Testimony…
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When the pastors and singers who stand in the center of the stage become dazzling leaders with their talents, they are not praising a Savior, but just looking for an audience; they are not loving God, but thinking of God when they speak or sing. time issue. The greatest danger is not outside, but we must see clearly the tendency of “faith derailment” in ourselves, just like the Israelites who easily deviate from God.
“Apostasy” has been a hot topic among Christians for the past few weeks. A few weeks ago, Joshua Harris, author of the best-selling book “Dating No More” and former senior pastor of the megachurch Covenant Life Church in Maryland, USA, just posted a message on his personal social networking site Instagram, announcing that Divorced his wife and declared himself no longer a Christian.
Shortly thereafter, Hillsong Church worship singer and music writer Marty Sampson posted on Instagram, declaring that “I’ve literally lost my faith.” The Hillsong worship singer who has been in the Hillsong Choir since she was 16 years old has composed many familiar gospel hymns, such as “All I Need Is You” and “Forever”.
He raised many questions: “Why do many pastors fall? Why is the Bible full of contradictions? Why does God love the world but send 4 billion people to hell because they don’t believe in God?” No one discussed this, and no one told him the answer . He added that a Christian can be the most judgmental person on the planet, but he can also be the most beautiful and caring person, but none of that is for him. He still longs for truth, but he thinks it’s not just God’s version of truth.
In an updated version of his clarification on Aug. 13, Sampson said that while he hadn’t “renounced” his Christian faith, it was still in a “shaky state.” Sampson disclosed: “I have been continually analyzing the arguments of prominent Christian apologists and biblical scholars, opening my mind to the comments of atheists and other religions. If the truth is true, no matter how I interpret it, it is not It will go bad; if I find it, it will definitely be clearer to see it’s real. Examining the diamond closely will reveal the quality of the diamond. As long as I’m alive, I’ll keep learning.”
Marty Sampson – Why do young people give up their faith?
All of a sudden, many pastors and scholars stood up and spoke. Because Hillsong’s music worship is too famous. As the most popular contemporary Christian band, Hillsong has won several awards, not only has a wide influence in the Lord, 50 million people sing their songs every Sunday, and has successfully entered the mainstream music circle, selling more than 16 million copies record. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that Sampson’s statement “shocked hundreds of millions of people”.
Apologetist Michael Brown said he prayed for Sampson that he would sincerely seek the truth “with humility and zeal, with a heart of integrity. All people with problems should put their problems to rest.” Come out. . . . Don’t just look at the surface, be sure to seek God first. Let’s pray that Sampson will be turned and restored.”
Ken Ham, the founding CEO of Answers in Genesis, another apologetics organization, said of Sampson on Twitter that this is a reminder for the church and Christian parents. Sadly, “young people are taught by church leaders to believe that the death, pain, and sickness we see today has persisted for millions of years and is God’s fault. But death, sickness, and pain are the result of man’s sin as a result of.”
John Cooper, also a gospel singer, said that Sampson thought he was the only one asking these questions, when in fact “the church has been arguing about it for over 1,500 years, and books on similar topics have sold hundreds of millions. … We’re in danger when the church uses a worship singer in his 20s as a source of some truth. Singers aren’t the best people to write with solid biblical truth and relevant doctrine.”
In fact, the doubts about Hillsong worship music have long been heard in the Lord. The “New York Times” mentioned in a music review in 2014 that traditional evangelical churches in the United States believe that Hillsong’s theology is weak, and that it is a new version of prosperity theology for young people and so on. However, the criticism of Hillsong’s innovative worship style should not prevent us from deeply reflecting on why the church cannot attract young people. Everyone is flocking to Hillsong?
Prominent Christian author Drew Dyck expressed “sadness” over Sampson’s statement. He once analyzed in the book that in the 1980s, business thinking swept the church and changed the missionary methods of many churches in North America. Youth ministry has been most affected. Instead of focusing on making disciples, the church focuses on how to attract and keep a lot of kids happy. It may have been well-intentioned, but it had unintended consequences. Today, youth ministries in many churches have effectively been reduced to using violent video game parties on Friday nights to draw students in.
Someone described youth fellowships at most churches as “holding a plate full of pizza.” Why, Dyke asked, do so many kids who were active in youth groups leave the faith? His answer was simple: “Let’s face it, there are a lot more fun things to do in college than eat pizza.”
Dyke refers to a class of people who leave their faith as “moral rebels.” Beneath their rebellious tendencies is a strong desire for adventure and purpose. They are usually the kind of people who have an irrepressible desire to live life to the fullest, even if it means taking risks. Unfortunately, when people show them a gospel that is risk-free, sacrifice-free, risk-free, diluted, and unworthy of their offerings, they will seek to satisfy their desires in other ways.
Jim Rayburn, founder of Young Living, said, “Somehow we thought we could water down the gospel and make it more accessible to young people. But it turns out they’re choking on our concoction. They don’t want trendy slogans, they don’t want pizza and video games. They want the naked truth, they want change and life. They want a truth they live for and die for. In other words, they want the real Gospel.”
The elders do have the right to speak in the church, and they can ask the new generation to sit in the chairs of the church and sing traditional hymns with them from beginning to end. What they need to be reminded is, in order to gain the younger generation, are they willing to sacrifice themselves and take the initiative to approach young people across the generation gap in terms of aesthetic taste? Have they tried their best to “give the best to God” musically?
And in a superficial Christian culture sweeping the contemporary age, sacrifice and suffering are less and less mentioned, and the sense of self is paid more attention to. Gospel bands with a new style of worship are undoubtedly more willing to be close to young people in terms of musical tastes, but they have to go back to the root problem: the center of worship is not human aesthetic enjoyment. Music can serve people’s feelings, but feelings are not God.
