Not.
A recent phenomenon plaguing the seeker-friendly “church” crowd is the annual performance of Michael Jackson’s Thriller as part of a worship service. Passion Church out of Maple Grove, MN held their Thriller performance on Oct 18, and Oct 25, followed byJonathan Brozozog’s “sermon” titled “Haunted House.” No, I’m not kidding. As ridiculous as that sounds, it’s true. And to make matters worse, they actually believe that this performance leads people to Christ.
Now, some of you might be asking, “what’s the big deal?” Shouldn’t we be glad that they’re reaching people for Christ?
No. Because they’re not. In fact, what’s going on here is that they’re filling their church with graven images, playing songs that glorify Satan, and then having an altar call claiming that all these people are “making decisions for Christ.”
Besides the fact that one doesn’t “make a decision for Christ,” (that’s a topic for another day) Scripture is clear that faith come from hearing the Word of God preached.
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. – Romans 10:14-17
Further, children were involved in this idolatrous pagan worship event that drew thousands of people. The Bible teaches that the church is supposed to be set apart from the world (Psalm 4:3). He has called us out of the darkness of this world into his marvelous light so that we can proclaim Him (1 Peter 2:9). We are commanded explicitly in Ephesians 5:11, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” And 2 Corinthians 6:14 asks, “what fellowship has light with darkness?”
And I would ask, what fellowship does Passion Church have with darkness? Apparently quite a bit. Colossians 1:13 says “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,” yet, Passion Church is choosing to remain in the domain of darkness.
The Lord will purify his Church, and the sheep will be separated from the goats.
And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God. – John 3:19-21
“Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues.” – Revelation 18:4