I want you to turn with me this afternoon to 2 Timothy, chapter 4, verses 1 through 4. As we give some warnings today in the various sessions on contemporary worship music, 2 Timothy 4, verses 1 through 4, I charge thee, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom. Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering a doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lush shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables." And I am convinced that we see one fulfillment of this in the contemporary worship movement that is gaining so much ground today. And I would ask my hearers to hear me out before they make a decision about whether I'm right or wrong on this. But in verse three here, we're told that they will turn their ears away, that they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lust And God is telling us here that there will come a time when there will be preachers in churches that will preach what people desire to hear, what they lust after, and will appeal to their lust or their natural appetites. The Bible warns in Proverbs 18, verse 13 about judging things before we hear it. In Proverbs 18, verse 13. And it's an important warning to us. We often are tempted to do this. to make a judgment before we've actually heard the situation, heard the lesson. In Proverbs 18, verse 13, he that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is a folly and shame unto him. And so I would beg my listeners to hear me out on this subject before you make a judgment as to whether I'm right or wrong. It's an amazing thing to me this afternoon as we as we're here, about what is happening among fundamental Baptist churches. I've been a fundamental Baptist for 30 years. I was saved in December of 1973, and the first church that I joined was a little independent Baptist church in Bartow, Florida. I was excited about that church, the fellowship there. But we're seeing a lot of change among fundamental Baptists. We're seeing fundamental Baptist churches begin to use contemporary praise music. Just two Sundays ago, the Sunday morning out in California at the beginning of this trip, I attended a church that is having a great influence among churches today, including fundamental Baptist churches pastored by Rick Warren, Saddleback Community Church in Southern California. I took this picture that Sunday morning of Rick Warren and his In his Hawaiian church shirt, I guess you'd call that Saddleback Church is huge, massive church. They have two services on Sunday night. They have three services on Sunday morning. They have a rock and roll concert for sure. Rick Warren and the Saddleback Church in their nightclub atmosphere, it was just like a nightclub there. They had the singers and the drums and the guitars and all of the instruments and the praise team. And then in the back, on the wall in the back, were these lights that were swirling around. It was just like a nightclub. It's amazing that this is influencing independent Baptist churches, but it is. We could think of what is happening in Southwide Baptist Fellowship today. Highland Park Baptist Church, the home of Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This is their auditorium. and is basically the host church for Southwide Baptist Fellowship. I attended Tennessee Temple, and the head of Tennessee Temple at Highland Park Baptist Church, the pastor in those days in the 1970s, was Dr. Lee Roberson, and the second man was Dr. Faulkner. Dr. Faulkner. Well, Dr. Faulkner's son pastors a church in Oklahoma City. And this church, Metropolitan Baptist Church, I took this picture as I was driving through there this time just a few days ago. But about three years ago, when we first moved to Oklahoma City from Washington state, I attended a Sunday morning service just to see what was happening there with Dr. Faulkner's son being the pastor. And they had the praise and worship music and the praise stream and the drums and whatnot there. This year for the Southwide Baptist Fellowship, most of the speakers are pastors who use contemporary worship music in their churches. For example, the moderator of Southwide this year is Bo Moore. Bo Moore in Heritage Baptist Church, Kentwood, Michigan, near Grand Rapids. Bo Moore is the moderator of Southwide Baptist Fellowship. And here is the church, Heritage Baptist Church there, Kenwood, Michigan. And they have contemporary worship music there. It's described in their website as high impact Sunday evening service consisting of praise and worship courses led by our worship leader, praise team and band. Here's their drummer there at this Fundamental Baptist Church. Another of the speakers this year at Southwide is Johnny Hunt, First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Georgia. Now, this is a Southern Baptist Church and a very huge church. I received an e-mail recently from a man who visited there on Sunday, just recently, and he said in his e-mail of August the 3rd, I visited there and got up and left because of the wild party-like atmosphere in their worship service. Another