We’ve been going through a series on Sunday Mornings entitled “Peculiar People” and we’ve been learning about how God desires to have peculiar people and how God desires us to be peculiar people which means different, called out and separated. If you remember when we started this series, we began by talking about separation, just the doctrine of separation and the theology of separation(how God desires for us to live a separated life from the world). We are in the world but we are not of the world. He said come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord. And the 2nd sermon we talked about setting up standards and how we need to have certain standards in our lives that will protect us in our separation against the world. Then we focused on very specific areas how we practice separation. We talked about separation in our relationships. We talked about separation in our clothing. We talked about separation in specific parts of our lives.
This sermon is another real specific area in regards to separation. I want to speak to you about being peculiar in our music. Being peculiar in our music and our music as believers. And I want to lay a bit of a foundation as the introduction to the sermon and then I’ll give you some points in regards to how to guide the music in your life. We’ve been studying this idea that God’s word teaches us everything we need to know about every area of life. There is not an area of your life where God does not have an opinion, where God does not have a will for, where God does not have a desire for. And music is a big part of our lives and God wants us to understand and have the right perspective on proper music in our lives. And I want to say a few things as we’re laying down a bit of a foundation. #1 is that music is spiritual. Music is not something that is a-moral or neutral. It’s not something that is neither good or bad.
The Bible teaches that music is spiritual. Ephesians 5:18 “Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess” (And that’s another sermon for another night and another day. But I want you to notice what it says here) “But be filled with the spirit”. I want you to understand the context in verse 18. He’s talking about the spirit filled life. He says I want you to be filled with the spirit. Then in verse 19 he says this in the same context ”speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. Singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord”. I want you to see that God connects this idea of being filled with the spirit and walking in the spirit with being filled with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. You say, why is that? Why does he do that? And the reason for that is music is spiritual. You will not live the right type of life if you do not have the right type of music in your life. He says, I want you to be filled with the spirit. So here’s what you need to do “speaking to yourselves in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”.
I want you to notice that music is spiritual but that doesn’t mean it’s always godly. Music might have spirit in the way that God is. But it also might have spirit based on how Satan is and being demonic. Psalms 22:2 “Oh my God.”. I want you to understand the context. He’s not cursing. He’s actually speaking to God. He’s actually saying this as a phrase. He says “Oh my God. I cry in the daytime but thou hearest not. And in the night season am not silent. But thou,”. Who’s the “thou” there? The thou is referring to God because in verse 2 he says “oh my God”. He’s referring to God. And then in verse 3 he says “But thou art holy o thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel”. I want you to understand that music is very spiritual. In fact here where God says that his people would sing praises unto him. When God’s people would open their mouths and sing praises unto God, that God would actually inhabit the praises of Israel. You say how is it that God could inhabit the music and praises of his people. Because of the fact that music is spiritual.
I was a little hesitant to go to this passage because we’re going to be coming to this passage soon on Wednesday evenings in Ezekiel 28. But I felt like I couldn’t really preach this sermon without bringing your attention to this. We saw that God may inhabit the praises of his people because music is spiritual. But thou art holy that inhabitest the praises of Israel. But I want you to notice that music may also have a satanic spirit. I want you to notice what it says in Ezekiel 28:13 “Thou”. Now we have to ask ourselves this question of who is this thou that is referred to in Ezekiel 28:13. “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God”. Now if you remember the story of Eden, there were only 3 individuals that were in the Garden of Eden (It was Adam, it was Eve and it was the Devil in the form of a Serpent). He says “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold:” (Notice) “the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth;” He’s talking to this individual in the garden. This is none other than Satan himself. Because a cherub is an angelic being as is Satan. If you’ve been with us on Wednesday nights then you know we’ve talked extensively about cherubim and seraphim and here he says “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created,” (Notice) “till iniquity was found in thee.” He says, look. You were perfect until iniquity was found. Here’s what I want you to understand. Here we see a passage of Satan. He’s called the anointed cherub but I want you to notice the last part of verse 13. It says “the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee”.
