 I don't really care what your genre, Southern gospel, quartet, contemporary, even if it's choir music, hymns, you name it, there seems to be a problem with Christian music. Now, the reason why there's a problem with Christian music is because there's a problem with professing Christians. The reason why there's a problem with professing Christians is because there's a problem with people. And the problem really is not so much with the people and not so much even with the professing Christians. Probably more likely it's a problem or a fault of the church, us as believers. Why? Because we seem to have one lowered our standards and then two also lowered what we have accepted. In other words, we tolerate an awful lot of things that we probably ought not tolerate. And there is just this thing that's happening in praise and worship circles, in Christian music, but really before it gets there, it starts off at the church. Why do I say that? Because anybody who can play the guitar, anybody that can play the drums, anyone that can sing, they seem to be a candidate for the praise and worship team for the choir. That's just not the way it should be. It should not be that anyone who can play, anyone who can sing ought to be up leading worship because after all, we're leading worship. Just because you have a gift does not mean that gift needs to be exercised here. The same reason just because you teach kids in public school does not mean that you need to be the one that is over of the youth at the church. Two totally different things. Now, if you can play and you want to set up a band in the garage or have a country band, an R&B band, or a rock band, that's fine. Knock your socks off. But in the church, there's a little bit more reverence. And what's happened is because we let anyone come in who do not reverence the Lord, then when they come in, they may have some talent. And let's just be honest, there are a lot of talented people who make their way into the church and we didn't check their credentials, meaning we didn't check and see if they have found or if they have the Lord in their heart. And so we end up finding people who can put together some songs well, sing well, put together a nice beat and what ends up happening is those very same people, they rise to prominence and then lead us, not just the people at that church, but if they become somebody famous, they end up leading us as well. I mean, if the beat is right and the band is hot, I can sing all kinds of lives and feel like I've met with God. That part is true. It can sound good, it can get your head moving, it can even elicit emotion. Let's just be honest, music can do that. And sometimes the music, we don't even check and know who the people are that are singing in their background, but the words mean something, they register. And that's always gonna happen. There's always gonna be somebody who you're gonna listen to and know what their background is. It's gonna be somebody who you like to listen to and you're not sure if you ought to be listening to them or you don't know that you should or should not because they're background, but the song sounds nice. Now, regardless of what your tastes are, whatever your preferences are, and let's just be clear. There is no such thing as a biblical preference. There is no genre that we know of, at least yet, that's been declared to us or that we've been informed of, that we're gonna find in heaven. The Bible teach us that gospel music is what we're gonna sing in heaven or contemporary or Southern gospel kind of country. What about Christian rock? What about Christian rap? Because it's not your thing, because it's not your preference. Well, that's not a reason to not like it or to say that we shouldn't listen to it. I even heard someone say that I don't like some of the new contemporary stuff because it is repetitive. They just say the same thing over and over and over. Well, that might not be your taste, but, biblically speaking, we do know in heaven, at least, there are gonna be these angels that will be saying the same thing over and over again. Holy, holy, holy. And so what it boils down oftentimes with some people is a preference. But more than preference, there's still a problem in Christian circles. Now, before we get to the problem, you need to decide, hey, is it okay if this preference that I don't like, is that okay? What about contemporary music? Let's be honest. A lot of us, these songs are catchy. They sound nice and so forth. I like those. That moves me. It gets me moving and so forth. It gets me put the smile on my face. Some folks, that's not my preference. My preference, what I really like, what I really like are the hymns. One of the things that we have to do as a body is figure out what's acceptable and what's not acceptable. What makes something acceptable and what's not acceptable. Because sometimes the question is, are we going too far with the music? Are we going too far with the lights? When you look at some of these things, this might be a little bit too much. The lights, the smoke machine and so forth. And somebody might even say that this might be okay with the youth. But then again, maybe it's not okay with the youth because if you condition a youth to expect a concert, that's what they're going to want in their regular service. And so, is that a good thing? Probably not. Probably not. As a matter