This is how the new song sounds

The basis for the divine service the Chief Apostle held on 12 July 2015 in Goma (Democratic Republic of the Congo) was a well-known song, “He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth—praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40: 2–3). Nearly 6,400 brothers and sisters attended this service, which the Chief Apostle celebrated in French. His sermon was interpreted into Swahili.

Brought out of the horrible pit and set on rock

Before the Chief Apostle went into more detail on the new song, he applied the other parts of the Bible text to the salvation in Christ.

• “The horrible pit,” he said, is “what we call spiritual death, the state of being separated from God.” Jesus brought His sacrifice in order to bridge this gap between God and man.
• Miry clay is an image for sin. Man is not able to escape from this miry clay on his own. “Only the grace of Jesus Christ can deliver us from sin.”
• The rock is a firm foundation. “This is His gospel .Those who rely on the promises of Jesus stand on a solid foundation. They are no longer on slippery ground. They do not sink more and more deeply into the mud!”

A song of thanksgiving and joy

The focus of the Chief Apostle’s sermon, however, was on the new song, a "song of praise, of gratitude”, as he said. Those who are aware of the gift that God has given them are also able to thank God for His salvation—even in difficult circumstances. And this thankfulness is also sung in deeds. “Seeking first for the kingdom of God and putting other things aside,” is part of this.

“The new song is also a song of joy: joy in our salvation, joy in Jesus Christ.” The Chief Apostle said that it is completely normal “that we rejoice when we are blessed in our work and when we succeed in our endeavours, when our plans and efforts are crowned with success. But our greatest joy must be the joy of salvation, knowing that there is a place set aside for us with Jesus in heaven.”

A song of commitment and forgiveness

The new song is the song of those who commit themselves to Christ. The old song is one that we know too. It is the song in which mankind comes to God and says, “What are You doing for me? I need this and that. Give me that!” The new song is sung by those who say, “Lord, what can I do for You?”

Finally, the new song is also a song of forgiveness and reconciliation. “Those who are aware of the grace the Lord grants them will not feel the need to take revenge on others,” the Chief Apostle said. “Forgiving our neighbour does not mean that the things he has done were not serious. Forgiving simply means that we no longer accuse him and that we pray for the salvation of his soul.”

Learning to sing harmony takes practice

“This new song is not a song that we can sing alone. We must sing it together, which means that we have to form a choir.” What does it take for a choir to be good?

• “There has to be a certain order in a choir and everybody has to sing the same song. If everybody were to sing their favourite song it would never work.”
• “A good choir is not a choir comprised of 150 soloists. In order to sing the new song, we have to respect each other.”
• Creating harmony and unity requires many hours of practice.

In Revelation it says that only the 144,000 who are on Mount Zion know this new song. Why? Because “only those who take part in the marriage of the Lamb will realize the magnitude of this gift of God,” Chief Apostle Schneider said. “It is my wish that we may all be among those who comprise the bride of Christ, who will sing this song of gratitude and joy together.”

Summary: Salvation, which is a gift of God, fills us with thankfulness and joy, and prompts us to serve the Lord, to forgive our neighbour, and to make every effort when it comes to unity.