What Happens When the Music Stops?
Using the Hip-Hop Culture to Evangelize

Tim Cunningham © 2005

I am concerned that using “rap and hip-hop” music, as a tool to bring young people to Christ could be nothing more than fool’s gold. We assume they are attracted to Christ, His ways, and His word because they come to church, meetings, and “parties” where hip-hop and rap music that names the name of Christ is being played. However, we must examine this and ask the question, “Are they coming because they love the Lord, or because of the music and the environment?”

The true test to see if this “method” is valid is this…If you stop playing the music and got rid of all the dancing instantaneously, would they still come and want to hear the gospel preached and live a life that is pleasing and fruitful in the sight of God? In other words, what happens when the music stops? I believe that most will vanish and show they never really loved the Lord but that it was the music, dancing, and the hip-hop environment they truly loved. The reason for this is that they didn’t want the Master, but rather what was on the Master’s table. Or, they didn’t love Christ but the by-products of Christ. Simply put, if we tell them that Christianity is all about rapping and dancing than that is all they will want out of it. And when that is not there, neither is their walk with God. It leaves just as the music leaves.

For some reason we have become so “educated” that we have become foolish. We have allowed today’s psychologist and “experts” in today’s culture tell us that the Bible in and of itself is boring and irrelevant to teens. And that unless it is package with some form of entertainment (rap/hip-hop) it can’t penetrate and change people’s lives. We have bought into the lie that God’s holy word needs help from us in order for it to have power and be effective to change lives for eternity. Christianity, and furthermore, the Bible, doesn’t need “decorations” to make it attractive and appealing like a Christmas tree needs ornaments and lights. How dare we think we can “help God out” by adding outside entertainment to the message of the cross. All of these so-called attractions are nothing more than distractions. Distractions that lead to a watered-down gospel that then leads to a false gospel which finally leads to a false salvation. How can we help save young people when the message we are preaching may not be a saving message?

For us to feel that we must conform Christianity, specifically the gospel, to the culture is a slap in the face to God’s dynamic word that has transformed lives for centuries. God’s word is just as powerful today as it was many years ago. We act as if the Bible cannot penetrate into the hearts of teens in the 21rst century. That, of course, is dead wrong! Hebrews 4:12 states that the word of God is living, active, and is able to get down into the joints and bones of people. It digs deep into their hearts and minds. Notice the passage says that the word of God is living and active and penetrates. It does NOT say the word of God plus something else to help it out.

In 1 Corinthians 2 Paul talks about his method of preaching. In that chapter he says that his preaching was not with “persuasive words or human wisdom”. Why Paul? Because he did not want people to come to Christ due to his clever, fancy talk but because they had truly put their faith in Christ. In other words, he only wanted to message of the cross to be the focus, nothing else. Earlier in 1 Corinthians 1:17 he says that Christ sent him to preach the gospel, not with fancy words. Why Paul? Because if his preaching was filled with fancy talking and rhetoric it would have made the cross of Christ of no effect. In other words, the cross would not have meaning to anyone if they missed the message altogether due to distractions. Paul, who was highly educated, never wanted his words to take the focus off the message.

One must also wonder why we would want to mix something as precious and holy (set apart) as the Bible with the hip-hop/rap culture. A culture that promotes a lifestyle of drugs, pimping, rebellion, sex, fast living, murder, and is demeaning to women. A culture that lauds Tupac, Notorius BIG, Fifty-Cent, Snoop Dog, and others. How can the Bible really remain the Bible if it is now mixed and blended with that culture? Where is the distinction? When we try to mix the Bible with the hip-hop culture what happens is that the culture will rule and the Bible and its precepts will take a back seat. We must make a separation.

The Bible is clear on this matter of trying to mix Christianity with the culture. Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world”. James 4:4 “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God”. 1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world, neither the thing that are in the world.” James 1:27 “Keep yourself unspotted from the world”.

