Recently, Kanye West held his Sunday Service at Chicago’s Northerly Island and he didn’t do so without receiving flack from many church goers. Many are well acquainted with Kanye’s blasphemous past as he has on several occasions made a mockery of Christianity. One of his albums is entitled “Yeezus”, which is a play on the rappers nickname ‘Yeezy’ and the name of Jesus Christ. He was pictured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine with a crown of thorns and the caption read “The Passion of Kanye West”. There have been blatant satanic and Illuminati imagery and influence in his music. Not to mention, his history of irrational behavior that has been attributed by many to untreated mental health issues. So, the skepticism is somewhat warranted given his past.

As I scrolled through social media, I saw many Christians questioning Kanye’s motives. What’s the end game? Why is he doing this? Is he a Christian now? Is he starting a church? Who’s his pastor?
Kanye’s motives are not clear and to my knowledge he has not explained the reason for Sunday Services. But I would like to provide what I believe would be an appropriate response for a professing Christian to have.

The Bible does encourage us to be sober and vigilant because the adversary roams like a lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). It also warns us about false doctrine and a great falling away in the last days. (1 Tim 4:1) While we are on alert for false doctrine and imposters, we must not be closed minded to what God could potentially be doing. We have to strike the right balance between being guarded, yet open to God’s unique methods. I believe that time is the great revealer and we sometimes judge a thing prematurely. The Bible is full of examples of God coming from the proverbial “left field” and utilizing the most unlikely of individuals for Kingdom purposes. Saul was killing Christians, however, God met him on that Damascus road and his life was never the same. He went on to write most of the New Testament and we glean from his life to this day. Can you imagine the people that Saul persecuted having legitimate concerns on whether his conversion was authentic or not? We have the privilege of turning the pages of our Bibles and seeing the stories play out. However, the story of Kanye and Sunday Services is still playing out. 

15It’s true that some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives. 16They preach because they love me, for they know I have been appointed to defend the Good News. 17Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. 18But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.

Philippians 1:15-18

I’ve heard multiple clips of Sunday Service and have Christian friends who have attended. I will admit, that the music has been FIRE! As a music producer, I really appreciate the artistic expression and the technical execution that I’ve witnessed. One thing I know for sure is that Christ is being proclaimed in song. In Philippians 1:15-18, Paul essentially says regardless of the motives of these false preachers, Christ is being preached. I believe the seed of the Gospel is planted with those who are attending these Sunday Services; and God, in His providential care, will utilize others to water the seeds sown.

So, what is an appropriate response for a professing Christian to have regarding Kanye’s Sunday Service? Simply…. Pray and don’t have an opinion at this point in time. One of the hardest things for people to do is remain neutral on a particular topic and wait for time to reveal whether this is of God or not. You never want to fight what God may be doing, so chill and pray. We believe in the power of prayer, so here are a few items to pray:

• That the eyes of peoples understanding will be opened to the truth (Ephesians 1:18)
  
• That God will remove stony, hardened hearts toward Him and will give the people attending Sunday Services a heart that is softened and open for Him (Ezekial 36:26)
  
• That God will send those to water the seeds of the Gospel that are sown during Sunday Services (1 Corinthians 3:6-7)
  
• That God will send shepherds after His heart to teach and nurture these people (Jeremiah 3:15)
  
• Lastly, that God will bring healing and wholeness to Kanye West (Psalms 23:3)