We continued our series called “Mixtape” at Gateway Church in Austin.
Music has always had the power to shape the way we think, feel, and live. Every song does something to us, whether it’s the anthem that defined our teenage years, the breakup ballad that got us through heartache, or the worship song that lifted us closer to God. Lyrics carry messages. Melodies stir emotions. Rhythms embed themselves into our memories. The songs we put on repeat become more than background noise, they become the soundtrack of our lives.
In this series, Mixtape: The Formative Years, we’ll explore how the music around us forms our perspective on life, love, identity, and faith. Some tracks speak lies that pull us away from God’s best, while others point us toward truth, hope, and worship. God invites us to be intentional about the soundtrack we live by. He wants to rewrite the playlist of our lives so that His Word and His presence set the rhythm for our future.
Digging Deeper:
Message Video from Gateway South Austin:
Message Audio from Gateway South Austin:
Message Notes:
The Power of Music in our Culture
So we are in a series about the power of music in our lives.
Music in general shapes our perspective on life, love, identity, faith, and so much more.
As a kid growing up in the 1980s, the type of music you liked determined what you wore and even the friends you chose (or the friends who chose you).
Music can take you down a dark path or lift you up.
Music stirs emotions and brings back memories.
Music is powerful.
Music and Worship for Followers of Jesus
In this series, we want to take a look at music as a way to grow as a disciple of Jesus.
A few weeks ago I mentioned Jesus being at the center of our lives. And I could tell some of you were thinking – well what does that mean when I watch TV? Do I have to watch only The Chosen, the Bible Project, or only reruns of Veggie Tales?
No, although more of those shows and less of the ones that are dark or make you feel the darkness wouldn’t hurt.
Instead the idea is to view the world through the eyes and ears of faith. To become more discerning of the messages we watch or listen to.
What are they trying to communicate?
How can we have empathy for the artist and those who resonate with the message?
How can we as people of faith respond?
How should we apply what we know about God to that message or that situation?
It’s not about being legalistic or putting ourselves in the seat of judge or jury against culture. It should not surprise us that people without faith would have a different view of life and reality.
But it’s important our faith guides us to be discerning and a source of light to our culture rather than being so influenced by culture that you cannot tell the difference between what the world values and what we value, or how the world lives and how we live.
The Scripture talks a great deal about music!
A church planter and pastor named Paul wrote to followers or Jesus how to live more like Jesus and less like the world. At one point his guidance included:
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly… through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.” – Colossians 3:16
So a focus on Psalms, Hymns, and Songs From The Spirit can remind us of who God is in our life and how He is bigger than the problems we face. He is with us. These songs we sing on Sunday can become the soundtrack of our lives during the week – helping us to be grateful rather than anxious, thankful for what we have rather than mad about what we don’t have.
You know we start every week with music because of verses like this. Music can help us get rid of the distractions we bring in with us. Music about God and singing to God can help us right-size our minds and hearts. We call singing to God “worship.” That’s a bit misleading.
One of my favorite passages of Scripture as a new follower of Jesus comes from Romans 12 (one of my favorite chapters in the Bible).
It says:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12:1-2 NIV
You see, worship means showing God how much He’s worth to you — with your words, your actions, and your heart.
It’s not just singing at church (though that’s part of it and it’s the easiest part).
Worship happens anytime you:
- thank God,
- trust Him when things are hard,
- obey Him even when you don’t feel like it, or
- treat people the way Jesus would.
It’s like saying to God, “You’re the most important One in my life.”
Let me summarize this idea:
Worship is showing God He’s most important by the way we sing, pray, and live.
This is an extremely important idea if you are following Jesus. Following Jesus isn’t just about what you believe, it’s actually about how you live.
So Paul wrote in another letter to people he loved at a church he helped start in what is now modern day Turkey and said:
“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God….”
[He then encourages them in how to live as a follower of Jesus in a pagan world that opposes them and then includes this…]
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 5:1-2, 15-20 NIV
So singing isn’t just fun for some, it’s actually a lifeline for all who follow Jesus.
You can have a song in your heart with lyrics that keep you moving forward with a God-centered outlook on life!
