Singing On A Strong Foundation
Text: Ezra 3:10,11
10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.
11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.
On the average Sunday morning, all around America and all over this world, men and women, boys and girls, arise from their beds and begin the process of getting ready to go to church. Can I get a witness? If they are exceptional brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, they will probably get out of their bed and go straight down on their knees is prayer, thanking GOD for allowing them to see a brand knew day. And because they are exceptional, they will even continue their devotion to the LORD by reading some scripture and meditating on the Word of GOD. These exceptional Christians will do all of this BEFORE continuing their activities of the day. Do I have any exceptional Christians in here?
On the other hand, above average Christians will get up and jump right into their morning routine. But somewhere within their routine, they will realize that they haven’t had a talk with the LORD. And they will stop in the middle of what they’re doing even if they are in the shower and they will have a little talk with Jesus. Oh I wish I had some help up in here.
Because they are above average, and NOT exceptional, they will not take the time in the morning to pick up God’s Word, and will usually prefer finding something to eat, rather than finding nourishment from God’s Word. Oh I know that we have some above average Christians in here. Can I get a witness?
And then you get down to the average Christian brother and sister. They are the ones that get up out of their beds in the morning and don’t even think enough about the Lord to say “Thank You Jesus.” They are the ones who sit down at the breakfast table to eat, and they eat heartily, without ever stopping to say “Thank You Lord.” They are the ones who will drive all of the way to church, and come inside the church, and then they get loud in their so-called praise, trying to make sure everybody sees how good they can praise God. Oh you know how they do?
They come to church and they put on a show. They become nothing more than entertainment, because everybody already knows how they’re going to act when they show up. Am I right about it?
But my brother and sisters, it’s sad to say, that many of us come to church looking to be entertained. We come to church looking to be entertained by the choir. We just can’t wait until the choir sings our song. And when they sing our song, that’s when we get to entertaining ourselves. Can I get a witness?
We come to church to be entertained by the deacons. We know who’s going to pray, how they’re going to pray, and what they’re going to say while they’re praying. Because we’ve been listening to our deacons and stewards pray that same old prayer for I don’t know how many years, saying a whole lot of something that doesn’t mean much of anything when it comes to the Kingdom of God. Am I right about it?
So then, what do we do? We leave church and get on the telephone and talk about all we got to see at the church, and we get our laugh on because we’ve been thoroughly entertained. Can I get a witness?
And it’s sad to say, but we even look to the preacher, in his designer robe or ghetto zoot suit, to provide us with a certain amount of entertainment that will make us feel good for the moment. Oh yes, we love it when the preacher gets to running all over the pulpit hollering and screaming in his pretty singing voice, and kicking his legs all up in the air. But then about 30 minutes after service, you can’t tell anybody what the preacher talked about to save your own life.
But my brother and sisters, I came to let you know today that if all you are coming to church for is entertainment, then you might as well stay home, because just like those who won’t come to church to praise GOD, you are going to burn in hell. Can I get a witness?
You see my brothers and sisters, entertainment can not save you. Oh I don’t think you heard me this evening, I said entertainment can not save you. When you find yourself down and out, having been laid off from your job, and there’s no meat or bread to put on your table to eat, entertainment can not feed you.
When that no good child of yours is out on the streets full of alcohol and crack cocaine, and all other kinds of drugs, you can not turn to entertainment to help your child get out of their mess.
When the doctor tells you that you have breast cancer or colon cancer, or if you’re waiting on an HIV test (an Aids test) and you have no idea how it’s going to turn out, I guarantee that entertainment won’t be able to give you any comfort or do anything for you. Can I get a witness?
You need something in your life that you can stand on. Something that will serve as a strong foundation that shall not be moved. You need a strong tower. In Proverb 18:20, Solomon said that “the name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” And I’m here to tell you today, that the name of JESUS is something you can stand on. The Word of God is something that you can always stand on. Can I get a witness?
The bible says that “In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” How many of you know today, that the Word of God has been around since the beginning of time, and because it’s been around that long, it has already survived all of the tests of time, and MUST be strong enough to stand on. Can I get a witness?
And yet, too many people come to church for the wrong reasons. It’s sad to say, but there are a lot of good preachers that know the Word of God and are preaching it Sunday after Sunday. I mean, they are just preaching the Word from the depths of their souls. But when their choir gets up, and you hear all kinds of sounds and all kinds of notes that you can’t even find on the music scale, there’s a good chance that there will not be many people there to hear the Word of God. Am I right about it? Now I’m not talking about anyone I’m just saying what I’m saying.
On the contrary, if you go on out and find a church that has a choir that can sing like heaven’s angels, but all they have is a little rooty poot preacher. People will usually be packed in that church like sardines, because people, especially black folk, love to hear some good sangin’ when they go to church. Can I get witness?
