Do you remember the Andy Griffith television show? If you are younger than 30 there is a chance that you have no idea what I am talking about. If you are under the age of 20 then it is highly unlikely you have ever seen that television show.
It was an old show when I was growing up, but it still played every evening. It was one of the safe shows my parents didn’t mind me watching. It was a show that had no swear words, no sexual references and good family values.
Even 30 years ago, many of the television shows reflected conservative family values. On occasion, my parents would let me watch The Simpsons, which seemed harmless to me, but my parents would cringe at some of the more colorful humor.
Nobody could foresee just how much pop culture would change in the coming years. Conservative values are not only hard to find on television, they are now openly mocked. The more popular a show is the more graphic its violence and sex scenes are going to be.
Popular culture moved away from religions and conservative values faster than just about any other major movement. We didn’t know what the results of the constant vulgarity and sexual subjugation of women would be.
But now we see just how great of an impact this loss of values has had on our culture. Every day, a young child has his brain blasted with sexual images, violence and anger. Large portions of kids feel confused, depressed, anxious and altogether lost.
As I have been thinking about what steps we can take to undue some of this damage, one thought keeps coming to mind, and that is that we have to start preaching again. I’m not talking about Sunday Morning sermons; I’m talking about every Christian confidently and lovingly reminding the world around them that God is real, Christ has risen and freedom is available.
The culture used to do some of the preaching for us. It used to remind people to go to church, love God and pursue holiness. God was everywhere, even if He was just behind the values being promoted.
But now, culture has decided to preach a different story. It’s not that pop culture has gone silent; it has grown louder and louder, shouting a message of greed, lust, and sadness. I want to encourage you to start preaching again. Don’t miss opportunities to show how the Gospel can bring peace to the problems you hear at work and home. All around me, I hear people looking for freedom and a second chance. Culture might be loud, but I have enough hope to believe it’s getting annoying to hear even for those who buy into it. The amount of anger and bitterness in the world will eventually grow exhausting, and the Gospel must always be present to offer hope to those in need.