Where is the Piano?

1. Where's The Piano

2. Where is the Piano? Praising the Lord in Song Lesson 8 Where's The Piano

3. Why Don’t We Use A Piano? • Don’t Like The Way Mechanical Instruments Sound? • Can’t Afford One • No one knows how to play one? • I can’t 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? Where's The Piano

4. The 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. Where's The Piano

5. A Cappella • Primitive Baptist Church • Orthodox Churches • Churches of Christ are not alone! Where's The Piano

6. History • 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 Where's The Piano

7. History • A Cappella – w/o instrumental accompaniment. • In Chapel Style • BARNES "Psallo … is used, in the New Testament, only in Rom. 15:9 and 1 Cor. 14:15, where it is translated sing; in James 5:13, 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. 5:19). • "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 Where's The Piano

8. Why We Don’t 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. Where's The Piano

9. My Goal Is To Please God • 2 Cor 5:9Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. • Eph 5:8-10For 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: 9-10For 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 4:1-2Finally 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: 21-22Beloved, 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 13:15-16Therefore 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, Where's The Piano

10. Missing 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 God’s Mind? • Do You Know Better Than He Does? • He Tells Us – Check His Word Where's The Piano

11. Where's The Piano

12. What Does the Bible Say About It? • Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26 - After instituting the Lord's supper Jesus and His disciples sang a hymn. • Acts 16:25 - In prison, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. • Romans 15:9 - Prophets had predicted that (in the gospel age) Gentiles would glorify God for His mercy and sing to His name. • 1 Cor 14:15 - I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the understanding. • Eph 5:19 - Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. • Col 3:16 - 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 2:12 - In the midst of the congregation I will sing praise to You. • Hebrews 13:15 - 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 5:13 - Is any cheerful, let him sing psalms. Where's The Piano

13. Bible AuthorityJesus Challenges Us Luke 6:41-46Why Call Me Lord and don’t do what I say? I John 2:3-4Know Him if we keep His commands Matthew 7:21fNot all who say Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom, but he who does My Father’s will. Colossians 3:17Do all in His name Matthew 15:9Teaching as doctrine the precepts of men. II John 9He who does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. Where's The Piano

14. Establishing Authority • Direct Command • All Must Repent (Acts 17:30; 2 Peter 3:9; Lk 13:3) • Disciples Are To Contribute (1 Cor 16:1-2) • Saints Not To Forsake The Assembly (Heb 10:25) • It Is Wrong To Lie - (Col 3:9) • Approved Examples • Take The Lord’s Supper On Sunday (Acts 20:7) • Aninias and Sapphira are killed for lying (Acts 5) • Apostles Told the Truth Even When Dangerous • Necessary Inference • Resurrection of the dead (Matt 22:29-33) • Gentiles Received The Holy Spirit (Acts 10:44-48; 1:15-18) • Infants Are Not To Be Baptized (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 8:37) • Wrong To Lie – Big or Small, Situation Ethics (Col 3:9) Where's The Piano

15. Where's The Piano

16. Not From God’s 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. Where's The Piano

17. Silence • Sprinkling for Baptism • Mechanical Instruments of Music • Missionary Societies • Benevolent Societies • “Fellowship Halls” • Extended Oversight Of The Elders • Sponsoring Church Arrangement Where's The Piano

18. EPH 5:18-20 Speaking To One Another In Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs Singing and Making Melody (ado & psallo) In your heart To the Lord COL 3:20 Teaching & admonishing One another With Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs Singing In Your Hearts To God “SING” Where's The Piano

19. GOD 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." Where's The Piano

20. Where's The Piano