I want you to notice that Satan (and again I don’t have time to develop this but as we’ve been in the book of Ezekiel we’ve seen that these cherubs are for lack of better wording, hybrids. They’re these physical beings but they have these mechanical aspects to them. If you remember we saw that they have wheels and they have this and that.”. And we see that Satan was a cherub that actually in his body had tabrets and pipes. You say why would he have those things in his body? Because his body was actually built to be a musical instrument. Satan was a musical being. Many people believe, and I tend to agree, that he was in charge of the music up in heaven and praising God. Because he was the anointed cherub but of course iniquity was found in him saying he fell. But look, if he was a musical being, don’t you think he would have some influence and control upon the music of this world? And we already saw that God inhabits the praises of Israel. And music is spiritual. God inhabits the praises of Israel. Who do you think inhabits the praises of the wicked, the world? You don’t have to go very far to see the Satanic influence of the music of this world.
I’ve got some notes here. I had to review this because I studied this out a long time ago and I grew up a Fundamental Baptist so a lot of this music is foreign to me. But I did some research a long time ago and some of you will be very familiar with this. There are many famous artists which contain a Satanic Spirit in their music. Let me give you some examples, the Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page wore the number 666 on his pants and bought the house of a famous Satan worshipper named Aleister Crowley.The AC/DC singer Bon Scott drank himself to death. And afterward, the first song on the next album was called “Hells Bells” in honor of their singer who was now in hell. Mick Jagger, in his song “Sympathy for the Devil”, portrays himself as the devil and the song has the lyrics “I’ve been around for a long, long time. Stole many a man’s soul and faith. I was ‘round when Jesus Christ had his moment of doubt and pain.” And you know just this blasphemous music portraying himself as the devil and talking about Jesus having doubts which obviously goes against what the Bible teaches. Singer David Bowie, 4 days before he died in January of 2016. 4 days before he died he released a song called Lazarus. In the song he was in a deathbed and basically resurrected himself which was a mock of the Lazarus story in the Bible where Jesus resurrected Lazarus from the dead. The song has the lyrics “Look up here I’m in heaven”. John Lennon from the Beatles, his most famous song was entitled Imagine. The lyrics to the song include “Imagine there’s no heaven. It’s easy if you try. No hell below us. Above us only skies. Imagine all the people living for today”. He talks about a world without God basically.
And what I’m trying to show you is that you don’t have to dig deep to find out that a lot of the famous musicians and music of this world is influenced by none other than Satan himself. Because of the fact that music is spiritual. And the praises of God’s people is inhabited by God himself. But the music and praises of this world are inhabited by Satan. So you need to begin this morning by understanding that music is very spiritual. But secondly you need to understand that music is influential. Not only is music spiritual but music is influential. Meaning music can influence you. Meaning music can influence you for good or music can influence you for bad. 2 Kings 3:11 “But Jehoshophat said”. If you’re familiar with the Old Testament, Jehoshophat is the king of Judah. He’s a good king. He’s not perfect but he’s a good king for the most part. “But Jehoshophat said is there not here a prophet of the Lord that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the King of Israel’s servants answered and said here is Elisha the son of Shaphat which poured water on the hands of Eiljah.” So Jehoshophat and the king of Israel and the King of Edom are getting ready to go in to battle. And Jehoshophat wants to ask of a prophet of the Lord. He wants to ask a prophet of God if there is something he should be doing. Here Elisha is the one who took up the mantle for the great prophet Elijah.
2 Kings 3:12 “Jehoshophat said, the word of the Lord is with him so the king of Israel and Jehoshophat and the king of Edom went down to him” (went down to who? Elijah, the Prophet of God. Notice verse 13.). “And Elisha said unto the king of Israel” (Because the king of Israel is a wicked man). “And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, What have I to do with thee? get thee to the prophets of thy father, and to the prophets of thy mother. And the king of Israel said unto him, Nay: for the LORD hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab. And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.” Basically, Elisha is saying, I wouldn’t even be talking to you king of Israel if it wasn’t that I do have respect for the king of Judah. Verse 15 “He says but now, bring me a ministrel”. The word minstrel is in reference to a musician. He says bring me a musician and it came to pass when the minstrel played that the hand of the Lord came upon him. And then Elisha goes on to give the prophesy of God. I want you to notice here that Elisha wanted to get a prophesy from God and he asked for a minstrel or musician to play music. And when the minstrel played, he was ready to preach and prophesy God’s Word. You say why is that? It’s because music is influential. Music can influence you in a good way.