of the speakers at Southwide this year is Johnny Hunt, I'm sorry, Gordon Godfrey, Marcus Point Baptist Church, Pensacola, Florida. Here's their auditorium, very large new auditorium that they have there, and they use contemporary music. And so this is what is happening in fundamental Baptist churches. Very quickly, only in the last few years has this begun to happen. And so I've done a lot of research into contemporary worship music, trying to understand it, studying this issue very prayerfully, trying to find the will of God in it. And I hear some of the books that I've studied in the process of this research, Worship Old and New, Robert Weber, The Worship Team Handbook, Exploring Worship by Bob Swords, The Unquenchable Worshipper by Matt Redman, The Power of Praise and Worship by Terry Law, People in the Presence of God by Barry Leisch, The New Worship, Straight Talk on Music in the Church, Barry Leisch, Worship Evangelism by Sally Morgenthaler, Thoughts on Worship by John Wimber and others associated with the Vineyard Movement, God with Us by various authors such as Jack Hayford, Pentecostal, and How to Enter the Presence of God by Terry Law and others researching this subject. And I have four introductory points today as we begin these looking at contemporary worship music. Number one, true Christianity is a narrow way. True Christianity is a narrow way. Jesus said that in Matthew 7, verses 13 and 14. He made that very clear that we're not going to expect truth to be the majority in this world. In Matthew 7, verses 13 and 14, enter ye in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction. And many there be which go in thereat, in the false way, because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." And Jesus is warning that the way of truth is going to be narrow and small in this present wicked world. We see that in 1 John 5.19. This is a very amazing statement that John makes here in 1 John 5.19. Just at the end of his epistle, he says, and we know that we are of God. Really? You mean, you know, you think you're right and everybody else is wrong? That's exactly what John thought. And we know that we are of God and the whole world lies in wickedness. Now, that's a very narrow position. But that's how narrow the Bible is. And that's exactly how narrow a Bible believer will be in this world. He will be far off of the beaten track, always. So, true Christianity is a narrow way. We have to keep that in mind as we look at the subject of music. Secondly, everything must be tested by God's Word. I Thessalonians 5.21 tells us that. Prove all things. All things. Is music a thing? Hold fast that which is good. We're to test everything by the Word of God. Thirdly, it is possible to be deceived. In fact, it is easy to be deceived. Jesus warned about this, for example, in Matthew chapter 7, verses 21 through 23. And He warned about those who would name His name, but they are deceived. In fact, they're not even saved. In Matthew 7, verse 21, Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord. So we see who he's talking about, those that name the name of Christ. Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. But he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven, many will say to me in that day. Notice he says many. Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Religious people that name the name of Jesus Christ, and they're not even saved. And Jesus said there would be many in that day. We have to keep that in mind. And Paul warned about that in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, in verses 1 through 4, when he was writing to the church at Corinth. In 2nd Corinthians, chapter 11, verses 1 through 4, and he warned of their spiritual deception, and he was afraid for these Corinthians because they were carnal and because they were so easy to deceive and because of the action of the devil. Now, this was 2000 years ago and things are worse today. In 2nd Corinthians, 11, verse 1, would do God that you could bear with me. a little in my folly. And indeed, bear with me, for I am jealous over you with godly jealousy. For I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. He said, I am jealous, I am afraid, but I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety. So your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit which ye have not received, or another gospel which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." And so Paul is warning about the possibility of spiritual deception. And we need to keep that in mind, and we need to be careful and cautious and test everything by the Word of God. And that's exactly the opposite of the attitude. of those that support contemporary worship music. They don't want you to test things. They don't want you to have a mindset of being cautious and being careful spiritually. So there's something wrong right there. And fourthly, by way of introduction, we need to worship God. We need to worship God. But we need to be careful about how we worship him. Jesus said that in John 4, 24. Yes, we need to