Sermon – “The Comfort of Music and Song”

11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down[a] till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. 14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. 15 And Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely, a distressing spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.” 18 Then one of the servants answered and said, “Look, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person; and the LORD is with him.” 19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” 20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and sent them by his son David to Saul. 21 So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer. 22 Then Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Please let David stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 And so it was, whenever the spirit from God was upon Saul, that David would take a harp and play it with his hand. Then Saul would become refreshed and well, and the distressing spirit would depart from him.

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your serv-ant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”

Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! 2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! 3 Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! 4 Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! 5 Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!

8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down be-fore the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. 3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.

This morning my message out titled the comfort of music and song What A better way to follow that up right the comfort of music and song and I had it in there somewhere in the middle but I really I have to begin by sharing with you where my inspiration for this message came today. My daughter Rosanna who is a published author of many books she wants in a while does Monday night Facebook Live thing. I don’t know how many weeks she does it and then she’ll break for a time and we’ll do it again and during that Monday like Monday night Facebook Live thing you know sure I have people will Facebook and ask questions and so answer questions about research on her books and and all this and that and it goes on for a while well I don’t always listen into it sometimes I’m upstairs and I hear but this past Monday night she did it right here said piano and I was home and I happened to be set in rate in a chair beside the couch where Karen and she brought it up and instead of the norm as it answered questions and talking about her books she got talking about music and she got to play in favorite hymns people were send them in the net requesting their favorite him yes and I just sat there and I was sitting there reading but then when the music started I had to just put the book down and there was a Bob actually close by a weapon I was listening to her play and I tell you as I just sat there soaking up the beauty of these some of these terrific old hymn it’s and I thought what a comfort they are for the soul not that I was distressed mind you but what comfort and peace that we have in music and song you know we have music all around us everywhere it’s in our son it’s all around us and music can be such a comfort to our souls gives us peace it can speak to us in so many ways because so many of the. The the wonderful songs that we have today and the songs of old can speak to our hearts they might speak to something we’re going through so we can be comforted by it so it’s kind of going to be the the theme the topic today but I want to actually need to set this up a little bit my script is coming from First Samuel Chapter sixteen verses eleven through twenty three but I need to set this up a little bit before I read the scripture. Saul had disobeyed God God gave So all the command to go and destroy the Molokai us to utterly destroy them and he disobeyed he spared a king he spared some of the livestock you may have read that story from your with it so he disobeyed and so God was very displeased that he had chosen Saul to be king So God told the prophet Samuel I want you to rise I want to go to the house of Jesse and I’m going to anoint you’re going to anoint the next king for me the King that’s going to follow Saul it wasn’t going to be solved son Jonathan he had chosen another one to be king so still Samuel here rises he goes to. Jesse’s house and he says I’m here you know I need to anoint tricking So bring your sons before me the very first son that he brought before him of course is going to be the oldest son eat up I think my correct there the lab was his name the oldest son strong handsome and as he came before Samuel Samal thought this is the one man just look at this is this looks like a material God says no that’s not him God said actually says to him God This he says I do not look at man the way man looks at Man Man looks at the outset he looks at that strong appearance that handsome figure before him God says I look at the heart. So he says it’s not him whereas the next son he had a son’s mind you so the next one comes by which is no. You know same as Michael just a. Don’t know that’s not him and the next son all seven sons passed before him every time God said that’s not him you know sayings like maybe this one finally. He says Is that all the sons you have this is I’m paraphrasing little bit is that all the sons you have