Holy Songs, Happy Saints Series

Sermon Notes

Holy Songs, Happy Saints

Isaiah 5:1-7

(Second in the series Glorifying God)

Introduction: Why would someone as busy and serious-minded as Isaiah take time to sing a song? Time is never wasted when a child of God praises his creator.

Charles Spurgeon said, “Though the winning of souls be a great thing, though the edifying of believers be an important matter, though the reclamation of backsliders calls for earnest attention, yet never, never, never may we cease from praising and magnifying the name of the well-beloved. This is to be our occupation in heaven: let us begin the music here, and make a heaven of the Church, even here below.”

Proposition: When God plants a vineyard, He fully expects a harvest. Let us give Him the fruit of our lips.

1. Why we sing

There have been days without song

There were times when we could not praise God. We did not know Him; we did not accept Him; we did not love Him.

There have been times that we have sung songs of praise but they have been hollow and worthless.

We stood up with his people, we uttered the same sounds as they did, but our hearts were far from God. May God forgive us for those times of mock worship.

There is such a thing as thanks-feeling

Feeling thankful ought to be the general, universal spirit of the Christian.

Most of us are not rich. Be thankful that we have what you need to eat, drink, and be clothed.

Is there ever a day in the year, or ever a moment in the day, in which the Christian ought not to be grateful? Never a day; never a moment.

We are always receiving blessings untold; always beloved; always redeemed by the precious blood, always preserved by the power of God through the Holy Spirit; always secure of our salvation purchased by the blood of Christ; always be grateful, and, if not always singing with our lips, let us always be singing with our hearts!

There is such a ting as thanks-living

There is something God appreciates more than thanksgiving—thanks-living. How can this to be done? By a cheerful attitude, by obedience to the One who has shown us mercy, by constantly delighting ourselves in the Lord, and by submission of our desires to Him.

Our whole life should be a psalm of praise! Let’s show our thankfulness by thanks-living.

There is such a thing as thanks-speaking

Brothers and Sisters, we don’t sing enough. We spend so much time encouraging people to pray, but we need to be just as earnest about the matter of praise.

Do we sing as much as the birds do? Yet what have birds to sing about, compared with us?

Do we sing as much as the angels do? Yet the blood of Christ never redeemed them. Charles Spurgeon: “Birds of the air, shall you excel me? Angels of heaven, shall you exceed me? You have done so, but I do intend to emulate you henceforth, and day by day, and night by night, pour forth my soul in sacred song.”

2. When we sing

We sing when we are saved

The day we come to Jesus is similar to the day a person marries another. The church is called the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27, 31-32; Revelation 21:1-4).

We sing when we come to the Lord’s Table

We come to the Communion supper every Lord’s day. Never let it grow stale or flat!

Every time we come here, we love Him more than we did before.

When we commemorate our Lord’s sufferings in the breaking of bread, we should know what it means to say, "Now I will sing to my well-beloved a song." Remember that after that first supper they sang a hymn and went to the Mount of Olives. We need the same expression of joy rising from our souls.

We sing when God delivers us

Were you raised from a bed of sickness? Have you passed through a great difficulty? Through God’s help has your character been cleared from slander? Have you been helped in some enterprise, and prospered in the world? Have you seen a family member restored from sickness? Have you just experienced the light of Christ’s countenance in your own soul? Has a snare been broken? Has a temptation been removed? Are you in a joyous frame of mind? "Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise" (James 5:13).

We sing when we deal with trials

We are blessed when we can sing after sunset, when it seems like nothing but darkness envelops us.

Daniel did it from the pit of the lion’s den.

Paul & Silas did it from the dungeon in Philippi.

We can sing to God no matter what befalls us.