Alright well we’re there in Matthew Chapter 5. And we have been going through a series on Sunday mornings called Peculiar People. And we’ve been learning about how God desires for us to be peculiar, different. And we’ve been going through this series since the beginning of the year. And this is the last Sunday in the series. And if you remember we started with the idea of separation, the theology of separation, how God desires us to be in the world but not of the world. He desires for us to be a separated people, peculiar. We’ve spent the last several weeks on specific areas in regards to being peculiar. If you’ve been with us over the last 4 or 5 weeks, we’ve hit some areas that are not exactly the most pleasing if you’ve never heard it before and in some ways it can be controversial. We talked about clothing and how God desires us to be peculiar in our clothing and in our relationships (friendships, marriages and things like that). We talked about music and last week we talked about drugs and alcohol and what our attitude should be in regards to that and Christianity.
But today as we finish the peculiar people series, I want to teach you about being peculiar in our entertainment. Being peculiar in our entertainment. Really what I’m talking about is media and entertainment. And I want to just give you some definitions as we begin this sermon. What do I mean when I speak about media or entertainment. Media is the main means of mass communication. Talking about broadcasting, publishing and the internet collectively. When we’re talking about the media, we’re talking about the world’s mass communication or how the world desires to communicate to you. When we’re talking about entertainment, here’s the definition. Being provided with amusement or enjoyment (when the world provides this is the context). There is nothing wrong with entertainment or media. We use media. We use social media as a church to get the gospel out, to get the Bible Preaching out but we need to be careful when it comes to media. And I want to give you this morning of some areas (3 areas) to guard against media and entertainment. When it comes to living a separated life as a Christian, how do we make sure that we are a peculiar people and treasure on to the Lord in regards to media and entertainment.
And let’s begin with this. I’m going to give you 3 areas where we must guard against in regards to media and entertainment. Number 1 – Guarding against lustful images. When we’re talking about media & entertainment, we need to understand that as Christians and as those of us that are going to live peculiar lives, we have to learn to guard against the lustful images of this world. Now this is going to primarily be applicable to men. It’s not just for men as women need to apply this also. But the way men are wired, we tend to be the ones who struggle in this area in regards to lustful images. When it comes to the world’s entertainment and media, you have to be like an ostrich with your head in the sand to not understand that we are constantly being bombarded with every tv commercial (if you have a tv), with every movie, with every show, every billboard, every ad. We’re being bombarded with lustful image after lustful image after lustful image. Maybe you’ve never been to a church that actually teaches & preaches this. So it might come as a surprise to you but the Bible teaches it’s a sin to look upon a woman to lust after her that you’re not married to.
I want to start in Matthew because people often say “You’re some sort of a legalist. You’re trying to bring us back in the law”. But in Matthew 5, we are in the midst of one of the most famous sermons of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have a red lettered addition of the Bible, these words are in red. These are words that our Savior spoke and he preached and here’s what he said Matthew 5:27-28 “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”. Now here’s what the world teaches. The world teaches there is nothing wrong with looking if you’re a married man. There’s nothing wrong with looking as long as you don’t commit physical adultery. You’re not hurting anyone by looking. But this is not what the Lord Jesus Christ teaches. He says “Ye have heard that it was said” but then he says “But I say unto you”. Here is how you become a peculiar people unto me. “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her”. Now let me give you some application here. And if you’re a man here this morning, you need to pay attention. If you’re raising boys then you need to pay attention. These are some things that we need to get in our lives if we are going to be peculiar people. I want you to notice that the attack comes from the eyes. He says “whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her.
You say, well how do we guard against lustful images. #1, you must make a commitment to guard your eyes. You have to decide men, you have to make a commitment that you are going to guard your eyes against lustful images. Notice what Job said in Job 31:1 “I made a covenant”. Do you see that word covenant there. It means I have made a promise or entered in to a contract or made an agreement. “I made a covenant with mine eyes”. He says that I sat down (obviously he’s speaking figuratively here) but he says he sat down with his eyes and handed a contract with his eyes and said here is what you are allowed to do and here is what you’re not allowed to do. Here is what you’re going to agree to. Here is what you’re going to commit to. He says I made a covenant with mine eyes. “Why then should I think upon a maid”. What did Job due to guard against lustful images? Even back then. He didn’t have to deal with facebook. He didn’t have to deal with youtube. I don’t know how many billboards there were when Job was living. But look, there is no new thing under the sun. Men have been struggling with this since the beginning of mankind. And Job said, I made a covenant with mine eyes. I made a commitment to guard my eyes.