worship God, but everything that comes by way of calling itself worship is not right. Just because something comes along and falls under the banner of worship doesn't mean it's right. John 4, 24, God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. And so we should not be intimidated because they come along and say, well, we're worshiping God. How can that be wrong? Well, it can be wrong if it's not done according to the Word of God. And so those are points by way of introduction. And I have seven warnings about contemporary worship music. And that is, number one, contemporary worship music has the false philosophy That music is neutral. That it is amoral. That music itself is nothing. That the only thing that really matters is the words and the lyrics. And that is a foundational philosophy for this movement. And it's not just music. It's a movement. That music is neutral. I will give three quotes to illustrate how they are saying that. The first one is from the contemporary worship field by a vineyard pastor and worship leader named Anthony Gentes out in Arizona. I believe he is. He says we need to stop advocating one music style over against another music style. Our tradition, our style, our renderings have to do with ourselves, not with God. He's saying that the music style itself is absolutely nothing. And here is a representation of that philosophy from the field of contemporary music today, the broader field of contemporary Christian music. Don Butler, who was the head of the Gospel Music Association, Don Butler, he says, there is no such thing as gospel music. Every style and form of music can be gospel, whether it is jazz, pop, rock and roll, or rap. He's saying music itself is just nothing. You can use any music to glorify God. And here's a representative of that philosophy from the field of Southern Gospel, Bill Gaither. And he said, God speaks through all different kinds of musical styles. Notice that, all different. That's a broad statement. And so they're saying that music is neutral. That's why we can take the world's music, any old kind of the world's music, and we can just serve Jesus Christ with this. Is that true? Is music neutral? Now, this is foundational. If we prove that this is not true, we have destroyed the whole thing, actually. Well, let me ask some questions about that. If music is neutral, why is it that a movie text painter And that is the musicians behind the movies who create the music to go along with the scenes. Why is it that they can just use music to create different emotions when you're watching that thing? Here's somebody going down to walk into a dark house. It's always dark and you don't know what's behind that next door. And what kind of music is playing? No. No, never like that. No, it's a spooky, weird, something minor, weird, tense. But if you got a chase scene and you got the cowboy chasing after the guy that's just robbed the bank, it's and it's never. It's not that would be that would be like a comedy. to have the wrong kind of music with that scene would be like a comedy. You laugh at it because the music is saying something and it has to be saying the same thing as the scene is saying, because music is not neutral. Music is a language. Well, let me ask another question, if music is neutral, why can an orchestra create different feelings just by changing the style of music? And they can. We've been to concerts. They don't even have words. There's no singers. There's just an orchestra and just with the different styles of music. Why does a military march, for example, never sound like a baby lullaby? If music's neutral and music itself is nothing, then why not? Because music's not neutral. Why does a romance ballad never sound like a punk rock concert? Because music is not neutral. Number three, if music is neutral, why do taverns and nightclubs and bars never play traditional Christian music or lullabies or even like classical? Never, ever, ever. Because those kinds of music do not fit that situation, the things that they're doing in that situation. And they want a music to fit it. And it is never our kind of music because music is not neutral. Well, number five, if music is neutral, why is it that rock and rollers believe that their music is sexy? Frank Zappa believed that. He said, rock music is sex. 1968 Life Magazine. The big beat matches the body's rhythms. Why would he say something like that if music is neutral? Or Ted Nugent? He said, in 1977, rock is the total celebration of the physical. Why would he say something like that about rock music? Or Deborah Harry, the main ingredients in rock are sex and sass. Or Gene Simmons, Kiss, that's what rock is all about, sex with a hundred megaton bomb, the beat. Why would he say that? Rock music is sex because of the beat of John Oates. Hall notes rock and roll is ninety nine percent sex. Oh, I've got an idea. Let's use this for the Lord. Malcolm McLaren, manager for many some of the wickedest punk rock groups, 1983, said rock and roll is pagan and primitive and very jungle. That's right, Malcolm and Jimi