A Name That You Are Alive

1. A Name That You Are Alive Revelation 3:1-6

2. Heritage Church of Christ, Fort Worth http://www.heritagechurchofchrist.org/#/myhcc/special-announcement

3. Special Announcement Sunday morning May 19th the following announcement was made to the congregation. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shepherds announcement regarding new outreach programs and instrumental music This church has been on a quest since the beginning of the year to become a church that is committed to reaching people who are far from God. As a leadership group, we've been considering different opportunities to change our approach and methods for ministry while maintaining the same message of Jesus that we’ve always shared. As the leaders of Heritage Church of Christ, we stand united before you today to give you an update on new outreach initiatives and upcoming changes.

4. Special Announcement First of all, we are excited to announce the beginning of a couple of new outreach ministries. In addition to the “That Was Me” program and English as a Second Language Classes that are already in place, next month marks the beginning of a Celebrate Recovery Ministry. This fall we will begin offering an Upward Sports program which is a family friendly sporting program for youth where kids can have fun and learn about Jesus. The Outreach Committee is considering a number of other plans as well, because we are committed to reaching the lost and those in need where they live, work, and play.

5. Special Announcement “Among the suggestions we received for reaching more people was adding an option for worshipping with musical instruments. We realize that a cappella singing has been a longstanding tradition in our church, so we have spent a great deal of time studying the issue and praying for God to reveal his will as to what we should do. The shepherds are in unanimous agreement that scripture does not prohibit the use of instruments in our worship, but we also recognize that many of our members would still prefer a cappella singing.”

6. A Cappella Singing Ephesians 5:19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, (ESV) Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (ESV) 2 Thessalonians 2:15 So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter. (ESV)

7. “(S)cripturedoes not prohibit the use of instruments in our worship.” • The Bible doesn’t say NOT to have bologna and Big Red for the Lord’s Supper. • We have specific authority to sing. • Genesis 6:13-16 • Christians understood this for 600 years.

8. John Calvin, Presbyterian Church “Musical instruments in celebrating the praises of God would be no more suitable than the burning of incense, the lighting of lamps, and the restoration of the other shadows of the law. The Papists therefore have foolishly borrowed, this, as well as many other things, from the Jew. Men who are find of outward pomp may delight in that noise; but the simplicity which God recommends to us by the apostles is far more pleasing to him. Paul allows us to bless God in the public assembly of the saints, only in a known tongue (1 Cor. 14:16). What shall we say of chanting, which fills the ears with nothing but an empty sound?” (Commentary on Psalms 33)

9. Martin Luther, Lutheran Church Martin Luther “The organ in the worship is the insignia of Baal…The Roman Catholic borrowed it from the Jews” (McClintock & Strong’s Encyclopedia, Volume 6, page 762).

10. John Wesley, Methodist Church John Wesley “I have no objection to instruments of music in our worship, provided they are neither seen nor heard” (Quoted in Adam Clarke’s Commentary, Vol. 4 page 685).

11. Charles Spurgeon, Baptist “David appears to have had a peculiarly tender remembrance of the singing of the pilgrims, and assuredly it is the most delightful part of worship and that which comes nearest to the adoration of heaven. What a degradation to supplant the intelligent song of the whole congregation by the theatrical prettinesses of a quartette, the refined niceties of a choir, or the blowing off of wind from inanimate bellows and pipes! We might as well pray by machinery as praise by it” (Baptist Commentary on Psalm 42:4).

12. Special Announcement “Therefore, after much prayer and deliberation, we have decided together that the addition of an instrumental worship service would be beneficial to our quest to reach the lost. Beginning this fall, we plan to add a 3rd service on Sunday evenings that will include instrumental worship but otherwise will be fundamentally the same as the morning services. The two Sunday morning services will continue to be a cappella.”

13. Special Announcement “We realize this will be uncomfortable for some of our members, as it is for some of us. Further we are saddened that some of our leadership felt compelled to step down from their position during this process even though we all agreed it was not a biblical issue. However, we are convinced that God has called us to a mission that requires us to consider the needs and preferences of others above our own. Leaving the two morning services unchanged while adding an instrumental service allows people to focus on worshipping God in their own way, without binding preference or tradition.”

14. Special Announcement “Today we would like to invite all of you to hear how we came to this decision. The first three weeks in June, we will host two nights of teaching about this issue and its background, followed by one evening for a question and answer, town-hall style meeting that will allow us to respond to your specific questions and provide more detailed explanations from our leadership. This announcement and additional information about the overall process will be available on our website today and will be published in our bulletin this week. And as always, you are welcome to talk to any of the Shepherds at any time.”

15. Special Announcement “It has repeatedly been said from this pulpit and elsewhere that the most difficult change we will need to make will be the one inside of all of us. That is the extremely difficult change that requires us to put others above ourselves and be willing to do whatever it takes to reach people who otherwise will spend eternity separated from God. We challenge you, as we have challenged ourselves, to make this change a priority in your lives. We also ask you to have an open mind and soft heart as you consider these things and we beg for your patience, trust and support as we grow together.”