Joshua Harris – The greatest threat is within us
Both Joshua Harris and Marty Sampson came from megachurches with different denominational backgrounds, and many of Harris’ fans were once Hillsong’s most ardent critics. Recently they are often discussed together by the media.
As an important member of the YRR (Young Reformed Movement) in the United States, before Harris announced his departure from the Christian faith, there had been many news stories about youth leaders being forced to leave their posts in this movement. An article published on the website of the “Gospel Coalition” listed the reflections of several American pastors: The reason for this phenomenon is that these gifted young brothers were too quickly put in the spotlight.
Not long ago, there was a video on Youtube titled “How l lost faith in the mega-church” (How l lost faith in the mega-church). The autobiography of a couple who are also worship leaders of mega-churches exposes the problems that are prone to occur in this kind of church pastoral care. In the center of the huge stage, in order to attract more people’s attention, some gifted and enthusiastic young shepherds and musicians became eye-catching stars by virtue of their talents, until one day, they were raised to the point where Satan was enough to Use their breaches to cause more people to fall or be frustrated. No matter what denomination you are in, the number, effect, and applause always try to become the center of Sunday worship. This is the time when we should be most vigilant.
Bob Kauflin, also a worship leader, has also been “shaky” in his nearly three decades of service, having struggled with depression and anxiety for three years. After constant prayer, Bible reading, and reflection, he discovered that the root of the problem was that his worship was in the wrong direction. False worship is idolatry, where man seeks satisfaction in something other than God, seeks praise for his accomplishments, and is not praising a Savior, but merely seeking an audience. “My world fell apart when I couldn’t get the glory I craved”.
He thinks one of the things that is so bad right now is that worship is generally considered to be something we do only when we sing and is seen by many young people as an emotional experience driven by music, pursuing their own religious experience, and belonging in singing. spiritual experience, not Jesus. Music is part of worshiping God, but it was never at the heart of worshiping God. “A true worshiper doesn’t just think of God, but loves God,” he reminded.
If we sing the song of promise while committing unrepentant sin in the hope of impressing others or “fooling” God with our spirituality and talents, we are hypocrites, no different than unbelievers. We need to go to the foot of the cross so that we can experience the fruit of repentance.
Someone who has written a best-selling book, won a gospel music award, and preached all over the world does not guarantee that he is a true believer. These recent examples are not the first in Christian history, nor will they be the last. When we see those who stray from their faith, we must understand that they are no different from us, we all have a tendency to “faith stray”. But God in His mercy continually draws us and renews our love for Him. When we see those who have left the faith, we are compelled to repent with awe and humility.
In fact, the greatest challenge is not any dark forces gathering outside the church walls. On the contrary, the greatest danger to Christianity is precisely the Christians. Not what happened outside, but ourselves. It is a natural tendency, just like the people of Israel, to stray from God and lose our first love. The greatest threat to Israel was not the Philistines or the Babylonians, but their deadly tendency to abandon the Lord God. We, too, tend to preach Christianity without the cross, thereby disempowering the gospel and making it less attractive to follow God.
“It’s not too late to come back, my arms are still open”
Since the Christian’s way of life is the way of faith, it will inevitably encounter various dangers. These dangers threaten to destroy us and plunge us into the abyss of unbelief, apostasy, and death. But God has given us the assurance of salvation. The method God uses to protect us is faith, but our faith must be tested. The trials we face, the hardships and hardships in the world, the temptation of the flesh, and the temptation of the devil, all tempt us to give up our faith all the time. As the apostle Peter said, it is through the testing of faith that we gain true faith, which is more precious than gold.
This truth was especially precious to Peter. Before Jesus was betrayed, he said to Peter, “Simon! Simon! Satan wants to have you so that he can sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you so that your faith will not fail. When you turn back, you must Strengthen your brother.” Jesus’ prayer was that Peter’s faith should not be completely lost. And who lived through that dreadful night, who brought Peter back from the precipice of unbelief, and made him shed tears of remorse? It was the power of God who preserved and strengthened Peter’s faith, just as He continues to strengthen His beloved children today.
Robert Peterson tells an inspiring story in his book Our Safe Salvation. When a brother named Paul was studying in seminary, something terrible happened in the church he was in. An elder had an affair with another elder’s wife. They carefully prepared a detailed elopement plan, including mailing resignation letters to the church.
But they seriously underestimated two things: the love of the church brothers and sisters for the Lord and for them. On Sunday the sad news was announced to the congregation, and people wept and prayed publicly for the couple’s crime and their devastated family. Church leaders and believers gathered around the two wounded families and openly admitted that adultery was on their minds. The awe of God’s holiness is like that of the believers in the early church in the book of Acts.
The Church promises not to abandon the erring pair. The church reached out to them and assured them that the congregation would not stop praying for them. At first, the elopement couple hoped the words were empty clichés, but time proved that the church’s love for them was genuine. Many prayer meetings are scheduled at different times of the day and night. After months of prayer and many gentle touches with them, God finally broke in. The congregation cheered when the pastor announced that the couple had repented and wanted to return. The pastor went on to say that both parties are currently ashamed to face family and church members. After weeks of counseling, the two families were reunited and they both returned to church. Brothers and sisters welcome repentant men and women with outstretched arms and weeping with joy.
From it, we can see God’s love for the church and his unrelenting love for each of His chosen people, just as a shepherd will try his best to save the lost sheep. The arm of the Good Shepherd is not over the precipice but over the rough and terrible cross. It is there that the Good Shepherd issues his most sincere invitation, even to those who reject him. He seems to be saying, “It’s not too late to come back, my arms are still open.” Welcome every prodigal son home to the joy of worship and His everlasting love.
