January 7, 2004 (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -
We are pleased to announce the publication of a new multi-media video presentation entitled “Dangers of Contemporary Worship Music.” I am very excited about this new production, because it is so timely and it truly gets to the heart of what is wrong with the new worship music. My earnest prayer is that it will get a wide hearing.
The two-hour video (divided into three segments) is professionally produced and a multiplicity of photographs and other visual and audio aids are mixed into the presentation to illustrate the message.
Much research has gone into this production. In 2003 I read about 30 books on the subject of contemporary praise, and I analyzed about 50 of the popular contemporary praise albums. Through the years I have studied contemporary praise at large ecumenical conferences which I have attended with press credentials, such as New Orleans ’87, Indianapolis ’90, and St. Louis 2000. Within the last couple of years I have attended services at congregations that are influential in the CCW movement, including Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church in California, Bill Hybels’ Willowcreek Community Church near Chicago, the Anaheim Vineyard Church, lately pastored by John Wimber, Carpenter’s Home Church in Lakeland, Florida (where Michael W. Smith recorded his largest-selling worship album), and other congregations that are influential in this movement.
Following are the seven warnings that I give in this presentation:
1. Contemporary Christian Worship is built upon the false philosophy that music is neutral.
Under this heading we prove that music is not neutral, that even without words, music is a powerful language, and that God’s people must test music to see whether it is holy or profane, to make sure that the message of the music fits the message of the lyrics. I illustrate this section by using my Yamaha wind midi to play one hymn in three different ways, demonstrating that by changing the style of music you change the message. We conclude this section by answering these commonly asked questions: Do you mean that drums and rhythm are wrong? Do you mean that a b flat note has moral quality? Why does the Bible say we should praise God with loud cymbals? Didn’t Luther and Wesley use bar room tunes?
2. Contemporary Christian Worship is largely a rock & roll feeling-fest.
We show that CCW gets its sought-for emotional “kick” from rock & roll, one of the most powerful influences in the world today. As Jimi Hendrix said, describing the power of rock, “The music is a spiritual thing of its own.” And Timothy Leary testified, “I’ve been stoned on the music many times.” And this describes every type of rock, soft, hard, outrageous, or mild. We show scenes from contemporary worship services to illustrate this.
3. Contemporary Christian Worship is not separated from the world.
We document the fact that the contemporary worship musicians are not separated from the world, that they love secular rock, that they even use secular rock songs in their worship services. Thus it is no surprise that they imitate the world in dress, appearance, and often even in lifestyle. We also show that most of the contemporary worship music is owned by secular corporations.
4. Contemporary Christian Worship is intimately entangled with the Charismatic movement.
We illustrate this section with four of the biggest names in CCW -- Darlene Zschech and Hills Christian Music, Michael W. Smith, Graham Kendrick, and the Vineyard music.
5. Contemporary Christian Worship is one of the glues of the ecumenical movement.
In this section we show the ecumenical philosophy that permeates the contemporary praise movement. We also show why CCW is acceptable to so many types of churches.
6. Contemporary Christian Worship goes hand in hand with a worldly philosophy of Christianity and a gradual lowering of all standards.
The late evangelist Gordon Sears warned: “When the standard of music is lowered, then the standard of dress is also lowered. When the standard of dress is lowered, then the standard of conduct is also lowered. When the standard of conduct is lowered, then the sense of value in God’s truth is lowered.”
This is exactly what is happening in fundamentalist churches that are not resisting the tide of contemporary music. We illustrate this with what has happened in recent decades at Jerry Falwell’s Thomas Road Baptist Church; Bethlehem Baptist Church in Fairfax, Virginia (where the Baptist Bible Fellowship held its annual meeting last year); Temple Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan (formerly pastored by J. Frank Norris and G. Beauchamp Vick); and the Southwide Baptist Fellowship.
7. Contemporary Christian Worship is confused about true biblical worship.
We show that biblical worship has nothing to do with feelings, and the New Testament does not describe a church worship service that has any likeness whatsoever to a contemporary one. Biblical worship is not jumping up and down like a pogo stick and working up emotional goose bumps. It is not coming under the sway of powerful sensual music. Abraham was worshipping God when he carried Isaac up the mountain to obey God’s command to sacrifice him, and it is doubtful that he was on an emotional high; and Job was worshipping God acceptably when he sat in the ash heap and scraped his boils and contemplated the loss of everything, but did not curse God.
This is an important presentation for Churches, Bible Colleges, and Home Schools that want to prepare their people to deal with the apostasy and compromise of these last days.
TESTIMONY: “I received the tape on CCW yesterday and have reviewed it already. It is an excellent presentation of the dangers surrounding CCW. Please pray for my brother who continues to be caught up in the tentacles of CCW. I believe this will be a tremendous help to pastors and church leaders.”
AVAILABLE ON VHS OR DVD. Please specify when ordering.
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$19.95
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