The Ministry of Music

Dr. Bronson Ray, a noted brain surgeon, was walking around his neighborhood when he saw a boy on a scooter smash headfirst into a tree. Realizing that the boy was seriously injured, the doctor told a bystander to call 911. As he proceeded to administer first aid, a boy not much older than the injured one nudged through the crowd that had gathered and said loudly, “I’d better take over now, sir. I’m a Boy Scout and I know first aid.”

This Boy Scout was confident that he could help. I wonder if he would have been just as confident if he had known that he was talking to a skilled doctor? 

In 2 Chronicles 18 we see how all of the fortune tellers and seers in Israel and Judah were telling Jehoshaphat that he would easily defeat the nation of Ramoth-gilead, but one lone prophet of God warned him that the battle would end in defeat. Jehoshaphat thought he was acting out of confidence when he ordered his army to war, but we can see from the defeat that he was actually acting out of arrogance.

You see, there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Jehoshaphat learned this lesson. He turned away from his arrogance and placed his confidence in God. There is one area of the church where this fine line really needs to be watched.

Musicians often struggle with a balance between being confident in their musical skills and being arrogant about their abilities. Approaching God with arrogance, especially in the area of worship is detrimental for a church. Remember last week when we said that worship is directed only to God. When someone approached worship with arrogance they are focused on self, not on God.

When it comes to our worship, we want to make sure that we approach Jesus with boldness and confidence. We want to offer God the best that we have, but we do not want to use people that are arrogant about their skills and talents. It is usually easy to spot the arrogant musicians. They think they are better than everyone else and don’t need to practice prior to the worship service. They think that their ideas are all that matter. They want to be featured with solos. They often complain that their mic or instrument is not loud enough in the speakers. They want to be treated as a superstar.

Jehoshaphat thought he was a superstar, but God knocked him down to size. When he finally turned to God, he quit focusing on what he could gain from his fame and started putting his confidence in God; which led him to worship God. 

Let's take a little peek under the hood at the inner workings of a worship ministry. We can actually do that by looking at this Old Testament passage that we have been using.

“You do not have to fight this battle. Position yourselves, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord. He is with you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Tomorrow, go out to face them, for Yahweh is with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:17)

In the morning they got up early and went out to the wilderness of Tekoa. As they were about to go out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem. Believe in Yahweh your God, and you will be established; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.” (2 Chronicles 20:20)

What our God Expects

This verse shows us exactly what God expects of us. Notice that the first thing God told them is that they do not need to fight this battle. The battle belonged to the Lord and they would not have to lift a finger. But then God tells them to position themselves for battle. If they were not going to fight, why did God tell them to get ready for a battle?

Throughout scripture we are told to prepare ourselves for battle. God wants us to understand that we are in a battle, a spiritual battle. This is a daily battle that we must prepare for each and every day. In Ephesians 6 we are instructed to put on the full armor of God. Each piece represents a defensive weapon to help us survive spiritual attacks. Only one piece of the armor mentioned was used for attacking, the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God.

God wants us to prepare ourselves for battle. He instructs us to constantly be in prayer, to constantly watch for the enemy, and to protect ourselves against the lure of sin. Even though we are called to prepare ourselves for war, God tells us something in Ephesians 6 that he also told the people of Judah in 2 Chronicles 20: stand still.

God wants us to be prepared, to be confident, but God doesn’t want us to be arrogant and think that we can handle things all on our own. God wants us to place our confidence in Him. So we are instructed to prepare ourselves for battle, but to stand still and see the salvation that comes from the Lord.

Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of His holiness. When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing: Give thanks to the Lord, for His faithful love endures forever.
The moment they began their shouts and praises, the Lord set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moabites, and the inhabitants of Mount Seir who came to fight against Judah, and they were defeated. (2 Chronicles 20:21,22)

What our Worship Elevates

Jehoshaphat appointed singers to go out in front of the army. Imagine if that was your job. From all indications, this group of singers were not men from the army. They were not armed with weapons to fight. Their only job was to walk in front of the army as they sang praises to God. Could you do that? It definitely would require you to put your confidence in God.

Verse 22 says that the moment they began their shouts of praise the Lord acted and defeated the three invading armies. Because they placed all of their confidence in God, because they worshipped God without any fear, because they obeyed God and prepared themselves for the battle, because of all of this, God took care of the battle. And because of that, the name of God was elevated.

Our worship is supposed to elevate God, but worship will also elevate us. When we move from an arrogant, self-focused life to one of total dependence on God we will grow in our faith. Our faith will give us confidence in our skills to worship God without being worried about getting any praise or attention. It is precisely because we choose to focus on God alone and not to be seen ourselves, that God elevates our skills and influence among His people. Not because of our skill, but because of our surrender to God. Because we understand that it is all about Him.

Then Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was quiet, for his God gave him rest on every side. (2 Chronicles 20:30)

What our Effort Earns

Not only will worship that is done selflessly without any arrogance help elevate our abilities so that we can worship God even more skillfully, but we will receive some great benefits from our worship as well. Notice that when Judah obeyed God, when Jehoshaphat turned from his arrogance and placed his confidence in God, that God gave them rest.

If it seems that you are always in the midst of a battle, that your life is always in turmoil, that you are always facing a storm, perhaps God is trying to get your attention. Like Jehoshaphat, you might be listening to the wrong advisers. You might be trying to do things out of your own strength. You might be focused on the wrong things.

When we stop looking to “self” and start looking to God, we will freely worship Him for who He is and for what He has done. We will be confident that He is able to do all that He has promised. We will know that He can fight the battle without us. But we will also know that we are to prepare ourselves. To stand before God boldly and confidently because we know that we have sacrificially prepared ourselves to worship God to the best of our abilities. Then we will have peace. Then the kingdom will be quiet and we will have rest on every side.

What about you? Do you trust God enough to let Him fight the battles for you? You are to prepare yourselves for battle, for worship, for life, but you must understand that God will be the only One that deserves any credit. He will fight the battles, He will be the object of our praise, He will win the victories. He who has given us life is the only One that can give us a new life that is eternal. When we realize that it really is all about God, we will set aside our arrogance and confidently worship Him. Then we will have rest.