Sing, Sing A Song

Sunday, we did a new song at church for the first time. Never Gonna Stop Singing.

OH MY GOSH!! It’s my new very favorite worship song. Here are the lyrics:

You called out into darkness
You reached out to save me
Set free, no longer bound in chains
You rescued me, and called me by name

You conquered the grave
You crossed the divide
Lost in my sin, You made me alive
How can we ever hold it inside
We can’t hold back
We’re gonna lift You
Higher, higher
Hearts burning bright like a
Fire, fire
Voices unite, make it
LOUDER, LOUDER
We’re never gonna stop singing
We’re never gonna stop singing

Every tribe, every tongue, every heart will sing
Every knee we will bow to the risen King
Lift Him up, lift Him up
We’re never gonna stop singing

Singing what? Music, yes (because I LOVE TO SING!) But for the purpose of this writing, I’m referring to this song of salvation…this song of what Jesus has done and does for us. This song that so many haven’t heard, and we better get to singing it to them so they can hear. I’ve sung this song since I was young. Many have sung it much longer.

Going to church as a teenager, then working with churches all over the country early in our marriage, and now leading in a local church (for 23 years), singing this song hasn’t always been easy. We’ve been tempted to stop singing…we’ve honestly gotten tired of singing it…others have asked us to stop singing. We’ve forgotten the words and lost the melody…and harmony was strangely missing at times.

In Luke 19, Jesus is making his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. As he rides into town, his followers and disciples are praising and singing, casting their coats on the ground in front of him.

This ticks the Pharisees OFF, and they turn to Jesus and basically tell him, “Shut them up!” to which Jesus replies, “If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise.” (v. 40 Msg)

SOMETHING was gonna be praising Jesus this day…it was time. Up to this point, Jesus had discouraged people from publicly celebrating Him as Messiah. Here Jesus invites it…he welcomes public praise and adoration as Messiah. After all, Easter is coming soon.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want stones or rocks or boulders praising Jesus in my place…I want to be the one to do it. I want to be the one singing the song of praise to Jesus. They can’t sing MY song, anyway. Only I can do that.

The stones may praise him some day, BUT IT IS NOT THIS DAY! (LOTR reference lol)

Why should we sing at all? Well the followers of Christ were singing that day because they were remembering all the miracles He had done. No other person in history had ever done for them what Jesus had done…and no other person anywhere, anytime, anyhow, will do for YOU what Jesus has done for you. THAT’S why we sing!!!

So why do I stop singing this song sometimes? Why am I tempted to quiet my song? Why do I forget the words or the melody? Why do I stop singing it with others and lose the beautiful harmony?

What stops YOUR singing?

Is it sin? Bad habits? Good habits? Discouragement? Depression? Doubt? Age? Circumstances of life? Struggles? Anger? The opinions of others? Fear of rejection? Fatigue? Busyness? Business?

NOTHING SHOULD STOP OUR SONG. The religious leaders of Jesus day didn’t want to hear it…and they couldn’t stop it. World leaders of history have tried to bring it to a halt…and they couldn’t stop it.

Gloria Gaither says it so much better than I ever could:

Emperors have tried to destroy it, Philosophies have tried to stamp it out. Tyrants have tried to wash it from the face of the earth with the very blood of those who claimed it, yet it still stands [yet the song goes on]. And there shall be that final day when every voice that has ever uttered a sound, every voice of Adam’s race shall raise in one mighty chorus to proclaim the name of Jesus, for that day every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ Is truly Lord!

Ah–so you see–it was not mere chance that caused the angel one night long ago to say to a virgin maiden, “His name shall be called Jesus.”

So, especially now as the Christmas season is starting, don’t let the stress and struggle and altered-focus and busyness of the season stop your song. At this time of year, more people than ever need to hear it.

Lift Jesus higher, higher.
Let your heart burn bright like a fire, fire.
Unite voices with others and sing it LOUDER, LOUDER!
Never stop singing.