The California Collection/TheCaliforniaCollection.cdr/his094/rock_5.arj/ROCK-5.TXT

Text File | 1991-01-11 | 15.6 KB | 346 lines

 THE CHRISTIAN MUSIC QUESTION

 "AWAY WITH THE NOISE OF YOUR SONGS!" -AMOS 5:23

 Which is Christian Rock-N-Roll?

- Hard metal STRYPER

 -or-

 Soft, melodious Amy Grant?

 There is a raging debate over the issue of Christian rock-n-roll.  And
 while  men debate the issue, God, a long time ago laid down the truth.  The

 following are GOD's guidelines of what is acceptable music before
 him.  After all, music that truly is Christian will conform to the
 Word of God and the desire of the Holy Spirit.

 The music must not be like the
 world if it is to be acceptable unto Jesus.

 Therefore come out from them and be separate,
  says the Lord." -2 Corinthians 6:17


 Now, it is not the instruments that are sin.  There is nothing wrong
 with a guitar or a set of drums.  It is how the instrument is being
 used and what kind of heart is using the instrument.  What will stand
 out about a Christian's use of a guitar is that it is separate and
 different from the world.  That fleshly and entertaining quality of
 it will be gone.  They will stand out because of their separation
 from  the worldly bands - not just in lyrics, but in action and deed!
 They will "prove" they belong to Jesus by their actions.

  I preached they should repent and turn to God
 and prove their repentance by their deeds."
  -Acts 26:20

 When some groups call themselves "Christian" and yet copy the lights,
 smoke, dress, hair and loudness of the worldly groups, they are merely
 liars who claim to be Christians.  They are not Christians.  For if
 they are of God they will be separate in all they do.  They will be
 salt and light.  What the world and the Christian community should
 be awed at, is the purity with which any group sings.  Their religion
 should be pure above all else - purity that convicts the world and
 inspires their brothers and sisters.


 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and
 faultless is this: ...to keep oneself from
 being polluted by the world."  -James 1:27

 A group that copies the style of the world and yet sings about Jesus
 is an abomination in God's sight.  The worldly Christian bands are
 dead in their sins and transgressions.  They need to have an honest
 encounter with a Holy table-turning Jesus Christ!  They need to have
 the Holy Spirit show them they need to live Ephesians 2:1-2,


 "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and
 sins, in which you USED to live when you followed the ways
 of this world and of the ruler of the air, the spirit who is now at
 work in those who are disobedient."

 In spite of God's solemn warning, these bands still continue to walk
 in the pride, entertainment and selfish ambition that the world walks
 in.  If you don't leave a Christian concert saying things like, "Wow,
 how different that was than the world!"   ...then it wasn't a Christian
 concert.

 The  musician's heart must
 be  pure  and  clean.


 Let me ask you a question or two.  What bands do you listen to?  What
 kind of person leads your music at church?  Do you listen to music
 that is pure and radiates a different  style of music than the world
 listens  to?  Or  do  you  merely say to yourself, "But the words are good.

 The words talk about Jesus."  How many justify what they listen to by
 saying "The words are good and based on scripture!" Talent without
 holiness is nothing less than the clamor of hell!  It is the unsanctified
 vileness of the sinful nature.  It is an abomination in God's ears.  And
 the reason our youth turn to such bands with unclean hearts is because
 of  the  ugly people who lead singing in church!  What ungodly showmanship.
 What vile entertainment and merriment that is called worship!

 Understand  this clearly
 ...scriptural  words are not enough!


 It is not enough for a band to sing and talk about Jesus.  Before
 you listen to them you should know if their hearts are clean and pure.
 Even Satan quoted scripture to Jesus.  As we read Matthew 4:6 notice
 how Satan quoted scripture to Jesus.  The scriptures that Satan quoted
 were not taken out of context.  They were right and true.  In fact,
 the scripture talks about God's love and protection. Satan is sharing
 with Jesus about God's salvation, just as these Christian rock bands
 do.  The bands talk about Jesus - but with what kind of spirit and
 heart?

