The Mii Generation! Audio sermon included!

When I was a kid, the way we used to spend our time was to play pool down in the basement. (right click to open in new window to listen while you read along!) My dad had gotten some wood and laid it on top of the table and we were then able to play ping-pong. We owned some metal skates (the kind you strapped on over your tennis shoes!) and we would skate around the pool table. Outside we would set up the croquet game, or play catch with a baseball or football. I would ride my bike all over town or we would play "chalk the corners" and try to find each other. We owned a black and white TV set that had actual tubes in the back of it that we had to take out once in a while. We would drive down to Walgreen's and put the tube in the tester to see if it was bad or not. We had neighborhood hide-and-seek games each weekend and would have 30 kids playing!

Our black and white tv became current when we purchased a sheet of colored plastic. You would tape it to the top of the TV and it would roll down over the front of the Tv. At the top third of the plastic sheet it was blue, the middle third was yellow, and the bottom third was green. by doing this it gave the impression of having a color tv set with blue skies, yellow faces and green grass! It was awesome! Life was simple back then! (60's!)

Then in the 70's technology finally came into play.

We purchased a game called pong! It was the size of a computer monitor (not the flatscreen kinds) (see the above picture of what the screen looked like!) All it had was two knobs, one on each side. You would turn it and it would cause your "paddle" to move up or down. The ball was just a light on the end of a long stick that went back and forth from one side to the other. We thought this was a great game!

Next came a system called Odyssey. Wow, this was awesome!! It came with a typewriter that you could use in the games!! This was unheard of back then! We are talking about the 70's now!

We would play baseball on TV for hours at a time! You could bat, pitch, and field, and run the bases. The player would move to where the ball was and you would hit a button and all of a sudden the ball was on its way to a given base. No arm motion, just magically was thrown!

After spending hours playing this, we were too tired to go outside and play. in fact, all pool playing, all ping-pong playing, all skating, all hide-and-seek playing, all bike riding had come to an end! the video games had taken over. They were mostly sports games and some skill games. Nothing over the board as far as being gory or sexual.

Now, we have turned into the Wii generation. Or should I say the Mii generation? Children today are so preoccupied with playing video games that they have no idea how to create their own fun outside in the real world. The games are also so realistic that they include murder and even sex acts (supposedly for the mature audience, but it is amazing how many children get their hands on these games, and even more amazingly how many parents buy them for their children!)

What will it take for change to happen? The graphics are so realistic today that kids play the games as if they are actually there playing the game. Unfortunately, not all kids are able to discern between what is real and what isn't. The graphic violence along with the blood is a disturbing scene. The graphic sex that is on display is immoral and no one seems to have a problem with it. The children of today have become spoiled by getting whatever they want and whenever they want it. They cry if they don't have the most recent game (never mind the fact that most games cost the same as one month's house rent in some places!)

The TV has become a baby sitter for the kids. What is sacrificed as a result of this?

Time spent with the family. Kids eye's have become glued to the TV set as they play their games. They have headphones and microphones so they can talk to people all over the world while they play. And the parents have no idea what is going on. The kids are not learning how to do things for others, they are only learning how to desire things for themselves.

It has become a Mii generation. (pronounced "me" as in the video game system "Wii")

The same generation that grew up on nothing but video games is now into adulthood. They are out to make sure they are satisfied at work, at home and even in church. It is all about having a church service that says, "I want church my way or no way at all." It is about providing for the pleasure aspect instead of what is truly needed. A good strong message of what the Word of God says. Kid's today don't want to hear it. Why? Because they have fallen for the trap that they can get whatever they want and there are no consequences.

My grandfather was born in 1899.

Think of the changes he saw in his lifetime.

Cars, trains, planes, Apollo trips to the moon, The Great Depression, the Industrial Revolution, a couple of World Wars, television, radio, electronics, and finally "church!"

Just as my generation has changed drastically so did his. I was involved in the very early parts of the electronics boom. My grandfather was involved in the very early parts of the Soft Gospel era. It used to be that all of the churches would preach about hell, sin, repentance and God's grace. But something happened along about the beginning of the century. Hell, sin and repentance were replaced with a soft gospel which was nothing more than "God loves you." Now back in his day, there were still churches around who were preaching the whole gospel message but they started to die out. Something happened that caused the change. I often wonder what caused it to change.

Think about it. My grandfather was born in 1899. That means his dad was born roughly around 1875, and his grandfather was born in the 1850's. What happened to those people who were born back then? For one thing the Civil War took place from 1861-1865. President Lincoln was assassinated. Can you imagine what the "tone" of the country was like back then? Can you imagine what kind of friction there had to have been between the north and the south? Even after the war was over! Even for people who were born in the 1870's, they still had to have seen and heard quite a lot of harsh feelings between the two sides. By the time the turn of the century came, my grandfather's grandfather and dad would have been about 50 and 25 years of age. That would be the ideal age to incorporate change in America.

