Worship in Truth: Biblical Truth

Good morning, my dear friends. Right, as you know, we came up

with a thing that we wanted to see how we can bring worship as

a whole into all of our values. Today.

The value I'm looking at is biblical truth.

And when I'm talking about worship, I'm going to be meaning

song worship, singing worship and what it is that we do.

So as I say, it's what I do most weeks.

You see me up there most weeks strumming the guitar and singing

my little lungs out because I just feel that it is important

that songs are are what we sing like we saw this morning.

They're songs of truth. So when we we sing worship, when

we come together to sing worship, the first thing it

does, it brings us into the presence of God.

You can't help when you're actually declaring truth to

actually start raising up inside you.

Your spirit raises up inside you and before you know it, it takes

your hands up and you say, Jesus, like we said, the last

song, only you. When we sing in worship, we are

imparting truth to ourselves and to one another because as we are

in this room here, whether you know the song or not, it doesn't

really matter. People are singing and you can

listen, you can look at the words up on the on the board.

So it's really exciting to think that we are not just singing to

our to our own souls, our own spirit, but we are actually

singing to one another. And this is what we're called to

do. On a typical Sunday, if you've

been with us for a few times, it involves a time of worship and a

time of listening to God's word. Well, we've done the worship

bit. Now we're doing God's word bit.

But all this worship, worship goes starts here.

When you set your heart on coming to church in the morning,

that's when worship starts. It starts with the chairs that

are being put up, the first chair being put down.

It's it's going on in our kids work next door worship.

They are serving God because that's what worship is.

It's about us giving our bodies and giving it to God in worship

in every area of our lives. So although we're talking about

song worship today, worship has already been taking place,

right? So both worship and word have a

similar amount of time when we meet on a Sunday morning.

So it is important that what we do during worship, the singing,

the lyrics, the spiritual songs that we sing, prayers, scripture

reading are all based and it comes from the truth of God's

Word. Now we are all different and,

and I know some of you love the worship and some love the

teaching. It's just one of those things.

We are born differently. But what I will say is as I go

into the day that nothing replaces God's holy word.

Nothing, because it is from God's holy word that we worship.

It's from God's holy word that we serve.

It's from God's holy word that we get inspired to do whatever

the giftings He's given us. So nothing comes.

If we were just the church that's came here and worshipped

every Sunday morning, we would be lacking in so many areas of

our gifts. So we come here, the word is

Parliament about the and hearing biblical truth.

And it's from that that this is where new songs are comes from

guys over the generation from generation.

They sit down, they read a bit of scripture and then God comes

upon them and they think, I'm going to write a lyric about

this, I'm going to write a new song.

So every generation there's a new creation and new songs as

they come through. God is the creator.

We are in his image. So we also love to create.

And musicians will continue to create.

So it's not a case of staying back and doing songs, which we

did 20 years ago all the time. We move forward, move forward.

I try to as my responsibility as your worship leader in one sense

is to try to make sure it's paced right so we don't hear too

many new songs and suddenly we we're all learning at the same

time. So there's a balance between

bringing some of the good old ones with the, you know, the new

ones that we do. So I want you to be today.

It's more like an encouraging word.

And and that's what I want to look at, you know, encouraging

you that to say that in worship, you can really, really get some

true benefits. You know, there there's healing

in worship. There's battles to be fought.

You do it in worship and it it, it just helps.

This is what Paul says. He instructs us to follow as a

fellowship when we meet together.

He says let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as a

member of one body you were called to peace.

So I hope as you came in here, you may have had a, you know,

you may have got up in the morning and it's a bit hectic.

But as you started to come towards church, I prayed that

the peace of God was in your hearts.

And as you sat down and you sung the first song, I wanted you to

say, Yep, I'm ready for you, Lord, I'm ready, ready to be

part of what you want me to be. Lord, we come in being thankful.

We let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you

teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms,

hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with

gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in

Word or deed, do it all in the name of Lord Jesus, giving

thanks to God the Father through him.