The Bible teaches that not everyone will accept Christ. This is taught in Matthew 23:3-23; Mark 4:2-20; and Luke 8:14-15 in the parable of the soils. Jesus tells us about different soils (hearts) in which the seed (the word of God) falls on when it is preached. Of the four soils Jesus speaks of, three reject the word for different reasons. Only one is accepted. The reason is that the gospel is not “easy”. It requires self-denial, sacrifice, humility, repentance, and, most of all, obedience. It has nothing to do with shaking your hips and writing rap lyrics. Jesus said that only those who come through the narrow gate will enter into heaven. This way in constricted and consise. He goes on to say that “few will find it”. People are going to accept Christ when they truly understand the gospel for all its worth, not because of playing hip-hop music. In fact, I would argue that what must be appealing to someone about Christ is that HIS way is different, unlike the world’s. They must see Jesus as being the Lord of the universe, the One who rose from the dead, and the Creator of all things, and NOT like some modern day rapper and dancer. By telling young people that Christianity is all about dancing, shaking your butt, and rapping is duping them and is causing many of them to be self-deceived into thinking they are saved when they may not be. Christianity is a tough and narrow way that few will find and enter (Matthew 7:13-14). Which again forces one to ask, “What happens when the music stops?”.

Can music lead someone to Christ? The Bible only says that by preaching, hearing, and reading the word can one hear and be saved. The Bible never records anyone who came to Christ as a result of listening to music. Music is for praise and worship and the word is to be preached. Only the uncontaminated gospel can save, not rap music and hip-hop.

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation.”

James 1:21 “And receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.”

2 Tim. 3:15 “And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

1 Cor. 1:18 “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God,”

Ephes. 1:13 “In Him you trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation”.

The Lord did command us to go into all the world and reach the lost (Matthew 28:19-20). With that said, we are never to conform the gospel to the culture. Rather, we should be a change agent within the culture. Jesus never stopped preaching the true message even though many rejected it. He knew his message would be offensive and controversial, but it stayed the same. That is our model for today. Our message should stay the same and not be diluted with the rap and hip-hop culture. The Bible needs no help from anyone. If we continue to try to make the gospel attractive with rap music then we will continue to give teens a false view of Christ. And eventually, the music will stop, then what? -end.

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Bio for Tim Cunningham

Tim has been a public school teacher for 13 years. During that time he has taught third grade for one year, fifth grade for seven years, and sixth grade for four years. He has been a teacher in both urban and suburban districts in the Kansas City area. This has given him the chance to work with students, parents, teacher, and administrators from a wide range of cultural and educational backgrounds. For four years he was able to work in gender separate classes. He was the math teacher to classes consisting only of African-American boys or African-American girls. The allowed him to see, first hand, the different learning styles between boys and girls in the area of Mathematics. He currently is the sixth grade Communication Arts teacher at Cedar Creek Elementary School in Lee’s Summit, MO. In the class his students do an extensive amount of projects some of which include writing speeches, making oral presentations, debating, creating and advertising their own business, and writing and illustrating a children’s book. The students are exposed to and expected to memorize poems such as “If” by Kipling and “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. They are also required to learn King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”. He also is the sponsor of the Whirlwinds and Twisters Writing Club at Cedar Creek. The club was originated to give students who love to write an opportunity to showcase their talent in a public setting. Over the last two years, 48 students have been members of the club.

Tim has also coached youth basketball for ten years. The last team he coached was the Lee’s Summit Cobras. During the three years he coached the team, his girls had a record of 96 wins and 11 losses. They had winning streaks of 28 and 31 games. They took first place in 12 tournaments and never finished lower than fourth in any tournament. In March of 2005, he was hired to be the Varsity girl’s basketball coach at Lee’s Summit Community Christian School.

In 1991 Tim became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. In 1993 has was nominated for the Sallie Mae First Year Teacher Award. In 1994 he was a tutor in the Teach Campaign Program. In 2005 he was nominated for the Lee’s Summit R-7 Expect The Best in Teaching Award. He has also served on various committees that have planned Professional Development for teachers as well as events and programs for students.

Tim received his Bachelor’s in Education in 1993 from Southwest Missouri State University and his Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction in 2003 from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

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