 "Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him
 stand on the highest point of the temple.  'If you are the Son of
 God,' he said, 'throw yourself down.  For it is written:  'He will
 command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their
 hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"


 Here is Satan quoting Psalm 9:11-12 about God's love.  Everything
 Satan  just  said was true.  Yet it was the devil sharing those scriptures.
 It was the pit of hell talking about God's love.  Words mean nothing
 if the spirit is unclean! Open your spiritual eyes and see that Satan
 has taken these bands to the "highest point of the temple" in the
 "holy city" and is speaking scriptures through them.  Do you not know
 that scripture says, "test the spirits" and not just
 the words of a man? If the bands do not overwhelmingly meet these
 two  basic  requirements  God  has  set  down  ...then throw the tapes out.
 Don't go to their concerts.  You will have to judge the heart and spirits
 that are playing the music. Seek God and judge by the power of the
 Holy Spirit.

 Throw  out all those tapes if the band or singer is  after  the  things  of
 this world or is worldly.

 Don't go to a concert where the music and musician are
 unclean.  Let your eyes be only on the faithful in the land.

  "My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,
 that they may dwell with me;  he whose walk is blameless
 will minister to me."  -Psalm 101:6

 Only those who are "faithful" in being separate from the world
 should we share our lives with in the Lord.  Only those whose "walk
 is blameless" should you allow to "minister" to you. These
 bands pride themselves on being "ministers" to others.  Only
 the bands whose "walk" is blameless should minister to you.

 That is, their dress, actions, heart and styles are unlike the ways
 of the world. A holy Christian has no business buying the tapes or
 listening to the music of those whose "walk" and hearts are
 not "faithful" to the Word and Lord.  You cannot have both
 the ways of the world and Jesus. For though they speak of Jesus and
 purity, they are deceived and deceiving others.  You should silence
 such musicians and such music.



 "No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house;

 no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.
 Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land..."

 -Psalm 101:7-8


 Oh, how these groups "practice deceit".  They are good at talking
 about righteousness and purity.  They pride themselves on saying their
 music talks of Jesus, but by their actions they deny Jesus.  They
 speak "falsely".  And you should not be listening to them.



 "They claim to know God,
  but by their actions they deny him.
 They are detestable,   disobedient and
 unfit  for  doing anything  good."
 -Titus 1:16
-More-

 By their actions- wearing ear rings in their ears ...wearing long
 hair ...wearing leather and the other costumes the world wears - they
 prove they are not Christians!  By their performance at their concerts
 they   prove   they   are  just  like  the  world.   They  prove  they  are
 "disobedient"
 to the Lord.  Just look at the long hair, hair styles and the dress
 that various musicians have.  They don't even begin to obey the basic,
 the very basic, teachings of scripture (1 Corinthians 11:14
 & 1 Timothy 1:9).  How they entertain, dress and perform with
 all the glitter of the world and yet have the haughtiness to offer
 a Holy Jesus to people!  How easily we are deceived. Yet these bands
 and others clamor before God and men that Jesus ate with drunkards.




 Yes,  indeed,  Jesus ate with  drunkards
 ...but without  getting  drunk!



 Jesus was salt.  Jesus was pure.  Jesus' life convicted
 others of sin.  Jesus did not deny God by His actions.  His words
 and action were both pure, unlike the Christian bands of today.  Unless
 there  is  a  deep  world  shattering  repentance  on  the  part  of  these
 "Christian musicians GOD says that "blackest darkness" is reserved for
 them. This issue of Christian rock-n-roll is no lightweight issue.

 The reason we know that "blackest darkness" is reserved for such bands
 is that they have told us so.  They boast of it!  These musicians
 tell you that they are trying to to be like the world in order to
 draw the world to Jesus.  They brag that their worldliness draws the
 ungodly.  God says that such groups are "springs without water" and
 that "blackest darkness" is reserved for them. What makes a group
 worthy of "blackest darkness"?  They qualify for this part of hell
 because they seek to be like the world in order to draw people to
 Jesus.


 "These men are springs without water and mists driven
 by a storm.  Blackest darkness is reserved for them.
 for they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful
 desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are
 just escaping from those who live in error.  They promise them freedom,
 while they themselves are slaves of depravity - for a man is a slave
 to whatever has  masterd him." -2 Peter 2:17-19


 "By appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature" in
 drawing people to their concerts they become fit for the darkest part
 of hell.  Can't you just see Paul entering a town dressed in black
 leather and chains, selling T-shirts that say "Paul of Tarsus
 and Some Band"?