We are gathered as children of God.

We are gathered as one body, one family.

There is no me focus when you come in here.

It has to be Christ centred, God focused.

Our focus is like Paul said, there is Lord Jesus and giving

thanks to God the Father through him.

Now Paul wrote this letter also telling us that singing worship

can be a way in which we teach and admonish one another.

And quite often I do that 'cause when I get another song, I look

up on the board when I'm out there or when I'm looking

through these songs as I'm singing it, I, I, another truth

is revealed to me. I thought, wow, what a way of

putting it that that person in their time when they sat down

with God is actually giving seen something I didn't see.

He's not going off the truth, but he's putting it in a way

which I can understand. So I teach myself and also

sometimes we sing songs up there and we say like a like a song,

we say, I, I surrender all. It's a most hard song for us to

sing truthfully, I surrender all.

So it challenges us. Do we surrender?

Maybe we sit there and we think, OK, I need to, I, I need to sort

this out with God. I need to give this bit in my

life to God. So it, it does.

I, I believe Paul's very truth, what true, very right when he

says it is. It is for teaching and to

admonish us. And then there's the songs from

the Spirit. I know I've seen it.

I've been in churches for a long time and I know sometimes when

we start singing in the Spirit, you can feel uncomfortable, but

it's biblical. There are two types of singing

that we do from in the Spirit of God.

One is we use our own tongues. Nobody.

It's a gift of God. If you want it, you can just ask

God for it. It's where you spring.

And it may sound like gibberish, gibberish to you, but it's like,

you know, I can go into it now. That's my song.

I don't know what I said, but I was saying to God, OK, in when

we meet together, part of worship is somebody God may come

upon somebody and give them a tongue to bring and they speak

it out for the edification of the church for the to, to for us

all to say Amen to that. And so somebody will speak a

tongue. They don't know what they're

saying. They're looking for somebody in

here to interpret. This is part of worship.

This is song worship. What comes out of that is but

this that that tongue is not about our woes and our rights.

So it's not like, oh Lord, I feel in a dreadful way.

I know you can help me, but you know, I'm just giving it to you

now. That's not what would be about

what we would hear or the interpretation would be upward

to God. God, you're so magnificent.

Lord, I I can't understand why you would love a Wretch like me.

I can't understand. You provide everything I need.

You are the God of all creation. You are the God of salvation.

It's those type of prayers. They go up.

So it said edit. You know, we we're and then the

whole church can say, yeah, I agree with that.

That's magnificent. God's in this place today.

It's just absolutely fantastic. So now where was I?

Yes, OK, singing is good though. Look at this.

Sorry I don't know if you can read that, but Psalm 96 says

sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord or the earth.

Psalm 95.1 says come let us. Sing for joy to the Lord.

Let us let's shout to the rock of our salvation.

Psalm 100 and 433. I will sing to the Lord all my

life. I will sing to my God as long as

I live. We are called to be singers.

We are called to open our mouths and fill our lungs and declare

the praises of God. This is what we're.

This is what we're born to do. It's called worship.

Here you go, this. I love this song.

Love this song. Shout to the Lord.

All the earth burst into jubilant song with music.

Make music to the Lord with the heart, with the heart, and with

the sound of singing we trumpet and the blast of the ram's horn.

Shout for joy before the Lord the King.

Let the sea now even creation is coming on this.

They're singing along with us. Heaven singing, we're singing,

creation singing. Let the sea resound and

everything in it, the world and all who live in it.

Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together

for joy. Let them sing before the Lord,

for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in

righteousness and the people with equity, which he means

fairness. Now we have, we have some lovely

Nigerian brothers and sisters with us and I know that they

know how to worship in a loud noise, don't you guys?

You know how to hit the drum and you go, don't you?

Yeah, well, I think it's great. We ought to catch you up

sometimes. We ought to catch you up, I

reckon. Actually, I thought, I reckon it

was the Nigerians that actually would walk round Jericho.

