Matthew 6:24 NIV
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the
other,
or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other
Heart Of the Artist Part 1:
As
artists in the Church we need to have a solid understanding of where we fit in
to the Body of Christ. Is
it just our job to play, sing and move the faders up and down on the audio
board etc., or do we serve for
a greater purpose? As Artists in the Church we use our gifts to lead others in
Worship, to lead others to
Christ, to reflect who we are in Christ.
Ultimately
what we will discover is that our worship is our life and our purpose. It’s
about loving God and praising
His name which is pleasing to Him when it stems from a heart that is filled
with gratitude; when it
is authentic in its presentation; when it is humble and reverent. And that is why the Heart of
the Artist is so important. When we become truly authentic in our loving relationship
with God, and our lives
reflect a Christ-like attitude and character, the world will get a clearer
picture of what Christianity really
is; A relationship with the creator of the universe which stems throughout
eternity for those who receive
the work of Jesus on the Cross for their salvation. This place reserved in
God’s kingdom for believers
it what we desire for everyone. Our four fold assignment then is to love and Worship
God in spirit
and in truth, edify or enlighten the Body of Christ, shine the light of hope and
salvation on those who do
not yet know our Lord, and to do it all with excellence.
So
if you want to make a positive difference in this world; if you want to make a positive
difference in God’s
kingdom, investigate your own heart. Is your art reflecting God’s glory or your
own? Ultimately we should
be playing, singing, acting, painting and creating for an audience of one. We should not be working to
gather up the Glory that is reserved for God alone. Remember it is God working in
us and
through us that will make the positive difference in peoples live and our own. Remember
what Jesus said:
John 15:5 NIV
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If
a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Introduction:
- Character will always be an important
issue facing Artists in the Church
- Artists in the Church need to be an
example of integrity and Godly Character.
We are leading others in Worship so
we need to be held to a high standards.
- There is an Artistic temperament…
“Artsy types” – Stereotype
Name some Artsy stereotypes?:
Here are some
examples:
- Temperamental
- Eccentric
- Difficult
- Strange/Weird
- Moody
- Emotionally unstable
- Free-spirited
- Quirky
- Undisciplined
Excuses
are often made for the shortcomings of the artistic temperament more so than
with any
other temperament. A problem occurs when
we artists buy into those excuses and use them
to justify unacceptable behavior.
Can You name some of the artists or Bands that may
fit into one of the above stereotypes?
What is true about artists:
- Artists look at things differently
than non artists do.
- We notice detail; we appreciate nuance
and beauty.
- We tend to be more sensitive
- We are passionate about our art.
The Arts in the Bible:
- The Bible itself is a work of art.
- Rich in metaphor (Metaphor: a
figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or
idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them)
- The Bible contains poetry written with
great a great deal of skill and sophistication: The Psalms, The Book of job, The Song of Songs.
- Jesus’ stories/Parables
- Music: The Psalms a hymnbook
- Instrumental music: the word Selah (71
times occurs throughout the psalms
Refers to an instrumental interlude between verses or sections of vocal
music)
(Hence we have the justification for the Guitar solo)
·
Biblical
instruments:
·
Trumpet,
Harp, 10 String Harp, flute, lyre, various percussion instruments,
were all used in
worship.
·
Dance is
also included in the Bible.
Psalm 149:3 NIV
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music to him with tambourine and harp.
Even
David danced before the Lord when they brought the Ark of the Covenant home.
2 Samuel 6:14-15 NIV
David, wearing a linen ephod,
danced before the LORD with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought
up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
Artists in the Bible:
(Read these Bible passages)
David:
skillful musician and songwriter (1 Samuel 16:18)
Solomon: Wrote
over 1000 songs (1 Kings 4:32)
Kenaniah:
Great vocalist and song leader (1 chronicles 15:22)
Asaph: Heman
and Ethan (the singing percussionists 1 Chronicles 15:16-19)
Bezalil: A
gifted visual artist (Exodus 35:30-33)
The Power of the Arts:
The
arts can have a powerful impact if they are produced by the anointing power of
the Holy Spirit. In
other words the Holy Spirit is our inspiration behind the creative display and
giftedness not a demonstration
of how talented we are. Our worship can awaken us to the truth and can be a way God
uses to help change a persons life.
The Arts in the Church:
The
Church is God’s vehicle to redeem a lost world. The Church being God’s people
not the building.
Problems of Church ministry and
stereotyping:
There
is an ongoing deception in believing that a person must be part of the
Christian Music industry
in order to gain influence on a generation of people.