There are many times I come to church tired. I come to church just needing a break and I think to myself “How am I going to get up and preach”. And then we get to the singing service and I start singing and we start singing some of these great songs like “And Can it Be”, “It Is Well With My Soul”, “Victory Through Grace”. And you start praising the Lord and all of the sudden you have the energy to get up and preach. You know, you’re ready to get up and preach God’s Word. Why? Because music can influence you for godly things. Here we have an example where the minstrel was playing and Elisha was able to preach God’s Word.
But let me give you a negative example. So we saw music was used in a good way with a good prophet, Elisha. Why? Because God inhabits the music of his people. God inhabits the praise of his people. Let me give you a negative example. Let’s read a little bit of the verses to get the context. “Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold,” (an idol) whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,”. I want you to understand what’s going on. Nebuchadnezzar sets up an image, an image of himself. He gathers all of the people together to this meeting where they’re all going to worship the image of Nebuchadnezzar. And then the herald speaks to all the people, verse 5.
“That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer,” (These are all instruments) “and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:” Now why do you think they played music before they all worshipped the image of Nebuchadnezzar? Here’s why. Because music is spiritual and it’s influential. Look, any false religion, whether you want to go to the jungles of Africa where they are literally speaking in unknown languages and demon possessed and running around fires being possessed by devils to ungodly beats and music of satan. Or whether you want to go to the Charismatic Church down the street being filled with the same devils, speaking in the same gibberish garbage, worshipping the same devil and they’ve got their rock music with their drums and with their beats and with their worldly music. Look, music is always used. Whether the religion is good or bad, it’s always used. Why? Because music is spiritual and because it can influence you. You needed this music in order to worship this golden image. Look at verse 6.
“And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.” And of course you know the story. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to worship the image and you’ve got that whole story. But I want you to notice that music can be used to influence you in a good way like Elisha calling a minstrel so he could preach the true Word of God. But it can be used in a negative way by ungodly people to get you to worship Satan, to get you to worship idols, to get you to worship the world.
Let me read to you from an article entitled “Does music affect our behavior”. This was written in October of 2018. Does music affect our behavior. Let me just read to you a section of this article. I’ll read to you parts of it. I’m going to jump a few sections but it says this. Based on a great number of studies, researchers claim that we all respond to music on a neurological level. Music effects our behavior, psychology and reality perception. It goes on to say, the American Music Therapy Association reports that a music therapy is a powerful tool to fight such problems as stress, enhancing memory or pain. In one study, scientists divided people who were about to undergo surgery into 2 groups. The first group they played music to. The second group they offered anti anxiety drugs. Later they asked the patients to describe their anxiety levels and found that those who listened to music were less nervous than those that were given drugs. Music, it goes on to say, affects the production of immunoglobulin, an antibody that positively affects immunity says other research. This is why many music therapists suggest that the music is more useful for pain than pills. It is less expensive and has no side effects. There are thousands of music therapists in the USA who help people with mental problems or emotional trauma to overcome their problems using music. The article goes on and says this, In the book “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life”, Dr. Daniel Amen says that regular listening of some types of music can be a door to a person’s mind and his feelings. He explains this on the example of rock and heavy metal music. According to Dr. Daniel Amen, teenagers who listen to heavy metal music or negative content very often end up in rehab centers. He goes on to say, there’s another called the secret life of the unborn child in which Dr. Thomas Vernie conducted several experiments showing the reaction of an unborn baby while his mother listens to classical music. (And I’m not necessarily condoning classical music. I’m just reading this for you). It says music is a powerful tool to affect people’s behavior. Yet it must be carefully used to produce a positive affect. Music can be inspiring. Music can be soothing & calming but music can destruct us in a way we can’t even imagine. Each piece of music has its own identity and personality. Choose carefully the music you listen to. And it goes on and on and talks about different things.