Hendrix. He said, perhaps my music is sexy. Jimi Hendrix certainly knew a lot about rock and roll. Perhaps my music is sexy, but what music would the big beat isn't? I agree, Jimmy and Tina Turner, the very well known Tina Turner. Rock and roll is fun. It's full of energy. It's naughty. That's right. She's right. Patti LaBelle, rock and roll was something that's hardcore, rough and wild and sweaty and wet and just loose. That's right, Patti. That's what rock and roll is, of course. That's why rock and roll did to my life as a young man what it did. Sure, that's what rock and roll is, of course, because music is not neutral. And they play that kind of music because it has a certain kind of effect. If music is neutral, why do world famous conductors and composers believe that music is a language? They're not Christians. Leonard Bernstein certainly was not a Bible believing Christian, but he said music does not have to pass through the center of the brain before it can reach the heart. He's saying music is a language that goes directly to the heart and speaks to the heart. Oh, the Bible tells us a lot about the heart, doesn't it? And how important it is and how it's to be guarded. And he says music can speak right to your heart, doesn't even have to go to your brain. Now, that's what Leonard Bernstein believed. Howard Hanson, Eastman School of Music, was the head of it for almost 40 years, Rochester, New York. He said music has powers for evil as well as for good. He didn't have any agenda to try to defend contemporary music. He was just stating what he believed about music. And we can quote many others. Robert Shaw, very famous. Robert Shaw, the Shaw Chorales. He was asked the question, is music neutral? He said all of the arts are moral and music is the most moral of the arts. He was not a Christian. Also, if music is neutral, why do many prominent social critics believe that music is a language that affects society? Ones that are not Christians, that do not have any kind of Christian agenda, William Kilpatrick, professor of education at Boston College, he says in his book, Why Johnny Can't Tell Right From Wrong. He's not even a Christian. Rock can't be made respectable. The music will simply subvert the words. No matter how many reforms are attempted, rock and rap will always gravitate in the direction of violence and uncommitted sex. The beat says, do what you want to do, the beat says. He's saying that the beat has a language going there. Or how about this, if music is neutral, why can Muzak Corporation Guarantee that their music will make a business more productive. They do the guarantee that they have a website out there. This is a huge corporation. Here's their headquarters building. And this is what they say on their website. Our art is to capture the emotional power of music and put it to work for your business. These are experts in the power of music to literally change people's lives. and make you make more money. Let me ask this question. If all if music is neutral. That means is not really questioned, that means that the devil has not corrupted music. Now, what kind of sense does that make for a Bible believer? What is the devil called the god of this world? He's corrupted everything else that God has given man, religion, language, art, literature, clothing, you name it. And all of a sudden we are to believe that the devil has not had his hand in music? I don't buy that. Also, if music is neutral, why do children respond differently to different pieces of music? I remember when my daughter was little and we had been on the mission film. She was only a year and a half old when we left. went over there. And I remember the first time that she was around rock music. I don't remember the exact situation, but she didn't know anything about it. We had never had a TV in our home. There was no influence that had come into her. And for the first time she heard it, was subjected, she started dancing, rock and roll type dancing. Where did she learn to do that? She had never seen it. Her body told her to do that. The music told her body to do that. Music's not neutral. I received an email recently from a man that took his family to a church that he didn't know. He didn't know what he was getting into. He said he asked this question. Why did my children behave properly during the traditional morning service, but jump around like they had ants in their pants for 45 minutes during the rock night service at the church we were visiting? Why? Well, the answer is the music was different. And if music is neutral, Why does the Bible specify that believers should sing a certain kind of music? And it does, in Ephesians 5, 19. Many people have written and said, well, the Bible doesn't tell us what kind of music to use. I beg your pardon. In Ephesians 5, 19, God's Word says, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Now, that's a certain kind of music. Spiritual means holy, means set apart for God, means different from this world's music. Spiritual is an identifier for specific kind of music. And if music's