of fact, what we need to figure out is whatever we do, it should do what? It should glorify God. Going to the Bible, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10, 31, he says whether you eat then, whether then you eat or you sleep. Trivial things, things that we take for granted. But he says whatever you do, whether it's this or that, do whatever it is all to the glory of God. And then he sums up in 33, the reason for that is so that now, I'm not trying to seek any offense of anyone, but I'm also, here's the other part, I'm not trying to seek my own profit. This also goes with music. There are many people who have entered into the church who are leading praise and worship, who are using this kind of as a stepping stone. But the goal here is not to profit myself, but to profit many, so that others will be safe. The whole point of praise and worship music is two-fold. One, that we would enjoy it and give reverence to the Lord, that we would let him know how much we think of him. And I've heard pastors say, listen, I want you to put your all into this song. Obviously we want the, let's just be honest, let's back in for a second. Let's be honest, we know for a fact, we know for a fact that people, if you go to church and the music is bad, if the music is off, it can throw you for a curve. You can think to yourself, wait a second, you've messed with the whole thing. And so a lot of pastors do want to make sure that before they come up, as they say, the table is set. And so you would even, and there's some legitimacy to that, because if you're going to get up and sing, you're going to lead us in worship, put some time and some effort into it. But what comes across more than anything else, along with practice, is your heart. You should be helping us, leading us into worship. Now it should not be just the choir on stage. I know choirs are becoming more and more out of fashion, but it shouldn't be just the choir on stage, the praise and worship or the lead singer. It shouldn't be just them who are enjoying worship. We should too. Remember, we're not coming to a concert to hear them sing. We're listening to them lead us in worship. The Bible says this in Psalm 150, you've heard this before, praise the Lord. Well, we can just stop there, praise the Lord, not myself, not my problems, not anyone else, but praise who? Praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary. Praise Him in His mighty expenses. Praise Him for His mighty deeds. Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. We'll probably come back to this in just a little bit, but it's important to understand that we are there to praise the Lord. That's it, not ourselves. Sometimes we get in the habit of trying to lift ourselves up. That happens an awful lot. We should not do that. We should be there to, one, lift Him up, but then also to other people might see us. There might be some guests there who hear the praise and worship. Here's the choir music, here's whatever, and think, you know what? I like this. Because there should be something about our authenticity that appeals to those on the outside. There are two groups of people. I'm sorry, really three groups of people that are there in the church. Those who are the actual true believers, those who are professed believers who might not actually know that there aren't, they aren't, but they just profess whether they do or they don't know. And then those who know they're not believers, but they're there. And the goal is if we can bring all of us in right fellowship with the Lord together. Well then amen, that's the point. And so there are no individual stars. Now I get it, some people have gifts. They want to show it off. They want to make sure folks can hear the golden pipes and hear my runs and so forth and give me a solo on the drums and give me a little bit of extra run on this, why should guitar rest? No, that's not necessary. That's not the goal. If in your playing that comes out. Well, this is how I praise the Lord. Well, amen, we'll do it in concert with us. We are part of a band and not a, it's not a solo act. No one got up this morning, put on their Sunday's best or just put on their clothes, came to church to hear you give a great solo on the drums. No one came for that. Although you may think so. A choir leader or lead singer came to hear you belt out the greatest rendition of Praise the Lord or whatever. No one is there for that. They are here to worship the true guest of honor. That would be God. Now, listen to what Paul Washer says. Tell me how much of this, if all of it that you agree with. You will find most of the texts about the attributes of God in the book of Psalms are singing ought to be theological. And if you are going to have a worship leader, he needs to be a theologian. That part I agree with. Now, should he be a scholar? No, it didn't have to be a scholar, but he is going to lead us. She is going to lead us. They're going to lead us in singing and the words that come out of their mouth that make their way out of their mouth into the atmosphere, into our ears and then resonate in our hearts. They need to be biblical. It shouldn't just be pastor, turn your back on whatever's happening in the service or what the choir is doing. You need to make sure that it is appropriate. That is one biblical that is doctrineally sound because we have seen some people kind of