Stage In The Sky

I knew nothing about Hillsong before watching this documentary. That being said, I think I was able to watch it with an open mind with no hard prejudices about prosperity preaching or even the concept of a mega church. I was just curious. What is Hillsong? What happened? Why do so many in the mainstream seem to care? 

Food for thought: If a person preaches the word of God and rely on the Bible for their messaging…but they turn out to be hypocrites not living by the standards they preach, does that mean they’re wrong about what they preached? In this case, is Christianity wrong if the people preaching about Christianity don’t live the way they encourage other people to live? 

According to the documentary, most of Hillsong’s mainstream appeal, especially to a younger audience in a secular society that’s moving away from the Bible, was due to a charismatic, good-looking speaker named Carl Lentz.  

As the face of Hillsong, Carl Lentz had a magnetic gift for oratory. His popularity blossomed due to his association with celebrities like Justin Bieber. He helped Bieber to convert and be Baptized.

However, as is the case with many spiritual leaders, Carl was ensnared by the weakness of the flesh and gave into sexual temptation.  He cheated on his wife with some random woman and even had an affair with his nanny. This is terrible. God knows I hate adultery so much, because I know how grateful people should be to have a loving spouse to begin with (some people don’t have that luxury). 

This reminds me of another spiritual leader who also struggled with sexual sin. The late Ravi Zacharias. After he passed away, it came out that he engaged in extramarital affairs. Ravi Zacharias’s influence and notoriety as one of the world’s foremost Christian apologetics was huge. 

After the scandal broke, I saw people using his mistakes as an opportunity to discredit everything he’s ever done and talked about. I’m not entirely sure if I’m on board with that. I don’t agree with this notion that if someone is proven to be a hypocrite then everything they’ve ever preached is wrong. 

King David was one of the most zealous and prolific writers alive. He wrote over 70 psalms but sinned when he had Uriah killed after sleeping with Uriah’s wife. Does that mean King David was wrong about everything he preached? 

King Solomon was said to be one of the richest, wisest men alive. He wrote most of the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon but ended up taking over 700 concubines, some of whom led him to worshiping false gods. Does that mean Solomon was wrong about everything he ever preached? 

Everyone falls short. Other than Jesus Christ, there isn’t a single person who hasn’t stumbled spectacularly and caved in to some horrible sin or vice. 

I get it…being a spiritual leader brings with it a higher standard that one must live by, the same way we expect officers of the law to be held to a higher standard than the layman. But several things call me to question the motives of those who are so quick to discredit them.  

1. If you took personal responsibility to read the Bible for yourself…then you’d know the truth, what doctrines are either made up, and which are just the individual’s interpretation of the Scriptures. 

2. I suspect that those who are so quick to discredit them were never believers in the first place. They were waiting for an opportunity(excuse) to reject the Scriptures, to justify their rebellion or lack of interest. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be dismissive of the deep painful feelings of betrayal, the destruction of trust you placed in another to help you draw close to God. If you’re just starting out and never had that guidance, your Spiritual Leader can do a lot of damage, manipulating you to do things that God never approved, condoned, or wanted for you. 

Even in TV shows, it seems to be a common trope of historical fiction, to have an over-the-top corrupt priest or clergyman who abuses the trust others placed in him to manipulate the masses.  

But as upset as I am with those who used religion as a tool to serve their own means…here, now, in 2023 where we have the Bible free for consumption in print or online. How long are people going to continue using the excuse of “I was misled or lied to” when you have the truth available to you free of charge? 

If you don’t read the Bible for yourself, you are vulnerable to being misled and twisted by false teachers. That being said, I’m not convinced Ravi Zacharias or Carl Lentz are false teachers. Not from what was presented. What I saw in Carl was a man who struggled with the same vice every hot-blooded man throughout all human history have struggled with. Even in the Book of Numbers (Numbers 25), Israel’s enemies knew that using sex and immoral women to corrupt the nation would work and it did!  

When people say, “Oh, are men so easily weak that all it takes is a good pair of tits to distract them?” or “Why can’t my daughter go to school dressed however she wants? It’s not her fault that guys are so easily distracted?”  

These people are either lying, oblivious, or stupid (lacking the ability to comprehend). Our desire for affection, to love and be loved by women have ALWAYS been our greatest weakness. This isn’t to blame women. The responsibility is ours as men to say NO! Remember what Jesus said. If your eye causes you to stumble. Pluck it out! Another way to “pluck it out” is to get up and remove yourself from the temptation.  