neutral, why would the Bible specify that we're to sing a certain spiritual kind of music? And then lastly, if music is neutral, Well, why not just use traditional Christian music then? My contemporary friends, so you do not offend the saints of God who have deep convictions against rock and roll. How about that? If music's neutral, it doesn't really matter. Well, it matters to me a lot. And it matters to tens of thousands of saints, young and old. It's not a generational thing. And it matters deeply. And so if music is nothing, we'll just stay with the traditional kind of. We're not talking about when it was written. One of the hymn books that I enjoy is Majesty Hymns, and many of the songs in that hymn book, they are written in my lifetime. But they're a different style than anything you'll find in the world. We're talking about style, not when it was written. And the Bible tells us to do that, in fact, in Romans 14, verses 19 and 21. The Bible tells us to do this, to not offend, to not run around offending God's people with things that supposedly do not matter. They say this doesn't matter. This is not an issue. OK, well, then why are you running around offending so many that in their hearts it is a serious, a serious issue? In Romans 14, verse 19. Let us, therefore, follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another." In verse 21, it is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. And this is specifically talking about areas of liberty. They say, well, we have liberty. Okay, but your liberty is not to be used to offend. There are many questions that come up, and by the way, here's the testimony. Dan Lucarini. He was a contemporary worship leader. He was responsible for leading two different churches from traditional music to contemporary music. Wrote the book, recently wrote the book, Why I Left the Contemporary Christian Worship Movement. Left it. Turned his back on it. It's subtitled, Confessions of a Former Worship Leader. This is what he says on page 57. I am now convinced that God will not accept our worship when it is offered with music styles that are also used by pagans for their immoral practices. Now, I agree with that. If I'm wrong, why was God so harsh in judging Israel when they sacrificed to Him using the pagan high places and rituals? He's a jealous God. If you grasp this principle alone, it will change forever the way you lead a worship service. People say, well, OK, you are saying that a B-flat note has a moral quality? Which is a silly question, because a note on the musical scale in itself is nothing. But when you put those notes together into a musical composition, that becomes a language that has an effect upon people. The note is nothing. It's like the alphabet. The letter D in itself is nothing. It does not say anything. But if you put that letter D together with other letters, that piece of writing then becomes a language that has an effect in this world. The letter D can be spelled divine or it can spell devilish. So no, B flat note is nothing, but we're not talking about individual notes. We're talking about music. Another question that comes up. Is this, you mean drums and rhythm are wrong? No, don't mean any such thing. Rhythm is not wrong. You can't have a piece of music without some rhythm. All of the traditional hymns we sing have rhythm. And some of it's pretty fast. No, rhythm itself is not wrong. Drums in themselves are not wrong. It's the misuse of rhythm and drums that's wrong. Well, here's an example. Here's a traditional rock and roll group band. And what you have here, what you have here is three guitars. Now, they come in different compositions, but this is pretty typical. Three guitars and a drummer back there. Sometimes you'll have the keyboard, two guitars, drummer, but this is very typical. And what you have here is at least three fourths rhythm. Sometimes just 100% rhythm, that's all it is. No melody, no nothing, just pound, pound, rhythm. Now here's another composition of musicians that use drums and orchestra. Here's the kettle drums in the back, timpani section, drumming rhythm section. In this particular instance, it's not even in use while they're playing that particular part of the piece, and that's often true. Because those drums are there, and they're powerful drums too, those big kettle drums and all, but they don't use them constantly like a rock and roll band does. They use them in moderation to fit the music, but not just constant, constant pounding. It's not the drum that's wrong. It's how it's used. It's how it's used. And this statement by Dan Lucarini, Confessions of a Former Worship Leader, is very important in this context. He led two churches from traditional to contemporary, made the whole transition, and he was the leader in it. And he did it, he said, step by step. In his book, he explains how you do it. And the final stage is when you have the rock band drum set, which is the big kit set and all the kinds of drums up there. When you have that on the church stage, you said you arrived at a very important