But here’s what I want you to understand. Music is spiritual and it’s influential. Music is spiritual in the fact that it’s either inhabited by God or it’s inhabited by the god of this world Satan. But it will also influence you to act certain ways, to do certain things and to think certain things. So, how do we know what is good music and what is bad music? How do we discern God honoring, Christ honoring music and Satanic music? What I’d like to do is give you 3 questions to ask to help guide your decision making in regards to music. Because these questions when you answer them will help you determine what is good music and what is bad music.
Now let me say when it comes to the subject of music, we could go deep and we could go dry. I mean there is so much to music and the aspect of music and you know as a Pastor I’m talking to a general crowd of people who have a general understanding of music. I’m not preaching to a group of musicians who have studied music and music theory. So I’m keeping it real general and not specific because I’m trying to help the average person who doesn’t understand music theory or things like that. Just to guide you and help you understand. Now this applies whether you know nothing about music or whether you are some sort of musical genius and understand everything. These guidelines are going to help you either way. But I’m really trying to keep it basic to help the average person understand what is good music. Because here’s the thing, music is spiritual and influential. Since music is spiritual and influential, we must guide ourselves to make sure we’re not bringing in the wrong music and the wrong spirit to our lives. I want to give you 3 questions to guide your decision making for music. Let me say this, many of you struggle with music. I was fortunate in the sense that I grew up in an Independent Fundamental Baptist home. I’m not saying I never listened to bad music or that I didn’t have access because as a teenager you can get your hands on whatever you want. But for the most part I grew up in a home where a lot of this worldly music wasn’t allowed. And I grew up singing hymns and songs that are spiritual songs. So honestly, this is not an area I really struggle with. And because of that unfortunately, I feel like I don’t talk about it much because it’s something I don’t think about much. But I realize that there are many and problem most of you out there that do struggle with music. Music was a big part of your life before you got saved so I want to help you with this. When I met my wife she was 17 years old. She was an atheist and hadn’t grown up in a fundamental home. Something she had going for her is that she grew up in a Catholic Church where they sung a lot of the same songs we sing now and same style of the hymns. So it’s really easy for her to transition when she got saved to the hymns we sing in church here. But for some of you that might not be the case. Especially those of you who struggle with listening to the right type of music, I want to give you some questions for how to determine if something is good or bad, whether it’s something you should listen to.
#1 Because of the fact that music is spiritual and influential, you must ask the question “What does the music promote?”. When you are trying to decide, “Is this something I should be listening to? Is this something I should allow my kids to be exposed to? Is this something I should be allowing in to my home or in to my life?”. You must what does this music promote? Because music is an instructor. Here’s what most people don’t understand about music. Music is a teacher. It teaches you in Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom”. Now it’s interesting that he says that. Because what is that phrase referring to (Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly). It’s referring to memorizing God’s Word. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. Then he says “Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your heart to the Lord”. Here’s what the Bible is saying. The best way to learn something is to put it to music. He says “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”.
And here’s the truth, some of you got saved and you’re even struggling memorizing the Romans Road to be able to give the gospel. But you’ll walk in to Walmart and they’ll be playing some ungodly song that you listened to when you were 17 and all the words come rushing back in to your mind. I mean when you hear a song, when you memorize a song. You memorize the words. You remember the words. You say “I can’t remember where I put my keys. I can’t remember what I read in the Bible 2 days ago”. But I have this music that’s in my head for 10 years and I can’t get it out. You say why? Because music is the best instructor to keep things memorized. You want to keep things memorized, music will do it. This is why you need to be careful what you allow into your ears and into your mind because once it’s there, there’s no getting rid of it. Music is an instructor. So you have to ask yourself, when you’re listening to music, what does this music promote. What is this music promoting in my life? What is this music trying to get me to do, to think, to act like. Godly music teaches you good things. It will influence you. It will promote good things in your life.
Psalms 40 “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” Notice verse 3. “And he hath put a new song in my mouth,” That’s what some of you need. A new song. Notice what he says “even praise unto our God:” Now I want you to notice, he’s talking about music. “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” He says many shall see it. See what? They shall see the new song. The praise in your mouth. They shall see it and fear and trust in the Lord. The Bible actually says that are music will help people to see it and fear and to trust in the Lord. You say, how can that be?
