Where is the Piano?

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Where is the Piano?

• Praising the Lord in Song
• Lesson 8

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Why Dont We Use A Piano?

• Dont Like The Way Mechanical Instruments Sound?
• Cant Afford One
• No one knows how to play one?
• I cant sing better with one.
• Can we really give an answer for this question
  to anyone who asks?
• If someone says But, God really only looks at
  the heart, that is what He is concerned about
• Can you respond to that?

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The Purpose of Worship

• "Most of the church people who fight about their
  musical preference do so because they don't
  understand the relationship between music,
  communication, God and worship. Church leaders
  foster the problem by focusing on how to please
  people with music or how to offer enough styles
  of music to meet everyone's tastes rather dealing
  with the underlying issues of limited interest
  in, comprehension of, and investment in fervent
  worship of a holy, deserving God."
• The Barna study discovered that among the key
  worship issues is that church-going adults and
  Protestant Senior Pastors do not share a common
  perception of the most important outcome of
  worship. Congregants were most likely to
  understand worship as activity undertaken for
  their personal benefit (47) while Senior Pastors
  described the purpose of worship as connecting
  with God (41) or experiencing His presence
  (30). Only three out of ten church-going adults
  (29) indicated that they view worship as
  something that is focused primarily on God. One
  out of every five attenders admitted that they
  had no idea what the most important outcome of
  worship is.

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A Cappella

• Primitive Baptist Church
• Orthodox Churches
• Churches of Christ are not alone!

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History

• CATHOLIC - "... the first Christians were of too
  spiritual a fibre to substitute lifeless
  instruments for or to use them to accompany the
  human voice." -- CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA
• PRESBYTERIAN - "Musical instruments in
  celebrating the praises of God would be no more
  suitable than the burning of incense, the
  lighting up of lamps, the restoration of the
  other shadows of the law. The Papists,
  therefore, have foolishly borrowed this, as well
  as many other things, from the Jews. Men who are
  fond of outward pomp may delight in that noise
  but the simplicity which God recommends to us by
  the apostle is far more pleasing to Him." - JOHN
  CALVIN, Commentary on the Book of Psalms, Vol. I,
  p. 539
• METHODIST - "I have no objection to instruments
  of music, in our chapels, provided they are
  neither heard nor seen." JOHN WESLEY (founder)
• LUTHERAN - "Martin Luther called the organ an
  'ensign of Baal'." - MCCLINTOCK STRONG'S
  ENCYCLOPEDIA
• BAPTIST - "I would as soon attempt to pray to God
  with machinery as to sing to Him with machinery."
  - CHARLES H. SPURGEON

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History

• A Cappella w/o instrumental accompaniment.
• In Chapel Style
• BARNES "Psallo is used, in the New Testament,
  only in Rom. 159 and 1 Cor. 1415, where it is
  translated sing in James 513, where it is
  rendered sing psalms, and in the place before us.
  The idea here is that of singing in the heart, or
  praising God from the heart" (Albert Barnes, a
  Presbyterian, Notes on The Testament, comment on
  Eph. 519).
• "Only singing, however, and no playing of
  instruments, was permitted in the early Christian
  Church." - Hugo Leichtentritt, MUSIC, HISTORY AND
  IDEAS, p. 34
• "Both the Jews in their temple service, and the
  Greeks in their idol worship, were accustomed to
  sing with the accompaniment of instrumental
  music. The converts to Christianity accordingly
  must have been familiar with this mode of
  singing...But it is generally admitted, that the
  primitive Christians employed no instrumental
  music in their worship." -- Lyman Coleman
  (Presbyterian), THE APOSTOLIC AND PRIMITIVE
  CHURCH, pp. 368-369

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Why We Dont Use A Piano?

• My Primary Goal As His Servant, As His Child Is
  To Please Him.
• Since He Has Not Indicated That He Would Be
  Pleased With A Mechanical Instrument, Then I Will
  Not Use One
• My Goal, My Aim, My Constant Bulls-Eye In Every
  Area Of My Life (Including Worship) Is To Please
  Him!
• Not to feel close to God
• Not to experience God
• Not To please or entertain myself or enhance my
  earthly existence.

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My Goal Is To Please God

• 2 Cor 59 Therefore we make it our aim, whether
  present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.
• Eph 58-10 For you were once darkness, but
  now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children
  of light 9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all
  goodness, righteousness, and truth), 10 finding
  out what is acceptable to the Lord. (vs 17
  understand His Will)
• Col 1 9-10 For this reason we also, since the
  day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you,
  and to ask that you may be filled with the
  knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual
  understanding 10 that you may walk worthy of the
  Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every
  good work and increasing in the knowledge of
  God 
• 1 Thess 41-2 Finally then, brethren, we urge and
  exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound
  more and more, just as you received from us how
  you ought to walk and to please God 2 for you
  know what commandments we gave you through the
  Lord Jesus
• 1 John 3 21-22 Beloved, if our heart does not
  condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And
  whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we
  keep His commandments and do those things that
  are pleasing in His sight.
• Heb 1315-16 Therefore by Him let us continually
  offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is,
  the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His
  name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to
  share, for with such sacrifices God is well
  pleased.
• 1 Tim 2 1-3 Therefore I exhort first of all that
  supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving
  of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and
  all who are in authority, that we may lead a
  quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and
  reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in
  the sight of God our Savior,