And I reckon it will come down in three days, not, not 7.

But there you go anyway. Research tells us that there are

benefits to singing. There are.

It reduces stress. So I hope if you're stressed

before you came in here this morning, your stress levels have

gone down because you've been singing.

It improves mood. Now I know there's a few that

could have their moods improved. No one could come in in here

Moody. How can you be Moody when you

start singing those songs? I'll tell you all, how can you?

You know we come before God. I'm going off script already.

You come before God and you sing songs.

Now if you get before the Lord with prayer, sometimes you can

do your shopping lists. I wonder.

Sometimes you can come before the God and read His Word again.

You get interrupted and you start to wonder.

You will not wonder if you're singing worship songs.

You you try it. How great is our God?

I've got to pick the kids up the 5:00 sing with me.

How great is our God? I've got to get the eggs from

the shop or we'll see how you don't work, does it?

You got it. Worship keeps you in the place.

Singing keeps you in the place of worship.

So that's why it's good. I think it's good.

It also is great for mental alertness, memory and

concentration, enhances lung function, boost immunity, just

to name a few. You're right now I was brought

up on secular music and some of their songs were good.

You know, I love Fleetwood Mac, I love Courtney Rebel, I love

Elton John. This could go on, but Dire

Straits is my favourite. I love the I love the guitar in

Dire Straits. But if I was listening to a lot

of well, most secular songs are about love, whether it's a good

relationship or a bad relationship, but it sort of

twists a little bit onto lust as well.

It's they're the most popular songs, but there's songs on sex,

there's songs on drugs, there's songs on political views.

And most of them don't make any sense because I've checked out

the lyrics I looked through when I was students.

I looked what were the best over the last 10 years?

What's the top singles that are being sung?

I got, I can't tell you, but I was looking at them and now I've

looked at the lyrics and I thought I am a clue what you're

singing about. I have not got a clue.

I know. Thank you, my darling.

But good worship, good. And I do say good worship

because not all worship is good. And this is what we're saying.

Biblical truth songs that sing biblical truth.

People talk about bring back the good old hymns.

We're not going to tell you there's some pretty bad old

hymns, and there's some pretty bad modern songs as well.

So good worship songs are very different.

Within these songs we find truth, we find purpose, we find

the person of Jesus, real love and restoration from the good

Father and true hope and identity in God the Holy Spirit.

And I, I did my research on singing and I came to a part

where I said, do you anybody know what The Who wrote the

first song that was actually recorded in the Bible?

It's Moses. Moses, Moses, remember Moses, he

met God in the burning Bush. Moses was sent, sent by God to

go to the Hebrews who were in K in captive in Egypt.

And he was going to lead the matinee.

And he leads the mountain. He gets them across the Red Sea.

And then just as they thought, Oh no, we thought we'd escaped

the, the Egyptian Chariots and armies come across the Red Sea.

But God says, no, no, you're not coming any further.

The oceans fall over them and he destroyed the armies.

Moses knew he experienced. He saw what God did and the in

in Exodus 15, you get the whole song, but I've just taken like a

a little bit of a snip bite of this and it said it starts by

saying I will sing to the Lord for he is highly exhorted.

The Lord is my strength. He says the Lord is my defence.

He is my salvation. He's my warrior.

Who among the gods are like you, Lord?

He was lifting them back. Remember, the Egyptians had a

load of gods. The whole world had loads of

gods. But he knew the one God who is

like you, Lord. Then He goes, You are who is

like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working

wonders in your unfailing love. You will lead the people you

have redeemed. He is leading us today by His

Spirit. We have been redeemed.

We are walking His way. He lives within us by His

Spirit. In your strength you will guide

them to your holy dwelling. The Lord reigns forever and

ever. Moses knew where his salvation

comes from. And if you know Jesus today, you

know where your salvation comes. That song or that that song

speaks exactly today. God is our strength.

