okay we're in 1st Corinthians chapter number 6 this evening and the title of
my sermon this evening is gamers gamers amen preaching on video games this
evening and of course I had mentioned this a while back that I wanted to
preach on the subject of video games this isn't my first time preaching on
this particular subject I did it a couple years back at someone else's
church and I didn't even realize what great of an impact video games actually
has on our world and even in the members of different churches I mean I thought
that's just something that kids do that teenagers play and you know the
Christians don't necessarily participate in but not only do Christians participate
in video games adult Christians participate in video games and so I want
to talk about that subject tonight now before we get into the scripture before
we get into the sermon let me just say this is that don't get offended tonight
you know remember what I said this morning great peace have they which love
thy law and nothing shall offend them and some things that you might hear
tonight are a little offensive might rub you the wrong way maybe it's the first
time you've ever heard this but just understand this is that obviously I'm
using scripture here and I'm gonna explain to you what are the problems
with gaming what are the problems with playing video games and with gaming and
let me just say this is it you know it used to be or I thought that you know
video games is actually a permissible thing I used to say you know it's okay
if you play it every once in a while maybe a few hours and by a few I meant
like two hours and they even that that seems a little extreme but in the day
and age in which we live that's impossible to do actually you know
people teenagers and adults actually invest a crazy amount of time playing
video games and hours on end yeah even days on end and they waste a lot of
resources in purchasing video games and you know what if that's what the world
wants to do it's obviously not conducive to productivity or anything
like that but you let them do that but what about save people right we actually
have a purpose in life the Bible says that we are as workmanship created in
Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained that we should walk
in them so God actually does have a plan for your life he does have works for you
to do and none of them include this thing right here okay and you know
obviously I don't even know what year this is some of you might be like well
that one sucks you know to me there's a better one out there but just just
imagine this to be your PC game console or your PlayStation or whatever I don't
even know what type of Xbox this is you know back in my day we had just a
regular n64 with cart cartridges and you know we I own like one and one or two
and then we'd have to rent the other ones at Blockbuster I don't know if you
guys know of that ancient ruin called Blockbuster but back in the day that's
where you would rent videos and video games and such but that's not what it is
today now in 1st Corinthians chapter 6 looking for summer 11 it says in such
were some of you but you're awash but you're sanctified but you're justified
in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God listen to this all
things are lawful unto me what does that mean you know as Christians in general
we experience a lot of Liberty right God gives us a lot of Liberty to enjoy the
things of this life you know he's given us thing all things richly to enjoy we
can essentially live a normal life or we can enjoy things have fun they're
lawful unto us there's obviously a lot of things that we should not do and
we're not supposed to do things that are just completely sinful but in general
all things are lawful unto us but then it goes on to say but all things are not
expedient so what this is telling us is though even though we have the
permission to partake in a lot of things in this world you know in general we
shouldn't participate in them because of the fact that they're not expedient they
don't produce anything good they're not necessarily convenient they're not
conducive to a successful Christian life they're not expedient and then he goes
on to say all things are lawful for me but I will not be brought under the
power of any so even though it's permissible for us to for example play a
video game right it's some of it you know play some some video games where
you know Minecraft or whatever you know the Bible says that you shouldn't be
brought under the power of any of those things and the truth of the matter is
that thing has a lot of power over a lot of young men and not just young men
older men and even married people who participate in playing video games and
it really has a hold on their life like no it's just a hobby of theirs yeah but
a hobby that takes up like 35 hours and one straight shot it's not a hobby
anymore that thing is an addiction okay when you literally forgo sleep you waste
all these finances and resources you spend you know yourself from 10 o'clock
at night till 6 o'clock 7 o'clock in the morning playing this video game trying
to pass it at that point it has authority over your life you know that
the night is meant for sleep my friends the night is meant for sleep and for
recuperation so you can get up early tomorrow and actually go to work and
actually do something productive not being on a video game and here's the
thing that's aside from the fact that this is often attached to not just
violence and things that are wicked and vile and filled with iniquity but also
with chat rooms because now video games you know you can actually talk to other
people in different parts of the world of course you know Bible believing
Christians that you're communicating with right now some of these people are
wicked and vile some of them are pedophiles some of them are criminals
some are older men that are passing off as women trying to develop relationships
with younger men or younger women just wicked things and you're spending eight
hours okay and by the way that's a modest number eight hours is a modest
number of how long someone takes to play these video games it's been eight hours
listening to the worst field I'm not saying just playing the worst field okay
because we'll get into that in the world of Warcraft and Call of Duty and
all the content that's found in those video games all the killing and murders
and all that but what about just the content that's going into your ears by
people on the chat room you know saying the most filthy disgusting perverse
things you don't think that that has an effect on your spiritual life you don't