he says well there’s the youngest one he’s out ten in the sheep. Well let’s bring him in we won’t sit down till we get this over with bring him in so that’s where we’re going to pick up with the Scripture reading. First same chapter sixteen verses eleven to two hundred twenty three and Samuel said the just Jessie are all the young men here then he said There remains yet the youngest and there he is keeping the sheep same was said to Jessie send him bring him for we will not sit down till he comes here so he said and brought him in now he was ready with bright eyes and good looking and the Lord said Arise and anoint him for this is the one then saying Will took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward and so Samuel arose and went to ram but the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and a distressing spirit from the Lord troubled him and Saul servant said to him surely a to spread this yet distressing spear from God is troubling you let our master now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is a skilful player of the harp and it shall be that he will play it with his hands when a distressing spirit from God is upon you and you shall be well so Saul said that we servants provide me now a man who can play well and bring him to me then one of the servants answered and said look I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethel mite who is skilful in playing a mighty man of valor a man of war prudent and speech and. A handsome person and the Lord is with him therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said Send me your son David. Who is with the sheep and Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by his son David to solve So David came to Saul and stood before him and he loved him greatly and he became his armor bear. Then Saul sent to Jesse saying please let David stand before me for he has found favor in my sight and so it was whenever the spirit of God was upon Saul that David would take his harp and play it with his hand and saw would become refreshed and well and the distressing Spirit would depart from him may God at his best and so they hear it in a reading of His Holy Word let us pray Father God we do thank you and praise you for your word father your word reveals your plans your purposes for man it reveals your greatness it reveals that you are true to the God that is in control of all things or dispatches it reveals how in control of all things you are we thank you Father for your presence each and every day specially thanks for your presence today or May your spirit be upon us may or hearts be open to receive what you have forced the day but may we be glorified you with our lives or most importantly May we serve you faithfully by your Spirit in Jesus name Amen you know how amazing no one this you couldn’t plan this out God is going to anoint a new king one that’s going to follow Saul didn’t happen immediately. But there just happened to be someone in call in Saul Service says Oh wait wait I know man can play or I’ve heard coincidence right. And then to have the very one that’s going to proceed Saul as king be brought into his kingdom into the palace not just to play the harp he’s going to be his armor bear he’s right Derek stands beside the king So David this is kind of like an apprenticeship for David think about debt this is his apprenticeship he’s right there he see in how the kingdom is run he’s seeing how the king makes decisions I mean I don’t know if this was a three year for your prince ship here but this is his apprenticeship he’s right there see in how a kingdom works he goes from shepherd boy to Armor bear and then eventually KING It’s amazing it is amazing what God can do that’s was a God’s in control of all things that we should trust him every single day with every aspect of our lives. Partway through this message to realise well this message did just a little bit in with last week’s message the temple of the Holy Spirt. Remember where the spirit lives and body remember that finger thing right here right we are the temple the Holy Spirit Well the Spirit of God left solved because it’s disobedience the word in the land landed on David in David is said to be a man after God’s own heart. He loved the Lord with all his heart he stumbled Yes but he got back up and repented and he was truly a man after God’s own heart the spirit of the Lord definitely was upon David even as a young man. I believe that David was an amazingly talented young man he was fearless. He was a shepherd boy that was able to protect his father seat from whatever would come against them. And first say mule seventeen versus thirty four through through through thirty seven this is David speaking to solve but David said to Saul your servant used to keep his father’s sheep and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock I went out after it and struck it and delivered the lamb from its mouth and when it arose against me I caught it by its beard and struck and killed it your servant has killed both lion and bear and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them seeing he has defiled the armies of the Living God Moreover David said the Lord who delivered me from the Paul of the Lion and from the pole of the bear he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine I said that he is so towne the because I don’t believe that there are too many shepherd boys that was probably able to play the harp who would be willing to go after a bear or