Unpopular

What does it mean to be unpopular? The definition is to be not liked or popular, and synonyms are: disliked, friendless, unliked, unloved, loathed, despised. As for a Christian none of these should be an issue among professing believers and yet it is. 

For instance, as a open air preacher, much of the push back I receive from people about how I am doing it wrong or that it doesn't work comes from professing believers. Who believe it is unpopular to "push" religion on others, as they say. 

Other instances of being unpopular among professing believers is over doctrine. Being an open air preacher I have sadly had the opportunity to speak to multitudes of people who say they are believers, however, when it comes to knowing sound doctrine, they simply fail to know what the Word of God actually says about many issues and tend to actually go against truths from the Word of God by accepting them, such as woman pastors, homosexuality, abortion denying the Deity of Jesus and the denial of the Trinity. These individual still believe they are Christians and for you to say otherwise based on doctrine makes you extremely unpopular. 

In a similar fashion, concerning doctrine, music is another area in which I find myself unpopular among other professing believers. I am not legalistic when it comes to music, I don't only believe in Hymns. In fact, I listen to many genre of music from Christian Rap, Hymns, The Psalter, Psalms by modern day artists, and more. But since I speak out against Christian Contemporary Music mostly played on family friendly radio that makes me also unpopular. It isn't popular to speak out against someones favorite band or "worship" song despite that many of them come from groups or bands that are heretical and while you may not catch the heretical teachings in all their music, it still introduces people to it and they go to the concerts and by the music and begin to follow their favorite artists. They watch them on YouTube and listen to them and are exposed to the false teaching behind these "Christian" artists. Which comes down to sound doctrine. Having good theology truly keeps you from falling into the deceitfulness of false teaching. Many music groups such as Hillsong, Bethel/Jesus Culture and Elevation Worship know full well what their intentions are, they want to reach people through their music, and it works. millions of people buy their albums and many people follow the "churches" they come out of by the same names as I mentioned of the music groups above.

It doesn't seem very popular these days to speak out against anything that goes against the Word of God. You get labeled as a legalist, or a Pharisee, simply for desiring to seek holiness and honor the Lord God by holding to sound doctrine and exposing that which is contrary to it. 

I know this is why some people avoid me.

I am unpopular because I desire to seek truth in all things. Not that I am always right about everything because I am not, but because my heart desires to please the Lord and to worship Him. And the Word of God says we must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. And when your beliefs go against the Word of God that is not in the Spirit and Truth, but contrary to the truth. 

As Jesus prayed for His own as recorded in John 17, 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. 20 “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,

My prayer is also that God would sanctify us in His truth and that those who profess faith in Christ would grow deeper in their understand of God's Word and stand on sound doctrine and be brought into agreement with the Word of God.

To God Be The Glory
Ricky Gantz

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