CHRISTIAN MUSICIANS - You Are Responsible!

The older I get the more God is impressing on me the need to humbly serve people and help them understand why they were created. The biblical teaching of discipling started with Jesus and continues today. Jesus discipled 12 men and comissioned them to go out and make more disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) and gave them the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the task (Acts 1:8). The process continued all throughout church history and today I thank God that someone before me took time to challenge me with the truths of God's Word, the Bible.

I went to school (Philadelphia Biblical University) to be a pastor because I was certain that God was leading me into ministry. How did know I was called into ministry? Because my heart hurts for people. I yearn to see people experience freedom in Christ and life as He, the Creator, intended it to be. But getting out of Bible college in the early 80s left me unsure about who I was called to minister to. Through many different circumstances, God clearly opened doors to minister His Word to the 80's metal counter culture as a frontman for the band SARDONYX. But enough about me. Here is something I want to challenge you with.

Becoming a minister of God's Word is not like any other profession because it involves more from you than simply learning to say the right words and "looking the part". It involves a deep and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. A well known Bible teacher named Howard Hendricks influenced me greatly in my younger years. He used to say, "You cannot impart what you do not possess"! Wow! That is a truth that all of us need to grasp.

Let me be clear about what I believe about Christian rock and metal bands. I joined the ranks of the Christian metal musicians of the 80's not simply because I wanted to be cool and play good music. As a child I learned to carry God's Word to my generation. That calling was leading me. My voice and music talents that God gave me were only tools to be used for my calling. Sadly, many of us lose sight of our calling and focus on our talents (tools). Our tools become idols and the ministry God called us to fades into history. We end up envying the world and becoming like them ... and people continue to die and go to hell ...

I want to make something very clear. I could never use my tools for my own glory or the glory of the enemy (1 Peter 5:8). That is why I believe Christian musicians need to have a clear and defined purpose before they step on stage. They need to be ready to accept the responsibilities of a man or woman called of God. If you can't do that then either play for the enemy or get off the stage and keep your mouth shut.

Why do I keep hearing Christian bands talking gloom and doom? You know what? My life doesn't suck! It's hard ... but it doesn't suck. I hear Christian bands say things from the stage and in interviews that are really sad these days. And their fans email me and tell me they can't stand Christian bands because and all they get from them is [quote], "... grief, disgust, disappointment ... an f*in' joke". That is literally from an email I got recently. Does that describe you?

So.

That motivates me. That motivates me to lead. It's time to lead. I've been raising kids and heavily involved in my local church ministry and missions in Alaska for the past 14 years. But now God is calling me back into music ministry.

If you are a Christian and you are also a musician, it's time for you to take some time evaluating how you are going to live out the rest of your days. YOU are responsible for WHAT you are teaching the people who look up to you. YOU are responsible for living a consistent life off stage as well. YOU will not be respected simply because of how you look or how good you play or whatever no more than a pastor who has a nice suit and tie but is bangin' women in his church. Don't start complaining about what you don't see when God is calling YOU to be the consistent one.

Consistency takes WORK. Consistency takes being disicipled by someone who is already living a consistent life. Questions need to be asked. A teachable desire to learn and be mentored needs to be just as important to you as turning on your amp. Are you willing to do that?

Maybe some of you older guys and gals are you the ones who should be leading and you are hiding from your calling. Maybe you are a lot like Jonah and you are being swallowed up by a "BIG FISH" and you don't even realize it. Maybe you think you are too old to lead. That is not a good excuse. I'm 46 and I experience the presence of God every time I step on stage. I know I am not "out to pasture" yet.

I can't emphasize this enough. God wants you to lead! There are too many going down in flames who are crying out for someone to help them ... someone who they can follow. It's time to lead. It's time for the Church of Jesus Christ to rise up in this world of intense music and lead again with lyrics and lifestyles that lead people to Jesus Christ. It's time!

Where I Draw the Line in Music

Hi Brian! It was 17 degrees here in PA this morning. What about Tampa, Florida? Well you have fun in the sun while we enjoy some chapstick and heating bills! hahaha! Well ... honestly, I love snow. I'm cool with 17 degrees. Hopefully we will have a White Christmas this year!