About 10 years ago I felt like singing just wasn’t my love language. I just wanted to get through it so we could get to what I really wanted to hear which was the message. Often I would come in late for the service, but always in time for the message. Until one Sunday I decided to ask God to meet me during the music. I asked him to speak to me and minister to me in that time. I came in early to pray for God to move and then I sat on the 2nd row there in the Crockett High School auditorium, and I wept. I felt so convicted of skipping that time for all those years. The lyrics were exactly what I needed and what I wanted to be true of me. Ask God to meet you in the midst of the times we sing. Come early to pray. And sing your heart out! Just consider our band your band and the singers your back up singers. We turn the lights down low and the music is loud enough you can really focus on connecting with God during that time. And when there are no lyrics, spend time praying. When else during the week will you have 15-20 minutes of uninterrupted time with God?!
Our Series
Last week we looked at…When the Music Fades (Songs from the Spirit). We talked about how when God feels silent or distant…He’s still closer than you think. Songs from the Spirit are personal expressions that come from the heart, not a performance to get God to love us. He already loves us, and we can be open and honest with Him. You see, even when life feels quiet or God feels distant, He’s still writing something beautiful inside you.
Today we are looking at Singing a New Song. God invites us to bring every emotion to Him, not just the polished/perfect ones. We see this especially in the Psalms, which have been the hymnal of the people of Israel for centuries. They are prayers written by King David and others. It’s like reading their journal entries as they are incredibly open with God, and we can be too.
Today we are going to look at how we can be honest with God, how important it is for us to shift our focus, and how God invites us to write a new song with Him.
1. Get Honest with God
Life gets heavy. Things don’t turn out how we pictured. We carry disappointments, doubts, and heartbreaks we don’t know what to do with. Most of us either push those feelings down or vent to everyone but God. But the Psalms show us another way, an honest way.
David didn’t fake it. He didn’t try to sound spiritual. He brought his real emotions before God; anger, sadness, confusion, and hope. That honesty became worship. You don’t have to have it all together to talk to God. You just have to be real.
Let’s look at Psalm 13 as an example.
1 How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.
Isn’t that so beautiful? King David ruled about 1000 years before Jesus was born so 3000 years ago, and yet how remarkably accurate does this describe times in our lives?
Ever feel forgotten by God? Ever feel like He is not coming through no matter how much you pray or fast? This Psalm could be the one you come to when you have run out of words.
The Psalms are honest, emotional, Scripture-rooted expressions that teach us to be real with God.
Or check out these other verses reminding us to be real and honest with God.
Psalm 142:2 – I pour out before Him my complaint; before Him I tell my trouble.
Psalm 62:8 – Pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.
If we aren’t careful, our relationship with God can become transactional. We only trust in God and follow His ways for what we can get from Him and when we don’t get what we want we give up on Him. People do this in their relationships all the time.
True and authentic relationships are dynamic. We work together through the ups and downs. We grow together. We get better together as we persevere and work through our conflicts and differences.
The same can be true with God. We can approach God with confidence knowing that He is for us. We can be honest with Him about our frustrations and fears.
Just like in ⅓ of the Psalms we see King David and others vent their frustrations and fears and anger with God only to then end with “but no matter how things turn out, whether you answer my prayer the way I want you to or not, I will trust you.”
Have you ever had a moment like Lt. Dan did in Forrest Gump?
Lt. Dan had lost both his legs in the Vietnam War, and he was angry with God for what happened to him. He pulls himself up the mast of their shrimping boat during a storm so he could yell at God! And after that scene Forrest noticed he was at peace with God from that point on.
That movie is 31 years old! Many of you don’t know that reference! I have been trying to find another moment like that in a film, but the only other ones I can find are Bruce Almighty and Signs, but those movies are still 20+ years old.
Here’s the point: God is BIG enough to take on your emotions and disappointments and anger and fears!
We see this type of honest prayer from Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when he prayed:
““My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” …
He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.’” – Matthew 26:39, 42 NIV
God never promised a life without suffering and struggle. That is the nature of life in this broken world, but He did promise to be with us in the midst of the suffering and struggle of this life.
Jesus willingly gave His life for us. God did not rescue Him from the cross, but on the other side of the cross was the resurrection!
Followers of Jesus are called to take up our cross and to die to ourselves daily. We need to be willing to follow Jesus wherever that takes us which could include suffering and death. But even in that, this life is not all there is! We can experience His love and presence and have a hope that is eternal – bigger than just our circumstances, bigger than this life.
