What happens when rock stars talk about Jesus? A reflection on grace, witness, and how God may use even the loudest messengers.
I recently watched a documentary about Kid Rock’s ‘Rock The Country’ tour. A concert aimed at and performed in small towns that normally don’t get the big-name concerts. As most know Kid Rock unashamedly performs for patriotic crowds boosting and promoting patriotism and Donald Trump as president. He is endorsed by Trump and is often seen in public appearances with Trump. The only entertainers allowed to perform on stage are patriotic Trump supporting performers like Jason Aldean who is known for his song ‘Try That In A Small Town’. The documentary I saw noted there were 890 American flags. Tucker Carlson, well known news correspondent was even allowed to speak. It was Tucker Carlson that noted the tall lighting fixture lit up in the shape of a cross in the midst of the crowd. Kid Rock truly stands out as one who doesn’t care about what anyone thinks of him. He is proud of his country, honors veterans on stage and allowed someone to lead his rowdy crowd in prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. I truly applaud his efforts, enthusiasm and his talented performances. I listened to the interviews and he is an inspiration to many. When asked about his faith he claims to believe in God. Now how that balances with his larger-than-life screens on his stage with a picture of himself nude, covering his genitals with his hands and a video of him with a large woman who flashes her breasts in one part of the song that is meant to be comical with a line of the song saying ‘She showed me hers and I showed her mine’. The documentary made it a point to pan the audience and capture many women also baring their breasts. Yes, they blurred out the details of their private parts but it was apparent that such behavior was applauded and a staple of his concerts.
Alice Cooper claims to be a Christian and I don’t doubt he is. He openly speaks of Christ and his conversion and has built youth centers aimed at steering young people away from gang life and drugs and steering them toward performing music as an alternative to their self-destructive lifestyle. His songs are generally harmless and positive in an abstract way in the persona of a pseudo vaudeville villain on stage. But he also performs a song called ‘Cold Ethyl’ which ‘humorously’ touts his imaginary experience of having sex with a corpse. One line of the song says “She’s cool in bed, yeah she ought to be ‘cause Ethyl’s dead.”
It is great to hear about influential celebrity performers who openly declare they had a life-changing experience and are now followers of Jesus Christ like Brian ‘Head’ Welch and Reginald Fieldy of Korn, Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. as well as others I could name.
Donald Trump, currently President of the United States at this writing (2025), endorses Christian faith and values and claims to be a follower of Christ but doesn’t mind spicing up his speeches with occasional profanity.
I could easily point out many things in their lives that seem to contradict their relationship with Christ but that is not the point of me writing this and don’t get me wrong I am not saying these things are OK for Christian behavior. But it is too easy to be the one pointing a finger at their faults and Lord knows there are plenty of finger pointers out there. I choose to focus on the positive effect that celebrities such as these and others are having on our culture. At very least they are opening the door and ‘giving permission’ for the gospel being acceptable and that it is OK to not be ashamed and proclaim your faith, even cool to be a Christian. It is bringing many Christians ‘out of the closet’ in a world where raunchy transgender performers are praised for coming out of the closet and twerking in front of children in public libraries.
I think Christ and the apostles make it very clear the manner in which a Chistian and follower of Christ should behave and that should be the goal of everyone claiming to be one but rather than point fingers and condemn could we not also view them as somewhat instrumental in opening the door in a way for those who just aren’t there yet? I mean you have to start somewhere. Rather than shoot the messenger could it be possible that it might inspire someone in their audiences to pray or read the Bible for the first time and if they are sincere seekers it could be the catalyst to open their hearts up to find out what a true believer should be. James 4:8 says “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you”. Like I said, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying such bad behavior is OK. What I am saying is stop limiting God. He can take a little and do a lot like no one else can. Remember a little boy with five loaves and two fish in Luke 9:1-17? Are you going to be like the disciples who responded ‘what are they among so many?’ (John 6:9). Have you ever been in the dark and struck something as small as match for light? It didn’t light up the whole room but it was better than nothing and maybe got you to the light switch so you could light up the whole room. My point is will you curse the darkness or light a light? Stop limiting and condemning what God can do with a little! God has no limitations and what we consider small God can make into something great.
- 1 Corinthians 1:27 reminds us that God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.
- He pointed out to Moses the staff in his hand Exodus 4.
- Samson slayed a thousand Philistines with a donkey’s jawbone in Judges 15.
- David killed Goliath with a small stone in 1 Samuel 17.
- He provided for a poor widow who only had a small amount of oil, a handful of flour and a few sticks in 1 Kings 17.
- Jesus pointed out how small the mustard seed was and how it grew into a large mustard tree as an example of what even a small amount of faith can do in Matthew 17:20.
Can God use even something as small as a lit up cross at a concert or a word spoken even from the mouth of one who may not be living an ideal life? People like Alice Cooper, Brian Welch and Reginald Feely can reach people that most of us would never be able to even get audience with. Alice Cooper can reach the Marilyn Manson’s of the world who openly curse God and the Bible. He is highly respected among all musical artists who know him and he speaks to them every chance he gets about Christ.
