AN OLD APOSTASY IN A NEW AGE--4

True worship is described by Jesus in John 4:24: “God is spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”

God—The Object of our worship
In Spirit—The Attitude of our worship (sincerely; from the heart)
In Truth—The Standard of our worship (God’s Word)

We can offer up vain worship, according to Matthew 15:8-9: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” Instrumental music is according to the commandments of men; thus, our worship would be in vain if we used it and taught that it would be OK to use it.

Let’s consider some arguments made in favor of it.

“The Bible does not say, ‘Thou shalt not use instrumental music.’”

1. Neither does it say, “Thou shalt not put pizza and Coca-Cola on the Lord’s Table.” We serve God by what he says in his Word.
2. As we saw earlier in this series, the command to do a specific thing excludes the doing of another. God commanded the Israelites, “kill a lamb in the Passover.” He did not have to say, “Thou shalt not kill a pig.”
3. When God commands us to sing, playing an instrument is excluded. He said, “Sing.”

“Instrumental music is an aid, like a song book, communion cups, or a microphone.”

1. When God specifies a thing to be done, whatever is needed to obey him that does not change the nature of the thing is authorized—like communion cups in the Lord’s Supper, or a microphone to be able to better hear those who lead worship.
2. He commands us to sing; the songbook provides words and does not change the nature of the command.
3. Instrumental music brings in another kind of music altogether, and changes the nature of what is done.

“They used instrumental music in the Old Testament.”

1. They also circumcised their male children, kept the Passover feast, offered up animal sacrifices, and executed those who broke the Sabbath.
2. We do not serve God today under the Law of Moses.
3. (Galatians 5:1-4) “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.”

“Instrumental music will be in heaven.” Revelation 14:2, 3 says, “And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders.”

1. What did John hear? “A voice.”
2. What were they doing? “They were singing.”
3. What did it sound like? “Harpists harping with their harps.”
4. There will be babies in heaven; can we baptize babies into the church?
5. We will be judged by what we do on earth in worship; not what might happen in heaven.

AN OLD APOSTASY IN A NEW AGE--3

What does the New Testament say about music in worship? Matthew 26:30 states, “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” In Acts 16:25, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” Paul writes in Romans 15:9, “And in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, ‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.’” 1 Corinthians 14:15 reads, “I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.” In Ephesians 5:19, Paul writes, “Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.” Similarly, in Colossians 3:16, he says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” The Hebrews writer declares in Hebrews 2:12, “I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” Finally, in James 5:13, it states, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” How do we prove a thing to be scriptural? There are several ways: —By a direct statement of Scripture. (John 4:24 is one such passage: “God is spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”) —By an apostolic example of a commanded practice. (Acts 20:7 says the disciples came together on the first day of the week to break bread, which was the Lord’s Supper—commanded by Jesus to be eaten.) —By a clear implication of Scripture. (My name is nowhere mentioned in Scripture, but the Bible applies to me; it is clearly implied in John 3:16!) There is no direct statement in Scripture where instrumental music is authorized in worship on earth. There is no apostolic example of it being used, and there is no clear implication in Scripture that it was ever used in the 1st century church. Therefore, it cannot be said to be Scriptural. We also cannot add to or take away from Scripture. (1 Corinthians 4:6) “I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written.” (2 John 9) “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” (Revelation 22:18-19) “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” When instrumental music is used in worship, we add to God’s Word.

AN OLD APOSTASY IN A NEW AGE-2

In the first part of this series, we called attention to a church in Alabama that has announced its intent to introduce instrumental music into its Sunday morning worship. I also indicated that this is a signal of a departure from New Testament Christianity. When it comes to the music we use in worship, every member of the church should be thoroughly taught on this subject. There are thousands upon thousands of people who don’t understand why churches of Christ do not use instruments in worship. There are also thousands of members of the church who don’t understand why we don’t use instruments, and the sad thing is, many of them don’t have a problem with bringing them in. Some folks think we don’t use instruments because we don’t think they are right in any setting; but, that is a misguided view. There are some things that are not wrong in and of themselves, but are wrong in religion. I love to eat pizza and drink Coke. There’s nothing wrong in and of itself with eating pizza and drinking Coke. What if I were to bring in a big pizza and a two liter Coke and set them on the Lord’s Table next Sunday morning? Would it be OK for me to add that to the Lord’s Supper? What if I were to bring in a big jar of grape jelly? There’s nothing wrong with jelly, in and of itself. Jelly makes bread taste better. But, it would be religiously wrong. Jesus specified the bread and the fruit of the vine. That excludes jelly, pizza, Coke, and anything else. Likewise, the New Testament specifies the music we are to make. It says we are to sing. That excludes man-made instruments. As anyone who knows me can testify, I grew up in a musical family. My late father, who was a preacher, played three instruments--guitar, fiddle, and mandolin. My sister is a great guitar player. I play the bass guitar. My uncles (both living and deceased) all played instruments. I have several cousins who are very gifted in playing instruments. Instrumental music is not sinful in and of itself. It is when it is introduced into worship that it becomes a problem. Many people claim that this is a small matter over which we need not be concerned; however, God does not measure sin the same way as man. Eating a piece of fruit in the garden of Eden could be considered a small matter; Moses smiting the rock instead of speaking to it may have seemed insignificant to some. When Uzzah touched the Ark of the Covenant, it might have been perceived as a small matter. The fact is, we should not think of any disobedience as being too small or insignificant to be bothered about. God looks on the heart of the person. Sin originates in the heart, and the act is just the symptom of the sin. I would like for us to examine what the New Testament teaches concerning singing. We will also look at the reasons why people think instruments are right, and see what the Bible says in response. In the course of this series, we will also examine what history tells us about the use (or non-use) of instruments in worship.

