which the peace and Word of Christ dwell in the church as members teach and admonish one another through song.
Introduction: It was a war of words, with pamphlets written with conviction and in a tone we would describe today as harsh. Those aware of the controversy began forming opinions and taking sides. The divide became so public and problematic that in 1692, the Particular Baptist General Assembly addressed the controversy.
One historian summarized the assembly’s work this way, “On the final day of the Assembly, a committee of seven pastors, appointed to examine the literature, returned a verdict indicating that several tracts had descended into name-calling, insinuation…In addition, they called for printed retractions on the part of several men involved, and named four books which they requested ‘that none of the Members of the Churches do buy, give, or disperse any of these books.”
What could cause such a division? What topic would attract so much attention, writing, and public debate?
The debate was whether congregations could sing hymns in corporate worship. We take this for granted today, but early Baptists wrestled with this question as they sought to worship the Lord as regulated by the Word of God.
Benjamin Keach was not the first Baptist pastor to encourage his congregation to sing in corporate worship, but he is remembered for his role in the hymn controversy. Keach argued that congregational singing was the church’s duty to worship God according to God’s Word.
Isaac Marlow, a wealthy jeweler and layman, argued that the Bible contains no such commands and that singing was to offer worship unacceptable to God that was not in accordance with God’s Word.
The problem for Marlow is that Scripture includes numerous examples of singing and commands to sing. This is why the church gathered to sing from its earliest days.
In a second-century letter to the Emperor, a servant named Pliny reported his investigation into Christians and noted, “…that they were accustomed to meet on a fixed day before dawn and sing responsively a hymn to Christ as to a god.
From the beginning, the church has been a people who sing to God and one another.
This brief trip down Baptist memory lane shows us that the worship wars are old. Thankfully, Marlow’s efforts proved unsuccessful, and many churches followed Keach’s example, believing that God not only provides us with models of congregational singing but also commands the church to sing to the praise and glory of His name.
Given that we probably take singing for granted, it is worth asking ourselves a few questions.
Why does the church sing? What should the church sing? Does it matter how we sing? Can we do whatever we want, however we want? If you instinctively and rightly believe that “no” must be the answer to that last question, then who regulates the what and how of the church’s singing?
For Benjamin Keach and many before and after him, God regulates how the church worships, including singing, and God regulates the church’s worship by his revealed will in Holy Scripture.
I want to form people and exemplify the idea that Scripture and doctrine drive practice. This is important because when we take Scripture and doctrine out of the driver’s seat, experience and preference step into it. When experience and preference drive practice, the church loses its ability to discern the difference between what is right and what is right in our own eyes.
For the remainder of this morning, I want to prove two general points: congregational singing is modeled in Scripture, and congregational singing is commanded in Scripture. Once we’ve done that, I want to turn all our attention to Colossians 3:16-17 to understand how singing is a means of grace. We’ll close with three basic practical applications.
I hope we’ll see that congregational singing is a means of grace, by which the peace and Word of Christ dwell in the church as members teach and admonish one another through song.
I.) Congregational singing is modeled in Scripture
Before we examine any examples of the people of God singing, it is worth considering how the Bible speaks of angels singing in the presence of God.
The Book of Job, which scholars tell us is the oldest book of the Bible, describes angels responding to their creation with shouts of joy as the stars sang.
7 When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (Job 38:7)
In Revelation, with Christ ascended and seated in heaven, the angels sing with one voice together.
11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. (Re 5:11–14)
The angels sing from the beginning of creation to the scene of heaven with Christ on the throne.
When the people of God gather and sing praises to God, we join in with a heavenly choir already in session. A new song is already being sung. It is most appropriate for worship on earth to reflect the worship in heaven, and it does when the congregation sings.
As for historical examples, we need to look no further than Israel’s corporate song of praise in Exodus 15 after God delivered them from slavery in Egypt and brought them safely across the Red Sea.
Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously (Ex 15:1)
With a unified and corporate voice, the redeemed people of God sing praises to God and one another. What do they sing? They sing about who God is, his character and attributes, and what God has done, the great salvation he worked for them.
11 “Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? (Ex 15:11)
13 “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have
redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode. (Ex 15:13)
Israel lifted their voices in song together because God had delivered them from Egypt through the shed blood of the passover lamb.
How much more should the church gather and sing because we have been delivered from sin and death through the shed blood of God’s only Son?
We don’t have the time to discuss the Psalms in detail, but it’s worth noting that there are several examples of corporate singing. Sure, there are individual Psalms of David and others, but even then, they would have been later sung by a corporate body. The Psalms are essentially the Bible’s hymnal.
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! (Ps 95:1–2)
We could give numerous other examples, but we can say at least now that the Bible models congregational singing in heaven and on earth, by angels and the people of God.
We need to see more than models, though. Is singing, and the singing of the congregation, commanded by God?
II.) Congregational singing is commanded in Scripture
Numerous commands are given for the people of God to sing in response to who God is and what God has done. Isaiah and the Psalms especially contain commands to sing. I’ll let Psalm 96:1-2 serve as an example, but know there are similar verses throughout Isaiah and the Psalms.
Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. (Ps 96:1–2)
Most pertinent for us, though, are the two New Testament texts that explicitly state that God commands his people to sing as a regular act of corporate worship.
