Identifying the New Testament Church #7

This morning we are going to look at the last two witnesses in this study. #1, is Scriptural Authority. When people defend the instrument in worship their appeal is usually to the Old Testament. They cite the blowing of trumpets in Numbers 10, (an example of instrumental music) as acceptable worship. They also cite II Chronicles 29, and the use of many kinds of instruments used in Temple worship and that they were ordained by God.
They are correct in their observations. All of those things were acceptable practices of worship in the Old Testament. They were commanded by God in the Law of Moses. But, they were only used outside of the Holy and Most Holy place.
(4) But, if instruments are permitted in the New Testament worship because they were ordained in the Old Testament, then why is it not permissible to incorporate all of the other Old Testament practices into our New Testament worship as well?
(1) Why not continue to offer animal sacrifices, burnt offerings, grain and drink offerings? Why not rebuild the temple and observe all of the feasts that were commanded in the Old Testament?
(1) We do not observe those practices because the apostle Paul tells us not to do that because Christ abolished those practices by nailing them to the cross, Col. 2:14. In Heb. 1:1-13:25, the entire epistle to the Hebrews is an explanation of why those Old Testaments practices are not valid. They were shadows of the reality Those ordinances and rituals were physical illustrations of the spiritual reality that was to be revealed in Christ. Now that the reality is come we are not to worship God or try to approach Him by a dead ritualistic observance that is no longer valid.
(2) There are two reasons it would be an abomination for a Christian to offer animal
sacrifice to God as part of his New Testament worship to God.
(1) #1. The law is a dead law. How can anything dead give life? #2. Jesus died as God's perfect sacrifice for our sins. It is His blood, not the blood of animals that sanctifies.
(2) To offer God anything other than Christ's NEW COVENANT blood, and NEW COVENANT worship, treats the blood of Jesus with contempt, not honor. Can you offer God instrumental music and not fall under the same condemnation? If not, why not? Study Matt. 26:26; Heb. 9:9-28.
(2) The Law of Exclusion. In Gen. 6:14-22, God told Noah to build an ark. But, God went beyond that. God told Noah HOW to build the ark and WHAT material to use. Had God not specified GOPHER WOOD Noah could have used any kind of wood. God did not say, "Noah, do not use Pine wood!" He did not have to say that. God specified Gopher wood and that automatically eliminated the use of Pine or any other kind of wood. When God specifies one thing it forbids, excludes everything else.
(1) There is an example in Lev. 10:1?11. Moses told Aaron, “Don’t mourn for these sons.” Why? God said, “By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified." This is God's way of saying, "You must worship me only in the way I specify. I will not accept anything less. For this is how you show reverence and honor to me."
(1) What was the awful sin of Nadab and Abihu? Were they immoral? No.
(2) But, they did one thing that was profane. They did one thing that God regarded as an insulant, as presumptions and disrespectful. They offered STRANGE FIRE to God. Why was it unholy and profane to offer strange fire?

(3) Because it was something God had not commanded as part of acceptable worship. When they worshiped God as He commanded, their worship was acceptable and holy. But, when they attempted to worship God by doing something that He had not commanded, God said their actions were profane.
(4) That means their sacrifice was unholy and was not acceptable to God. God does not allow man to offer his own substitute worship for God's specified worship. When God specifies one thing in worship it becomes exclusive. It excludes all substitutes or variants.
(2) True worship is an expression of submission, respect for God. Worship God in the way He has prescribed. By offering a sacrifice that God had not commanded, Nadab and Abihu demonstrated arrogance and presumption before God.
(1) They did what they wanted to do instead of abiding by what God told them to do. Had God forbidden them to do what they did? He did not forbid it by specifically saying, "do not offer fire I have not commanded." But, God had forbidden strange (unspecified) fire by telling them what fire to use. God wants to impress on us that He expects and demands that people are to worship him according to His word, and not according to their own desires or man-made traditions. I Cor. 2:10-13.
(2) That says we cannot know God unless He reveals Himself to us. In the same way we cannot know the mind of God or thoughts of God unless He reveals them to us. That means we cannot know how to worship God unless He tells us how. The Holy Spirit revealed the mind of God to mankind by speaking to us through the writings of the apostles and New Testament prophets. Their writings are inspired and tell us who God is, what He wants from us and how we are to worship Him.
(3) There is no way you can worship God acceptably (in spirit and in truth) unless He tells you how. If you do not worship God according to the Spirit's instruction (the Bible) the only other way you can worship Him is through human wisdom and imagination. The Bible says that the latter is unacceptable. Most people worship God in ways He has not commanded. When we do that it shows arrogance, not submission. It reveals a selfish presumption, not a holy respect. That kind of worship is neither “in spirit nor in truth." That’s why Paul tells us in, I Cor. 4:6, "...learn not to go beyond what is written..."
(5) A lot of people call themselves Christian and go through the motions that give the outward appearance of being Christian. But, are their efforts accepted by the Lord? We must worship God in accordance with His word, which means that we must omit from our worship things He has not commanded. Our worship will not be accepted if we offer "profane fire" before the Lord. Jno.12:48. As we bring this lesson to a close, let me again ask the question that we have asked so many times in this study, “Are you a member of a church that offers worship to God according to the patters he has shown to us in His Holy Word? The most important encouragement I can give you is stated in the words of the apostle Paul spoken to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:32.

Spur - 06/09/2002 am