How to End the Worship Wars

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How to End the Worship Wars
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History of the Worship Wars
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History of Worship Wars

• For the first 800 years after Christ, worship
  music consisted primarily of unaccompanied
  melody.
• Plainsong

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History of Worship Wars

• As musical notation was developed, polyphony
  (more than one vocal part) was introduced. That's
  when the disagreements began.

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History of Worship Wars

• From that point, Christians fought over
  harmony, the use of certain musical intervals,
  popular tunes, certain instruments, instruments
  of any kind, lyrical content, and more.

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The Council of Toledo (633 AD)

• in support of using Christian lyrics not taken
  directly from Scripture
• "We possess some hymns composed to the praise of
  Christ ... And these are rejected by certain
  people on the pretext that nothing should be
  received sung except the text of Holy
  Scripture ... But what do these people say of
  Gloria Patri' and Gloria in excelsis' and of
  the prayers? Surely there is no more ground for
  condemning hymns than prayers."

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John of Salisbury (late 12th century)

• "More than one melody-- polyphony sullies the
  Divine Service, for in the very sight of God, in
  the sacred recesses of the sanctuary itself, the
  singers attempt, with the lewdness of a
  lascivious singing voice and a singularly foppish
  manner, to feminize all their spellbound little
  followers with the girlish way they render the
  notes and end the phrases."

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The Council of Trent (mid-13th century)

• "All music which, either in the organ-parts or
  in the voice-parts, contains anything that is
  impure shall be banished from the church.
• Impure intervals include parallel fourths and
  fifths, and other forms of "impure" music (It
  failed to pass).

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Pope John XXII c. 1323

• "Certain disciples of the new school ... prefer
  to devise new methods of their own rather than to
  sing in the old way ... Moreover, they ...
  deprave it with descants and sometimes pad out
  the music with upper parts made out of profane
  songs. The result is that they often seem to be
  losing sight of the fundamental sources of our
  melodies..."

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John Calvin

• against using instruments
• "To sing the praises of God upon the harp and
  psaltery, unquestionably formed a part of the
  training of the law and of the service of God
  under the Old Testament dispensation of shadows
  and figures, but they are not now to be used in
  public thanksgiving."

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Martin Luther

• in support of using music in general
• "Music is an outstanding gift of God and next to
  theology. I would not give up my slight knowledge
  of music for a great consideration. And youth
  should be taught this art for it makes fine
  skillful people ... Nor am I at all of the
  opinion that all the arts are to be overthrown
  and cast aside by the gospel, as some
  superspiritual people protest but I would gladly
  see all the arts, especially music, in the
  service of him who has given and created them."

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This is not a new problem

• Charles Finneys Lectures on Revival 1835
• "People in numerous congregations continue to
  walk out of church if a psalm or hymn is taught
  from a new book. And if Watts psalms were
  adopted, they would split and form a new
  congregation rather than tolerate such
  innovation."
• What to do about the Worship Wars John
  Fischer Moody Magazine online

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Worship Wars

• it took some churches a century to adapt to
  Isaac Watts.
• Charles Finney
• I Sing the Mighty Power of God?

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Logical Fallacies

• The non-sequitur
• This is when the conclusions do not follow from
  the evidence and arguments presented.1
• A C with no mention of Bbecause there isnt a
  B.
• 1Exegetical Fallacies D.A. Carson p.117

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Logical Fallacies

• Argumentum ad Populum
• The appeal to the crowd. This seeks to
  strengthen a claim by an emotional appeal to the
  passions and prejudices of the listener.2
• 2 L. Miller, Ed. Questions that Matter p. 44

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• If its gone on for centuries how can we hope to
  end it?

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Plan of Attack

• Worldliness
• Worship
• Teaching

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What does worldliness look like?
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Is it

• Clothing?
• Music style?
• Instrumentation?
• Percussion?
• Hairstyle?
• Version of the Bible?

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• Unique
• Eternal
• Love
• Just
• Acceptable

• Holy
• Sufficient
• Freedom
• Infinite Value
• Secure

Life
Receiver
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• Unique
• Eternal
• Love
• Just
• Acceptable

• Holy
• Sufficient
• Freedom
• Infinite Value
• Secure

SIN
Genesis 36 When the woman saw that the tree was
good for food, and that it was a delight to the
eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one
wise, she took from its fruit and ate and she
gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Life
SELF
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Life

• The Search for Life
• Significance
• Security
• Belonging
• Acceptance

SIN
FLESH
Receiver
achiever
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The Flesh
Operates independently of God!
Fighting for a sense of life while trying to
avoiding pain.
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Searching for a sense of life

• I want to feel needed.
• I want to feel loved.
• I want to feel valuable.
• I want to feel significant.

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The Scriptures tell us

• Colossians 28 See to it that no one takes you
  captive through philosophy and empty deception,
  according to the tradition of men, according to
  the elementary principles of the world, rather
  than according to Christ.

according to the elementary

principles of the world
What are they?
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• If you have died with Christ to the elementary
  principles of the world, why, as if you were
  living in the world, do you submit yourself to
  decrees, such as
• Do not handle
• Do not taste
• Do not touch

Ways of achieving a sense of life!
Colossians 220-23
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Elementary principles

• Achievement based religionworks
• Achievement based life!
• Achievement based church
• Achievement based identity!

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22 (which all refer to things destined to perish
with the using)-- in accordance with the
commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are
matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of
wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement
and severe treatment of the body,
but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
Colossians 220-23
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• An elementary principle is any man made decree
  that becomes a measure of worth, or
  acceptability for a person...
• Or a ministry.

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Worldliness is living according to the Elementary
Principles of the world!
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Two primary principles

• You are what you do.
• You are what people say and think about you.

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• You are what you do.
• We do this kind of music because it makes us
• More spiritual.
• Less spiritual.
• These are matters which have, to be sure, the
  appearance of wisdom in self-made religion

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Thats worldliness!!
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• You are what people say and think about you.
• We do this kind of music because
• People like it.
• I dont get as much griping.
• Otherwise they wont think Im spiritual.
• What will my peers say?
• We will be considered backward
• I want people to know were holding the line.

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Thats worldliness!!

• Any style of music can be used in a worldly way!

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Musical Idolatry

• When music becomes about us and our preferences
  rather than God worldliness has set in.

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A sure sign worldliness has set in
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Following the elementary principles always leads
to

• James 41 What is the source of quarrels and
  conflicts among you? Is not the source your
  pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You
  lust and do not have so you commit murder. And
  you are envious and cannot obtain so you fight
  and quarrel. You do not have because you do not
  ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you
  ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it
  on your pleasures.
• WHAT IS THEIR PROBLEM?

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• 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that
  friendship with the world is hostility toward
  God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of
  the world makes himself an enemy of God.

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What are we to think about music for worship?

• Is one style more biblical than another?

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Let us be careful

• To say one style of music is the only style God
  approves of reeks of pride and selfishness and
  trashes music through the centuries.

18th Century
16th Century
1970s
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• Do we make sacred a particular period of time?
• A particular culture.

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Ex Islam

• Many Islamic countries have made medieval Arabian
  culture sacred
• Dress
• Political structure
• Music
• View of women
• Orthodoxy is measured by conformity to medieval
  Arabian standards.

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Say good-bye to the Good Ole Days!

• Do not say, "Why is it that the former days were
  better than these?" For it is not from wisdom
  that you ask about this.
• Ecclesiastes 710
• We are not in the business of preserving a
  particular culture!

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So James says

• Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD,
  BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." Submit therefore
  to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from
  you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to
  you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners and purify
  your hearts, you double-minded.

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Double-minded?

• What makes a person right before God?
• Grace or conformity to a cultural standard?

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What is the measure of a man..

• The kind of clothes he wears?
• The kind of music he listens to?
• Or the God he knows?

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Worship
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Worship

• Genesis 225 And Abraham said to his young men,
  "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad
  will go yonder and we will worship and return to
  you."
• hx'v' (sh¹µâ) bow down

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Worship

• Matthew 22 "Where is He who has been born King
  of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and
  have come to worship Him."
• proskunh/sai (a) worship (b) prostrate oneself
  before

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Worship

• Worship is all of who we are (prostrating)
  acknowledging Gods sovereignty (bowing down) and
  all of who HE is.
• Romans 121 I urge you therefore, brethren, by
  the mercies of God, to present your bodies a
  living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God,
  which is your spiritual service of worship.

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Worship is a response rooted in both Grace and
truth!

• Grace
• His demonstrated love
• His full acceptance in Christ.
• His immanence
• Therefore, our worship should be clothed in love!

• Truth
• He is completely holy and righteous
• He is totally other--transcendent!
• His infinite holiness requires an infinite
  judgmenthell.
• Therefore, our worship
• should be tempered with
• fear!

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Worship must be Balanced!

• Reflecting all of who God is!
• God is wholly otherTranscendent!
• God is with usHe is immanent!

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Worship should reflect both Gods

• Transcendent
• Isaiah 5715 For thus says the high and exalted
  One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, "I
  dwell on a high and holy place

• Immanent
• And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
  In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to
  revive the heart of the contrite.

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Worship must be Balanced!

• The Lord tells us
• true worshipers shall worship the Father in
  spirit and truth for such people the Father
  seeks to be His worshipers.
• John 423

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• Its impossible to offer acceptable worship
  apart from the Spirit of God and the Word of God.
  If my inner person isnt yielded to the power of
  the Spirit, then my worship will be only a
  demonstration of fleshly zeal fueled by human
  emotion. If Im not obeying the truth of the
  Word of God, what I call worship will be
  nothing but superstition, no matter how good it
  feels or how many people applaud it.
• Warren Wiersbe Real Worship p 183

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Worship in spirit and truth

• "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
• John 1415
• And the two greatest commandments are

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Worship

• God-ward
• 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR
  HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR
  MIND.'

• Man-ward
• The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR
  NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.

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Fulfilling the Two Greatest Commandments

• Songs you enjoy worshipping with
• Lift your voice to God!!
• Love Him with all your heart!!

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Fulfilling the Two Greatest Commandments

• Songs you dont like
• Love your neighbor by worshipping with him and
  not degrading his personal preference!
• Love him as yourself!

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• Worship is a corporate response to Gods
  self-revelation, not merely the self-expression
  of gathered individuals. Too much of our worship
  is consumed by people telling their own stories.
• Michael Ban Horn
• Grand Rapids Theological Seminary Chapel
• 9/26/2003

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Operate according to truth rather than personal
preference.
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The truth is most decisions about musical style
flow from leadership preference rather than
Biblical exegesis.
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Musical Worship

• How can our musical worship reflect
• our love of God and our fear of His awesome
  holiness?
• Gods transcendence and immanence?
• our love of God and of man?
• How does this translate into our choice of music?

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Music

• Music is a language
• Without wordssubjectiveit conveys moods and
  feelings.
• We often choose music
• to fit our mood.

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• Stravinsky

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Music

• Since music is a languageit can be used to
  communicate moral content.
• But this moral content is shaped by
• Cultural norms
• Settingcircumstances
• The listeners state of mind

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Music

• Music is a language
• Without wordssubjectiveit conveys moods and
  feelings
• With words, the subjective part of music is
  shaped and given a more objective meaning.
• As well, the music impacts the meaning of the
  words. (Try singing Onward Christian Soldiers
  to Like a River Glorious)

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Music

• As with any language
• there is the language of the common man daily
  usage. Local dialects.
• There is proper usage. Formal usage grammar
  school usage.
• In music there is what we call
• Classical music. The equivalent of grammar
  school English.
• Folkpopularthe common usage. Which comes in
  local dialects as well.

