Singing the Word / Colossians 3:15-16
Welcome to The Well. I am so glad you are hanging out with us this week. We are going to be in several different passages, so if you want to get a head start, turn to Exodus chapter 3. We are right in the middle of a series we’re calling The Gathering, and the whole purpose of this series is to reframe theologically what it means for us to assemble together.
If you have been with us, you are now in the third week of this journey exploring what it means to read, preach, and teach the Word of God as we gather. Last week, you heard Shay talk about what it means to pray the Word of God when we gather. This week, we are looking at the third installment: what it means for us to sing the Word of God as we gather.
We will dive into that in just a moment, but let me set it up a little bit. In our teaching team meeting this week—we have a lot of fun as a staff team—Shay was showing a picture of a t-shirt he was thinking about buying. It had a picture of Jesus—the standard picture you’d expect, where he looks like he’s from Michigan, even though we really don’t know what Christ looked like. And the quote on the shirt simply said: “I didn’t say that.” I thought that was pretty funny.
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the other one with a piece of fruit with a bite taken out of it that says, “My bad. —Eve.” That one might be the greatest understatement in human history: “My bad, I’ve just plunged mankind into sin for all of human existence.”
What is fascinating about Genesis 3 is that when Eve sins and mankind enters into depravity, an immediate sense of separation occurs between God and man. Before that moment, man was literally walking in the garden with God. There was an unbroken oneness, fellowship, and communion. When sin entered, that communion was fractured. As you trace the rest of your Bible, the entire story is God’s pursuit of fallen man, culminating in Jesus—the Second Adam—who redeems us through the cross and restores our relationship. But between Genesis 3 and the arrival of Christ, you see God reaching out to humanity, longing to reestablish a relationship of worship.
Delivered to Worship
If you have your Bibles open to Exodus 3, look at verse 12. We talk a lot about Moses at the burning bush—that transformational moment where God calls him out of obscurity to deliver Israel. Typically, we imagine a Charlton Heston figure walking before Pharaoh and saying, “Let my people go!” But we rarely finish the sentence: let my people go so that they might do what?
Notice what God tells Moses in verse 12:
Exodus 3:12 (NASB)
And He said, ‘Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.’
God told Moses, who was terrified, that bringing the people out of Egypt was meant to lead them right back to that mountain to worship Him. Some translations say “serve,” which carries the idea of offering, presenting, and ministering to God. The essence of the Exodus was a corporate call for the people of God to assemble and worship.
Think about what they had endured: 430 years of slavery, oppression, and immersion in Egyptian paganism. Over four centuries, they had lost the understanding of what it meant to commune with the true God. God brought them out not merely for physical freedom, but so that they could know Him, receive His Law, and worship Him again.
Now flip over to Exodus chapter 15. Moses goes toe-to-toe with Pharaoh, the plagues fall, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, and finally, God parts the Red Sea. When the people make it safely across and see the deliverance of the Lord, look at their immediate response:
Exodus 15:1 (NASB)
Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and said, ’I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.
When God brings His people out of captivity and delivers them from Pharaoh, their hearts overflow into song. The knowledge of the power and awesomeness of God compelled them to sing.
Psalms 98:4-6 (NASB)
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, With the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn Shout joyfully before the King, the LORD.
As the people gained a greater understanding of who God was, their natural response was melody and praise. First Chronicles echoes this exact heartbeat:
1 Chronicles 16:8-9 (NASB)
Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.
When the tabernacle and temple were established, God gave intricate instructions for every architectural detail, but He was just as specific about the music. First Chronicles 25 tells us that 288 trained musicians and singers were commissioned to minister at the temple. When the exiles returned under Ezra to rebuild the temple, they counted their camels, horses, and livestock, but Ezra 2 also specifically notes that they had 200 trained male and female singers. You simply cannot escape the reality that God’s people are meant to ascribe worth to Him through song.
The Song of the Redeemed
The Old Testament people of God were marked by being a vocal, verbal, melodic people who expressed praise through song. Even in Babylonian captivity, their captors recognized this:
Psalms 137:1-4 (NASB)
By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down and wept, When we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it We hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, And our tormentors mirth, [saying], ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion.’ How can we sing the LORD’S song In a foreign land?
