RealTimeFaith.net : Lesson 13 -- Media Entertainment part II

“He [Satan] presents the path of holiness as difficult, while the paths of worldly pleasure are strewn with flowers. In false and flattering colors he arrays the world with its pleasures before the youth. But the pleasures of earth will soon come to an end, and that which is sown must also be reaped.

“He is in every sense of the word a deceiver, a skillful charmer. He has many finely woven nets, which appear innocent, but which are skillfully prepared to entangle the young and unwary” (The Adventist Home, p. 523).

Genesis 3 (The Message)

“The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal God had made. He spoke to the Woman: ‘Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?’

“The Woman said to the serpent, ‘Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It's only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, “Don't eat from it; don't even touch it or you'll die.”’

“The serpent told the Woman, ‘You won't die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil.’

“When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.

“Immediately the two of them did ‘see what's really going on’—saw themselves naked! They sewed fig leaves together as makeshift clothes for themselves.

“When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God.

“God called to the Man: ‘Where are you?

“He said, ‘I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid.’

“God said, ‘Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?’

“The Man said, ‘The Woman you gave me as a companion, she gave me fruit from the tree, and, yes, I ate it.’

“God said to the Woman, ‘What is this that you've done?’

“‘The serpent seduced me,’ she said, ‘and I ate.’”

(You can read the rest of the story in Genesis 3:14-24.)

HOW GOOD IS YOUR FILTER?

Sean and his parents are great people. Why wouldn’t they be? They love one another and their neighbors and even their dog. In fact, they are outstanding members of their church. Everyone seems to love them. Sean and his parents like to do things together, and each night they make sure they gather around the TV and watch the most popular and entertaining shows in which you do crazy things, like eat bugs, to get a cash prize.
Interestingly, because Sean and his parents watch TV together, they kind of know what each other like. For instance, when Sean wanted a new MP3 player, they knew exactly the one to get. The same thing worked for Sean when it was time to purchase gifts for his parents. Actually, they were so good at knowing what the other family members wanted; they had a tendency to indulge in gifts too often.

After a while, Sean and his family were in a pretty serious situation when it came to their finances. It turned out that they were watching so much media, and being exposed to so much stuff they thought they “had to have,” that they started to make poor decisions about what they really needed. They were seeing the “latest and greatest” thing and deciding that they had to have each thing that was advertised.

They decided that they had been sort of tricked into it because they had become so familiar with the people on the shows that the characters seemed like “friends.” And friends wouldn’t try to sell you something you didn’t need. Would they?

After taking a hard look at their situation, Sean and his folks decided that very little that came out of their television was anything but advertising and trying to sell them something. Even the shows were trying to sell an image or an idea of the way things should be. This family decided to fast from the media for a while. Good news! They are now doing much better than they were before when it comes to buying too much stuff.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Was this story a modern-day picture of how Satan deceives us? Explain.
How did Satan trick them?
How do you feel about television? What do you see coming out of watching television?
Was the deception similar to Satan tricking Eve? If so, explain.
Does Satan ever get tired of tricking God’s people?

Colossians 3:17 (Amplified Bible)

“And whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus and in [dependence upon] His Person, giving praise to God the Father through Him.”

“There is great need of temperance in amusements, as in every other pursuit. And the character of these amusements should be carefully and thoroughly considered. Every youth should ask himself, What influence will these amusements have on physical, mental, and moral health? Will my mind become so infatuated as to forget God? Shall I cease to have His glory before me?” (The Adventist Home, p. 512).

(Remember from a previous lesson that when Ellen White talks about temperance you can also use the word balance.)

HERE’S WHAT I THINK

You are in the music store, and you see the newest CD by your favorite artist. You have been waiting for a long time for this artist to come out with a new album, and you can’t wait to listen to it. You have heard the first single from the album, and you really like it. You have made the decision not to simply download the CD—even thought it is readily available online.

So, with your US$15 plus, you go to pick it up. However, on the label is a sticker that says “parental advisory.” You know what this means. It means there are questionable lyrics, perhaps lewd or crude, included on the album. Here is your dilemma: do you buy the album and listen to only the tracks that coincide with our beliefs, or do you not purchase it at all? Or is it really that big of a deal?

