Soundtrack Of Summer // Week 1 // Pastor JJ Matott

·50 min·4 clips

Pastor JJ reveals the four words the Holy Spirit keeps telling him for the church: 'Don't hold it in.'

["Pastor JJ Matott, lead worship pastor at Jubilee Fellowship Church, introduces a new summer series called 'Soundtrack of the Summer,' originally planned to pair popular songs with psalms.", "Instead of a song, he preaches from a four-word message he feels from the Holy Spirit: 'Don't hold it in,' urging the church to worship God without restraint.", "He opens with an analogy of a bento box, criticizing how people segment their faith into separate compartments like worship, message, and prayer.", "JJ shares a story from 2012 about his intern Bridger Sperry advocating for 'Shout' by the Isley Brothers as the perfect wedding song, which becomes a recurring motif.", "He turns to Psalm 115, part of the Hallel psalms sung during Passover, noting its theme of God being alive and caring for us.", "JJ structures the psalm as a playlist with five parts: massive opener, bridge, sing-along, deep cut, and big finish, using music metaphors to explain scripture.", "The 'massive opener' from Psalm 115:1-3 emphasizes giving glory to God alone, not to ourselves, with repetition underscoring the point.", "He discusses idol worship from the psalm, relating it to his own experience when his hardcore band became an idol during touring.", "JJ recounts quitting the band in California after seeing bandmates engage in activities contrary to their mission, prioritizing God's glory over career.", "He then describes a period of confusion, returning to college, starting a second band, and struggling with anxiety and depression.", "During this time, a roommate gave him 'The Ragamuffin Gospel' by Brennan Manning, which helped him understand God's grace as a shield.", "The 'sing-along' section of Psalm 115 calls for trust in the Lord as help and shield, addressed to Israel, the house of Aaron, and all who fear God.", "JJ meets Kate, gets engaged, and faces a choice after a big show when she says she won't join him on tour, leading him to quit music permanently.", "He reflects on this as trusting God for a greater blessing, now married with four kids and working at the church.", "The 'deep cut' part of the psalm speaks of God blessing those who trust Him, tying to the Passover celebration of deliverance.", "JJ explains the origin of 'Shout': in 1958, the Isley Brothers improvised it during a concert when the crowd demanded more, and it was later recorded in a party atmosphere.", "He notes that church groups once protested the song for sounding too much like gospel music.", "The sermon concludes with a prayer for the church to worship with unreserved passion, like the crowd that inspired 'Shout,' and to steward God's presence over others' opinions.", "JJ emphasizes that worship is about connecting with God personally, not performing or following a program.", "The message circles back to the call to not hold praise in, giving everything to God because He is worthy regardless of circumstances."]

As heard by us

A worship pastor turns a band story into a call for a church that wants more of Jesus.

JJ centers the message on a plain but forceful burden: the church should move beyond routine and toward a deeper hunger for Jesus. He grounds that appeal in personal memory, from bigger stages and touring with bands he had long admired to the point where he walked away once the…

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You get a worship-heavy message that moves from Jesus and glory talk to an Isley Brothers image and a band breakup.

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