Pleasing God with Media and The Arts
The Disciple-Making Parent • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Ubiquitous: Means to exist and appear everywhere at the same time, constantly encountered.
THIS IS THE STATE OF ELECTRONICS IN OUR DAY AND AGE.
Drowning in Entertainment and Electronics
Drowning in Entertainment and Electronics
Any statistics you find will be outnumbered in 2 years… but here are a few to let us realize where the state of our culture and electronics….
teens averaged nine hours of media use a day not including school, texting and homework.
teens actually consumed sometimes upwards of 11 hours a day by multitasking.
More than 70% had tv’s in their bedrooms
66% had reported keeping the TV on during meals.
Only about 1/3 of parents had rules for the amount of media use.
Researches concluded that media and arts are among the most powerful influences in our children’s lives.
It is a constant stream of messages that are being fed to our children.
—->>>We have at times as a culture dropped our children off down a dirt road and aloud them to go and play in a random big barn without the knowledge of what is in this barn or who is in it.
In 1985, Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death warned of TV’s influence.
I think it accurate to call television a curriculum. As I understand the word, a curriculum is a specially constructed information system whose purpose is to influence, teach, train, or cultivate the mind and character of youth. television, of course, does exactly that, and does it relentlessly. In so doing, it competes successfully with the school curriculum. By which I mean, it damn near obliterates it.
Bettis: “We are amusing ourselves to our intellectual death.”
Bettis: “Television and entertainment are discipling our children.”
7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin [ENTERTAINMENT] is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.”
I would also argue in this, that entertainment, television, the internet and just allowing our children to go into it without any supervision is forcing our children to artificially mature.
Read Pg. 4 of Artificial Maturity
Disciple-Making Parents will equip their children to rul over the temptations of this age.
Pilgrim and Incarnational
Pilgrim and Incarnational
Followers of Jesus must hold two principles in tension.
Christians are pilgrim people in a wicked and perverse generation headed for a new and better place. we refuse to conform to this world. Our path is a narrow road that few are on.
BUT, we are like Christ in that we are in incarnational people, born in a certain time and place by God’s sovereignty and purpose.
26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,
We do not withdraw but we are the salt and the light in our world.
We also gladly enjoy gifts and opportunities God has given us.
15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
And early Christian apologist, Mathetes spoke on this tension…
These Christians are not distinguished from other men by country, language, or common customs. They follow the customs of the people who live where they live in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct. But they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. So they live in each country, but they live here as sojourners, travellers passing through. As citizens, they do what all citizens do, and yet endure all things as if foreign-ers. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers.”
So, how do we live as pilgrims in an incarnational life?
We can look to the men of Issachar…
32 Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command.
They understood their times and knew what Israel had to do…
Understanding the Times
Understanding the Times
What is culture? (This is something we should think deeply on within this subject to understand how to navigate parenting.
Root: CULT… meaning BELEIF.
Culture: the externalization of beliefs and worldview.
Cultural artifacts: music, movies, literature, advertisements, decorations, clothing… all of which carry with it this belief and value. that is being put on display to communicate that belief/value of the worldview.
Responding to the Culture
Responding to the Culture
How should we respond to the culture and it’s influences?
You can take at times one of two routes…
Isolate: Focusing in on the pilgrim aspect of life will have some isolate themselves.
Accommodate: these are those focusing more on the incarnational side of things.
BUT… we must remember that we are needing to keep a tension between these two. There is a biblical way of going about this that Bettis calls…
3. Evaluate: God calls us as His people to evaluate what is before us.
So… how do we do this? HOW DO WE EVALUATE?
We can affirm and enjoy the positive aspects in each culture.
J.I. Packer said this…
If it is true... that every culture and sub-culture without exception in this fallen world, whether primitive or tribal or Hindu or Christian, or a form of constantly shifting pop youth culture...is a product not just of human sin but also of God's common grace...then respect for other cultures as such, and a desire to see them not abolished but reanimated by Gospel grace in their own terms, must undergird all particular criticisms… In other words, there is good in each culture and subculture that we can affirm.'
