And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD.” And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
Exodus 32:4-6 (ESV)
I recently learned that the half time show, scheduled for this year’s super bowl game, will feature the renowned but highly perverted artist, Bad Bunny. This so-called musician will be accompanied by a handful of additional entertainers, who no doubt, plan to shamelessly parade their own depravity as part of the performance. There’s nothing particularly new in this. Our fallen world has always unabashedly displayed detestable things for all to see.
This year, however, Turning Point USA, the well known advocate organization founded by the late Charlie Kirk, has promised an all “faith-based” event to simultaneously syndicate with the half time show. A number of prominent conservative and popular “Christian” artists will provide what is said to be a “worship service” and millions of church goers/football fans plan to tune in. Likewise, hundreds of churches around the country have announced similar plans to provide worship events during the half time slot. The game will, of course, be enjoyed both before and after the service but a choice of alternative worship entertainment will be available midway through the big game.
Now, we all know the biblical story of the golden calf. How Moses ascended Mount Sinai, only to take longer than expected to return. The people of Israel, tired of waiting, incited his brother Aaron to fashion an idol in an image they could recognize and identify with. The future high priest was happy to oblige their request and demanded they bring all of the gold to him. The people joyfully “tithed” to the cause and, with the loot, Aaron fashioned the infamous golden calf. Of course, this pagan symbol of fertility was a beloved Egyptian god and well known to the Israelites. After the people declared the shiny object as the deliverer from slavery, Aaron erected an altar and announced that the following day would be a festival “…to the Lord!”
With all this in mind, I’m wondering if it’s really necessary for me to spell it out. Can it be true that we, who call ourselves Christians and followers of Jesus, honestly believe we can have it both ways? We have grown tired of waiting for Christ’s return and so fashioned an idol in the unmistakable shape of a football of all things. Think about it. Why do we call our favorite athletes, “sports idols?” What topic of discussion are you most likely to hear during casual conversations in the church fellowship hall? What activity do we most often encourage our children to participate in? Sports! The ball game, the final score, the winning play, our favorite teams, and the list goes on. These are indeed our gods.
These are our gods who deliver us from boredom, self control, devotion to holiness, death to self, service to the saints, and, ultimately, from obedience to Christ. The church has wholeheartedly declared a “…feast to the Lord” as we “sit down to eat and drink…” and indulge our flesh. We’ve expertly tacked the name of God almighty onto our pagan worship of sports and fun. We’ve exalted our love for the game into some sort of enriching experience. The modern Christian church duped itself into believing that sport activities somehow magically encourage student outreach and healthy teamwork. By our stubborn refusal to turn off our big screen TVs and seek a holy God, we are inviting His most severe judgment. We’ve fashioned Jesus into a half time, half-hearted side show for our real god…entertainment!
Imagine a church choosing to come together for honest fellowship instead of watching the Super Bowl. Instead of stuffing our face with game-day snacks, what if we decide to fast and pray for a world desperately lost in perversion? In place of cheering on the winning team, what if we denied ourselves just long enough to win someone for Christ? Dear friends, I implore you, wake up! It’s time for us to see ourselves clearly. The cry still goes out from Mount Sinai, grind into dust your idols, drink the bitterness of your ways and learn once and for all, God will not be mocked (Exodus 32:20, Galatians 6:7).
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols?
2 Corinthians 6:14-16 (ESV)
But I hear some of you protest, “It’s just a game!” If that’s really true, then why is it so hard to turn it off? “But doesn’t God want us to be happy?” Comes the common retort. In response I ask, where is that written? Our Savior was a man of sorrows (Isaiah 53:3) and we are called, as His true disciples, to walk and live as He walked (1 John 2:6). Still the excuse persists, “But isn’t a worship service better than watching the depraved halftime show?” There can be no connection between God and idols, no matter how noble we try to spin it. It’s actually more damning to engage in a so called worship service, only to indulge in our love for the game. It was the act of proclaiming “…a feast to the Lord” that made Aaron’s sin all the more detestable. Finally, the big justification comes out, “You’re being too judgmental and legalistic!” Judgment has always begun with the house of God (1 Peter 4:17) but we, with our stubbornness, have made His house into a place for thieves (Matthew 21:13). We’ve turned the sacred act of worshiping God over to the godless at TP USA who adore only their dimwitted opinions. If we are unable to give up the Super Bowl, what makes us think God will go on forgiving our unrepentant hearts?
Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6:17-18 (ESV)