I've entitled this message, When
They Had Sung a Hymn. When They Had Sung a Hymn. In Matthew's account, the marginal reading with regard
to this verse speaks of Psalm 113 through 118. And it's been
said that after the Passover meal, these Psalms would be sung. I went back and read them and
I could see why they would be. But there's something so powerful
and striking about this. After the Lord has, for lack
of a better word, instituted the Lord's table, They get up,
and I have no doubt who is leading in the singing of this hymn. The Lord led them in the singing
of this hymn. Now I'm gonna be preaching the
gospel from this, but this is a subject I've never preached
on before. Singing. Singing. I first made my first attempt
at preaching, I think 1978, that's the first time I ever tried to
preach. I don't know if I'd call it preaching, I tried. I felt
awful about it, but many messages since then, I don't know how
many thousands of messages I've preached, and I've never preached
upon this subject singing. When they had sung a hymn. Now the Lord knew he would soon
be nailed to a cross. That's coming right up. He was
going to be betrayed right after this. And he knew this, his hour
was come. He knew he would soon be forsaken
by his father. He knew, and I don't understand
any of this, only he does. He knew he would be banished
from his father's presence. He knew he would suffer the full
equivalent of hell. He knew all those things. As
a matter of fact, Psalm 88 says, I've been afflicted from my youth.
His suffering did not begin in Gethsemane's garden. He had this
pressing on him from the beginning. You remember when he said, I
must be about my father's business. He knew what his father's business
was, even as a youth. And he was waiting for this time. So they'd observed the Passover
and what that must have been. You'll remember he said, with
a desire, have I desired to eat this Passover with you? And after that, they began the
Lord's table. We considered that last week.
And after the Lord's table was finished, they sang a hymn together. One of the things that we know
about heaven is there will be singing. We read of that great heavenly
choir composed of 10,000 times 10,000 and thousands and thousands. And the scripture says regarding
these ones, they sang a new song. Now this is repeated by David,
the sweet psalmist of Israel, six different times. Sing a new
song unto the Lord. Now that's not talking about
composing new lyrics that haven't been written before. These lyrics
are eternal. They come from the lamb slain
from the foundation of the world. but they should only be sung
as a new song. What is news? It's what's happened
today. It's what's in the present. The gospel is good news, and
the songs are to be sang as the new song. Whenever I hear the
gospel and it's old, that's happened to you, hadn't it? I know it
has. It's happened to me. Whenever
you hear the gospel and it's old, it's old. If the gospel's preached, there's
one reason for that. I'm not hearing as a sinner. You hear as a sinner. The gospel
will be new and fresh and powerful to you. They sang a new song,
eternally new and eternally fresh, and this will be the employment
of heaven. Listen to the words of this new
song. I'm quoting from Revelation 5, thou art worthy to take the
book. and to open the seals thereof.
Now this is referring to when the lion of the tribe of Judah
that was the lamb that had been slain came to the throne of God
and he didn't ask for the book. He took the book. Nobody else could do that, but
he could. And he was worthy to open the
seals thereof. Thou art worthy to take the book
and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain and hath,
don't miss that, he hath redeemed us. He didn't offer us redemption.
He didn't make redemption available. He hath redeemed us to God by
His blood. He's redeemed us by the blood
out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and has
made us kings and priests unto our God. Now that is sung to
Him in this great heavenly choir who said, behold, I make all
things new. Singing, I wanna read a passage
of scripture from Zephaniah. And if you can find it, I'm gonna
go ahead and start reading it. You can just listen if you want.
Zephaniah chapter three, verse 17, the Lord thy God in the midst
of thee is mighty. We just heard about him. What
manner of man is this that even the winds and the sea do obey
him? The Lord thy God in the midst
of thee is mighty. He will save. He will rejoice over thee with
joy. He will rest in his love. He
will joy over thee. What's that last phrase? With sin. Do you know that if you're in
Christ, you make the Lord I say this reverently, but I don't
know how else to say it. You make him so happy, looking
at you, beholding you, that he sings. That's what scripture says. Look
at the words again, or if you're there. He will save, he will
rejoice over thee with joy, with mirth. He will rest in his love. And that word rest means he will
be silent in his love. There's nothing to bring against
you as an accusation. He'll rest in his love, that
complete saving love. He'll rest in his love. He will joy over thee with singing. It said of the Lord Jesus Christ,
in the midst of the church, will I sing praise to thy name. Wouldn't you have loved to see
him leading the disciples in this song? But you know, that's
what eternity is going to be. It seems as if eternal days are
far too short to sound his praise. Now this is what the employment
of heaven will be, singing his praise. Praise. When Paul said,
I will sing in the spirit, that certainly means this singing
that is inspired by the spirit of God. Turn with me for a moment
to Acts chapter 16. I think this is such a powerful,
poignant passage of scripture. Acts chapter 16. Verse 23, this is speaking of
Paul and Silas. And when they had laid many stripes
upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to
keep them safely, who having received such a charge, thrust
them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in stocks. Now picture this in your mind.
