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“VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED” Preaching (revised)

“VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED” Preaching

God does not call anyone to place themselves in situations where they will have to work at not being tempted in order to preach the Gospel, does He?

[NOTE: (edited June 29, 2009) - Please be advised that this article is not aimed at any particular person. But it is indeed for all Christians to consider .- Patrick]

Why should we have to use “VIEWER DISCRETION” to see some of the videos of GOSPEL preaching from the Internet?

Should Christians go into bars, into porn shops or onto beaches to preach, in order to reach the lost?
God does not call anyone to place themselves in situations where they will have to work at not being tempted in order to preach the Gospel, does He?
If someone sends you a video that requires “Viewer Discretion” to watch and there are nearly naked men and women in the video then send this article to them and their Pastor.

A lot of us preachers seem to think subjecting ourselves to lust of the eyes is ok as long as what we are doing is “for” the Lord. But when you ask to prove how we aren’t sinning we can get pretty torque’d. That indication of guilt could mean:

1. You made me look bad.
2. You have no authority to tell me to stop sinning
3. You said something that was true and my conscience just screamed very loudly.
4. I think I am so much more holy than you that I can subject myself to sins of the flesh and not waver in thought, word or deed.

You would be pretty upset, and wouldn’t think too much of your wife’s witness, if she went to a Chippendale’s concert, or like a beach where men wear thong trunks, in order to “reach” women who might never hear the Gospel otherwise, right? You would ask her how she thinks she can not sin. You’d ask why she thinks she is better able to resist lust than everyone else. You would think she considered herself better than “those people” she is speaking to, wouldn’t you? “After, all, I can resist if God told me to go!” she might say. “Hogwash!” would be my response. I would give her the good person test!!!

Consider this if this is you.

You and I can agree that we shouldn’t be seen in places like a pornography convention, but the XXX Church finds ways to justify it, don’t they? Are they doing something wrong? Are they missing something? Isn’t it obvious?

The question is simple and we must all see it:
How can anyone prove they cannot sin in thought, word or deed?

Tod Friel, of WretchedRadio.com, has some words on that subject on his CD “Slaying the Dragon.”

Isn’t disregarding the warnings of God about being in places that would tempt you, places that would bring a shame to Jesus to be seen in, a turning of our backs on Jesus to go to? Does Jesus have to specifically tell us not to subject ourselves to temptation? Or has He not said so quite clearly, over and over again, in the Bible, to all, generally?

Maybe you might think that I’m going too far. Maybe you think scantily clad women on a beach “Godly” men can handle? Maybe you think being seen in a bar is ok? But aren’t we supposed to not be seen at such places? Are we not giving Christ Jesus, Our LORD, a bad name even being seen where sin is flaunted? Never mind the temptation you are being subjected to! Should one rescued from alcoholism be seen in a bar? Should a former homosexual be seen at “Gay” parades? Why would anyone think they can resist evil? Aren’t we supposed to RUN from evil? Isn’t that what the Bible says? I don’t have to show you the number of Scriptures that say so implicitly or explicitly.

We should all just go to our Pastors and ask them these questions. I did, you should too.

We are all saved from pits. All were pits of some form of lust. But all sin is of idolatry, some manner of manifested lust. Are we now going to say God tells us to jump back into the pits to preach there? Can we really say to our Holy God it’s ok to preach to (nearly) naked men and women?

Can we really justify such actions and still believe we are “ok” with Jesus? I know I cannot and recommend you do not do so as well. But what you do is between you and Jesus.
I say this because I was glad to have someone care so much about me to get my attention when I needed it. Because the strike of a brother is far better than the kisses of an enemy.

Don’t let your good be evil spoken of, is what comes to mind when I see such videos as I have seen on the internet coming from Christians. I haven’t read anywhere in Scripture where Jesus went into the brothels, or any other similar dens of iniquity, to seek the lost. No, Jesus met people at the market square, in the street. There is where we must go also. There are more than enough fairs and street venues we can go to reach people, we don;t need to go to where people are barely dressed.
And who says we have to wait for “EVENTS” anyway? DAILY evangelism is what gets the job done.

Let’s not be so foolish as to think we can resist the temptations we willingly subject ourselves to. I know I will strive not to be so foolish; I hope you will not either.

Brother, sister, you can have a great ministry. Please don’t let it fail by being naïve enough to think you are some kind of super-Christian, able to resist the sins of the flesh, so you can reach the lost “where they’re at” when those some people can be reached elsewhere. Don’t sell God short in justifying sin by believing the lost cannot be reached in any other way except to go to places you know you will be tempted at.

Patrick James Burwell
President/Founder
OnlyJesusSaves.com

[I re-edited this article as some had some real issues with what I wrote. I don't pretend to agree that anyone can subject themselves to lust of the flesh and not sin in thought, word or deed. But those who think they can have now had someone tell them not to. We will just have to agree to disagree, amicably, on this matter from here on out. I pray I will not have to help them pull the pieces of their lives back together further down the line, but I will if it should happen. My hope is that we all, my self very much included, will be WISER in our dealings with the lost and not allow ANY justification for any occasion of the flesh to occur, as long as it depends upon us. -Patrick]

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