The
idea of the Christian Artist has been believed to only refer to someone who is
in the industry. This
idea should be dispensed with as those who are part of the arts in church are
Christian artists as
well. Bill Hybels said that the local Church is the hope of the world. Than the
importance of ministry on
a local level and those of the arts can not be emphasized enough.
Those
of you who are musicians/artists – need to understand that the Church is not a
stepping stone to
something more important. Those who believe that should go do something
else.
However,
the Christian artist can be the salt of the earth, a light that shines in the
darkness. So whatever
we do we can be ambassadors for Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:20 NIV
We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were
making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.
The church needs Artists that have a passion for
the power of the arts.
The Church experience can be powerful in that
someone who comes can experience the presence of God, they become vulnerable enough to be
convicted of their sin, they face the truth about themselves. They are drawn to God. The power of God
present in the arts can penetrate hearts, minds and souls.
That is why the artist must connect to God on a
deeper level, that is why the worship must be God filtered through the presence of Christ in
artist’s life.
Worship:
The New Testament puts a great emphasis on corporate worship.
Ephesians 5:19 NIV
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual
songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
Colossians 3:16 NIV
Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach
and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms,
hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
In scripture there
is evidence of 2 types of worship:
- Spontaneous (Exodus 15)
- Organized and choreographed (2 Chronicles 5:11 – 7:7)
When the nation of Israel
crossed the Red Sea, right there oh the
riverbank erupted into
spontaneous worship that included singing , playing
and dancing.
Example from Exodus 15 (The song of Moses and Miriam)
19 When Pharaoh's horses, chariots
and horsemen [d] went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of
the sea back
over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 20
Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister,
took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines
and dancing. 21 Miriam
sang to
them:
"Sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider
he has hurled into the sea."
On
the other hand, the worship time that accompanied the dedication of the temple
was highly organized
and choreographed.
Excerpts
from 2 Chronicles 5:
All the
Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood
on the east side of the altar, dressed
in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by
120 priests sounding trumpets. 13 The trumpeters
and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to
the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets,
cymbals
and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang:
"He is good;
his love endures forever."
Excerpts
from 2 Chronicles 7:
6 The priests took their
positions, as did the Levites with the LORD's musical instruments, which King
David had made for praising
the LORD and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, "His love
endures forever." Opposite the Levites, the priests
blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.
There
is also some controversy over the type of worship music that should be played
and sung
at church. Traditional vs. Contemporary.
What are the benefits of both kinds of Worship Styles?
- God focused worship
- Edify the church body
- Praise God
- Enhance the message
- Make us think and contemplate our
relationship with God
Evangelism:
The
arts can be especially effective in evangelism because they often reflect the
seeker’s hunger
and search for God.
The Church is now using the arts for something
called:
·
Strategic evangelism – reaching the un-churched.
·
Speaking to people where they are at in life. Using certain styles of
music, video and drama and avoiding churchy forms of
communicating and Christian jargon that many do not understand.
Encouragement:
The
arts can encourage and edify the Church.
Music,
drama dance, literature, and the visual arts can encourage someone who’s down, someone
who is struggling in his or her walk with Christ, someone who is facing trials
and temptations.
We
must never lose sight of the people and their needs. The Church can use the
arts as a way to bring
encouragement to those who need a touch from God.
·
Can you think of a song that encourages you, that ministers to you
throughout the day and comes
to mind? Is there a song that encourages and reminds
you to stand strong even when you are deeply entrenched in difficult
circumstances?
Here
are some examples of the songs that I came up that have meant a lot to me because they reminded me Of God's unfailing love:
You Never
Let Go
Amazing
Grace
Always
Came To My Rescue
How He Loves
You Are My Stength
Music
with lyrics that emphasize the Word of God has the power to penetrate our
hearts and cause
our attitudes to change.
The
arts can excel at identifying with people’s pain and ministering the truth of
God’s Word with sensitivity.
Worship is a Celebration:
Every
Sunday should be a celebration of the Work and Glory of God.
The
Church should be the happening place for the arts as it was back just 250 years
ago in
Bach’s day. It used to be that when you
wanted to hear great music or experience great art,
you went to Church.
It
is a privilege to serve God.
We
should not only honor God with our gifts but with our lives as well.
It
is time to get serious about our Character.
We
need artists in the Church who are known not only for their talent but also for
their walk with Christ.
Blessings………………..Dave