think that has an effect on your heart you don't think that has an effect on
your walk with God and you wonder why when you come to church you have a hard
time paying attention and actually liking the preaching of God's Word it's
because of the fact that your heart is as fat as grease you can't pay attention
your your attention span is so short you've spiked your dopamine to through
the roof to the point that you know normal things in life don't even excite
you anymore getting ahead of myself here but just recognize this and the reason I
want to I use this scripture here is to show us that obviously playing video
games engine I can't point to a verse that says playing video games is sinful
all things are lawful unto me but I'll say this playing video games is not
expedient and we should not be brought under the power of that it goes on to
say in 1st Corinthians chapter 10 if you want to turn there in verse 21 1st
Corinthians chapter 10 in verse 21 ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the
cup of Devils he cannot be partakers of the Lord's table on the table of Devils
do we provoke the Lord to jealousy are we stronger than he all things are
lawful for me but all things are not expedient all things are lawful for me
but all things edify not so what the Bible seems to indicate is that
Christians should participate in activities that will actually you know
help us to be productive successful that which promotes spirituality that was
promotes a love for the Lord Jesus Christ and you know what not everything
that we do does that right but hold on a second does it improve other areas in
your life though you know does exercising improve other areas in your
life does reading books outside of Bible improve other areas of your life if it
does then it's lawful for you to do but you can't tell me to play video games
improves any area of your life now 1st Corinthians chapter 13 you have to turn
there verse 11 everyone thought I was going to use this as a scripture but I
try to change things change things up every once in a while the Bible says
when I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a
child but listen to this but when I became a man I put away childish things
so you know you got a little kid he plays video games okay you know that's
what they do they play video games you know if they play a little Tetris okay
what's wrong with building blocks but you know I would say this you should
play with Legos that's that's actually more productive than playing then
building any city or world on Minecraft right why don't you actually get some
physical Legos and actually build something that actually does something
good to your brain but it says here that eventually you get to a point where you
become a man and you recognize I shouldn't fool with this stuff okay I
need to put this away from me I'm a grown man I need a job I want a girlfriend
that I can marry I want to be able to build a family I want to get successful
in life and I want to be some lazy bum behind a screen with headphones on
playing with some six-year-old around the world I mean isn't that an
embarrassing thing put away childish things and you know what let me say
this one of the other reasons that I want to preach this is because husbands
there's so many times when wives complain over the fact that their
husband spend more time playing video games to pay attention to them and
that's shameful my friends and those of you who are guilty of playing more video
games and spending time with your wife or taking it around spending time with
your children shame on you get right with God grow up get it be a man throw
away that stupid video game and go take your wife out on the date get her some
roses go buy a meal and actually look at her face instead of like well I want to
play video games though you're not a teenager anymore you're not a kid
anymore you're going to destroy your marriage you're going to destroy your
children and you know what why should never get to a point where it's just
like it's either me or the video game I mean I literally just heard a testimony
yesterday I'm not gonna say from who it's no one in here so don't worry about
it don't know looking around every head bowed every I closed okay who's a staff
member of a different church who literally his wife was just like if
there's one thing I can get rid of is his stupid PlayStation and then he's
just like but that's the kids PlayStation it's like that's your
PlayStation and you know what you know what husbands and fathers do they
purchase that for their kids for Christmas or their birthdays but it's
really for them you know because they want to use their children as scapegoats
to say oh that's their video game as that you know and then once the kids go
to sleep at night boom they get on there and start playing till three two three
four o'clock in the morning or whatever maybe you know why everyone's laughing
because it's true but you know what it's not right for you to invest so much time
and playing some stupid video game where you're killing a bunch of people and
you're not spending time with your wife developing your marriage that's wicked
that's wrong why do you have to escape reality the
reality of a wonderful marriage the reality of of raising children the
reality of being a man to go to this fake world where you get nothing done
what do you mean I get nothing done World of Warcraft I build worlds I got
empires I get a lot done yeah but you know what if the electricity ever goes
out there goes your world you know the Bible tells us in 2nd Timothy chapter 3
referring to the end times it says this know also that in the last days perilous
time shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters
proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural
affection truce breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those
that are good traders heady high-minded listen to this lovers of pleasure more
than lovers of God you tell me how much time if someone spends a modest amount
of time when I say modest I'm being facetious here obviously eight hours is
not modest but for the average gamer that's very modest okay you spend eight
hours trying to beat this game can you say you really spend eight hours doing
anything spiritual consistently that's called someone who's a lover of pleasure
more than a lover of God and this is fact because of the fact that as you're
playing a video game you're spiking the dopamine you're constantly seeing brand
new images you know and then obviously you're not just you're not just not
being productive you're also just messing up your mind and your body okay
because of the fact that you're pounding the energy drinks you're lacking sleep
