Is this Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, The X Factor, or some other musical entertainment show? No, it’s a Seventh-day Adventist camp meeting. According to the news outlet Baluarte, Seventh-day Adventists in Bahia, Brazil, held their camp meeting from June 23 to 26, 2023. As you can tell from the video of the event, our worship services have become an exact replica of what the secular television and music industries do during their live performances.
These tactics are designed to provide the best entertainment possible. It is a marketing model that our churches have embraced to draw crowds of people to their services. The dark environments, along with the coordinated lighting, are meant to intensify deep emotional feelings, enhance the excitement, and make it memorable.
But let’s be clear: these entertainment venues are not designed to point you to Jesus. They are designed to exalt the performers. Notice the giant image of the singer in the background. The focus is on the band. The sound, lighting, and staging are designed to give glory to the people performing on the stage. Everyone else is blacked out in darkness, so all you see is the band and follow every move the performer makes. Why would the church want to imitate what is done at rock concerts?
“Music is the idol which many professed Sabbathkeeping Christians worship. Satan has no objection to music if he can make that a channel through which to gain access to the minds of the youth” (Testimonies, Vol. 1, p. 506).
The true worship of God is being replaced by creative visuals, colorful lights, and pop, rock, and rap rhythms with lyrics about Jesus. Do we really want to bring the worship of God to these new low standards? Worship is not about having fun, being amused, or providing entertainment. Worship is about glorifying God through spiritual nourishment, surrender, and obedience. Jesus defined worship in His own words:
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24.
“This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoureth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.” Matthew 15:8.
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It seems suspicious that you continually critique and judge ethnic worship services. It is God’s job to separate the wheat from the tares. Maybe it would be beneficial to spend time understanding other cultures before you determine from videos that we are headed to hell in a hand-basket. Also, you never mention how much David danced and praised God nor how Miriam took the tambourine and began to dance and praise God. You don’t know my praise and EGW does not supercede the Word of God.
David nor Marion was in God’s sanctuary during the Sabbath hours when they “danced” in joy. What difference does culture make? We are a world church with the same doctrines and fundamental teachings across the board. Yes, God will separate the wheat from the tares, but what’s happening in these so called worship services needs to be exposed and it needs to stop!
You see that’s the trouble, things according to my liking/understanding or God’s design. Nobody said that EGW is above the Bible, but our God is a God of order not confusion. There is too much emphasis put on, “this is how it’s done in my culture ” etc, isn’t it about time that we realise that once we except Christ we become citizens of heavenly kingdom and our culture should be according to that kingdom. Yes David danced, but do you honestly think that he danced like we do today. Just because there is no detailed description doesn’t leave the door open to fill in the gaps with my imagination. Remember, “we have all sinned and …….”. Just saying
Ethnicity has nothing to do with the worship that the Father seeks. It must be done in spirit and truth. Not one at the expense of the other. Both must be present. There is no truth to be found in impersonating the spirit of hypnotic, repetitive, and self-exalting worship styles of the evangelical world. There is no evidence of God’s acceptance of this in scripture (truth), but there is plenty of evidence of his displeasure when his people participate in it. God is to be found in the still small voice and in the serene contemplation of of his attributes, not in the mosh pit style jumping and excitement that is stirred up in every form of false worship.
It is not incorrect to point out error when it is blatantly, and openly being exhibited for the world to see. By their actions, they are publicly declaring that they desire to be like the world. It is no human judgment then to bring their own declarations to light.
To declare that the SDA denomination has fallen from God’s grace, by virtue of the silence from leadership in the face of these incessant worldly displays by both international and stateside churches (no ethnic affiliation required), is a statement of the obvious. Sadly, Brother Roman has to do this because so many in the denomination are fast asleep… It is the only way that they might see.
Read your Bible. when God’s people adopt the practices of the heathen nations (or de-nom-i-NATIONS in our case) that surround them, God sends them warning after warning. When they do not heed the warning, judgment comes upon them and those that have not separated themselves from the evil, are destroyed together with the nation (again, denomination is presently interchangeable). What do you think will be the result of the judgment that is about to befall the Seventh-day Adventist church? Do you honestly think that the organization will be cast down so that it can just be built again and restart the cycle of repentance, drifting from God, apostacy, judgment, repentance, drifting from God, apostacy…….. or do you somehow inexplicably and without any scriptural support think that God can somehow condone and look past our stiff neck-ness? This is it! We are at the end! Wake up now! Choose you this day whom ye will serve.
No one needs to “know your praise,” but you MUST be sure that your praise is acceptable to God. Cain possibly might have told Able that he wasn’t any better than him… he didn’t know his praise. That argument clearly did not hold any weight with God.
Eric Doering… Amen, well said
My wife is Japanese. In August the Japanese have a large national ceremony called Bon Odori. This is where people gather in town squares in the evenings to dance and celebrate their deceased ancestors. Connected with the ceremony is the belief that this is the time to honor the spirits of the departed dead. When my wife became an Adventist, she was told that she should no longer participate in this centuries old Japanese custom because of its association with spirit worship. Imagine her shock when at the same time she found her fellow believers having Halloween celebrations, especially since Halloween isn’t even a Japanese custom.
