Children of a Singing God

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. (Mark 14:26)

Can you hear Jesus singing?

Was he a bass or a tenor? Was there a down-home twang to his voice? Or was there an unwavering crystal pitch?

Did he close his eyes and sing to his Father? Or did he look into his disciples’ eyes and smile at their deep camaraderie?

Did he usually start the song? Or did Peter or James, or maybe Matthew, do it?

Oh, I can hardly wait to hear Jesus sing! I think the planets would be jolted out of orbit if he lifted his native voice in our universe. But we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken; so, Lord, go ahead, do it! Sing!

It could not be otherwise but that Christianity be a singing faith. The founder sang. He learned to sing from his Father. Surely they have been singing together from all eternity. Don’t you think so? Would not infinite eternal happiness in the fellowship of the Trinity sing?

The Bible says the aim of our singing is “to raise sounds of joy” (1 Chronicles 15:16). No one in the universe has more joy than God. He is infinitely joyful. He has rejoiced from eternity in the panorama of his own perfections reflected perfectly in the deity of his Son.

God’s joy is unimaginably powerful. He is God. When he speaks, galaxies come into being. And when he sings for joy, more energy is released than exists in all the matter and motion of the universe.

If he appointed song for us to release our heart’s delight in him, is this not because he also knows the joy of releasing his own heart’s delight in his own image in his Son by his Spirit in song? We are a singing people because we are the children of a singing God.

John Piper 

Bible Study

Isaiah 26:3

    [3] You keep him in perfect peace

        whose mind is stayed on you,

        because he trusts in you.

Colossians 3:15

[15] And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

John 14:27

[27] Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Ephesians 3:19

[19] and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Are You Trying to Be Accepted by God?

PRAY OVER THIS

“For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:9-10

 

PONDER THIS

Perfectionism is a thief. It promises rewards, but it steals joy. Why? Because perfection is an unattainable goal.

If you get the idea that God is going to accept you based on your performance, that is a trap. Think about it. If you believe God is going to accept you based on your performance in your quiet time, Bible study, giving, and witnessing, then you will never know if you’ve done enough. You will never truly feel accepted.

If we could achieve perfection, we wouldn’t need a Savior. If you’re a perfectionist, you’ll end up angry with God because things don’t work out just right. Everything in life is not neat; something is going to happen that’s going to make you a little angry with God. Or maybe you’re going to be afraid of God.

We get the idea that God is up in Heaven judging us. He’s sort of a hard-nosed teacher or parent saying, “David gets a C-. Bob did terrible. Scotty did all right, but he sure could do better.” This is our idea of God, and we’ll never be able to live up to the demands He has on us that we have made for ourselves. We began in the Spirit when we were saved, but now we’re trying to prove to God just how good we can be.

What comes to mind when you think about who God is?

In what areas do you put high standards on yourself?

PRACTICE THIS

Identify the areas in which you wrestle with perfectionism and repent.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

You Were Made for God

“For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.” (1 Samuel 12:22)

The name of God often refers to his reputation, his fame, his renown. This is the way we use the word “name” when we say someone is making a name for himself. Or we sometimes say, that’s a “name” brand. We mean a brand with a big reputation. This is what I think Samuel means in 1 Samuel 12:22 when he says that God made Israel a people “for himself” and that he would not cast Israel off “for his great name’s sake.”

This way of thinking about God’s zeal for his name is confirmed in many other passages.

For example, in Jeremiah 13:11 God describes Israel as a waistcloth, or belt, with which God chose to highlight his glory, even though there were times when Israel was temporarily unfit. “For as the loincloth clings to the waist of a man, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, declares the Lord, that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen.” Why was Israel chosen and made the garment of God? That it might be a “name, a praise, and a glory.”

The words “praise” and “glory” in this context tell us that “name” means “fame” or “renown” or “reputation.” God chose Israel so that the people would make a reputation for him. God says in Isaiah 43:21 that Israel is “the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.”

And when the church came to see itself in the New Testament as the true Israel, Peter described God’s purpose for us like this: “You are a chosen race . . . that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

In other words, Israel and the church are chosen by God to make a name for him in the world. This is why we pray first and foremost, “Hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9). This is why we pray, “Lead us in paths of righteousness for your name’s sake” (see Psalm 23:3).

When we speak of being a God-centered people, remember, this is because we are joining God in his God-centeredness. And on this side of the cross, that means being a Christ-dependent, Christ-exalting people. “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake” (1 John 2:12). “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).

John Piper 

Bible Study

1 Peter 2:9-10

[9] But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. [10] Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Revelation 1:6

[6] and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Isaiah 61:6

    [6] but you shall be called the priests of the LORD;

        they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;

    you shall eat the wealth of the nations,

        and in their glory you shall boast.

Acts 26:18

[18] to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Are You Yielding to Jesus?

PRAY OVER THIS

“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” Romans 6:11-12

 

PONDER THIS

In the matter of spiritual victory, it is not your ability that counts. It is not your responsibility; it is your response to Jesus’ ability. Your responsibility is your response to His ability. You can’t do it without Him. He will not do it without you. You must yield.

I heard about the driver of a little pickup truck; he jumped out on the interstate and never slowed down to look and see if someone was coming. He nearly caused an accident, so the driver of a big eighteen-wheeler pulled over and leaned out the window and said, “Hey, didn’t you see that sign?” The man said, “What sign?” The trucker said, that sign that said, “Y-I-E-L-D.” The man responded, “Well, I opened the window and yelled as loud as I could.”

You cannot yield half-heartedly; you are to yield with all of your heart. I’m going to sum it up and tell you something that has absolutely gripped my heart. When temptation comes, you must yield, and you will yield. That much is settled. The only question is, which way will you yield? Will you yield to Satan or to Christ? That’s the only question. When temptation comes, you must yield. You must and you will. Choose today to yield to Jesus.

What does it look like to yield to Jesus in your life?

What is something you like to have control over? How can you yield to Jesus in this area?

PRACTICE THIS

Ask a spiritual mentor how he or she seeks to continually yield to Jesus.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Paul’s Salvation Was for You

Formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. . . . I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:13–14, 16)

Paul’s conversion was for your sake. Did you hear that? Here it is again: “I received mercy for this reason, that Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” That’s us — you and me.

I hope you will hear this very personally. God had you in view when he chose Paul and saved him by sovereign grace just the way he did.

If you believe on Jesus for eternal life — or if you may yet believe on him for eternal life — Paul’s conversion is for your sake. The point of his conversion happening the way it did is to make Christ’s incredible patience vivid for you.

Remember that Paul’s pre-conversion life was a long, long trial to Jesus. “Why are you persecuting me?” Jesus asked on the Damascus road (Acts 9:4). “Your life of unbelief and rebellion is a persecution of me!” And yet Paul tells us in Galatians 1:15 that he had been set apart by God for his apostleship since before he was born. That’s amazing. It means that all his life up to the point of his conversion was one long abuse of God, and one long rejection and mockery of Jesus — who had chosen him to be an apostle before he was born.

That is why Paul says his conversion is a brilliant demonstration of Jesus’s patience. And that is what he offers us today.

It was for our sake that Jesus saved Paul when and how he did. To “display his perfect patience” to us (1 Timothy 1:16). Lest we lose heart. Lest we think he could not really save us. Lest we think he is prone to anger. Lest we think we have gone too far away. Lest we think our dearest one cannot be converted — suddenly, unexpectedly, by the sovereign, overflowing grace of Jesus.

John Piper