(Clip) Reverence In Modern Church Music — Zac Poonen

Reverence in Church Music

I recently said a circular to all the elders of our churches saying see if there's reverence in the songs that you sing in your churches. There's a lot of worldly songs that have come into the church.

Worldly Songs and Financial Motives

What do I mean by worldly? Written by people who don't have reverence themselves for God. Written by people are more interested in money. I mean tell me this honestly. Would you rather listen to a preacher who you know is only preaching to get your money or for money and it will only preach a sermon if he thinks he can copyright that sermon and make some money out of it and royalty out of every sermon he preaches.

The Sincerity of a Free Message

Would you rather listen to a preacher like that or someone who says hey this is free man you don't have to pay for anything there's no copyright on it you can go and preach it somewhere else. Which of these two do you think would have a word from God?

Well you can while you're thinking about that I'll tell you something else. I know clearly which of those two men will have a word from God. Which of these two songwriters would you like? Someone who's devoted to God and wrote a song because of his devotion to God he doesn't put any copyright on it he says I don't want any royalty this is for everybody to sing man anybody can publish and sing it for the glory of God or a person who writes three four lines in a chorus three of those lines are repeated five times and says I'm gonna charge royalty on this every book that ever publishes these four lines they've got to pay me royalty and every CD that ever uses these songs it's got to be royalty.

Old Hymns and Unselfish Devotion

You think that guy is likely more to have a word from God in his songs? You've got to be off your head. I'm not off my head. I know who's likely to be more inspired that's why I like the old hymns written by people who never made money out of it.

People like Fanny Crosby and Charles Wesley wrote thousands of hymns and never made any money out of it. Today a fellow writes four lines of a chorus and he's making money out of it. What's that? And the other thing a lot of these sentimental love songs to Jesus hold me close never let me go.

Sentimental Songs and True Reverence

You don't know who they're singing it to. By these half converted cowboys who wrote love songs to their girlfriends in the old days and now writing it to Jesus. Just see whether there's a spirit of reverence in it.

See there's a spirit of reverence that brings you close to God or just makes you sentimental frothy type of emotion to Jesus that makes you think you love Jesus with teary-eyed singing for three hours on Sunday morning and you go and watch internet pornography on Monday.

Love for Christ Demonstrated by Obedience

Why? That's sentimental rubbish. If you really love Jesus you'd keep his commandments. He said that. He said in John 14 15 if you love me keep my commandments. That's reverence. I want to sing songs that have reverence that bring me close to God on Sunday and keep me close to God on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday.