When The Record Plays, Will You Like The Tune?

When the Record Plays Will You Like The Tune?

For some of the younger folks in the audience you may not remember a record player or records. CDs are possibly all you know. Well, a record is like a CD only bigger and usually black though I have seen red, blue and green ones.. They started out as 78 RPMs or revolutions per minute and were quite large and thick. They only had one song per side. LPs or long playing records came out later. They were thinner and played at 33? RPMs normally having at least six songs per side. You could still buy records with only two songs but they were smaller having a larger hole requiring an adapter for the spindle on the player. These played at 45 RPMs.

Often new technology gets its terminology from an older one. To write something down is to record it and once it is transcribed it is called a record. Music was being written or recorded to the round plastic platter and once recorded it became a record.

I am going to do a spin off, pardon the pun, on both types of records to develop my message this morning. We put a lot of emphasis on music in church life, but I am afraid that we often neglect the records we should be playing and the ones we are recording.

Job 16:19 Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high. (KJV)

God is keeping a record of our life. He is recording our every thought, word and deed. In essence, it is going to be the song of our life as well as the record or account of it. And as we shall see later it will be played back to us. When the record plays will you like the tune?

John 8:13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. (KJV)

There are those who do not think our record is what we say it is and they would change the tune or spin it backwards and purposely scratch it like a Rap disk jockey. Yes, the Law required two or three witnesses in a court case for something to be considered a fact. However, Jesus was not on trial in this passage and yet they immediately dismissed his testimony or the song He was recording as a lie or off key. Some people do not like the tune their record is recording and they are sure that everyone else’s is worse than theirs so they criticize. Jesus kept true to His record and stayed in tune, as should we, if we are using Him as the melody for our life.

John 12:17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record. (KJV)

There are those who see and hear our record and can sing along. It is great when we are recording our song and folks are clapping and singing along with us. Though the popularity of our record may change quickly and drop off the hit parade. No matter how many wonderful crescendos and thoughtful pauses there were in Jesus’ life His tune was applauded and also jeered until finally they tried to stop the music by nailing the composer to the Cross. They thought they had ended the song but all they did was write the refrain for the next verse was already being written and would be revealed to the public in three days!!!

Don’t get too wrapped up in the praise of men. Just record your tune in a way that honors God and it will not matter what the critics say and you won’t despair when your fans leave you or turn against you.

Acts 20:26 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. (KJV)

There is nothing like a clean long play record. Paul spent a long time recording his tune before these people and when he was taking it on the road again they had nothing to complain about his tune. He gave everyone the best performance he could and turned none away nor missed any opportunities to give them the songs God wanted them to hear.

Rom 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. (KJV)

Some think they are making a good record but they will find that there are skips and scratches. Even the best of us do not always notice the sins that so easily beset us and these sins will cause skips and hisses in our record. We will skip some blessings that God wanted to give us and give the enemies of God an opportunity to hiss His tune for they think it is the one we are recording.