And by the way, this is why you ought to sing during the singing service. The singing service is not for you to just sit there and have a serious look on your face and not be part of the singing. The singing service is part of the church service in regards to it’s there to help you spiritually. It’s not just the preaching. The music prepares your heart for the preaching. Let me tell you something, there is something wrong…..The Bible says “But be ye filled with the Spirit singing to yourselves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs”. You cannot be filled with the Spirit of God if you have an issue or problem with singing. If you sit at the church service during singing with a look like this (depressed look), let me tell you something, there’s something wrong with your heart. You’re not right with God. There’s an issue in your heart. I’m not picking on you. I’m just trying to help you. You say I just don’t like singing. Because you’re not right with God. You cannot be filled with the Spirit of God and not have it produce singing. You cannot be walking with God and not get excited when we’re singing “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine”. Look, you can’t be in love with God and have an issue singing the songs and praises of God. If you’ve got an issue with singing, I’m not trying to pick on you but you probably have a problem with worldliness. Because I promise you that you have no problem getting in to a car and listening to the world’s garbage. Listening to the world’s music. You can listen to your rap and your country and your hip-hop and whatever, then you come to church and say “I’m not in to music”. It’s not that you’re not in to music. You’re not in to godly music. Everyone is in to music. It’s not that you’re not in to music. It’s because the flesh in you has a problem with God’s music. You say, why? Because God’s Spiritual music is trying to teach and promote things in you that the world is trying to fight against.
Acts 16
“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed,” Remember, Paul and Silas were in prison. Paul and Silas were in prison. They had been in prison for preaching God’s Word. What did they do? And at midnight Paul and Silas sat there with a big lower lip, whining and complaining. Is that what it says? You say “Pastor, you don’t understand. I’m so depressed”. Grab a hymn book start singing. “Pastor you don’t understand. I’m so discouraged”. Grab a hymn book and start singing. I’m serious. “I need some sort of pills to help me get over my depression”. No, what you need is more singing. I promise you that if you’re saved and you grab a hymn book and start singing “I hear the Saviour say, thy strength indeed is small. Child of weakness watch and pray. Find in me thine all in all. Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow”. You start singing “I must needs go home by the way of the cross, there’s no other way but this. I shall ne’er get sight of the gates of light if the way of the cross I miss. The way of the cross leads home. The way of the cross leads home.”. Here’s all I’m saying. You start singing praises to God, you can’t help but get excited if you’re saved. You got the Holy Spirit of God and you start opening up this hymn book and singing praises to God “One day when heaven was filled with his praises. One day when sin was as dark as could be. Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin dwelt amongst men my example is he. Living he loved me. Dying he saved me. Buried he carried my sins far away”. Do you think you’re going to sing that and still be discouraged? Do you think that you’re still going to sing that and still be upset? “Well you don’t understand what I’m going through”. “You say Pastor, how can you help me with my depression?”. Grab a hymnal and take it home. Force yourself to start singing these songs and I promise it will help your heart. Because good music promotes good things. “Teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs”.
Here you’ve got Paul and Silas at midnight they prayed, ”and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”. Right. The Bible says he hath put a new song in my mouth and many shall hear and fear and trust the Lord. Notice, “the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.”. You don’t think that hearing the singing and praising of Paul and Silas all night long didn’t help influence those prisoners to do the right thing. These guys could have left. But he says “Do thyself no harm for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Look, everything in the Bible is there for a reason. The Bible says “He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God. Many shall see it and fear and trust in the Lord”. Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God and the Philippian jailer falls on his knees and says “Sirs, what must I do to be saved”. You say, why? Because God uses godly music to teach us many things.