Their captors taunted them: “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” Even in exile, they were known as a singing people. Why did they sing? They sang because of who God is, what God had done, and His steadfast love for them.
When you scan the Psalms, singing is everywhere:
Psalms 33:1-3 (NASB)
Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright. Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
Psalms 18:49 (NASB)
Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O LORD, And I will sing praises to Your name.
Psalms 40:3 (NASB)
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD.
Psalms 5:11 (NASB)
But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You.
Psalms 9:11 (NASB)
Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; Declare among the peoples His deeds.
Psalms 30:4 (NASB)
Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, And give thanks to His holy name.
Psalms 68:32 (NASB)
Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, Sing praises to the Lord, Selah.
Over and over again, their hearts were so full of the awe of God that song poured out. It brought delight to God to hear His creation adore Him. Jewish tradition in the Mishnah records that pious ancients would spend hours in praise before praying, filling the air with Psalms to prepare their hearts.
This pattern continues straight into the New Testament. When Zechariah learns he will father John the Baptist, he sings. When Mary is told she will bear the Messiah in Luke 1, she bursts into the Magnificat. Simeon holds the infant Jesus in Luke 2 and sings praise. In the Upper Room, before heading to Gethsemane, Jesus and His disciples sing a hymn together. And in Acts 16, when Paul and Silas are beaten and thrown into the inner dungeon in Philippi, what are they doing at midnight? They are praying and singing hymns to God while the other prisoners listen. Even in a dark prison cell, their hearts were anchored in God’s worth.
Acts 16:25 (NASB)
But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;
Singing the Word to One Another
What does the Bible teach about our corporate singing as the church gathered? Turn to Colossians chapter 3. In this passage, Paul is explaining what it looks like to put off the old self and put on the new:
Colossians 3:14-16 (NASB)
Beyond all these things [put on] love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms [and] hymns [and] spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Paul commands us to let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly, and then he immediately explains how that happens: through teaching and admonishing one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in our hearts to God.
Martin Luther once said:
“Music is a vehicle for proclaiming the Word of God. The gift of language combined with the gift of song was only given to man to let him know that he should praise God with both word and music—namely, by proclaiming God’s Word through music and by providing sweet melodies with words.”
Paul lists three types of songs here:
- Psalms: Directly singing or quoting the biblical Psalms back to God.
- Hymns: Songs carrying rich theology, doctrinal truth, and biblical narratives.
- Spiritual Songs: Prayers and personal expressions of praise originating from a heart transformed by the Spirit.
Notice that we sing these with thankfulness in our hearts to God. There should be genuine joy and delight when we gather!
John Wesley gave some direct directions for singing in the church:
“Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.”
Think about that. How do you respond in your car when your favorite song comes on the radio? When “your jam” plays, you don’t hold back. I’m a bit of an old soul—if James Taylor comes on, I am singing at the top of my lungs, and I don’t care who is in the lane next to me. If Public Enemy comes on, I might roll with that too! If you love country, when Kenny Chesney plays, you light up. Wesley’s point is clear: why would we sing worldly songs in the shower or the car with total abandonment, but stand in the presence of the Almighty God looking half-dead?
The Overflow of the Spirit
Singing isn’t merely a mechanical discipline we force ourselves to do; it is an overflow of the heart. Turn over to Ephesians chapter 5:
Ephesians 5:18-19 (NASB)
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
We frequently quote verse 18 to teach against drunkenness, which is true and right. But look at Paul’s comparison. If you are controlled by alcohol, the natural overflow is dissipation and sin. But if you are filled with and under the influence of the Holy Spirit, what is the overflow? You speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, making melody in your heart to the Lord. A life submitted to the Holy Spirit produces corporate praise.
Too often, we treat church gatherings strictly as an intellectual exercise: we come to learn, take notes, and leave. It becomes purely head and hands. But when Jesus gave the Great Commandment, He said:
Matthew 22:37-38 (NASB)
And He said to him, ’‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ ’This is the great and foremost commandment.
