Title: Where is the Piano?
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2Where is the Piano?
- Praising the Lord in Song
- Lesson 8
3Why 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?
4The 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.
5A Cappella
- Primitive Baptist Church
- Orthodox Churches
- Churches of Christ are not alone!
6History
- 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
7History
- 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
8Why 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.
9My 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,
10Missing 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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12What 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.
13Bible 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.
14Establishing 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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16Not 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.
17Silence
- Sprinkling for Baptism
- Mechanical Instruments of Music
- Missionary Societies
- Benevolent Societies
- Fellowship Halls
- Extended Oversight Of The Elders
- Sponsoring Church Arrangement
18SING
- 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
19GOD 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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