• Does God want us to worship Him with music? Yes.

• What kind of music? Under the Old Covenant or New?

• II Chronicles 29:25; Psalm 150 – Instrumental music was authorized under the Old Covenant.

• What about under the New Covenant?

  • Romans 15:9; I Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 2:12; James 5:13 – Singing is the only type of music authorized under the New Covenant.

• Under the Old Covenant, God told His people to use instruments in worship. In the New Covenant, He authorizes only singing.

• Answering possible objections:

  • Ephesians 5:19 – The word “psallo” never authorized the use of a musical instrument. It expresses an action, but the object must be specified. In the New Testament, the heart is specified as the object. See Hebrews 9:10.

  • Revelation 14:2-3 – The voices in Heaven were described as thunderous and melodious as instruments, but it was still singing. Also, this is highly figurative language and not to be taken literally.

  • Use of songbooks

    • Songbooks are simply a way to coordinate worship. They do not add a new act of music.

  • The Bible doesn’t say not to.

    • The Bible doesn’t expressly say not to use instruments to worship under the New Covenant, but it comes pretty close. See Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:12. The Old Testament gives us an example of this reasoning. New Covenant Christians are commanded to sing. Playing an instrument is surely going beyond this command.

  • Having instruments at home

    • Having instruments in the home is not a reason to use them in worship.

• Historically, instruments were added to worship by Catholics in 670 A.D. and strenuously objected to by many at the time.

• II John 1:9 – To use instruments of music in worship is to go beyond God’s command.

• Ecclesiastes 12:7

• What do you think your favorite thing will be?

  • Being in the presence of God.

    • Matthew 25:34, 41, 46

    • Matthew 7:23

    • I John 3:1-3 – We will see God as He is!

    • I Thessalonians 4:17-18

  • Being with other saints

    • I Thessalonians 4:15-17

    • Revelation 6:9-11 – This seems to imply that those in the afterlife remembered their lives on earth.

  • No more troubles

    • Luke 16:19-26 – All physical problems will be gone in heaven!

    • Hebrews 4:8-11 – God gave the Israelites rest in the sense of Canaan, but there is a greater rest waiting for God’s people.

    • Matthew 5:11-12

    • Romans 8:18

    • Philippians 3:20-21 – Sin and temptation will be left behind!

• Myths about Heaven

  • It will be boring.

    • James 1:17-18

    • God created everything we enjoy on earth. How much better will Heaven be?

  • It’s not an actual place.

    • Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:16 – Heaven is always described as an actual place.

• What all of this means right now.

  • I should be living like a citizen of Heaven!

    • Philippians 3:20-21, 19

    • Colossians 3:2

    • Matthew 6:19

  • Appreciate what Jesus did!

    • Philippians 2:5-11

    • John 17:5

• Matthew 22:37-39

• This love comes from my decision to follow Heaven’s example.

  • John 13:34-35; 15:12 – Jesus is the example!

  • Romans 5:6-8 – It was God’s decision for Jesus to die for us, even in our sins.

  • Titus 3:3-7 – God decided to love us.

  • It’s my decision when to love others. We certainly would not want God to show love for us only if or when we deserved it!

  • “This person has an eternal soul.”

    • John 5:28-29

  • “God is watching how well I love others.”

    • Matthew 6:14-15; 7:2; 25:40

  • “I want to become an expert at love – just like my Father.”

    • I John 4:7

• I must prove to be a neighbor.

  • Luke 10:25-37 – Parable of the good Samaritan.

  • Matthew 5:43-48 – Our job is to love our neighbor. We should be a neighbor to all we come in contact with.

• Love must be the foundation of my behavior toward all others.

  • Romans 13:7

  • Galatians 5:13

  • James 2:1, 8 – Fulfill the royal law!

  • I John 3:16-18 – We need to capitalize on opportunities to show love for others.

  • Acts 26:24-29 – Paul showed love for others even in chains.

[Due to technical difficulties, the ending of this recording has been cut off. Sorry about that! -MRW]

Luke Beamon: Dealing with Temptation

• Matthew 4:1-11 - Jesus was confident because He had scripture on His side.
• Matthew 6:19-21 - Remember the consequences of sin! Sin costs you your eternal home.
• Matthew 7:7 - We can always ask God for help.
• Matthew 26:69 - The more you do something, the easier it gets. Each time Peter denied Jesus, it got easier. Each time we resist sin, it gets easier!

Jesse Jenkins: Difficult Passages

• Psalms 51:5
  • Some interpret this verse to mean that David was guilty of sin from birth (i.e., total depravity, a Calvinist doctrine).
  • The context is David’s lament after Nathan rebuked him for his sin with Bathsheba. That is not a sin he was guilty of from birth.
  • This is a hyperbolic statement. David is emphasizing his own sin. Compare a similar literary technique used in I Timothy 1:15. Paul had done sinful things, but this did not make him the chief of sinners. After all, he_thought_he was doing right.
    • Compare also Psalms 22:10; 71:6; 139:13-14
  • Interpreting this verse to mean David was guilty from birth directly contradicts verses like Ezekiel 18:2-4. “The soul that sins shall die.”
  • Matthew 19:14 - We must be like little children to enter the kingdom of God. How can that be true if little children have inherited sin?
  • II Corinthians 5:10 - We will be judged based on what_we_do with our own bodies.
• Matthew 7:1-5
  • Some interpret this passage to mean that we should not judge anyone.
  • The context of this passage is that we should not judge others in ways that we would not want to be judged ourselves. Judging others more harshly than you would want to be judged is hypocrisy!
  • Those who say you cannot judge are themselves judging others!
  • John 7:24 - We are to judge with righteous judgment.