Sing!
Exodus 15 reminds us that redeemed people rejoice. Worship is the proper response to God’s salvation, and one of the key ways we worship is in song.
Our worship together includes a number of elements that we see in Scripture such as prayer, reading and hearing God’s Word, the Lord’s Supper, and Baptism. Singing is one of the ways God has given us to worship him. From the Old Testament to the New, God’s people sing praise to him. “I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness,” the psalmist declares, “and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High” (Ps 7:17). The Apostle Paul instructs NT churches to sing when they gather together: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col 3:15). Singing is the pattern of worship that John saw in his Revelation: “And they sang a new song. . .” (Rev 5:9). God Almighty seated on his throne and the Lamb are worshiped and praised. Singing is one of the key ways we worship as Christians.
Also, Exodus 15 reminds us that our worship is to be God-centered. First, our worship is God-centered in that it is directed to God (15:1). “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song tothe Lord, ‘I will sing to the Lord. . . ‘“ There’s a lot that happens in worship: the gospel is proclaimed for believer and unbeliever alike; we’re formed into the image of Christ. But, first and foremost, we worship for God—he is the audience who matters most. Our goal here is not an experience for ourselves, but the goal is exalting God.
Second, our worship is God-centered because we sing about who God is and what he has done. Moses and the people of Israel sing, “The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him” (Ex 15:2). This is deeply personal, but the song is about the Lord. As you read through Exodus 15, time and again, you’ll see that this song is about who God is and what he has done to deliver his people. Such a God-centered focus is exemplified by these verses in the middle of the song:
“Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them. “You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode” (Ex 15:11-13).
God is praised because of his nature and his work. He is holy and love, and so he redeems his people by his glorious deeds.
At CTK our aim is for our worship to be focused on who God is and what he has done. We have two key ideas that guide us in this regards. We want our worship to be trinitarian and gospel-centered. Our worship is trinitarian because God has revealed himself in Scripture as one God who is three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Trinity is who God is. When we pray, sing, and talk about God, we want to be specific about who this God. He is the God of the Bible. The one God who is God the Father Almighty, his Son and our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit who is the Lord and giver of life. You’ll notice in our worship services, we typically have three clearly trinitarian songs at important junctures within the service.
Likewise, we aim for our services to be gospel-centered because this is God’s great work of redemption. Through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, God is redeeming a people for his own possession. The gospel is more than the good news of how to be reconciled with God; the gospel is the lifeblood of our following Jesus.
We rejoice because we have been redeemed, and that rejoicing often comes in our singing together about who God is and what he has done for us.
Check out ctkhky.org/sundays if you want to learn more about worshipping with us.