go off the rails a little bit and so I agree with him. He needs to know God and he needs to walk in the fear of God and holiness probably even more than the one who preaches the word. Now, that's a novel concept that he needs to know God. You mean to tell me the person that's leading or the people that's up there praising God and helping to lead us in worship? They should know God? Well, absolutely. They should know God now. Should they know more than maybe the person that's preaching? I wouldn't necessarily go that far but they should certainly know God. They should have a love for God. I've seen people with a gift to sing who had no interest in singing and it comes out that way and I've seen people with less of a gift who have an interest in singing, who is their passion and you can feel it and so that being the case, except as a matter of fact, mandatory that those that are singing should be lovers of the Lord. Typically, we know it, I don't care what color church it is, predominantly black church, predominantly white church, predominantly, we've all had this problem where the choir members tend to be sometimes a little late to the party and also leaving early, not listening to the note. You're going to stay here. If there's three services, you're going to be at all three services. You are going to make sure that or we're going to make sure that you love the Lord. If you don't, you better think that you love them, it should be that clear, that evidence. The people that are singing should know and love the Lord. It is a terrible thing that we do in churches today with regard to worship because we do not know the fear of God. A young boy has a guitar and he can sing well. Let's let him lead worship. We ought to realize that in the book of Leviticus God killed two worship leaders because they did not worship him conform to the scriptures. Now, who is talking about what he's talking about? I don't want to cover this before. Let me cover this. He is talking about Ne'edab and Abih. Do you remember those two boys who approached the Lord with this profane or this strange fire? We're not totally sure what exactly it was but I want you to go and listen to what Moses says to Aaron. These are Aaron's sons what he says. He says it is what the Lord spoke saying by those who come near me. That's what we do in worship who come near me. I will be treated as holy. Before the Lord, even in song and praise you need to treat God as holy. You need to regard him as holy. He is not somebody that is there to hear you just to speak nice about him. No, he is God. Not at the BET Awards, not at the Devil Awards, not at any sort of awards show. You are before the presence of the Lord. That should be known. That should be understood and it should be felt. Yeah, I understand sometimes we're not talking about an emotion of the Lord and you get an opportunity to demonstrate it in an art such as singing or playing or performing then you should. Some of you I don't know that I used to be over. I used to be a worship leader. Of course you can't sing. That was not my forte. But what I would always get across and try to get across is that you are performers. Not in the sense that we see in some of these shows in some of these churches you are performing for an audience of one. Make him please understand that he can see through you. He can see through whatever color shirt you have on, whatever your jackets are, whatever your blouses are, whatever you're wearing, he can see through it and see in your heart. You are performing for an audience of one. Do not get up before the Lord and tell him how wonderful he is, how great he is but you don't know it yourself. That's what I mean. And so when you get up there, people can see that. Now there's a problem though with the people that we pay for their stuff meaning you can find them on YouTube music or Apple music or what have you. There is beginning to be more and more of a problem and we it's, no, you're not wrong. You're not the only one that can sense it. You see it on the different shows and it makes you wonder why some of these folks are even having some of these award shows. I'm the best Christian singer of the year. That sounds real biblical. That sounds real godly well, no, it's not. But even more to that, listen to I don't know if you all heard this. It was pretty recent Don McClurkham giving a interview a little bit about what happens at some of these award shows. These Christian award shows. You can watch now the industry called gospel music today. You see that a lot of it is solely for the grandisement. It is for the awards. It is for the popularity. And we use gospel music as a foundation gospel music. But we're building all of this carnality on top of it. Who can get an award and who can get the television spot and who's going to be on the televised award show and the like and that becomes the goal. That part is true. The few people that I do know that have some familiarity with this that's true. There's this jockeying in it. As a matter of fact and I'll go back to him but the jockeying isn't just with the big people. It's not with the famous folks we know but guess what guys there's this jockeying even in the local circus circuits. And what I mean by local circus I mean in town. You've got musicians who they're professional musicians who are paid to go from one church to the next church who