They love to hear a choir that can just sing. They don’t care nothing about the preaching, all they want to do is hear that choir sing. But you see, my brothers and sisters, they just don’t know how much hell goes on in the choir. Can I get a witness?
This person don’t want to sing by that person. That person is jealous of what this one is wearing. Sister Stickywicky, who mind you can’t carry a tune, is just raging mad at Sister Jones because she can sing and is leading all the songs. When the preacher goes out to preach, this choir doesn’t want to sing with that choir. And it goes on and on and on.
Oh no, it may not look that way on Sunday morning. But you go on out to choir rehearsal a time or two. Or better yet, if you could just eavesdrop on some of those phone calls that are made right after choir rehearsal then you could see all the hell that goes on in the choir. But you know what? It’s NOT they’re fault. Once you step into the choir you’ve automatically stepped on shaky ground. You’ve stepped on a foundation laid with sand. You’ve stepped into the devil’s territory.
You see tradition says that that old devil was the head of the choir in heaven, because he was such a beautiful creature and had musical instruments that were attached to his body. But when GOD made man and required that the angels bow down to man, then the Devil refused, saying he would not bow down to anyone that was beneath him. You see he got so wrapped up in his own self, that his jealousy would not let him bow down to God’s new creature.
And even today, you will find people in the choir who have gotten so wrapped up in their own selves that they’ve stopped giving GOD the glory and praise for their talent. It’s all about look how good I can sing. Look how pretty my voice is? They’ve stopped praising and bowing to GOD with their whole heart. Can I get a witness?
But look at how the devil did: he didn’t just leave and let things be, but he had to garner up some support and get some people on his side. And then all hell broke loose. Most of the time, when cliques and factions start developing in the choir, that’s when all hell is going to break loose. But if you don’t want to loose your right to the tree of life, you better straighten up and walk right. For the Bible tells me that GOD had to remove Satan and all of the other fallen angels out of the kingdom of heaven.
So my brothers and sisters, as I get ready to leave you today, we must understand, that when we hear of all the hell that takes place in the choir, that Satan is just hanging around his old neighborhood and trying to make some new friends. Can I get a witness?
But in order to deal with the wickedness and evil ways of that old devil, before you step up in the choir, before you begin singing Zion’s praises, you need to be standing on a firm foundation. You need prayer, faith, and the Word of God.
In our text today, the children of Israel who spent 70 long years in Babylonian captivity were now free. And they had just finished laying the foundation for the building of the temple; a place where they could go and worship the LORD.
And don’t you know today church that it’s very important that a strong foundation gets laid. Because if a foundation is made out of sand, and not out of solid rock, when the wind and the rain storms come and beat up against your building, there will be nothing to keep it from washing away. Can I get a witness?
If we do not set our children up on a strong foundation, when the storms of drugs, alcohol, and prostitution come their way, they will not have anything that they can stand on. Am I right about it?
If we do not build our church on a strong foundation, when the devil shows up, we won’t be able to do anything, but watch him show out.
If the choir, is up in the choir stand, but don’t study the WORD of GOD, then I’m here to tell you the devil will show up and show out.
If the choir, doesn’t come out to Sunday School, Bible Study, or Prayer Meeting to get prayed up in the name of JESUS, they don’t have a prayer to stand against the wiles of the devil. Am I right about it?
That’s why we have to study, to show ourselves approved, workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth; rightly building the kingdom of GOD. Can I get a witness?
And if we’re building GOD’s kingdom, if we’re standing on the Word of GOD, if we’re praying, like we should be praying. Then it’s all right to get the musicians together. For the Bible says that “When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpet, and the Levits of the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinace of Davis king of Israel.” Ain’t God Alright?
“And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD;” Ain’t God Alright? They said “because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel” Ain’t GOD Alright?
And what I like most about this passage is that the Bible says, “all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praise the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.” Ain’t GOD alright?
In other words, they were all on one accord, shouting and praising the name of the LORD my GOD. Can I get a witness? And when the preacher, and the deacons, and the stewards, and the trustees, and the deaconesses, and the ushers, and that old choir, get together as one body in Christ Jesus, as one church, praising the LORD, GOD will, GOD will, I know he will, show up and show out. Am I right about it?
He’ll show up, when you’re pennyless and don’t have a dime, to get a bite to eat. He’ll show up, when your health tries to let you down and the doctor can’t do anything to make you feel like you used to feel. He’ll show up, when everybody else turns their back on you, when you’re walking through the valley of the shadow of death. He’ll show up, when you’re lost in a world full of darkness and you’re looking for the light of the sun to lead you back home.
I’m here to tell you. Stop looking for the light of the sun and start looking for the light of the Son. Because JESUS, JESUS, oh JESUS climbed up on that old rugged cross and died one Friday. But early Sunday morning, He got up with all power in His hands.