Go to http://guidemagazine.org/rtf and post your answer. (Or write it on the lines below to share with your class). Be up front and honest.

“The young generally conduct themselves as though the precious hours of probation, while mercy lingers, were one grand holiday and they were placed in this world merely for their own amusement, to be gratified with a continued round of excitement. Satan has been making special efforts to lead them to find happiness in worldly amusements and to justify themselves by endeavoring to show that these amusements are harmless, innocent, and even important for health” (The Adventist Home, p. 523).

Luke 15:11-24 (Amplified Bible)

“And He said, There was a certain man who had two sons;

“And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the part of the property that falls [to me]. And he divided the estate between them.

“And not many days after that, the younger son gathered up all that he had and journeyed into a distant country, and there he wasted his fortune in reckless and loose [from restraint] living.

“And when he had spent all he had, a mighty famine came upon that country, and he began to fall behind and be in want.

“So he went and forced (glued) himself upon one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed hogs.

“And he would gladly have fed on and filled his belly with the carob pods that the hogs were eating, but [they could not satisfy his hunger and] nobody gave him anything [better].

“Then when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father have enough food, and [even food] to spare, but I am perishing (dying) here of hunger!

“I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.

“I am no longer worthy to be called your son; [just] make me like one of your hired servants.

“So he got up and came to his [own] father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity and tenderness [for him]; and he ran and embraced him and kissed him [fervently].

“And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son [I no longer deserve to be recognized as a son of yours]!

“But the father said to his bond servants bring quickly the best robe (the festive robe of honor) and put it on him; and give him a ring for his hand and sandals for his feet.

“And bring out that [wheat-] fattened calf and kill it; and let us revel and feast and be happy and make merry,

“Because this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! And they began to revel and feast and make merry.

We’ve all heard the story of the prodigal son many times. It’s a parable, a story that Jesus told to make a point. However, have you ever considered what might have caused him to live a wild life? Please explain your answers.

How would choosing the wrong entertainment make you also choose the wrong friends?
How would choosing the wrong entertainment cause you to lose the ability to make good decisions?
How would choosing the wrong entertainment make you feel angry toward your family?
How could choosing the wrong entertainment keep you from spending time with Jesus?
How important is choosing the right type of entertainment?

“Our time belongs to God. Every moment is His, and we are under the most solemn obligation to improve it to His glory. Of no talent He has given will He require a more strict account than of our time.

“The value of time is beyond computation. Christ regarded every moment as precious, and it is thus that we should regard it. Life is too short to be trifled away. We have but a few days of probation in which to prepare for eternity. We have no time to waste, no time to devote to selfish pleasure, no time for the indulgence of sin. It is now that we are to form characters for the future, immortal life. It is now that we are to prepare for the searching judgment.

“The human family have scarcely begun to live when they begin to die, and the world's incessant labor ends in nothingness unless a true knowledge in regard to eternal life is gained. The man who appreciates time as his working day will fit himself for a mansion and for a life that is immortal. It is well that he was born.

“We are admonished to redeem the time. But time squandered can never be recovered. We cannot call back even one moment. The only way in which we can redeem our time is by making the most of that which remains, by being co-workers with God in His great plan of redemption” (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 342).

Romans 12:1-3 (The Message)

“So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

“I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.”

“Any amusement in which you can engage asking the blessing of God upon it in faith will not be dangerous. But any amusement which disqualifies you for secret prayer, for devotion at the altar of prayer, or for taking part in the prayer meeting is not safe, but dangerous” (The Adventist Home, p. 513).

SO WHAT?

You are constantly being faced with choices from what food to eat for lunch to what show to spend your time watching. Obviously, there are shows worth watching and some that are not worthy of your time. Often, we don’t think of our time as valuable. That is seen when we spend a majority of our time watching and listening to things that are not uplifting, and are simply entertaining.

