{"id":31937,"date":"2022-09-10T15:49:55","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:49:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/why-the-word-preached-matters-to-the-songs-sung\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T15:49:55","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T20:49:55","slug":"why-the-word-preached-matters-to-the-songs-sung","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/why-the-word-preached-matters-to-the-songs-sung\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Word Preached Matters to the Songs Sung"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Garrett Wooten<\/em><\/p>\n

The God of the universe, who is the first and the last, who was before all time, is now, and forevermore will be, has made Himself known to us in His Word.<\/p>\n

In God\u2019s Word, we see a cycle of revelation and response. God reveals His nature, His character, who He is, and how He works. And this revelation, in turn, demands a response.<\/p>\n

At Paramount Church, where I serve as the worship pastor, we hold Scripture in the highest regard, as noted in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.<\/p>\n

Thus, our actions support these beliefs. If we believe the Word of God is God\u2019s revelation of Himself to man, then each time a body of believers gathers for corporate worship, we should want to put Him on display.<\/p>\n

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Put God on Display.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We do this by basing each element of every corporate worship service on the text of Scripture. Our pastor preaches book by book, section by section, through the Bible, and each week, we strive to center our services around the text we\u2019re studying.<\/p>\n

One of the first meetings I have each Monday morning is with our lead pastor to begin to chart out the upcoming Sunday services. He tells me the passage he\u2019ll be preaching and any main points or specific themes present in the text.<\/p>\n

After that meeting, I read through the text on my own, looking for recurring themes, phrases that catch my eye, or lines that may trigger a memory of a line in a song. I like to have the text sit in my heart and mind before I put pen to paper to plan a service, and so I usually let the text simmer overnight and don\u2019t try to plan anything out for a day or so.<\/p>\n

Sit Down to Plan.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When I do sit down to plan, I read through the text again and have a journal out to note words or phrases that seem to jump off the page, as is the nature of God\u2019s Word.<\/p>\n

Often, songs or other Scripture passages come to mind to shine a spotlight on the truth of the text we\u2019ll be studying the coming Sunday. I then begin to create a list of song options that will work well with the overall theme of the text.<\/p>\n

Many weeks, I have a list of ten or more songs! But that\u2019s when elements like key signatures and \u201cflow of service\u201d enter the picture.<\/p>\n

In gathered worship, we have people\u2019s attention for just over an hour. Given this short amount of time allotted to us, we want to have a laser focus on God and how He\u2019s revealed Himself to us.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no time to waste.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

For six long days throughout the week, there\u2019s been a fight going on for our focus. On Sunday morning, we need to do everything we can to center our hearts and minds on the life-giving Word of God.<\/p>\n

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See also  The Group Most Likely to Still Be Missing From Your Church<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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We certainly do this through the preached Word, yet I encourage you to also do this through the sung Word. Find the right song\u2014the best song\u2014for a Sunday.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t settle for a good song or just a non-heretical song. Be intentional. As the pastor exegetes the Word through preaching, to the best of your ability, exegete the text through singing.<\/p>\n

Songs have a way of nestling deep inside one\u2019s heart and coming to memory when most needed. If a song has its foundation in the Word of God and has found its way into your musical vocabulary because it clearly articulates the truth of who God is and how He works, use it to arm your people for battle.<\/p>\n

Choose songs that matter.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A few final thoughts: <\/em><\/p>\n