Are you not entertained?

Garth Heckman 

The David Alliance

 

TDAgiantslayer@Gmail.com 

 

How to be a man coming soon at HillSpring Church. 

 

Are you not entertained?

Maximus (Russell Crowe)

Arguably the most recognizable Gladiator quote, this line delivered by Maximus goes to show the lack of empathy the crowd embodies. The mob wants nothing more than bloodshed and death, a show to distract them from the emptiness of reality.

 

We could easily cry this out in todays world forums and families.

As well as…

Are you not distracted?

Are you not deceived?

Are you not gullible?

Are you not in the dark?

Are you not in the fight?

Are you not the wicked Lazy servant who buried his talent in the ground?

 

We miss - I believe the most important line in the movie which follows this line. Gladiator yells to the crowd “are you not entertained, is this not why you are here?”

WHY ARE WE HERE?

Why are we here on this earth? 

Entertainment… I doubt any of us would be so bold and so foolish to answer yes to this question… but yet we find ourselves at times in exactly that lifestyle and mindset.

If I strive to succeed at my business, is it not truly so that I have the resources to entertain myself and meet my desires? 

 

 

You might be surprised at the number of times the Bible touches on the subject of entertainment. On the positive side, Jesus went to parties and made time to get away from the grind of ministry with His disciples. Paul said that God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17), and he obviously knew something about poetry (Acts 17:28), sports (1 Corinthians 9:24-26), and the theater (1 Corinthians 4:9). What’s more, the end of history is pictured as a banquet for God’s people in Revelation. Negatively, King Herod’s attempt to entertain his guests led to John the Baptist’s execution (Matthew 14:6-12), and the Persian King Ahasuerus’ wild party ended with what amounted to a divorce (Esther 1:1-22). How do we sort through these biblical references? Here are several principles to help you determine Scripture’s teaching on entertainment and amusement.

Entertainment is not for fleshly desires or feelings to be experienced. It is not an escape and it is not to be in the form of activities that are lewd, unholy, or selfish…

Entertainment a seen in scripture was for the purpose of enjoying Gods creation including his people. It gives you a respite for a fight that is coming again soon. 

Interruptions don’t interrupt my mission, but rather serve as a break to focus on a particular aspect of God to feel invigorated and refreshed.