sing, play drums, play the piano, play the organ guitar, what have you and they want to be the best in their city. They have these local gospel shows or Christian worship shows and so forth. They can be invited to come and perform when someone comes to speak. And so there is this jockeying because they still to have a dream. I love to sing and I would love to sing for the Lord and if I if by chance I get paid then amen. Now some of those people may have good intentions. The problem is though when you have good intentions and you're surrounded by people with bad intentions it can sell you. That company can do what corrupt you. And so what he's saying obviously he knows he's been there far more than you and I have. He knows what's going on and he seems to be bothered by it. You go to the award shows now and you platform all of the gospel artists and all the new gospel music and then you go to the reception afterwards and it's drinking and secular music. They got an open bar, they play nothing but secular music and a gospel award show. So this is become the norm because we let down the guard. The guardians have let down the standard and now there's another standard raised where it's all according to what you think is right. And the Bible said there's a way that seems right unto a man but the end of those ways are the ways of death. So that's where we find ourselves. We're sending a great message but we're not living a great life. How sad is that? How sad is that you've got people there before us while the camera's on. Lord Jesus hallelujah praise God and they can certainly put on a show acting the tears because you can generate some fake tears the emotion you can just kind of quiver your lip a little bit, go to shaking your hands but then after that well who's got the drinks? Where's the drink set and then they're playing secular music. That's a problem. Now there's nobody who probably associate this with more than probably these two next people the next people. One of them is well our good old friend Kirk Franklin. That doesn't scream Jesus one because you get too close and that's always been the problem with Kirk Franklin. When he first started off here, especially here in Texas, it was one of those things that guy he's got talent but he seems to skirt the world awfully close. He's too close he's too commercial that's always been the rub. Now he'll say some things that can minister to a person who is struggling, who is hurting. The problem is Kirk tends not to bring them from the hurting, the struggling to a godly relationship and so yes God loves you because of what you're going through and he cares for you but then it seems to go no further than that. That's a problem Kirk. Now what Kirk can do is he can put on a show. This does not look like, if you didn't know it was Kirk Franklin, this does not look like anything guys, it was an award show but that is just not what the message you want to be sending. That is not the message that you want to get across to the people and of course we know Kirk is always one who is good to go and dance of course a lot of his dancing seems to be very ungodly but this is the problem it's a huge problem. You've got smoke machines light and so forth so what is the message? The message that they're going to leave with is that man they can dance, man they can sing ooh we had a good time, we sweat we did all these things what were they singing about? Oh it was gospel, what about it? What was the actual message? I don't know my heart was not prick and that's the problem. When was the last time you were at a place where people after people that you knew were not saved and then placed their faith in Christ after that and then ended up leading that life fully. I don't mean they got emotional, the choir sang well, they got emotional, placed their faith in Christ sort of at least it looked that way and then a week later a month later, a year later, two years later they have done nothing, they're virtually where they were, they made an emotional reaction to an emotional and sounding song. Also there's another person who we will associate at least faster more recently with someone who tends to be kind of of the world, worldly-ish so much so that that's kind of got him in trouble, this degree young man, Dante Bow. I'm excited to see the performers tonight, Celia. Who are you looking forward to seeing perform? Uh it's Lil Not X, Lil Not X performance tonight. I'm looking forward to seeing that, that's gonna be cool. Now he's at an award show, getting his Grammy, fine you got your Grammy and you want to see Lil Not X unless there's a different Lil Not X then we got a problem Now one thing that we don't know or we don't think about but it's true, there are an awful lot of people who started off in the music industry got some fame grew in their fame and decided because I've been promoting myself all along the next step, the natural next step is to go into preaching. Have you all noticed how many preachers started off their background, started off in music? Whether they were good at it or not, they tried their hand at music. Some of these people that we know of people like Lovie Elias, people like Katherine Crick started off in music Mike Todd, how about Marcus Rogers and then this next gentleman he's older than I am and he knows better but he starts off in music, good band, good group, commission