Modern Dancing & Today’s Christian
2005026
Topic # 2191 (dancing)
Introduction
A. All Christians are called up upon to make decisions concerning the practices in which they will engage.
1. God expects us to make our decisions based upon His word. We are to keep Him & His word first in our lives.
2. We need to accept & practice what the Bible approves and reject what it condemns.
3. Christians have to be careful because public opinion can influence us to compromise our beliefs in God’s word.
B. Purpose of the lesson is to take an honest look at dancing and base it to the way the Bible specifies how we live.
C. This is the time of year when JRs/SRs in high school to attend the prom.
1. Many people, religious ones included, have no problem w/their children attending these types of social activities.
2. The bible, as in all matters, gives us guidance in this area.
3. Some may disagree w/these thoughts – but let’s be objective & look at these things from a biblical perspective.
I. Is It A Sin to Dance?
A. This is a question that probably everyone has heard before, Is It a sin to dance? If it is, where do the Scriptures actually say it is a sin to dance?”
1. The Bible has much to say about dancing. The words dance, danced, dances, & dancing appear 24 times in the NASV and 27 times in the NIV.
B. There are 6 different kinds of dancing in the Bible:
1. Judges 21:21 – festival
2. Psa. 149:3; 150:4; Ex. 15:19-21 – praise
3. Eccl. 3:4; Psa 30:11 – happiness
4. Jer. 31:13; Lk. 15:25 – rejoicing
5. 2 Sam. 6:14, 16; Judges 11:34; Ex. 32:19; 1 Sam. 18:6; 30:16 – in times of celebration
6. Mt. 14:6; Mk. 6:22 – sensual dancing
C. Modern day dance may be defined as:
1. that which causes suggestive or close body movements causing improper desires.
D. From the evidence presented above, it is evident that some dances are not sinful.
1. This DOES NOT give support to those who condone going the school prom, or a nightclub biblical authority for their actions.
2. Yes…dancing occurred in the Bible, but the dancing found in OT & NT has nothing to do with that we find today.
3. Wolfe in the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia says:
a) While the mode of dancing is not known in detail, it is clear that men and women did not generally dance together, and there is no real evidence that they ever did. Social amusement was hardly a major purpose of dancing, and the modern method of dancing by couples is unknown.”
E. Does this fully answer the question whether couple dancing is sinful? Probably not. But is does prove that we cannot defend modern dancing from the Scriptures.
1. Dancing with couples is believed to have originated in the 12th century.
2. In the entire Bible, there is not one example of couple dancing.
II. Modern Dance & the New Testament.
A. Consider the popular dance these days: bumping & grinding.
1. Back to front dancing where a girl gyrates against the pelvis of a boy standing behind her.
2. This type of dancing has been summarized as anything that looks like sex.
3. This type of dancing going on at BBHS last fall.
4. One teen defended the dancing as I’ve grown up with it. That’s the way dance is. You have to grow with the times.
B. Would this type of dancing be designated as a sin by passages in the New Testament?
1. Gal. 5:19-21 – the lust of the flesh.
a. 5:19 - sensuality - translated lasciviousness in the KJV; licentiousness NKJV. Refers to lewdness & sexual excesses.
b. Thayer: referring to filthy words, indecent bodily movements and unchaste handling of males and females.”
2. 5:21 - carousing causes one to NOT inherit the kingdom of God.
a. “Carousing” is defined: “excessive feasting, and carousing - often related to music & dancing.”
3. The phrase, “And such like...”?
a. “the sins that some practice that are of the same nature as specifically mentioned before.”
b. He used this phrase to include things that pertained to lewdness or revelries.
C. When we take an honest evaluation of modern dancing, we find that it falls into the category of these condemned practices in Gal. 5:19-21. It is indeed a work of the flesh.
D. As Christians, we are to be governed by the principles of the Bible.
1. Rom. 12:2; 9; 21 - The standard in which to live by.
2. Romans 8:5-8 – Are you canal minded?
III. Modern Dance Violates Christian Principles.
A. If the above reasons still have not persuaded you to believe that dancing should not be engaged in by Christians, then let’s look at some principles that we need not violate.
B. Modern dance violates 4 basic principles of being a Christian.
1. A Christian should try to avoid any temptation which brings forth an unnecessary risk to His spiritual life.
a. To engage in modern dance is just asking for trouble.
b. Lk. 9:61-62 - NT clear & precise - should not tempt oneself with sin.
c. 1: Cor. 10:12 - “take heed lest ye fall.”
d. It cannot be denied that modern dance brings forth temptation.
e. Why Should I put myself in danger of being tempted?
f. Parents: why should allow our teens to be put in positions to be tempted & fall into sin?
2. 1 Thess. 5:21-22 - Dancing is not conducive to spiritual living.
3. Dancing arouses emotions which cannot be honorable fulfilled.
a. Placing oneself in an atmosphere & environment that surround modern dance, desire erupt in some in which can only be fulfilled in a marriage relationship.
4. Dancing compromises our influence as a Christian.
a. Boy & girl at a dance & while dancing boy asked girl: are you a Christian? She replied, No, are you? He said, yes. She then asked, then why are you here?
Conclusion
A. Parents…what can you do to help here?
1. Some...don’t say anything & silently let their kids go to prom & hope others don’t find out.
2. Challenge parents to provide some sort of alternative to the prom.
B. Hard choices to make as teens. Perhaps we as parents can help by making it somewhat easier on our kids.
C. I N V I T A T I O N
