Introduction to a soon to be released book by me and Rudi Schwartz
INTRODUCTION
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| Image from Net |
What we’re talking about here is Christ and His bride. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. For now, we are just wanting to see how mankind rejected God’s marriage proposal and committed adultery with Satan instead.
As illustrated above, we are reminded that God is faithful. However, we are reminded of our own unfaithfulness, even as Christians. We sin as individuals, e.g., David with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:1-27), and collectively, e.g., the golden calf episode (Exod. 32:1-35). God’s Church through the ages is more oftentimes unfaithful than faithful. Sin still has a subtle attraction even to Christ’s bride. The master of subtlety, the Devil, still uses this fatal attraction to the bride’s detriment. "But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Pet. 2:22). Christians may be misled and get swept up in sin. However, the command of Jesus is, “Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). David showed true repentance after Samuel had exposed his sin (2 Sam. 12:13; Ps. 51).
Perhaps you were a little shocked at the wording of the Prelude and thought it looks more like a film noir screenplay than an illustration of the contents of the whole Bible. The Prelude simply was to summarize in a graphic way what you are about to read in this book. We believe that the Biblical story of redemption ought not to be sanitized, but that the “warts and all” of fallen humanity’s sins must be exposed lest we fail to see how wonderful a Saviour the Lord’s Church has and the depths of depravity from which He has saved us.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul draws many parallels between Adam and Christ, (Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 15:35-49). Indeed, the apostle refers to Adam as the “first Adam” and the “first man” and to Christ as the “last Adam” and the “second Man” (1 Cor. 15:45, 47). And, just as Adam had a bride, Eve, so the last Adam also has a bride, the church. And, just as there are many parallels between Adam and Christ, throughout this book, the reader shall see that there also are many parallels between Eve and the church.
Notice what the apostle says about Adam’s spouse, “For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner” (1 Tim. 2:13-14 NIV), and “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3 NIV).
As a man may play tuneful notes on a flute, so the serpent was used by Satan as an instrument for getting Eve’s undivided attention. He wanted to intrude on her thoughts, to “get inside her head” as we say. Thus, as noted by the apostle where he says “your minds may somehow be led astray”, Satan appeals to the mind. “And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” Notice that Satan has formulated his words carefully to imply that God is being restrictive, too restrictive, i.e., by not allowing Eve free access to every single tree in the garden. Thus, somehow, by engaging her mind with a question (as opposed to a statement), he manages to trick Eve into questioning the clear Word of God. And so it is all the way down through history even till today, like the Pied-Piper, to lead Christ’s church-bride away, Satan plays the same old notes, “Has God indeed said?” And so the second Adam continually has to rescue His bride from the Devil’s embrace, from the serpent’s deadly coils.
Satan has a vast array of military materiel to choose from in his war against God and His Church on earth. He may and does at times use ordnance. However, it’s when his mounted guns are silent that we should especially keep in mind that he mainly operates by stealth. He likes to stay under the radar as it were. For example, music is a major weapon in his vast arsenal. Churches split over lyric content and musical styles. Should we sing and play in congregational worship of God the type of songs you might hear on any Christian radio station? And if not, why not? Well, why not if it is true that ‘Music is in the ear of the beholder.’
The intended audience is the key to answering this important question. Is the intended audience God or people? Would it surprise you to hear that both is an acceptable answer. And it may help if we ask whether you are sitting in your car in traffic or on a church pew during worship. In the car we are listeners. Therefore, the music is aimed usward. In church we are active participators or “performers”. Therefore, to be God-glorifying, and congregationally edifying, our music must be directed Godward. Both are Christian music, but, for the sake of clear understanding, let’s call the former Kingdom Music and the latter Church Music.
However, here is an example of the sometimes interchangeability of Kingdom and Church Music. Though the exact details are still disputed, it is believed that the eight-member band on the Titanic assembled itself in the first-class lounge to play to try to provide calm in the sea of chaos as the ship began sinking. The bandmaster, Wallace Hartley, and other members were Methodists. It is hard to believe that these men could be so resolute in such a major crisis. However, their faith was tested and proven to be true and unwaveringly so. For, during the mayhem, the band moved half a boat deck forward and continued playing – even whilst knowing for certain that a watery grave awaited their hasty arrival. What faith! All eight went down with the ship. A testimony to their Christian-built stalwartness surely is in the debate over their choice of swan song. That these eight men were calm enough to play recognizable tunes is remarkable in itself! A survivor, Mrs Vera Dick, reported that the band played the hymn “Nearer, My God, to Thee”. The first verse of this well-known hymn is, “Nearer, my God, to Thee, / Nearer to Thee! / Even though it be a cross / That raiseth me, / Still all my song would be, / ‘Nearer my God, to Thee, / Nearer to Thee!’” Yes, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (Jas. 4:8a).
We’re in Christ’s Kingdom in all that we do in our daily activities, and as such, our Christian music is not necessarily designed with the intent of corporate worship. We’re in God’s Church when we are gathered with our fellow saints to worship God. Therefore, our music must be designed with corporate worship in mind.
All Christian music ought to seek to glorify God whether you’re at church or at work, rest, or play. The great reformer of the church, John Calvin, had the following to say about Church Music, “Songs composed merely to tickle and delight the ear are unbecoming the majesty of the Church, and cannot but be most displeasing to God.” Indeed, Calvin was in favour of restricting congregational worship songs to only the 150 Psalms of the Bible, to be sung in versified form and without any musical accompaniment.
Now, because much error can be taught through song, Biblical song lyrics are important. ‘For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires’ (2 Tim. 4:3). The danger for Christians is that church music can switch from seeking to praise God to trying to attract the world (read non-Christians) to come to fill church pews.
Though usually attributed to CH Spurgeon, in Archibald Brown’s 1889 book The Devil’s Mission of Amusement is found an article called Feeding Sheep or Amusing Goats. Christian Music on the car radio out there in the Kingdom can get away with a certain amount of amusing non-Christians, but not Church Music. How so? Because it is here that Church music then becomes man-centred instead of God-centred.
Christians get fed at church by the preaching of God’s Word and the praising of His name in song with sound doctrine. If the focus is not on God, then the Church Music becomes mere ear-tickling amusement. Entertainment! Remember, fattened goats find wooden pews more comfortable to sit on than do bony lean sheep. What may look like full churches may simply be nests full of cuckoos running pastors ragged trying to feed them what their tickling ears want to hear. Thus, like the runaway bride and the piano man, the Church at times prostitutes herself with Satan.
Why are things like this? Where did it all start? Well, perhaps the best piece of advice you will get to try to help you get a handle on understanding God and His Church, the Church’s adversary Satan, sin,
misery, and death is to start at the very beginning.