I could be completely wrong about this, it is pure speculation on my part, but I wonder...

Could the anger that was present within our country have been a reason for the Gospel message of Love to have replaced the Gospel message of God's Law and Judgment?

Just as my grandfather most likely saw the beginnings of the gospel of Grace only, my parents were entrenched with about 75% grace and about 25% Law. By the time I came around (I would like to say, 1960, but it was actually 1959!), I had seen 100% grace being taught in church. I heard nothing about the Law, sin and the need to repent of sins. Imagine what it is like when my son (who is now 24 yrs of age) is ready to take over a church. There are now people as youth pastor's who preach only grace AND they provide entertainment (because that is what they grew up with, via the atari, sega, playstation era!).

What will it be like when my grandson (3 yr old) reaches adulthood? What kind of entertainment will he demand to see in church?

Are we now seeing the end results of that decision to change? Just as the youngsters now days, are being exposed to sex, lust, murder on a daily basis, how will that affect their children years from now? I have to wonder what the end results will be with preaching only a gospel of love when so many people are in need of knowing that if they continue in their sin-filled ways, they will perish and go to Hell. The churches need to not only return to the early 1800's in the way they preach God's Word, they need to go all the way back to the Acts Churches! Let's get back to being biblical.

Let's take a look at exactly how Jesus dealt with people. Let's take a look at exactly how Paul dealt with people in presenting the gospel message. To find out how they did it, let's look in the Bible.

John 4:7-26

7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” Jesus starts out in the natural realm, something this woman would be familiar with. 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” Jesus has now turned to the spiritual realm by starting to explain to the woman who He is. 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. [2] The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Jesus is talking about eternal life. 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” The woman did not understand what Jesus was saying.
16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” 17 The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.” Jesus has used the Law to show this woman that she is an adulterer. 19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” He again, has proclaimed himself as the Christ who was to come. He tells her how a true follower is suppose to follow God, in spirit and in truth! (many people worship in spirit, but not in truth)

Mark 10:17-23

And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? Wouldn't you love to have someone come up to you and ask you this question?

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God.

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. Did Jesus offer him grace? No, He immediately went into God's Law, the Ten Commandments! And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. (which was obviously a lie, since no one has kept the Ten Commandments!)

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. Now He didn't tell the man to repent of his sins, why? Because the man claimed to have no sins. Instead, Jesus went to the heart of the matter. He loved him and at the same time, he told the man what he needed to do, He told the rich man what he lacked! And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! Did you notice that Jesus did not go chasing after the rich man? How many times do we feel we must get the person to make a decision for Christ? No, we give them God's Word and we let His Word do the work. Not all will be saved. You cannot serve two masters!

Now, let's look at the Apostle Paul...

Acts 20:19-21

Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:

[And] how I kept back nothing that was profitable [unto you], but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house, We are called to fulfill the Great Commission. Look at how Paul did it!

Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. We are to preach to ALL people, regardless of standing, repentance toward God because when we sin, we always sin against God, AND he preached faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ!

Acts 26:12-20

Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? [it is] hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. Jesus is speaking to Paul on the Road to Damascus. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee; Delivering thee from the people, and [from] the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, [and] to turn [them] from darkness to light, This is not a message from Jesus telling him to tell everyone about His wonderful grace. The message of grace does not open their eyes and will not turn them from darkness to light. Their eyes are opened when they repent of their sins, and when they repent of their sins, they are delivered from darkness to light. and [from] the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. It still comes down to faith in Jesus. It is that kind of faith that we have that will cause us to repent of our sins. Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and [then] to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, Are you seeing a pattern yet of how Paul and Jesus spoke with people? What was the important things for people to do? Put their faith and trust in Jesus for their salvation and turn from their sins (repent) and do works meet for repentance.

one more for you from Peter

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. So when people think that preaching God's Law is wrong, take time to read these Scriptures again. See how Jesus, Paul and Peter did it! It should be a balance but we MUST preach repentance because it is necessary for salvation. Without repentance a person will perish in their sins. Or do you want to be one of those people who see Jesus and say...

Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 7:22-23 The word for iniquity is "anomia" which means...

1) the condition of without law
a) because ignorant of it
b) because of violating it
2) contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness

it is lawlessness! Jesus used the Law, Paul used the Law, Peter used the Law in preaching repentance towards God. Why has our churches failed to do this?

Because we have become a Mii generation!