He's guiding us through this life to the eternal heaven, new

heaven and earth, which we we will be part of.

So the holy place, his holy dwelling.

So as he did with the people back then, it was a foreshadow

of what he's doing to his people or through generations, leading

them, walking amongst them. Then I saw are you there's no

one if you're going through battles, This is where a song

can really help you. The songs it it could be an

illness, it could be cancer, it could be a marriage break.

They something that you see the mountain and you start looking

through the eyes of your own human eyes.

And when you look at a mountain from our perspective, you're

looking up and it looks big. If we can get ourselves into the

presence of God and see it through his eyes, we see a

speck. It's not as big as what we ever

think it is. So there's a, there's a, there's

a lovely story again in the Old Testament, two Chronicles 20, we

read that there's an army of Moabites, Ammonites, and some

Mennonites. They're all Knights and bites

and they wage war against King Jehoshaphat.

He's the Jew, the king at the time.

And the first thing, so here's here's here's here's the first

lesson. When you're facing a battle,

when you're really struggling and you see no way out, the

first thing they do is they say he inquired of the Lord.

Then all of Judah came together to fast and seek the Lord.

They cried out to God saying we have no power to face this fast

army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but

our eyes are on you. You facing a battle now,

whatever it is in your life, get before the Lord, get before the

presence, get him, get it there and seek him, but trust him,

trust Him. You, you seek him in faith.

And I don't know what to do, but my eyes, no matter where.

No, that's getting a bit close. No, I don't.

I'm not looking at that. Oh, that's getting that, that

that deadline's arriving. No, I'm not looking at that.

I'm going to keep my eyes on you.

Martin Smith even makes a song. I don't know what to do, but my

eyes are on you. It's a lovely song, really.

So God answers them, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.

How many times has God got to tell his children, do not be

afraid, do not be discouraged. We need to hear it more often.

So often we, we, we, we, we get ourselves into a situation and

then we call God into it. We need to give the other way

round. We need to have God with us.

So when we walk in the situation, we know that God is

there with us. So.

He says do not be afraid, do not be discouraged because of this

vast army, for the battle is not yours, but God's.

We sing the song on that one, don't we, Phil Wickham?

Don't he? You know the battle belongs to

you. When I fight, I'll fight on my

knees with my hands lifted high. Oh God, the battle belongs to

you. And every fear I lay at your

feet I sing through the night. Oh God, the battle belongs to

you. They would not even have to

fight, but we're told to take up position and stand firm and see

the deliverance of Yahweh. When you're in a battle, you do

not sit down and think, oh, I'm a cup of tea and have a coffee.

I'll sit and watch TV, Netflix or something like that.

I'll just let God get on with it.

No, we are still called to position ourselves to stand firm

if you want to. I think it's in Peter.

I think it says those who stand firm in their faith, that's when

the devil will flee. So this is what happens.

Jehoshaphat sent appointed singers to go before the army

singing of God's splendour and holiness, saying give thanks to

the Lord, his love and yours forever.

If you want to be join me up here in this worship group.

Be wary because you might, we might be the ones out in the

front of the battle and we won't have any swords or any

instruments. All we have is our voices

declaring the praises of God, and that's more powerful than

anything else. It's a great, great, great sort

of weapon to use. The invading armies at the end

of the story says the invading armies turned against one

another and Judah. All they had to do was carry off

the plunder of these armies. See, worship is a great weapon

to help us look to God and allow him to be our strength in every

way. Maybe another story I've got

here from again, the Old Testament is about do you

struggle with anxiety, fear and peace.

In one Samuel 1623, we read that Saul, now Saul was the first

king of Israel, the first king, but sadly he was disobedient to

God. He did a few things that God

that was against God, what God commanded him and God took his

anointing off him. And also then God also allowed

an evil spirit to torment him and this tormenting.

So he he he sort of really sort of like struggled.

So he searched the land for somebody who could soothe him

and they found young David who would become King David

eventually, who slew Goliath. He was a guy that could play the

the leer, the harp. And in the middle of our Bibles,

you'll find a load of Psalms. A lot of them Psalms are David.

