A CALL TO WOSHIP

Dining with Jesus Christian Episodes

THIS IS TABLE ROCK FELLOWSHIP – PASTOR RYAN LADEN

A Call to Worship

The sound of trumpets, the blowing of the shofar, the sound of a bellowing pipe organ, the clanging of church bells, the cheerful call of the worship leader.

What do all of these things have in common? They have all be used throughout time to signify that the people of God are invited to enter into a time of purpose-filled, music-infused singing in honor of the Lord God Almighty.

The people of God have been heeding the call to worship for as long as people have called on the name of the Lord. The call to worship has certainly changed over the years, and no doubt will change even more as time moves on, but the purpose of this call has remained the same.

In the passage below, we can hear a different kind of call to worship than any mentioned so far. In this message, taken from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church, we can hear a clear call for all believers in Jesus to embrace the gift of musical praise and worship:

“Be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 5:18-20 NLT

Be Filled with the Holy Spirit

Just prior to this passage, Paul instructs the church to not allow themselves to get drunk (or high) and so bring shame to yourself and to the name which you bear, the name of Jesus. In place of this false state, the believer in Jesus Christ should instead turn to the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit.

What does it mean to you to hear that it is within our ability to either allow or to deny the work that the Holy Spirit is seeking to accomplish in you?

The Spirit of the Lord leads through encouragement, inspiration, and leadership that speaks to our inmost self. If we desire to be led by the Spirit of God, whether in times of worship or in everyday life, we need to be listening to the leadership and influence of the Spirit.

So, listen to the Holy Spirit. Shut down the distractions, stop filling your head with the advice of everyone except the Lord. Be still and know the Lord, and you will find that the Holy Spirit is our constant guide and confidant.

Singing Psalms and Hymns
and Spiritual Songs

It is time for us to confess the truth… The Lord has called us to sing his praises in times of personal- as well as corporate musical worship. We cannot pretend that this call to join with the Body of Christ in times of musical worship is for other people. It is for all of us.

If you are like me (God help you), you will find that singing out loud is not what you were gifted to do by God. Even so, we are called to join with the family of faith and express our praise and gratitude to the Lord in and through songs. So how can you get started?

The best way to learn to sing, is to start singing in church. Seriously. Just start singing. You will find that as others lift their voice to the Lord, you will find your place in the Body. If you take this step of faith, you will find that the Lord will be right there with you the whole way.

Making music to the Lord
in (with or through) your Hearts

Those who can, should. Those who cannot, can still make music for the Lord in their hearts. That is what I do every time I am in a group that is singing their praises to the Lord. I join with them in spirit, with my heart first.

I cannot play an instrument, but I can be an encouragement to those who do. Instead of complaining that they are playing in a way that is different from your preferred musical style, rejoice in their willingness to honor God with their talents.

Give Thanks for Everything

The best worship song ever is the one you give to the Lord as you show him gratitude for his many and constant blessings. Give thanks to God today!

As you go throughout your day, consider offering up to the Lord your song of thanksgiving and love. Sing in your heart, and sing with your voice. The Lord loves your worship.

Doer

Remember this, if we know the truth of our calling in Christ, to worship the Lord in song, with music, and filled with gratitude, then we need to act on this calling. As we hear in the passage below, we need to be doers of the Word, and not just those who hear and agree:

“But be doers of the word, and NOT hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

James 1:22-25 ESV

In Christ,

Ryan Laden

OUR MISSION AS A CHURCH

“TO ENCOURAGE AND EQUIP EACH OTHER IN LOVE TO KNOW JESUS AND MAKE HIM KNOWN”

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