Pastor Tom Johnson, October 16, 2011
The Psalmist has not taken an opinion poll. He’s not asking you. He is telling you. He is bidding you. He is calling you. “Sing!” “Sing to the Lord!” “Sing a new song!” The Holy Spirit has filled Psalmist up so much that he cannot contain it any more. His praise, thanksgiving, and worship has been welling up inside and he is ready to burst with song. He wants us to sing to the Lord. It’s not enough to thank him in monotone or using your indoor voice. He has done too many marvelous things. His name is too wonderful. His goodness has overflowed too much toward us for our praise not to raise new heights, melodies, harmonies, and tones. God wants us to sing a new song about an eternal God who has no beginning and will have no end—a new song about an ancient, redemptive history—a new song with fresh intensity, joyful melody, and profound harmony. This new song comes out of God renewing our spirits and restoring to us the joy of our salvation (Ps 51). This new song springs out of a heart that has discovered for the first time—or for the 1,000th time—God's unconditional love and life-transforming grace.
Next, he calls us further: "Declare God's glory among the nations and God's wonders among all peoples." God wants this choir to take God’s glory on the road—on an international tour of praise. When God fills our heart with this new song—when our spirits are overtaken by his mercy—it is impossible to contain to ourselves. Music is never meant to only be enjoyed alone in our solitude. It’s enjoyable and useful to play and practice alone. But ultimately, music is meant to be shared. Especially this new song. It is meant to be contagious. This praise should spread from person to person until all nations sing God’s universal praise. Music and singing is evangelistic. It is winsome. It is completely positive. It’s beauty attracts its hearers. It’s good news stirs our hearts into action and calls and gathers others to join our heavenly choir.
Martin Luther said, "Music is an endowment and a gift of God, not a gift of men. It drives away the devil and makes people cheerful; one forgets all anger, unchasteness, pride, and other vices. I place music next to theology and give it the highest praise. And we see how David and all saints put their pious thoughts into verse, rhyme, and songs, because music reigns in times of peace."
It is no accident that some of the most glorious music ever written was about Jesus. From Handel's Messiah to Bach's Mass in B Minor, even unbelievers transcend this earthly existence into the heavenly realm of Christ's death and resurrection assuring us of God's grace, love, and eternal life. It is no accident that R and B singer Jennifer Hudson found her soulful voice at her home church right here in Chicago. Her musical roots run deep into the hill of Calvary, the cross, the empty grave, and celebrating our salvation. Even the rapper Eminem lost his voice and was absent from the music scene for about seven years and recently showed back up with a vengeance, a rugged cross around his neck, and a renewed sense of purpose and faith in his Savior, Jesus Christ.
It is not an overstatement to say that we would not have classical music, jazz, or most of the forms of popular music if God's people weren't first singing in the cathedrals in Europe and singing on the plantation fields in the south. In all likelihood, if Jesus did not put new songs into the hearts of his people, turning on our radios would only have the empty drones of a powerless humanity.
Sing to the Lord a new song...all the earth...from day to day...among all peoples! Rediscover the wonder of who God is—the Creator of such a vast universe and yet deeply concerned and interested in every one of his creatures. Be overwhelmed with his magnificence, his presence everywhere, his loving dominion, and limitless power. And let those thoughts, feelings, and eternal truths well up inside like the psalmist and have to burst forth in song.
It’s okay to make music and song a part of our spiritual journey. Not everything we do needs to be analyzed, expressed in a formula, and sound like creedal statement. It is okay to be swept up in the fervor of the Gospel and carried along the wave of Christ’s praise. We know the epicenter of this earthquake is the shout of Jesus on the cross “It is finished” and the stone that rolled away to reveal an empty tomb. You have heard the phrase "preaching to the choir." The psalmist wants the choir to preach to us—and we with them—and all of us to the world.
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