you're sedentary you're not doing anything the blue light is just
constantly hitting your face and then your sleep is all messed up and then you
get depressed then you're lonely then you're sad and it's just this vicious
cycle that continues over and over and over again now some of you may not even
know what I'm talking about and and and praise God for that all right if you're
just like what is this even real but folks it's real and it's a real epidemic
in our world today I was gonna say the United States but this is all over okay
and so people who are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God what are some
arguments that people will bring when it comes to allowing their children or
allowing themselves to play video games well you know they can make money playing
video games you know you know it's yeah I get what you're saying but what if
they actually make money though you know what if they actually make a paycheck
what if they become like famous what if they're like a PewDiePie right is that
guy even around anymore does he even play video games you know what if what
if they get rich and famous well let me tell you what the Bible says about a
problem chapter 13 verse 11 says this wealth gotten by vanity shall be
diminished but he that gathers by labor shall increase so you know what God is
not just interested in you getting money and getting riches he wants you to get
it the right way by labor and not by vanity there's nothing more vain than
making money off of a video game my friends pretending to be someone that
you're not okay well you know they just want to be successful they want to be
competent in an area folks the Bible says if any man strive for masteries yet
is he not crowned except he strived lawfully if you want your child and your
teenager to be successful help them go get a trade help them to go get an
actual job help them to learn how to get himself a woman right that's actually
successful well he has a woman but it's on the video games though like you know
me love stories of two people that have met on video games and stuff that's
cheesy that's corny well they want to feel like they're in control of their
lives you know they want to feel independent and in control and you look
it up these are these are some of the reasons that people give why it's okay
to play video games okay they want to be able to rule cities that's why they play
Minecraft because you know oh yeah all those other violent games we understand
that but Minecraft is so it's so you know it's so innocent you know it's it's
like it's it's Mario Brothers pixelated that pixelated type of look on steroids
right and people we just want to rule cities why don't you rule your own
spirit though the Bible says he that is slow to anger is better than the mighty
and he that rule the spear that he that taketh the city the Bible also tells us
that if a man doesn't have rule over his own spirit he's like the city that is
broken down and without walls and you know what video games produce some of
the most emotional brats that I've ever met in my life and that's fact why
because you don't sleep you're not getting the proper nutrition you don't
get sunlight you don't touch grass
right you're not active and so you get in your dopamine's way up you just it's
shot you're just constantly used to that spike every single hour you know what
that makes you emotional incapable of ruling over your own spirit that's why
your mouth off to your parents when they tell you to shut it off so you mouth off
to your parents when they tell you to put away the the game console I mean
there's literally on the news a couple weeks ago of a kid who killed his mom
because she refused to buy him a game console that's wicked like oh you know
it's all innocent oh is that innocent he murdered his mother because she refused
to buy him a game console that's wicked that's vile that's disgusting folks rule
your own city young men rule your own spirit rule your own self you don't need
to you know get minecraft to be able to feel like you're in control you know the
greatest minecraft that exists is actually the millennial reign my friends
or God will tell you that be thou ruler over ten cities literal cities he's not
gonna hand you a game console and say you know make up make a world or
whatever well you know they're just trying to escape they need a stress
reliever they just need to escape from what you're making it seem as though
like their life is just miserable or something I mean can life really be that
bad where they want to go into this fake world if it is then maybe you need
to change some things in your home right but people use video games as a form of
escapism to escape the realities of being a teenager and don't get me wrong
you know being a teenager is hard I understand that it is difficult it's a
it's a transitory type of stage in a person's life where they're very
insecure they don't really know what they're doing to have you know they're
just kind of confused and especially if they go to a public school there's all
types of insecurities and just all types of nonsense that takes place in the in
the public schools but you know what as a Christian as Christian parents you
should construct a life where your children are happy to be a part of that
doesn't include video games okay well they just want to make a difference in
someone's life and they can do that by video games you can't make a difference
you can help someone win a level or something like that but as a Christian
you can change someone's life by preaching the gospel and getting them
saved and look you know some of these video games like for example God of War
right isn't that a popular game one just came out in 2022 in November I looked it
up you know and it's basically you're imitating a false god throughout the
entire game oh you're just exaggerating they're not real they don't really think
that their gods yeah but they're playing one though would you be okay if your son
or your daughter just started dressing up like a false god in your house and
just acting like a false god what makes you think it's okay for them to do it in
your home on a video game turn with me if you would to go to Ephesians chapter
5 if you would Ephesians chapter number 5 you know I hope that this sermon hits
home and I hope that you know the vast majority of and I get it you know a lot
of people in our church not a lot but you know when I mentioned video games a
couple weeks ago you know I had all these confessions afterwards right
people were just like yeah I used to play and I didn't know there are so many
gamers former gamers not former gang members former gamers in our church it