I decided to answer your question here because of all the links to Bible verses and the length of my answer. I hope you don't mind. For those of you who are reading this, Brian is a friend of mine from Florida and asked me this question:

Tom, this is something that I have often wondered. I still listen to alot of secular metal music along with my christian metal classics (like Sardonyx :) ). Now there are alot of anti christian lyrics in that kind of secular metal music. I don't pay them any mind, because I know what I believe in. My question is, back in the Sardonyx days, did you guys listen to any secular metal and if so, did anti christian lyrics keep you from listening to certain bands?

Thanks for the question. It's interesting ... last night I was talking to someone on the phone about this very subject when I refreshed my Facebook page and saw your comment. Brother, let me tell you that I am very passionate about encouraging people to yield to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives so my comments might be a little hard core.

I have personally been "burned" by the enemy (1 Peter 5:8) and allowed myself to "go down roads" that I never should have gone down. The result always left me like Samson with my "spiritual" eyes gouged out laying powerless in the corner of a jail cell. I've also hurt a lot of friends when they needed me to be strong and I allowed my sin to scar relationships. That really bothers me. I'm tired of being a victim of demonic lies that come through others who are also people laden with sin and guilt or literally are enemies of the cross as described in Philippians 3:18-19. God redeemed us and has a powerful plan for using us to destroy the work of Satan (the god of this world) and build the Kingdom of Jesus Christ in the hearts of people.

It's time to redeem the time and get back to work. That is my calling.

I also love passionate, intense music. I have said for 20 years that metal music is an incredible music form to proclaim and teach the Word of God ... especially classic metal. I believe all forms of music are expressions of the Creator working through mankind. All forms of music show us parts of God's character as does the natural world (warm rain on growing grass, blistering deserts, gently falling snow, warm sun on our skin, dense fog, raging hurricanes). But all forms of music pass and everything falls away except the Word of God (Isaiah 40:7-9). To me, lyrics are the most important part of a song. Lyrics expose the heart of the writer. It is the lyrics that leave the listener with a message.

The Standard - The Measuring Line

The Bible is God's written revelation of Himself. It is without error. It is absolute Truth. Therefore is should be our standard for living. It is a measuring line for all thoughts, dreams, visions, philosophies and world life views. This is what I believe.

With that being said, the answer to your question is YES.

There are many examples. Here is one:

Metallica made a point of slamming Christians who make judgments on people's actions by taking Matthew 7:1 out of context.

I hear it all the time coming from people who don't like being held accountable for their words or actions. But the next verse says, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." I personally believe there is a principle here for us to apply.

So ... applying the Bible to this subject this is a principle in my life. I judge what I write (or listen to) with the same judgment that I evaluate what others write. In other words, I compare what I hear with God's Word because it is the standard for all truth.

If a follower of Jesus Christ does not live by this principle, they will continually find themselves being swept away by the enemy. Many wonder why their Christian life "doesn't work" and why there are so many hypocrites (they see that other Christian lives not working either). And Satan continues to dull the edge of the Word of God and trash people's potential in Jesus Christ.

So what does God's Word say about the lyrics that men without God promote in their music? Here is what Jesus Himself said in Mark 7:21-23

For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "

Jesus Himself hit the nail on the head. How about Solomon?

Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways, for the LORD detests a perverse man but takes the upright into his confidence. Proverbs 3:31-32

Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD. Proverbs 23:17

Do not envy wicked men, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble. By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; Proverbs 24:1-3

There is much more but I just wanted to show you a couple verses that I live by.

The Bottom Line

I listen to a lot of music written and performed by people who don't know Jesus Christ in the same way I watch movies and other forms of media. But I have learned to compare what I allow into my mind with what I know God's Word, the Bible clearly teaches as a standard. If the Creator tells me (His creation) that something will hurt me, I won't allow it into my brain. I have found that this is the key to happiness, joy, peace and success in my relationship with Jesus Christ. But we have much to learn from people who have been gifted by God (musically) and don't even realize where they received their gift.

Call sin, sin ... and live by this principle found in Ephesians 5

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

I realize that is a long answer to your question Brian but it comes from my heart!