Worldliness and the Media (Part 1)

Worldliness and the Media - Part 1

"Do not love the world or anything in the world ..." 1 John 2:15 (NIV)

I really tried to hang with the debate last night - but it was putting me to sleep. Don't shoot me or write letters. The good news is that I was reading C. J. Mahaney's book on "Worldliness" and that helped.

Chapter 2 was written by Craig Cabaniss and is entitled: "God, My Heart and Media." This chapter was powerful in many ways. Craig shares the power of the media and the damaging effects of it on our lives. There is an erosion that takes place that can be disastrous if we are not careful.

He reminds us that in everything we do and WATCH we are doing so "before the face of God." "All aspects of our existence - from private thoughts to public words and actions - are lived out before His face. Properly regarded, living "before the face of God" arouses our fear of God ... We make our choices - with God's holy face in view. It's not the gaze of our pastor, parent, fellow small group member, or unbelieving neighbor that matters most. We're accountable to God in ALL things, including our entertainment ... God is holy, and we are not."1

"Before the face of God" - we realize we are in trouble - our eyes have lusted, our imaginations have trespassed, our time has been squandered. We must run to the cross where God's holiness and mercy intersect decisively. "Before the face of God," - we find grace. Grace that forgives. Grace that empowers us to change. Grace that leads us to desire and pursue obedience. Any discussion of biblical obedience, including entertainment guidelines, must spring from a robust understanding of grace."2

"Applied to our entertainment, God-pleasing discernment involves remembering his grace to us in the death and resurrection of our Savior, then responding to his grace with a heart eager to please him by taking pleasure in what is good and right and true. Discerning what pleases the Lord requires critically evaluating media content at all times."3

I want to share with you the next couple of days, the guidelines that Craig suggests that address time, heart, and content issues in regards to our handling media in our lives. I liked the questions he suggests we ask, as I believe it is an area in which many of us not only struggle, but have made subtle compromises.

As always, I welcome the opportunity to dialog with you. Watch for the questions/guidelines tomorrow and Friday. - Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 8; Isaiah 30-31; Philippians 4

A quote worth pondering: The habit of judging is so nearly incurable, and its cure is such an almost interminable process, that we must concentrate ourselves for a long while on keeping it in check, and this check is to be found in kind interpretations. We must come to esteem very lightly our sharp eye for evil, on which perhaps we once prided ourselves as cleverness. We must look at our talent for analysis of character as a dreadful possibility of huge uncharitableness. We are sure to continue to say clever things, so long as we continue to indulge in this analysis; and clever things are equally sure to be sharp and acid. We must grow to something higher, and something truer, than a quickness in detecting evil. -- Frederick W. Faber

You still have time to register for our Men's Fellowship on Thursday night with Chaplain Jim Freed. Call today for information and registration. Come and bring a friend.

Notes: 1/2/3 - C. J. Mahaney, "Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World" (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008)