True Melody
A Sermon on Ephesians 5:19
Originally preached Nov. 29, 1959
Scripture
19Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Ephesians 5:19 titled “True Melody,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds what he calls the characteristics of Christian music based on this Scripture passage. He says that for Christians, worship music is not about sensory experiences, but Spirit-filled worship and praise of God the Savior. It is not done for human entertainment or for the sake of showmanship, but it is about exalting God and His great Name. For this reason, it is not to be done flippantly or in a crass manner, but the who is worshipped should inform how the church worships. True Christian worship in a church is to be done as a congregation and community of believers who have come together. It is not a time for individuals to demonstrate their musical prowess and ability, but it is time for all Christians to sing as a unified body. Because Christian worship takes place in a church, it is to always be subject to the preaching and teaching of God’s word. To do otherwise would be to commit the great error of the Roman Catholic Church and others and replace the proclamation of God’s word with something else, whether it be music or sacraments. True worship is always done in light of God’s revelation of Himself and of His will to His people.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is exhorting Christians to express the joy of their salvation through singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.
- Paul contrasts the drunken orgies of pagans with the joyful singing of Christians.
- Paul says Christians should speak to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in their hearts to the Lord.
- "Making melody" means striking up a tune, playing a lyre. It refers to sweet music, tunefulness and beauty of musical sounds.
- Paul is defining the characteristic of Christian music as melodious, beautiful and harmonious. It leads to peace, rest and joy.
- Christian music is not clever, light, flippant or sentimental. It is thoughtful, intelligent and inspired by the Holy Spirit.
- "In your hearts" means Christians should sing thoughtfully, realizing they are in God's presence and praising Him. It includes both intellect and feeling.
- Christian singing should not be divorced from preaching the Word. The words are more important than the tune. We must be careful not to be carried away by the tune.
- Christian singing should not be light, flippant or sentimental. It should not be done to work up excitement or manipulate emotions.
- There should not be too much singing in a service. We can become "drunk" on singing.
- Hand-clapping and musical instruments should only be used if inspired by the Spirit, not to artificially work up excitement.
- We should sing to express the joy we already have in the Spirit, not to make ourselves happy.
- All Christians should sing together, not just choirs. Congregational singing should be harmonious, not displaying solo voices.
- Everything done in Christian worship should be done decently and in order, led by the Spirit with temperance, self-control, peace and harmony.
Sermon Q&A
Questions and Answers from Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Sermon on Ephesians 5:19
What does "making melody in your heart to the Lord" mean according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, "making melody in your heart to the Lord" does not mean singing privately or secretly, nor does it mean singing "heartily" (loudly). Instead, it means being controlled by the Holy Spirit in the very center of your being while singing. It involves thoughtful, intelligent singing where you fully realize what you're doing—that you're in God's presence singing praise to Him. The heart includes understanding, so we must be thoughtful and meditative in our singing, not mechanical or thoughtless.
How does Lloyd-Jones contrast Christian music with worldly music?
Lloyd-Jones contrasts Christian music with worldly music by explaining that Christian music is always melodious, beautiful, and leads to peace, harmony, rest, and joy because it's produced by the Holy Spirit. In contrast, worldly music often emphasizes cleverness, discord, cacophony, and ugliness. He states that Christian music is never merely clever, light, flippant, syncopated, theatrical, or sentimental. True Christian music has a fitness, form, and suitability that corresponds to its sacred purpose.
What warning does Lloyd-Jones give about singing hymns?
Lloyd-Jones warns against singing the tunes only while paying no attention to the words. He gives the example of people shouting "vile and full of sin I am" in the hymn "Jesus, Lover of My Soul" because they're carried away by the tune rather than thinking about what they're singing. He also cautions against using light, inappropriate tunes for serious spiritual subjects, calling such practices potentially blasphemous.
What is Lloyd-Jones' view on "working up" a congregation with singing?
Lloyd-Jones strongly opposes the practice of "working up" a congregation with extended preliminary singing to create an emotional atmosphere. He sees this as the opposite of what Paul teaches. Rather than singing to make ourselves happy, we should express the happiness we already feel through the Spirit's work. He condemns practices like hand-clapping to generate excitement, saying if clapping happens involuntarily from Spirit-filled joy that's acceptable, but deliberately using it to work up feelings is wrong.
What does Lloyd-Jones teach about the proper way for a congregation to sing together?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that all Christians should participate in congregational singing, not just choirs. However, individuals should not behave as soloists by displaying their personal voices or standing out by starting lines before others or holding notes longer than everyone else. True congregational singing involves balance where no voices stand out above others. Those with powerful voices should moderate them to avoid disturbing the harmony, showing the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, gentleness, and self-control.
What did Saint Augustine say about church music that Lloyd-Jones quotes?
Lloyd-Jones quotes Augustine who acknowledged that singing helps kindle devotion and piety, and that sung words often have a greater spiritual impact than merely spoken ones. However, Augustine also confessed that "when it happens to me to be more moved by the singing than by what is sung, I confess myself to have sinned criminally and then I would rather not have heard the singing." Augustine recognized the subtle danger of being captivated by beautiful tunes while forgetting the words' meaning.
What musical instruments does Lloyd-Jones believe are inappropriate for Christian worship?
Lloyd-Jones states that musical instruments that are "sensuous" and "belong to the world" have no place in Christian worship. He specifically mentions saxophones and "things of that type" as instruments that don't belong in worship because they are "essentially of the world and primitive," lacking the thoughtfulness and wisdom that characterizes Christian worship.
How does Lloyd-Jones believe Paul's teaching applies to special music performances in church?
Lloyd-Jones criticizes the practice of having only choirs sing while congregations listen passively, calling it "almost the exact opposite of what the apostle is saying." He particularly condemns the practice of paid choirs with non-Christian members who are hired just for their good voices and who arrive just in time to sing and leave immediately afterward. He emphasizes that all believers should participate in singing because all are "sharers of the same spirit."
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.