and then he goes solo, I'm speaking of Marvin Sapp, who is now a pastor. The problem is you don't have these pastors doing what pastors are supposed to, standing up for the gospel calling out sin and promoting truth. Listen to his response on another interview, I don't know if it's a YouTube station, whatever this is, but asking about or speaking about those who are homosexual. Retains to homosexuality being in the church and when you study the Bible, you would know to notice that that was a problem. I'm not going to say now, yeah, that was a problem. So the issue is, what are you going to say about it? Listen to his, not even answers, really waffling. Say, nor will I ever put anybody in heaven or hell because of what they decide to do because that's a God decision. I stand on the scripture in Galatians 6 and 1. If you find someone who is overtaken with a fault, those of you all who are spiritual are supposed to restore them in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest she fall to that same temptation. Now the point is, yes, you should restore them with meekness in love. But that necessarily requires that you call the sound. If you say what the Bible says, then it's clear that homosexuality is a sin. But for the sake of meek not ruffling feathers, for the sake of meek not possibly ruining any other relationships, because one of the secrets is, guys, whether it be in the black church, the white church and I'm saying black, white, Hispanic church because of the predominant church, it doesn't really matter. I'm saying this cuts across all denominations, all colors and ethnicities. Whether it is gospel music, whether it is contemporary praise and worship doesn't matter. There are, there's a large segment of the population that's in these groups that are homosexual. And they're tolerated. Why? Because they can play what? There's an old saying, you know, back in, especially in the black church, the piano player, the organ player is gay. And a lot of times he was, but he was good. Oh, he could play. He could make that piano, that organ sing. He was just, he was wonderful, but it wasn't just him. Because you also, you also had the drummer or the bass player who was, he wasn't gay, but he was heterosexual and he was showing everybody. I mean, you've got this, this issue with sexual sin running rampant in many churches, music departments, and that just shouldn't be. And you should call that out. You should call out, Marvin, that there's no reason why in the world you don't call out. You don't seem to stand for sin, but I understand why. I understand because you tend to, or at least seems like you want to be accepted. You want to be part of the crowd, but you know the crowd that loves the world and accepts the world, embraces the world, and the world embraces them. And so the money could keep coming flowing. They'll keep buying your albums, booking you and so forth. Yeah. Marimra, this is the same Marvin Sapp who allowed this Joker into his church and did not refute what he said. Might I suggest to you that 85% of Jesus's life he was out of order. For 85% of his life, he was not flowing in his God-given function. Yeah, that's Marvin Sapp's church. And what does he say nothing? Keep his mouth covered. That is sad. But it's not just him. Listen, the world is such, especially in the music industry where we've got people who do not want to offend. We've got people who are more concerned with having their friends in the world not being offended. You all remember this was a few years back Lauren Dago in her interview about his homosexuality sin. Do you feel that homosexuality is a sin? You know, I can't honestly answer on that in the sense of I have too many people that I love that they are homosexual. I don't know. I had a conversation with someone last night about it and I was like, I can't say one way or the other. I'm not God. So, when people ask questions like that, that's what my go-to is. You don't have to be God. And you don't know what you're singing about. What in the world are you singing about young lady if you don't know? It's not that difficult as a matter of fact. You don't even have to be an adult Christian to know that homosexuality is a sin. We've been taught that at a young age but guess what? You said she's got friends who are homosexual. That's the problem. The Bible says you're adulterous. Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility towards God? That's the problem. Because you don't want to offend anyone. You want to make sure because again, it's about promoting yourself. And let's be honest, it's not about God in many cases. Sometimes it is, sometimes it's not. And it's getting harder and harder because there are enough Christians who we can definitively say. Let's just say 50-50. I have no idea. But there's far too many who it's not about God, it's about them. And you even see that as it comes out in their music. Their music is about me. Me, me, me, me. Or I may not put it as me, me, me but bless me. And I want to say bless me as I'm saying God bless you. So this is for you. They'll sing things like this is your season. This is God's going to bless you. This is one of these other pastors or one of these other preachers who started off as a singer. Mr. William Murphy. I'm sorry, Bishop William Murphy. Yeah, this is my season. Everything is working out for my good. No, that's not