There is no bible verse that Steven Furtick cannot read himself into. We do not praise God because we want walls torn down. The story of Jericho has nothing to do with us and everything to do with God. You are not David staring down your Goliath with the slingshot of your faith. Ugh. If you want to see who you are in that story, look at the cowering Israelites. David is of course, a type of Christ. The entire bible is a book about Jesus, not us. When we read ourselves into David, we are reading ourselves into the role of Christ. It is once again, the sin of Lucifer. Today's deep theology is that the job opening to be God? Yeah, that's already been filled. Praise is a weapon to remind us of who God is and what God can do and more importantly, what He has already done. Does anyone remember Calvary anymore? This transactional Christianity from Warren theology only focuses on what God can do for us now, as opposed to what He did for us thousands of years ago. Because the Bethels and Elevations of the world are enamored and idolize this life, they never stop to give thanks for the eternal life God has secured for us. By the way, should we be praising God in the hopes that He will kill our enemies? Didn't Jesus teach that we should pray for our enemies? That mean boss at work or the neighbor we do not get along with? They are not the Egyptians chasing us to the waters of the Red Sea. We ought not be hoping they drown, dear Lord. In case you thought I forgot Hillsong, I have not. I had plenty to choose from, but a popular song today is entitled, "What a Beautiful Name." While most of the lyrics are fine, there is one that is horrifically bad:
You didn't want Heaven without us
So Jesus, You brought Heaven down
My sin was great, Your love was greater
What could separate us now?
Now, this notion of bringing heaven down is core to Bethel but Hillsong is equally heretical. Sure, Hillsong has plenty of fine songs from a lyrical perspective but if your theology begins with Jesus not wanting heaven without us, then it is not Jesus you are worshiping. God created us. He does not need us. He does not need our help with anything. If we are not in heaven He is not moping around, missing us. We are not quite as special as modern worship music make us out to be. While we are here, let us discuss the fact that some of the songs from these heretical entities are acceptable lyrically. Should we still listen to them? Should they be played in our churches? The answer should be a resounding no. Let me explain. Let us start with the money. Last year, Elevation Music made about 10 million dollars and Bethel made about 18 million dollars. Hillsong has been going through so much scandal that the last year we could find was 2017 and that year Hillsong Music raked in 14 million. This is not against capitalism. People can make and sell whatever they want but all of that money lines the pockets of wolves and allows them more ability to deceive people and lead people away from Christ. We tend to view things like worship in a vacuum, but these music outfits are the engine that feeds the heretical churches. Secondly, they are the draw. Many people get hooked into the bad theology of Bethel, Elevation or Hillsong and then naturally gravitate to those churches, teachings and leaders. To correctly say that you do not follow the teachings of these churches on doctrinal grounds but listen to and promote their music is incongruent. What we listen to and promote is seen by others as tacit acceptance. This is the point that people like Dr. Michael Brown never get. I saw a recent advertisement for Brown having an appearance with Todd White. He has also appeared on the Benny Hinn show, has taught at Bethel's phony school of the supernatural and still writes for Steven Strang. Who we share the stage with matters. Who we support matters. Jesus used the analogy of sheep as believers for a reason. Sheep need to be led. We need to be shepherded. So, in what direction are we leading them?
As we wrap up here, please recognize this is only scratching the surface. There is also the genre of "Jesus is my boyfriend" music made infamous by IHOPKC and people like Rick Pino, who once included the extremely creepy line, "take me to your chambers, lead me by the hand" in a popular song. We should not feel the need to shower after singing a worship song. There are also the petulant songs demanding things from God, such as Blessing of Abraham that declares - "Get your inheritance!" I go back to the beginning here and emphasize that worship is incredibly important in the lives of a believer because it should remind us of who Jesus is. Not what we want Him to do but what He has already done. It should emphasize our role as the created, not usurping the role of the Creator. Our posture should be one of kneeling down in reverent awe, trembling before Him. Only then are we worshiping in spirit and truth. It should recognize as Job did that sometimes the Lord gives and sometimes, He takes away. In all things, however, I will bless the Lord. It is not about how much He loves us, even though the bible makes clear that He does. It is a matter of recognizing how great Thou art. Not merely for what we are hoping for or want, but for everything he has already done.
Reverend Anthony Wade - August 28, 2024
