Music As Worship

Guiding Principals for Music Choice at GCF

1.  Music should focus on God and His glory as opposed to man. (1 Cor. 10:31)

2.  Music should promote a high and exalting view of God. (Col. 3:17)

3.  The music should be Biblically sound and Biblically saturated, thus Spirit filled. (1 Tim. 3:16; Eph. 5:18)

4.  Music should promote unity in the body of Christ. (1 Cor. 10:23-24)

5.  Music should prepare the people for the preaching of the Word. (2 Tim. 4:1-2)

6.  Music should adorn the gospel of Christ. (Heb. 13:7-15)

7.  Music should promote hearty, passionate worship. (Eph. 5:19)

8.  Music should be varied in form:  Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. (Eph. 5:19)

9.  Music should promote thanksgiving and submission to the Lord. (Eph. 5:19-21)

10.  Music should be instructive in nature. (Col. 3:15-17)

11.  Music should promote the use of God given voices and instruments. (Ps. 150)

12.  Music should be inclusive of every person in the body; enabling a unified, one mind and voice in praising God. (Ps. 150:6)

13.  Music should be preachable.  If we cannot preach it then we ought not to sing it. (2 Tim. 4:1)

14.  Music should not be in the first person in speaking for God unless the Scripture warrants it.  It must be sung in context.

15.  Music should be clearly content driven and not style driven.  There ought not to be a discord between the style and the content.  The content is to be the main focus and the style is to merely magnify the content.

16.  Music should be chosen in view of the local Eldership and their guidance.

***For further study we would encourage you to do a Google search of the following titles: "The 107 Theses" by Steve Camp; "Singing and Making Melody to the Lord" by John Piper; "The Role of Music in Worship" by Clayton Erb and Bill Brandenstein; or read books such as "Brothers, We are not Professionals" by John Piper; "Fool's Gold" by John MacArthur. ***Thank you for your humble consideration of these thoughts.