Elder's Shepherd The Flock

Introduction

Matthew 20:25 NKJV

But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.

Matthew 20:26 NKJV

Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.

The Word is not open to private interpretation

2 Peter 1:18 NKJV

And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

2 Peter 1:19 NKJV

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

2 Peter 1:20 NKJV

knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,

2 Peter 1:21 NKJV

for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

North Richland Hills

What if they had 30 elders and 25 of them said let’s do it! “The Bible does not say we cannot have instruments in worship.”

5 of them say instruments are not mentioned in the New Testament in worship. Instruments were implemented by David. Furthermore we have scripture that talks about the way to worship.

Old Testament

Amos 6:1 NKJV

Woe to you who are at ease in Zion, And trust in Mount Samaria, Notable persons in the chief nation, To whom the house of Israel comes!

Amos 6:2 NKJV

Go over to Calneh and see; And from there go to Hamath the great; Then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory?

Amos 6:3 NKJV

Woe to you who put far off the day of doom, Who cause the seat of violence to come near;

Amos 6:4 NKJV

Who lie on beds of ivory, Stretch out on your couches, Eat lambs from the flock And calves from the midst of the stall;

Amos 6:5 NKJV

Who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, And invent for yourselves musical instruments like David;

Amos 6:6 NKJV

Who drink wine from bowls, And anoint yourselves with the best ointments, But are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

Instruments were David’s Doing

1 Chronicles 23:5 NKJV

four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand praised the Lord with musical instruments, “which I made,” said David, “for giving praise.”

1 Chronicles 23:6 NKJV

Also David separated them into divisions among the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Nehemiah 12:36 NKJV

and his brethren, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them.

Look at how this scripture is worded

2 Chronicles 29:26 NKJV

The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

2 Chronicles 29:27 NKJV

Then Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord also began, with the trumpets and with the instruments of David king of Israel.

God Winked or let some things go

Acts 17:29 NKJV

Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.

Acts 17:30 NKJV

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,

Acts 17:31 NKJV

because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

What the historian Josephus and other said about the early Christians and Music in Worship

McClintock & Strong

It is a matter of historical record that musical instruments were not used in worship associated with Christianity for at least several centuries after the church began.

“The general introduction of instrumental music [in the church] can certainly not be assigned to a date earlier than the 5th or 6th centuries” (McClintock & Strong, p. 759).

The renowned Bingham wrote:

“Music in churches is as ancient as the apostles, but instrumental music not so: for it is now generally agreed by learned men, that the use of organs came into the church since the time of Thomas Aquinas, anno 1250” (p. 315).

Even the supreme authority in popular Catholic literature notes:

“Although Josephus tells of the wonderful effects produced in the Temple by the use of instruments of music, the first Christians were of too spiritual a fiber to substitute lifeless instruments for or to use them to accompany the human voice” (The Catholic Encyclopedia, p. 651).

New Testament

Hebrews 13:10 NKJV

We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.

Hebrews 13:15 NKJV

Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

Ephesians 5:15 NKJV

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,

Ephesians 5:16 NKJV

redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Ephesians 5:17 NKJV

Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:18 NKJV

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

Ephesians 5:19 NKJV

speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

Elder’s Personal Care

1 Thessalonians 5:12 NKJV

And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,

1 Thessalonians 5:13 NKJV

and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

1 Thessalonians 5:14 NKJV

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 NKJV

See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

Elder’s Praying

James 5:13 NKJV

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.

James 5:14 NKJV

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.

James 5:15 NKJV

And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

James 5:16 NKJV

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

James 5:17 NKJV

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.

James 5:18 NKJV

And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Elder’s Restrictions

1 Peter 5:1 NKJV

The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:

1 Peter 5:2 NKJV

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;

1 Peter 5:3 NKJV

nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;

1 Peter 5:4 NKJV

and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

Elder’s Qualifications

1 Timothy 3:1 NKJV

This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

1 Timothy 3:2 NKJV

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;

1 Timothy 3:3 NKJV

not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;

1 Timothy 3:4 NKJV

one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence

1 Timothy 3:5 NKJV

(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);

1 Timothy 3:6 NKJV

not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

1 Timothy 3:7 NKJV

Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Titus qualifications and what to do

Titus 1:5 NKJV

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—

Titus 1:6 NKJV

if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.

Titus 1:7 NKJV

For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,

Titus 1:8 NKJV

but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,

Titus 1:9 NKJV

holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

Titus 1:10 NKJV

For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

Titus 1:11 NKJV

whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain.

Titus 1:12 NKJV

One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

Titus 1:13 NKJV

This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

Titus 1:14 NKJV

not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.