For a local church to host these massive conferences with thousands of people in two of the most influential cities in the world just shows that God will use anyone, and as we stay faithful with what He's given us, He'll take us further than we can imagine.
It was amazing to see people from all over the world declaring one name, with one heart and one voice – no other name but Jesus Christ. As a musician I couldn't help but note that each session generally started with music, and how this creative medium that we call "song" brought together thousands of people from different cultures, languages, economic positions, and outlooks on life, directing their attention, setting the tone and evoking their participation in worship.
What is it?
This organised sound-scape we call "music", this intertwined art form of poetry and melody we call "song", what is it and how is it so powerful? Genesis tells us that God spoke the earth into creation; His Word literally brought into existence the world in which we live. In Romans we see that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is Lord, we will be saved. Proverbs tells us that the tongue literally has the power of life and death; so already we see the power of words, how they shape reality and have physical and spiritual consequences.
So for thousands of people to say the same words with the same heart, surely that would be an incredibly powerful thing to do! And I think music is God's specially designed vehicle not only to enable the power of words being spoken, but also to collaborate with that power!
The Power of Song
In Chronicles and Kings (and all through the accounts of the Israelites) we see that God instructed the armies to be led by the singers and the musicians. All through the Psalms we can read King David's musical diaries, and we see that breakthrough is always preceded by praise. In Revelation it's revealed that heaven is full of songs, music and different sounds of worship, that many angels literally sing the same songs of worship for all of eternity – such is the power of worship. I believe when we behold God, our natural reaction is to worship Him, and I believe God designed song as the instinctive (and, dare I say, most powerful) form of worship.
Different aspects of God's Character is revealed in different songs
It's amazing the emotive power of music too; as I stood at these conferences I beheld people laughing, dancing and shouting in the freedom of Grace one moment, then minutes later these same people were crying, kneeling, and whispering, hearts breaking for what breaks God's, in an intimate connection with the One who paid for all their sins.
It was amazing to see how different songwriters could capture different aspects of God's character, revealing different facets of His nature and ushering in different 'movings' of the Spirit. The thing about that is God is eternal! So there is no limit to the songs we can write about Him, no cap to the understanding we can comprehend of our God, and we will never run out of different perspectives on who He is and what He does.
Also, no one has the exact same voice as anyone else, so if God has blessed you with musical or song-writing ability, then He has entrusted you to say something that no one else can say. So practice every day and listen closely to what God is telling you, and to the very best of you ability, express that in your art.
Discover, record, spread
I love that in Psalms 96 it tells us to sing a new song to The Lord, and thousands of years later those words are still ringing true – there are new songs to be written, there are new concepts to be conceived, there are new aspects of God that are yet to be learnt, and I believe God has bestowed it upon the creative people to rise up and lead the army again.
As creatives, we need to be diligent in our private devotions and full of integrity in our public affairs, because God has entrusted us with the gifts and the skills to express His nature to the world in ways that will affect people and change them.
We need to learn His voice and understand the promptings of the Holy Spirit, so that we can discover what He is saying now to the church. As He reveals to us a new aspect of His nature and what He wants to do in the world, we need to record it.
This is often the trickiest part because here God entrusts us to express it how He designed us to – it takes skill, patience and persistence to finish each artistic project, and we must each draw upon our unique experiences and styles as we put into song a revelation that God has blessed us with. Then comes one of the most overlooked pieces to the puzzle, and probably the one that the devil attacks and discourages most efficiently: we need get the message God has entrusted us with to those who need to hear it!
We need to proclaim it on the streets, broadcast it on the radio, circulate it on social media, publish it and advertise it in the industry, and distribute it amongst every store that will take it.
Art needs to be circulated to the public; otherwise it is of no benefit but to the artist. We need to make it to the very best of our ability, expressing our unique perspective of an eternal God in a captivating expression that will influence all who experience it.
That is what God has called us to do, and that is why He gave us a creative ability. And when The Church gathers to glorify that one name, they will be unified in song and heart, and the fresh sound of worship will not only change us, but the world who can hear it too.
Daniel J. Mathew completed his Bachelor of Music at Sydney's Wesley Institute and currently volunteers with Red Eye Inc. in Los Angeles and serves in Hillsong Creative globally.
Daniel J. Mathew's previous articles may be viewed at
www.pressserviceinternational.org/daniel-mathew.html