true at all. That's the problem. That's how you can hurt some people in the audience by listening by telling them that everything is going to work out for your good. Well, what do you mean for your good? Well, if you mean by Romans 828 that God will cause all these things to work for the good of those that love him. You need to first find out people that you're singing to if they love him and then God will cause these things to work out for their good. But in what way? What capacity? If they're going to have a blessing, meaning a car, a new car in the front yard, they're going to have a new house for that car to sit in, they're going to have some new clothes, money. No, no, no. The blessing, the good that might be is that when you get persecuted, when you get fired, he'll give you peace. Why don't you preach about that? Why don't you sing those kind of songs? There are two types of songs. There are the vertical songs and then the horizontal songs. All too often we're singing the horizontal songs. What are that about me? And I understand God has done some wonderful things in my life as well as yours. And we should thank Him for it. Even if we do so in a song, there's nothing wrong with that God has blessed us and there's nothing wrong with saying how much God has blessed us. There's nothing wrong with that at all. But we should also sing the vertical songs more than anything else. Remember what we read. Let's go back to it real briefly. In Psalm 150 he says, praise the Lord. Again, praise the Lord. Not you, not your circumstances, not you out of, but praise God. Praise Him. Now you can praise Him for His mighty deeds. Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with the trumpet. Praise Him with the harp. Praise Him with the timber. Praise Him with and guess what? I've said before, I don't have a problem with you praising Him with dance. As long as the dance is for Him, not to glorify yourself. That's the issue. We do too much praising ourselves or asking for ourselves instead of for the glory of God. Again, I like the horizontal, I'm sorry, the vertical songs where it's about God. God, you are amazing. God, you're wonderful. I love you so much, Lord. And those are songs that have nothing to do with your circumstances. Matter of fact, those are songs that treat God as though He is your circumstances. This is one of my favorite songs. I don't know who this young lady is. I should note by as many as many times I've looked at the song. But I love this song. Just listen to how vertical this song is in what she's saying. Listen to her words. You call the sun to get down to. I just, I just love that song. That song is awesome. And that song, that's not sing to violate Lipton's 3 18, which says, for many walk of whom I often told you and now tell you even weeping that they are enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is destruction, whose God is their appetite and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. In other words, they are after their own. They want their own, they seek their own glory. These are people who could not tell you or spell what worship is. True praise, true worship. You could do it without, without a beat. You can do it without a piano. Now, in order to praise God, there requires something to come out of your mouth. And God does definitely want you to praise if you have that ability. Even if it's lifting hands, he says I wish men to all, wish men everywhere to lift up their holy hands. God wants us to worship him in spirit and truth and he wants us to our whole being to be in it. And worship, but worship, what worship conveys is this. Worship conveys a bowing kind of a bent over in adoration. A humbling of yourself. And so if the worship comes across as though, nah, it's about me. It's about me. And we see that often. We see that far too often. But another problem that we see, and this is kind of where it gets gray, guys. This is kind of where it was, I don't know. Because there are some people who have one promoted themselves but also not promoted themselves but promoted a bad or destructive heresy. Meaning that they go to a place that they are pastored by someone who can't spell Bible. Someone who cannot spell God. Someone whose doctrine is far off the beaten path. And I mean far off the beaten path. But what do you do though when there's some good music coming from it? And when I say good music, if I did not tell you who these people were, you would sit and enjoy the songs that are being sung. You was thinking, you know what? This is pretty good. I like this. I can get in as a matter of fact, we sing this at our church. We sing that song in our church. And listen to one of my favorite songs. It's one of those easy songs to sing. It's just I Exalt Thee. I listen even the King James version. Some of you King James version only is that song called I Exalt Thee. It's all about him. Now for some people, unfortunately, that was Bethel, the first song. I'm sorry, the first both songs. Actually both songs were sung by Elevation Worship. And should we listen to them? Because Elevation sings it well. There's where we might have an issue. Because what about the hymns? The hymns weren't sung by doctorly sound people either. But the words resonate. What do you do? I'll say this. You've got to be careful. If it's you by yourself and you feel like that you are strong enough within