They'd been beaten with the cat of nine tails, blood still flowing
down their back in just a filthy, disgusting environment in the
inner prison. Their feet fast in stalks for
preaching the gospel. And what did they do? Verse 25,
and at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto
God. What must that have sounded like?
In that condition, at midnight, they sang. Praises to God, and the prisoners
heard them. I don't know what all that means,
but I like to think about what they must have been thinking.
What in the world is going on? They're singing praises to God.
Look where they're at. How could they do that? But there
they were. in this time of need, singing
praises to God. Now, certainly a part of congregational
worship is singing. When we sing these hymns, these
hymns of praise, we're singing His praise. And to treat singing
as less important or more important is wrong. Now, what do I mean
by that? There are some, I don't guess
you'd call them churches, they're religious organizations, but
the main thrust is the singing. And the song leader is called
the worship leader. And that's a totally skewed view
of what worship is in the first place. There's no understanding
in that kind of thing. It's a production. It's trying
to move people with music. It's using music to try to get
some kind of end. It's not the praise of God. And
also remember, when we're singing these hymns, don't think, well,
this is not as important as something else. Yes, it is. This is His
praises. We're singing of Him. We're singing
and making melody in our hearts to the Lord. We should all participate
and join in. in the singing of these hymns.
They are of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, these are congregational
hymns. And in these hymns, we are singing and making melody
in our hearts to the Lord. That's what the scripture says.
Now, you don't have to have a beautiful voice. You see, what's beautiful
is what's being sung and who's being sung to. You don't have
to have a beautiful voice to join in these congregational
songs because the beauty is in the hymns and what they say of
the Lord. I love the hymn, we love to sing of Christ our King
and hail him, blessed Jesus. For there's no word, ear ever
heard so dear, so sweet as Jesus. What a blessed privilege to be
able to sing these hymns, just like the disciples were. This
is no less important than when they were getting with the Lord
and singing these hymns. David said, make a joyful noise
unto the Lord. And then there are the specials.
Psalm 33 verse three says, sing unto him a new song. There's
that word, new, powerful, fresh. Sing unto him a new song. Play
skillfully with a loud voice. Now I've been so touched by these
specials. I'm thankful. I don't know how many times Lynn
said, you ought to say something more. I guess I don't think about it.
I should, but when I'm getting up, I'm thinking about the message
I'm gonna preach. But I'm so blessed by these specials. I'm
so thankful for them. And this is important. It's important that the singers
of specials are gifted to sing. That's very important in a special.
Not so they can perform. Every believer is offended by
somebody getting up and performing. I mean, you sing a special, it's
not about some kind of performance. But you want to have a gifted voice so that you don't
get in the way of the song. And you can hear what's being
said and worship and think about what's being said. That's very
important. Play skillfully with a loud,
You don't want to be a distraction. You don't want to get away in
the way of the message of the song. That's so important and
you know that. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14, 15, I will sing with the
spirit and I'll sing with the understanding also. Now this is so important. A song
that doesn't impart the understanding of the gospel is a song that
ought not be sung. A song that doesn't exalt the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is a song that should never be
sung. It's a song for infidels, not
for believers. Now, I know that there's some
that only sing psalms because there's no error in the psalms. And just about every hymn we
sing, you can think, there's a better way to say that. Well,
a man wrote it. A man wrote it. But somebody
says, well, should we sing those? Well, I think that's exactly
what Paul's talking about when he said, let us sing in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs. Singing and making melody in
our hearts to the Lord. Now, think of the sum of the
songs we sing. Rock of Ages, cleft for me. Let me hide myself in thee. Let the water and the blood from
thy riven side which flowed be of sin the double cure. Save from wrath and make me pure. What a blessed thing it is to
sing that song in our hearts. Alas, and did my Savior bleed? and did my sovereign die? Would
he devote that sacred head for such a worm as I? Was it for crimes that I have
done? He groaned upon the tree, amazing pity, grace unknown,
and love beyond degree. My hope is built on nothing less. than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. Jesus, thy blood and righteousness,
my beauties are, my glorious dress, midst flaming worlds in
these arrayed, may I with joy lift up my head. I stand amazed in the presence
of Jesus the Nazarene and wonder how he could love me, a sinner,
condemned, unclean, when I stand before thy throne dressed in
beauty not my own. When I see thee as thou art,
love thee with unsinning heart, then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not to them, how much I owe. Now, we could go on and on with
these songs, but these songs are the preaching of the gospel,
aren't they? That's what they are. We were preaching the gospel
when we're singing, what can wash away my sin? Nothing but
the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is that flow. That
makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing
but the blood of Jesus. Now, these songs preach the gospel,
they touch the soul, and they do not have the discordant noise
of human will and merit to mar the melody. They're gospel songs. I love when David said, God is
king over all the earth. Sing praises with understanding. I will sing of the mercies of
the Lord forever. I will sing of mercy and judgment. You just read that passage of
scripture, a just God and a savior. I will sing of mercy and I will
sing of judgment. That's the gospel. I will sing of the mercies of
the Lord forever. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto
him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Now that's the subject
of our singing. Yea, they shall sing in the ways
of the Lord. Now singing that is profitable,
whether congregational singing, specials, or singing in your
heart, it's the work of the Spirit of God. Now turn with me for
a moment to Ephesians chapter five, verse 18. And be not drunk with wine wherein
is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. And here's what that
looks like. Speaking to yourselves in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in
your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things
unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now I've already touched on Revelation
5. That gives us this view into
heaven and what a view it is when the lamb took the book.
