Does It Make Any Difference? Part 5 Keeping holy days, eating the Lord’s Supper unworthily, Using OT worship practices

We have already noted… The danger in false teachers & doctrines What God says about “good” people Church founders Church beginnings Church names and their authority Clergy/laity distinctions, fund raising Women leadership

One Common Practice is Keeping Special Days Galatians 4:9-10 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? 10 You observe days and months and seasons and years! They were turning back to the weak & worthless things

One Common Practice is Keeping Special Days Galatians 4:11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain. Paul feared lest his work had been in vain

One Common Practice is Keeping Special Days The day that Jesus entered Jerusalem… The day He was shown to be the Son… The day the church was established The day the disciples assembled for worship Of course, there IS a significant day Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet

Own Eating the Lord’s Supper by Their Own Preference Acts 2:42 devoted And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them… Must have been a “weekly” devotion

Own Eating the Lord’s Supper by Their Own Preference Matthew 26:26-28 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. The emblems were unleavened bread and fruit of the vine

Own Eating the Lord’s Supper by Their Own Preference 1 Corinthians 11: and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. This passage reveals the right attitude

To have the Lord’s Supper you must have… Eating the Lord’s Supper by Their Own Preference The day The right emblems The right attitude The right place

Using Unauthorized Worship Practices 2 Chronicles 29:25-28 The whole assembly worshiped And he stationed the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to the commandment of David and of Gad the king's seer and of Nathan the prophet, for the commandment was from the Lord through his prophets. 26 The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. 27 Then Hezekiah commanded that the burnt offering be offered on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song to the Lord began also, and the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel. 28 The whole assembly worshiped… WAS Using instruments WAS worship in the OT

Instrumental Music in Worship? The New Testament is silent on the practice, Period. Revelation 22:18-19 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, 19 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.

Consistently, the greatest reformers cast it out as an unscriptural innovation. John Calvin John Wesley Martin Luther Charles Spurgeon Andrew Fuller Adam Clarke Instrumental Music in Worship? It was first instituted into “Christian” worship by Pope Vitalius about 750 AD.

If your church is teaching doctrine not found in scripture…If your church is teaching doctrine not found in scripture… If your church is taking up money and it’s not the first day of the week…If your church is taking up money and it’s not the first day of the week… If a woman is leading men in any church activities…If a woman is leading men in any church activities… It your church is keeping special days…It your church is keeping special days… If the Lord’s Supper is offered and it’s not Sunday…If the Lord’s Supper is offered and it’s not Sunday… If it’s Sunday and the Lord’s Supper is NOT being offered…If it’s Sunday and the Lord’s Supper is NOT being offered… If someone is playing instruments in worship…If someone is playing instruments in worship… You’re in the wrong church…

The New Testament church is different from men’s churches and we CAN see the difference if we’ll look and not be led…