We can adapt to the neutral aspects of each culture.
**Where issues of culture do not contradict God’s Word. We may adapt to these parts of culture if we want.
Comes to personal preference… not necessarily right or wrong.
We can resist and denounce the evil aspects of each culture.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
We can recreate a gospel culture.
Through the church, we are to create a counterculture within any society with the GOSPEL where those within the current culture to see a different alternative with God’s Holiness as the underlining.
How then should we live?
How then should we live?
How do we seek to positively encourage our children to live as good stewards of the technology and media that God has given us?
We want them to be good stewards… but also stand up to the schemes that the enemy will use in the midst of this good gift.
Temptations may include…
Distorting our communication.
Polluting our soul by unstructured access
Enslaving us to addiction
Here are some principles to help guide our families in this…
Guiding Principles
Guiding Principles
Model how to master media yourself.
You are the main example! Example is always the most powerful teacher.
Are you always watching TV?
Are you always on your phone?
Are you allowing these things to take hold of YOUR HEART?
OR are you yourself living in a countural cultural way?
Treat media as a privilege
Remind our children that anything we give them is a privilege.
Remember that anything we receive from God is by His grace. Anything that they receive from us is the same. Freedom can be withdrawn at anytime.
Consider writing up a contract that revolves around entertainment and electronics.
Thoughtfully introduce media privileges at appropriate times
Gradually introduce responsibilities to see how they react to it.
Control the amount and the content when they are younger.
Guard the gate for content
It is our job to protect the gate to our children from wolves who actively seek to ensnare them and devour them.
6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
In the Middle East, the shepherd would lie down in the sheepfold opening. HE WAS THE GATE. Nothing came in or out without his permission.
ASSUME YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE TEMPED.
Guard the gate for time
We should be teaching self control in all parts of life.
Eating behaviors, play behaviors, ELECTRONIC BEHAVIORS A WELL.
Neil Postman’s thesis is that the media is distracting us from real thinking. The issue may not be the quality of the content but the quantity. I believe the final judgement will reveal not only the pollution we consumed but the time we wasted. Even good followers can be tempted by the cotton-candy of the Internet.
12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Consider having a electronics free Sabbath.
Having a place to put all of them down in the evening.
Turn the wifi off for a day.
Limit electronics until a certain amount of reading has been done in a day.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends…
Infants (under 18 months): Avoid digital media use, except for video chatting.
Children 18-24 months: Limit screen time to high-quality programming, preferably with a parent or caregiver.
Children 2-5 years old: Limit screen time to one hour per day of high-quality programming.
Children 5 years and older: Encourage healthy habits and limit activities that include screens.
Teens and adults: The AAP recommends limiting screen time to two hours per day.
Make family relations a priority over electronics
Make sure we are emphasizing the value of face to face communication.
Use electronics and media to build family unity
Shared media in moderation can actually build family bonds and unity. Shared sports, movies, games…
Find likeminded families
If we’re going to stand against a culture that doesn’t see things like we do from a biblical perspective in this, we need to link arms with other families who have these same convictions as our own so that our children can see other children under the same rule from their parents.
Talk about internet temptations
Specifically we have tried to shepherd our children (and ourselves) through several sins:
1. The internet braggart who must boast of all his accomplishments.
2. The internet hypocrite who lives for others to see, constantly posting pictures of the event instead of enjoying the event.
3. The internet “troll” who yells in a public setting rather than dealing with conflicts calmly and privately.
4. The internet bully who uses gossip and innuendo to promote his or her own social status while belittling others.
REMEMBER: “The internet never forgets.” Privacy is an illusion.
Have the courage to pull the plug
Remember that you are parenting before God, not your children.
