Brian Doerksen, a liberal Mennonite from British Columbia, Canada, and a Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) musician, plays regularly at Mennonite church such as the Evangelical Mennonite Conference (EMC) and other evangelical churches, with fog show, lights, and the whole rock and roll atmosphere. Sometimes he even reluctantly gives in to requests for toned-down shows, but of course that doesn't change anything about the nature of the man or his music. Moving the goal posts doesn't change anything. Man-centredness and worship rules in neo-evangelical environments, not the Bible, and nothing will change the neo-evangelical from following the lusts of his flesh. Practically nothing would cancel the worldly and strange fire worship performance, besides when the government says "no church."
Why the ignorance to the truth and love for the things of the flesh and world? Because of what the Lord Jesus said in Matt 13:15,
“For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”
I believe the biggest cause for this blinded phenomenon is what we read in Rev. 3:17,
“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”
So they are a lukewarm, Laodicean-type of church, but that also means they are unregenerate.
Many don't like the warnings and refuse to listen, a phenomenon addressed by the Lord Jesus above, in Matt 13:15.
So why warn if they won’t listen anyway?
For the same reason Jesus warned them and preached to them; for the same reason Jeremiah was commanded to go out and preach to the nation of Israel, even though he was told no one would listen or Biblically respond, for the same reasons Jesus and the apostles were always warning and exposing similar people in Scripture, especially the Pharisees and Saduccees and scribes and chief priest — to be blameless and clear of the blood of all men (Ac. 20:26-27), including the wicked and the self-righteous (Ezk 3:16-27; 33:1-20); to correct their wrong and egregious way of thinking, belief and living, and ideally convert them to the truth and salvation (Jam 5:19-20); to warn those that have ears to hear and eyes to see (Matt 13); to mark and avoid them that teach false doctrine in obedience to God's Word and for the sake and love of the truth (Rom. 16:17-18); to reprove the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:6-11); to execute judgment (Ze 8:16) and judge all things (1 Cor 2:15); to be a faithful watchman and servant of Christ fulfilling the will of God. See Spiritual Warfare for questions and answers concerning this subject by gainsayers and naysayers.
“These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:” (Ze. 8:16).
“To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.” (Pr. 21:3).
I would be guilty of disobeying these passages and transgressing the ninth commandment (“thou shalt not bear false witness”) if I concealed the truth or held undue silence in this just cause (Rom. 16:17; Ju. 1:3; Lev. 5:1; 2 Tim. 4:5-7), and held my peace when iniquity and error calleth for reproof (Pr. 24:23-25; 28:23; Ti. 2:15; Lev. 19:17). They will never be able to say they weren’t warned.
“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16).
Well we better get to it then eh. Here it is, some gravy for your mashed potatoes, for those who love God and thus obey all His Word, an exhortation to separate and reject Brian Doerksen, and not just him, but all CCM music and musicians.
Biblical Reasoning Why Born Again Believers Must Mark and Avoid (Rom 16:17-18) Brian Doerksen and His Music, Not Approve.
1. Doerksen is a CCM musician, and Contemporary Praise and Worship Music is both unscriptural and ungodly. It is worship of self and not of God.
All of Doerksen’s music is of the CCM genre, it is “Christian” rock, which is an oxymoron. Tragically Doerksen was exposed to the ungodly "Christian" rock music (CCM) at a young age by his father:
“One of the most memorable nights of my youth was when my Dad took me to see a couple of Christian bands in concert in Seattle along with some of my friends. That night gave me a glimpse of the church as a whole, and when they went into a time of worship near the end, and people began to lift their hands (I had never seen this before) I was deeply moved by the presence of God and said ‘This is what I was made for’. I was also amazed that the quality of the music and sound were top notch, and that was formative in my passion for both excellence of heart and skill in worship music. It was around this time that the focus of my life was formed - to make and sing music with all my heart to God.” He further writes about this newfound enjoyment "about really expressing our worship freely with our voices and our bodies, though this was not the norm at church services we attended at that time."
Of course it wasn’t "the norm at church services" because it was seen as unscriptural and ungodly at one time, where there was actual separation from the world. Sadly, instead of being influenced towards godliness he was influenced towards ungodliness and the world, and that by the very one who should’ve protected him from all this evil. How tragic! And naturally, someone that is lost and thus of the carnal flesh will gravitate towards the worlds music. That is only natural because they are only natural (1 Cor. 2:14). As congruent with vast majority of CCM "artists,” Doerksen continues to love the wicked and ungodly rock music of Satan (such as U2). The whole feely, warm, fuzzy feelings of "the presence of God" is what motivates these worshippers of self and their flesh.