You can’t sing these songs without being filled with the Spirit of God. Just looking at these songs, it would be nice to just sit here and sing all day. “Like a river glorious, is God’s perfect peace. Over all victorious, in it’s bright increase. Perfect yet it floweth, fuller every day. Perfect yet it floweth, deeper all the way”. You say, I don’t feel like going soulwinning. Start singing “Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest.”. You say, I don’t feel like reading the Bible anymore. Start singing “Finding, as He promised, Perfect peace and rest.”. You say, I don’t feel like praying. Start singing. Here’s all I’m telling you, when we’re singing at church, sing. When we’re opening our Bible and reading at church, read. When it’s preaching time, look up, pay attention, take notes, it will help you. And the music time is something that God has instituted in the church service. You say why? Because good music promotes good things. The reverse is true. The world’s music teaches worldly things. 1 John 2:15-16 “ 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.” You say Pastor, this passage has nothing to do with music.
Well look at verse 16 “For all”, that means everything. So this passage must include music. “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.” And look, you know it’s true that if you listen to popular music of this world right now, you can characterize is by “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life”. Don’t watch music videos. But if you do because you’re backslidden, do you know what you’ll find? “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life”. Don’t go to some rock concert or country concert or hip-hop concert. Don’t go to them. If you do it’s wrong, you’re worldly, you’re backslidden. But if you do, do you know what you’ll find? “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life”. Some of you because you’re backslidden and worldly as hell will watch the Grammys tonight. And you know what you’ll find when you watch the Grammys or the Superbowl or the Emmys, or the Oscars or anything the world has to offer? “The lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life”. That’s all the world has to offer. That’s all the world can give you “The Lust of the Flesh, The Lust of the Eyes, the Pride of Life”.
And Christians are so stupid though. They get the idea it’s just the rap music. It’s just the hip-hop music. That ungodly Snoop Dogg and Eminem and Skittles, I don’t know what else. It’s just that Hip Hop Music is so bad. Pastor, I listen to country music. You know what, country music is worse than Hip-Hop Music. If I had to choose between my kids growing up and struggling with either Country Music or Hip Hop Music, I’d rather they struggle with Hip Hop. You say, why? Because with Hip Hop you can look at it and know it’s worldly and wrong. This country music is a bunch of drunkards and fornicators that want to act like they’re good Christians. People talk about the “wholesome Christian music”. The most famous country song by a guy named “Brooks and Dunn”. It’s called “Red Dirt Road”. The lyrics go, “It’s where I drank my first beer. It’s where I found Jesus”. As if those 2 things just go together. As if those 2 things are just wholesome and right. That is blasphemous my friend. You say “Is it worldly”. Look, any music of the world. All that the world has to offer is “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life”. You say, “Pastor, are you going to tell us what music to listen to and what music not to listen to?”. No, I’m just going to tell you this, when you’re deciding to turn on the radio and listen to music, when you’re decided to put in a cd and listen to music, you gotta ask yourself, “What does this music promote?”. Does this music promote godliness? Does this music promote me reading the Bible, soulwinning, walking in the spirit, loving God, loving my neighbor? Or does it promote fornication, drunkenness, drug addicts and alcoholism? What does it promote? Because music is an instructor.
Not only should you ask, what does this music promote? But because music is influential, you have to ask “What does this music produce?”. Anything or anyone should be judged by what it produces. “I’m trying to think of whether to send my kids to the public state hell university”. Ask yourself this question, what does it produce? I’m thinking about sending my kids to a public school where they have a good sports program. Ask yourself, what does that school produce? Look at the kids coming out of that school. Look at the kids coming out of the University. If they’re coming out with degrees and they’re also coming out with STD’s, you ought to consider that. Because you know you can get a degree without an STD. Did you know you can get a degree without being a drunkard. Did you know that you can get a degree without the Beer Pong. Did you know that you can get a degree without the fornication, without being a whore, without being a whoremonger. The way that you determine if someone is a good teacher or not is you look at what do they produce. Not only do you look at what do they promote but what do they produce. You want to judge if Pastor Jimenez is a good teachers of God’s Word. Ask yourself, what do I promote and what do I produce. Look around. Look around at our church. And I’m not saying we’re all perfect, obviously we’re all sinners saved by grace. We’re all struggling. We’re all needing to draw closer to God. But look around at the people in this church because this is what we produce here. Go to the rock and roll church down the street. I don’t care if they have 50 people or 5,000 people. Ask yourself, what do they produce? Because this is how we measure any teaching according to Jesus.