AN OLD APOSTASY IN A NEW AGE-1

George Santanyana is attributed to having said the following: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." While Santanyana has been misquoted often on this socre, and much debate continues as to what he actually meant, the statement itself is true. As it applies to history, it has often been borne out to be so. This is even clearer in religion. Recently, a large congregation of chruches of Christ in Alabama announced its intent to introduce instrumental music in its Sunday morning worship. While the elders of that church are welcoming feedback from the congregation before it makes the final decision, the eldership affirmed that it believes instrumental music in worship to be acceptable to God. Thus, the debate in Alabama among churches of Christ over instrumental music in worship--once thought to be a long dead issue--has been rekindled. In the 19th century, churches of Christ and the Christian Church went through a major division, in part, over the instrument. Now, one hundred years later, the rumination of Santanyana rings true. A new generation clamors for the kind of music it has been exposed to in entertainment, and among its religious friends. "Why not have it? It will make our services more 'user-friendly' and 'exciting.'" While the question of "Why do this?" may be legitmately asked, such should not be the focus. Rather, the focus should be on the central issue: BIBLICAL AUTHORITY. If the New Testament is our authority for all matters of faith and practice, then where is the authority for the instrument in worship? Does it matter? (MORE TO FOLLOW)

I'M BAAAAAAAAAACK......!

Okay, so it's been like, years since I have posted anything here. There are a lot of reasons for that. In between my local work, my dissertation, a debate I had with a Roman Catholic, and two sons in college, I have A LIFE! Seriously, though, there are a lot of things I wanted to comment on. Now that I am back, guess what? To alter a quote from the late Richard Nixon, "you'll have Hester to kick around some more." To say that events have moved along at a rapid pace in this country would be an understatement. To date, 12 states have approved same-sex marriage. The President has given his full support of this; that is not surprising. What is surprising are a couple of developments. First, there are leaders in the Republican party who are more than willing to drop opposition to same-sex marriage, and have gone public with their thoughts on the issue. Time will tell if their influence will prevail within the GOP. The second development is extremely troubling. Within churches of Christ, the number of those accepting homosexuality as a viable lifestyle is growing. Some are wanting to push colleges and universities affiliated with us to become "tolerant" and accepting of homosexuality. Folks, the Bible has not changed about this. Romans 1 is clear. Homosexuality is sinful. I have a lot more to say about a lot of things, but for now I will sign off. Oh, one more thing: my wife Brenda told me today that I am "A-D-D." I don't know where she gets that. Hey, look at that spider!

A TYPEWRITER MIND IN A HIGH TECH WORLD

I am a guy who likes things simple. No frills, no "new and improved," no New Coke (oops, pardon the mid 1980s reference). That said, I appreciate all of the advances made in technology just in my lifetime. Personal computers of all sorts have revolutionized the way we live our lives, mostly for the better. I am utilizing the technology as I write these words (so, don't think this is going to be a Trent Reznor moment--"biting the hand that feeds you."). Things have come a long way from the TRS-80 days (only early 1980s geeks will recognize that reference).

However, in the midst of all the hoopla, I have come to a realization. My mind is better suited for the "retro" days. The best way I can explain this is by liking it to a typewriter. Not electric, but MANUAL. That's right. Manual. My papers at Freed-Hardeman were banged out on an old portable manual typewriter. I had to manually turn the roll to correctly place the footnotes, and either use erasable bond paper or Liquid Paper (if the teachers allowed it).

