No one likes to talk about authority today. It seems that more and more no one likes to listen to the governing authorities; more and more there is less and less respect for the law and for those that try to enforce it. Children don’t learn to obey their parents in the home, and they do not grow up respecting authority.

Once again, Satan has orchestrated the probable division of the Lord’s church over this issue of authority. In the Christian Chronicle, October edition, the front page news is that five churches formerly associated with the churches of Christ have decided to add the instrument to their services, including the Oak Hills Church of Christ in San Antonio, TX. Max Lucado is the minister of this church, and many have seen this coming for some time. He wants to be more seeker friendly, and now simply calls the Oak Hill church of Christ the Oak Hills church.

Every time this rears its ugly head Satan spends a great deal of time and effort convincing the world and the church that silence doesn’t matter. Just because the worship of the New Testament does not mention the instrument, many believe that God allows them freedom to add it if they wish. But consider these questions:

If Naaman wanted to be cleansed of his leprosy, what exactly did he have to do? Did he do it? What if he wanted to substitute another river, or only dip five times — would he have been healed?

What if Noah chose to build the ark out of something besides gopher wood, or added his own personal design to the ark, thus adding to its dimensions?

What if Uzzah had remembered and obeyed the Lord’s command not to touch the ark, would he have lived longer? And what if David had not decided to move the ark by a cart, rather than God’s specified way?