point. Now, this is what he said when the drum set finally appeared on the platform. I believe the church reached the steepest and most dangerous part of that slope. More than any other instrument, a drum set is the key instrument of contemporary music styles. Now, that is a voice of authority. That's a man that knows what he is talking about in this situation. And that is a warning to churches today. The question comes up, for example, Psalm 150. They say, well, why does the Bible say we should praise the Lord with loud symbols, loud sounding symbols in? In Psalm 150 is the proof text for this question. In Psalm 150, verses three through five, praise him with the sound of the trumpet. Praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance. Praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals, loud cymbals. Praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Now, the problem with that question is it's always spoken in the context of a rock and roll band. They say, they say, see, the Bible is talking about a rock and roll band. No, it's not. Every time you see trumpets and stringed instruments, that doesn't mean an electric rock and roll guitar necessarily. The high sounding cymbals and loud cymbals. There you go. You can find that on this tape. Hymns triumphant. All of that. And so they read into that rock and roll doesn't have to mean rock and roll at all. And I believe with all of my heart, it does not mean rock and roll. And then they say, well, didn't Lutheran Wesley use ballroom tunes? Lutheran Wesley and this always comes up, they say, Luther and Wesley, they use barroom tunes. We know that for sure. Luther and Charles Wesley, the one that wrote the most hymns of the John Wesley, Charles Wesley team. But neither one of them use barroom tunes. That's a myth. That's a fable shall be turned into fables. That's a fable. Here's an authoritative voice about Luther. This is from the Journal of Church Music, July-August 1996, the article Learning from Luther. Luther steered clear of rollicking drinking songs. He never considered music a mere tool that could be employed regardless of its association. He never did. He never did. That's what this authority on Luther says, but was careful to match text and tune. so that each text would have its own proper tune, and so that both would complement each other. Complement the music and the message. Here's an authoritative voice about Wesley's music. This is Dean McIntyre, Director of Worship Services at the United Methodist Board of Discipleship. This is in the United Methodist News Service. Certainly not a fundamentalist voice. September 30, 2002. The Westleys did not use tavern or drinking songs to carry their texts. They did not use it. It's a lie. It's a myth. Their theology, as well as their sense of aesthetics, would have made such an occurrence unthinkable. That's written by a liberal United Methodist. There are no suggestions or recommendations that others do so in any of their writings. It is a myth used to prop up contemporary worship music. And so what do we have here? We have the fact that music is not neutral, that each piece of music is a form of language It speaks to the heart of people a certain message. And therefore, when we're preaching the message of the Word of God, we have to have music that will complement, will fit and conform to that message. And we have to always ask ourselves, when we're hearing Christian music, what kind of message is that music presenting? And we also know that music must be spiritual and different from the world's music. And there are certain types of music that can never be used for the service of Christ for the simple fact that those styles of music always, always carry a certain kind of message that contradicts the message of Christ. And here's three styles. These are just examples. Sexy dance music. Now, what does sexy dance music say? What is the language of that music? Well, it's to let yourself go, be loose, be sensual. That's what it always says. That's what it always says. Sexy dance music, rock, jazz, blues, country, hip hop, nightclub music. It's all speaking that message. We have the quotes from rock and rollers that agreed with that, that admit that. And then there's angry, violent music. Oh, there's some angry, violent music today. Many kinds of rock and roll are that way. Some are just sexy dance music and some are just raging, angry, violent type of music. Well, what is the message of that type of music? Well, it's anger, it's defiance, it's violence, it's rebellion against law and order. And that's always the message that that music will give. And you cannot possibly ever put those styles of music together with the message of Christ. And then there's relativistic type music, New Age, even jazz. One of the foremost experts in jazz, Martin Williams, said this, jazz knows no absolutes. Well, brother, we do. That's what we're all about is absolutes. We have to have an absolute type music to fit that. So we're going to illustrate what we're talking about in a very simple way now with the song Sweet Hour of Prayer. It's number 361 in your hymn book. And we're just going to play that one little song, Christian song, in three different ways. Same song. Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer that calls me from a world of care. and bids me at my father's throne make all my wants and wishes known. Thank you. Now, did that make you want to dance? Of course not. Of course not. It didn't make you want to dance. Now, what were the words saying? Let's think about that for a second. What were the words saying? The words were saying prayer is sweet. The times of prayer with the Lord are sweet and calling me away from the world. So you don't want any kind of music that reminds you of the world there, that would be a conflict. But what did that music that went with that words do? It fit it perfectly. There's no conflict at all. In fact, you probably didn't think about the music. And the words are there and the message is there going into your heart and the music even helps that message go to your heart. Now, that's good Christian music. It doesn't matter when it was written. It could have been written yesterday. Or a thousand years ago. That's good Christian music because the music fits the words and you have the complement of those two. Now, we can take the same song, Sweet Hour of Prayer. We mentioned sexy dance music. And I was a hippie before I was saved, but I didn't have a windmill. But sexy dance music is another. We can take this same song. I'm not going to go on. You get the message. It's a different song, isn't it? I don't know how we would have had Brother Vince try to sing that, but we've got a different song there, but it's the same song. I didn't want to do that for the sake of the video. Well, wait a minute. I'm not finished here. You say, that's weird. That's not nearly as weird. That's what we heard two years ago in Oklahoma City at a Christian rock concert at a Southern Baptist church. Not nearly as weird. Raging, violent music. Grinding, raging. And this singer was screaming into the microphone. Just screaming. You couldn't possibly understand what he was saying. Screaming into the microphone. And there in front of the stage was the mosh pit. Southern Baptist Church, the mosh pit. And they were banging each other and slamming against each other and raging to the music because they weren't smiling. Oh, sweet hour of prayer. Because that music made them want to rage, and they raged. And so, music is not neutral. In fact, not only is the music a message, but the whole context is a message. Now, here's an illustration of this. The Pledge of Allegiance in America. the Marines giving the pledge. And the Marines are there and pledge allegiance to the United States. Well, that gives one kind of message. But what if we say the same words and we got a clown giving those words? Same message, completely different message. That would be somebody wanting to mock the United States of America or whatever country. But nothing changed. The words are the same. Yeah, everything changed. Now, we're talking about something very powerful in the world, music. One of the most powerful influences in the world is music. And music is certainly not neutral. And the only ones today that are out there trying to pretend that music is neutral are those that are defending contemporary Christian music. The world's not saying that. The world knows that that's not true. The world has no agenda. And so they say, yeah, we're using this kind of music because it's sexy, man. And so these Christian rockers take it over there and they can't admit that. And they have to make up this myth that all music is neutral. It doesn't really matter. And so that's the first warning that we give about contemporary worship music. Number two, contemporary worship music is largely a rock and roll feeling fest. I've done a lot of research into this type of music and what it's doing to churches and what it is. And contemporary worship music focuses on experience and feeling. Here is one of the big names in that music, Graham Kendrick from England. And he says that the old way of preaching and singing, the old way of preaching and singing, began to give way to an expectation that God would visit us and we would experience His presence in a tangible sort of way. Tangible way. Feelings. Experiences. Integrity worship ministries. Big name in contemporary praise music. Integrity worship music. And they say that they were formed to help Christian leaders experience God's presence, experience His presence. Now, I saw an interesting example of what I'm trying to say today. Earlier this year in Singapore, I visited the largest church in Singapore, City Harvest Church. coffee shop on the top level, the young people that were there before the service, the ATM-style tithing machines, which we all need, the associate pastor, Pastor Son, pouring champagne into glasses. He's a rock star also. But I attended this church for research purposes, and there I was given a copy by one of the ushers of the church magazine, Harvest Times. And I read through