Entertainment
Christians must prioritize serving God and living a radical life, rather than being consumed by excessive entertainment.
Eli Brayley delivers a powerful message on the dangers of being consumed by entertainment in the lives of Western Christians, blurring the lines between believers and non-believers. He emphasizes the urgency of sharing the Gospel and not being at ease while souls are perishing. Brayley challenges Christians to prioritize being filled with the Spirit over indulging in excessive entertainment, quoting Leonard Ravenhill's view that entertainment is the devil's substitute for God's joy. He urges believers to be radical in their faith, serving the Lord wholeheartedly and not getting entangled in worldly distractions.
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Today's western Christians are saturated with entertainment. At this point I can see no distinction between believer and non-believer. Entertainment pervades our Christian lives. When we are at home we seek to be entertained. When we are at church we seek to be entertained. And all the while Jesus Christ weeps for the thousands of lost souls who perish all the day long. "The Lord is... not willing that any should perish..." (2 Peter 3:9) Oh, how I wish that we that are living would also not be willing that any should perish! How our lives would be different!
"Woe to them that are at ease in Zion..." (Amos 6:1)
I believe one of the biggest crimes of humanity is to soak yourself in entertainment while men and women go to hell and you have the answer. Have we no shame? What will we say when we stand before Christ on Judgment Day and have lived a life of selfish indulgence? Did Jesus die for a people like this? Did Jesus want His Church to be drunk on the fun and games of this life? No! "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18) I speak to all Christians who entertain themselves in excess: Cease this sin and be filled with the Spirit!
Leonard Ravenhill said once, "Entertainment is the devil's substitute for God's joy." I say, "Entertainment is for those who have nothing better to do." What is entertainment? It's when you are bored and need your flesh to be stimulated. It's when you have nothing better to do but sit around and watch sports and worldy TV shows. Why not read the Word? Pray? Sing songs to the Lord? Get out of your house and be a witness for Christ? Clothe the naked? Heal the sick? Encourage the brethren?
If you put the letter 'a' in front of a word it reverses the meaning. For example: a 'thiest' is one who believes in God. An 'athiest' is one who does not believe in God. The word 'muse' means to think. The word 'amuse' means to not think... Will we, the body of Christ, shut our eyes and ears to the cry of the lost simply to be amused by the passing pleasures of this fading life? The most intelligent thing a person can do is serve the Lord.
God needs radical men and women who will run the race faster than any other contender. God needs soldiers who don't get entangled in the affairs of this life. God needs Christians to throw off the world and the lust of the flesh, and serve Him in newness of the Spirit, with ALL the heart, ALL the soul, ALL the mind and ALL the strength.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Problem of Entertainment in Christian Lives
- A. Entertainment pervades our Christian lives
- B. Distinction between believer and non-believer is lost
- II. The Consequences of Excessive Entertainment
- A. Thousands of lost souls perish due to our indifference
- B. We will be ashamed before Christ on Judgment Day
- III. The Call to Radical Living
- A. Be filled with the Spirit, not drunk with excess
- B. Serve the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength
Key Quotes
“Entertainment is the devil's substitute for God's joy.” — Eli Brayley
“Entertainment is for those who have nothing better to do.” — Eli Brayley
“The most intelligent thing a person can do is serve the Lord.” — Eli Brayley
Application Points
- We must be willing to serve God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
- We must prioritize spiritual growth and serving God over worldly entertainment.
- We must not be indifferent to the lost souls around us, but rather be a witness for Christ.