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Winning
Young Converts With Gimmicks and Games
Jesse Flowers
We live in a society that
has their minds conditioned toward entertainment. Just stop for a
moment and briefly consider the many forms of entertainment offered
to young people today.
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Television – probably
still the number one avenue of
entertainment with every channel imaginable
at one’s finger tips.
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Movies – whether one travels to the theatre, Blockbuster to
rent, or orders Pay Per View movies at home.
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Internet – young people spend countless hours on the Internet
surfing the Web and visiting popular sites like YouTube and MySpace.
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Video Games – it may be Xbox, PlayStation, or the new
Nintendo Wii, but many boys and girls, teenagers, and even college
students spend long hours playing their favorite games.
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Sports – one of the most lucrative entertainment markets in
this country draws young men and women
from every walk of life.
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Cell Phones and iPods – and oh, how we love our technological
gadgets such as the ability to send text messages or download our
favorites iTunes.
And so, Christian young person, what
do you say the next time you find yourself in a conversation with a
denominational friend about why “your church” does not offer the same
programs and activities that all other churches in town offer?
Remind them that sin is still man’s greatest problem (Romans 3:23;
6:23), and all the fun games in the world won’t save a sinner
from hell. Tell him or her, that the gospel saves (Romans 1:16),
not games or gimmicks. Tell them that you enjoy recreation and
entertainment as much as the next person, but are determined to
worship God as He directs (John 4:24). And kindly let them
know that since the Bible is our spiritual standard, it grants us no
authority (1 Peter 4:11; Galatians 1:6-9;
Revelation 22:18-19) to add such things to the work of the
Lord’s church. |