was just like what you know and it's just like it is I it is I I'm guilty of
this too and they started giving me all this info of what people do on gaming
but I would hope that you know this sermon would would cause you young
people and cause you adults especially to just say what am I doing throw this
trash away this is stupid what am I doing my why am I even playing this I'm
a Bible believing Christian like well I just need you know some some downtime I
need you know then go run around the block go join a gym go get some games go
lift go you know purchase a gun and go to the shooting range go get into
Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai kickboxing go read a book you're an
adult you're a grown man go do something productive with your life you're not a
kid anymore I don't know how else to say it now let me give you some problems
with playing video games okay first and foremost I'm gonna give you I'm gonna
give you four problems with playing video games and and then I'm done okay
number one is that they require an inordinate amount of time I mean these
are reasons why you shouldn't play video games okay number one is that they
literally require an inordinate amount of time I'm telling you before I used to
say well if you play for a couple hours nothing wrong with that but that's
impossible to do no one can take a video game and just play for two hours and I
guarantee you most former gamers or current gamers in our church have ever
just played for one hour I guarantee it let me give you some statistics here are
some numbers God of War which is the most recent one
Ragnarok or something anybody want to correct me on that one how you say that
come on ah you guys have learned learn very good who said it can take up to 30
to 35 hours to complete half-life Alex takes about 18 and a half hours to
complete if you're trying to see all aspects of the game the Witcher 3 Wild
Hunt 53 hours or longer depending on whether you are doing secondary quests
so it could actually take longer than 53 hours and you say yeah but that's not in
one sitting let me just say this many of it is in one sitting okay so I'm not
gonna say I'm not gonna ask for a raise of hands okay although I might but you
know I've had people tell me like you know I'm not gonna say who it is all
right because I learned I was trying to figure out like you know how can we
distinguish the current gamers from the former gamers of my day because the
longest I've ever played like a video game like an n64 something was like
maybe two hours and then I just kind of got bored and I want to go outside and
play okay or go see the Sun you know I mean but I learned when I started asking
people when's the longest amount of time that you've played a video game you
know some would the former gamers of my era would basically state it in hours
they would say about a few hours two hours or whatever but the new gamers
they wouldn't base it off of ours they would base it off of the sunrise they
would say till sunrise and then someone even in our church and I'm not gonna say
who it is even though he probably give me permission to say it he said I saw
the sunrise twice and it sounded like he was he was given a what is that called a
haiku or something I saw the sunrise twice you know it's like what but you
know what that's actually nothing compared to what a lot of people do okay
and so when it says 30 to 35 hours they've designed these video games in
such a way that it's so immersive it's so you know just realistic that you just
essentially get lost in the game and you lose track of time okay so 53 hours I
guarantee you there's people in this world multitudes of people who have
played a video game something like this for 53 hours and look I personally knew
someone from Bible College which I mentioned a couple weeks ago that
literally stayed up all night he had some coolant that he had to put in his
computer PC or something like that to keep it going and he played for like 48
hours or something like that and you know what this guy in Bible College he's
constantly falling asleep his diet was terrible he was always sickly he was
always apathetic towards the things of God and I wonder why because he's up all
night killing imaginary people and so when the Word of God is being preached
at him it doesn't mean it's not that the Word of God doesn't have power his heart
has been hardened through violence and all this other nonsense playing so long
so the Witcher 3 wild hunt 53 hours or longer depending on whether you are
doing the secondary quest XCOM 2 72 hours 33 hours is a modest number but if
you want to see all aspects of the game 72 hours now this this sounds so gay
disco asylum or Elysium I mean does anybody know what that is disco Elysium
anybody heard of that that one takes 90 hours listen to this of continuous play
time and and reasonably completionist player to be able to finish that 90
hours Elden apparently some people know what I'm talking about
Elden ring 132 hours all aspects of the game if you want to see it takes
basically five days yeah but that's like on and off though I guarantee you and
let me just say this there's someone else and I'm not gonna say who it is who
showed me how long they spent on a video game and it said it was like 38 days and
in my mind I was just like oh like you went on there third for 38 days straight
and it's like no no the amount of time that they played accumulates to 38 days
oh I'm sorry all right 88 days cats out of the bag it was Adrian hey but you
know what I commend Adrian because he's a new convert and you know what after
that he gave his game console to Gio that very night and said take it I'm not
playing with it and Gio's been playing with it ever since I'm just kidding I'm
kidding he hasn't you know why he stopped so that's why he's speaking up
because you know it'd be something else if you still playing it you know 88
hours you didn't have you could you should just let me say 38 I'm just
kidding 88 hours but you know what I guarantee you there's other people who
have done way more than that and that's on one particular game by the way okay
and you know it gets to a point where they're purchasing all these video games
and you could actually like the content that you have on the video game is
actually worth money like there's like weapons in the video game that's worth
money sometimes even as much as like a real weapon if not more than a real
weapon am I am I right or am I wrong right I mean it's just like a knife or
something is worth like money on there can you believe this it's not real it's
not a real knife it's fake it blows my mind it's just like that the greatest