As I read the following passages, I want you to note just how corporate the commands are.
be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Eph 5:18–21)
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col 3:16)
These are not suggestions. They are not mere elements of worship that could be disposed of or replaced by something else. These verses do not allow us to think of congregational singing as a neutral category in which we may or may not participate.
There are several things that we could never do, but still worship God faithfully as commanded in Scripture. Congregational singing is not one of those things. For the church to no longer practice participatory, congregational singing would neglect an essential way God desires and commands to be worshipped.
In Psalm 69:30-31, the Psalmist says that God is more pleased by singing than ceremonial acts of sacrifice.
30 I will praise the name of God with a song;
I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31 This will please the Lord more than an ox
or a bull with horns and hoofs (Ps 69:30–31)
Congregational singing is modeled in Scripture. It is commanded in Scripture. Lastly, by zeroing in on Colossians 3:16-17, we’ll see that congregational singing is a means of grace.
III.) Congregational singing is a means of grace in Scripture
In Colossians 3:16-17, Paul encourages the church to let the Word of Christ dwell in them richly. The Word of Christ is the gospel of Christ. The life, ministry, and worship of the church is to be gospel-centered, gospel-driven.
I don’t want to assume knowledge of the gospel, so let me share it briefly. God is holy and righteous, and we were created to be in communion with him. In our disobedience and sin, we’ve separated ourselves from God with no way back by our works, efforts, or obedience. The Word of Christ, the gospel, is the good news of Jesus Christ, who is both God and man, who lived in perfect obedience to God and then died in our place, paying the penalty for our sins on the cross. He was raised from the dead and is now the ascended Lord of all. God offers forgiveness, reconciliation, and eternal life to all who repent and trust in Jesus Christ through faith.
When the church gathers, the predominant focus should be the glory of God revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ and applied by the Holy Spirit. We are to fix our attention, eyes, ears, and hearts on God and all of God’s gracious works.
How do we do that? It may be tempting to read verse 16 and think that Paul provides two ways of letting the Word dwell in us: teaching, admonishing, and singing. A better reading, though, understands congregational singing to be how the congregation teaches and admonishes one another.
6 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col 3:16)
Friends, the church gathering is not for us to have private religious experiences amidst a bunch of other people.
To gather as the church is to gather for corporate worship, first for God’s glory and second for the church’s edification.
God has commanded us to sing as a congregation, so that as we sing to him, we also sing to one another, driving and anchoring the truth of God’s Word into one another’s hearts.
The direction of congregational singing is both vertical and horizontal. We sing praises to God and one another for God’s glory and the upbuilding of the church.
There are numerous practical applications we can draw from this one verse, and I will share those in a moment, but first, I want to ask you a question.
If God has commanded the church to sing corporately as a grace to one another, and it’s a way the church teaches and admonishes one another to keep following Jesus, is not the failure to sing a failure to love those we have promised to love as members of this church?
Our church covenant makes it very clear what commitments members make to one another. It reads, “…so we do now solemnly covenant with each other, as God shall enable us, that we will walk together in brotherly love; that we will exercise a Christian care and watchfulness over each other, and faithfully warn, rebuke, and admonish one another, as the case shall require.”
Friends, we need to sing God’s truth to one another with a love and zeal that aims to help one another keep following Jesus, to remind one another of the sweet assurances of the gospel, and call our attention to the living hope that is ours in Christ.
Sing! Sing to God and one another. Sing for the glory of God and the edification of the church.
Applying Colossians 3:16-17
1.) Why we sing matters.
We sing because God has commanded us to sing and because he is worthy of our praise. God is worthy of our songs simply because he is, but we also have many reasons to sing because of all God has done for us in salvation. This is why Paul says in verse 16 to sin, “…with thanksgiving in your hearts to God.” Why do we sing? Because God is worthy of our singing, has commanded our singing, and has done so much for us, proper thanksgiving includes singing.
It is worth asking whether our hesitancy or apathy to sing is a symptom of a deeper issue. One theologian from the 17th Century wrote, “If the heart were more spiritual and joyous, we would more readily praise the Lord with joyful song and thereby stir up ourselves and others.”
2.) What we sing matters.
If congregational singing is a means that the church teaches and admonishes one another (3:16), then the content of our songs matters much more than the melody and style of the songs we sing. That doesn’t mean those other things don’t matter; they do. It’s just that a beautiful melody with shallow lyrics will not edify the church.
We should sing songs about God’s character and nature as revealed in Scripture, Christ and his finished work, and our great salvation as applied by the Spirit. We want robust, beautiful, singable songs the entire congregation can sing.
We should also sing songs with lyrics and a tone representative of the range of the Christian life. We need songs of joy and lament, upbeat and slow, reflective songs. The Psalms minister to every possible human experience, and our songs should reflect the same.
You can imagine a struggling Christian gathering and hearing their fellow members sing to them.
When I fear my faith will fail
Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail
He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold
Through life’s fearful path
For my love is often cold
He must hold me fast
3.) How we sing matters.
If congregational singing is a means of grace intended to teach and admonish the church, then how the church sings matters. The primary instrument of the corporate worship gathering should be the congregation’s voice.
Instruments are encouraged, but the accompaniment must be used wisely so as not to drown out the congregation’s voice. The instruments should accompany the congregation’s voice, not vice versa.
Sing! Sing to God and one another. Sing for the glory of God and the edification of the church.
Nathaniel R. Martin 