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Music

• And just as there have been wars about putting
  the Scripture in the language of the peoplethere
  have been wars about putting church music in the
  language of the people!
• This is sad because it has affected our ability
  to worship!!

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Classical Hymnody

• Mozart
• Alleluia Canon
• Beethoven
• Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee
• Bach
• Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light
• O Sacred Head Now Wounded

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Classical Hymnody

• Brahms
• We are Gods People
• Haydn
• Praise the Lord! Ye Heavens, Adore Him
• Glorious things of Thee are spoken

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Common Hymnody

• Gaither 17 songs in one Hymnal!
• John W. Peterson 6 songs
• Fanny Crosby 16 songs
• Thomas Fettke 27 Songs!
• Most of todays music wars center on the latest
  common hymnody

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Tradition

• The problem isnt tradition, thats simply the
  content of what one generation hands to another.
  The problem is traditionalism, which is the
  worship of traditions to such an extent that few
  people dare to examine them or try to change them.

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Tradition

• Tradition is the living faith of the dead
  traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.
• Dr.
  Jaroslav Pelikan Yale University

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Teach
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The Devils Tool!

• The music wars have destroyed grace!
• Musical style is not an issue of law!! But many
  have made it such!!
• They have tromped on truth!
• The truth is that almost all of church hymnody is
  commonnot classical although many treat the
  old hymns as if they were classical!!

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The Devils Tool

• The music wars have ignored reality!
• There is good music and bad music in every age!
• Fighting over instrumentation ignores Scripture!
• Wrestling about beatis utter foolishness and
  unbiblical!

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The Devils Tool

• Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore
  you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling
  with which you have been called, with all
  humility and gentleness, with patience, showing
  tolerance for one another in love, being
  diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in
  the bond of peace.
• Ephesians 41-3
• The devils main tool is not music as much as it
  is the music wars!

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History Lesson

• 5th Century first musical notation.
• 12th Century staff perfected.
• 17th Century notation of rhythm is perfected.
• We have little to no idea what the musical styles
  of the Bible times were like.
• David mentions instrumentation more than anyone
  else.

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History Lesson

• The Scriptures teach nothing concerning musical
  style.
• Jesus had nothing to say about music.
• The Scripture does teach that
• we are to worship God with music.
• we are to make melody in our hearts to God.

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Worship

• Questions
• What about musical styles?
• Do different musical styles reflect different
  truths about Gods nature?
• How do we love God and man in our musical worship?

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Musical Style

• Know your culture
• Choose music that will please and that will
  stretch
• Remember instrumentation is often more of an
  issue than the song itself.
• Teach

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Musical Style

• Understand the process of change
• The Willow Creek model
• If you dont like where were headed then this
  isnt the place for you.
• This is often too harsh for an existing church.

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Musical Style

• The process of change
• Change leads to loss
• Loss leads to grief
• Grief can lead to
• Griping
• Glory!

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Musical Style

• Teach people about what to expect with change.
• Teach them how to deal with their feelings or
  they will turn into gripers!
• Those who will not be taught
• Love!

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• Dont teach what is based upon preference rather
  than truth.

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Music

• 98 of all musical backbiting is an issue of
  pride and selfishness!
• I have yet to hear any convincing musical, or
  biblical argument against any given style of
  music!
• That said Every age has music that speaks of
  anarchy and angermusic that speaks of lust and
  unrestrained desire. (But what expressed anger
  at one point of history may not 200 years later.)
  Discernment is an issue best bathed in humility
  and prayer.

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Worship

• God-ward
• 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR
  HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR
  MIND.'

• Man-ward
• The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR
  NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.

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• Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but
  with humility of mind regard one another as more
  important than yourselves do not merely look
  out for your own personal interests, but also for
  the interests of others.

Philippians 23-4
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