Monday, August 18, 2008

Keeping Worship Simple

Many people today are struggling with something that is really quite simple. The controversy concerning the instrument continues, because instruments and their use in worship are becoming more mainstream. Even in churches that still affiliate themselves with the churches of Christ, instrumental music not only is coming up, but it is now becoming more accepted. For example, one church of Christ in a neighboring county explains it this way on their website - "The singing is a cappella, meaning that we worship without instruments. This is by choice, rather than doctrine. We find nothing wrong with instrumental worship, but believe that the voice alone is a simple & beatiuful way to worship God."

What a sad state of affairs.

What God wants us to know with regard to worship is quite simple. There is commandment, example, and authorization for singing in the New Testament church. None of these exist with regard to instrumental worship.The use of instruments in the worship of the church is not authorized by God. One can lament all they want to about it. One can dream about unity with denominational people. By taking the focus off of God and the Bible and putting the emphasis on human wishes, the correct view of Scripture becomes skewed by opinion.

Instrumental worship is unauthorized worship. Whether it be offered by Cain, Nadab and Abihu, or any Christian today, unauthorized worship is displeasing to God. God is the object of worship and we are the worshipers. Why speculate when God has already told us what to do in His Word? Why not honor God and His word? Why not worship Him in spirit and in truth?

What sets the church apart from the world and its religion is our love for God and one another so as to completely follow the Bible. Let's continue to be different and worship God the way God wants to be worshiped. This is worship that will both sanctify us and glorify our Creator.



"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him." ~ John 4:23
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1 comment:

  1. RyanNovember 25, 2009 at 12:31 PM

    I find it incredible that Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16 are read as specifying a type of worship from among a genus of other forms. There is nothing in the context of these passages to indicate that it is the intention of Paul to specify singing-only in corporate worship. But alas, you appear to be so shaped by modern presuppositions that it would be virtually impossible to convince you that God is not displeased by instruments as we come together as a body to edify one another and to respond to the Gospel.

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