Post by nightingale on Jan 21, 2007 16:40:51 GMT -5
Hi all...I have been struggling with the ideal my own Pastor has about using movie lines in his Sunday sermons...He has done it in the past and has done it once again this morning...He discribed a scene from a movie called "Resident Evil" I have never seen the movie but was enlighten this morning...he discribed a very horrid scene and simply used it to compare it with our walk with Jesus...just like the hero in the movie said, " We must finish the mission" we as Christians must finish the race before us 
ok I was a little surprised my own Pastor would watch such a movie and still yet use it as a comparison to our walk with the Lord...OK, maybe I am not that surprised, this is only one reason I am visiting new churches 
I took it upon my self to crawl the web to see if any other people used such tools in preaching the gospel...I know many people I have talked to including individuals in my own church agree that we can use the world to illustrate God's word...I copied and pasted this article an individual wrote approving of this type of preaching........I believe we are treading on dangerous waters......I did not post the site or the author...
"Movies can be more than entertainment;they can open doors to the gospel.
Motion pictures do more than leave us with questions. Many are built upon themes and ideas that are also found in Scripture. Biblical themes such as redemption, sacrifice, temptation, the power of forgiveness, and the corrupting power of sin are the building blocks of many plot lines. Allowing the message of a film to speak is the second step in using movies as a bridge to spiritual conversations.
You can create a place for conversation by inviting friends over for a night of watching videos. Choose a film that crawls inside your head and forces you to wrestle with questions. Or go to a movie, and then discuss the biblical themes and ideas afterward. Even if you haven't see a film together, start conversations by asking friends what movies they've seen recently.
Obviously, not every movie lends itself to spiritual conversations. Trying to force the issue will close more doors than it will open. (It can also take all the fun out of going to the movies.)
Of course, as believers, we need to becareful about the films we see and the effect they will have on us. Watching a movie with explicit sexual content in the name of trying to relate to unbelievers is as fallacious as spreading gossip in order to pray more effectively. We need to ask ourselves if the film will enhance or harm our ability to be used by God. Yet when used with discernment, movies are a natural and effective path to discussing spiritual matters.
So when those must-see films roll around, make sure you see them. As you watch, don't just sit back and enjoy the special effects. Listen to the message. Pay attention to the questions. Allow God to open your eyes to ways in which this film can become a bridge to nonbelievers.
All around us people struggle to find love, fulfillment, peace, joy, and hope. Questions about God and reality and why life is the way it is fill their minds and their entertainment. Most don't want to listen to arguments for the biblical account of creation or the resurrection. That doesn't mean they're closed to the gospel; it simply means we need to find a way to connect.
What bridges are waiting for you, already built by the storytelling power of Hollywood?"
ok I was a little surprised my own Pastor would watch such a movie and still yet use it as a comparison to our walk with the Lord...OK, maybe I am not that surprised, this is only one reason I am visiting new churches 
I took it upon my self to crawl the web to see if any other people used such tools in preaching the gospel...I know many people I have talked to including individuals in my own church agree that we can use the world to illustrate God's word...I copied and pasted this article an individual wrote approving of this type of preaching........I believe we are treading on dangerous waters......I did not post the site or the author..."Movies can be more than entertainment;they can open doors to the gospel.
Motion pictures do more than leave us with questions. Many are built upon themes and ideas that are also found in Scripture. Biblical themes such as redemption, sacrifice, temptation, the power of forgiveness, and the corrupting power of sin are the building blocks of many plot lines. Allowing the message of a film to speak is the second step in using movies as a bridge to spiritual conversations.
You can create a place for conversation by inviting friends over for a night of watching videos. Choose a film that crawls inside your head and forces you to wrestle with questions. Or go to a movie, and then discuss the biblical themes and ideas afterward. Even if you haven't see a film together, start conversations by asking friends what movies they've seen recently.
Obviously, not every movie lends itself to spiritual conversations. Trying to force the issue will close more doors than it will open. (It can also take all the fun out of going to the movies.)
Of course, as believers, we need to becareful about the films we see and the effect they will have on us. Watching a movie with explicit sexual content in the name of trying to relate to unbelievers is as fallacious as spreading gossip in order to pray more effectively. We need to ask ourselves if the film will enhance or harm our ability to be used by God. Yet when used with discernment, movies are a natural and effective path to discussing spiritual matters.
So when those must-see films roll around, make sure you see them. As you watch, don't just sit back and enjoy the special effects. Listen to the message. Pay attention to the questions. Allow God to open your eyes to ways in which this film can become a bridge to nonbelievers.
All around us people struggle to find love, fulfillment, peace, joy, and hope. Questions about God and reality and why life is the way it is fill their minds and their entertainment. Most don't want to listen to arguments for the biblical account of creation or the resurrection. That doesn't mean they're closed to the gospel; it simply means we need to find a way to connect.
What bridges are waiting for you, already built by the storytelling power of Hollywood?"
