Phil. 3:8-11; 4:8-9, Poignant Principles About Television

I have a "change bag."  I keep it in the door of our car.  When I pay cash for something and invariably get change it goes in the bag.  And then when I'm satisfying my need of a hot fudge sundae or  a frosty I pay for it out of the change bag.  Never makes it to my financial program. :)  Of course, the bag collects pennies.  So every now and then, when the drive thru line is slow, I put 5 or 10 pennies together instead of giving a nickel or dime.  That's about the only way pennies have value, when they are grouped together.  Beginning today, for the next week I'm going to put some pennies together.  These are individual posts that stand on their own.  I'm not saying they aren't worth anything.  I hope you are encouraged.  But I need to put a bunch together and empty out the change bag.  Towards the end of this month, Lord willing, we will pick up again on a series of connected posts.  I think we will spend some time in Genesis.

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(I.e. Heavy Thoughts on the Tube)

Many years ago someone, out of the kindness of their heart, or so they thought, gave us a TV.  Not surprisingly, I had the biggest problem in our family with bad habits related to the telly.  So I did what any good preacher would do: I devised a sermon on the subject so I could guilt others with my problem. (Please, note the sarcasm.)  So here it is in the original form.  I believe it has a pretty clear crossover to our issue with cell phones, other than #4.

1)    TV is less important than other things, and far less important than people.  Some of the things that take priority over TV include …

a)    My own personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

i)      Phil. 1:20-21: I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (By the way: my father’s life verses.)

ii)   Phil. 3:8,10a (from today’s reading.)

b)    My family.

i)      Col. 3:18-21: Wives, submit to your husbands … husbands, love your wives … children, obey your parents… fathers, do not embitter your children.

c)    My work and school work:

i)      Prov. 10:4: Lazy hands make a man poor but diligent hands bring wealth.

ii)   Prov. 14:23: All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

iii)            Prov. 1:5: He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

d)    My church and youth group.

i)      Rom. 15:2: Each of us should please his neighbor for his good to build him up.

ii)   Eph. 4:16: From Him, the whole body, joined together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

e)    My active recreation.

i)      Ex.23:12: Work six days but on the seventh day do not work so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed.

2)    Too much TV dulls the mind and stifles creativity.  (A fact born out by scientific research.)

3)    TV is neither all good nor all bad.  Therefore I must use discretion in the selection of programs.

a)    Col. 1:1-3: Since, then, you have bene raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

b)    Phil. 4:8 (from today’s reading.)

4)    When more than one person wants to watch TV, I cannot always watch what I want but must defer to others.

a)    1 Pet. 3:8: Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

b)    Rom. 12:10: Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.

c)    Phil. 2:4: Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

5)    TV is a privilege, not a right (not a necessity).

6)    At it’s best, TV can be a means to enhance the Lordship of Jesus in a Christian home.

a)    Col. 1:18: And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy.

b)    Phil. 2:9-11: Therefore God highly exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is lord, to the glory of God the Father.