may be, but I think publicly you might want to be on guard. The reason why is because it will lead people to other songs they sing. And not just the other songs they sing, but the people who are behind them. One song if you just go to YouTube or if you're on Facebook or any social media platform and you hear Christians putting some songs to some words they might put something on the screen and let a song play behind them or some of them might sing the song. Is this song by Hill song? Now what you see now that song I'm not even sure what the whole song says because I keep hearing just that portion and this song is one sounds one of a matter of fact when you hear the audience sing when you hear the congregation sing it just does something when everyone gets involved I don't care what anyone says there's nothing like the entire congregation singing nothing whatsoever like that not just one person but when the entire audience, the entire congregation singing that's really what God is after the problem is or the thing is with this particular song you see a lot of people they sing what are called cover songs a cover song is you take an original song and you just sing it and so you see a lot of people singing this song before I go any further did a wonderful song she did a wonderful job the problem is sometimes we get caught up in just hearing the words or feeling the kind of thing I like that I like that that's wonderful now here's a problem with that and here's a problem with and I'm using this to draw out another a major problem a big problem you hear a song whether the words are good whether the words are bad doesn't matter the words the song all of it kind of captivates and you think that because it's godly that something's happening not realizing the effect is not what you're after what do I mean listen to this young lady sing this song also and I want you to notice the caption above her head this is a Muslim young lady who's singing a song she likes it so sounds good to her but it doesn't move her it doesn't move her she says that I shouldn't be singing a song but it sounds good so I'll go ahead and sing it well what she's really doing is kind of showing us us because that's what we do here in America we'll sing a song that sounds good it sounds catchy sounds like I like the way that song sounds what's it talking about I don't know I have no idea what that song is talking about just like the song I said this ocean song I didn't really heard the song so I can't tell you if the song is heretical if the words are good and I couldn't tell you I just know that a lot of people are singing this song maybe I'll go ahead and check this song out I think I will but the bigger point is people can hear your song and what's going to happen one or two things if it's a good song they'll just sing it but if there's nothing behind it especially if there's no God behind it that's a problem that's a huge if a Muslim can sing your song and not be moved we've got to talk we've got to talk maybe you need to put more gospel message in your song but the other problem is when they hear your song and they like your song at some point in time somewhere down the road somebody's going to be moved to hear more of your song oh this is Bethel oh okay well or this is Hill's song or this is Elevation but what happens if you sing a good song and then you sing a good song and then they find out who your pastor is you know if you sing a Bethel song and then you happen to go find out what does Bethel teach let's go I like that guy Bill Johnson he tickles my ears let me hear some more of him so he was born through Mary the Virgin and then he was born again in resurrection the first one to touch him was Mary the Virgin when he was born naturally the first person to touch him when he was born again was Mary Magdalene you've got preachers that just make things up as they go this is this is Bill Johnson just make listen if you don't know Bill Johnson should be avoided Bill Johnson is someone who is not billy sound whatsoever now I told you earlier we shared earlier about the problem that you see in the gospel music industry and someone else speaks about this and I think this was fairly recently a gospel singer by the name of Ty Trippard he says some things about the gospel music industry but something didn't quite stick with me something didn't sound right with me like the industry I can't do it it's not God leave God didn't establish the music industry he didn't establish the gospel music industry it's an industry you know what I mean the Lord gives you a gift and you want to give it back to him this baby called a song into the hands of a godless industry so the problem is what he says makes sense you got people who are not after promoting Christian music they're out after promoting something that's going to make money and this is a money mover people are going to buy this stuff people are going to download this stuff people are going to pay for this stuff ok we're fine and I understand but here's the one thing that every gospel Christian whatever artist ought to understand you don't have to sell your soul you don't have to sell out you don't have to do what they tell you to do and the reason why I say this is because you say that and then you turn around and now you've got Charlie Wilson on stage dancing with you you can say what you want to say but if