that. And there was a question and answer section in Harvest Times. It was earlier this year. I think the magazine issue I had was from last year. Yes, July, December 2002. And here was the question by a new church member. I just started attending church a few months back and really felt drawn to the presence of God. especially through the times of praise and worship. Yet each time when I try to meet God in the same way during my personal quiet time and feel the tangible presence, I always sense during the church services, I always fail. Is this because there's something that I'm not doing right? Am I not worshiping in the correct way? Now, she's talking about their worship services, which I attended one of. And it is a very loud, boisterous, rock and roll concert. This is the inside of the auditorium, before they ushered me out with my camera, but that's the inside of the auditorium. And this young church member is saying, I just have such powerful feelings there in the church service, but I can't ever have that by myself. What's missing? Well, the rock and roll's missing. It's that simple. If you know anything about the power of rock and roll, it's the rock and roll that did that to you. And if you don't have that same feeling, the rock and roll is missing. Now, here's one of the founders of rock and roll, at least one of the great influences in it, Sam Phillips, who died this year. And in a newspaper interview talking about his part in rock and roll, They recorded Elvis' first album, Sun Records, in Memphis, Tennessee. He said this about rock and roll, it all came out of that infectious beat, that infectious beat. And those young people wanting to feel good by listening to some records. Music can make you feel things, powerful things. Put that together with God's worship. Here's Van Morrison, rock and roller. He says, rock music is spiritual. It is. But you see, there's two spirits in the world. And if you go to A contemporary worship service like I did the last two Sundays, in fact, out in California to Saddleback Church, Rick Warren, and then to the Vineyard Mother Church in Anaheim, California. It was a rock and roll feeling fest. That's where those powerful feelings come from. But is that what the Bible tells us to experience in church? To seek after some powerful feelings? It's not. I close this session with two verses. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5, in verses 6 and 7, Christian life is not a life of seeking after powerful feelings, but it's a walk of faith, and that's different. In 2 Corinthians 5, verse 7, verse 6 and 7, Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, Well, that's from the Lord. Now, that's an important statement to understand. We long, we that know the Lord, long for physical relationship, to feel Him, to touch Him and to go beyond this faith and to have sight and see Him and just be right there. like the disciples were with him, and John leaning there on his breast at the last supper. But that's not what we have today. That's what the Charismatics promise, but that's not what the Word of God says. Notice what it says. We are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. There is something we can't yet have. And that is something that belongs for the future, for the child of God. We're waiting for it. We're looking forward to it. But we don't have it here, and nothing we do can bring it here yet. We have to live by faith. Verse 7, For we walk by faith, not by sight. And he's talking about the body, and the body is big about feelings. One more passage, Romans 8. Verses 22-25. The Christian walk. The Christian life. What is it? In Romans 8, 22-25, For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit. Even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope, for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. We are waiting for something. Yes, we are redeemed, and yes, we are children of God, and yes, we have eternal life. But not all of our inheritance do we yet possess. We will. It's as sure as we are sitting here. But we don't yet enjoy it. But what we do have is described here. Verse 21, the bondage of corruption. Verse 22, groaning and prevailing. Verse 20, vanity. Waiting. Verse 18, suffering. Sound familiar? The charismatic movement comes along and promises, Kingdom now! Everything now! Well, sorry. Can't have it. They don't have it either, of course. But they try to work it up in every way possible. And rock music is powerful. And that's why churches change when that music comes. And we will see that and see more of that in the next session. Let's have a word of prayer. We're going to have a short break. Father, Lord, there's no way that I can say anything or speak fervently enough to change anything. But we know that you haven't left us. Lo, I'm with you always, even to the end of the world. Do you have your churches and your people? We pray, God, you'd use this message, this weak attempt, Father, to sound an alarm that, Lord, it would go far and help people. Lord, stand in the old paths and not go with the world.