Do so fast, you don’t have time to don’t
How much of the sin of electronics comes from a place of idleness? Laziness?
King David sinned because he didn’t go to war in 2 Sam. 11:1
1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
Let’s make less time for internet sins. Get out of the house. Go and play. Go and do some work. Go and serve.
Focus on the heart
The most important thing to think about in this realm of electronics and anytime you are dealing with temptations to something… AIM FOR THE HEART.
This is a heart issue way before it’s a cultural issue.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
Our HEART… (THE INNER MAN) is the epicenter of all our thoughts, desires and emotions & will.
If we don’t get to the heart level, we will control with legalism or lose with licentiousness.
What I want as my children’s spiritual shepherd, is for their heart (their emotions, desires, their very will) to be controlled and operated by the Spirit of God and the Word of God.
I want their hearts captivated by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I want them to see that transformation of their lives and the renewing of their minds comes from God and God alone.
I want their hearts changed, to be able to flee from the enemy and his deceitfulness in the case of ALL SIN, including electronics.
Ted Trip in his book Instruments in the Redeemers Hands…
“The deepest issues of life are issues of worship. Worship is more fundamental to our essential nature than the pain, pressures, or pleasures of our expereinces. What we worship determines our responses to all our experiences.
Entertainment And the Arts
Entertainment And the Arts
We’ve done a lot of talking about electronics… BUT electronics just DELIVER the creative arts.
Here are some talking points that may help with older children.
Talk about the power of the arts to capture and shape the hearts.
Marry Piper:
Music plays a major role in all cultures. Historically, music has brought us together, roused us to action, inspired us to persevere, soothed us, or presented us with visions of a better world.… The auditory circuits that carry music to the brain are proximate to that part of the brain that controls emotions.
Because music burrows deep into our psyches, singing adds power and richness to words. Test this theory for yourself by reciting and then singing, Glory, Glory, Hallelujah.
Talk about the power of the arts to create celebrities.
Because the arts touches our emotions, we are more likely to admire, imitate those who create the art.
WE WANT TO IMITATE THOSE WHO ARE HITTING IT OUT OF THE PARK IN HOLINESS AND GOOD WORKS… not necessarily in the arts.
Talk about decoding the arts to take every thought captive.
Be careful that we don’t allow the arts to change the way we interpret life… like so often they try to do. (THIS IS THE JOB OF GOD’S WORD)
Discuss the message of things that we watch… apply to what God’s Word says.
Discuss an add. Movie.
Establish family standards with explanations.
In our family, we settled on three standards: “Not bad,” “Not around me,” and “Not at all.” These phrases were trying to communicate in a memorable way three different levels of evaluation.
- “Not at all” was our way of saying that some things were beyond what a Christian could listen to or watch and honor God.
- “Not around me” was our humorous attempt to say it is a wisdom issue but the music is not our style.
- “Not bad” kept the rhyme going but was actually a positive way of saying let’s all enjoy it.
Let us set these standards in an understanding way for our children.
Distinguish between wisdom issues and boundary issues.
Most of which our children will deal with will be wisdom issues…
Paul Trip speaks to this…
[One type] of situation had to do with what I will call clear boundary issues. These are issues to which God has plainly spoken, where there is an obvious right and wrong. What is needed is the exercise of personal, biblical, internalized conviction. The second situation had to do with what I will call wisdom issues. These are issues where there are no direct “thus says the Lord” but to which Scipture speaks with a myriad of balancing biblical principles so that we may live wisely in a fallen world. What is needed here is readily applicable biblical wisdom.
Both will require work on our end to instill the Word of God within their lives so that when either one of these come up, their convictions can be steered by God’s Word and not by our culture in which they live.
Conclusion
Conclusion
7-9 hours a day on average. Media is trying to tell our children the way to think and live.
That is why it’s up to us to equip our children in how to think about these things as we live in the world while not being of the world.
Disciple-Making Parents will quip their children to rule over the temptations of this age.