you're going to speak about it then be about it they're not making you do that and if they are then tell them no then tell them no you don't have to do that because you're going to give an answer to us or to them ultimately but to God that's what you're going to answer for and the question is who were you promoting who was you and Charlie who were you glorifying who were you promoting again I hear your point that you've got this godless industry that is taking your music your baby and doing whatever but the songs that you write so forth they're not making you do so if they don't like it then do it independently do it go with someone else you can pretty much do what you want to do and the deal is that we've got these folks who are doing these songs such as Kirk Franklin some of these gospel artists, these contemporary artists who are flouting things and pushing themselves listen if things of the world is how you are going to appeal to people well you have to keep doing that same thing you've got to keep promoting that way if you're selling the flesh you've got to bring out more flesh next week and even more so whatever you use to catch people you've got to keep using the exact same thing but not the same amount you've got to do more and more and more which is why we see these over the top performances which is why we see these light shows why we see the smokes and so forth guys, I said before I'm not averse to doing things that maybe let's say the older folks aren't into if it's for younger folks let's say in a youth church or youth concert I really don't cross the line where it is the faming God or if it gets a point where it looks questionable then maybe you ought to pull back you don't need all of those things what in the world did gospel artists what in the world did contemporary artists what in the world did churches do before we had lights automated moving lights, intelligent lighting what do we do before we had smoke machines what do we do before we had indoor pyrotechnics what do we do maybe we just praise God my favorite song one of my favorite songs love this song now it is a it's sung kind of in a contemporary fashion maybe it's not, it's actually a hymn and listen I love hymns I would have us sing hymns, we sing hymns we sing gospel we sing contemporary praise and worship we sing choir music, we sing it all every now and then I'll be honest I'm not a big fan of southern gospel sorry apologize to the gaythers but it's not my thing it took me a while also to get kind of used to quartet music but there's some quartet music that I'm fine with Christian rap I don't know much about Christian rap I can't tell you if I'm ford or against it I really don't know I don't know but also I've been in service where we had absolutely no music and we just all sing because there's something to just the voices coming together and I would just try to make sure that everyone would have their preferences met because I wanted everyone to take part in the praise and worship and what would happen is the younger folk we had a mixed group black, white, Hispanic, young and old and the younger people did not like did not like the hymns the older folks did the younger folk like the gospel, the praise, the contemporary praise and worship the older folk did not the older folks definitely did not like the rap and so we would try to kind of combine and here's what we would do take some of these younger people and make them sing the hymns take the older people and make them sing some of the contemporary stuff and the way they jailed together because they recognize that it's not the style it's the words the words matter piggybacking off what Paul Warsh said there should be some theology in your singing there has to be because we're not singing about any old thing we're not this isn't Michael Jackson this isn't the point of sisters this isn't Billy Idol this isn't Bruce Spring singing this is God this is his word that we're trying to convey in song and so one of my favorite songs and I'll take us out on this is It Is Well I love this song one because we've all gone through something some of you all know about this story the story how this song It Is Well was written by a man by the name of Horatio Spafford his family he was I believe he was in America and they were in England and they were moving while they were moving without him they boarded a ship and the ship as it was crossing the sea hit another ship and crashed and sank most of the people on board died it's a telegraph this was in the 1800s a telegraph stating that all is lost from his wife everyone on board died except his wife and a few other passengers so as he's making his journey back home he's on the boat and he asks the captain if you could let me know because they're going the same path let me know when we get to the point where the other ship crashed and where it sank he was going he was sitting in his cabin he was just giving some thought and then the captain come and tell him we're approaching the destination approaching the location when he gets to the location he goes to the top and he pins the song It Is Well think about that for a second and that's kind of how songs should move you regardless of what's happening lord It Is Well I know that I'm going through it is not horizontal it is vertical in spite of it all it is well with my soul listen to the theology of this song