I am usually not a preacher that rants and raves about things. I try to keep my head clear and stay on a fairly even keel. This week, the sermon is a little different. I do however think that it is needed and necessary.
This past week I was listening to the radio and the 20 second news report came over the waves. There was a wreck backing up traffic, a senator who was not gay that was gay, and a blurb about the war on Terror. The nice little radio voice then gave me the best news of the Day, Cameron Diaz is 35 years old today!
I am not sure when our society took such a marked turn to emphasis of celebrity. Now it seems that Ryan Seacrest is everywhere telling us what so and so is wearing, dating or doing. Paris Hilton is everywhere, and she has not really done anything that matters except star in a movie on the internet with bad lighting and be born to rich hotel moguls. She actually makes 75,000 dollars just to make an appearance at clubs for parties. In some cases the price is closer to A QUARTER OF A MILLION! Lindsey Lohan is in and out of rehab, Brit Spears is a train wreck that we cannot help but watch, and the list goes on and on.
I have a few vices, none of which I am proud of, except my coffee addiction. I love good coffee, strong coffee with Espresso and Starbucks does it best. About a month ago, I had a message on the side of my cup as part of their "The Way I see it campaign." Each week the message changes and it is there to spark thought and encourage conversation about issues. The real plan is to get you to hang out and buy more coffee and strudel and music and then get hooked, but the message is on the cup regardless.
This message was spot on and had to be shared:
Many people lack a spiritual belief system and fill that void with obsessions about celebrities. The celebrities are raised to the rank of gods, and these earthly gods will always fail the expectations the masses have set for them. The cycle runs thusly: adoration turns to obsession, obsession turns to disappointment, and from disappointment it is a just a short emotional jump to contempt.-- Donna Phillips, Claremont CA
I do not know who Donna Phillips is, but she is right. The issue is not just about movie stars.
I love sports and the landscape of athletics is littered with idols. If we elevate people to the position of God we will be so disappointed. Poor Mike Vick, Poor O.J. Simpson, sports is a real issue as it comes to idolatry.
What about religion? Now I fear to say this because you all may revolt and toss me off this pier to the sharks, but what about preachers. Do we idolize them too, do we make them celebrities and give more credence to their message of Christ than another? Think about it. Billy Graham, Joel Osteen, Hagee, Fallwell, Benny Hinn, Joyce Meyer and the list goes on and on. Is the Gospel from their lips of any greater worth? Last week I could not help but chuckle when I saw Mr. T preaching on TBN. No, I do not normally watch TBN, but I was flipping and there it was staring me in the face. I just kept waiting on him to say, "I pity da fool that rejects Jesus," but I must have missed it.
This week I conducted three funerals. I though about titling this message, "You Can't spell funeral without Fun", but decided against it. Last Sunday was my Grandmother, midweek was a middle age campground resident that died in her sleep and yesterday was an 18 year old that died in a car accident on her first day of college. Families torn apart with grief, burdens and raw emotion.
This I know to be true; the hope in each of these situations is not Paris Hilton, Lohan, Spears, Vick, Graham or Hinn. The only Hope for these families is Jesus. The scripture speaks to our hope and it does not talk of celebrity.
The Hope of the Resurrection
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.
Jesus is the hope at death and in life. Our hope is not because of our merit, good looks or family. Oh, that is wrong...it is all about family. We are His children, not because we deserve it, but because he loves us enough to die for us. He gave each of these families strength enough to keep pressing on...and believing.
He is the only celebrity worth talking about. He with no implants, no makeovers, and no shameless self promotion. He is our reason for being, he is our hope, he is our peace, he conquered death, hell, and the grave. Where is CNN when you need them?
So, Who are you raising up on the pedestal? It may shock us if we really take the time to analyze and answer.
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