Be careful with your entertainment

[Free]

This is a great podcast/transcript-article by John Piper, and very convicting.

"Therefore, millions of Christians find themselves pleased with God-omitting, Christ-neglecting, man-centered, ego-exalting, sexually titillating, sin-normalizing entertainment, night after night. The effect of this is a church that more and more absorbs the intuitions, the instincts, the reflexes, the preferences, the desires of the world.

The church that regularly makes the world the source of its relaxation and enjoyment must become a worldly church. And a worldly church is a powerless church. It will not experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit, and boldness in prayer, and courage in witness, and readiness to sacrifice for the salvation of lost people and for the exaltation of Christ. You cannot feel brokenhearted over lost people when you enjoy, night after night, being entertained by them in their lostness."

Living Pure in a Corrupting Screen Age

 

[Hidden In Him]

"Therefore, millions of Christians find themselves pleased with God-omitting, Christ-neglecting, man-centered, ego-exalting, sexually titillating, sin-normalizing entertainment, night after night. The effect of this is a church that more and more absorbs the intuitions, the instincts, the reflexes, the preferences, the desires of the world.

Yes.

Before I comment, I know godly people who find some joy in select programming that doesn't fall into these categories, and I myself will play videos games as pastime when I'm not serving the Lord in some way (writing, praying, teaching etc), but they are strategy games to keep my mind engaged in something.

That said, and let me quote him, "to be a real Christian in the days ahead will require a kind of radical recovery of the ancient early-church commitment to being more intentionally detached from the patterns of the world, especially the patterns of entertainment."

I agree, and I think the ancient early church was dedicated to the word, and prayer, and fellowship, and worship (Acts 2:41-47). A life not dominated by these things will of necessity be dominated by the world instead.

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.