I remember participating in a tent meeting where different local ministries were given the opportunity to minister and being shocked when a Christian biker ministry put up their banner on stage that stated in large print ‘Satan Sux’. Now many would have dismissed them as being true Christians just because of the way they dressed and how long their hair was but I gave them a chance and was impressed how solid the gospel was they presented and found out how they were constantly feeding the hungry, ministering to children in hospitals dying of cancer, helping single Moms and more. What is more effective screaming loudly from a pulpit, pointing fingers and condemning everyone you disapprove of or meeting someone’s needs? Even James the apostle points out in James 2:15-16 “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” Oh yes, people in need are going to remember you meeting their needs more than you pointing a finger at them for not paying their tithes. I knew a pastor who would go out of his way to poor widows that could barely make ends meet to make them feel guilty about not paying their tithes and pocketing the money he collected from them. And don’t get me started on rich TV evangelists who lie and tell people to send them their money and God will bless them back 100-fold!
I know preachers who are afraid to preach about grace out of worry that people will take it as a license to sin when in reality the more you understand grace and submit to it makes you lose your desire to sin. (You may want to read the study I wrote on grace or the book I wrote on the subject.)
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2)
You have to reach people where they are. Just like a plant has to grow where it is planted. Does Romans 2:4 not say it is the goodness of God that draws people to repentance? God’s love and goodness are so powerful and so far above comprehension! His ways are above our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). You have to get down to a person’s level to reach them. Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 “For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law. To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.” It’s a worn out saying but true, ‘Hate the sin but love the sinner’. You might have to overlook a thing or two to win someone to Christ. I read a book recently by and about a homosexual who was an activist and bitter to the gospel who said the thing that won him to Christ was when a person genuinely listened to his rants and asked him the question ‘But have you ever experienced the love of God?’ She didn’t qualify it or preach him down but the Holy Spirit used those words to echo in his soul and let him know he could come as he was and drew him to him and loved him in a way that touched him so deeply in a way that no human ever did. God fulfilled a desire for love in this person that no human could fill. He said he felt so loved that nothing could compare to it and lost his desire for homosexual relationships. He became content to live a celibate life that was so fulfilling that ended his search for love and fulfillment in other human beings.
I personally confronted a bunch of ‘holier-than-thou’ protesters waving signs at a Marilyn Manson concert and yelling terrible things to the young people as they went into and leaving the concert. I walked right up to them and said ‘Do you really think that is going to win these young people to Christ? If you truly want to reach them go up to them respectfully and talk to them’. Screaming and talking down an artist they adore will only assure that they will never want anything to do with Christ if they are the examples.
Too many times I have heard the gospel preached that makes it sound like you have to clean up before you can take a bath. This gospel dangles the carrot so high on a stick that it can’t be obtained and then jerks the carrot away just as someone reaches for it. They sing ‘Just As I Am’ in their altar calls but they don’t really mean it. Though they wouldn’t admit it they care more for counting how many converts they achieved, how many they deceptively drew to their altars than they did for their souls. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 says make ‘disciples’ of all men not ‘converts’. A disciple is a follower and student of a teacher. The church falls far short of discipling people who come to the altar. Billy Graham said once ‘I can shake the apple tree and shake the apples down to the ground but someone has to pick up the apples and make pies of them otherwise the apples rot on the ground.’ In other words, new believers have to be taught. That means spending time with them and opening the Bible with them, praying with them and meeting their needs. News flash: A sinner is going to sin! It is up to the experienced believer to show them the way. Jesus said to be ‘fishers of men’ (Mark 1:17). He just said to catch them, not clean them, cleaning them is his job. God is able to take them from where they are to where they need to be and that journey is going to be different for everyone.
One should ask oneself ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ I believe if he came in bodily form in today’s time rather than as he did 2000 years ago, he would be walking among the sinner as he did then not among the self-righteous hypocrites in the church today. And so should we push away from his table of plenty and go forth among the fields he has made ready for harvest (Matthew 9:35-38). Did he not eat with publicans like Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10)? Did he not go out of his way to minister to an adulterer and Samaritan woman that the rest of his culture rejected (John 4:1-42)? Were sinners not drawn to him wanting to hear the words he said? Even religious zealous Scribes sent to spy on him reported back to those who sent them, “Never a man spake as this man” (John 7:45-46). He was condemned by the religious of his time for having anything to do with sinners: “The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners” (Matthew 11:19). He did nothing but heal and offer hope and salvation and the religious called for his execution. Even in this he turned the cross into the way of salvation for all. He himself declared in John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
I’m not endorsing or excusing bad behavior but I think the examples above and many other examples I could give, are a testament to the power of the gospel to shine forth even in the darkest night and point people that are feeling hopeless to the great hope and peace that one can find by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ, calling upon his name and coming ‘just as I am’ and experiencing the life-changing power of the gospel. God can reach into even the places he isn’t welcome. If I had time, I would tell you how even Muslims are having dreams of Jesus reaching out to them with love. When the Word of God goes forth it changes people’s lives forever! As it says in Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” How will you respond to things I have described? Will you curse the darkness, point the condemning self-righteous finger or will you rejoice in the power of God to penetrate and shine forth even in the darkest of darkness. As long as Christ is revealed in even what seems a small way to us there is hope for the hopeless, light in the darkness, love for the unloved and healing for the soul. Pray for others, point them to their hope and life they can have in Christ Jesus and don’t be so quick to judge. God is greater than that which we see and comprehend.
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