prank ever played it's like you're paying money for this fake knife or this
fake gun fake grenade whatever so 132 hours five days Crusader Kings three
about 70 hours Hollow Knight 61 hours now the the games that I just mentioned
are actually the top 10 games right now okay and I don't even know if these are
like those types of piece or the these game consoles or actual PC games but it
doesn't matter okay I'm just showing you what like how much time these games
require for you to actually succeed at the game so if you're spending let's get
the most modest one here 30 hours playing a video game instead of
actually doing something productive or spiritual you need to get right with God
the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 14 wherefore he saith hey look let
me just say this don't come to me trying to get advice for your marriage trying
to get advice on how to fix your way or your marriage and your wife or your
husband if you're like playing video games for this amount of time it should
be very obvious to you what you need to do first I mean I'm not gonna tell you
to read your Bible I'm not gonna tell you probably tell you go throw your
stupid video game away that's what you need to do well what if I sell it throw
it away wherefore he saith awake thou that sleepest arise from the dead and
Christ shall give thee light see then that he walks circumspectly not as fools
but as wise listen to this redeeming the time because the days are evil you know
what people do playing video games they kill time right I just want to kill some
time the Bible says we don't kill time we're supposed to redeem the time we're
supposed to save time and you know what you have only so many days on this earth
you have only so many years on this earth do you really want to spend even a
week of it with this nonsense instead of spending a week of it memorizing the
scriptures winning souls to Christ being a better son being a better daughter
making actual money improving your marriage the Bible says so teach us to
number our days in Psalm 90 verse 12 that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom the Bible tells us go with me if you would to Ecclesiastes chapter number
11 Ecclesiastes chapter number 11 if you would and look I'm preaching to the
teenagers but I'm also preaching to the parents and future parents okay because
of the fact that at the end of the day they're under your roof and again I'm
not trying to offend you I'm not trying to be disrespectful towards you what I'm
trying to do is trying to cause you to understand that this can destroy your
child's life and you know what they may be able to play the part in church but
you know what up here it's something else is going on
Ecclesiastes chapter 11 verse number 9 says rejoice oh young man in thy youth
and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of
thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these
things God will bring thee into judgment the Bible says so you say yeah yeah hey
you want to you want to enjoy those things you want to play some video games
is this what you want to do you want to walk in the ways of your heart and the
side of your eyes and you want to cheer yourself in your youth by playing video
games and killing people and zombies and you want to build worlds you want to be
this big shot on World of Warcraft or whatever okay you have the liberty to do
so if that's what you want however know thou that for all these things God will
bring thee into judgment every action has a consequence my friends therefore
he says in verse 10 remove sorrow from thy heart and put away evil from thine
flesh for childhood and youth are vanity he says chapter 12 verse 1 what should I
do pastor remember now the Creator in the days of thy youth while the evil
days come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure
in them you know eventually you actually physically grow up eventually life
actually starts hitting and you got to take some responsibility and you actually
have to be a man about telling us you should sow good seeds now in your youth
so you don't become some loser when you're older so you don't become some
furry when you're older so you don't become some jobless worthless person in
this world well that's me why are you saying that because of the fact that I
don't want the young people in our church to go down that path and destroy
their lives and be a complete loser that's why you know what it's biblical
my friends the Bible commands us to remember our Creator in the days of our
youth that means in the days of our youth we should think about the Lord we
should think about the things of God and you know what if you're in here tonight
you're obviously doing that amen we got some young people in our church tonight
that are obviously putting God first by being here and I command the teenagers
who stick around they go sowing they come to church on their own accord and
they're and they're doing that that's a great thing but you know what put this
away from you and as I mentioned you know it causes people to just not
fulfill their responsibilities there's this guy who essentially he was just
like this big shot on World of Warcraft I mean he created empires he had hordes
of people following him and he was just this this he was like the man on World
of Warcraft and I don't even know what that game is I just saw his little what is that
the avatar or something like that some long-haired dude or whatever but this
but in reality his grades were suffering he was in college he was failing all of
his classes his health was poor he essentially just alienated himself from
all his friends and family so his real life was just completely destroyed and
you know what there's people in Japan who literally die gaming they die gaming
because they have gaming centers whatever people could game all they want
and there's people who have literally died in their seats gaming well that's
not gonna happen to me I wouldn't even want to I wouldn't even want to be
anywhere near that though pay attention to your wives pay attention to your
children pay attention to the Bible go with if you would to Jeremiah chapter 6
Jeremiah chapter 6 so requires an inordinate amount of time that you can
be using to invest in spiritual things to invest in your marriage to invest in
your children to invest in actual relationships you know you could
actually make real friends hey guys you could actually invest that time and
getting yourself a girl you know get a woman right like learning how to
actually talk to women not just through like headphones right and a little
microphone or whatever a little chat there I know you're like I know the ribs
