Take the lowest place

• Put others first.
• Luke 14:7-11
• This has spiritual implications, not just physical ones.
• Esther 6 – Haman’s bad example.
• Proverbs 15:33
• Mark 9:35 – To get the best position, start out with humility and serving others.
• Luke 17:7
• Matthew 16:1-16
• Matthew 25:34-40

Consider the other side

• Apollos, Aquila, and Priscilla are good examples. Aquila and Priscilla did not look down on Apollos because of what he did not know. They helped him learn what he was missing!
• III John 1:9-10 – Diotrephes refused to listen to the other side.
• I Kings 21:17-29 – King Ahab had a major life event change his point of view. He humbled himself.

Disagree respectfully

• II Timothy 2:23-26
• I Peter 3:14-15
• Acts 26:24-29 – Paul responded very calmly.

The Greek word psallo includes instruments.

• Look in Greek dictionaries.
• Look in reliable English translations.
  • Romans 15:9; I Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; James 5:13
  • Ephesians 5:19 – This context is referring to what happens in your heart.

Harps are used in Heaven.

• Revelation 5:8; 14:2; 15:2; 18:21-22
• The first challenge is to prove these are even literal harps.
• Second, why stop with the harps?
• Events in Heaven aren’t instructions for Christians on earth.
  • Matthew 22:30

We should use our God-given talents to worship Him.

• I Peter 4:11
• I Peter 4:15? – What about talents we have that are sinful? Can those also be used for worship?
• I Peter 4:3, 5?
• I John 5:3?
• God wants us to follow His instructions in worship.
  • John 4:24
  • Genesis 4:2-5; Hebrews 11:4
  • Leviticus 10:1-2

Instruments were used for Old Covenant worship.

• That’s right!
  • Numbers 10:10; II Chronicles 29:25-28
• But we follow the New Covenant, not the Old Covenant.
  • Hebrews 8:7-8, 13
  • Acts 15
  • Galatians 5:1-3

No one can argue that we should use instruments because they are clearly authorized as acceptable in the New Testament.

• Colossians 3:16
• They are not clearly authorized in the New Testament.

Children (Romans 9-11), continued

• Romans 11:25 – The “partial hardening” here could mean the Jews partially rejected Jesus.
• Romans 11:26-27 – “all Israel” here could be referring to spiritual Israel (see Romans 2:28-29). All Israel can be saved if they have faith in Christ. The quote is from Isaiah 59:20. Some people take this passage to mean that there will be some mass event at the end of time and that’s how all Jews will be saved, but that’s not what Paul is talking about here. Compare: Zionism
• Romans 11:28-29 – Unfaithful Jews are enemies to Christians from the perspective of the gospel, but they are still beloved by God.
• Romans 11:30-32 – The Gentiles had a sinful history, but mercy from God was available. God’s mercy was now available to all!
• Romans 11:33-36 – Paul praises God for His grace and mercy.

Conduct (Romans 12-16)

• Romans 12:1-2 – We all end up conforming to the world to a certain degree (local customs, habits, etc.), but the emphasis here is on transforming ourselves to be what God wants us to be. We must renew our minds – it must be from the inside out! Christians will put God’s word into practice and show how good it is in real life.
• Romans 12:3-5 – Verse 3 is a not-put construction, emphasizing the need for humility and sound judgment. This measure of faith is roughly synonymous to each person’s function in verse 5 and gifts in verse 6. See Ephesians 4:7, 11; I Peter 4:10 for a similar construction.
• Romans 12:6-8 – Whatever your talents are, serve the best you can. It takes concerted effort to do these things well! The abilities are gifts from God. We should rejoice that we have them!
• Romans 12:9 – Don’t be hypocritical in loving others. Genuinely do the best for others. Love and hate go together in the Bible. We should work on attitudes so that we hate what God hates. We should cling to what God says is good.

Foundational truth

• Acts 16:25
• Romans 15:9
• I Corinthians 14:15
• Ephesians 5:19
• Colossians 3:16
• Hebrews 2:12
• Hebrews 13:15
• James 5:13
• (Matthew 26:30)

God didn’t say NOT to.

Carrying the ark

• Exodus 25:14 + Numbers 4:15 + Numbers 7:6-9
• I Chronicles 13:7-12; 15:2, 5, 12-15 – The issue was not carrying the ark the way that God had authorized.

Priesthood

• Numbers 3; Hebrews 7:11-14; 8:4
• God said nothing about priests from Judah, meaning that they were not allowed according to the law. Jesus as high priest proves that the law has changed.

Strange fire

• Leviticus 10:1-2

Preaching circumcision

• Acts 15:5-6, 24

Instruments are just aids, like pitch pipes or song books.

• Mark 16:15 – “Go” and “preach the gospel”
• I Corinthians 16:1-2 – “collection … put aside and save”
  • Bake sales would be a separate method of gaining money – not an aid to the collection.
• Eight passages above – “singing”
  • Instruments are a separate thing – not an aid.

Psalms 150:1 – In the Old Testament, God allowed worship with instruments and did not consider them an aid.

Admit you don’t know

• I Corinthians 3:18
• Acts 8:26-39
  • Sometimes being in a position of authority can make us unwilling to admit ignorance.
  • The eunuch showed the benefit of admitting he didn’t know. He received salvation and went away rejoicing.
  • Philip showed humility in obeying God. Contrast this to Jonah’s response to God’s command.
• Luke 14:27

Skip a meal

• Skipping a meal reminds us that there are other things that are more important.
• Leviticus 16:29-30
• Activities associated with fasting:
  • Mourning for a calamity or loss of a loved one.
    • Mark 2:18
  • Prayer
    • Acts 14:23
  • Repentance – mourning for sins
    • Nehemiah 9:1
  • Study
  • Promote the cause of Christ, not self.
    • I Corinthians 6:4
• July 20, 1775 and May 17, 1776 – Day of public humiliation, fasting, and prayer.
  • See Forged in Faith by Rod Gragg.

Read the Bible for no reason

• … except to know God better.
• James 1:21-25
• I Peter 5:5 – Clothe yourself with humility.
• We need to look at ourselves.