Most, if not all, of what he says (and sings) is unbiblical, in contradiction to Gods Word, but it's also disrespectful as a proclamation of worship. Instead of loving righteousness, he loves worldliness and iniquity. That doesn’t jive and completely contradicts with what happens at salvation and in the true Christian life (1 Jn. 2:15-17; Jam. 4:4; Heb. 1:9; Ti. 2:10-14; 3:3-7). Good fruit comes from a good tree, corrupt fruit from a corrupt tree. People like Doerksen and his audience, tout “grace” and “liberty” and “love” but the “grace” they claim is completely contrary to the grace found in Gods Word (e.g. Ti. 2:11-14), and the “liberty” they peddle is completely contrary to the liberty found in Gods Word (e.g. Gal. 5:13, 19-21), and the “love” they proclaim is entirely contrary to the love found in Scripture (Jn 14:15-24; 1 Jn 2:3-5; 1 Jn 1:6; 1 Cor 13). Biblical love “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;” (1 Cor 13:6). CCM is iniquity. Their “grace” is found in Ju. 1:4, the grace of false believers-teachers who have “crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ju. 1:4).
Using the wrong means is against God. We are to regulate our lives by what God said, not by our opinion or feelings. The methods of musical “evangelists” and CCMers confuses people more than giving them the gospel, because it doesn't represent Jesus Christ. It presents a false Jesus, such as 2 Cor. 11:4 says. And no one is saved by a false gospel.
Is Contemporary Worship Music Honouring to God? Click on the link to find out.
To read more about the ungodliness of CCM, see here: Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) is the Soundtrack of End-Times Apostasy.
John Wimber (1934-1997) and the Association of Vineyard Churches is a large reason for the Contemporary “Christian” Worship movement, which is my next point.
2. Doerksen was affiliated for many years with the exceedingly ecumenical and deeply heretical Vineyard Churches of Canada.
“For many years Doerksen was part of the Vineyard Churches well as Vineyard Music Group. In that context he has been extremely influential in the area of contemporary Christian worship music. He was a featured worship leader on many Vineyard worship CDs and has also taught extensively on worship leading and song writing.” (Source)
“[Doerksen] joined the staff of the Langley Vineyard Christian Fellowship and spent several years there as the worship pastor in the late 1980s and early 1990s.” (ibid).
This church is heretical for A LOT of reasons, some of which are covered below and in the report on John Wimber and the Vineyard Churches, but also for their embracement of tattoos. In 1999, Douglas Todd of The Vancouver Sun visited the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Langley, BC, and found that tattoos are the newest “in thing” for Vineyard Christians. Amy Bonde, who is a staff member at the Vineyard in Langley, has a large Celtic cross tattooed on the small of her back. Encircling the cross are Hebrew letters that allegedly mean, “I am my beloved’s, and he is mine.” Bonde says the tattoo signifies that she looks upon Jesus Christ as her “lover.” (“For the Love of God,” The Vancouver Sun, Feb 1999).
The Vineyard Fellowship, directly associate with the Association of Vineyard Churches and John Wimber, promotes a radical ecumenism and a charismatic-style experience orientation among evangelicals who do not claim to be charismatic. A large part of this experience derives from the use of powerful rock music to help create a sensual worship experience. The Vineyard music has gone around the world and is very influential in the contemporary praise and worship movement. But its very unscriptural and ungodly and reflective of false pretending “believers,” I.e. hypocrites (1 Tim. 6:3-5).
The Association of Vineyard Churches was started by John Wimber, and all their associated churches follow his teaching and practices. To understand Brian Doerksen better is to understand the founder of the very church he himself embraced and was a large part of.
See here for further information: Exposing the Heretic John Wimber and Vineyard Churches
That is what Doerksen embraces when directly and intimately affiliated with these heretical churches, even establishing one of such churches for himself.
“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Am. 3:3).
Definitely not, and Doerksen is more than just walking together.
3. Doerksen holds to practically any and every heresy imaginable, including contemplative mysticism.
Doerksen was raised in a Mennonite Brethren Church, which explains awful much when contemplating the roots of his heresy and apostasy. Mennonite Brethren are thoroughly apostate, hotbeds for every sort of heresy imaginable.
“Brian Doerksen served as one of two co-pastors along with Dean Richmond, Janine Richmond, Irv Esau and Karin Esau at an interdenominational church they started on Mother's Day 2006, called The Bridge in Abbotsford. . . . Brian was a teaching and worship arts pastor and oversaw the church's growing team of worship leaders.” (Wikipedia).
This is an extremely heretical and unscriptural church, one that Doerksen was very closely associated with, even "pastoring" in (there is no such thing as a "worship arts pastor" -- emerging church lingual) and that is unsurprising.
Today, he leads the unscriptural and heretical Prairie Bible Institute School of Worship Arts. That is frightful, considering how apostate they already were!