Just because something is entertaining does not mean it is something we should be watching. There was an article written in the Adventist Review a few years ago. (You can find it at http://www.adventistreview.org/2002-1533/story3.html.) The author said that he didn’t think that slogging through all of the bad stuff to get to the good was a great idea. He said that the good didn’t outweigh the bad when it came to sifting through different media in order to find the redeeming qualities. Do you agree? Is there ever a movie or a TV show in which there is some objectionable stuff, and some really good stuff? What makes it worthwhile to watch?

Our time belongs to God, Does that mean we have to be busy every single minutes of the day? Explain.
How did Jesus feel about time? (See today’s reading.)
What happens to time when we waste it?
How does being careful not to waste time fit in with choosing proper entertainment?
According to The Adventist Home, page 513, how should we choose our entertainment? How can these ideas help you to make up your mind about entertainment?

Match the text with the verse. The translation that has been used for each verse is written out at the end of the text. If you don’t have the version mentioned you may go to www.BibleGateway.com and click on “Passage Lookup.”

Matthew 13:14 __________(CEV)
Philippians 1:9,10 __________ (NIV)
2 Corinthians 10:7 __________(NIV)
Romans 12:2 ______________(Message)
Hosea 4:6 _________________(NIV)
Colossians 3:17 ____________ ( New Living Translation)
1 Corinthians 10:23 _________(NIV)

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus. . . .”
“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture. . . .”
“And this is my prayer: that your live may abound. . . .”
“You are looking only on the surface of things.”
“‘Everything is permissible’. . . .”
“My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.”
“‘So God’s promise came true. . . .’”

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.

“Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls.

“For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.”

“There is a distinction between recreation and amusement. Recreation, when true to its name, re-creation, tends to strengthen and build up. Calling us aside from our ordinary cares and occupations, it affords refreshment for mind and body and thus enables us to return with new vigor to the earnest work of life.

“Amusement, on the other hand, is sought for the sake of pleasure and is often carried to excess; it absorbs the energies that are required for useful work and thus proves a hindrance to life's true success” (The Adventist Home, p. 512).

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?

Take your three favorite CDs, go to where your parents are, and open up the covers and show them the lyrics. Better yet, go listen to the CDs with your parents. Can you honestly do that? Can you truthfully give them the music you listen to so that they can evaluate it with you rather than without our ideas about it? This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. This is where you see if what you are listening to is something that you feel you should be listening to.

“It has been said that as Christians, we approach this world with the eyes and ears of Christ. That is a great responsibility. I think it would be easy to simply “Kill Your Television,” as the bumper sticker says. However, it is tougher to wade through all that the media is offering us, understand what their intent is, and then make decisions based upon what you think is important, or your values based on God’s Word.

Television, movies, music—they impact our lives every day. You may not think they are all bad. But how do we as Christians become “media literate”? How do we become educated enough that we look upon the media as a source for information, sometimes truth, and sometimes simple entertainment?

We have to become aware of what God is saying to us. His Word gives us the basis on which to form our values. Then our values guide us in deciding what we should watch and what we should not watch; what we will and what we won’t expose ourselves to.

Should what we listen to and watch be entertainment or recreation? What’s the difference?
God desires to take us from the habits, customs, and practices of this world. How will that affect our media and entertainment habits? How should it affect us?

“Christians have many sources of happiness at their command, and they may tell with unerring accuracy what pleasures are lawful and right. They may enjoy such recreations as will not dissipate the mind or debase the soul, such as will not disappoint and leave a sad after-influence to destroy self-respect or bar the way to usefulness. If they can take Jesus with them and maintain a prayerful spirit, they are perfectly safe” (The Adventist Home, p. 513).

“The true followers of Christ will have sacrifices to make. They will shun places of worldly amusement because they find no Jesus there--no influence which will make them heavenly-minded and increase their growth in grace. Obedience to the word of God will lead them to come out from all these things and be separate” (Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, pp. 328, 329).

This week our discussion has been about media and entertainment. How has the discussion of the difference between entertainment and recreation helped you in the choices you make?
What entertainments are not safe? (Refer to Today’s Reading.)
How should we choose our entertainment? (You may wish to refer back to the week’s lesson.)

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Log the hours and the shows that you watch for the next week. It will be interesting to see how and where you spend your time.

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