Psalms 101:3 “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes”. See when Job said I made a covenant with mine eyes, why then should I think upon a maid. What he was saying is that he made an agreement or entered in to a contract or commitment with mine eyes of not setting any wicked thing before mine eyes. I’m going to make sure that there is nothing placed before mine yes. I’m going to guard my eyes from lustful images. If you are raising boys this morning or have boys in your home. Maybe they aren’t teenagers yet or younger than that. I want you to understand that we must teach our children and specifically teach our young men and boys of developing the habit of looking away toward lustful images. Look, mom & dad, you need to teach your kids and especially your boys that when you’re driving down the road with someone woman dressing immodestly, you need to teach them to develop the habit of looking away. That they will take their eyes away from that image. There is probably nothing you can do to helpful the future marriage of the boys and young men you are raising that when they are 7, 8, 9 or 10 that before they develop the desires or temptation, you teach them before there is a stronghold there or a fight there, teach them to develop the habit of looking away. Oh she’s dressed immodestly. LOOK AWAY. She’s not dressed right. LOOK AWAY. There’s this magazine. LOOK AWAY. If you can develop a habit in your boys when they aren’t even struggling with that to just LOOK AWAY! LOOK AWAY! LOOK AWAY! That will help them so much when they are 13 or 14 or 23 or 27 and for the rest of their life. When the temptations are now there and their heart & flesh desires those things to develop the habit of just looking away.
You say, how can we guard against lustful images? Well, we need to make a covenant with our eyes men. Let me just say this men. If you’re a man here this morning and I didn’t grow up that way. You say I grew up like most males do (I’m using the word male on person). I just look at whatever. I allow my eyes to wonder and whatever makes me feel good and whatever is attractive to me. Well you know, I’m not committing adultery, no big deal, right? Wrong! You say I didn’t grow up that way. It would have been nice if I had a mom that taught me that when I was 7. But that is no excuse if you are a grown man. You need to make a covenant and a contract and agreement with yourself and your eyes that you will develop the habit of looking away. You won’t let your eyes look on whatever. You need to teach your kids by setting the example as the father and husband. You say I didn’t grow up that way. Then you need to MAN UP. See, you’ve lived as a male your whole life. Now we need to learn to be men. Now we need to “Quit you like Men”. Now we need to act like men.
There’s a difference between being a male and being a man. A male can impregnant a woman. A man will raise that child. A male will sleep around and do whatever he wants. A male that has no standards, no character, no discipline, is going to act no different than a male dog. But a man will say I’ve made a covenant with my eyes. A man will decide to wage war on the habits that have been developed over the years. And listen, there is nothing more dangerous to your marriage and the respect of your children then allowing your eyes to take in whatever they want. Every physical adultery began as an adultery of the heart. Every sinful prostitute or whatever began as a thought and became a desire developed through the heart. How do we guard against the lustful images of the world. You need to #1 decide I will set no wicked thing before my eyes. I will make a covenant. I will teach my children to look away. We don’t look at that. We don’t look at that. We don’t go there. We don’t see that. You say as a man I’ve never developed that. Then you need to start working on that right now. You need to commit to not look to the right or left. I am going to keep my eyes safe and make a covenant with my eyes.
You say how do we guard against lustful images? #1 – Make a commitment with our eyes. #2 – You must make a commitment to your wife. You say, Pastor that’s easy to say because you’re married but I’m single. Ok then make a commitment to your future wife. You must not only make a commitment with your eyes. You must make a commitment to your wife. Because here is the truth of the matter. A problem with lust is the problem of the heart. Notice what Jesus said in Matthew 5:27-28 “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her” Don’t miss these words. “already in his heart.” You say “I haven’t actually committed adultery”. Ya but you did in your heart. He says if you look on a woman with lust then you committed adultery already in your heart.”. Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with mine eyes”. Is it all about the eyes? No. “Why then should I think”. He’s talking about his mind & heart. He says he made a covenant with his eyes and will protect them so his heart & mind will be protected. “I made a covenant with mine eyes. Why think should I think upon a maid?”. See, a problem with the eyes is really a problem with the heart and mind.