is off the charts when you know when you're when you're playing video games
but how's your ribs in real life how's that race coming along everyone's all
everyone's just like the man behind a screen but when like in real life is
like go talk to that girl you're like you're like the man in World of Warcraft
but then you you're like a furry in real life you know why don't you invest some
time to actually go talk to a girl right like where do I start you know by
going to a physical girl and saying hi my name is okay and this is not I'm not
gonna quote Eminem here all right you know my name is so what's your name nice
to meet you you know where are you from kind of thing you know actually spark up
a comfort learn how to talk to other human beings face to face and you know
what gaming causes young people to be the most anti-social people in society
today they just hate being around people you know I used to think that oh you
know it's just like introverts that's just you know how people are and and I
and I know that's true because like for example my wife she's somewhat of an
introvert you know my Ulysses is somewhat of an introvert he's my employee
but you know what he's he's he's still very you know friendly and it still goes
out there to talk to people but you know what some people are made introverts
though by video games let me just say that because they're not comfortable
actually in a social setting talking to other people and it's not because they
don't have the skills or the ability to do so it's just their mind is wired to
not to talk to other human beings their mind is wired if they're talking to you
to just constantly look at their phones and not look at you in the eyes and I've
noticed that with young people young people who spend a lot of time on video
games they have a hard time look at you straight in the eyes they have a hard
time doing that for whatever reason there's just like another human being
instead of a screen take time as a young man young lady to actually learn and
invest in your life and invest in the things of God and don't be don't fall
into this trap number two here's here's another reason why video games or being
a gamer is a problem number two they desensitize the mind to evil so what do
you mean a lot of these video games that people play and you can bring up
Minecraft all you want okay but there's things out there other than Minecraft
that people play now back in my day there is a really wicked game and I
didn't own it because I didn't own like a game console to even play it but my
friends would play it but it still exists today it's Grand Theft Auto
that's a super wicked game that's a game where you literally can only succeed by
committing crimes and it's a game where you essentially fulfill the most
ungodly desire of killing committing fornication raping or whatever I mean
it's called Grand Theft Auto you have to steal things in order to succeed and if
I'm not mistaken they're still coming out with Grand Theft Autos aren't they
all right yeah I mean they're still out there they just go from city to city
well you know what if you're kind and look I remember watching my friend play
and he just goes he goes I check this out you just go and just beat someone up
on in the street some old lady or whatever on the street just beats her up
it just goes and just pull someone out of their car and they're cussing or
whatever and he takes their car and he takes off or whatever there's
prostitutes in the game you commit fornication I mean this is evil you're
telling me if you play that for five let's say five hours you don't think
that's gonna have an effect on your mind you don't think that that's gonna cause
you to be desensitized to actual violence I mean it's wicked my friends a study
shows that playing first-person shooting games like Call of Duty reduces a
person's gray matter in the brain gray matter contains most of the brains neural
cell bodies the gray matter includes regions of the brain involved in muscle
control and sensory perception such as seeing and hearing memory emotion speech
decision-making and self-control so what video games actually does is it
essentially starts messing with your frontal lobe cortex now video games
can't make you reprobate if you're already a Christian obviously because no
Christian can become reprobate but if a Christian cannot become reprobate the
next step is this you can become desensitized and hardened to sin so it's
impossible for you to become a reprobate because you're already saved you have a
Holy Spirit of God dwelling within you however you can become hardened to
violence and filth and all these other things by playing video games because
you're watching this 24-7 or however many hours you're playing for and it
actually affects your frontal lobe cortex okay let me read you this article
here violent video games are of concern to many experts and in a study of 45
adolescents playing violent video games for only 30 minutes immediately lowered
activity and the prefrontal lobe cortex compared to those who participated in
nonviolent games previous research shows that just 10 to 20 minutes of violent
gaming increased activity in the brain regions associated with arousal and
anxiety and emotional reaction which simultaneously reducing activity in the
frontal lobes associated with emotion regulation and executive control so what
this is saying is that if a person just plays for 10 to 20 minutes a day 10 to
20 minutes is all you need to produce an emotional person because all they're
doing is looking at violence okay the dopamine releases that come from the
gaming is so powerful says researchers it can almost shut down the prefrontal
lobe cortex regions in other words your judgment just kind of goes out the
window this is why you can laugh at violence this is why you can people
today on social media they laugh when people die they laugh when people are
mutilated they make fun of people who you know are beaten who are murdered
because they play video games and they involve themselves in these in these
things their judgment just kind of goes out the window and folks you know the
love of many shall wax cold the Bible says and we don't want to be people
because we're Christians who cares what the world thinks we don't want to be
Christians like well that's cool you know I'm just gonna you know I don't
really care about that I can take it you as a Christian are called to be a holy
person a righteous person who doesn't rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the
truth look at Jeremiah chapter 6 verse 15 says were they ashamed when they
have committed abomination nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they
