Entertainment: Issues of the HEART, Not the Law
The next question is one that I struggled with. I have been taught to make no provisions for the flesh and to stay away from anything that would cause me or anyone else to stumble. When we watched that “Life Changers” excerpt video last Sunday, I had a tough time with it. Please let me explain. Should we as Christians support Hollywood and the whole Hollywood form of entertainment? If we are not going to go swimming because of modesty issues, should we watch something that isn’t modest? Also, the Star-Trek excerpt in “Life Changers”…the whole series is based on man’s desire to succeed without God…why subject children to such things? Doesn’t it send mixed messages? Please know that I am not trying to come off as some holy-roller or something like that. I need to resolve these things in my own heart so that I can move on. Your input and counsel is always welcome, as I know that you have probably dealt with this kind of stuff already. I guess the ultimate question that I have regarding this issue is this: is Jesus pleased with that kind of entertainment?
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I understand the question, of course. I think you know though, that you’ve not been able to carry that “conviction” to its logical end yourself. No one ever has. Let me illustrate, while re-emphasizing that I know that your questions is sincere and well-meaning, and we have to ask ourselves similar questions all the time. Do you read story books to your children? Who wrote those books? Children of the devil, in most cases, no doubt. And the text books for your children? Who published those books? Are you not supporting the exact same companies, and therefore the exact same people by purchasing virtually ANY story book or “Walkman” cassette player, or even food at the grocery store? Of course you are. Life just isn’t so simple as white hats and black hats. Just like your earlier question about titles for adults, the REAL issues are far more profound. WHY could Paul eat food sacrificed to idols? Because he didn’t CARE about any of that! It wasn’t the idols’ food—it was GOD’S! That is, as he would go on to say, if the HEART is right. License for sin? CERTAINLY NOT! Just as a child could refer to an adult as “Mr.” and have no respect for them whatsoever, it is also possible to NEVER see a movie or video, and still lust after entertainment! Lusting after playing with the children or walking through the woods or staring at the stars or having picnics or any such thing… is JUST AS EVIL.
I know that is very hard to understand, but try anyway. : ) IF a person watched a perfectly “clean” movie (not entirely possible, any more than it is possible to go to St. Louis and walk down any “perfectly clean” street and only see “perfectly clean” people)—but had the wrong heart—it would be evil. IF they do it for “entertainment”—self-gratifying, self-serving shallow purposes, IT WOULDN’T MATTER HOW CLEAN THE MOVIE WAS! It would still be sin. We know of people that saw that movie (edited) in your video excerpts called “Mr. (ha) Holland’s Opus”. It’s the one about the music teacher in the schools. SOME found amazing truths illustrated about “How to be Led by the Spirit” in the most profound way imaginable (to the struggling musician: “Play the Sunset!”), as well as a perspective of King David’s attitude that those that stay with the baggage will receive the same Reward as those that go to war. King Jesus said the same regarding a cup of water for His sake. In the movie, SOME people learned that the “glorious” things we “dream” of doing are often fulfilled in ways that we would NEVER have dreamed of, and that we should be more willing to “seize the day” and do what we can with the so-called small and trivial things—and not lust for the “important” things to do in life. SOME people learned life-changing things in that movie, and will never be the same. OTHERS thought it would be fun to see, and only saw foolish and sentimental things in the movie. SHAME on them.
You see, these are issues of the HEART, not the law. We’re not commanded by the Master to avoid movies. We ARE commanded to not give our hearts away, and to be VERY careful that we are not compromising our future by foolish seeds sown now. These are the issues. And, just as you can read an encyclopedia, and in so doing be supporting a company that does some very evil things, much as Hollywood does, it IS possible to send some scouts to a movie to determine for others of us if a movie should be totally avoided, or walked out on exactly 32 minutes into it (there is nothing more useful after 32 minutes), or if it has Kingdom value. NEVER should it be viewed as a foolish naive source of entertainment, just to keep ourselves busy. BUT, you cannot rule out God using that (done wisely and carefully) anymore than you could rule out God using a poet or a children’s author or a cassette player made by Sony, or “Nebuchadnezzar, My servant”. It must, of course be done VERY WISELY, which requires teamwork and humility and self-control. Paul had no problem, obviously, referring to the “games” and illustrating his points using such things, without disdain in his “voice”.
OHHHH I feel sorry for anyone that would use this as a license for sin! But I cannot know Jesus very deeply and make rules that are so easily made hypocritical and dishonest by buying soap or cassette players or children’s books, or internet service, from the same people. We MUST avoid any unnecessary evil seed. This may mean that a company EDITS the movie of all language and nastiness (there are many such services available). But NONE of this, or total legal abstinence, will help one whit if our hearts are not repulsed by evil. As the Master Himself said, “It is not what goes into a man….”
Our job, as Paul said, is to see that if we use the things of the world that we are not used BY them. And that is delicate. And I would NEVER have confidence in any individual without the Body of Christ around him every day TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE and to AVOID THE EVIL SEEDS of their future devastation. Without the “teamwork” of “we being many are One” and the CHURCH that the gates of Hell cannot prevail against, I wouldn’t give a person “taking liberties” ANY chance of prospering spiritually and keeping their Vision clear. But, when “Joined and knit together by every supporting ligament”—it becomes clear in the daily deep interactions exactly WHY a person does what he does, and how it is affecting him. Then the legal things are not necessary. One can keep the legalities and be far from Him, or eat food sacrificed to idols and be fine. Only God’s Habitat in the church will see through the errors possible on EITHER side, and get to the heart of the matter in each others’ lives. All without rules and legalism and policing. Just as you would SEE it in your child’s eyes if they were hiding something, so it is in GOD’S Family that is knit by LOVE and relationship, not “attending” or belief system as the actual “bonds”.
Well, I’m not trying to “convince” you, but just some things to pray about. In your situation, without daily people looking into your eyes to SEE you and to love you into greatness, it probably IS better to stay away from everything, rather than to find yourself deceived by your flesh and the world. That’s why God’s Plan was, “Admonish one another DAILY, SO THAT none will be hardened and deceived by sin”. According to God Himself, we WILL be deceived if we don’t have people penetrating into our lives on a daily basis. Since you don’t honestly have that kind of environment (“a HUNDRED mothers, brothers, sisters”… intimate daily relationships), you will always be in greater jeopardy than someone in a functioning Biblical Church, against which the “gates of Hell cannot prevail.” We all really NEED God’s true Plan for His People—a Holy Nation, a Royal Priesthood. That’s the best gift you could ever offer your children or yourself—a REAL church with 100% “from the least to the greatest”—ALL knowing Him and laying down their lives for one another daily. “THIS is how all men will know!”
Love, m
4/11/2000