Proverbs 6:24-29
“To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty”. Here we are talking about the strange woman. And God is telling us through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. Solomon is writing. “Lust not after her beauty in thine heart;”. How do you lust after her beauty? With your eyes. Here is the problem, it’s the heart. “Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.” Why does he say that? The lust problem and the eye problem is a heart problem. That’s why he said when you look on a woman to lust after her, you commit adultery in your heart. That’s why Job said I made a covenant with mine eyes, why then should I THINK upon a maid.
2 Peter 2:14
“Having eyes” Notice what it says “Having eyes full of adultery,”. You say I’m not committing adultery on my wife. But your eyes are committing adultery. You say I’m not committing physical adultery but your mind and heart and eyes are committing adultery. Here’s the problem and here’s what it comes down to men, you must make a commitment to guard your eyes but even before that, make a commitment to your wife in your heart. You say I’m single. Ok, make a commitment to your future wife. The one you’re going to marry. If you’re not married, the one you will Lord willing stand before an altar before a man of God and God Almighty and God himself and you’ll say “I’ll love and cherish. To have and to hold and give yourself fully”. Listen to me. You must make a commitment to your wife. Why? Because looking at a woman to lust after her is adultery. It’s disloyalty. It’s unfaithful. And look, guys. Let’s be real here for a minute. If you found out that your wife spent her days daydreaming about the neighbor guy. If you found out that your wife and some of your wives are foolish enough to actually have these words come out of their wives, if your wife says things like “If you had a job like brother so and so”. “If you were nice to me like my brother in law over there”. “He’s nice to his wife. He’s a jerk”. “That husband spends time with his kids. You’re selfish”. “Look at the car they drive and we have this junkie”. “Look at where they live and look where they get to live”.
And look, you know guys that when you are the most hurt is when you are made to feel inadequate. When you are humiliated. When you are condescended to. When your wife, and you find out your wife spent her days thinking about “This other guy is so nice and so great. I look at their little pictures on facebook and he spends so much time with his wife and kids. And he’s got a nice job. And I’m married to this loser. I’m married to this piece of trash.”. Would that hurt you? You know what, when you look on a woman to lust after her, that’s what you’re doing to your wife. You say “She shouldn’t talk down to me”. Well if you want to be worthy of some reverence then maybe you need to man up. “You say, she doesn’t respect me”. Well, are you worthy of respect? And wives let me say this, don’t talk down to your husband. Reverence him. Respect him. Love him. You say there isn’t much to love. Well you just do what God has called you to do. And you husbands do what God has called you to do. And here’s what I believe, when you take care of yourself, and you decide that you are going to walk worthy of her reverence….You say, you don’t know my wife. She is that angry woman in a wide house. You know she is constantly just picking at me and negative and critical. You know what, you just sit there and say you will walk worthy of this woman because you’re committed to her. And by the way wives, you sit there and say you’ll reverence him even if he doesn’t deserve it. You are to do it as on to the Lord. “Well he doesn’t deserve it”. But does Jesus deserve it. “Well she doesn’t deserve it”. But does the Lord.
See the problem with lusting is a problem in the heart of a man that hasn’t decided that this is my wife and I will be loyal physically, emotionally mentally, spiritually….In every area of my wife. I like what is said in Ezekiel about his wife “She will be the desire of mine eyes”. And there will be no one else. How do you guard against lustful images? #1 – Make a covenant with your eyes. #2 – Make a commitment to your wife or future wife. Decide you will be faithful, a man of character, I won’t have eyes full of adultery. And let me just say this to you young guys. You that are struggling with pornography. You need to get victory over that like yesterday. If you need to talk to someone then talk to someone. If you need help, get help. Don’t carry that in to marriage. You will wish you were single the rest of your life then to bring that kind of hurt in to a marriage. This applies to young men, old men, married men, not married men, any man, you need to learn to just guard your eyes. Make a covenant with your eyes. Learn to develop the habit to look away. I get it. It gets difficult. I mean my wife and I have been out in situations or we are having a meal and there is a group of people there and a woman is dressed really immodestly. You say, “I can’t help how they dress.”. But you can control your eyes. You can make a covenant and commitment with your eyes. You must make a commitment to your wife. You must decide that your wife will be the desires of your eyes and the only gratification that you get in this world.
#3 – You must guard your exposure.
