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American Idol
Andrew K. Fox

In the summer of 2002 the British TV series Pop Idol came to the United States. It is now the number one show in the history of American television. It captured one billion votes last season. Tens of thousands in cities across the country audition to become someone. Three judges preside over each performance:

Paula Abdul who sold 30 million records with six number one singles and two number one albums. She has a Grammy Award, two Emmy Awards, seven MTV awards and a star on Hollywood Boulevard. The premise she judges by is to patronize each performer.

Randy Jackson has been in the music industry over 20 years selling 200 million albums through artists like Madonna, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Elton John and Destiny's child. He has a Grammy Award. The premise he judges by is to be like Captain America.

Simon Cowell wrote the best selling book 'I don't mean to be rude, but….' He has sold 100 million albums through various artists in 23 countries with 50 number one singles. The premise he judges by is beyond biblical criticism. 'If your life guard duties were like your singing abilities many people would drown.' 'You sing like an adult possessed by a six-year-old child.' 'You appeal to 90 year old men who are deaf.' 'You dance and dress like the Incredible Hulk's wife.'

Kelly Clarkson, Reuben, Fantasia and Carrie Underwood have been the winners of the last four seasons at the cost of rejecting tens of thousands. Most of them had some talent but it was just not good enough.

When you were born into the world as the years rolled by you learned to perform for the world gaining approval of your parents, schoolteachers, sports coaches, college professors, employer, spouse, children and even the church. You rehearse your own accomplishments with people to win approval of your performance so far. The need to be approved is inseparably fused with every decision you make, response you give and task you perform. You end up fatigued between performing for others and the constant rejection of that performance. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbed the five and a half miles to the top of the intrepid Mount Everest. The mystical mountain lured them to this grandiose peak. They inched their way up the tallest temptation in the world. Herculean odds opposed them. Avalanched threatened them. Deadly crevasses refused to negotiate with them and the thin air stole their breath. Each of the seven camps got smaller and smaller as members of the climbing expedition could not perform any longer. On May 29th at 11:45am in 1953 Edmond and Tenzing stood on top of the world. But fifteen minutes later the elements changes and they were forced into retreat and death. An incredible performance for just fifteen minutes at the top.

Men and women fear different things. A man fears the loss of power, control and independence. A woman fears the loss of love and relationships. Christianity can be presented as an overwhelming performance that frightens men because a heavy emphasis is laid on giving up power, control and independence. And yet it comforts women by encouraging connection and relationships. The intention of the Constitution of the United States is questioned because we interpret its meaning according to the popular vote. The intention of the resurrection is questioned in how we see its interpretation. The Christian life shields a woman from facing her deepest fear and frightens a man from facing his. When a women tells you she loves the church because the everyone is so nice and the people look after the kids and the pastor is so sweet and understanding - a man will gag at that, thinking you have found an ally. Most men are bad at golf but would rather play bad golf than be the unholy husband introduced to nice people by his holy wife. It is like shopping with your wife sitting in the lingerie department while she tries on a new dress as you hold her handbag. You do not belong there. But you can see the power tool department across the way but you cannot go there because you are holding the handbag. This is what the niceness of Christianity does to men and women. Strangely enough feminists say that male leadership dominates Christianity. Academics say it is too patriarchal. Liberals want gay men and women in ministry. Reformers say the language is too sexist and the media have a field day. The reality is very frightening. Christianity offers the community a rich chocolate cake. Men reach for it because it speaks of true masculinity. Women reach for it because it draws out true femininity. But when the knife goes in the cake it was just chocolate frosting on fairy cake. It is soft, delicate, spongy and once you taste it there is no substance to it because the pathway to Christ is no longer his precious blood and broken body but of association, education, learning and study. Men in the community see other men who live by faith, which means they have stopped working and now live off those who do work. It is like a soft padded silk lined coffin every Sunday going through rituals and ceremony listening to the out of touch ramblings from the pulpit only to go home and live without Christ.

The most important three days Christ spend as a man was not on the earth but under the earth in the grave. It was not the miracles or teaching but the activity of three days and three nights. He spoke about this more than anything else. What did he do for those three days?

#1 - Christ preached

(1 Peter 3:19) "…he went and preached to the spirits in prison…" What was it that he preached? The same thing that was preached to the two disciples on the Emmaus road. (Luke 24:27) "And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." He did not preach pop psychology, a twelve step program, a 'how to sermon' or separate people into builders, boomers, gen-xers, n-geners or post-modern. No matter what time they were born in they still had the same need to be forgiven by the one who could forgive. It was not that he fought with Satan but that what he had to say lasted for three days. From Moses who wrote Genesis through Malachi the prophet of the last book of the Old Testament:

#2 - He conquered

Christ did not have to be rescued. What did he conquer? (1 Corinthians 15:55) "Where, O death, is your victory?" It was not the nails or the crown of thorns that caused Christ to die. (John 10:18) "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again." He was not abandoned in the grave and his body did not see decay. Christ was the willing sacrifice. Genghis Khan conquered 4.8 million square miles. Alexander the Great conquered 2.2 million square miles. Napoleon Bonaparte conquered 1 million square miles. But Christ conquered death. (2 Corinthians 5:21) "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us…" People have understood like Satan understood that Christ became literal sin for us that are a great misunderstanding. Isaiah tells us that he bore our sins and that the Lord laid them on him like the high priest laying his hand on the scapegoats head. (1 Peter 2:24) "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree…" There was no fight with Satan because what Christ bore in his body was not his own. All the bruising had already taken place on the cross not in the grave. There were no wounds inflicted on Christ in the grave.

#3 - He sealed the grave

Before Christ conquered death all of you would be in the grave. Your body, soul and spirit. That is why Christ went to preach to the spirits that were imprisoned in the grave. But when Christ conquered death the only thing that goes into the grave is your mortal body. Your spirit and soul are absent from that mortal body and instantly present with the Lord. Paul said it was 'better by far.' The believer is not left waiting but as King David prophetically (Psalm 139:18) "When I awake I am still with you." When your loved one's gather around your bed in the last moments of life you see their loving faces. The moment you leave time and enter timelessness the next face you will see is Christ. Right now we see a poor reflection but we shall behold him. The believer should not fear death.

#4 - He was resurrected

What he did not have as he entered the grave he certainly had when he was resurrected from the grave. (Revelation 1:18) "I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades." He has access to everywhere at anytime. He holds the key to death and the grave and for the believer it is permanently locked. Any door that he closes you cannot open and any door he opens you cannot shut. In locking the grave he opened another door. John was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day and he saw a door standing open and a voice calling to him 'come up hear and I'll show you some stuff.'

God looked at what Christ had done and gave him a name above every name not as the American Idol but Savior of the world. He locked the door of death and opened the door of heaven. But you have the keys to your own heart. (Revelation 3:20) "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in…"

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American IdolAndrew K. Fox

American Idol
Andrew K. Fox