Updated November 2, 2002 (first published July 9, 2002) (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) –

On a recent preaching trip to the east coast, I saw two illustrations of the fearful compromise that is sweeping through many segments of the independent Baptist movement.

One was a flyer distributed by Calvary Baptist Church of Dedham, Maine. It is a door-hanger inviting people to church with this message: “We know that you don’t want to go someplace and be made to feel guilty. Life makes us feel guilty enough. What you need is a place where you can be encouraged and strengthened. … This Sunday come to a church that understands and cares. You may leave feeling a lot different about church and yourself.” That is a line straight from the mouth of New Evangelical church growth gurus Rick Warren and Bill Hybels. It ignores the biblical reality that salvation is preceded by conviction of sin. Before the sinner can be saved, he must be made to feel guilty for his wickedness before God. The word “guilt” appears at least 37 times in the Bible. The divine intent of the law, which prepares the way for the gospel, is “that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19).

It is great to be encouraged by the Scriptures when we attend church, but if an individual is not right with God, encouragement and comfort are preceded by conviction and repentance. That is true both for the unsaved and the saved. Even as a believer, I am not going to be very comforted by God when I am living in rebellion.

The Lord Jesus Christ preached many red-hot sermons on eternal Hell (i.e., Mark 9:42-48 and Luke 16:22-31). Such preaching is not very encouraging to an unregenerate person unless he acknowledges his sin and is regenerated. Christ did not comfort Nicodemus in his sin; he told him, instead, “ye must be born again” and “except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” That is not very encouraging to a religious but lost person who is not born again, and the majority of people in Dedham, Maine who receive the Calvary Baptist Church flyer are in that category.

Calvary Baptist Church of Dedham, Maine, is preaching a false message and giving the unsaved a false promise. They have departed from the Word of God.

The other example of compromise is a paper published by Bethlehem Baptist Church of Fairfax, Virginia, which is associated with the Baptist Bible Fellowship. (The Fall 2002 National Meeting of the BBFI is schedule to be held in THIS CHURCH in September.) The publication features a photo of the church’s new Youth Pastor, Rob Hoerr. Bedecked with a goatee, an earring, and a P.O.D. shirt, this independent Baptist youth director is proudly promoting the Christian rock lifestyle.

P.O.D. is the rock band Payable on Death. In a 2001 interview with Theresa McKeon of Shoutweb titled “P.O.D. The Fundamental Elements of God Rock,” Sonny of P.O.D. said, “Jesus was the first rebel. He was the first punk rocker going against all the rest of it.” That is a false christ. Sonny went on to admit that he not only listens to vile secular rock music, but he watches R-rated movies. He justified that sort of thing, claiming that he has liberty in Christ to make such choices, and that Christianity is not “putting on shackles.” He is confusing liberty with license. It is the heresy of antinomianism. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).

P.O.D. is heavily influenced by the anti-Christian Rastafarian religion and by the Rastafarian preacher, Bob Marley, and his reggae music. They often speak highly of Marley and do not warn of his false religion. The Marley song “Get Up, Stand Up” is an assault upon salvation by faith in Christ. Note these lyrics:

WE SICK AN’ TIRED OF YOUR BULLS—- GAME,
DIE AND GO TO HEAVEN IN JESUS NAME.
We know when we understand:
Almighty God is a living man.
You can fool some people sometimes,
But you can’t fool all the people all the time.
And now we’ve seen the light (What you gonna do?),
We gonna stand up for our rights! (Yeah, yeah, yeah!)
Most people think,
GREAT GOD WILL COME FROM THE SKIES,
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high.
BUT IF YOU KNOW WHAT LIFE IS WORTH,
YOU WILL LOOK FOR YOURS ON EARTH:
So now we see the light (What you gonna do?), We gonna stand up for our rights! (Yeah, yeah, yeah!)

P.O.D. actually plays this blasphemous song in concerts (Rolling Stone, Nov. 22, 2001, p. 35).

The Rastafarians call their false god “Jah Rastafari” and Marley’s music is filled with references to “Jah.” P.O.D. follows suit and borrows this pagan name for God in their songs. In “Tribal” P.O.D. sing, “I and I a Jah Jah warrior…” The phrase “I and I” is also from Rastafarianism, meaning oneness and unity. The name Jehovah is a biblical name for God, but the name Jah Rastafari is a false pagan god.

Shame on the Bethlehem Baptist Church for promoting such wickedness to its youth, and shame on the Baptist Bible Fellowship International for being associated with this church.