Romans 13:14
But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh,” The word provision means to make an opportunity or provide a means. “Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof.” You say, what do I do? You guard against the exposure and temptations. You do what you can so you aren’t making provision or opportunity or providing the means of the lusts of your flesh. What does this mean? Put some sort of accountability software on your phone. It means you put some sort of accountability software on your laptop or computer. Look, if this is something you struggle with, guys, you don’t need the internet on your phone. Or get a dumb phone instead of a smart phone. But look, you need to guard yourself and make sure you have some sort of filtering or accountability on these devices. Why? You don’t want to make provision for your flesh.
How about guarding against the tv? The best way to do that is pick that tv up and throw it in the trash. You say, how will we be able to watch that documentary? We’ll figure out a way you can watch it. Don’t worry about that. I’m just trying to help you. I’m not trying to pick on you. A tv in your kids room. They have access to it. They can watch whatever they want. No one is there to make sure they are not watching anything wrong. Look, they’re kids. They’re teenagers. Giving a teenage boy a device to every wicked image you can think of. Look, mom, you are setting your kids up for failure. Do your future daughter in law a favor and help guard your sons. I’m not trying to pick on you or hurt you. We have 189 in church this morning and more came since the announcements. You say, why are you preaching this? We are running out of space and we need someone offended and leave our church. Otherwise we need a different building. This is why Christians shouldn’t go to beaches and water parks. I’m amazed at women. I’m not trying to offend you but you need to wake up a little. You take your teenage son to a water park. You take your husband to a water park with a bunch of half-naked girls. You say “My husband doesn’t struggle with that”. Oh then you got other problems. If your teenage boys don’t struggle with that then that’s a bigger problem. Look, you say what do you call that? Not making provision for the flesh.
You say my kids will grow up never seeing the beach then. Look, we just took our kids to the beach in January. We just took them to the beach in a trip to Santa Cruz when it’s cold. You do what you want but I’m just telling you that the Bible says not to make provision for the flesh. If you want to help your boys, your husband, the men around you in their life, help them guard against exposure. But you know what men, at the end of the day, it’s your heart and it’s your eyes. And you need to make sure that you make a commitment to be faithful to your wife. And that means that if you have to develop a habit or make a covenant with your eyes to not think upon a maid. If you need to memorize these verses and quote them, then do what you need to do. But you need to learn to guard against the lustful images of the world today. Otherwise it will consume you and destroy you. Like any other sin. It will keep you longer than you intended to stay. It will cost you more than you were willing to pay.
We’re talking about some principles for media and entertainment. You say, what do we need to do? #1 – Guard against lustful images. Not only must we guard against lustful images but #2 – We need to guard against wrong influences. Have you every heard of programming. Do you know why they call it that? They are trying to program you. The media is trying to influence you. And anything the world puts out is trying to influence you in the wrong way. Notice what the Bible says about Lot. Notice what Lot did with his eyes. “And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent” I want you to notice what the Bible says. Because in verse 10 it says that Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the plains of Jordan. Then in verse 12 it says that Abraham dwelt in the land of Canaan and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plan and notice “he pitched his tend toward Sodom.”. What does that mean? It means he actually positioned his house, his tent, where he lived to be facing Sodom. So he could be watching Sodom. So he could be bringing in to his eyes the sights and the sound of Sodom. He lived his life in a way where he was constantly being exposed to the media of Sodom. Look, when you pitch your tent toward Sodom, it won’t be long until you’re living in Sodom.
In Genesis 14 we have one of the first wars or the first war in scripture and Sodom loses. Sodom is taken captive. Abraham has to come and rescue Lot. I want you to notice what it says in Genesis 14:11-12 “And they”. This is talking about the group of the kings that attacked Sodom. “And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son,” Why did they talk Lot? “who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.”. In chapter 13 he was dwelling in the cities of the plain and was just pitching his tent in Sodom. But in Chapter 14 he is living there. Why? Because when you pitch your tent toward Sodom then it won’t be long until you’re living there. If you are watching the entertainment of the world hour after hour, day after day, soon you’ll be doing the same thing. If you allow the influences of the world to effect you then soon you’ll be living life like the world.
Lamentations 3:51 “Mine eye affecteth my heart”. Look, what you allow into your eyes will affect your heart. What you allow through your eyes will affect your heart. 2 Peter 2:7-8
And delivered just Lot,” That word “just” means he was saved. He was a believer. “And delivered just Lot”. But notice what that just Lot did. “vexed” Means troubled or plagued. “And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them,” Notice “in seeing and hearing,” You see, Lot had a television. A hellavision. He pitched his tent toward Sodom “He pitched vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)” And when you allow the world to feed you through tv or the computer and you are just watching whatever on the internet and letting your eyes watch whatever, you will vex your righteous soul. In Chapter 13 you are just pitching your tent but soon after, you will be living like the world. You say why do Christians live like the world? Because they watch the world. They pay attention to the world. They vex their righteous soul day by day with their unlawful deeds.