As a result, for many years I had a deep suspicion of anything computer oriented. For some reason, I thought computer generated type was inferior to that produced on typewriters. And, in the late 80s to mid 90s, that was mainly correct. However, as we know now, the tech explosion of the late 90s changed everything for the common guy. I was convinced, and swept along with the tide. I have not looked back since.

But, a funny thing happened along the way. My brain did not catch up. That is to say, I still think in terms of a typewriter. When I compose a document, I still make sure my fingers hover over the correct keys (asdf jkl;). My Typing I class from 8th grade still comes in handy!!! when I make a mistake, I still go back and manually correct it (okay, that's the OCD side of me taking over--but that's another blogpost in the future).

Does all this matter much? Likely not. Okay, not in a million years. At any rate, my writer's heart is with those scribes who do things "the old fashioned way," and still refuse to use anything that resembles a computer. They pull out the notepad or legal pad, and write away. And, THAT is the heart and soul of true scholarship.

OSAMA AND ROMANS 13: POSTSCRIPT

There have been many people who have weighed in on the question of whether it is right or not to celebrate the death of Osama bin Laden. After having a day to reflect upon the momentous events of May 1 and the reactions of people to the celebrations, I have thought of a few things that need to be said, in addition to my previous post.

Comparisons have been made by some between the celebrations in the Arab world after 9/11 and the celebrations after bin Laden's death--implying moral equivalence. I immediately thought back to the Cold War. Those who were calling for the U.S. to back off of communism tried to make the case that there was no difference between the U. S. and the U.S.S.R.; yes, it was said, they did some bad things, but we have, too, so we are in no position to condemn their system. In other words, moral equivalence. Never mind the horrors of the gulag; never mind the KGB's intrusion into every aspect of Russian (and European) life; never mind the fundamental abhorrence of communism toward God, the Bible, and religion (and its suppression of any and all religion). We cannot say that anyone is absolutely right or wrong, we were told. I am hearing echoes of all of this in the "soft" rebukes of those who claim we cannot say that radical Islam is evil, or that Islamic culture is fundamentally wrong. And, by the way, there is another crucial difference: the people slaughtered on 9/11 were innocents. Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda were pure evil.

In all of that has been written and said over the past couple of days, I am also seeing a disturbing trend: whether they are aware of this or not, some are coming close to making laws for God. That is to say, some are almost saying that it is a sin to rejoice over a radical terrorist--a maniac--being killed by civil government. Yes, I am fully aware that bin Laden was not a Christian, and that he died outside of Christ--and that God has no pleasure in the death of the sinner. Some have said that those who celebrated bin Laden's death in the streets of American cities were somehow all not religious folks, who cared nothing for God...as if those who celebrated the end of World War II were all faithful Christians! Either it's wrong in ALL cases, or it's not. However, in all that has been written, one key point has been lost: the Justice of God.

Consider Romans 11:22: "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." Consider 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9: "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." And then, there is Proverbs 1:24-30: Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: they would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof."

God's justice is as prominent in scripture as His mercy. Some have seemed to lose sight of that. The late Rex Turner, Sr. emphasized the justice of God in his classes and his writings. He stressed that it was a key component in understanding God Himself and His grace. God;s justice demands that sin be punished. Thanks be to God, we do not have to pay for our sins by dying on a cross; Jesus' death met the demands of God's justice--a perfect sin offering. That being said, the principle of God's justice extends to the world in general; and, that is where Romans 13:1-4 kicks in. Paul makes it clear that civil government is God's instrument to punish "the evildoer." I again ask the question: was Osama bin Laden evil? Who would deny it? When a man orders a group of zealots to fly planes with passengers into buildings; when he orders a truck filled with explosives to detonate in front of a foreign embassy; when he orders a boat filled with explosives to explode next to a U.S. warship; when he orders a truck to be detonated underneath a skyscraper...I think we can safely say that this man was not only evil, but a maniac. Add to that his hatred and hostility toward Jehovah, Christ, and the Scriptures, and one can see that it is not (as one writer said) that there was "little chance" he could be converted; there was absolutely NO chance.

Romans 1 indicates that people can persist in sin to the point that God will "give them up." 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 says of some, "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Does God still do this? Does He allow those who persist in unrighteousness to go headlong into it? It surely seems that way. How else could one explain a radical philosophy taking hold among so many young men in the Arab world? Yes, the Gospel must be preached to them. Yes, it must be done in the face of danger. However, there are those who will never be reached. It is as Jesus said in the Parable of the Sower: "Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved" (Lk. 8:12). And, remember this: of the four kinds of soil, only one was good.

So...may we celebrate the death of Osama? I can tell you that I did. No, I did not go out into the streets and jump up and down, but I did give a fist pump and shout, "YES!" God's justice was served.