The video is from the Victory Sanctuary Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria, and shows young people breakdancing during a worship and praise program. [1] This is the new evangelism that many churches are using to attract children and younger generations, who are so media-dependent that they reject our historic style and practice of worship rooted in the Protestant Reformation, which consisted of singing hymns, prayers, scripture readings, and a sermon.
In the video, one of the youth announces two groups of dancers who performed: Victory Dancing Group and Slash Kids. The young man also announced that many “Michael Jacksons” would be performing as well. He asked the congregation, “Please wave your hand if you’re a fan of Michael Jackson,” and then began moving his body like the famous artist.
The breakdance performance took place in the church and on the raised platform where the sacred pulpit is situated. This is where the preacher delivers sermons and speaks to the congregation on God’s behalf. However, it is difficult to imagine that our Lord Jesus Christ would condone or perform such foolish dancing in a place where the teachings of the Bible are interpreted and explained.
In other words, this was the complete desecration of the sanctity that should exist in the church under the pretext of trying to reach out to young people. Breakdancing has emerged as an important part of hip-hop culture, which also includes DJing, graffiti, and rapping. And, like heavy metal, punk rock, pop, and all other forms of worldly music, they have no place in the worship of a holy God.
It is a fundamental error on the part of pastors and leaders to allow the church standard to be lowered to that of society’s streets in order to increase membership. When biblical standards in dress, music, and worship are diluted in order to attract young people, the church’s mission to communicate the truth of God and transform people away from the world is compromised. This erodes our witness as our distinctiveness and commitment to holiness become lost to the standards of our broken culture.
Ultimately, reducing the holiness of worship to the likes of Michael Jackson will only alienate God’s presence and the faithful Seventh-day Adventists that these compromised churches should strive to keep in their midst.
“He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary?” Ezekiel 8:6.
Sources
[1] https://youtu.be/aDjJzIrqC-Q?si=ev-B98wWcOxTO–Y
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And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. ”
Exodus 32:6 KJV
How often, in our own day, is the love of pleasure disguised by a “form of godliness”! A religion that permits men, while observing the rites of worship, to devote themselves to selfish or sensual gratification, is as pleasing to the multitudes now as in the days of Israel. And there are still pliant Aarons, who, while holding positions of authority in the church, will yield to the desires of the unconsecrated, and thus encourage them in sin. {PP 317}
“6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. ”
1 Corinthians 10:6-9, 11 KJV
God would have His people in these days review with a humble heart and teachable spirit the trials through which ancient Israel passed, that they may be instructed in their preparation for the heavenly Canaan. Many look back to the Israelites, and marvel at their unbelief and murmuring, feeling that they themselves would not have been so ungrateful; but when their faith is tested, even by little trials, they manifest no more faith or patience than did ancient Israel.{PP 293}
“126 It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law. 127 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. 128 Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way. ”
Psalms 119:126-128 KJV
When David in his day saw the departing from the law of God, he expected that a manifestation of divine displeasure would be seen. He looked for the Lord to show forth His righteous indignation. “It is time for thee, Lord, to work,” he exclaimed, “for they have made void thy law.” He supposed that in their lawlessness men had exceeded the bounds of God’s forbearance, and that the Lord would not longer restrain Himself (MS 15, 1906). – 3BC 1153.1
Time for God to Work—David was greatly tried in his day in seeing men pouring contempt upon God’s law. Men threw off restraint, and depravity was the result. The law of God had become a dead letter to those whom God had created. Men refused to receive the holy precepts as the rule of their life. Wickedness was so great that David feared lest God’s forbearance should cease, and he sent up a heart-felt prayer to heaven, saying, “It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.” 3BC 1152.8
If David thought in his day that men had exceeded the limits of God’s mercy, and that God would work to vindicate the honor of His law, and bring the wickedness of the wicked to an end, then what influence should the widespread iniquity of our day have upon those who love and fear God? When there is widespread disobedience, when iniquity is increasing to a swelling tide, will the professed Christian world be evil with the evil, unrighteous with the unrighteous? Shall we place our influence on the side of the great apostate, and shall universal scorn be heaped upon God’s law, the great standard of righteousness? Shall we be swept away by the strong tide of transgression and apostasy? Or shall the righteous search the Scriptures, and know for themselves the conditions upon which the salvation of their souls depend? Those who make the Word of God the man of their counsel will esteem the law of God, and their appreciation of it will rise in proportion as it is set aside and despised. Loyal subjects of Christ’s kingdom will re-echo the words of David and say, “It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.” This is the position those will occupy who love God sincerely and their neighbors as themselves. They will exalt the commandments in proportion as contempt increases (Undated Manuscript 145). 3BC 1152.9
Where Will the Church Stand?—It is possible for men to go so far in wickedness, under continual remonstrance, that God sees that He must arise and vindicate His honor. Thus it is at the present period of this earth’s history. Crime of every degree is becoming more and more strikingly manifest. The earth is filled with violence of men against their fellow-men. – 3BC 1153.2
What position will the church take? Will those who in the past have had respect for the law of God, be drawn into the current of evil? Will the almost universal transgression and contempt of the law of God, darken the spiritual atmosphere of the souls of all alike? Will the disrespect of the law of God sweep away the protecting barriers? Because wickedness and lawlessness prevail, is the law of God to be less highly esteemed? Because it is made void by the great majority of those living on the earth, shall the few loyal ones become like all the disloyal, and act as the wicked act? Shall they not rather offer up the prayer of David, “It is time for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law” (Manuscript 15, 1906)? – 3BC 1153.3
They are not praising God.