And you know, we beat up on the guys a bit and we need to beat up on the guys. Guys protect your eyes. Guard your eyes. But you know, ladies, this is where sometimes ladies struggle. I notice that a lot of ladies struggle with discontentment. And discontentment is as a result of dissatisfaction. And dissatisfaction is a result of comparing. And ladies, if it bothers you what you are driving compared to what other ladies are driving then you need to just close your eyes. If every time you go to someone’s house and it brings a 3 week fight with your husband where you talk about their house and their backyard then just stop going to other people’s houses. You need to stop reading the better homes and gardens. You say “Is there something sinful with it”. I’ve never picked it up but I can say that if it’s causing you to compare and causing dissatisfaction and causing discontentment then it’s something sinful for you. Because when we allow the influence of the world to come in to our lives, we vex our righteous soul. Mine eye affecteth my hear.
Matthew 6:22-23 “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single,” What does that mean? If your eye is only allowed to look at certain things. That’s what it means. He says “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Here’s what he’s saying. What you allow in your eyes will go in to your heart. For mean that might be pornography and lustful images. But I’ve noticed a lot of ladies struggle with discontent. They aren’t satisfied. Well maybe you need to stop paying attention. Stop paying attention to what other ladies where and what they drive and how they dress and where they live. Here’s the point, the things you watch and listen to will affect your heart and your soul. The things you watch and listen to will affect your heart and your soul. When you’re watching the entertainment of this world, the commercials of this world, the fads of this world, you go to the malls of this world. Ladies go to the malls and you say “I don’t have any money but I will just do window shopping”. Why? So you can sit there and be discontent. So you can sit there and just compare and be discontent with the things that you don’t have. Listen to me. Living a life that is constantly trying to compare is like living a life where you are chasing a ghost. You’re chasing something that you will never catch up to. You know why? Because someone will always have a nicer car. And a nicer husband. And they’ll live in a nicer house. And look, all of us struggle to deal with this. No matter how high up you are on the corporate ladder, there will always be someone higher than you. When you’re living your life being driven by what comes in to your eyes and ears allowing yourself to be influenced by the world.
Acts 4:20 “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” The things that you speak about will tell us what is going in to your eyes and ears. You’re talking about cars and vacations and property and this and that. And there is nothing wrong with any of those things. Go on vacation, get cars, get property. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with money. Just make sure you don’t fall in love with it. The love of money is the root of all evil. Not only must we guard against lustful images but we must guard against wrong influences. We must not allow the wrong influences in to our lives.
Psalms 101 “I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.
I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way.” That’s a disciplined life. “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way.” O when wilt thou come unto me?” Don’t miss this. “I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” Are there things in your house not allowing you to walk with a perfect heart. Maybe it’s that television, maybe it’s that computer, maybe it’s that magazine or maybe it’s those dvds. “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes:” Don’t miss this. “I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.”. Look, be careful about falling in to the trap of media that wants you to follow and idolize all of these wicked, Hollywood celebrities. These wicked sports stars. You say “Oh pastor, you want to talk about all the sports stars”. I hate the work of them that turn aside. That’s what the Bible says. Unless your sports star is something Independent Fundamental Baptist walking in the Spirit. Loves the Lord. Loves the King James Bible. Do you know what he would be doing on Saturday? He wouldn’t be playing ball on Saturday. He’d be winning souls on Saturday. He wouldn’t be playing ball on Sunday. He would be in church on Sunday. It says “A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.” Look, we’re not supposed to be idolizing and following every move about every celebrity. Did you hear what that celebrity did? They got a divorce and are married for the 13th person. The Psalmist says I don’t know a wicked person. “Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.” And look, every celebrity in the world is described in that verse. A proud heart, a high look. Verse 6 ”Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land,”