Everything about his “Bio” reflects his gratification and glorification of self. Nothing even remotely Biblical. He loves the public eye, just like all other CCM musicians, another clear indicator of a carnal and thus lost spiritual condition. Those that are really converted leave the public eye like the Apostle did after he was converted on the road to Damascus. They follow the description of repentance in 2 Cor. 7:10-11 and the example of Zaccheus in Lk. 19:1-10. They leave off of the entire licentious and carnal scene. They stop promoting themselves. They advance the Bible and what it teaches first.
Under the section "My Story" on his website (retrieved a few years ago), Brian writes in reminiscence of a time when he was younger where he would sometimes stare up "into the stars and listen for God’s whispers." He obviously wasn't told that God not only whispers but talks through His Word ALONE; not audibly, which is what Doerksen was seeking after even then, but through God’s Spirit which is through Scripture and that comes by understanding truth through the new birth (e.g. 1 Jn. 2:20-21, 27; 1 Cor. 2:12-16). Here we see the subjective and experiential ecumenical "faith” of most of “evangelicalism” today, an “evil and adulterous generation” (Matt. 12:39) “seeking after signs and wonders” and pursing after visions and dreams, all of which dovetail with CCM and heretical Vineyard churches, and form a large part of the end-times apostasy movement (Matt. 24:11, 24; 2 Th. 2:7-11; Mk. 13:22; Jn. 4:48). Doerksen is a large part of that.
His endorsement and recommendation of books he loves not surprisingly are written by heretical and apostate authors. For example: C.S. Lewis, Henri Nouwen, Eugene Peterson, Mark Buchanan, John Eldridge, Phillip Yancey, and John Piper. These books include unscriptural and heretical books such as “Wild at Heart" and ”Mere Christianity", and also the evil and blasphemous paraphrase perversion of God’s Word called “The Message" and the book “Leap over a Wall" (also by the ungodly heretic Eugene Peterson), and “Return of the Prodigal son" by the Roman Catholic mystic and heretic Henri Nouwen, and Lord of the Rings,” etc. (info cited from website). All these men are wolves in sheep’s clothing, the voice of strangers from which the true sheep of God flee from (Jn. 10:1-5; Matt. 7:15; De. 13:3-4). But not Brian Doerksen.
False teachers aren’t saved people. They are apostates. They are purveyors of “damnable heresies” (2 Pet. 2:1) which damn souls to hell forever. They fulfill the “true proverb” — the fool who returns to his folly like “dogs” and pigs” who never ceased to be “dogs” and “pigs” (2 Pet. 2:17-22; Pr. 26:11). Those who follow them are likewise lost. The blind following the blind. They are the simple, without spiritual discernment (See 1 Cor. 2:14; Rom. 16:17-18; 2 Pet. 2:1-3; Pr. 14:15,18).
4. Doerksen has no Biblical personal testimony of salvation, which coupled with his false doctrine and false worship buttresses even further the fact he is a false “believer” that should be reproved and separated from (2 Cor. 6:14-18; 1 Tim. 6:3-5; Gal. 2:4-5).
He writes that one night alone in his bedroom he had a life changing experience:
"A presence of love and power came into the room and seemed to ask me this simple question, “Will you give me your life to serve me?” After saying yes, I found that the desire to be involved in sports was gone, and in its place was a desire to play music for God"
Firstly, this is not a Biblical testimony of salvation and God never calls anyone into playing music for Him. There is no such thing as musical Great Commission. The Great Commission is by preaching alone! Music is not a means of reaching people. Preaching the true gospel is (1 Cor 1:21; Rom 10:17; 1 Pet 1:23-25). Using the wrong means is against God. We are to regulate our lives by what God said, not by our opinion or feelings. The methods of musical “evangelists” and CCMers confuses people more than giving them the gospel, because it doesn't represent Jesus Christ. It presents a false Jesus, such as 2 Cor. 11:4 warns of. Secondly, since God never comes to anyone by presence since the death of the last apostle, the presence he felt in the room that day was NOT of God, but of “another spirit” (2 Cor. 11:4), one that was “transformed into an angel of light,” whose name is “Satan” (2 Cor. 11:14). “Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Cor. 11:15). Thirdly, salvation comes through the preaching and hearing of God’s Word alone (1 Cor. 1:21; Rom. 10:10-17; 1 Pet. 1:23-25).
Doerksen had an experience but it was with the wrong spirit (2 Cor. 11:12-15). The rest of his life reflects that as well.
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Is 8:20)
5. In conclusion, God commands separation from false believers and heretics and to reprove and expose them, not associate with them or their “music.”
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” (Matt 7:15-19).
“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Eph. 5:11).
“A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” (Ti. 3:10-11).
“Now I beseech you, brethren, MARK THEM which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; AND AVOID THEM. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” (Rom. 16:17-18).
Do you love this music?
"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (1 Cor 13:5)
There is a very good chance that you’ve never been born again if you love this unBiblical music that represents the world.
“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” (Gal. 4:16)
Please read here about how you can be truly born again and stop living the life of an imposter: ARE YOU SAVED?