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Christian Contemporary Music

by Pastor Steven L Anderson, 2006

 

1. What Does God Define as Wrong Music?

2. What is the Source of Christian Contemporary Music?

3. Ways to Avoid the Wrong Music.

 

 

 

 

“Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;” – Ephesians 5:19

 

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” – I John 2:16

 

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools.”

– Ecclesiastes 7:5

 

 

 

 

1. What Does God Define as Wrong Music?

 

People have a variety of opinions as to what wrong music is; but what does the Bible define as wrong music?

 

Many have suggested that wrong music is music that has more prevalent rhythm than melody. This concept is not only illogical and immeasurable, but it is also not found in the Bible. Others have suggested that drums are the deciding factor between good music and bad music. Still others consider syncopation the sin of wrong music.

 

All of these definitions produce gray areas and cannot provide a clear-cut definition of wrong music. They all leave out the one factor that God emphasizes throughout the entire Bible – the source. Beginning in Genesis 1, God teaches us that everything brings forth after its own kind. “…neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit,” Jesus said. “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one.” – Job 14:4

 

If music without drums, syncopation, or a rock beat is acceptable music, then “Yesterday” by the Beatles would be suitable for a Christian. This song has no drums, syncopation, or rock n roll beat – so what’s wrong with it? It doesn’t talk about drugs, illicit behavior, or violence – so what’s wrong with it? What’s wrong with it is the source. It was written by God-hating communist devils. Rock n roll music was pioneered by ungodly sinners like Little Richard, a sodomite filthy animal, and Ray Charles, a heroin addict. The source of rock n roll music is ungodly.

 

According to God, there are only two sources of music – the Father and the world. “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” – I John 2:16. God says that all that is in the world is not of the Father and falls under one of these three sinful categories – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Therefore all music from the world is wrong because the source is wrong. Therefore not only rock n roll music is wrong, but pop, rap, country, rock, jazz, classical, and easy listening are all wrong as well because they are of the world.

 

God also defines a second type of wrong music in the Bible – music that is conformed to the world. Even if music is not of the world, if it is conformed to the world, it is wrong music. Romans 12:2 reads, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” God commands us not to be conformed to (patterned after) the world. Music produced by Christians should not sound like the world’s ungodly music. It shouldn’t sound like rock, rap, country-western, jazz, classical, folk, or any of the world’s styles.  It should sound distinctly like Christian music in its style.

 

 

 

 

2. What is the Source of Christian Contemporary Music?

 

Christian contemporary music, including Southern Gospel music, is not of the Father. 99% of artists writing and performing Christian contemporary music do not use the King James Bible, do not go soul-winning, do not live a separated life, do not dress like the Bible commands a Christian to dress, do not attend a local church faithfully, and yet godly Christians listen to their music as if it is not wrong music. If a song came from the Charismatics, is it of the Father or is it of the world? If a song came from the Pentecostals, is it of the Father or is it of the world?

 

Southern gospel music is produced at best by Southern Baptists who believe in Lordship Salvation as opposed to salvation by grace through faith. Do they believe the King James Bible we believe? Do they believe the gospel we believe in? Then why would we listen to their music? The Bible reads in Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” God tells us here that those who sing to us are teaching us. Should we be taught about the things of God by people who are not even saved? Should we be taught the things of God by those who do not believe in soul-winning, and who live by loose standards?

 

Independent, fundamental Baptist preachers all over America preach against rock music on Sunday, but on Saturday they “Christianize” rock n roll love songs and use them in their weddings. This is nothing less than hypocrisy. Why is the music director listening to worldly music to find rock n roll songs he can clean up? Why is he filling his mind with the world’s music? Here are some rock n roll songs I have heard at Independent, fundamental Baptist weddings:

 

“I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” – Elvis Presley and UB40

“From This Moment On” – Shania Twain

“Wind beneath My Wings” – Bette Midler

 

…only to name a few.

 

 

 

 

3. Ways to Avoid the Wrong Music.

 

Here are 3 ways we can stop the influx of CCM and southern gospel music into our independent, fundamental Baptist churches:

 

1) Have congregational singing in church, not special music performances. The Bible says in Hebrews 2:12b, “…in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.”  Notice the Bible says “sing” and not “listen.” Nowhere in the New Testament do we find mention of anyone performing music to an audience in church. Over and over again we find God’s people singing to themselves, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. At the last supper, Jesus did not sing a special. Peter did not sing a special. They sang an hymn. We are living in a time when people are spectators and not participants. They don’t play sports; they watch them on the television. They come to church and instead of singing the praises of God, they listen to some talented musician perform for them. These type of “performances” lend themselves easily to the wrong type of music.

 

2) Instead of listening to tapes and CD’s throughout the week, sing songs out of the hymnal. God wants to hear you praising him, not your stereo system. The most often repeated command God gives in the Bible is “praise.” You will receive a far greater blessing singing the songs out of the songbook, than listening to a professional musician. If you sing songs to yourself, you are in complete control of what music you are exposed to. Singing hymns together as a family is also a great idea.

 

3) Primarily sings songs which are 50 years or older. Worldly music goes in and out of style; but the classic hymns are never out of style. The Christian Contemporary music and southern gospel music of today will not be sung 50 years from now. It will be old hat; but here we are hundreds of years later still singing “Amazing Grace”, “There is a Fountain”, “Come Thou Fount”, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” These are songs that have stood the test of time and which God has blessed for decades. New music is not wrong, but must be very carefully examined for the source and the quality. If we were to sing 9 out of 10 songs 50 years or older, the tenth new song should not sound out of place.

 

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The following sermons deal with this subject in detail:

 

The following files are in mp3 format. You must right-click on these files and "save target as" to download them to your computer.

 

Pastor Steven L Anderson     "Praise Ye the Lord"           01/21/07pm Sunday

Pastor Steven L Anderson     "The Devil's Music"             07/30/06pm Sunday


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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