“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so
easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
Heb. 12:1
Is the Church handicapped in the race by carrying weights of carnality?
Paul says “every man that strives for the mastery in temperate in all things.”
(1 Cor. 9:25)
Case in point—Does the Church today really consider Hollywood
worldly? Do the elders and leaders of the Church have the spiritual courage to stand up
and tell it like it is? Fifty years ago godly spiritual Christians considered Hollywood
off limits. Today it has moved into our living rooms and for the most part is considered
standard Christian entertainment and a very inexpensive babysitter. Has Hollywood’s
moral standards improved to where we can accept it as part of the Christians’s fare?
If we dare to say anything against it some will scream, “legalism,” or
“child abuse!” Many will say, “Its not all bad, don’t take all the fun
away from the kids! We can enjoy the good and close our eyes and ears to the bad.”
An illustration—There will always be some good food in the garbage
can, but I do not want my children to get their sustenance from there. Our Father “owns
the cattle on a thousand hills,” it must be embarrassing for Him to see His children
going to the far country and into the pigpen, eating husks, when he could be feasting at
the Father’s banqueting table.
It’s a sad day when children of Christian parents are better
acquainted with the Hollywood stars and cartoon characters than they are with the Bible
“Heroes of the faith,” and sadder still when Christian leaders and Sunday School
teachers tell their class about the latest movie in the theater. Is it any wonder why the
Lord can’t bless us spiritually or numerically?
Does the Bible address this scenario? The Lord Jesus said, “No man
can serve two masters” (Matt. 6:24) and “Where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also” (Matt. 6:21) Paul wrote. “Come out from among theme” (2 Cor.
6:17), and also, “Seek those things which are above set your affection on things
above, not on things on the earth.”(Col. 3:1,2) And “Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
(Phil. 4:8)
These worldly conditions come upon us so gradually that we are in
danger of “getting used to the dark,” and not be aware of the situation. The
Church at Ephesus in Paul’s day would have been considered a spiritual assembly.
Thirty years later when John wrote to it in Revelation 2 things were very much different.
A final statement—If we seriously consider what is going to take
place at the judgement seat of Christ, we can’t ignore these conditions. The Church
is in the world to be a witness, but when we allow the world into the Church it becomes an
unbearable weight.