By What Authority Lk 20:1-8 Instrumental Music Can it be used in Worship?

By What Authority

Lk 20:1-8

Instrumental Music

Can it be used in Worship?

Instrumental Music:

Question: “Is it true the Church of Christ does not believe in instrumental music?”

Answer lies in our attitude toward the authority of the Scripture (cf Isa 5:20)

Worship is particularly susceptible (cf Num 25:1-2; Mal 1:12-13)

Man has a “bad attitude” today toward God’s ordered, reverent worship

Instrumental Music:

The cause:Rom 1:21 Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts… Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge… Rom 1:24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the LUST OF THEIR HEARTS…

Instrumental Music:

Scriptures deal with our attitude toward God’s law (authority)SIN LAWLESSNESS

NO LAW NO TRANSGRESSION

Applies to a Christian’s life Applies to the Church and its worship Has God legislated relative to the use

of instrumental music in worship? If so, what has He authorized?

1Jn 3:4

Rom 4:15

A Matter of Authority

Principle of authority often discussed in Scripture

Yet no doctrine may be so discounted, ignored, rejected, or misunderstood

Jesus recognized only two sources of authority – Heaven or men (Lk 20:1-8)

God has always required obedience (Mt 7:21-23; Col 3:17; 1Pet 4:11)

Instrumental Music and Human Reasoning God has specified the music He has

authorized for worship to Him

Eph 5:19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord

Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Instrumental Music and Human Reasoning God has specified the music He has

authorized for worship to Him Those who want to use the

instrument in worship argue that they are: More interested in “positive progress” More “faithful to God’s Word and Christ’s

mission” Less guilty of “making it harder for

sinners to come to Christ”

Instrumental Music and Human Reasoning In his book Richland Hills &

Instrumental Music Dave Miller, Ph.D. quotes from Rick Atchley’s sermons:

In a 2006 sermon Rick said: “I know this, if our fellowship stays on the course we’re currently on, the future looks bleak. Someone has got to be a leader” [emp mine]

Instrumental Music and Human ReasoningRick continues his justification: “Right there at that spot about 1994 the Holy Spirit said to me in the middle of my sermon, ‘and that’s what you and all the preachers like you were doing, who haven’t for years believed that the worship of God with instruments is wrong. But you continue your silence to let people think its wrong, to allow the body to be disrupted, and you do so under the plea, Well, we’re just maintaining peace. But that’s not peace; that’s cowardice’. I knew the day would come I’d have to teach this lesson”

Instrumental Music and Human Reasoning

Daily Oklahoman newspaper interview Jan 26, 2008, with Mark Henderson, Preacher for the Quail Springs Church of Christ in Oklahoma CityHeadlines: “Quail Springs Church of Christ will add service with musical instruments” What: Worship service that includes…instruments When: 9 A.M. Sunday…a cappella service at 11 A.M.


Q: What do you hope to accomplish with this worship service?A: There are two things that we really hope will come from this. One is we want to keep more of our people that were leaving to go to instrumental churches [emp mine]…We were saying you’re free to worship with instruments – just not here. The other thing [is] we’re trying to reach some people that we’ve been missing.


Q: So to your congregation, this is about tradition and doing something different?A: This isn’t unique to Churches of Christ, but it happens in our churches where your tradition bumps into what you believe about freedom in Christ [emp mine]. In a situation like this, for some time it’s an area where we believed we had freedom, but wouldn’t practice that freedom primarily because of our tradition. Then you get to a point where you say we’re missing some people we could reach.

Instrumental Music and Human Reasoning“No longer can we afford the luxury of thinking that the people who are sitting in our pews are going to be there every Sunday. We have to arrest their attention. We have to use every device possible to reach them and to teach them and we need not be so apologetic about entertaining them [emp mine]. I mean, they have been entertained all week long, every time they turn around. I have no apology for putting a good singer in front of them to entertain them if they’re not Christians. You’ve got to do something to reach them…” [Max Lucado, Preacher, Oak Hill Church, San Antonio, TX, Preaching Magazine, 2005]`


Typical arguments to justify: Instrumental music is popular in religion (Isa

55:8-9) Instrumental music draws crowds (Rom 1:16) Instrumental music used in worship in Old

Testament Paul went to the temple where instruments

were used; therefore, he approved its use Harps played in heaven (Rev 14:2) The “silence of the Scripture” argument The “psallo” argument


Making melody (Gr Psallo) – “Primarily to twitch, twang, then, to play a stringed instrument with the fingers, and hence, in the Septuagint, to sing with a harp, sing psalms, denotes, in the New Testament, to sing a hymn, sing praise; in Eph. 5:19, ‘making melody.’ … Elsewhere it is rendered ‘sing’, Rom. 15:9; 1Cor 14:15; in Jas. 5:13,…” [Vine’s Dictionary of New Testament Words]

It’s A Question Of Authority Does God authorize Christians to use

instruments in worship to Him?

Instrumental music is found 36 times in reference to worship




Hebrews 8:6-10

Hebrews 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.

Heb 8:8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah — 9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

New Testament Authority

SingingMt 26:30 – sang a hymnMk 14:26 – sang a hymnAc 16:25 – singing hymns1Cor 14:15 – sing w/spirit*Eph 5:19 – singingCol 3:16 – singingHeb 2:12 – sing praisesJas 5:13 – cheerful-sing*Rev 5:9 – sang a new songRev 15:3 – sang the song of Moses

Instrument

Scripture

?

Conclusion:

Ward Hogland in The VOICE of West Booneville Church of Christ, April 1, 2003, wrote, “Back in 1517 when John Tetzel came to Wittenberg to sell his indulgences for the Catholic Church, Martin Luther was so enraged he wrote his theses of 95 objections to the Roman Catholic Church and tacked them on the door of the old Wittenberg church…”

Conclusion:

“Well, it seems there has been a second Wittenberg, but this time it is in Ft. Worth, Texas. When some of the liberal brethren found out that the Richland Hill Church was using instrumental music in its services, using the ‘sinners prayer’ and fellow-shipping Billy Graham and the denominations they had all they could take. In return they wrote a thesis of 25 objections to Rick Atchley, the preacher, and the entire Richland Hills church and nailed it on their door.

Conclusion:

They called on the preacher and the church to repent at once! This was signed by some 19 preachers of that area.”“Well, I could say, ‘I told you so’, but I won’t. 45 years ago I along with others told these brethren if they opened up the flood gates of apostasy with their sponsoring church this would be the result. They laughed in my face and said it would never happen. Now the chickens have come home to roost. What a sad commentary on my beloved brethren”.

2Corinthians 5:7

Walk – our manner of life; conduct

Romans 10:17

Conclusion:

Are you walking by faith or by sight? It makes a difference! (Mt 7:21-23)

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By What Authority Lk 20:1-8 Instrumental Music Can it be used in Worship?