Tag: Singing

COME BEFORE GOD WITH JOYFUL SONGS

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Shelby G. Floyd

 

One of the Psalms of David helps prepare God’s people to worship him with joy and gladness of heart:

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
Come before him with joyful songs.”
Psalms 100:1-2

This congregation enjoys singing many of the old songs and many of the new songs. We are continually learning some new songs to add to the old songs we have sung for years. This is a good thing for our worship. Continue reading “COME BEFORE GOD WITH JOYFUL SONGS” →

THE SINGING IN THE WORSHIP

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Shelby G. Floyd

“The Singing in the Worship,” is the topic of our lesson. In the worship of the Heartland congregation our singing is outstanding. Everyone is encouraged to continue to sing praises to God with all of your heart. It has been said,

“One of the advantages of pure congregational singing
Is that you can join in whether you have a voice or not.
The disadvantage is that your neighbor can do the same.”
–Charles Dudley Warner

All Christians are commanded to sing whether we have a great voice or not. Everyone can “sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). This is good and acceptable and pleasing in God’s sight. Continue reading “THE SINGING IN THE WORSHIP” →

SINGING PRAISE IN THE MIDST OF THE CHURCH

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Shelby G. Floyd

Hebrews 2:10-13
10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying:
“I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”
13 And again:
“I will put My trust in Him.”
And again:
“Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”
NKJV

Continue reading “SINGING PRAISE IN THE MIDST OF THE CHURCH” →

WORSHIP ON THE LORD’S DAY

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Shelby G. Floyd

lords-day

The New Testament clearly outlines the essentials on worship. These are: the Lord’s Supper, the contribution, prayer, preaching, and singing. However, in the matters of judgment or incidentals the New Testament does not have a lot to say. This indicates that God leaves it up to our human judgment as to how we should carry out what he has commanded when he has not specifically stated how we are to carry it out!

A Window into Worship

In our text, we have a window through which to see a worship service of the New Testament church. This worship took place at Troas on Paul’s third evangelistic journey (Acts 20:1-12).

As Paul traveled around visiting the churches he encouraged them with the word of God. Comfort and encouragement mostly comes from the word of God: “He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece” (Acts 20:2).

First Day of the Week Worship

We notice that worship at Troas was on the first day of the week. This is what we call Sunday. Why was worship on Sunday and not on Saturday or any other day of the week?

“Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight” (Acts 20:7 NKJV).

Why did the New Testament church worship on Sunday instead of Saturday, which was the day of worship for the Jews? They worshipped on Sunday because Jesus Christ himself sanctified the first day of the week, by his own resurrection from the dead on the first day the week (Luke 24:1).

John Worshipped in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day

John the apostle was exiled to the island of Patmos, probably by Domitian (84-96 A. D.). He was away from the church on the mainland of Asia Minor. But on Sunday—the first day of the week, John described himself as being in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10). This means, that he was in heart and soul with the congregation that worshipped on the first day of the week. On Sunday all Christians need to be present in body and spirit to worship the Lord.

Let us also be devoted to taking the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week, to remember the salvation we have in Christ. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).

Copyright © 2011-2016 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

Shelby G. Floyd

Shelby G. Floyd
Heartland Church of Christ
1693 West Main Street
Greenwood, Indiana 46142

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

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Shelby G. Floyd

king-james-bible

In regards to the Constitution of the United States of America, there are two different ways of interpreting its meaning and application to the citizens living today. The Non-Progressives believe it should be understood in its original meaning as interpreted by the three branches of government when it was inaugurated. The Progressives believe that it should be interpreted subjectively to whatever they want it to mean to fit their philosophy and prejudices.

THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION

Historically, its application has been based upon the case law hammered out for over two hundred years. If it is not sufficient for today’s world, the founding fathers included the amendment process. In my view the Constitution should be understood in the fair meaning of the words as they were used when it was signed into law. Therefore, in regards to the Constitution I am Non-Progressive. Continue reading “THE CONSTITUTION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD” →

Let Us Sing Joyful Songs

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Shelby G. Floyd

psalm-100-vs-1-2
Credit: Google Images

One of the Psalms of David helps prepare God’s people to worship him with joy and gladness of heart:

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
Psalms 100:1-2
NKJV

This congregation enjoys singing many of the old songs and many of the new songs. We are continually learning some new songs to add to the old songs we have sung for years. This is a good thing for our worship.

When we learn new songs someone must teach them to us. We’re grateful to the talented men who can do this so effectively. And we must listen to the new songs to learn the words, the rhythm, and the melody. With practice and repetition we can learn any new song and sing it effectively in our worship.

HE HAS PUT A NEW SONG IN MY MOUTH

David declared that “He has put a new song in my mouth,” in on one of his Psalms:

And he hath put a new song in my mouth,
even praise unto our God: many shall see it,
and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
Psalms 40:3

Has God put a new song in your mouth? Has God put a new song in your heart? When we praise God, the songs should not only be in our mouth, but also in our heart! “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5: 19).

Let us notice where David spoke of how much he enjoyed singing a new song to the Lord. He also exhorted the people of his day to sing a new song in worship to God: “Sing unto him a new song” (Psalms 33:3). “O sing unto the Lord a new song: sing unto the Lord, all the earth” (Psalms 96:1).

God wants the whole earth to sing new songs and joyful songs in praise and worship to him.

Shelby Preaching

Shelby G. Floyd
Heartland Church of Christ
1693 West Main Street
Greenwood, Indiana

Copyright © 2008 2016 Shelby Floyd, All Rights Reserved

Identity Theft Prevention–Identifying the New Testament Church Today!

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Shelby G. Floyd

Identity Theft Rise

Credit: Google Images

About 32 A.D., or one year before the day of Pentecost, Jesus declared, “Upon this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). Did Christ in fact do what he said he would do? Yes he did. On the day of Pentecost the apostles received the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). And all of them stood up and preached the good news in languages that everyone could understand (Acts 2:5-14).

We have one of the apostles sermon recorded—the apostle Peter. Near the end of his sermon the audience cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” His answer was, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). The Bible declares, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). And in the last verse of that chapter, the Bible says, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Jesus said “I will build my church” and one year later the church is spoken of as being in existence.

Now the question is can we identify that church in our day and time? The church existed on the day of Pentecost and up to the end of the first century. Can we identify that same church today? It would be a reflection upon your intelligence to suggest that all of the churches today with their different doctrines and practices would in fact be the church we read about in the Bible. Continue reading “Identity Theft Prevention–Identifying the New Testament Church Today!” →

Worship in Singing Songs

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Shelby G. Floyd

singing_hymns

Jesus taught that in the new economy, God would seek true worshippers who would worship in spirit and truth: “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). The purpose of worship is to drive out the worldly and to think of the “other world.” Hence, worship must be driven by faith, and faith is founded in the truth of God’s word (John 17:17).

Someone wrote these words recounting the great value of the congregation worshipping God in an uplifting song service: Continue reading “Worship in Singing Songs” →