But I would like us to look at another song in closing in Revelation
chapter 14. I don't know how to put this
song to verse. I don't know how to sing it,
but this is a song. Now turn with me to Revelation
14. This is heavenly worship. And I looked, this is John speaking,
and lo, a lamb stood on the Mount Zion. How many times do we read
in the book of Revelation of the Lamb of God? Weep not, the
lion of the tribe of Judah will prevail. And I looked and beheld
a lamb as it had been slain. Here's this lamb. And I looked
and lo a lamb stood on the Mount Zion and with him and 144,000. having his father's name written
in their foreheads. Now I've realized that, I can't
remember if it's the Mormons or Jehovah Witnesses, but they
think there's only gonna be 144,000 people in heaven. And these are
the people. And there can be a whole lot
more than that in heaven. This is a big number that represents
the exact number, but this number represents the elect of God. An exact number. It's a big number, but it's an
exact number. And every one of these elect
sinners, those God chose before time began, someone says, what's
election mean? Here's a real simple answer.
The Lord looked at his disciples and said, you did not choose
me, I chose you. And you know that, so if you're
a disciple, you know it's so. No disciple of Christ has any
problem with election, they love election. That's who the elect
are, and they have the, what's it say about them? They have
the name of their father written in their forehead. Jehovah Tadkenu,
the Lord our righteousness. Verse two, and I heard a voice. from heaven as the voice of many
waters and the voice of a great thunder. This is talking about
the loudness, the volume of this glorious choir singing. And I
heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps and they sung
as it were a new song before the throne. Now, like I said,
this is not new lyrics. These are eternal lyrics, but
they're always new and they're always fresh, they're always
powerful. I need these lyrics just as much
now as I ever have. They sung as it were a new song
before the throne and before the four beasts and the elders
and no man could learn that song but the 144,000 which were redeemed
from the earth. Do you know the only people that
can learn this song are people who've been redeemed by Christ?
Nobody else really understands. It's not resonating with them.
They don't get it. But the 144,000 do. They were
redeemed. Redeemed, how I love to proclaim
it. He redeemed me. He put away my
sin. It's gone. Oh, what a... song
that the redeemed, only the redeemed can understand this. You know,
only a believer can understand the gospel. It just doesn't make
sense to a natural man. He doesn't understand anything
about sin. He doesn't understand anything about his need of Christ,
but the redeemed know this song. Now look what it says. These
are they which were not defiled with women for they are virgins. Now this is the description of
Every one of these 144,000, every one of God's elect, everybody
for whom Christ died for, they were not defiled with women.
And does that mean that they never had the relationship, everybody
knows what we're talking about, it doesn't have anything to do
with it. Doesn't have anything to do with it. Turn with me to
2 Corinthians 11, hold your finger there. Paul said in verse two, for I
am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. For I have espoused
you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin
to Christ. And that's exactly what that
is referring to. But I fear Lest by any means,
as the serpent beguiled thee through his subtlety, so your
mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. The onlyness of Christ. Now listen to me real carefully. All I have is Christ. And if you add anything to that,
that's adultery. All I have, I'm not looking anywhere
else, I'm not looking to anything about me, all I have, the only
hope I have is that Jesus Christ is all in my salvation. I do
not have anything else. And if I do, I've been corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus. Now, if you are
singing this song, you understand that the only hope you have is
that He shed his precious blood for you and put it away. And
the only hope you have is that his merit, his righteousness
is your righteousness. You're not looking anywhere else.