 Then with lights-a-blazing, smoke filling the
 room and him psyching everyone up stop and say, "Come now believe
 in a pure unworldly  Jesus!".  Before long, you are going to hear
 we can have a Christian STRIPPER for Jesus.  After all her/his words
 would be good and they would pull in crowds no one else could.  In
 short, anytime we appeal to the sinful part of man we become a people
 fit for the darkest parts of hell.  How many churches are doing that,
 let alone discuss Christian music. How many musicians are drunk with
 the world!

 How many say, "But I came to the Lord
 because of that rock band."

 The truth is as Jesus said, they didn't come to the Lord, instead
 they became "twice as fit for hell", (Matthew 23:15).  For
 how can someone go to a concert that is like the world and leave prepared
 for a cross-carrying, holy life by the grace of the Holy Spirit?  Have
 we forgotten that the blind cannot lead the blind?  Have we forgotten
 that "both" will "fall into a pit"?  Are we so dull
 spiritually that we allow groups to use the name of a good musician
 like Keith Green to justify their impurity?  God is very clear that
 we are to leave such groups, singers, churches and ministries.

  "Leave them; they are blind guides.
  If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall
  into the pit."  -Matthew 15:14

 Remember  well  that  they  offer  people Jesus.  They offer the good news.
 They talk of peace and righteousness.  They offer freedom from hell, but
 cannot deliver.  Remember Peter said..

  "They promise them freedom, while they themselves
 are slaves of depravity..." (vs :18)

 And if you are genuinely saved it is in spite of them, not because
 of them .When these bands call tracts such as this "persecution" in
 Christ, they seem to forget one large detail.  Jesus said, "Blessed
 are you when men FALSELY accuse you."  And, "Blessed
 are you when men persecute you because of RIGHTEOUSNESS  sake."  To
 recognize Holiness takes no justification or arguments.  Purity convicts
 and encourages all.  Wickedness and worldliness take the justification
 of deceitful talk.



 To know which music and musicians are
 acceptable to God all you need to do is honestly surrender your life
 to God -something most do not honestly do in
 spite of their words to the contrary.


 "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy
 to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God
 - this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer
 to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
 your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will
 is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." -Romans 12:1-2



 To know what music and musicians are acceptable unto God all you have
 need  to  do  is  live  out  Romans 12:1-2 by the power of the Holy Spirit.
 Look again at Romans 12:1.  It says to "offer your bodies as living
 sacrifices". So there goes that old worldly argument that
 God doesn't care what you look like.  God cares!  He does not want
 his children to look like they belong to the world.  As 2 Corinthians
 says, "...let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates
 body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."

 Look again at Romans 12:2.  "Do not conform to the pattern
 of this world."  How much clearer can God be?!  If you are
 part of a Christian band, then let everything about you be different
 from the pattern of this world.  Cut and comb the hair.  Dress like
 you belong to heaven.  Get a pure heart instead of the deceitful talk
 the world practices. Sit down with doped up kids and call for repentance.

 Stop worrying about popularity and getting a hit record.  Stop
 deceiving yourself.  "Don't merely listen to the Word, do what it
 says." (James 1:22)  You can't be impure with the pattern of the world
 and go to heaven. Look again at Romans 12:2.  "Then you will
 be able to test and approve what God's will is...".  The
 reason most Christians and Christian bands cannot tell they are in
 sin is that they have not truly given themselves to God wholeheartedly.

 This is what Romans 12 means by "Then".  Let not these Christian
 musicians and bands take you in by their "whitewash".  For, you can
 be sure of this...

 "For this you can be sure:
 No immoral or IMPURE or greedy person
  - such a man is an idolater - has ANY
 inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
 Let no one deceive you with empty words,
 for because of such things God's
 wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
 Therefore do not be partners with them."
 -Ephesians 5:5-7

 Indeed, "do not be partners with them"!

 For what God is looking for is righteousness, purity and a separation
 from the world.  Then our music and praise will be acceptable.

 "I  hate,  I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies.
 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not
 accept them.  Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will
 have no regard for them.  Away with the noise of your songs!  I will
 not  listen  to  the  music  of  your harps. But let justice roll on like a
 river,  righteousness like a never failing stream.!" Amos 5:21-24


 Before we ever go out to praise the Lord, let us be sure first that
 our praise is in purity!  Otherwise God will pay no attention to our
 fellowship and burnt offerings. In conclusion, let us be a people
 who repent of wearying the Lord. Until there is repentance let us
 put away the musical instruments and the noise of our songs!

 "Away with the noise of your songs"...