How many love it when you hear a great new song? How many love to sing new songs?

How does it make you feel? How many of you are wondering why we sang such an old song just now (although it may have been new for some)? As a singer, I find that the more I learn about the art of singing, the harder it is for me sometimes to really let go and get into a song right away I tend to think about technique first, which gets really annoying when we are singing worship songs. But Ive been thinking about a scene in the Bible recently that has really made me change the way I look at singing to God. READ: Rev. 14:1-5 What is a new song in the Bible? In the Old Testament its a fairly common phrase, and its used to describe a song for some new mercy or act of salvation from God. A new song is sung in honor of a special occasion of deliverance and victory. In most of the passages where the phrase occurs the occasion is the celebration of some act of Gods judgement on behalf of his people and resulting victory for them. The words themselves may be nearly in the same form as previous songs of praise; what is new is the deep sense of thanksgiving, the renewed awareness of assurance, and the positive expectations for the future which moved the singers of the new song.

In this passage, the new song celebrates the overcoming faithfulness of multitudes of those redeemed people in the midst of the most difficult circumstances. There were 144,000 of them, despite the worst the world and its most terrible power could do to them. They had been unselfish, trustworthy and true honorable despite the pressure. There are some who say these are the earliest martyrs in heaven. The song is the expression of their joy over their victory. Without the experience of redemption they had been through, no one could sing the new song. It had to be learned by faithful living. So it has nothing to do with technique or style, or any type of literal singing. This makes me think of Denver Moore. When he and Ron Hall came to campus I was able to go to the question and answer session where I got to hear Denver sing. He had no rhythm, no voice to speak of, it was difficult to make out a tune of any kind, and even the words. But it brought tears to my eyes because it was such a powerful and pure expression of his thankfulness and trust in God. It made me want to aspire to that kind of complete surrender. He was a man who was completely, matter-of factly, certain that God had redeemed him and was holding him close every minute

of every day. Sometimes I let cynicism or insecurity creep in and the song gets quieter and quieter until I can barely hear it, and Im sure no one else can. So How can I sing a New Song? (Remember we just sang I heard the song and strove to join) It has to start with an emphasis in my thinking upon what the Lord has accomplished, and a practice in my character of giving thanks where it is due. o A new song cant be sung while I am dwelling on my problems, failures, shortcomings, slights, or disappointments. They only come from a focus on what God has done, not on me. There may be some improvements I can make through a momentary inventory of our spiritual condition and where we need to do better, but if that ever becomes more of the focus in our lives than what the Lord has done for us there will be no new song for us. The point of reference in our lives should be The Lord is worthy whatever else happens in my life should be seen in the light of what God has already done.

Singing a new song will also require a healthy sense of assurance regarding my place in His care and keeping. o Like Denver, who had no doubt, the song is meant to comfort and strengthen us. There is a story about a Grecian mother who saw her child on the brink of a precipice. If she were to shout, the child would be startled and topple over. So she lifted her voice in a familiar hymn and lured the little one back to her side. A new song has this effect on us. Is calls us back from the brink of temptation and doubt and strengthens us.

As a singer of a new song, I will devote myself to a positive approach to life for Him. o God did not redeem us aimlessly, he bought us with blood so we would belong to Him. This shows up in a persons estimate in the value of those things for which the Lamb gave his blood we will have a positive estimation of the church and the privilege to serve the Lord. Evidence of a new song is seen in a persons behavior marked by what is true, righteous, and holy a new heart is full of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forbearance, and forgiveness (Col. 3:12-13) A new heart is able to sing a new song. It finds things to encourage instead of criticize; it sees opportunities more than problems; it thinks

of things to be grateful for instead of things to worry about. When we are singing a new song of thankfulness, our whole life sings the melody, and the things that we have been struggling with become nonissues. Remember the scriptures call for, and even command we sing a new song to the Lord when appropriate. Whether we are able to do so says something about us.