   |
|||
 Will You? GospelFlava.com's Gerard Bonner writes this editorial, Will You?, examining the importance of testimony. Every now and again, a song comes along that sparks an intriguing discussion. Historically, many songs have been used as either learning tools, compared to others which have been used to simply express youthful jubilation. Regardless of the genre, on occasion, there are also songs that tell of the social condition of a people. For the insightful, these songs can be  used to either encourage you in the right direction or keep you from straying down the wrong path.With that said, some discussion is being sparked about a song on the recently released Lost And Found project from rapper/actor Will Smith. Titled "Ms. Holy Roller", Smith uses the song (see B-Side Series for song recap) to tell of a previous acquaintance who has recently been saved after living a rather storied life. After watching the life that this friend has led, the friend gets saved and attempts to witness to Smith in a fairly dogmatic matter. During the chorus, Smith says... "Ms. Holy Roller, new angel, got ya Bible out shoutin’ and you’re ringing a bell mid-life, reborn, can’t wait to tell, if I don’t believe what you believe, I’m going to hell..." One listen to the song and it quickly becomes evident that this song isn’t the second coming of "Jesus Walks", nor is it an attempt by Smith to enter into holy hip hop. Rather, intentionally or not, it spotlights the importance of being an effective witness. As we prepare to examine this, please avoid the temptation of trying to assess Smith’s foundational beliefs. Let's look a little deeper and see if we can find the real message found on this track.  Many of us have encountered believers much like the young lady described in the song. Too often, people accept Christ into their lives and begin to run with zeal but no knowledge. Just as damaging and dangerous are believers who prefer to offer the picture of Christ on the judgment seat to unbelievers rather than present the loving Savior who won us to Him. This song causes us to question the impact of our witness in these last days, and challenges us to confront our portrait of Christ.Whether we realize it or not, the primary job of all believers is to win souls to Christ. This is true for the layperson, the Gospel artist, the Gospel journalist, and everyone else claiming the name of Christ. The Great Commission, as described in Matthew 28:19, compels us to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations. We do this by winning the world as Christ did. Too often, we fear what we don’t understand. As believers, we can be some of the most divided people on the planet. Denominations battle for spiritual supremacy instead of uniting against our common enemy, Satan. Church members debate over who has the best ministry. Preachers compete to raise the most money or have the largest edifice. Where is the real focus on our target audience? Do we even know our target audience? It happens to be a dying world that is crying out for help. Many in the church spent the second half of 2004 debating the authenticity of the Gospel message in Kanye West's and R. Kelly’s popular songs. While debating over these artists and their spiritual status, we may have missed the greater message behind it all. West, Kelly, Smith and so many other secular artists represent the cry of the unbeliever searching for a Savior. God, through his Word, told us that this day would come. The Bible tells us that the harvest is ripe but the laborers are few. Contrary to the belief of some, the world really wants to know Jesus. They want to experience who He is. All they are waiting for is for someone to present Him in the right way. So what is the wrong way to present Jesus? Jesus, though the Savior of the world, must be presented as who He is, and not through discolored glasses. Christ is not one who hovers over us waiting for us to make a mistake so He can doom us to a life of Hell. Rather, He is a loving and forgiving God who is willing to leave the ninety-nine just to win the one. He’s the God who is willing to become all things to all people that He might win some. He’s the God who loved you in
Some argue that we shouldn’t take our cues from the world, and there is commendation in that. But let's not miss the fact that the world is our target audience —the demographic that we are trying to reach with this Gospel. So we do need to assess where they are so that we know how to reach them. Maybe that’s part of our problem. Some of us have "become so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good". We don’t know what the world is paying attention to. When was the last time you turned on BET’s 106 & Park? Do you know the #1 album on the Billboard Top 200 charts? Do you check out the happenings in your local park? Some don’t understand the relevance of those questions. However, this speaks to the issue of the modern-day church. We don’t know those who are among us. When we don’t stay in tune with the times, we lose our ability to relate to those whom we were saved to serve. So then, we become guilty of trying to reach the 50 Cent generation with "Nearer My God to Thee". Practically speaking, we are losing our ability to become transparent with the world. The world is not interested in seeing Christ as the God of perfect people. Why? Because that is simply not an accurate depiction of who we are or of who He is. He came to fix us, heal us, and restores us. Truth be told, none of us are perfect and we all are struggling with something. How powerful of a witness would we have if we told the world the truth about us instead of creating a false image of ourselves that we can’t live up to? In these last days, the only way that a great harvest will be won to the Kingdom of God will be through the witness of our lives and our effective message. The responsibility of being a real witness for Christ falls upon everyone naming the name of Christ. From the producer to the artist to the consumer, we all are responsible for presenting Christ with accuracy and with impact. Let’s not be guilty of promoting the concept of the "Holy Roller" to which Smith makes reference. Instead, let’s work hard to be an effective witness for Christ. Who knows? Your honest depiction of a Christ-filled life could very well do more to reach the 50 Cent generation than a hymn ever could.
Email This To A Friend
August, 2004 |
              |
||
