A RGUMENTS A GAINST A C APPELLA God Didn’t Say I Can’t.

ARGUMENTS AGAINST A CAPPELLA

God Didn’t Say I Can’t

GOD DOESN’T SAY I CAN’T

MUSIC IS QUITE POWERFUL.


♪ Martin Luther understood the power of good music.


♪ Martin Luther understood the power of good music.♫ “The devil should not be allowed to keep all the best

tunes for himself.”



tunes for himself.”♫ “Music is a glorious gift of God, very like to theology. I

would not part with my little gifts of music for anything in the world. We ought to teach the young this art, for it makes fine and clever people.”



tunes for himself.”♫ “Music is a glorious gift of God, very like to theology. I

would not part with my little gifts of music for anything in the world. We ought to teach the young this art, for it makes fine and clever people.”

♫ “Next after theology, I give to music the highest place and the greatest honor.”


♪ The power of music is surely why God included music in worship.


♪ The power of music is surely why God included music in worship.♫ “Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in

psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (Eph 5:18-19, ESV).


♪ The power of music is surely why God included music in worship.♫ “Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in

psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart” (Eph 5:18-19, ESV).

♫ “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Col 3:16, ESV).


♪ The context of both those passages is the Christian life.


♪ The context of both those passages is the Christian life.♫ Thus, some have said they have nothing to do with

singing in the assembly.



singing in the assembly.♫ While the context is private life, it is not true that the

singing takes place privately.




singing takes place privately.♪ Ephesians 5 speaks of “addressing one another” & Colossians 3

speaks of “teaching and admonishing one another.”





speaks of “teaching and admonishing one another.” Those activities cannot take place privately.






♪ The verbs are reflexive in Greek.






♪ The verbs are reflexive in Greek.♫That means that the addressing & teaching take place

simultaneously.






♪ The verbs are reflexive in Greek.♫That means that the addressing & teaching take place

simultaneously.♫As I’m teaching you, you’re teaching me.


BUT, MUST THAT SINGING BE A CAPPELLA?


♪ One frequently heard argument in favor of instrumental music is that God didn’t say we can’t use it.


♪ One frequently heard argument in favor of instrumental music is that God didn’t say we can’t use it.♫ Martin Luther personally opposed the instrument, but

believed anything not expressly forbidden by God was acceptable.


♪ One frequently heard argument in favor of instrumental music is that God didn’t say we can’t use it.♫ Martin Luther personally opposed the instrument, but

believed anything not expressly forbidden by God was acceptable.

♫ Ulrich Zwingli, on the other hand, firmly believed man could only do what God had expressly told him to do.


WHO IS RIGHT?


SOME THINGS ARE WRONG EVEN THOUGH THE BIBLE DOESN’T MENTION THEM!


♪ I cannot find a single word in Scripture about viewing pornography on the Internet.


♪ I cannot find a single word in Scripture about viewing pornography on the Internet.♫ Does that make the activity right?


♪ I cannot find a single word in Scripture about viewing pornography on the Internet.♫ Does that make the activity right?♫ But, why is it wrong?



♪ “I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:28, ESV).



♪ “I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Mt 5:28, ESV).

♪ “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity” (1 Tm 5:1-2, ESV).


♪ I cannot find a single word in Scripture that says the destruction of embryos for medical research is wrong.



♪ But, God has provided guidelines that condemn such an activity.



♪ But, God has provided guidelines that condemn such an activity.♫ We know that life begins at conception.



♪ But, God has provided guidelines that condemn such an activity.♫ We know that life begins at conception: “If the woman has

not defiled herself and is clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive children” (Num 5:28, ESV).





♫ We dare not take human life.





♫ We dare not take human life: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image” (Gn 9:6, ESV).


CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT THE BIBLE WOULD BE LIKE IF GOD TOLD US EVERYTHING THAT WAS RIGHT & WRONG?


SPECIFICS LEAVE NO WIGGLE ROOM.


SPECIFICS LEAVE NO WIGGLE ROOM.When God specifically says what he wants, everything else is excluded.


♪ Num 20:7-13.


♪ Num 20:7-13.♫ We have rightfully pointed to Moses’ pride.


♪ Num 20:7-13.♫ We have rightfully pointed to Moses’ pride: “Shall we

bring water for you out of this rock?” (v 10, ESV).


♪ Num 20:7-13.♫ We have rightfully pointed to Moses’ pride: “Shall we

bring water for you out of this rock?” (v 10, ESV). ♫ But, notice that Moses doesn’t do precisely what God told

him to do.


