Music Ministry

I read an article recently that has bothered me. I have tried to not write about it but I am going to have to. The article was entitled There Is No Such Thing As A Music Minister. 

To understand that music ministry is, in fact, a ministry, let us define ministry/minister:

Minister – Properly, a chief servant; hence, an agent appointed to transact or manage business under the authority of another; in which sense, it is a word of very extensive application.

Ministry – Agency; service; aid; interposition; instrumentality. Ecclesiastical function; agency or service of a minister of the gospel or clergyman in the modern church, or of priests, apostles, and evangelists in the ancient. Acts 1. Rom.12. 2 Tim.4. Num.4.

Both of these definitions come from AV1611.com (KJV Dictionary.)

To further define ministry, we turn to the Bible. For this instance, I am using 2 Timothy 4:5 (which is referenced in the KJV dictionary)

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

The word for ministry in Greek is διακονίαν, transliterated to diakonia. In which Bro. Strongs defines as:

1. service, ministering, esp. of those who execute the commands of others

2. of those who by the command of God proclaim and promote religion among men

   1. of the office of Moses

   2. of the office of the apostles and its administration

   3. of the office of prophets, evangelists, elders etc.

3. the ministration of those who render to others the offices of Christian affection esp. those who help meet need by either collecting or distributing of charities

4. the office of the deacon in the church

5. the service of those who prepare and present food

Ok. I really don’t even feel like I have to go any further, but I will. Not only am I an Apostolic preacher, and apologetic, but I am also a musician. I play the organ and sing every service our church has. Not only do I play the organ, and sing, but I also play the piano. So I feel that I have somewhat of a platform to speak on.

The first thing I want to make clear is this: Ministry is service. To be a minister is to be a servant. The pastor of a church is a servant to the people of the church. The children’s minister is a servant to the children. Servanthood is the first and foremost characteristic of a minister. In all the above definitions, service is the common denominator. If you wash the toilets at church, YOU are a minister. If you turn on the lights and mow the lawn, you are a minister. So, by default, music is a ministry. I am not sure about your church, but at my church, not one musician is paid. We all do it out of service to the Lord and to our church. The posts that are referred to in this post go on to say that apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teachers are the only true ministers (Ephesians 4).

We pray, we lead, we exhort, we talk, we sing, we praise, we worship, we serve, so who decided that those things aren’t ministry? You can quote scriptures and divide them up until you can’t find anything true, but that doesn’t mean that you are right. The kicker in the post is this line:

If you are a musician or singer, do not try to perfect the saints, build up the body, or minister.  It isn’t your job.  Your job is to praise the Lord by singing/playing, and that is all.

Let’s consider these verses:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. (Ephesians 5:18-19)

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. (Acts 16:25, 26)

If a singer is only supposed to sing and not perfect the saints or build up the body, then why did Colossians 3:16 and Ephesians 5:18 tell you to? Paul said just as much as you admonish one another in all wisdom, sing! He even equates being filled with the Holy Ghost and singing as the opposite of drunkenness and debauchery. So, music MINISTER, keep ministering!

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Encourage WHO?

We live in a very tough world. Some would say worse than any other time, some would disagree. But one thing is for sure, it can be hard to adult at times. I see many saints allowing the enemy to wear them out. It isn’t necessarily big strikes against the saints, but he will use situations and people to plum wear you out, keeping you busy and your mind off of the prize. 

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. Daniel 7:25

I am guilty of this as well, so I preach to the choir! The attack is real, and sometimes it feels so heavy, and you can’t get a break, but take courage! Consider David:

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. 1 Samuel 30:6

David was greatly distressed! They wanted to kill him! But when all falls apart, you have to encourage yourself. As easy as it is for me to type that out, it is much harder to apply it. Over the past couple of years, I have found myself greatly distressed, trying to get through life without losing my breath. I run and run the race, and at times it feels like the finish line keeps getting moved miles and miles away. But that is when you have to encourage yourself in God. How do you encourage yourself you say? I am so glad you asked! 

1. Read His Word! Read His Word! Read His Word!
2. Talk about His Word!
3. Pray

Anytime someone tells me that they have been going through a hard time, and they feel defeated, I always ask “how much time are you spending in His Word?” 99% of time time, the answer is “not as much time as I should.”

We have to be in the Word, daily. If you want to hear from God, read His Word. If you need an answer to something, read His Word. It seems as Christians, that we spend less time in our “religious book” than other religions do, and that is saddening. We have to know it, we have to read it, we have to talk about it, we have to proclaim it.

I head a saying one time: “Make prayer your first response, not your last resort.” I would add “Make His Word your first response, not your last resort.” There is nothing that can take the place of God’s Word in your life. It is alive, it can and will speak to you about your situation and comfort you in your trouble.

I don’t buy into the whole Prosperity Gospel. I do not buy into the fact that once you become a Christian, everything is right in the world. No! Have you ever opened a Bible? We are promised peace and joy, but the presence of peace and joy doesn’t mean we have it all together. That doctrine only makes YOU feel bad when something goes wrong as if you didn’t have enough faith, and now you’re punished. Our promise is that IN the turmoil, we have peace and joy. THAT is much more admirable than just getting a free pass from the problems of this world. God gives us tools in His Word to combat the enemy. So today, as you go through this life and deal with the troubles of this world, encourage yourself in God’s Word.