When you're listening to Christian music, you're being taught, whether you know it or not.
Now, the positive example here is that God says, "You should be singing songs to one another that are teaching you the Bible."
Okay, songs that teach. Here are some good examples.
And by the way, let me just shed some light for you on the modern day music industry,
whether it be independent fundamental Baptist music, or whether it be the Christian music,
the CCM, Christian contemporary music, or the Southern Gospel music.
Let me shed some light on it for you. It's all about money.
If you go to the concerts of these Christian artists that you buy at the Christian bookstore,
you will have to pay money to get in. Did you know that?
They will sell tickets at the door. You know how much the tickets are? Like 20 bucks.
I've been to a Christian rock concert. When I was a teenager, before I knew these things,
when I was a teenager, I went to a Christian rock concert. It cost me like 25 bucks to get in.
Times that by the thousands and thousands and thousands of people that are coming through those doors.
We're talking about a multi-million dollar industry of selling CDs for 16 bucks a pop
and rock concert tickets for 25 dollars each.
Now, let's think for a second. Let's say Pastor Anderson decided to put out his long-awaited debut solo album.
Pastor Anderson, unplugged.
Now listen, if I wanted to put out a CD like that, what do you think is going to be cheaper and make me more money?
To put out 100 CDs or to put out like 100,000 CDs? 100,000 CDs, right?
That's where you're going to get the big, you know, mass produce them, you know, get the big money coming in.
Now, let me ask you something. Are there 100,000 people?
Are there 100 million people who want to listen to music that gives them the doctrine of everything that I preach here?
Like independent, fundamental, King James only, salvation by grace through faith, and on and on, all down the list, preaching against sin and all that.
I mean, do you think there's really that big of a market out there of independent, fundamental, King James only, door-to-door, soul winning, radical type people that really want to buy Pastor Anderson's new CD?
No. We're going to have trouble getting that first 100 off of that. Everybody here is going to have to buy one, okay?
But anyway, no. So look, in order for me to market this thing to the masses, to thousands and thousands and thousands of people,
I'm going to have to make sure that I don't bring up anything that's divisive, right?
I mean, if I talk about Jesus, right? Jesus died on the cross. We all love Jesus, so let's all worship Jesus.
Is that going to offend anyone? That doesn't offend anybody. I mean, who is offended by praise the name of the Lord?
I mean, it doesn't offend anybody, right? So if I want to make the maximum money, I'm going to write songs that are very vague.
They don't really contain real specific doctrine, but they're just kind of vaguely talking about Jesus, God, the Bible, salvation in very vague terms.
Because then, if I do that, now I can market it not just to Baptists, I can market it to all the denominations, Mormons even, Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses.
I mean, they get all like it because it's just about God, it's about Jesus.
Now, here's the problem with that. You say, "What's wrong with talking about Jesus?"
Nothing. But the problem with that is that because this is the motivation behind all the music that's being put out today,
you say, "How do you know that's the motivation?" Because it's all being sold, because none of it's being made just for free.
People aren't just writing the songs just for the glory of God, it's all being sold.
So if something's being sold, whenever you're selling something, your motivation is to make money, okay?
And so, because all of the music that's coming out now is being sold for money,
well now, you're basically coming out with music that has no Bible doctrine being taught in the music.
It's just vaguely about God.
And so what happens is, you're no longer teaching and admonishing one another.
You're not learning anything about the Bible, you're just chanting the same things over and over about Jesus and God.
Now is that the right kind of music, if it doesn't teach you anything?
No, not according to God.
God said music should be teaching and admonishing. Admonishing is like preaching.
It should be teaching and preaching to you through the music.
Let me give you an example. Think about some songs in the hymnal.
The song, for example, "To God be the glory, great things he hath done.
So loved he the world that he gave us his Son, who yielded his life in atonement for sin,
and opened the life gate that all may go in. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, let the earth hear his voice.
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son, and give him the glory, great things he hath done."
Now let's listen to some of the Bible doctrine in the psalm. Verse number two.
"Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood." You have the blood right there.
"To every believer the promise of God, the vilest offender who truly believes,
that moment from Jesus apart and receives." Praise the Lord.
That's pretty clear doctrine, isn't it? It's all by faith.
The moment you believe, it doesn't matter how vile of a defender you are,
the moment you believe that moment from Jesus apart and you receive. Praise the Lord.
That's a good song. It says that salvation happens in a moment.
That's not what most Christians, so-called religions believe.
They say, "Well, I'm working on it. I'm trying. I'm living a good life."
No, it's to every believer the promise of God. Great song, right?
What about this song, "Verily, verily"?
"Though all unworthy, yet I will not doubt. For him that cometh, he will not cast doubt.
He that believeth, O the good news shall, half present tense, everlasting life.
He that believeth on the Son, saith he, half everlasting life.
Though poor and needy, I can trust my Lord. Though weak and sinful, I believe his word."
Yes, I'm sinful, but I'm saved because I'm a believer, he said.
"Though weak and sinful, I believe his word. O glad message, every child of God, half everlasting life."
See, these songs in our hymnal teach a lot of great Bible doctrine, don't they?
Learn a lot of great things.
I was saying about the song, "Jesus paid it all. Lord, nothing good have I, were it by grace to claim.
All washed my garments white in the blood of Calvary's lamb. Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe.
Sin had left the crimson stain. He washed it white as snow."
That's some great teaching, but you know what? A lot of people wouldn't agree with those three songs that I just mentioned.
You're not going to sell that to the masses, my friend.
You're not going to sell that on the billboard top 100.