Roosevelt Miller was a Church of God treasure! He taught music and voice at Lee for many years. I had the privilege of taking personal voice lessons from him as a young teenager. During Teresa’s time at Lee, she played the piano for him in chapel and when Ladies of Lee was on tour. One day he said, “in all my years of teaching music, I have only known of one person that was so tone deaf, they could not sing.” He went on to say, “anybody can sing if they just give it a little effort.” I’ve heard a lot of people say that they cannot sing. They can, they are just too concerned about who might hear them. But God hears you every time, all the time. So, let me ask you a question, does God like to hear you sing? In the book of Amos, the people of Israel were busy sacrificing to God, but God did not accept their sacrifices. They were busy singing, but God did not accept their singing. They used the best musical instruments of David, but God did not accept their music. They observed all the appointed feasts, but God did not accept their feasts. In fact, these were the very things that God despised.
Good SONGS Do Not Mean Good Worship
Amos 5:23, 24 – “Take away from me the noise of your songs, For I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments. But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.” You can sing the most anointed songs ever written, but this does not guarantee your worship will be acceptable to God. God despised their songs because there was no justice and righteousness in their lives. God values our love for righteousness and justice more than our songs. God values our lifestyles more than the words we offer to Him. The life we live for God must be consistent with the songs we sing to God.
Good MUSIC Does Not Mean Good Worship
Amos 6:5,7a – “Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, and invent for yourselves musical instruments like David … But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.” Israel played with the best musical instruments ever made, but God rejected their music because they did not care about their brother’s suffering. We cannot worship God on one hand and turn our face to the needs of a hurting world. The Bible does not say that we prove our love to Him by the music we offer. The Bible teaches us in John 14:15a - "If you love me, keep my commandments.” True religion involves meeting the practical needs of the poor. We must have a balance between skill and character. We cannot use a skillful musician who does not love righteousness and justice. Skill must be complemented with character. Otherwise, we could get the town drunk to lead worship every Sunday. Music without the anointing is like a body without a soul. It is dead!
Good SERVICES Do Not Mean Good Worship
Amos 5:21 – “I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies.” When we say, "that was really a good service", do we mean it was a good program, everything went off without a hitch, the songs were good, the flow was smooth, the message was short and sweet, or the anointing was so powerful, lives were changed? Who was more pleased, God or man? I bring this up because Israel was busy observing her feast days and sacred assemblies, not knowing that God despised them. God forgive us that we should focus more on our presentation than His holy presence!
Good OFFERINGS Do Not Mean Good Worship
Amos 5:22 - “Though you offer me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them. Nor will I regard your fattened peace offerings.” Israel consistently presented to God burnt, grain, and peace offerings, and God rejected all of them. The problem was simple, they violated the First Commandment. Israel continued in idol worship, and God did not accept that. “You also carried Sikkuth your king, and Chiun, your idols, the star of your gods, which you made for yourselves (5:26).” Is it possible that we are guilty of turning praise into profit, and praise into performance? I will leave you to decide. Psalm 96:1 says, “Sing unto the Lord a new song! Sing unto the Lord all the earth.” The Psalmist is calling on creation to declare and ascribe glory to our God. This is the purpose of our singing. We sing to an audience of One. So sing to enter in, not to entertain. Keep your motives pure, and your voices will be heard!