blush therefore they shall fall among that fall at the time that I visit them
they shall be cast down sayeth the Lord a great quality for every human being to
have is the ability to have shame to blush when something wicked happens or
something inappropriate is done the ability to blush and be embarrassed over
those things that's a wonderful virtue this is what the Bible refers to as
shame-facedness but if you're watching people get murdered or if you're
participating in the murder you know it's fake though it's fake but you're
simulating murder though you're simulating you succeed in the game by
killing other people well they're aliens or something you know let me let me read
to you some of the most violent games that exist okay these are very popular
Dead Space 2 players must avoid or kill the enemies that are manifested as
horrific corpse like creatures well that sounds just dandy right mortal combat I
mean need we say more I mean mortal combat was around when I was around back
in my day like in the 90s and I remember like seeing mortal combat I'm like it
would kind of give me nightmares it was scary actually you know Medal of Honor
hyper realistic graphics recreate modern-day war zones in Afghanistan
soldiers bodies crumble authentically and gush blood when shot kill counts are
often high enough to populate a small town not to mention the rampant
profanity you tell me that a Christian can play that and have not affect their
soul not vex their righteous soul from day to day and you and we wonder why
these people in the military when they're actually go to war it's almost
as if like they enjoy killing people because they've been playing video games
since there are kids killing people on a video game and it's just like a video
game to them when they go over there
what's this other video game here Call of Duty black ops these are probably old
but I mean it's still I'm sure it gets worse every year realistic ragdoll
physics govern the way bodies flail and fall when struck and blood often soaks
soldiers clothes and the ground plus a series of online play has proven
exceptionally habit-forming learn players into long late-night sessions I
mean you're looking at all this this is this is like it's it's the Bible says
that God he he he hates the soul of those who love violence
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood lifelike sword fights see players slashing and
skewering foes with realistic crimson effects special moves such as throwing
an axe at an enemy's head having equally bloody results the extreme
nature of the violence combined with matured themes in dialogue make this an
adults only experience and I guarantee our adults are not the only ones that
are playing those games so you try and tell me if someone spends 30 hours
playing that that's not gonna have some sort of effect on their life on their
brain on their soul go with me if you would to Ephesians chapter 5 Ephesians
chapter 5 the Bible says in James chapter 4 verse number 1 from whence
come wars and fightings among you come they not hence even of your own lusts
that war in your members you lust and have not ye kill and desire to have and
cannot obtain you fight in war yet you have not because he asked now look at
Ephesians 5 verse 11 the Bible says here have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness but rather reprove them let me ask you do you fellowship
with people online when you're playing video games I mean isn't it the case
that you'll be on a video game and then you go to sleep and you wake up to go
play again and the same chat is still in existence like the same people who are
put you're playing with eight hours ago are still on there and these are often
people who are not Christians they're not you say well then we'll just play
with Bible believe in Christians so Bible believe Christians are gonna get
together to play violent video games and you're just defiling both of your souls
oh great idea it says the Bible says that we should rather reprove for it is
a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret 3rd John
verse 11 says this beloved follow not that which is evil but that which is
good he that doeth good is of God but he that doeth evil hath not seen God the
Bible says and I have a lot of other scriptures that I can go over but I'm
almost out of time go with me if you would to go to Proverbs chapter 1
Proverbs chapter 1 let me read you from Psalm 101 verse 3 says I will set no
wicked thing before mine eyes I hate the work of them to turn aside it shall not
cleave to me the Bible says we shouldn't set wicked things before our eyes that
we shouldn't do it the best as we possibly can to avoid wickedness avoid
allowing it through our ear gate and through our eye gate what's another
problem with video games number three listen to this they place children and
young adults in precarious situations now aside from the violence aside from
the fact that you're just wasting your time you know you're actually giving
yourself an opportunity to be tempted to sin to be placed in a dangerous
situation I mean I guarantee you there is 45 50 year olds on there who are
pedophile reprobates who are trying to take advantage of children and they go
into these chat rooms talking to other people I mean I've heard that there's
individuals who are guys who have female avatars trying to pass off as a female
talking to your little Peabody I mean think about that for a minute but not
only that you know relationships can develop in those situations as well
that are not proper they're not appropriate and so you don't want to put
your child in a precarious situation where you can cause them to sin look at
Proverbs chapter 1 verse 10 my son of sinners entice to consent thou not if
they say come with us let us lay wait for blood let us learn privately for the
innocent without cause let us swallow them up alive as the grave and whole as
those that go down into the pit we shall find all precious substance we shall
fill our houses with spoil cast in thy law among us let us all have one purse
now I used to interpret this as you know people physically coming to you but you
know what when someone encourages to go play in a video game this is basically
what they're telling you go commit sin go commit crime go participate in these
things and God is obviously not pleased with it but you know what here's the
last reason and go to Exodus chapter 32 young people keep your heart with all
diligence for out of it are the issues of life don't just take what I'm saying
with the with the with as water for ducks back with the grain of salt don't
think oh pastor me he is just out to lunch with this he doesn't know what