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Missing Our Target

• Re-Check Your Aim Constantly
• Bible Study
• Worship
• Prayer
• Take Advantage of all opportunities
• How Do You Know What Pleases God?
• Can you Read Gods Mind?
• Do You Know Better Than He Does?
• He Tells Us Check His Word

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What Does the Bible Say About It?

• Matthew 2630 Mark 1426 - After instituting the
  Lord's supper Jesus and His disciples sang a
  hymn.
• Acts 1625 - In prison, Paul and Silas were
  praying and singing hymns to God.
• Romans 159 - Prophets had predicted that (in the
  gospel age) Gentiles would glorify God for His
  mercy and sing to His name.
• 1 Cor 1415 - I will sing with the spirit and I
  will sing with the understanding.
• Eph 519 - Speaking to one another in psalms and
  hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making
  melody in your heart to the Lord.
• Col 316 - 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.
• Hebrews 212 - In the midst of the congregation I
  will sing praise to You.
• Hebrews 1315 - Therefore by Him let us
  continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God,
  that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to
  His name.
• James 513 - Is any cheerful, let him sing psalms.

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Bible AuthorityJesus Challenges Us
Luke 641-46 Why Call Me Lord and dont do what
I say? I John 23-4 Know Him if we keep His
commands Matthew 721f Not all who say Lord,
Lord will enter the kingdom, but he who does
My Fathers will. Colossians 317 Do all in His
name Matthew 159 Teaching as doctrine the
precepts of men. II John 9 He who does not
abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have
God.
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Establishing Authority

• Direct Command
• All Must Repent (Acts 1730 2 Peter 39 Lk
  133)
• Disciples Are To Contribute (1 Cor 161-2)
• Saints Not To Forsake The Assembly (Heb 1025)
• It Is Wrong To Lie - (Col 39)
• Approved Examples
• Take The Lords Supper On Sunday (Acts 207)
• Aninias and Sapphira are killed for lying (Acts
  5)
• Apostles Told the Truth Even When Dangerous
• Necessary Inference
• Resurrection of the dead (Matt 2229-33)
• Gentiles Received The Holy Spirit (Acts 1044-48
  115-18)
• Infants Are Not To Be Baptized (Mark 1616 Acts
  238 837)
• Wrong To Lie Big or Small, Situation Ethics
  (Col 39)

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Not From Gods Silence

• Luther
• Where God has not spoken, we are at liberty to
  act as we think best.
• Silence Gives Consent
• Zwingle
• Only that which is expressly authorized should be
  taught or practiced
• Campbell Speak where bible speaks, and be
  silent where the bible is silent.

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Silence

• Sprinkling for Baptism
• Mechanical Instruments of Music
• Missionary Societies
• Benevolent Societies
• Fellowship Halls
• Extended Oversight Of The Elders
• Sponsoring Church Arrangement

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SING

• EPH 518-20
• Speaking
• To One Another
• In Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs
• Singing and Making Melody (ado psallo)
• In your heart
• To the Lord

• COL 320
• Teaching admonishing
• One another
• With Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs
• Singing
• In Your Hearts
• To God

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GOD HIMSELF IS WITH US 177

• God Himself is with us Let us now adore Him, And
  with awe appear before Him. God is in His temple,
  all within keep silence, Prostrate lie with
  deepest reverence. Him alone, God we own, Him our
  God and Savior Praise His Name forever.
• God Himself is with us Whom angelic legions
  Serve with awe in heavenly regions Holy, holy,
  holy, hear the hymn ascending, Angels, saints,
  their voices blending! Bow Thine ear to us here
  Hear, O Christ, the praises that Thy church now
  raises.
• O Thou fount of blessing, purify my spirit
  Trusting only in Thy merit, Like the holy angels
  who behold Thy glory, May I ceaselessly adore
  Thee, And in all, great and small, seek to do
  most nearlyWhat Thou lovest dearly.
• Come, abide within me Let my soul, like Mary, Be
  Thine earthly sanctuary. Come, indwelling Spirit,
  With transfigured splendor Love and honor will I
  render. Where I go here below Let me bow before
  Thee, Know Thee, and adore Thee."
• Gladly we surrender Earth's deceitful treasures,
  Pride of life and sinful pleasures Gladly, Lord,
  we offer Thine to be forever, Soul and life and
  each endeavor. Thou alone shalt be known Lord of
  all our being, Life's true way decreeing."

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