For Heaven’s Sake
For Heaven’s Sake - Sing by Pastor Tim
Soul Food: Abiding Savior Lutheran Killeen, TX
July 2024
“I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you” (Psalm 22:22).
Jesus sang. Friend, if for no other reason you too want to put a song in your heart and sing. After all, Jesus sang.
Some time ago I thought I was helping one of our granddaughters sing with Elsa of Disney’s Frozen “Let it go!” “Let it go. Let it go-o-o-o-o-o-o-! I can’t hold back anymore.” Apparently, this sweet girl felt I could hold back. A small hand was placed on my arm and with pitied eyes she said, “Poppa Tim maybe let’s just let Elsa sing it by herself, okay?” Olaf has a tin ear too, so I don’t feel so alone.
Maybe you struggle to carry a tune with the rest of us Olafs, but God still made your soul for song. Few things, at the right time refresh our spirits like God’s truth or heaven’s praise put to song. So, for heaven’s sake - sing. Hum a hymn. Make your weapon a melody against Satan. Scripture brims with God’s call for his people to sing his praises and for many reasons. But here to me is a motivator for putting God’s truth to music I have often missed:
SING AS JESUS SANG FOR HOPEFUL TRIUMPH EVEN IN SUFFERING
Have you ever sung because Jesus sang? And sang even in suffering with a hope filled heart? Dallas Willard loved to say, “By his grace, be as Jesus was and then do as Jesus did.” Jesus lived a perfect life for us. His innocent death and glorious resurrection assure us our sins are forgiven. Heaven now is our home. A God-given faith through the Word of God worked in our hearts by the Spirit assures us of these treasures. And while Jesus was winning salvation for us on the cross through ignominy and shame he sang in hopeful triumph. The prophet David gave his distant royal Son the script for the darkness of his deepest suffering.
My God, my God, have you forsaken me? … But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. …Strong Bulls of Bashan encircle me. … My mouth is dried up like a potsherd. … They divide my clothes among them …” (Assorted verses of Psalm 22).
However, this Psalm or script does not end in disaster. A turning point occurs as unexpectedly as a resurrection from the grave. Leith Anderson likes to imagine hearing swelling trumpets, booming trombones, and a fanfare for four timpani and then this:
“I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you” (Psalm 22:22).
If all the broken-hearted words before this verse in Psalm 22 made up the prayer of Christ on the cross - and they did - then verse 22 and those following are the lyrics of his praise for his finished work. Theologians much smarter than me suggest Jesus literally says these words out loud on the cross. Wait. No, “says” is not a strong enough word, is it? For heaven’s sake Jesus sang those words Psalm 22. This would be like our Jesus, wouldn’t it? And the Psalms were meant to be sung.
“I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you” (Psalm 22:22).
As saints we love to sing “Holy, holy, holy!” Recently the MLC Choir did a stirring version of Andrew Peterson’s He Is Worthy entitled Is He Worthy? (You do yourself a favor by giving both a listen on YouTube). Who doesn’t love to thrill to the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah?” But friend, this is the Savior’s hope filled song sung in despair by the Savior himself. Hebrews 2 takes up this verse to reinforce that when all is said and done, Christ will sing to the Father with us, his family in heaven.
“Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. 12 - He says, ‘I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises’” (Hebrews 2:11, 12).
You see it, right? Verse 12 is a quote of Psalm 22:22. “I will sing your praises.” It is as if Jesus will be the soloist and we’re his back up choir. Can you see him signaling us when to come in? Yes, even us Olafs! “You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel” (Psalm 22:23).
Perhaps in heaven our loved ones gone home in the Lord are already gathered in his presence and have often taken up this song with his angelic creatures. But the concert won’t be complete until we are all finally gathered around his throne to hear these words of victory sung from God’s triumphant suffering servant. And make no mistake about it, by faith in Jesus as your Savior from sin one day you will be there soon.
A choir director once called me a “prison singer.” You may have heard that before. I hadn’t. What is a “prison singer?” I was informed that a “prison singer” is always behind a few bars and has lost the key. Olaf, prison singer, tin ear, depressed, downtrodden what is it or what will it be for you? For heaven’s sake, my friend sing. Sing Scriptural truth, words of adoration to a God who loves you. Sing as Jesus sang for, we have a hope no suffering and not even death can take away in a suffering Savior who took our sin away and gifted us paradise forever. Now, don’t you feel like singing?