The reward for knowing God is not getting God to do what we want Him to do. The reward for knowing God is knowing the One who loves us unconditionally, knowing the One who guides us in the light, and knowing the One who is our hope!
What area of your life seems to lead you more to fear rather than to faith?
What circumstances do you need to bring before God?
Ask God to give you hope even when you don’t have it. Sometimes that comes from your church family.
When things are going badly, lean into your faith and lean into your church family. So often we are tempted to walk away. Instead, lean in! Be honest with God. Be honest with a few others who are part of our small group or ministry team. Let God and others help you through.
We also need to remember that music can help you…
2. Shift Your Focus
Did you notice how in Psalm 13 that even though King David’s circumstances were not what he wanted them to be and he’s blaming God (at least at first), in the end he still proclaimed his trust in God?
Psalm 13:4b-6 says:
my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.
You see that is the key, we can be honest with God, but also remind yourself of who God really is in those moments He feels far away.
Psalm 42:5 – Why, my soul, are you downcast? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him.
The Psalms are full of this pattern: honesty first, hope second. They start with questions – “Why is this happening?” But end with declarations -“Yet I will praise You.”
It’s the spiritual version of changing the station. Choosing not to stay stuck on one frequency of frustration, fear, or negativity. When you shift your focus, your circumstances might not change right away, but your perspective does. You start to remember: God hasn’t forgotten me. He’s still good. He’s still working.
The Scriptures teach us to renew our minds as we read earlier in Romans 12:1-2.
Another Psalmist was named Asaph. Now Asaph wrote some of the darker Psalms. He had favor with King David, and his legacy (his sons) were an important party of the reconstruction after exile.
His life was more than his struggles…his life gained more purpose when God was interwoven in the story. Listen to what he wrote in Psalm 77:
1 I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 12 I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
How often are you imagining all the bad things that could happen?
Instead you need to remind yourself of all the good things God has already done!
This isn’t pretending like nothing is going wrong. This is acknowledging how we feel and how hard things really are, but shifting our focus to something or in this case Someone Who is bigger than whatever challenge we may face.
God loves you. He is for you. He can be trusted – even when circumstances are hard.
Remember pastor Tim Keller from New York City taught us that “God answers our prayers the way we would if we knew what He knows.”
Paul says it this way to his friends at the church in Philippi – the first church planted in Europe. Before that the churches planted were in the Middle East and Asia.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:4-9
No matter what you are facing, start with rejoicing in the Lord. That means thanking God, being grateful to God for all the ways He has provided and protected throughout your life.
Be honest and take all your concerns and hopes and dreams and frustrations to Him.
But once you do then shift back to focusing on all the good things you have seen and experienced.
Don’t meditate on your problems.
Meditate on the One who is bigger than all your problems.
Think about whatever is Pure, Praiseworthy, Lovely, Admirable, Noble, True, Excellent, and Right.
That means when you start thinking about the things that are bothering you, take those thoughts captive and hand them back to God.
Focus on PPLANTER or PRE PLANT
Pure, Praiseworthy, Lovely, Admirable, Noble, True, Excellent, and Right
What we reap is what we sow.
Remember, worry is like praying for what you do not want.
Share your heart with God. Be grateful to God. Remind yourself of how good God is.
And finally…
3. Put A New Song in Your Mouth / Write A New Song
You can’t sing a new song if you keep replaying the old pain.
When you let God in; into your pain, your questions, your honesty. He doesn’t just listen. He starts writing something new. The “new song” isn’t about melody; it’s about mindset. It’s the sound of a life that refuses to stay stuck in the past. You don’t have to create the new song on your own. God puts it there. He takes what hurts you and turns it into hope, one lyric at a time.
Listen to what the Scriptures say:
You turned my mourning into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. - Psalm 30:11
Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the ends of the earth. – Isaiah 42:10
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. - Psalm 40:3 (NIV)
God wants to partner with you! Let’s move away from telling God what to do and learned to truly follow him! We will be amazed at what he does in us and through us.
So how is God wanting you to come to Him today?
Music is powerful.
Consider adding the songs we sing on Sundays to what you listen to during the week and what you sing on your own.
