Jesus said,

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.” Matthew 23:25-31

The above scriptures are highly applicable to the leadership at Hillsong Church.

Pastor Chris Rosebrough once again critiqued Brian Houston on his “Fighting For The Faith” program. In this sermon review Ps Rosebrough asked a question about the leaders who sit on the front row of Hillsong church and cheer Brian Houston on,

“Does he pay people to sit on the front row and say, “Yes boss! Oh amen! Oh that’s so great”?” (1:09:55)

Well, before an ex-Hillsong/GCCC pastor answers that question, listen to Chris’ excellent review of Brian Houston’s sermon below. He accuses Brian Houston quite rightly of using the skillful heresy two-step technique to trick people.

Snakes And Ladders

Source: Chris Rosebrough, Snakes and Ladders, Fighting for the Faith, http://www.fightingforthefaith.com/#sthash.gig64Qnx.dpuf, Published 08/09/2014. (Accessed 10/09/2014.)

So does Brian Houston “pay” those leaders who sit on the front row to be ‘yes’ men?

Well, this following insight from a Hillsong/GCCC pastor will help open our eyes to the manufactured Hillsong preaching and worship environment.

We are thankful that he is this courageous to stand up and show us these insights into Hillsong. It is our prayer that other leaders like this do likewise for the sake of Christ and his church.

He writes,

Hi there,

Thanks for the updates, really appreciate it.

My name is David (real name by the way) and I was a full-time pastor at Garden City Christian Church in Brisbane (2006-2009) when Hillsong took it over; I still worked in that same capacity under the Hillsong banner until July 2010 when decided to resign. Actually, I preached on that Sunday morning service at Garden City when the “voting” to become Hillsong took place (April 2009).

The reason for this email is to share my own personal experience with Hillsong, which wasn’t positive at all. What I witnessed first hand there as an “insider member of the pastoral team and staff” really shocked me (back then I already had over 23 years in full-time ministry). I had a glimpse of how that religious business operate. Among many things, I would like to mention a couple at this stage:

1) One weekday, right after the “take over”, Donna Crouch came from Sydney to teach and show us “how to create the atmosphere” during a Hillsong service. We were told straight away that preparing the room with dimmed lights, darker paint, loud music, smiles, cool dressing, could help create an atmosphere for God to operate in our midst (her words). She then (together with a few helpers) demonstrated to us how to do it (either at the auditorium or up the platform); rehearsal then followed by some of us practicing how to “do church service at Hillsong as a staff member.” Basically, we were told to: “choreograph our worship with raised arms, closed eyes, ocasional jumping and ocasional shouts.” If rostered to go up the platform for announcements, prayer, offerings or preaching, to make sure we would go up the steps fast, on a hype, expressing joy and excitement, really “pumped”. Looking downcast in front of the crowd was an “absolute NO.” We were told that, in Hillsong culture, verbal and body language is everything (“your language locates you”).

2) One Sunday morning during the service, I was sitting in the front row with my wife paying attention to the preacher when I received a text message from a guy brought up from Sydney – Steve Mawston – to help implement Hillsong culture in Brisbane. He was there in the same service sitting opposite to me at the other aisle. I showed my wife the text message which read: “David, your aisle is very quite during the service. Now is the time for you to start shouting “yes”, “yeah”, “amem” and “preach it” , raise your arms and make some noise to liven it up a bit so others might follow suit and do likewise.” That really saddened my heart when I noticed how things are fabricated and simulated in order to create a hype during the service and portray an apparent image of “revival, worship and spirituality.” I really feel for those who still work there as I believe they must be lost in what’s true worship and what’s just done to impress the crowd and please others. Young people are surely the most vulnerable and easy victims of brainwash.

Hope it helps shed some light on the “hillsong phenomena.”

Keep up the good work in exposing them.

God can’t be mocked!

Bless you heaps,

David

Source: David, A Hillsong victim’s experience…, Hillsong Church Watch, https://hillsongchurchwatch.com/2014/09/09/a-hillsong-victims-experience/#comment-8414, September 11, 2014 at 7:40 am. (Accesse 16/09/2014.)

Looks like Brian Houston, (who gets paid 300k a year), took a page out of his friend’s book.

Why Is The “Fake It Til You Make It” Joel Osteen Still Speaking At Hillsong Conferences?

One has to consider how Brian Houston can reconcile his facade with his “tweeted” wisdom to his faithful followers:

Live your life in a transparent & authentic way. If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear & nothing to lose!

Source: Brian Houston, @BrianCHouston, Twitter,https://twitter.com/BrianCHouston/status/497431278049062912, Published 10:17 AM, 07/08/2014. (Accessed 10/08/2014.)