The essence of worship is what goes on in here from your heart and if it's not from the heart,

it isn't worship.

What is the essence of worshiping God through singing? That's the question John Piper answers

from Ephesians 5, 17-20 in this episode of Light and Truth. This sermon was originally preached

at Bethlehem Baptist Church on December 28, 1997.

The reason music exists, the reason souls exist is because there are feelings that simply demand

that we do more than describe reality, that we do more than talk about it.

Pros must rise to poetry and poetry must be extended to song and song must give wing to music.

That's why it exists. God is simply too great to be exhausted by preaching or conversation

or discussion or analysis. That's why there are songs and poetry and music. It's all about

reality and the greatness of reality and the depth of reality and the intensity of reality and

the echo of reality here in the heart and here in the head and when these two come together,

it bursts the bonds of ordinary, prosaic speech over and over again throughout the history of mankind

and God has ordained it to be that way. He created music. He created the human heart. He created

emotion. Music and singing are necessary. So, let's go to this text that talks about singing.

Mandate singing, describe singing, put singing so close to the center of worship.

Ephesians 5, 17 to 20. Number one and I'm not being exhaustive. Singing is to be an expression

of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Verse 18, do not get drunk with wine for that is dissipation but

be filled with the Spirit. There's the command. Be filled with the Spirit. Now notice just a comma

and then a part of simple. Be filled with the Spirit speaking to one another in Psalms. This is

in Psalms speaking. In Psalms speaking. This is song speaking. Speaking to one another in Psalms

and hymns and spiritual songs. Singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord. So the first

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