I know that’s easier said than done, especially for people who 1) are rarely faced with such temptation, 2) people who are constantly dealing with temptation where everyone lusts after you, and 3) people like me who want to get married but see how backwards our society’s become where sex seems to be a prerequistie to marriage. Resist, my friends. Seek first the Kingdom of Heaven and all things will be added onto you. 

All that said, I can’t overlook the fact that Carl Lentz did what he could to save as many as he could. Either way, he stumbled. He deserved to be fired. He deserved to have his flock taken from him. But that doesn’t mean his teachings were all bad or that he didn’t save thousands by at least directing them to Christ.  

Whenever someone “falls from grace” I suspect that a lot of people have the mentality of the picture above. I say that, because I understand. I may be a committed Christian now but I haven’t forgotten how wicked I used to be. It is a very Satanic thing to hope for and be glad that someone has turned out to be a hypocrite. 

But it’s not just the “hypocrites” that people want to see fall…pretty much anyone who “appears” to have a wholesome Christian lifestyle. I hate to use the Duggar family as an example, but I sensed it. I’ve seen plenty of episodes in the “19 Kids and Counting” heyday and this family appeared to be the complete opposite of the Kardashians (aside from Josh’s controversy).  

Remember Jesus’s words at John 15:19. “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” 

The world doesn’t want to see Christians succeed because it shines a light on their own sinful lifestyles. It’s the reason why a lot of people CLAIM they want a good man or woman, but they actually go for the bad boys and amoral ladies because being with someone who has their life together with no drama or conflicts puts pressure on you to be a better person. 

Progressivism in the Church…  

As I watched the first two episodes of documentary, lol, I’m of the opinion that the producers were trying to condemn Hillsong for things like its stance on gay marriage or its lack of Diversity and Inclusion. There were parts of the documentary where people voiced their concerns about how the stage was full of conservative white men. They wanted more diversity than just the diversity of their audience. They wanted representation on the stage. I ask…why? 

“So, you’re trying to tell me you wouldn’t mind seeing nothing but white men leading the sermons while there’s no black people preaching at all?”  

Well…I have to ask, why are you there? Why do you go to church? Is it to see representation? To find people who look like you? Is that why you came? 

“I came to worship and learn the word of God. But I wouldn’t mind seeing some people who look like me up on the stage.” 

Why? Ask yourself why is that so important to you? I say that not to slight you, but to help you understand. 

“Well, why ISN’T it important to you, Rock. Maybe if you learn that, you might understand yourself.” 

It isn’t important to me because Christianity isn’t about race. It doesn’t matter to me who’s preaching the Gospels because, if they’re sticking to the Scriptures, I know the Word comes from God. Not man. 

Christianity is not about having your culture represented. It’s not about celebrating your sexuality, race, or triumphs as an ethnic group. Being a Christian means being a “follower of Christ”. Christ came to save ALL of humanity. Not just Black Lives. 

At Matt 12:46-50, Jesus said, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” 

Whoever does the will of my father is my brother and sister…WHOEVER! It doesn’t matter what their skin color is. Christianity is the only culture that matters because it encompasses EVERYONE who chooses to live by God’s commandments. There’s your “Diversity and Inclusion.” 

Not to mention, if I really wanted to see Black Preachers on stage, it’s simple. I’d go to another church. There are thousands of them. Who do I think I am that I should go to a new church, look around, and then demand that they change to appease me? Seriously, who do you think you are? 

The thing is…Carl Lentz actually did support Black Lives Matter in some of his speeches. He chanted the slogan, and just like the mainstream, he criticized those who dared to say “All Lives Matter”. But that wasn’t enough for his Progressive audience. (spoiler alert, it’s never enough) 

In episode one, it reveals that there was this big meeting during the heightened racial tensions of the 2010s where Carl Lentz and others heard from the “diverse” parishioners. Carl’s initial argument was, “I believe this should be organic. Not intentional.” But after being pressured by the people, he switched to, “I will try and make things more intentional.” 

By “intentional,” I take it to mean exactly what we’re seeing in Hollywood and the Publishing industry. Where characters and stories are not created and promoted by what makes sense in terms of reality, but to intentionally cater to the fantasies of the vocal minority and how they believe the world should be.  

