A generation ago, professing Bible believers who were sincere in their faith and devoted to Christ as Savior and LORD, understood that Sanctification (separation unto God and from sin and the world) was a natural, fundamental step of spiritual growth. Unfortunately, this generation of “Christians”, discipled by “Pre-Millennialist” pastors desperate to be “relevant”, have no grounding or Biblical understanding that copying and modeling the world is fundamentally un-Christlike and a violation of elementary spiritual principles.
A recent Christianity Today article on Hip Hop Culture featuring a podcast with guest pastor “Urban D” from Crossover Church in Tampa, FL, illustrates not only my point, but also the naivety of a popular poet, author and hip hop pastor\artist who had to hear from a teenager that assimilating “the world’s culture”, its musical style and overlaying Christian words with popular songs, was causing confusion.
“Urban D” shared the following encounter with a teen as his revelation that the world was confused by Crossover Church’s adaption of worldly music into its worship services.“There was a high school student who came to us and said, “Man, our church has a bad reputation at our school.” I’m like, “Why?” “‘Cause everybody says it’s not a real church, ‘cause y’all are playing Busta Rhymes, playing Eminem.” I’m like, “For real?” “Yeah, man; everybody’s like, ‘A church shouldn’t be doing that.’”
Sadly, there are many “Pre-Millennialist” pastors in our own “Bible Fundamental” churches who, in their quest to be relevant, are going down this same path of compromise and worldliness. They have not gone nearly as far as “Urban D”; however, they are adopting the same pragmatic philosophy that might appease their conscience, excuse their compromise, but is inevitably setting the course that will lead their congregations to an irreverence for God’s holiness and a rejection of Biblical Sanctification.
We do not need a teenager to explain the confusion caused by assimilating worldliness into ministry. The apostle John declared God’s verdict on that matter 2,000 years ago.
1 John 2:15-17 – “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 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.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
Copyright 2016 – Travis D. Smith