♪ “For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’? Or again, ‘I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son’?” (Heb 1:5, ESV).


♪ “For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’? Or again, ‘I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son’?” (Heb 1:5, ESV).♫ Because God never said such to the angels, it wasn’t so.


♪ “For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’? Or again, ‘I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son’?” (Heb 1:5, ESV).♫ Because God never said such to the angels, it wasn’t so.♫ Jesus is the unique Son of God; therefore, he is the only

One to Whom the Father said, “You are my Son.”


♪ “When there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests” (Heb 7:12-14, ESV).


♪ “When there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests” (Heb 7:12-14, ESV).♫ God never said that someone from the tribe of Judah

couldn’t be a priest.


♪ “When there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. For the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests” (Heb 7:12-14, ESV).♫ God never said that someone from the tribe of Judah

couldn’t be a priest.♫ But, when he specified the tribe of Levi, that excluded all

other tribes.


♪ The “law of exclusion” only applies when there are SPECIFICS.


♪ The “law of exclusion” only applies when there are SPECIFICS.♫ It’s obvious that God could have commanded instruments

—he commanded their use in the Old Testament & the early Christians knew of instruments.


♪ The “law of exclusion” only applies when there are SPECIFICS.♫ It’s obvious that God could have commanded instruments

—he commanded their use in the Old Testament & the early Christians knew of instruments.

♫ But, when God said, “Sing,” that excluded everything else.


♪ It is at this point that so many stumble.


♪ It is at this point that so many stumble.♫ Scripture is silent on many things we use in worship—

pews, church building, powerpoint projector, etc.



pews, church building, powerpoint projector, etc.♫ If God is silent on those things, what gives us the right to

use them?




use them?

♪ But, just because something isn’t mentioned as part of worship doesn’t make it wrong.




use them?

♪ But, just because something isn’t mentioned as part of worship doesn’t make it wrong. But, when God says, “Here’s what I want,” everything else is excluded.


♪ Preaching.


♪ Preaching.♫ Nowhere in the New Testament does God mention using

notes or a pulpit or a powerpoint projector.



notes or a pulpit or a powerpoint projector. But, none of that changes the act of preaching.




♫ But, what if we decide to have a play next Sunday instead of a sermon?




♫ But, what if we decide to have a play next Sunday instead of a sermon?♪ Nowhere in the New Testament does it say I cannot do that.




♫ But, what if we decide to have a play next Sunday instead of a sermon?♪ Nowhere in the New Testament does it say I cannot do that.♪ “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to

break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight” (Acts 20:7, ESV).




♫ But, what if we decide to have a play next Sunday instead of a sermon?♪ Nowhere in the New Testament does it say I cannot do that.♪ “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to

break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight” (Acts 20:7, ESV). The specifics of a speech excludes everything else.


♪ Lord’s Supper.


♪ Lord’s Supper.♫ Nowhere in the New Testament does God speak about

having men pass the emblems or using trays.



having men pass the emblems or using trays.♪ But, using trays & having men pass the trays does not change

the act of the Lord’s Supper.




the act of the Lord’s Supper.♪ It’s far more expedient than having everyone line up to be

served.





served.

♫ What if next Lord’s Day we decided to use Twinkies & Coca-Cola?





served.

♫ What if next Lord’s Day we decided to use Twinkies & Coca-Cola?♪ Jesus used unleavened bread & fruit of the vine.





served.

♫ What if next Lord’s Day we decided to use Twinkies & Coca-Cola?♪ Jesus used unleavened bread & fruit of the vine.♪ Everything else is excluded.


♪ If God had simply said, “Make music,” we could have any type of music we wanted.


♪ If God had simply said, “Make music,” we could have any type of music we wanted.♫ But, God said, “Sing.”


♪ If God had simply said, “Make music,” we could have any type of music we wanted.♫ But, God said, “Sing.”♫ Therefore, everything else is excluded.


♪ A direct corollary to the “law of specifics” is that we cannot add to Scripture.


♪ A direct corollary to the “law of specifics” is that we cannot add to Scripture.♫ “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor

take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you” (Deut 4:2, ESV).




♫ “Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar” (Prov 30:6, ESV).




♫ “Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar” (Prov 30:6, ESV).

♫ “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (Rev 22:18-19, ESV).


LET US HONOR GOD IN THE WAY THAT WE WORSHIP & THE WAY THAT WE LIVE?


LET US HONOR GOD IN THE WAY THAT WE WORSHIP & THE WAY THAT WE LIVE?Are you honoring God this evening?

A RGUMENTS A GAINST A C APPELLA God Didn’t Say I Can’t.

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