The Song You Need To Sing

Message Summary:

in 2018,, the people of Hawaii believed a ballistic missile was headed toward them. For 38 minutes, people ran for shelter. Some called their families. Some prayed. Others finally said words they had been putting off.

The alert turned out to be false, but the urgency people felt was real. For thirty-eight minutes, life became focused. What mattered most moved to the front, and what could wait suddenly fell away.

That is where this series began—not with panic, but with clarity. While that missile was not real, Jesus and the implications of His life are very real. Jesus came. Jesus died and rose again. Jesus is coming again. The gospel does not give us the luxury of treating this life like a rehearsal.

This is not practice for someday. In other words, this is not a drill.

Throughout this series, we have been asking the same question in different ways: What does following Jesus require of me right now?

If there are words you need to say, say them now. If there is forgiveness you need to ask for or offer, do it now. If you need strength, stop pretending and turn your eyes toward God now. If God has shown you where to stand and what step to take, obey Him—even when it feels unreasonable—and trust Him with the outcome.

The conversations matter. Showing up matters. Forgiveness, generosity, faith, and obedience matter. I'll say this again for every season of life present (or reading this)--you being at youth group matters. You showing up for church with your spiritual family matters. You serving on Sunday morning matters. Your giving matters. What you do right MATTERS. 

But what is our response when what we do doesn't seem to matter? When it doesn't seem to make a difference? In 2 Chronicles 20, God’s people had prayed, but an enemy army was still coming. They were walking in faith and obedience, yet they could not see the benefits of doing so. Destruction was still knocking at their door.

What do you do when you have prayed and obeyed, but the battle is still in front of you?

A Song Before the Victory

God told His people:

“You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you… Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” —2 Chronicles 20:17

King Jehoshaphat then did something unexpected: he sent singers ahead of the army.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.” —2 Chronicles 20:21

They worshiped before the miracle. They praised God before they had answers and before the outcome was clear.

Imagine being one of those soldiers. Your life is on the line. Your family and community are depending on you. You expect the king to reveal a brilliant military strategy. Instead, he announces that the choir will lead the way.

What good is a song against an army?

Every person faces a battle of some kind. It may be grief, divorce, illness, financial pressure, uncertainty, or a burden no one else can see. Praise does not guarantee that every circumstance will immediately change. Its power runs deeper:

The power of praise is not that it gives us control over the battle. The power of praise is that it keeps the battle from taking control of us.

Praise Reminds Us That God Is Worthy

The people did not sing about their enemy. They sang about God’s enduring love.

This was not a new song. It was woven into their spiritual history. It had been sung when David brought the ark to Jerusalem and when Solomon dedicated the temple. In a moment of crisis, Judah reached for an old song about an unchanging God.

We need those reminders because we are quick to forget. God has provided for us, carried us, and met us in our need—and yet we still become consumed with worry.

Praise redirects our attention. It reminds us that God is worthy, even before we know what He will do.

Some of us have postponed our worship until God finishes the work. We will praise when the answer comes, the door opens, the relationship is restored, or the pain is gone.

But faith does not wait for victory before it worships.

Faith sings while God works.

Praise Strengthens Our Hearts

While driving from Indiana to Missouri after losing my dad, I sensed God inviting me to worship. I began thanking Him for who He is and for the father He had given me.

I thanked God for the time we had together. I thanked Him that my dad was godly, that he was a good husband to my mom, and that he loved fiercely. My dad was not perfect, but he was the dad God gave me.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.”

That praise did not remove my grief, but God used it to strengthen my heart. I did not become consumed by anger or bitterness. Praise anchored me in the character of God.

When I reached the hospital, I prayed for a miracle. I laid hands on my dad and asked God to make his heart beat again and put breath back into his lungs. I believed God could restore his life.

But nothing happened.

We are not promised that every diagnosis will be reversed, every relationship restored, or every financial hardship resolved the way we desire.

Our confidence is not that every battle will end the way we want. Our confidence is that Christ has already won the victory that matters most.

Jesus Has Already Won

First Corinthians 15:57 declares:

“But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Sin has been defeated. Death has been conquered. Christ is risen. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Jesus will return and make all things new.

That is why we have a reason to sing.

We do not praise because everything in life is good. We do not praise because singing loudly enough will force God to give us our preferred outcome.

We praise because God is worthy—period.

We praise because He strengthens our hearts. We praise because Jesus has secured the ultimate victory over sin and death.

The Son of God lived the perfect life we could not live. He died the death we deserved, taking the punishment for our sin and giving His life on our behalf. He was nailed to a cross and buried in a tomb, but death could not hold Him.

Jesus rose from the grave, proving that death does not have the final word.

Whatever battle stands before you today, remember who God is. Remember what Jesus has accomplished. Before you see the outcome—and even if the outcome is not what you hoped—sing the song you need to sing:

“Give thanks to the Lord, for His love endures forever.”