Trendiness in Christian Music, Part !

Recently, I had the pleasure of listening to one of the key Christian metal songs of the late '80s, Stryper's "To Hell With the Devil," and after 20 years' distance from the heavy metal genre (which I used to listen to avidly as a Satanist back in the late '80s and early '90s), I began to see some things about that song--and about the group--that I had not realized before. I know that Stryper's ultimate demise rested in its deviation from the classic Christian message that dominated their lyrics, logo, and persona, but I think that the root problem that caused their downfall is something that many Christian groups today still face: the temptation to play too much to the audience to which one is evangelizing.

Last week, as my wife and I were running errands around town, we listened to Saviour Machine's bootleg CD, Live in Deutschland. Among their audience were Satanists, neo-pagans, and Goths, and the group had a golden opportunity to evangelize hard-core anti-Christians for the Name of Christ. However, they began their set with 2 songs from the Legend Trilogy which center on the Beast and the Dragon (Satan) from the Book of Revelation, chapters 12 and 13. Obviously, they were playing to their audience, which would have expected to hear songs about the devil and about the Antichrist. However, were they playing to their audience more than they should have been?

I like Saviour Machine, and I think they have a powerful history (and even more powerful music) which conveys a clear, unwavering message about God. My point is merely that Christian music (and Christian musicians)--whatever their genre--face the temptation to "be all things to all men" without having the ultimate goal in mind: "so that I may by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9:22).

Evangelism is (and should be) the number one goal of any Christian musician, and I applaud anyone who has the raw courage to present music that is soul-searching, deep, and Gospel-driven to audiences that are normally immersed in the dark, deceitfully playful music of the world. However, I think a word of caution is in order. After all, when evangelism is at the heart of your music, you are serving, for your audience, as a representative of the Christ you are attempting to evangelize. Anyone who assumes this mantle assumes a responsibility that is sacred and cherished by the Christ he or she represents, and that Christ will hold him or her accountable, as both a representative and a teacher of His Word (James 3:1).