a lion to save the sheep but you know I said that say that the say this and all of that God was preparing David even as a shepherd boy because he knew that there was coming a day that he was going to be the shepherd over the nation of Israel right he needed what the sheep tend to do they tend to wander off don’t think so or even that was prepared David to be the king he was prepared to go out and fight the line into bear to save the sheep a higher mean would not do that would. Jesus said the out and going to run off but not David he wouldn’t run off from his father’s sheep nor would he run off from Israel he knew that they’d have the tendency to wander off but he had to be willing to fight for them. He would go after the bear for the sheep he would also go after the bear for the nation of Israel too he was willing to fight and stand up for them. They were his people all this I believe again was part of that friendship or training if you will. Music can truly speak to the soul. It can truly soothe your mind if you’ve had a stressful day or trying time some soothing music can call your nerves that can help you feel more at ease can it I know does me music is also a way for one to express themselves to share what you have inside you what’s in your heart and what’s in your mind I mean that’s where many songs come from it’s what a person is feeling inside so way they express you know I know that there is no doubt that music can have an effect on a person’s mood. I mean you look at some of that music with Obama called headbanger music it is crazy and it might make people do crazy things you know some people might get some romantic music going out there for certain occasions it affect a person’s mood. So there’s lots of music that can affect a person in a negative way but that’s not going to be my focus today my focus is going to be how Texas in a positive way how consumed this I found a quote to set music’s Beeks what cannot be expressed is soused the mind and gives it rest heals the heart and makes it whole flows from heaven to the soul Did you ever wonder how long ago man began to use instruments. To come up with some sorts of music it is known that four thousand B.C. that the Egyptians had created the harps in the flutes by thirty five hundred B.C.. Liars layers and double redid clarinets had been developed in Denmark by twenty five hundred B.C. an early form of the Trumpet had been developed this trumpet is known as the natural trumpet it is valid listen depends on pent depends completely on manipulation of the lips to change the pitch but I do know that there was a form of trumpet before that and it’s called the ram’s horn and so far yes one of the most popular instruments of the day was created in fifteen hundred B.C. by the Hittites on speaking of the guitar. The guitar was a great step because the use of frets to change the pitch of a vibrating string would lead to later richer mint sets as a violin and harpsichord music is a very unique way. To express oneself or to be soused But you know what. When I think of musical instruments instrumental music. Even for a person like me it is very unique a person like me that I can’t read a single note in music. I don’t know a B. flat from a D. sharp as a matter of fact I don’t know if there is a D. sharp Yes there is there is a D. sharp I just got confirmation on that but I I do know how to sing in B. flat. Right you don’t hear too much because David turns me down he’s got you know that. But I do know the listen to the music I do know by the tone of the music you know you can is a express excitement or else calming I do have a near that I can hear even though I don’t know what the notes are but look at us I can look at a sheet of music I would be totally clueless I could not point out one note and say well this is that or that’s the other I couldn’t do it but you know what music can speak to most all of us here’s a crazy example as I said you know you get musical rain around you you watch television and I was taking notice of this watch commercials almost every single commercial web music in the background you’re going to hear music playing in the background most of your T.V. shows are programs if they’re not actually speaking or even when they are sometimes there’s music playing right there’s some kind of music playing in the background now bear with me here if you’re watching a television show and there’s a pretty young lady walking down the sidewalk if the music is very dramatic and. You know tense you can pretty well know before it even happens somebody is going to jump out of a band on we’re going to snatch a girl you’re going to kidnap or because of the music that was plain but now that same pretty young girl walking down the street and at first happy when some music playing well she’s probably going to bump into some guy in drop or books he’s going to bend down pick him up next you know she just met her Prince Charming right and you know all this seriously not think about it next time you’re watching the show you pay attention. Because of the tone of the music you can pretty well predicts what’s going to happen in a television show. That’s how much Alan tune we are to music. We just made that we love music I love music as much as the next person J.S. Bach said all music should have no other end and aim then the glory of God and the souls refreshment where there is not remembered there where this is not remembered there is no real music but only devilishly hub of. There’s