Loving by Sacrificing

I began a recent sermon with this admission.  I listen to “Free Bird” and “Sweet Home Alabama” in the car and even in the church office, occasionally.  That’s my present practice at age 61 at my current level of maturity in Christ.  And, thanks be to God because of His faithful activity in my life, I think I’ve grown much toward Christlikeness over the years of my walk with God.

Now, I want you to note that I deliberately used the word admission rather than confession because I don’t regard these listening choices as a stubborn act of rebellion against God, or secret sin I’m trying to hide from the world. My conscience is clear when I put on the headphones, turn up the volume and risk damaging my eardrums.  This is my “jam” like we used to say.  I do the same with Beethoven’s Fifth by the way.

The journey (I listen to them too) I’ve traveled to get to this place where I enjoy every second in the “Free Bird” guitar and drum marathon, has been one of extremes.  

On the one hand, when I was young, dumb and indifferent toward Christ I would have gone to a Lynard Skynard concert with a fifth of Jack Daniels and an ounce of weed….not to sell.  I was reckless and a mess.  I didn’t care what good people thought.  I wanted to rebel. 

On the other hand, and in the extreme, when I was in Bible College in Memphis, TN I threw my greatest hits album in the trash.  Convinced I was listening to the devil’s music I thought decontamination meant destruction of the evil influence.  Later I learned that the heart can’t be purified from the outside in but only from the inside out.  The music itself wasn’t impure.  The problem was in my heart.  And my heart, and its desires, need to be changed and shaped by God Himself in order for me to be pure before Him.  I became convinced at that point that most of the music I listened to was morally neutral.  Not overtly evil.  Not explicit trash.  Just simple rock beats with simple melodies and simple lyrics about mostly normal life.

            When I was younger, I listened to a lot of Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet band.  I still enjoy Bob Seger.  He takes life’s experiences and sets them to my kind of music.  Not every song is “wholesome” like an episode of “Leave it to Beaver.”  Some of his songs are raw and edgy and the stories he tells and the way he tells them can be offensive to some believers.  And that’s where I wanted to take this story.  It’s possible that my actions, motivated by a clear conscience might be offensive to a brother or sister in Christ.   What I know about the heart and music can actually hurt someone for whom Christ died.  That’s if my knowing makes me arrogant and insensitive.  Paul said this in 1 Corinthians 8:1, “knowledge puffs up but love builds up.”

Not everyone, because of taste (which is irrelevant) and because of conscience (which is very relevant), can listen to a song like “Night Moves.”   I like it.  I feel free to listen to it.  And I know that when I listen to this particular song by Bob Seger my status in Christ will remain secure.  But it’s possible that the exercise of my freedom might be offensive to someone who simply can’t listen to this song without feeling guilty.  And they’re quite sure that this song has no place on my playlist.  Why would a pastor listen to such “trash?” 

When and if I discover my brother or sister in Christ is offended by a particular behavior of mine, do I have an obligation to address that issue?  If so, what is my responsibility?   Paul goes on to answer that question with a resounding yes in 1 Corinthians 8-10.  Simply put, he first acknowledges we have rights and freedoms as believers in Christ.  But there are times when these prerogatives should be aside in the interest of love.  Christ embodied, practiced and taught us all about sacrificial love.   He laid aside His rights (Philippians 2).  He loved us when we were weak, poor and desperate (Romans 5:8).  We were enemies and He loved us.  Hostile to Him and He loved us.  Love is what God does.  And love is what we should do even when we must sacrifice our desires for love’s sake.  And therein lies the answer to my question.  My responsibility is to love.  And if loving means adapting my listening habits to accommodate my family in Christ that seems to be a small price to pay to maintain unity, trust and effectiveness for Christ in the Church.