What Do We Really Know?

Here recently I have been seeing all sorts of things about what sort of music is acceptable to The Lord. People say different things about styles of worship. They always want to remind us that worship is for The Lord. True. I have even preached on this. Worship is not for the congregation. We have an audience of one. God Himself is the audience. I just wonder where we get off deciding for God what style of music pleases Him?  I do know King David was considered a man after God's own heart. David was also a musician. He penned a great number of the Psalms under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For those that don't know, the Psalms are songs. Psalm means song. So the book of Psalms is the book of songs. I find it interesting that there are no musical notes written. Only lyrics. The lyrical content as we sing out to The Lord is what is important, not the notes. The particular instruments, tempo, and decibel level are not important to Him. What is important is the heart behind the worship. So what style of music pleases Him? Well, King David apparently felt it was whatever instruments were available. Look at 2nd Samuel 6:5... 

"Meanwhile, David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord with all kinds of instruments made of fir wood, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, castanets and cymbals."  2nd Sam 6:5 NASB

Wow... so they used stringed instruments and percussion instruments as they worshipped in song? Incredible. Because the song is not the worship. The song is how we express our heart of worship.

Church, the Gospel is the same in churches with small congregations, large congregations, traditional worship hymns, a cappella songs, contemporary worship, gospel, Christian rock music, and Christian rap music. It doesn't matter if a church is "seeker" sensitive, traditional, or contemporary. It doesn't matter if it is a Baptist, Presbyterian, Church of Christ, Methodist, Catholic, Lutheran, Calvary Chapel, Nazarene, or Non-denominational church. There is only one name under heaven by which men are saved, and that name is JESUS CHRIST. We have never been saved by any type of worship music, style of service, or denomination. We were not saved because we are reformed, Calvinists, or Armenians. We are saved by the shed blood of Christ on the cross and faith in Him as Lord. 

It is time to stop worrying about these disputable matters. Look at what Roman's 14:1-14 says. And I know some of you are going to say, "That is out of context. It is about food." No, it is about food, special days, and anything else that is disputable...

"Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God." So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this-not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way. I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." Rom 14:1-14 NASB

An exegetical study of this reveals... You do it your way, we'll do it ours. We aren't going to condemn yours and you don't condemn ours. It is not about us anyways. Again, it is about Jesus.

Listen, I myself experienced true transformation and the power of God as I came to intimately know The Lord at a so called "Seeker-Sensitive" church. And let me tell you, there are some hardcore Christians at that church (literally ThatChurch.com) that live their faith and stand in the gap with hurting people. And if you know me, you know my life is surrendered to Christ and I am all about seeing lives changed. I want to see people that are Sold Out for Christ. I want to see a church that is Sold Out for Him.

There is a broken world full of sinners that don't know Jesus and are far from God all around us that will die and go to Hell if we do not proclaim the Gospel of Jesus' birth, sinless life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and Lordship.  We will never gain ground in the world if we are constantly condemning each other. We look like a bunch of fools when we do.  We need to face the fact that none of us have it all figured out. We need to accept that there is freedom in Christ.

I know I don't have it all figured out. But I have this much figured out... we need to love God, love people, and make Jesus known. Now preach that. #RiseUpChurch