a lot of devilish hub bub out there. He heads each composition with J.J. Jesus Jaba which means Jesus help me. He ends every composition with S.T.G. solo Diog Russia which means to God alone the praise. I like that. If you have read a fair amount of your Bible you will realize that King David had a love for music and he had the gift of poetry according to a little ruse of an encyclopedia of music David is credited with conforming the men of the tribal Levi as the custodians of music of the divine service historian Irene Hess notes that of the twenty four books of the Old Testament the one hundred fifty songs in the book of Psalms ascribed to King David have served as the bedrock of Judeo Christian him hematology I not said that word right but him Knology concluding that no other poetry has been set to music more often in Western civilization all that my friends from a little shepherd boy. One of the probably one of the greatest poets of all time from David’s time on the use of music in worship was much more organized in first Chronicles fifteen sixteen then David spoke to the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brother and to be the singers accompanied by music by instruments of music stringed instruments harps and symbols by raising the voice with we sounding joy. Psalm one fifty David says Praise the Lord praise God in the sanctuary praise him in the mighty firmament praise him for his mighty acts praise him according to his excellent greatness praise him with the sound of the trumpet praise him with the loot and the harp praise him with the temporal and dance praise him with stringed instruments and flutes praise him with loud cymbals praise him with clashing symbols that everything that have breath praise the Lord praise the Lord I should have had the girls have some symbol of her right to clap them when I had that bridge as Scripture praise him praise him with music praise him with song praising with our breath with our song. Not only is it instrumental music but it is songs in him it’s the way that we express our joy it’s the way we receive Joy I know I receive a lot of joy from song from music many times are we need to praise him even we don’t feel like praising. I know that Paul and souses was able to praise him when they may not have felt like praising and accept or sixteen verse twenty five he says but at midnight pollen Salis were praying and singing hymns to God and the prisoners were listening to them. What faith to be in such conditions and praise God and sing hymns. I hope you like singing because according to Scripture I believe there is going to be plenty of singing and I have. Actually believe that they’re singing and praising that happens each and every time somebody repent and comes to the Lord Jesus Christ I believe that Luke fifteen seven says I say to you that Likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety nine just person just persons who need never repentance I don’t know about you but more joy sounds like praising and singing to me sounds like maybe some music which are must be in play there. Whenever you turn to look at the last book of the Bible it reveals. That that there will be a place where there will be song revelations five eight through nine says now when he had taken the scroll the four living creatures and a twenty four elders fell down before the lamb each having a harp and a golden bowl full of incense which are the prayers of the saints and they sang a new song saying you are worthy to take the scroll and to open it seals for you were slain and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe tongue and people and nation revelations fourteen two and three and I heard a voice from heaven like the voice of many waters and like the voice of loud thunder I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps they sang as they were again a new song before the throne before the four living creatures and the elders and no one could learn that song except the hundred forty four thousand who were redeemed from the earth friends there’s a reason that the four living creatures in the Elders fell down before the Lamb there is a reason that they saying a new song and that reason is because Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God has been found worthy the son of the Living God is worthy to open the seals only he is worthy to redeem mankind to God that is what’s worth rejoicing about that’s what’s worth seeing in the new song about it is Jesus Christ that is why we saying that’s what gives us joy is Jesus Christ he was worthy to take to scroll only read a little bit more the actual back up and read couple more the same two verses now when he had taken the scroll the four living creatures in the twenty four elders fell down before the lamb each having a harp and a golden bowl full of incense which are the prayers of the saints and they sang a new song saying you are worthy to take the scroll and to open it seals for you were slain and every deemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe tongue and people a nation and have made us kings and priests who are God and we shall reign on the earth. Then I looked and I heard the voice singing of many angels around the throne the living creatures in the elders in the number of them were ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousand Same with a loud voice worthy is a lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. Brothers it says or does more than just be and say we are