Okay,

I was discussing the band Jesus Culture in another thread and I decided to make this one because it was a little off-center in regards to what the original post was about.

Should we listen to music from a place we know is slap-full of heresy? What if that music starts showing up at my church? If I hear it on the Christian radio, should I call and say, "Hey! These guys are heretics!"

The radio station probably doesn't care. Most stations are not managed with any real careful biblical thought. Much less so the music of our day, although there are exceptions for sure. I am with you on Jesus Culture. Yet, then, Hillsong Church is not exactly historically orthodox evangelical either....it has a history with prosperity preaching. Joel Osteen was a big hit over there last year. But, Hillsong music is in nearly every church in America. For good or bad.

Listen to each song. Pray. Decide. Warn, if necessary. I can tell you that I do not sing some sings that our church uses because they are flatly incorrect biblically. They are harmlessly wrong, but they are also silly in my opinion.

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Tim

Yeah,

I understand that, too.

I have been thinking about it for a while now, but it seems to me that "worship" or "song services" in churches are almost occultish--we sing lots of emotional songs and then say, "I can really feel the presence of God here."

I always wondered if I just start reading the book of Psalms on the days that I am asked to lead music, if it would have the same "effect."

I don't want to be experimenting with God, you know, but at the same time I want everything I do to be pleasing to Him.

But even David played music with his psalms.

Something about music does resonate with our spirit. I think music is important for that reason. It does play on our emotion but sometimes that is needed. I am not generally a crying man but when tears do fall it is due to the presence of the Holy Spirit during worship.

I really can't criticize Hillsong because so many of their worship songs are so good.

However I cannot sing "Healer" by them because the guy who wrote it did so under false pretenses and I can't get past that. But songs like "from the inside out" and "oceans" and "sovereign hands" are so good.

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Todd

Don't get me wrong...lol. I am a musician. I play guitar, banjo, piano, uke, (etc). And I love to play and sing to the Lord. No doubt.

But sometimes I think we get so bogged down with the music and how emotional it is that we forget that there are words we are singing and that even if we sing a song, that if our lives don't match, then we are doing nothing more than singing.

Never heard of the band 'Jesus Culture'. What do they do or teach that is heresy?

I know of Jesus People USA in Chicago. Any relation?

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John

No. Jesus Culture is a band out of Bethel Church in Redding, California. Here is the link to the post Brother Greg just posted:

https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=52447&forum=35

Hi havok20x,

This is the same exact question that I have been struggling with for the past several years. I have actually witnessed how Bethel's teachings begin to trojan horse their way into churches and peoples theology through their music. In So Cal, it is EXTREMELY prevalent, and their influence has silently been taking over the hearts and minds of the young people. I am also concerned to see that brother Francis Chan is getting more and more involved with them. He recently spoke at an event here in Los Angeles with Banning Liebscher (head of Jesus Culture) which has been adding further "legitimacy" to the movement. It really feels like an impossible battle and has been a tremendous source of discouragement in my own life at the moment as I have unfortunately received a lot of persecution for trying to point people to scripture (graciously and lovingly) and also have lost many friends along the way. Any thoughts/exhortations on how one should go about standing firm in the midst of these things?

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Will

Brother Greg,

Will Do. Thank you.