What Bait To Use.
Sep1
Often times I listen to other Christian stations, not to critique them or to discover better ways to do what we’re doing, but genuinely to listen to them. You see, much like television or the Internet, I like to surf the airwaves looking for something to listen to. Sometimes I like to listen to Bible studies other times I listen to conservative talk radio and then there are times I want to hear good Christian music, music that we don’t play on WZXV. I know, right now you’re saying, “I can’t believe he listens to other stations.” But I do.
Now before I go any further, I want you to know that my reason for posting this is purely out of observation, experience and to get your opinion. Let me assure you that I am not here to criticize. Let me start by asking you a question. When you tune into a Christian radio station what is it that you hope to hear? You want to hear all things Christian, right? You want to hear about the love of Jesus, the hope of Heaven and that no matter what you have done or will do, there is forgiveness at the Cross, right? I know I do. Then why is it that many, (not all) but many Christian stations resort to using secular music to lure the unsaved or the “un-churched?” Did you notice a few years back that there were Christian artist being played on some of the local secular rock stations? You would hear music by DC Talk, Toby Mac and even Mercy Me’s, I Can Only Imagine. Something about hearing Mercy Me playing on a station that would then play a song by Brittany Spears called “If U Seek Amy,” and I can tell you that seeking Amy is not what that song is about. Do you see my point? The messages are not only contradictory but they are mutually exclusive, there is no point on which they can agree. To me it is a message of confusion and God is not the author of that, is He?
Should we be playing secular songs on Christian radio? Some of you may be saying, “yes, use it as bait to get them to listen to the rest of the message, besides there is a Christian song coming up next or a great Bible study and they might get saved.” My question to you would be. Did Jesus use the the Mosaic system to bait new believers or did Jesus say beware the leaven? I am not trying to be legalistic here but let’s at least be realistic. Jesus did not tell individuals that they could continue in their dead works and follow after Him. When Jesus ate with the publicans and the sinners, do you think He talked with them about their need to get to Temple, or did He tell them about their need for Him? Why do you think they liked being with Jesus? I believe that it was because He was different, His message was different and He made them feel right at home in the presence of a pure, holy, loving savior without using the trappings of the world. Sure, Jesus said “I will make you fishers of men,” (Mark 1:17) but the bait is Jesus. When will men be drawn to Jesus? When we lift His name up. (John 12:32)
I have spoken to other representatives of Christian stations and quite honestly I understand their point of view, but I don’t agree with it and even if I did, it wouldn’t it make it right? Say you go to a local hamburger joint and you order a hot dog, but they bring you a hamburger. What would you say? This isn’t what I ordered, I know you would because I would. What if they said, “well we would like you to try our hamburger first and then you can by our hot dog, we just thought you would really like our hamburger too.” What would you do then? You might take the hot dog but you certainly are not going to pay for both of them are you? Now think in terms of Christian radio. Why is Christian radio here? Is it evangelistic? In many ways, yes, it is, but I would suggest to you that the greater ministry of Christian Radio is to encourage believers to stay close to Jesus. There are so many voices out there calling us to forsake our Lord and many of them seem to be innocuous, but I am sure Eve thought the fruit was innocuous too. What about those Christians that want nothing to do with the old life, it’s thoughts, it’s music? Are we as concerned about stumbling them as we are about baiting someone with a secular song? When I was a teenager I did everything in my power to prove to my parents that a particular artist was Christian so that I could buy their album. Do you want your young child to listen to the rest of, for example, the Brittany Spears album just because one song on the album may be innocuous? One gentleman at a local Christian station told me that the message of a song was more important than the lifestyle of the Artist. I’m sorry, what would you think about Jesus if His lifestyle did not line up with His message? At the least you would not respect Him and at the worst you would not follow Him. If you say you would then you’re deceiving yourself.
I think we need to be very careful with what we allow to go on in our lives, myself included. When attaching the title of Christ to our lives, to a political figure, an artist and a radio station should we expect Christ and Christ alone to be exhibited? I know that we are imperfect people living in an imperfect world but we’re serving a perfect Lord and He wants us to present Him to the world. What are your thoughts? I would like to know.