We are told, “The nominal conversion of Constantine, in the early part of the fourth century, caused great rejoicing; and the world, cloaked with a form of righteousness, walked into the church. Now the work of corruption rapidly progressed. Paganism, while appearing to be vanquished, became the conqueror. Her spirit controlled the church. Her doctrines, ceremonies, and superstitions were incorporated into the faith and worship of the professed followers of Christ. {GC 49.2}
This compromise between paganism and Christianity resulted in the development of “the man of sin” foretold in prophecy as opposing and exalting himself above God. That gigantic system of false religion is a masterpiece of Satan’s power–a monument of his efforts to seat himself upon the throne to rule the earth according to his will. {GC 50.1}
The Lord said be watchful that you are not deceived. You are being deceived into thinking that what you are doing is simply an ethnic worship service. Yes, God will separate the tars from His wheat.
But He also warned us how Sneaky and subtle the devil is in bringing heresy into our churches by wolves in sheeps clothing.
Gods great last message of mercy…..
Rev. 14:6,7
Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the Earth to every nation, tribe, tongue and people saying with a loud voice fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and Earth the sea and the springs of water.
What you are doing isn’t worshiping God, but you are worshipping satan.
We NEED to get down on our knees and WORSHIP our CREATOR.
We NEED to QUIT giving the GLORY to WORDLY DISTRACTIONS and REPENT of our sins.
JESUS is perfect and HE wants to be our EXAMPLE for us to FOLLOW.
The Bible supersedes ethnic worship!!!
It is sad that you believe what you wrote. This is not another culture unless you believe sin is a culture.
When we become children of a Holy God, we become new prople. We give up all old ways of life, cultures, family and friends that do not respect God and Jesus Sacrifice on the Cross.
We are told and see in the Bible that we are to practice and continually learn the CULTILURE OF HEAVEN.
Rebellion and stubbornness have nothing to do with culture.
Please read 1 Samuel 15:24; to see exactly what God says about rebellion and stubbornness..
This was directed at a King that fell from Grace. He did not recover.
Many have forgotten or neglected to teach themselves and our youth about the culture of heaven.
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I am a person of color and a sinful human who finds these current church performances offensive! – never mind a holy God who sees the heart! What are you really saying Iris Wilson? I thank God for exposing these blatant apostasies! This is NOT worship and that David did anything like this is rubbish!
The Seventh-day Adventist Church has not been without its witnesses in warning our members and youth of the insidious dangers that accompany every manifestation of the counterfeit worship which mark these closing hours of probation, just prior to the return of Jesus. Here are just a couple of examples:
ELDER KENNETH WOOD, in his editorial, “Take These Things Hence” (Review and Herald, January 20, 1972):
“We feel, however, that we must sound a note of warning. A trend seems to be developing in some places that not merely obscures but destroys the line that separates the sacred from the profane. This trend prevails not merely in the music itself but in the way it is presented. The situation would be serious enough if only the beat of the music were considered, but when the platforms of Seventh-day Adventist churches are treated as secular stages, when singers sway in unison with the music like dancers in a chorus line or performers in a night club, the situation becomes alarming. Were the Master to enter His house as He did anciently, it is altogether likely that He would command with authority, ‘Take these things hence.’
“Will the Laodicean church, through its lukewarm, self-satisfied attitude, be oblivious to the perils it faces? Will it permit worldly customs, standards, and values to alter gradually and imperceptibly its distinctive nature? Will the music of the world become the music of the church?
“The answer rests with those charged with leading the church in these solemn times, and with all who ‘sigh and cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof’ (Ezekiel 9:4).”
ELDER TED WILSON, in his inaugural sermon as General Conference President, “Go Forward” (2010 Atlanta General Conference Session):
“Do not succumb to the mistaken idea, gaining support even in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, of accepting worship or evangelistic outreach methods merely because they are new and trendy…Use Christ-centered, Bible-based worship and music practices in church services…don’t go backwards into confusing pagan settings where music and worship become so focused on emotion and experience that you lose the central focus on the Word of God. All worship, however simple or complex, should do one thing and one thing only: lift up Christ and put down self.”
Let us consider what the servant of the Lord wrote along these lines:
“Association with worldliness in musical lines is looked upon as harmless by some Sabbath-keepers. But such ones are on dangerous ground. Thus Satan seeks to lead men and women astray, and thus he has gained control of souls. So smooth, so plausible is the working of the enemy that his wiles are not suspected, and many church members become lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.” Selected Messages, book 3, p. 332
Mick Jagger, of The Rolling Stones, was absolutely right when he admitted in 1970, regarding the actual nature of all of the band’s performances:
“It’s a NOISE we make. That’s all. You could be kind and call it music.” The Rolling Stones — An Illustrated Record, p. 37. Ron Carr. Harmony Books. New York City. 1976
“The Holy Spirit never reveals itself in such methods, in such a bedlam of noise. This is an invention of Satan…No encouragement should be given to this kind of worship.” Selected Message, book 2, pp. 36, 37
May the Lord help us to completely dispense with imitating the ways of the world (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) and instead worship Him wholeheartedly “in spirit and in truth” and “in the beauty of holiness” (John 4:24; Psalm 96:9).