made Cain’s in Priest because of Jesus Christ by His righteousness by his redeeming work of the cross we are making Zinn priest have found a Scriptures it has a mean a story that has a powerful story and it’s more than just singing it’s also about scripture and how important scripture and song and singing is in our lives and this is a story about Howard Rutledge. Howard Rutledge tells about how his playing was shot down over Vietnam he parachuted into a little village where he was attacked stripped naked in a prison he said that for the next seven years he endured brutal treatment sometimes shackled in excruciating positions and left for days in his own waste He recalls that there were rats the size of cats which crawled around in his cell later he wrote a book about his ordeal and gave a powerful testimony as to the importance of scripture and his. With the sights smells and sounds of death all around him really wanted to know about the part of himself that will never die in solitary confinement there was no minister a Bible for answers to the spiritual matters of life that he long neglected relit stopped back to his Sunday School days and Tulsa Oklahoma and tried desperately to recall snatches of scripture sermons and him of his childhood the first three dozen songs came relatively easy he says. But then one night during a thunderstorm a bolt of lightning knocked out the lights in the dark prison. He lay down to sleep listening to the waves of rain falling and suddenly he began humming his thirty seventh song showers of blessing showers of blessing we need mercy drops round us are falling but for the showers we plead Howard Rutledge and his fellow P.O.W.’s like Harry Jenkins in a nearby cell struggled to rediscover their faith they would often use priceless seconds to communicate to help each other to recall Scripture verses and Bible stories Rutledge wrote that everyone knew the Lord’s Prayer and a twenty third Psalm but the cames favorite verse the prisoners that the one the prisoners recalls first and quoted most often was John three sixteen For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Me shall not perish but have everlasting life he described how much time he spent trying to remember what he heard growing up in Sunday school and was amazed at what he did recall looking back he realized the importance of memorizing verses from the Bible says I never dreamed that I would spend almost seven years five in solitary can talk confinement and a prison in North Vietnam. Or that thinking about one memories memorised verse could make the whole day bearable. He relates. One portion of a verse he did remember was the word have I hid in my heart Psalms one nineteen eleven he regretted not Heidi more of God’s word in his heart Howard rightly said that he would put his mind to work in accomplish certain task he said Every day he would wake up early exercise clean up the best he could they did have a time a devotional prayer and meditation he went on to say that he would harm him silently quote scripture and think about what that verse meant to me the enemy knew that the best way to break a man’s resistance was to crush his spirit in a lonely cell the four former P.O.W. States scripture and him might be boring to some but it is the way that we conquered our enemy and overcame the power of death all around us. Through scriptures and him it’s He overcame death if you’re having a bad day. Try humming some songs in him stride singing some songs and him yes if they can help a prisoner of war make it through seven years of. In a horrible horrible place surely could help us there were a bad day surely can help us who are bad week. Give glory to God and he’ll lift your spirits. Thinking back to the Old Testament. In Joshua chapter six Jericho God told Joshua I have already given the city to you given it to you it is yours the walls hadn’t tumbled down yet but what they do he says I want you to march around the city. With the so far as march around the city blast the trumpet. Once every day of course we know in the seventh day they went around of seven times. The people in Jericho were looking out there in their fortified city they didn’t come in or go out they’ve heard the stories about Israel how they defeated their enemies and there they are outside God has a strange battle plan done they didn’t have the battering rams out going after the doors just march around the city have the banner play this far below the ship for every day. The seventh day they marched around seven times and then after that seventh time there was a shout to heavens and the walls came tumbling down my friends Jericho was already defeated when it God said it God says it we have the victory in our victories in Jesus Christ we already have the victory we’re in the midst of the marching around but don’t lose faith don’t lose hope our hope is in Jesus Christ. His battle plans are not like ours we but we have the victory look at the back of the book we win we win because Jesus Christ won he defeated Death Elmaghraby rose up out of that grave because he lives. We can live also because he lives we can face tomorrow my friends let him put a song in your heart because it will lift your spirits. How can we be down when we have such a wonderful Savior a man all we have to do is look to him remember what he has done so that our minds on have set our minds on him serving him loving him because he lives I can face tomorrow because he lives I can face today Amen amen.