The trap is set

It seems as an Adventist church we stick close to doctrines like the Sabbath, adultery, things that are laid real clearly in the Word, and that’s great. It’s easy to see all the Sunday keepers and say man I’m glad to have the Sabbath. But the second commandment has slipped on our radar, I’m afraid. We know not to worship other gods like the first commandment says, but we haven’t completely understood the second commandment, to not worship God the wrong way. So I’d say the problem is music but it’s deeper, it’s about worship. I really couldn’t go over all of it now. I had a room the last semester I was at school, who had been recently converted to Adventism. He had had some dark episodes on the other side and we spent much time talking about issues facing us personally and the church, especially about music. I can’t remember why, but one day Sunday morning that semester, I was really feeling convicted on this, I think it was the weekend where Ron Du Preez came to share at our school. I knew I didn’t listen to non Christian music, but even within my Christian music library I had a lot that did honor God, worship is a lifestyle I believe, so I just couldn’t seem to start that day without getting rid of what was pulling me down. I chose those CD’s that were real bad you could say, heavy rock beats, rap, hip hop and shattered them. I didn’t get some mighty euphoria, a quiet peace and I continued the day. I still had some contemporary music that I liked and felt still brought me close to God. My roommate did lend me a book by Karl Tsatalbasidis called “’Rock, Drums, and Worship”, but I knew that it condemned the drum set, which I thought was just exaggeration so I didn’t really take it seriously. Until now that is. I guess sometimes the spoken word has more grip. I’ve been listening to sermons from GYC 2008 and one was a series by Pastor Karl. Now I was hungry to learn what God said about music. I



know out here music is a big issue, what rhythms are right, can we play the bongo in church, or just in social church events, is certain dancing alright? In reality all of it is universal, though in different forms. Our church has somehow not looked at the Biblical perspective for music. They do have Biblical guidelines in the church manual, but there just seemed to be any basic Biblical foundation to follow. I can’t lay it all out here, listen to the series (http://www.audioverse.org/people/231/karl-tsatalbasidis.html) or read the book mentioned and it will be clear. For me it has been liberating, I’ve felt like I have been on the fence (which is impossible actually) with this issue for a long time. The standard of the Bible is music that promotes melody and harmony, is rhythm forbidden, no, you can’t have music without rhythm, but when it drives a song, that is a problem.
Here’s a question: can you use a gun for anything else but shooting things? Well the smart alecks like me might say, yes for a doorstop or perhaps as a baseball bat. If a police man came by while you were using a semi-automatic rifle for little league baseball practice would he think it was a good idea, would anyone? The point is you cannot play the trap set or drum set without playing rock, jazz or one of their derivatives. It was invented to convey the music of spirit worship from Africa by slaves in the Caribbean and The USA and that’s all it can do. Every beat from it is rock or jazz, if you’d like to change that then you’d better perfect time travel and go back and invent it for a different purpose. And this is what historians, non-Christian musicians, music researchers, all say, its not the idea of someone who has a bone to pick religiously, as Pastor Karl would say. Can you play rock without the trap set, yes. A gun is always for shooting, but a knife, well that’s been around a long time, and it can be used to cut fruit, carve a relief, severe rope, perform surgery, and the list goes on. Unfortunately it can also be used to harm people and damage property. You see a piano, guitar, etc. is meant for good, but can be used for bad. The drum set was meant for bad and cannot be used for good. I am really just presenting the skimmings of an entire Biblical study. What does it mean, well I’ve gotten rid of anything that has a drum set in it. That’s nut, I thought at first, but we agree that we can keep the Sabbath when most everyone else keeps Sunday, why can’t we agree that something that it seems everyone uses for music might be unholy too? I am really glad God has convicted me fully on this now. A little while ago if I had been doing this my motive probably would have been to save my soul. Now, though it is still tempting to think that, I really want to just rid my life of what can ensnare and prevent me from have a clear relationship with Jesus.
The drum set is only one part, the issue is how we are worshiping. Pastor Karl uses the Bible to show that the sanctuary is not just articles in a temple that represent Jesus, it is an intricate philosophical and theological foundation for doctrine, especially worship forms. When we are so united on the music front with many denominations then we begin to think that we are not so different doctrinally after all, and it all starts when we don’t build our worship form foundation on the Bible and it can be done. This I will say is preaching for the choir, that is for those grounded in their Adventist faith. The music issue does need to be a part of an evangelistic series, bringing people to Jesus is first and foremost, these things like music will go as a person comes closer to Jesus. But for us who are members, who have understanding in the Word, we need to study it out, we need to follow God’s word to the letter. Is there room for creativity, well yes, room for different music styles and instruments, hallelujah yes! But if that creativity doesn’t have guidance from the Bible, the devil will be happy to give it. I hope we can all be blessed together by a refreshed look at music today.

P.S. Did you catch the title word play now, the trap is set? Take out the is, and what happens.