Worship is always about God, not us. “It is written, ‘You shall worship the L ORD your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (Matt 4:10). “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him” (Jn 4:23).
“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” (Col 3:16).
Singing comes from the heart.
Because we’re part of the Christian community: We do not lie to one another (v 9). We do not have racial and ethnic divides (v 11). We bear with one another and forgive one another (v 13). We put on love which binds everything in perfection (v 14). We have been called in one body (v 15).
My worship is about God from beginning to end. “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!” (Rev 19:10).
Singing comes from the heart. Therefore:
One: We need to understand what we sing. The word of Christ is to dwell richly in us and then we sing. “I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding” (1 Cor 14:15). How do we go about doing what Paul teaches? One: You need to spend time in Scripture. Two: Look up biblical references in songs you don’t understand.
Two: We cannot use instruments in our worship. There is absolutely no biblical authority to use instruments in worship. There is not a single reference in the New Testament about instrumental music in worship.
Is the instrument an aid? When God tells us to do something, we may use whatever is necessary in carrying out that command. The principle of specific authority is biblical and common. “It is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood” (Heb 7:14). Aids do not change the nature of what we do.
I cannot change one word of Scripture. “You shall be careful to do as the L ORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left” (Deut 5:32). “Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar” (Prov 30:6). Rev 22:18-19.
You are well aware that we cannot use those Old Testament passages as binding. But, the Old Testament provides important principles. “Whatever things were written before were written for our learning” (Rom 15:4). “The law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Gal 3:24).
We cannot appeal to the Old Testament as our authority. Jesus “wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Col 2:14). “When there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well” (Heb 7:12, ESV). If you use the Old Testament as authority: Will you offer sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem? Where are the Levitical priests? Where is the ark of the covenant?
We must sing. We’re to help one another through our singing. We are to be “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Eph 5:19).
“There was no instrumental music in the New Testament.” The New Testament speaks of instrumental music. When Jesus raised a girl from the dead, He “came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing” (Matt 9:23). 1 Cor 14:7-8. Jesus and His apostles knew about instruments, were around instruments, and had no issue with instruments in their proper place. Yet, not even once did Jesus or His disciples mention instruments as part of worship.
Some seek to justify instrumental music because you find instrumental music in Revelation (Rev 5:8; 15:2). if That is appropriate, if: One: You will only use the instruments mentioned in Revelation. Two: You are consistent and plan all of worship to conform to Revelation. God’s throne. Different colored horses. A red dragon.
Many things in heaven are not on earth.
Will you be in heaven?