The Truth In Print Vol. 15 Issue
5, June 2009
A
Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375
W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
“When the Lord opens the door you have to seize the opportunity...”
For some reason perhaps because it is
beneficial to be reminded how apostasy works, or better yet because apostasy
does indeed “work” and present itself in order to perpetuate its working of
error, I keep meeting those who say they really do not see anything wrong with
instrumental music in worship.
Conversation With A Visitor
At the beginning of the year someone who was
in town visiting their family called me one Tuesday morning with the general
statement or question —- How many churches of Christ in town? He asked if I was
at the building and I said I was thus he desired to drop by since he said was
close by.
He had two things on his mind. The first was, “Why do your churches not have
kitchens?” I wasn’t amazed at hearing this having recently made an application
on that very thing in our Bible class —the very point being about brethren’s
inability to accept what Christ authorized for the local church. He said, “I
think my brethren would call you and your brethren (pause)” — and I finished it
for him and said, “Antis.” He said, “That’s right! That’s what I’ve heard them
refer to you as.” He wanted to know what I’d call them. I told him some might
refer to them as Liberals or Institutionalists, and
to us as Noninstitutionalists or Conservatives, but
so far as I was concerned they left the faith and they are apostates (cf. 2 Jo.
9). Some refer to them as the “denominational church of Christ.” Since he said
he’d came out of the Jehovah Witnesses I told him he needed to do
research and learn who divided the Lord’s church in the 1950s and 60s and
why. I told him primarily they wanted the church support of human societies in order to get the colleges in the
budgets of the churches. I also told him we had members here who had adopted
orphans and should he hear we hate orphans he’ll know better.
He said one of the problems his church had
was they’d rented their building to some 7th Day Adventists who
were paying them a monthly fee, and he and another did not think that was
scriptural. Evidently they had stopped the practice but he said that did cause
problems. I drew a circle and illustrated the contribution in Acts 4:37. I
asked, “Is a contribution from those ‘outside’ the church the New Testament
pattern?” He said, “No.” It was obvious that he was able to recognize the
pattern for the church receiving funds. Why couldn’t he accept what Paul said
in I Cor. 11:34? He wanted to know how I felt about I Cor. 14:34. We read it
together. I told him I thought anyone could read it an
understand it. After all, brethren, what did Paul say in I Cor. 14:37? We are
to acknowledge that what he wrote was the commandments of the Lord. I took a
tablet and did a quick listing of the work of the church: Edification (I Cor.
14), Worship (I Cor. 11), Support of Evangelists in teaching and preaching the
Gospel (I Cor. 9; I Tim. 3:15; I Th. 1:8), and Benevolence (Acts 6). Then I
drew a line and below it I put “other things” done elsewhere by individuals.
Such things as social fellowship halls known as church kitchens along with
entertainment are not part of the work of the local church (I Cor. 11:22; Acts
2:46). I asked him if he considered what they did as “individual” action or
“collective” as a church functions? He said he considered it “individual”
action. That just simply doesn’t go with his initial question, “Why no church
kitchens?”
Brethren, you must study to stay away from
error. As individuals we must study to be able to expose error (Phil. 1:7,
“confirmation” — to make stable). Moreover, we must strive together in the
local church in opposing error (Phil. 1:27).
“I really think it is okay to have instrumental music in
worship” He Said
The second thing on his mind was that he really
thought it was okay to have instruments in worship. I thought about how I had
just made an application on that very thing as well — the point on brethren’s
inability to discern and keep what Christ authorized for the local church.
“Where is your scripture?” I asked. His
first answer was a reference to the Old Testament musicians at the Temple. I
gave him Eph. 5:19 and he said that didn’t mean the same thing for him it did
for me. I told him he could read the parallel in Col. 3:16 for it says “sing”
as well. “Speaking” in Eph. 5:19 is not “playing” an
instrument! One reply was, “You just don’t realize how hard it is for those who
come out of denominationalism to accept just singing.” First,
that’s simply not true of all people who come out of
denominationalism. I’ve know musicians who told me they knew when they read
those verses what God wanted in worship and it pleased them just fine because
what they did was to entertain with the instrument. I explained to him that
anyone knows that there were no instruments used in the first century church as
recorded in the New Testament. Even denominations opposed them in the early
years in our country.
