Sinclair B. Ferguson

I hope you'll set your mind on what we've been thinking about this week.

And when you sing on Sunday, you'll want to sing more thankfully and enthusiastically and with a better understanding of what you're doing.

And don't forget who the real worship leader will be.

Remember Hebrews 2, verse 12.

The Lord Jesus will be with you, even if there are only two or three present.

And when you listen to the sermon, remember the Lord's words, I will tell of your name to my brothers.

If you were listening to Things Unseen yesterday, you'll maybe remember two things.

First, that our theme for the week is Christians Love to Sing.

And second, I signed off with a question, hardly the most profound soul-searching question you've ever been asked, but nevertheless, I meant it quite seriously.

Do you own a hymn book?

Remember, I was suggesting that next to a good Bible translation, a concordance, and a decent one-volume commentary, a hymn book is perhaps the most important book you could own.

And part of my reason for asking the question is because I've come to suspect that many Christians today don't actually possess a hymn book.

That's a huge contrast with the church culture of fifty years or so ago.

When I became a Christian, many Bibles were actually published with a built-in hymn book at the back.

You not only took your own Bible to church, but your own hymn book too.

Now, I realize there's something very convenient about the church supplying everything you need for the worship service, but I actually think it's been at a cost.

For example, it's no longer clear to your neighbors when you leave for church that that's where you're going with the book in your hand.

But there's something else.

Part of the loss in some churches is that you end up at the mercy of seeing the words you're singing only on a screen.

And I think you can become a victim of the law of unintended consequences.