Matthew 7 “Beware of false prophets”. Ok that’s a teacher. A bad one. “Which come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits”. Notice, he doesn’t say you’ll know them by their tree. He says you’ll know them by their fruits. By the way, the context of this phrase is about false prophets. People act like you’ll know Christians by their fruit. No, the context is you’ll know false prophets by their fruit. “ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles. Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit. But a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them”. Notice, Jesus doesn’t say judge them by their tree. Because if you want to judge a false prophet by their tree then you might be impressed with Joel Osteen. You might be impressed with the false prophet down the street. They’re going to have nicer facilities. They’re going to have better programs, more resources. But he says, don’t look at the tree. Look at the fruit, what do they produce. Pastor Jimenez, you got this building on Norwood. Don’t look at the tree. Look at the fruit. Here’s how you judge something that teaches you. What does it produce? And music should be judged the same way because music is an instructor teaching you in Psalms & Hymns & Spiritual Songs.
So here’s the question. What does the world’s music produce. Be honest. What does it produce? Let me give you a list of the famous singers who died before the age of 30 either by alcohol, drugs or suicide. Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Hank Williams Sr., Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin. Be honest with yourself. You know what the world’s music produces. It produces suicide. It produces alcoholism. It produces drug addiction. It produces STD’s. It produces fornication. That’s what the world’s music produces. And when you sit down and say teach me world, teach me satan, that’s what it’s teaching you. So here’s the question. What about the contemporary Christian music (CCM). Pastor, I just love to listen to the CCM, not the old-fashioned hymns. People ask us, why don’t you have CCM instead of the old-fashioned hymns. Well here’s the question you have to ask yourself. What does that music produce?
Let me give you some examples of what CCM produces and where it comes from. A guy by the name of Mylon LeFevre, a famous CCM artist, who titled an album sheep in wolves’ clothing. The implication is that we should disguise ourselves as wolves to the unsaved world even though we are the children of God in order to win the lost. That sounds like a scriptural philosophy, right? (sarcasm in tone implied). A guy by the name of Larry Normal. He’s one of the pioneers of the Christian Rock Movement. Some of his songs include “I ain’t knockin the hymns but just give me a song with a beat. I ain’t knocking the hymns but just give me a song that moves my feet. I don’t like none of those funeral marches. I ain’t dead yet”. DC Talk, one of the most famous Christian Bands around with their famous music video “Jesus Freak”. That video was directed by Simon Maxwell. Who also did the Satanic Video “Hurt” by 9 inch nails. Here’s all I’m saying, what does the Christian Contemporary Music of this world produce and here’s the answer, lameness, worldliness.
I’m just asking, show me the preacher who’s getting up and going line by line, verse by verse, chapter by chapter through God’s Word, thundering God’s Word boldly saying “Thus Saith the Lord God”, not watering anything down. Show me that guy who has a rock band on his stage and you can’t find it. You say Pastor Jimenez, I love your preaching but I just wish you brought in the CCM. Here’s what you don’t understand. If you brought in the CCM, you’d stop loving my preaching. Because these things go together. They influence. If we bring in the watered down, rock and roll, shallow music….have you ever noticed how specific the songs are that we sing. I mean they talk about the deity of Christ. They talk about salvation by grace through faith. They talk about eternal security. They talk about things that teach specific doctrines and I get up and preach specific doctrines. You go to the rock and roll church down the street. And their songs aren’t specific at all. Our God is an Awesome God. Wow, I learned something. You’re going to repeat that phrase like 30 times. You say, what is wrong with that song? Here’s what’s wrong with it, a Baptist could sing, a Catholic could sing it, a Mormon could sing it, a Muslim could sing it…..Contemporary Music, they’re trying to make money. You say why do they sing for God? Because there is good money in it. You think they’re going to sing “Victory through Grace”? You think they’re going to sing “Faith of our Fathers”? You think they are going to sing specific songs? All I’m trying to tell you is that music is an instructor. And the world’s music produces worldliness and the Contemporary music produces worldliness as well.
