Worship Start Day 3
DEVOTION 3 – May My Lips Praise You
Let’s be honest—it is kind of weird that we all gather and sing songs together. Only at a concert by your favorite band would this be normal. Not only do we sing songs together, but we sing songs that may not be our preference and sometimes songs we do not even know.
Imagine walking into a Buddhist temple and being expected to begin singing their songs. You would feel uncomfortable.
So why do we sing?
Last year, I taught on this, but these are the cliff notes:
We are created to sing. (Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.)
We are commanded to sing. (More than 50 times in Scripture we are commanded to sing to the Lord and bless His name.)
We are compelled to sing. (The natural response to many major acts of God is singing. We see this after the Red Sea, in David’s rescues, and even after Peter’s prison release.)
Psalm 149:1
Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise in the assembly of the godly.
When we gather on Sundays, singing to the Lord is expected. It does not say that those who are good, musical, or fans of this particular song should sing. All are called and expected to sing.
Do you sing? Do you praise God with your lips? Do you really think God cares whether you are a good or bad singer? We must remember that He made us as we are, so He is neither surprised nor impressed by the skill with which we sing. He wants our hearts, not our talent.
Some of you confess with the congregation, "May my lips praise you," yet spend your time in worship failing to praise. This ought to change.
Some of you confess, "May my lips praise you," yet simply repeat melodic lines rather than worship the Holy One. Singing worship songs is not necessarily worship.
I want us to be a church that doesn’t simply sing but worships.
We don’t merely know songs; we praise God.
We don’t have to sound good; we strive to be authentic.
I have said before that I am not a good singer, but I can be a good worshiper.
This week, when we gather, may your lips praise God for who He is and what He has done. May you be compelled to worship the Holy One.