And that’s kind of my main issue with a lot of the parishioners who gave interviews in this documentary. At 44 minutes into Part 2 of the documentary, a woman legit says, “whether it’s LGBTQ issues or Black Lives Matter, Christianity is always a step behind.”  

Another Black woman at 46:26 minutes says that while black people are being killed (like George Floyd), “Carl Lentz gets all this acclaim because nobody is saying anything. Just because Christianity is so backwards.”  

Christianity is so backwards? Christianity is always a step behind? I couldn’t believe it. The women said this as if they had greater authority than Christ himself, as if the Bible needs to change to get with the times. It is a wicked thing to demand that Christianity change to please our modern sensibilities, because it’s not supposed to change. WE are the ones who are supposed to change. 

Again, who do these people think they are? It reminds me of when God asked Job in Chapter 38, starting in verse 4, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” 

The point of those scriptures, if you read the rest of Chapter 38, is to let the reader know that while you are loved, God knows you exist and wants you to be saved…you need to humble yourself. You have no authority, should bear no entitlement, should make no demands of the living God who created all things. 

“But Rock…they weren’t making demands of God! Their complaint was with the church.”  

The lady said “Christianity is always a step behind,” so spare me. Even if she meant “the church is always a step behind” if she knew the Bible and humbled herself to what God says on matters such as homosexuality, those words would not have come from her lips.  

Another point was where one woman in the documentary talked about her aspirations of becoming a pastor and essentially conveyed that it was discrimination to not let women do that. Another woman commented that “every time a woman was on stage, it was in a supportive role for her husband or some other man.” She said this as if it was a bad or shameful thing. 

I’m sorry if it seems like I’m picking on the ladies here, but it really is out of love that I say these things. (Prov 25:5-6) Most of the Biblical issues raised came from the former female parishioners airing their grievances with Hillsong.  

Ladies…you can’t serve both God and the World. You have to pick one. Feminism has done a lot of great things. I’m all for women having the same legal rights as men. But God has outlined and instructed the roles of Men and Women in the Bible. You have to choose whether or not you want to accept God’s word and follow his commandments.  

This link takes you to a page that breaks down whether Women can be Pastors ten times way better than I ever could. But suffice to say, at 1 Timothy 2: 11-15, the Apostle Paul writes:  

11 Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15 Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control. 

I know…if you were raised in our modern American culture for the past couple of decades, these scriptures can be extremely hurtful and oppressive. And while it’s natural to turn your anger towards me for calling your attention to the truth, I encourage you to recognize that I did NOT write those scriptures. 

As I’ve written in other essays, if the Bible instructed that Husbands should submit to their Wife’s authority, I would obey. Not because that’s what my wife or the mainstream media is pressing…but because this is what God instructed.

The woman who said she wanted to be a pastor in the documentary, she’s beautiful. She seems to have a good heart. I hope she’s still on her journey to be a Christian and I’d encourage her by telling her that there’s other ways to minister to others that don’t involve her preaching from the pulpit. 

Not to mention, it’s not sexist because even a lot of men are disqualified from being pastors. 1 Timothy Chapter 3 goes on to say that if anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he must be married to one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.  

It says in verse 4 “that the man must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” 

“Hold up, Rock! What about all the rich pastors who do seem to be lovers of money! They do get drunk and their children are a mess! They shouldn’t be preaching but they do! If they can do that, what’s the problem of letting a woman preach on Sunday?” 

So, your argument is, “Since other Christians aren’t following the Scriptures, I shouldn’t have to either?” Because that’s a huge indication on whether or not you’ve actively chosen to be a follower of Christ. The hypocrites will be dealt with. Believe that. But what are you gonna do? Follow the herd off the bridge? Or take a stand and preserve your life. 

On the issue of Homosexuality and the church...a former male parishioner who happens to be gay talked about going to the church because, at first…Hillsong seemed to embrace all progressive lifestyles. However, when pressed on the issue of whether Hillsong believed in gay marriage, Carl Lentz said he believe marriage was between a man and a woman, choosing to let the Bible speak for itself.  

The gay parishioner wasn’t happy with that stance. It reminds me of a controversy involving “The Chosen,” a highly acclaimed production of Jesus’s ministry. It came out recently that a member of their production crew had the Pride flag on display and apparently, an official from “The Chosen” defended it.  