Find the Pastors that are standing up in the US, thundering God’s Word, that are preaching the truth, that are helping people change lives and you know what you’ll find? Before that guy gets up to preach, a hymn. Because music is an instructor and God’s music promotes in that direction. It produces those things. So you’ve got to ask yourself before you listen…and look, I’m not here to be a Lord over God’s heritage. What you listen to at your house is between you and God. I’ll I’m trying to help you understand is that God has given some direction to the music we listen to and you ought to ask yourself, what does this music promote? Ask yourself, what does this music produce.
Let me give you a 3rd one. Because music is spiritual and influential, we must ask ourselves what does this music promote? What does this music produce? Here’s a 3rd question to help guide your music. What is that music patterned after? What is this music patterned after? Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Don’t miss this. Verse 2 “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.” The Bible says be not conformed to this world. Conformed means to pattern yourself or mold yourself after. God says I don’t want you to be patterned after, I don’t want you to be conformed, I don’t want you to act like, look like the world. He says be not conformed to this world. You have to understand that God does not run his train on the world’s tracks. Be not conformed to this world.
You say Pastor Jimenez, you don’t believe in Christian Rock Music? You don’t believe in Christian Rap Music? You don’t believe in Christian Hip Hop Music? You don’t believe in Christian Soft Rock? You don’t believe in Christians Contemporary Music? Look, I don’t believe in Christian marijuana. I don’t believe in Christian heroin. I don’t believe in Christian prostitutes. You can’t just take something from the world and then call it good. If rap music is of the devil then adding the name Jesus doesn’t make it godly. Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. You say, what’s wrong with CCM music? It’s patterned after the world’s music. Go to the average church in America today that is playing the Christian Contemporary Music and you know what they’re playing? They’re playing the music of 10 years ago. They’re just playing whatever was popular 10 years ago. They just have the exact same style, the exact same sound. They just added the name of Jesus. That’s what they’re playing.
And you know you walk into Verity Baptist Church and we have the hymns playing instrumentally. You say Pastor, why do you do that? Because music influences you. You’ve got some upbeat godly music. You’re going to get in a good mood and start fellowshipping. You know these worldly Christian Churches have their little rock bands and they have them playing the actual worldly music. Not the Contemporary Music but the actual rock and roll music of the 70s, 80s and 90s. Then we they start the worship service it’s the exact same music but they just talk about Jesus. And it’s patterned after the world. It’s patterned after the current world’s music. We need to have music that is not patterned after this world. We need music that is not conformed to this world.
Let me just run through a few verses to show you something. Psalms 33:3 “Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.” The Bible tells us that we ought to sing unto him a new song. Psalms 40:3 “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” Psalms 96:1 “O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.” He says sing a new song. You say, I don’t get it. Is he telling us we need to write new music when we get saved? No, here’s what he’s telling us. When you get saved, you ought to stop singing what you were singing and sing a new song for a new life. See, the old hymns are a new song for a new Christian. These songs that we’ve been singing for 200 years, Christians will walk in and say “I’ve never heard this music”. Yeah because you’re going to sing unto him a new song. It’s the old hymns but it’s a new song for you, not the world’s song. And it’s funny because people will walk in here and the only song they’ve heard is Amazing Grace. And then they’ll get saved and say “Pastor, I never knew Amazing Grace was about salvation”. “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found was blind but now I see”. You say “How did I not realize it was about salvation?”. It’s because you weren’t saved. It’s a new song.
Psalms 98:1 “O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.”. Psalms 144:9 “I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.” Psalms 149:1 “Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.”. Here’s all I’m telling you. God has an opinion on every area of your life. God has a will, God has a desire for everything. Your relationships, your clothing and even your music. You say, I’m not a musician so how do I know. What does the music promote? Does it promote godliness? Does it promote soulwinning? Does it promote a separated life? Or does it promote worldliness. What does it produce? It’s not that hard. Look at the people that listen to the music and see what it produces in their lives. And what is it patterned after? Is it patterned after this world? Is it conformed to this world? Or is it a new song. Is it a new song that is different from what the world is saying?
Let’s pray.