You're not thinking of anything else. And to do so is to be corrupted
from the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus. Now go back to
Revelation 14, verse four. Here's the ones who were singing
this song. These are they which were not defiled with women,
for they're virgins. These are they which follow the
Lamb, whithersoever he goeth. Now, the only way to follow Christ
is to keep your eyes on him. It's that simple. You know, people
overcomplicate this. I remember when, first time I
went to Mexico with, to visit Walter there, and he took us
downtown, in that downtown area. And it was very intimidating
to me. For a third world, I'd never seen anything like that.
And Walter, bless his heart, he felt no need to watch out
for us. He'd just take off and all of
a sudden he'd be gone. The only way you could stay up
with him is keeping your eyes on him nonstop. That's what faith in Christ is.
I remember one time, first time I went was with Henry. Walter
left us and we were all sitting there and none of us knew what
to do. Henry said, I feel like an Arminian preacher, leading
people without having any idea where I'm going. At any rate, the point is, when
you follow Christ, you don't look down at your walk, you don't
look at others' walks, you keep your eyes totally on Him. That's what it is to follow Him,
looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. Now, let's go on reading. These
were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God
and the Lamb. Now here we have the effectual
redemption of Jesus Christ for his elect. These were redeemed
from among men. You know, there's not a drop
of gospel in general redemption saying that Jesus Christ died
for everybody, but it's up to you to accept what he did to
make it work for you. There's no gospel in that. Somebody
preaches that doesn't know God, they don't know the gospel. No,
we understand. These were redeemed from among
men. Christ Jesus didn't have a redemption
that wasn't redeemed. Everybody he died for, they must
be saved. We understand the words, don't
we? We understand that. Look what it says. Being the
first fruit unto God and the Lamb, and in their mouth was
found no guile, no deceit. Now, If you're like me, you're
thinking, there's plenty of deceit in my mouth. I mean, every time
I open my mouth, there's an element of deceit to it. I mean, everything
I say, I say in such a way with a slant to it to make me look
better, deceitful, deceitful. So what does it mean, in their
mouth is found no guile, no deceit? I have no doubt that this is
referring to what David said in Psalm 32, 1 and 2, blessed
is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Now, if you don't believe, you
personally are totally depraved. I'm not talking about believing
the doctrine of total depravity. I'm talking about you believing
that you yourself are totally depraved. If you don't believe
that, you're filled with deceit. That's all you can say. You're
a deceitful person. Don't trust you. Don't trust
anything you say. That is deceit. This godless spirit is the result
of the new birth. You know, when we sing, other
refuge, have I none? hangs my helpless soul on thee. Leave, oh, leave me not alone. Still support and comfort me. All my trust on thee is stayed. All my help from thee I bring. Cover my defenseless head with
the shadow of thy wings. Thou, O Christ, art all I want. More than all in thee I find. Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
heal the sick, and lead the blind. Just and holy is thy name. I am all unrighteousness. False and full of sin I am. Thou art full of truth and grace. Now, when the godless soul sings
that song, he's not just singing the words, he means it. He believes that's the truth
concerning him. But look at this last description
of these who sing this song with the great thunder, the voices
of many waters. It says in verse five, they are without fault. It doesn't say they're treated
as if they have no fault. They are without fault. God looks at these people and
he says, thou art all fair, my love. There's no spot in thee. You're perfect through my comeliness,
you're beautiful. You're without fault. Now unto him that's able to keep
you from falling and to present you faultless. Now understand
this, child of God. When God looks at you, he starts
singing. He sees you as beautiful, as
without fault. He says, I'm gonna rest in my
love or be silent in my love. There's not gonna be any accusations
against you. All your sin is put away. That
doesn't mean it can come back up. It's gone. It's gone. It's not just covered up to be
brought back up at some time. It's gone. It is not. This describes every believer. They are without fault. It's what the Bible calls justification. Now, when the Lord led the disciples
in the singing of this hymn, he knew he was going to the cross
to make his people. without fault. This was part of the joy, looking
unto Jesus who for the joy, the joy that was set before him,
the joy, yes, of glorifying his father and pleasing his father,
but the joy of taking every one of his people and making them
to be without fault, spotless before the throne of God. Now, in heaven, what is the subject
of the psalm? Redeemed. Isn't it the same subject here? Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you for the
privilege of being in this great choir that sounds as many waters
and as mighty thunder, singing worthy is the land that was slain. Lord, how we thank you for the
redeeming work of our Redeemer that makes us to be without spot before thee. We give thanks for
your gospel in Christ and we pray. Amen.