he's talking about I'm gonna continue in this path heed the warning that I'm
given to you I'm not just doing this for shock value I'm not just doing this to
get on I'm doing this because there's obviously an evident result of these
things that are not good and I want you to be spared of the consequences of
these actions don't take lightly what you're doing and you know what sometimes
it's just like well you know maybe I should just put away the bad video games
though or I'll just play without my headphones so that mom and dad can hear
me my parent can hear me you know playing video games but you know what
the reality is this three months down the road you're probably gonna go back
to the other ones though in my experience it's just better to just get
rid of it all in one swipe to just say you know what I'm done with this
here's the last reason why video games are problematic they become an idol they
become an idol and this is how I know that this is an idol is because I
guarantee there's a lot of offended people in the church right now okay or
even people online I remember a couple years ago I came out with a clip about
minecraft and I said is minecraft sinful and I was explaining how you know
basically the same stuff I explained now and man people are so upset how can
minecraft be sinful it's literally this this guy's he doesn't know what he's
talking about this guy's salty they're super upset because I attack their
little golden calf right it can become an idol yeah you don't worship a false
God you may not worship Allah you may not worship Buddha you may not worship
the God of the Mormons you may not worship the God of the Catholics you may
not worship some some pagan God but hold on a second what about this thing right
here though when I start talking about this does it rub you the wrong way does
it bother you you not like it when I hit it like that when I'm just beating it
huh does that bother you just a little bit when I say you need to grow up does
it bother you a little bit when I say put away the video games from among you
there's a bother you when I say put that trash away it belongs in the
garbage you're a man of God you ought to grow in grace and the knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ don't waste your time playing video games redeem the
time because the days are evil does that bother you how about parents does that
bother you don't talk to my kids like that you brought him to church I told
you this morning I was gonna preach on this does that bother you you know what
has become an idol become a golden calf yeah I don't like what he's saying about
that I'm still gonna do it that you know why cuz it's an idol Exodus 32 verse 19
says and it came to pass as soon as he came nigh unto the camp that he saw the
calf and the dancing and Moses anger wax hot and he cast the tables out of his
hands and break them beneath the mount and he took the calf which they had made
and burned it in the fire and ground it to powder and straw it upon the water
and made the children of Israel drink of it Moses said unto Aaron what did this
people unto thee that thou has brought so great a sin upon them the Bible says
you know what you know you young people need to do you need to take your Xbox
and trash that idol cuz you know what that thing's taking the place of you
reading the Bible that thing's taking the place of your prayer life that
thing's taking the place of you've living the right it's taking a place of
you've improving your marriage if someone stands in the way of my marriage
and my child rearing that's what they deserve it's an idol oh you're you're
that's too much well you know it's not too much for God even think this is too
much God doesn't think oh man Moses just exaggerated he shouldn't have done
that you know he should have just gone about it a different way he should have
you know you know just melted it and made it back to drools or whatever and
rings I hate video games because it creates apathy in the church it makes
people not paying its pay attention to the preaching of God's Word it makes
people it makes young people apathetic towards the truth of God's Word it makes
people bored with church even though the Word of God is quick and powerful and
sharper than any two-edged sword it's an idol you know what the Bible says we
should do with idols smash them destroy them
Jeremiah 2 11 says hath a nation changed their God which are yet no gods but my
people have changed their glory for that which does not profit I don't care how
much money you can make off of that I don't care how many levels you've
conquered I don't care how many worlds and empires you've made it doesn't
profit I don't care how successful you've gotten on there it does not
profit one bit Bob says all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is
profitable for doctrine for a proof for correction and instruction and
righteousness that the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all
good works you know how about these levels right here you know how about
actually getting past some of these levels how about reading your Bible
through this year how about conquering the level of getting yourself a wife
that's a hard level that's worth doing right there how about conquering the
level of getting a promotion at your job how about conquering the level being the
leader in church how about conquering the level of loving your wife as
Christ also loved the church raising your children and nurturing the
admonition of the Lord being a godly young man these are these are levels
worth conquering not that stupid crap put away your video games don't make me
preach this again let's pray father we thank you so much for your word thank
you for the principles thereof Lord I hope it hits home and Lord I pray father
God that you help us as your people to not be entangled with the affairs of
this life that we would destroy the idols that are before us Lord that would
cause us not to love you or cause us to be distracted from the things of God and
Lord I love the young people in our church I think they have a lot of
potential and Lord but sometimes there's hindrances in the Christian life they
can get that they can deter them and maybe it's not something immediate
sometimes it's gradual and video games is that which does it gradually it
gradually makes our heart cold towards the things of God it gradually makes
her heart cold towards love for their parents it gradually just kind of
desensitizes them to sin and to wickedness and iniquity help them to
wake up to put it away from among themselves and and live a life that's
pleasing unto you we love you we thank you pray the scenes in Jesus name Amen