Music in Worship

1
What Does the Bible Say
About...

• Music in Worship?

2
Which Way is Right?
Praise Teams
Instrumental Music
Congregational Singing
DOES IT REALLY MATTER?
A capella Singing
Soloists
Quartets
Choirs
3
God Says it Does

• 1 Peter 411 If any man speak, let him speak as
  the oracles of God
• John 1415 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
• Col. 317 And whatsoever you do in word or deed,
  do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
  thanks to God and the Father by Him.

4
The Folly of Disobedience

• Nadab and Abihu (Lev. 101-3)
• Offered sacrifice with unauthorized fire
• God had commanded which fire to use
• Burning coals from off the altar (Lev. 1612)
• Fire to be continually burning (Lev. 612, 13)
• They offered unauthorized worship
• Such does not sanctify nor glorify God

5
The Folly of Disobedience

• King Saul (1 Samuel 15)
• Commanded to utterly destroy Amalekites
• Listened to the people instead of God
• Peter and other apostles We ought to obey God
  rather than men (Acts 529)
• Saul saved King, spoils, sheep, and oxen
• Sheep and oxen were to sacrifice to God
• Human wisdom says Its for a good cause
• What does God say?

6
God Said

• To obey is better than sacrifice, and to
  hearken than the fat of rams.
• (1 Samuel 1522)

7
The Restoration Plea

• Speak where the Bible speaks
• Be silent where the Bible is silent
• Do Bible things in Bible ways
• Call Bible things by Bible names
• In matters of faith, unity
• In matters of opinion, liberty
• In all matters, charity

8
The Witness of History
9

• From the apostolic age singing was always a
  part of divine service, in which the whole body
  of the Church joined together and it was the
  decay of this practice that first brought the
  order of singers into the Church.(McClintock
  and Strong Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological,
  and Ecclesiastical Literature)

10

• Now all of you together become a choir so that
  being harmoniously in concord and receiving the
  key note from God in unison you may sing with one
  voice through Jesus Christ to the Father.
  Ignatius of Antioch Around 110 A.D.

11

• The early worship of the Christian church was
  completely congregational, so far as we can tell.
  However the increasing power and sophistication
  of the church was accompanied by the development
  of trained choirs and music leaders. Church
  history records that about the fifth century
  congregational singing was largely eliminated n
  Christian worship, and the music was given to
  choirs Donald P. Hustad, Moody Bible
  Institute

12

• It is scarcely necessary for us to say to our
  readers, that we regard the organ and violin
  worship, and even the fashionable choir singing
  of our country as mockery of all that is sacred.
  Tolbert Fanning (Restoration Movement)

13

• The choir in a church is composed of artistic
  performers, who sing for the church sing
  difficult pieces that the masses cannot sing, for
  music and musical display, to attract, entertain,
  and gratify the people to charm them with
  music. These are professional singers, chosen
  without any regard to their moral character. They
  sing to show how they can sing, amuse, and
  entertain.
• Ben Franklin (1800s)

14
What Does the Bible Say?

• Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and
  spiritual songs, singing and making melody in
  your heart to the Lord Giving thanks always for
  all things unto God and the Father in the name of
  our Lord Jesus Christ Submitting yourselves one
  to another in the fear of God
• (Eph. 519 )

15
What Does the Bible Say?

• 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. And
  whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the
  name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and
  the Father by him. (Col. 316-17)

16
Eph. 519
Col. 316
Speaking to Yourselves
Teaching and Admonishing One Another
Vocal Congregational Reciprocal Psalms, Hymns,
Spiritual Songs
17
God Has Told Us What He Wants!

• We are told what to do and how to do it
• One another - Each person teaches and
  admonishes the other by singing
• Speaking to yourselves singing in unison
• The whole congregation speaks to each other
• Excludes choirs, quartets, solos, etc.

18
Eph. 519
Col. 316
Singing/Making melody in your heart to the Lord
Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord
Ado To sing (using voice) Psallo To
twitch or twang Instruments are specifiedSing
with voicePlay the chords of your heart
19
Eph. 520
Col. 317
Giving thanks to God in the name of Jesus Christ
Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God
Thankful heart Obedient heart In the name of
By the authority of In the name of Jesusor man?
20
The Principle of Submission

• Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear
  of God (Eph. 521)
• The pericope of Eph. 518-21
• Applies to the act of singing
• The fear of God involves submission to others
• Singing must be done in submission to others
• Excludes any special music in which one is not
  on the same level as others in singing

21
What is the Purpose of Worship?

• To please man? Do as you wish!
• To please God? Do as He commands!
• True worship seeks to magnify God
• God is a spirit and they that worship Him must
  worship Him in spirit and in truth.
• (John 424)