Charismatic Style Worship: Getting High on Music

ROCKERS ARE SIMPLY IN LOVE WITH ROCK MUSIC

Kind reader, did you consider the previous quotes carefully? What do these, the movers and shakers of the realm of rock and roll, know about rock music that the „Christian rockers“ do not know?

In fact, I believe the „Christian rockers“ know these things very well, but they will not admit it, perhaps not even to themselves, because such an admission would not fit into their agenda of being able to hold onto their beloved sensual rock music and supposedly have the holy Christ, too.

After Dan Lucarini spent years using rock music as a praise and worship leader, the Lord led him out of it and he wrote the excellent book „Why I Left the Contemporary Christian Music Movement: Confessions of a Former Worship Leader“ (Evangelical Press, 2002, P.O. Box 84, Auburn, MA 01501, sales@evangelicalpress.org).

Looking back, he testified of what was really going on in his life after the veneer of piety and the high wall of arguments in defense of rock music was removed:

„During our weekly practices, the praise band would often switch into a rock and roll ‚jam session‘. As the leader, I could have discouraged this but I CHOSE INSTEAD TO INDULGE MY OWN APPETITE FOR ROCK AND ROLL. … As I look back on this, I see how hard it was to restrain the rock music beast and prevent it from taking over completely“ (Lucarini, p. 31)

„At the seeker-sensitive churches we attended, the music was ostensibly designed for the unchurched but that excuse was really just a smoke screen obscuring our real reason for bringing CCM into the service. THE BOTTOM LINE WAS THAT WE SIMPLY WANTED TO USE OUR MUSIC IN THE CHURCH…“ (Lucarini, pp. 62, 63)

Sadly, few are willing to be this candid; but whether Christian rockers admit it or not, the fact is that rock has been sex music since it blasted on the scene in the 1950s. Its rhythms are deliberately designed to stimulate physical sensuality above all else.

FLESH AND SPIRIT, LIGHT AND DARKNESS CANNOT BE MIXED

The flesh is contrary to the Spirit.

„For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other…“ (Galatians 5:17).

Likewise, light cannot mix with darkness. Holiness cannot affiliate with unholiness. Truth cannot countenance error. God has no fellowship with the devil. Does the Word of God not confirm this?

„Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty“ (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).

HIGH ON PRAISE MUSIC

The point is that worshippers who use rock music as their vehicle of praise, who think they are high on God, might very well, in reality, be high on music. I am convinced that this is exactly what is happening.

The City Harvest magazine for July-December 2002 contains a section on questions and answers. One question by a new member to City Harvest is instructive:

„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 that I always sense during church services, I always fail. Is this because there’s something that I’m not doing right? Am I not worshipping in the correct way?“

The answer to the person’s question is that he or she is looking for the wrong thing and is confused about the nature of true worship of God. Worship has nothing to do with my feelings or with a „tangible presence.“ Those things are easily counterfeited by the flesh and the devil. True worship is to give thanks to God and to serve Him obediently NO MATTER HOW I FEEL AND NO MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCE.

Abraham doubtless did not feel very good and had no tangible presence when he trudged toward the mountain with his most beloved son in tow with the purpose of sacrificing him in obedience to God’s command, but he was performing a most supreme act of worship.

Job did not feel tingly, wonderful emotions or any sort of „tangible presence of God“ when he was sitting in the ash heap scraping his boils with pieces of clay pots and contemplating the loss of his children and wealth and rebutting his wife’s complaints. But he was worshipping God acceptably and fruitfully when he endured that terrible condition and did not curse God, but trusted Him in spite of how miserable he felt. In that horrible condition, Job said, „Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.“

That is true worship.

It has nothing to do with being under the sway of powerful music or stirring up high emotions and pursuing a perception of God’s tangible presence.

Hebrews 13:15-16 describes true worship: „By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.“

Note the attributes of true worship from this passage:

* thanksgiving to God in all circumstances
* doing good works or obedience to God’s commands
* communicating to those who have needs

One does not need rock music to accomplish any of these things, and, in fact, rock music provides no benefit whatsoever in any of these endeavors. Rock music is rock music, and the praise of God is the praise of God; and they have nothing to do with one another.

I challenge those committed to the contemporary philosophy to give up rock music for one month and serve the Lord without it. If you need rock music in order to enjoy and serve the Lord, you have a serious problem.

If rock music is necessary or even important for the service and worship of Christ, what did God’s people do in A.D. 65 or 1240 or 1530 or 1850 or 1945?

„Oh, Lord God, I beseech you by the blood of Jesus Christ and for His glory, deliver many of your saints and assemblies from this powerful contemporary drug and give victory over the wiles of the enemy even in the very midst of end times apostasy.“

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