I have recently learned that Hillsong has opened a NEW church campus in Brisbane, an Australian City, in a suburban precinct known for its all night clubbing, drunkenness and vice. The club is called ‘The Met’.

The Logo of The Met is a dragon design based on the middle ages.

 

Here’s one young person’s review of the club on a friday or saturday night:

“Lucky most drunk or dancing people are friendly enough. I searched high and low for my friend, soaking up the atmosphere of the Met as I did. There are dancing girls in cages here, seriously. I nearly didn’t notice them had I not looked up. Stumbling around this maze I found multiple bars, more dance floors than I could count each with their own DJ, and plenty of booths and spots to chill out on. After searching for what seemed like all night, I received yet another text, this time saying she had gone home. Attempting to do the same I managed to find my way out of the maze of smoky dance floors and grinding bodies despite not knowing which way I was going. ”

The idea according to Brian Houston is, by taking over a rented facility in one of these night clubs is any revellers who wake up from their drunken stupor the next morning, will find themselves in church!

Clever stuff Brian…But does a church use a night club as a common facility for worship? And have we sunken so low that this is the only way to get sinners inside ‘our’ walls??

City Campus

Brisbane

Service Times

Sunday

There is no better way to start the weekend than in the House of God. Sunday at Brisbane City is packed with people leaning in eager for more of God.

Editor: Which god are they referring to?

10:00 AM 5:00 PM

Location

The Me

256 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are you light in the Lord: walk as children of light

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Ephesians 5 tells us that we are to reprove NOT approve the works of darkness.

We have come to this weird idea that church has to be fashioned after the entertainment offered by the world, and that we are competing with the world on the basis of Market Share? We think that if that our church services are not sufficiently a ‘Holy Ghost’ party we are not offering anything that will appeal to anyone….

Have the people at Hillsong ever stopped to ask what is Church and for whom is the service for?

It matters little that we have won 5 Arias or gained top billing, but rather that we have gladdened the heart of God with our consecration and our worship!

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: – 1 Peter 2:9
The Met Night Club 2011
Inside The Met Night Club 2011
Please Note: The above picture is inside the club way before Hillsong starting using it for Church! Does this scene look at all familar? It looks like a Hillsong church service, peoples hands raised, the lights and smoke….right?

But it isn’t…. Its a typical night at ‘The Met’ night club.

The Apostle John reminds us, If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

It seems clear to me that church goers these days are happy to have a sanctified party!

This is the new kind of thinking. This is the new breed of religious convert. Give us just enough religion to ease our conscience; but not too much to kill our fun.

Have they forgotten that Christ and Belial have no agreement? – cf. 2 Cor 6:14 – 15. We are called to separation, from the world’s ways, the world’s pleasures, and the world’s lifestyle. But is there is no difference anymore!

A. W. Tozer, (1897 – 1963) who was an American Christian pastor, preacher, author, magazine editor, and spiritual mentor wrote in his book “Tozer on Christian Leadership”;

“The church’s mightiest influence is felt when she is different from the world in which she lives. Her power lies in her being different, rises with the degree in which she differs and sinks as the difference diminishes.

This is so fully and clearly taught in the Scriptures and so well illustrated in Church history that it is hard to see how we can miss it. But miss it we do, for we hear constantly that the Church must try to be as much like the world as possible, excepting, of course, where the world is too, too sinful….”

It’s clear we are comfortable with compromise, and conformity to the world, indeed we are happy dancing in the Dark!!

 

brisbane@hillsong.com