I don’t want my kids growing up idolizing Michael Jordan. Or whoever the knew one is. That shows how much I know about sports. Is Michael Jordan even alive? I don’t want them idolizing the sports stars of this world. I want them growing up having heroes like Curtis Hutson. I want them growing up having heroes like Jack Hyles. I want them to come to the Red Hot Preaching Conference. What is one reason we have that Conference. I want to bring in great men of God so our boys and our girls have someone to look up to. Hey, let them make a hero of Pastor Anderson. Let them make a hero of Pastor McMurtry. Let them make a hero of Evangelist Matthew Stucky. Let them make a hero of Evangelist Bruce Mejia. Let our kids look at someone like Matthew Stucky and say “Hey, there’s someone you should look up to.”. A man who is not covetous. Who isn’t giving his life for money and things and possessions but is willing to live a sacrificial life for others. Hey let them make a hero of that. Not of these sports stars. A bunch of drugs, alcohol, pornography, adulterers. Why would you want to celebrate that? Why would you want them to know that? He says ”Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.” And look, I get it. I get it. All these Pastors are human. They’re all sinners. But you know it will be a cold day in hell before I allow my kids to over gear myself and my wife (their mother) criticizing some other man of God. It will be a cold day in hell before….You say “Do you agree with all these men of God and what they do?”. I may not agree with everything but I will make sure my kids will have their eyes on the faithful of the land. At least the men on our side. I will tell my sons that these are people they can look up to. Mine eyes will be on the faithful of the land. Verse 7 “He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies” Your telelievision. “shall not tarry in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.”.
So, we’re talking about being peculiar in our media and entertainment. What must we do? #1 – Guard against lustful images. #2 – Guard against wrong influences. #3 – Guard against dangerous idleness. We must guard against dangerous idleness. And here is the truth. Entertainment can be a huge waste of time. Let me give you some statistics. According to the Nielson Media Research, the average American watched an average of 4 hours of tv a day. 28 hours a week. 2 months of nonstop tv watching per year. Imagine what you could have done with an additional 2 months a year. In a 65 year life, that person will spend 9 years glued to the tv. Here’s another article. While the US did not lead global markets on time spent on social media networks, it was far and away the highest monthly data total spending more time on their phones with a staggering 4.7 hours per day. Considering the average American is awake for 16 hours a day and we sleep for 8 hours and 42 minutes. That means we spend approximately 1/3rd of your time on your phone. Sure spending time on your phone isn’t always exclusive to that but it’s still a significant part of the day according to this article.
Ephesians 5:15 “See then that ye walk circumspectly,” The word circumspectly means to walk cautiously. It means to be well thought out. “See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools, but as wise,” See fools don’t walk carefully. They don’t guard their time carefully. “Redeeming the time,” Redeeming means we see value in time. And look, entertainment can be a huge waste of time. Please do not misunderstand me. Entertainment can have a place in life. I think it’s fine to have fun every once in a while. And I think it’s even better if you can be spending time with friends and loved ones. Yesterday a few of us together were talking. Sometimes my family will have Thanksgiving and get togethers. And we’ll play board games. Some of these games will take 7 hours. You say “You wasted 7 hours”. You didn’t waste 7 hours if you spent it with your family.
You know what, when it comes to work, quality is better than quantity. Please listen to me, especially you guys. When it comes to work, quality is better than quantity. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a better work if it takes you longer. If you can do the same amount of quality in a less amount of time, even better. But don’t transfer that mentality to your wife or kids. Because when it comes to your family, quantity is better than quality. You say “Oh I just spent a few hours spending time on the catch with my wife and I wanted to go get to work”. No you couldn’t have spent that time any better. You couldn’t have invested that time any better. Nothing better than spending time with your kids, your wife, your loved ones. Look, entertainment is great. It’s fine. Play Monopoly for 3 weeks or however long it takes. Nothing wrong with that. But make sure you’re not wasting your time. There’s a difference between spending 3 hours playing this game with my kids than I spent 3 hours on facebook. No you know what, you wasted your time. You’re wasting your life. Because when it comes to media and entertainment, you need to watch circumspectly, not as fools but as wise. Why? Because your time is valuable. Your time is limited. And there is a danger to idleness. We have to guard against lustful images. We need to guard against wrong influences. We need to guard against idleness. You know what the big problem with Facebook is? There are lots of problems with Facebook. One of the major problems is the lustful images. But another problem with Facebook is you’re just wasting a whole lot of time. You’re doing a whole lot of nothing. Wasting your life away. Wasting your children’s childhood away. We must guard against dangerous idleness.
Let’s bow our heads and have a word of prayer.