He was a songster. Is that right song?

I write songs. He I don't know.

And every time David played, the evil spirit left him.

Every time without fail, the evil spirit would leave him.

Please don't mishear me here. I'm not saying if you struggle

with anxiety or you struggle with fear, peace or or or or

depression, do not say, Oh, I got an evil spirit.

I'm not saying that at all. What I am saying though, is in

those times you feel it rising up.

How about trying to play some worship music and you know, and

try to find relief like because it, it's in those times, people

say, why don't you pray when sometimes you don't even feel

like praying. Sometimes you don't.

You don't want to open God's Word, but what's wrong with

having a worship set alongside you?

All you have to do is press a button.

Prepare for those days, you know, just press the button.

You don't, you're not even going to think, oh, I don't know what

song. Get a get a set list together,

press the button and just sit. If you can open your mouth and

sing, you can. If not, don't.

This is the most beautiful way I think Psalm there is.

I'm just going to leave it up there.

You can read it. It's Psalm 23.

I think it just, if you read it and just let it go into you,

your spirit, I just think it just, it brings so much peace to

me every time I read this particular Psalm.

But while that's up there, I'm going to go on to another little

story. Now we're coming to the New

Testament. Acts 16, we read after being

flogged and imprisoned, Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns.

What time was it? Midnight.

You know what happened, He said. All the ones in the gaol, they

were, they listened to them. So through songs of worship to

God and truth, the other prisoners around them heard

truth. OK, now what happened?

Then a big earthquake came. Their chains were broken.

The prison gates were opened. And the prison, the gaoler

thought that all the prisons escaped.

He was going to kill himself. But poor shouts out to him, No,

don't, don't do that. Don't do I'm we're all here.

We stayed in and he's in all his responses.

What do I need to do to be saved?

And that night, him, the gaoler and his whole household became

saved. And that's all through these

guys starting in declaring even the dark place of a cell, they

just sang out. Now it's interesting when we

sing our songs on Sunday morning here, or like we did at

Christmas or like we did at Easter we did on the streets,

visitors or passers bys hears the truth of the songs we're

singing. Now we do not know what they're

going to do with that truth, but who knows that a little seed may

not have been woken, a little phrase that they heard might

linger in their heads and who knows where salvation is?

Jesus is on their case. The last little illustration,

but it's just a very quick passing is basically before the

darkest night of Jesus life. And after he had the supper with

his disciples, his friends, they got up.

Jesus knew what was going to he was going to they got up, but

they still sang him to the Lord. They still sang a song to the

Lord to lead you on a Sunday morning in worship.

I tell you what, it is a great honour.

It is a great privilege. I've ever since I've been here

and I believe in this one thing. I know you guys absolutely are

with me. I hear your voices like we did

this morning. I'm sure Ben would have heard it

from there. It's different when you're that

side you don't always hear. You suddenly hear the voices

shouting out praises to the Lord.

That's worship and it's a privilege to lead you in that.

I realise not all the songs I pick probably are everybody's

taste, but I do have three questions that I ask of myself

when I pick a song and I ask of those who I share these songs

with. But by the way also I love it

and keep doing this. Please keep doing this.

In this church, we have a WhatsApp page and it's where the

church just share information. It might be a prayer request,

but sometimes you put a song on or you do put a verse on.

It is good to encourage one another.

I listen to them songs, Some I put in the back of my ankle can

I use on a Sunday morning sometimes some I think what a

lovely, you know, song to have to sit and just sort of listen

to. I see where this person moves,

So what moves you? Please share it, keep doing it.

That's what I want to do, encourage you to keep doing

that. But the three things that I, I

look at is, is it God focused? Is it Christ centred?

Songs have to have to be Christ said.

I'll tell you why. Because if a non believer comes

in here and joins us, I want them to know who it is we're

worshipping, though I don't want any doubts about that.