Jesus calls for heart, soul, mind, and strength. Gathering to worship is not merely listening to a lecture. Singing is not the “opening act” you endure while waiting for the preacher to take the stage.
We have developed a “come late, leave early” church culture. People slip in during the third song, and the moment the pastor says, “In Jesus’ name, Amen,” there is a stampede to the parking lot. That is an incomplete ecclesiology. If our only goal were to hear a message, you could stay home and listen to a podcast. But we assemble as the body of Christ to engage our hearts and souls in adoration.
Luther wrote:
“Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. She is a mistress and governess of those human emotions… Whether you wish to comfort the sad, to subdue frivolity, to encourage the despairing, to humble the proud, to calm the passionate, or appease those full of hate, what more effective means than music could you find?”
You can listen to worship playlists on Spotify while running on the treadmill, but you cannot get this. The corporate gathering of the redeemed singing the gospel to one another is entirely unique.
Dress Rehearsal for Heaven
We are not gathered in a morgue or a funeral home. We are the redeemed people of God, brought near by the blood of Jesus Christ!
During the Olympics, when a gymnast sticks the landing or a swimmer touches the wall first, we jump out of our seats and shout with uninhibited emotion. Yet we walk into church to worship the Creator of the universe, and we stand with our hands in our pockets. What are we afraid of? Scripture says that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Last week, when Shay was preaching, I sat in the back row during the 5:00 PM service. Normally I sit near the front so I don’t distract anyone, but this time I was in the back, singing out with everything I had. A young man sitting four rows in front of me kept turning around and looking at me. I don’t know if he recognized my voice or wondered what the pastor was doing back there, but I thought, “I’m going to keep singing.” Because as I sang, he heard the truth of the gospel proclaimed behind him.
That is why we gather. When you sing, I hear your testimony and say Amen. When I sing, you hear mine and say Amen. The entire body is built up.
It is okay to sing here. It is okay to clap. You can even do both at the same time if you are coordinated! You can raise your hands to the Lord. We will never run the risk at this church of becoming emotionally unanchored because we are deeply committed to biblical truth. But our real risk is becoming so intellectual and heady that there is no joy, no awe, and no room for the Spirit to stir our affections.
We need to get used to singing, because when we reach glory, our faith will become sight. You won’t need a Bible in heaven because the Living Word will be standing right before you. You won’t pray in the same way because all things will be made new. But you will sing.
Revelation 7:9-11 (NASB)
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and [all] tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches [were] in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’ And all the angels were standing around the throne and [around] the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,
Revelation 22:3 (NASB)
There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;
What we do here every Sunday is a dress rehearsal for eternity. Jonathan Edwards put it beautifully:
“So far, therefore, as we sing this song on earth, so much shall we have the prelibations of heaven. And this will make our public assembly some image of heaven, and will make our Sabbath days and Thanksgiving days some resemblance of the eternal Sabbath and Thanksgiving that is solemnized by the innumerable company of angels and spirits of just men made perfect.”
When we assemble, we read the Word, preach the Word, pray the Word, and we sing the Word. It doesn’t matter if you are on pitch or whether your neighbor thinks you have a great voice. Worship is not an isolated, individualistic experience where you close your eyes and retreat inward. We turn outward to one another and declare the beauties of the gospel: who Jesus is, what He accomplished on the cross, and the reality of our redemption.
My prayer for our church is that our rich theological knowledge would travel from our heads down into our hearts, stirring our deepest affections for Jesus. When the gospel captures your heart, singing is the only natural response.
Closing Prayer
Father, as we consider what it means to sing Your Word, we pray that You would move deeply within us. Help us to love You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. May we always remain tethered to the truth of Scripture, while freely offering a joyful, wholehearted response to who You are.
Make our church a place that celebrates the gospel in song with unity and passion. Place a new song in our mouths. And as guests join our gatherings, may they be struck by the authentic joy and delight they hear in our praises, drawing them to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We give You all the glory, and we pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.