Some people like to take this a step further. The beauty and meaning of the songs is combined with the Great Commission by many musicians in the modern world. As well and good as this sounds, I fear we have no Biblical support for this reasoning. Below are a few passages about music and worship.
Exodus 15:19-21
For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Judges 5:3
"Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel."
2 Samuel 6:13-17,20-23
Now King David was told, "The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God." So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart. .....When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!" David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel — I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor." And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.
1 Chronicles 15:16
David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.
1 Chronicles 16:9
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
1 Chronicles 16:23
Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.
2 Chronicles 5:13
The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: "He is good; his love endures forever." Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud,
2 Chronicles 20:19-23
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful." After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever." As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
2 Chronicles 29:28
The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed.
Psalm 30:4
Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name.
Psalm 30:11
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
Psalm 59:16
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his [a] ; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 138:1
I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
Psalm 149:3
Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
Isaiah 44:23
Sing for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, O earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.
Isaiah 51:11
The ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Jeremiah 3:31-3-5
"I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful."
Revelation 5:13
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"
In all these passages, (and more that were not listed) we do not find a single reference to ministering the Gospel with music. Throughout both the Old Testament and the New we find that music was used exclusively for worship, never for ministry to the unsaved. Why?
Well, lets take a look at a few details. Why does music speak to our souls? Is it because the truth is in the song and finds our heart? Or is it perhaps that we have the truth in our hearts and it is realized in song? Did Jesus ever speak about music as worship or ministry?
No, not specifically. But if we turn to Luke 8:9-10 we find Jesus explaining why He used parables.
9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’
Jesus tells us here that some people do not wish to hear, and therefore they will not and can not. If a person conscientiously choses to reject the Gospel for too long God will harden their hearts and close their ears. As grave as this is to say we find a source for this in John 12:38-40.
When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them. Though he had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
“Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” and hardened their heart,
lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,
“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”
Does God really harden peoples hearts? Yes, the same way Pharaoh's heart was hardened. However, we need the context of the hardening of the heart. It says here that even after Jesus had shown them many wonders they still did not believe, and therefore their hearts were hardened.
So what of Music Ministry then? How is it to be compared with parables? Well, music (God worshiping music) is only understood by those whose ears are opened in a spiritual sense. It is nonsense to an unbeliever. Much in the same way only those who were seeking the truth understood parables, only some will understand the music we so much appreciate.
But why would I state that Music Ministry is un-Biblical? Well, that's a complex question. Of all the references we find in the Bible to music (and there are many), we find no reference to ministry by music. We always find music to be to be used for worship, praise, and rejoicing. It is a dangerous thing to take what is made to be used as praise and turn it into something it is not.
Another danger of music ministry is the fact that many people who wish to make a living entertaining people with music (which I am not condemning here) find that it is more profitable to slap the "Christian" label in front of their musical group. This makes them "acceptable" in Christian circles; even if their Theology is as deep as a Saharan River and only referenced in the CD insert. (do those still exist?) I find it a grave danger to try to profit off of adding God's name to whatever product we sell. A plumber may be a Christian and a plumber, but that does not make his plumbing more holy. Nor does the fact that a musician is a Christian make random lyrics more holy either. The plumber is not a "Christian plumber"; he is a Christian who does plumbing. If we use Christian as an adjective instead of a noun, we soon end up with Christian thieves. We are to first be Christians, then do our job, not add our Christianity where it suits us or is profitable. Christ should show in every part of our lives, and that should affect everything we do and say. If we do this we will show Christ, not just in verse 3 of track 5, but in everything. A Christian who is a musician I have respect for; a Christian artist not so much.
Again, I have no issue with entertaining music; nor with Christian music (as worship). What I do have an issue with is when people want to use the term Christian to launch their own career. If you wish to entertain people, thats fine. But don't use God as a way of guilt tripping people into buying your CD. If you want to make a profit, then do so. Tread softly when adding God's name only to bring in the cash flow, however.
I know this is a post that may hit close to home for some people. I do not wish to antagonize anyone, however, I do feel strongly on this matter.
Conclusion
I do not believe we should use music as ministry. I believe it should be used as worship. People can be convicted by such a means, just as you can eventually hit a fish with a shotgun. However, neither is the being used the way they were designed.
you should put a picture on your profile so we know what you look like! Good post by the way!
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