And my prayer is for them to encounter the truth that will

set them free. And they they may get it another

way through the word. But I just through worship, it's

still my thing. Two things most people go out

with on a Sunday morning. It's the word of God in their

heart or maybe a song, but both that I want it to be the truth.

So when we leave here, we want to be rejoicing in truth.

The second thing I I will look for is biblical correctness.

So I want every song. So if there's any doubt in that

song that I think that is confusing, maybe people won't

quite understand that phrasing or that terminology, then it may

be a great song. But I'm, I cannot, I, I think,

no, I'm not going to put that we're talking about corporate

worship here. There's many songs that I do not

do that you can listen to at home and you worship on your

own. Go for it.

And the last thing is it's congregational.

And that's what I'm talking about.

Is it congregational? There's a lot of very much

personal songs. Even the songwriters probably

would think I've not wrote this for congregation.

I was sat down and I just felt the love of God come on me.

And I was overwhelmed by his love.

And I think, you know, great song for being at home sitting

down and thinking I can just relax in this like a glass of

wine. I can just sit here and watch

this. But maybe not quite right

because what we're singing will not actually, it's too much for

some of you to understand. It's too much for you to say

Amen to. So we have to be very, it has to

be congregational as well. So in conclusion, in all areas

of our life, biblical truths needs to be the foundation on

which we build anything, whether marriages, parenting, career,

finances, and even, you know, it's the main way that we serve

you or serve one another is through biblical truth.

And that is here. What we do here is, is through

the preaching and the teaching of the full council of God,

God's Word with worship being a true reflection and in line with

the same truth. Let me encourage you.

It's starting this week. It was great that Pete came out

this morning. And will you come preparing

yourself, preparing yourself with a verse, with a prayer?

Do not discount whether you heard it on Monday, this

afternoon, anytime in the week. Hold onto it and bring it to us

so that we all benefit from something that you read now.

If you don't prepare and be intentional about it, it's never

going to happen. So try to be more prepared.

I said thanks, Pete, for saying thank you for sharing this

morning. That's great.

So that's another thing I want to sort of just, that's the sort

of the, the homework because your contributions enrich and

enhances the worship. And we got time to finish on our

song. Can I have the worship group

back a minute 'cause we're gonna just wait to finish.

See. Cause true worship is body

ministry. So if you struggle, just ask God

the Holy Spirit, I help you. And you know he, he never fails

us. Try, as I said about the

battles, try putting worship in front of your problems.

Head them off with worship. Get the singing into your lungs.

Blast it out. Let worship help you in times

when you when fear, anxiety, depression knocks at the door.

Again, I said be prepared. Get a song list together.

So all you've got to do is hit that button and you've got music

going round your head. Singing is good for you.

Fill those lungs, move that body, raise those hands and

declare the truth about our most awesome God.

Let us rejoice in our God of all creation, His power, His might,

His grace, His mercy, His provision, His forgiveness,

salvation, protection, faithfulness, hope and truth,

and the list goes on and on and on.

We can sing so much about a great God.

Let us never be silent when we're praising God, Praise his

name. Ben's going to the crew's going

to lead us in the last song. Amen.

All right, let's stand. We're going to sing.

We're going to sing to our gods. It says up from the ashes your

love has brought us What wantable truth.

Out of the darkness you put us into the light, Lifting our

sorrows, bearing our burdens, healing our hearts, and then to

our gods. We lift up our voice, we sing

loud, we sing clear in one voice.

That means we're all singing to the same gods, the same Jesus

Christ. We sing our song.

We lift up our Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Praise the Lords.

Second verse as Tolu walked us through earlier.

Chains have been broken again. Wonderful truth.

The addiction bondage can be broken in Jesus Christ.

Is it Jesus? He breathes on us.

We were once dead, but now we're not just alive, but we're a

living army of of bones that have been dressed with flesh.

We have been. We are victorious.

Death is defeated. Let's sing Hallelujah.