Striving to help I told that he needed to
consider Lev. 10. Does that ring a bell? Ding! Ding! What happened when Nadab and Abihu broke the pattern
for acceptable worship? Moreover, they were taught properly “before” this and
given specific instructions not to change things (Ex. 30:9, 37-38). They
“practiced” the truth before this (Lev. 8:36). His reply: “Yeah but that’s the
Old Testament.” However, he used the O.T. for justification for instruments
when he wanted to. I gave him 2 Tim. 3:16-17. His reply: “All scripture
includes the Old Testament.” I wrote down his favorite phrase on the tablet:
“It doesn’t say not to.” Question: What does it say to do? Sing! I told him you
need to deal with the “must” friend in John 4:24 and that’s what I’m trying to
show you. I read him 2 Tim. 1:13 and he read it: “Hold fast the
pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which
are in Christ Jesus.” Concerned reader the New Testament came from the Father
to Christ then through the Holy Spirit to the apostles and inspired prophets in
the first century (Jo. 16:13-14, 17:8, 14). What is our responsibility? 2 Tim.
1:13! The one who wrote 2 Tim. 1:13 and demanded that of us was not Moses but
rather an apostle under the New Covenant! “Sing” is New Testament authority for
worship. “Playing” is authorized in the Old Testament. There is no physical
Temple as in the Old Testament today! (cf. Col. 2:14; Heb. 8:13).
This man is setting duck for the movement
within his brotherhood that is pushing instrumental music. He said he was an
evangelist. What kind of evangelist is he? You have to be careful with
strangers! (I Jo. 4:1).
A Recent Visit Back Home
I recently went back to my home town
to attend my mother’s funeral. Even before going I was aware that the
University Church of Christ had added the instrument of music to their worship
of God. I have been away i.e. lived away from Las Cruces, N.M. for many years.
One thing I do remember is the teaching given at the Miranda Street church of
Christ on what the church that belongs to Christ consists of in organization,
work and worship. I recall preachers such as Gene Frost, Maurice Barnett and
H.E. McCaskill. None of these men would be surprised
that the University church now advertises a service with instruments of music
as well as one that is a cappella.
While there at the “viewing” I met an elder
of the University church of Christ. We have known one another since schools
days. His father was among those who left the Miranda St. church and helped
start the University church. Our friendship split when the church was split
over the institutional questions of the 50s and early 60s. I asked him, “Since
when does the church of Christ have instruments of music in worship?” He
replied: “When the Lord opens the door you have to seize the moment and step
through.” I replied that you stepped through that door into apostasy.
Why would the University church of Christ’s
website recommend Max Lucado’s
booklet “Baptism: The Demonstration of Devotion”? The progression of apostasy
in Max Lucado is something well known. This is the
man quoted as saying, "We hope that renaming the church, opening new
campuses and adding musical instruments to the worship service will help bring
more people to Christ." When the emphasis is on numbers and pleasing the
young people adding the instrument of music always fits right in! The Baptist
Press article "Max Lucado transcends Church of
Christ beliefs" by Michael Foust (May 2005) says, "Lucado's church is Church of Christ -- but not a typical
Church of Christ. For starters, musical instruments are used (although there is
still one a cappella service). Also, the church has a baptistic
view of baptism -- that is, that baptism isn't required for salvation.” Moreover Lucado signed a faith only document that says, “The moment
we truly believe in Christ, the Father declares us righteous in him and begins
conforming us to his likeness.” Apostasy
never stands still! You should know this and be able to see this. The next
generation goes yet further progressing in error. Some in my own family, I’ve
heard, who left the church to start the University church of Christ regretted the
day they did so in their later years seeing the fruit of what they helped
build. Others left foolishly thinking they wouldn’t have to give account
themselves for innovations but rather the elders would. Old friends left the
church through the years to go there or elsewhere — some hoping to find a
church not so conservative. Should there be anyone anywhere just “aching” to
make that passage into apostasy, perhaps thinking it will be a spiritual
revitalization of some sort, then let the adding of the instrument of music in
so called churches of Christ be a lesson against it
this very day! (Read 2 Jo. 9)
By Bob Lovelace