Sermon Audio Archive

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

  

FROM: 1/19/03 Radio Program

Question:

Why do you in the church of Christ not use instruments of music in your worship?

Answer:

Put simply, we do not have instruments of music in the worship because Christ has told us to sing. In Ephesians 5:19, Paul said, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." When Paul wrote the Colossians, he stated it this way: "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" (Col. 3:16). There are other such passages as: Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26; Acts 16:25; I Corinthians 14:15; Hebrews 2:12, 13:15; and James 5:13 which emphasize this point as well. If we wish to please God, we will sing.

Sometimes, people act as if there is no distinction between singing and the mechanical instrument. Yet, these two are different kinds of music. We recognize this when we comment on a particular person, and say, "He is a good singer." In this comment, what does this say about that person's ability to play an instrument? It says nothing about his ability, or lack thereof, to play an instrument. In contrast, if someone spoke of a woman's ability to play a guitar, do we know if she can sing? By no means. Instrumental music and vocal music are different kinds of music! In the New Testament, we read only about singing. While some may hearken back to the practices of David, and other Old Testament worthies in order to justify the instrument, we cannot do this. Our authority must come from the New Testament, since this is the Covenant we are under today (Heb. 7:12-14, 8:6-13). We follow the instructions of the apostles today. The apostles' responsibility was to teach all things Christ commanded (Matt. 28:20); they were also to teach what the Holy Spirit inspired them to teach (Jn. 16:13). And throughout the whole New Testament, we are never authorized to use the mechanical instrument of music in the worship.

Remember that as we read the New Testament, that whatever God told you to do, He told me to do, and vice versa. Now, IF the instrument of music is allowed by God, then please realize that if one or two are playing an instrument, then that group is still not doing what God has said. If one wishes to maintain that the New Testament passages which speak of singing imply that God wants men to use the mechanical instrument in the worship, then please understand that EVERYONE assembled must be playing on an instrument! Where is the religious group anywhere that is doing that?

The reason we do not use a mechanical instrument in the worship is because God has already told us what to do - "sing and make melody in (with) your heart to the Lord"!

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