Hillsong has a recent song out called New Wine. There’s a line in there that made me think, “Liar.”
What do you think would make me react that way? They sing:
“So I yield to You and to Your careful hand
When I trust You I don’t need to understand”
Sounds perfectly fine, doesn’t it? So why the negative reaction? you ask.
The part that made me think of liars was “I yield to You.”
No, they don’t yield.
How could I possibly know?
Because they are standard, modern church. There are a lot of songs like this in the church, and Hillsong is a big creator of them. They (and their fans and so-called “worship teams” that copy the music) love to close their eyes and sway back and forth and raise their hands. Standard, modern church places a huge premium on looking holy and “feeling the Spirit.” Except when you get right down to it, there is no yielding.
Oh, there’s lots of sentiment. Tons of feelings.
I’m a musician, and I love to play and sing. I really like many different songs, and enjoy group music. But a lot of what passes for “worship” in the churches is not much more than ego feeding and vanity. If there was really a yielding, which would show up all week long in many actions, then it might be more genuine.
How do I know there’s no yielding? Simply put, they don’t follow God’s living oracles.
Try this experiment sometime. In your Sunday school or weekly Bible study, make a suggestion that all of God’s Law is relevant and a valid lifestyle and discipleship method for every believer.
See what happens.
I guarantee that almost universally, especially among the young adults, there will be instant and ferocious denial. You will be hit with all sorts of counter-arguments, from the nice to the not-so-nice.
Because we don’t like to yield. We don’t want to do what God says. Rather than holy behavior, we’d rather sway and cry and raise hands when a really good band plays appealing songs. Then go home and “feel led” to ignore much of what He has laid down for us in the Word.
Like I said. Liar.
And don’t get me started on the “When I trust you I don’t need to understand” stupidity.
Shalom
Bruce