They stated, “Just like with our hundreds of cast and crew who have different beliefs (or no belief at all) than we do, we will work with anyone on our show who helps us portray or honor the authentic Jesus. We ask that audiences let the show speak for itself and focus on the message, not the messenger, because we’ll always let you down.” 

That sounds like an awesome response, but it doesn’t really address the issue. The whole point about coming onto Christ is to repent from your former life. How can you promote that message while having a visual representation of the life we should be encouraging others to repent from? That’s a problem. 

The same as with going to a gay wedding. I get that you want to show that you still love the participants. And some have even used the logic of, “I want to show them that there’s still room to come back to the fold...”  

However, by attending a gay wedding you’re “you are attending a vow that those two people are making to CONTINUE in sin”. You’re going to be smiling. You’re going to be involved in some celebration of it. It’s unavoidable. (Genesis 19:1–13; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10). 

What I’m seeing in these comments takes me back to my essay about Arrogance. As much as the documentary was supposedly an exposé on the corruption of Hillsong, almost every interviewee except for Lentz’s wife Laura, revealed themselves to be very much the opposite of humble. A group of individuals who think they know better than God. 

“Hang on, Rock! I see so much criticism for homosexuality. But I didn’t see nearly as much criticism about Carl Lentz for adultery and cheating on his wife!”

Because in the documentary, he repented. He showed contrition. He didn’t boast or brag about cheating on his wife or say it was cool and acceptable. He didn’t have pride for the sins he committed. You could tell he deeply regretted what he’s done. He doesn’t want to do it again. That’s repentance.

Beware of Progressive ideologies that move away from what God teaches. Christianity is open and accepting of everyone, but contrary to modern opinion, there are conditions to salvation. 

I like to use the library analogy here. The library is free and open to everyone. However, there’s a sign on the door. You need to wear a shirt and shoes to enter. Similarly, salvation through Christ is open and freely given to everyone. However, you need to repent from sinful behaviors and believe in Christ as your Lord and Savior to enter. 

Part of “believing” is accepting the instructions and commands given in the Bible. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 clearly explains that behaviors such as sexual immorality, homosexuality and adultery will have no place in the Kingdom of Heaven.  

This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love people who committed these sins. Think of a loving parent who finds out his son just robbed a bank. They still love their son but will likely be very disappointed.  

And I get it…reading the Bible can be a bit scary. Because once you’ve read exactly how God feels about an issue, especially if it’s a behavior you actively indulge in, celebrate, and condone, you now have no excuse. You can’t claim ignorance and say “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”  

I’m not dismissive of that fear. Jesus himself described these people who would fall away due to the pressures of the world in his parable of the Sower. 

And while I hope God would show mercy to those who lack the courage, you have to understand that God has witnessed humanity from its first creation. If you’re “afraid” to learn the truth, chances are it’s because you already KNOW you’re living a sinful lifestyle. In John Chapter 3, Jesus describes this as the darkness. He says that people “loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:19) 

Contrary to the popular belief about Christians…we love you. Not your sin. Not your worldly behavior. Not your culture or the wickedness you embrace. We love the fact that you’re alive, that you have a soul that’s worth saving. 

Consider my Titanic analogy. It’s like, if we’re all told that the Titanic is going down and the only way to get on those lifeboats is if you believe in Jesus and repent. But so many years have passed. The Titanic hasn’t sunk. They’re calling it the Unsinkable.  

Wicked people influence the masses and encourage them to forget about Jesus and his boring rules. So many are enticed to indulge in their weaknesses and BOOM! Suddenly the Titanic has struck an iceberg and is starting to sink. 

Those of us who maintained our faith, repented, and believed in Jesus…we’re safe on those lifeboats. Some of our loved ones, our friends and family are still on the Titanic. It brings us no joy to know we’re safe while so many of them will go down with this Satanic ship. 

That’s why it makes me so mad when I see all the wicked influence turning people away. And sad to say, it does get to a point where I have to leave people alone because it hurts knowing they’ve chosen the temporary pleasures of this world over eternal life. 

My friends, I’d encourage you to pray for a humble heart, to submit to the words of God and ask him to push out all those wicked ideologies the world’s impressed upon you. It won’t be easy. It won’t happen overnight. But if you pray and asked for God to help mold you, to work on your heart and soul, I know he won’t deny you. Because he loves you and wants you to be saved.