Gospel Centered Life

Contrast culture versus Gospel (Bible)

Anytime a pastor brings up culture, you can expect to hear a lot of statistics and I get that. There will be some space for that… but let’s just say that for now the American culture is as we say it here in the south… a hot mess.

Culture says… subjectivism… and subjectivism doesn’t sound that bad, I mean it’s just each person’s perspective… and who are we to tell someone what they should or shouldn’t think about themselves, the world, or even morality.

But, subjectivism is idolatry at best and to narcissistically take the place of God at the worst.

Both are rejections of God… and yet both are acceptable forms of life and worship in the culture of the world.

You do you, as long as it’s better than someone else. And you do you as long as you think it and feel it, regardless of anything or anyone else.

Subjectivism is the opposite of objectivism. Objectivism was the way of the world before modern times. It was normal to think and feel that there was a truth that could be seen and discovered. As a result, you could know and do what was right or what was wrong. Objectivism is built on the idea that there are objective values and objective orders.

From an objective point of view your thoughts, feelings, and actions can align with what is true. You cannot only accept that which is true, you can reject that which is false.

Objectivism aligns with the gospel because it is built on what is true, and the gospel is the foundation and source of all that is true.

Subjectivism in and of itself is the rejection of truth, though it masquerades itself as the open door to the discovery of your truth… but it’s not a matter of truth or fact. Subjectivism is simply a matter of perception and opinion pretending to be the foundation you can build your identity and life on.

The subjective culture of today rejects the truth and all claims of an objective truth. Instead of trying to adjust your life, thoughts, words, feelings, and actions to that which is true… Subjectivism seeks to adjust all of life to your feelings and perceptions.

We see this over and over again with the cultural wars in our country, around the world, and even within religious groups like our own Souther Baptist Convention.

I’d like to propose to you today that what’s really happening behind the categories of objectivism and subjectivism is friendship and worship.

What I mean is that subjective living is friendship with the world, rather than God.

Why would I say this? Because subjectivism is man centered and not God centered… and as a result it is worldy. The way of the world is the way of the flesh, and the way of the flesh is the way of self, and selfishness is subjective… or prideful. John writes about wordiness as a matter of love, or a matter of the heart.

1 John 2:15–17 (ESV) says,

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

“Desires.” Of the flesh, eyes, and pride… this is. subjective thinking and living. This is the way of life that says what I want, feel, and think is what’s right… and it’s wrong for other people to tell me different. You can have your truth and I’ll have my truth.

But the word “truth” means, that which is true or in accordance with fact or reality. And you cannot have competing truths. Either they are both wrong or one of them is right, but you cannot have them both be right. (I am sure that you can think of some angle to try and prove this to be the case.) For instance someone might call me dad, and another person call me husband, and they both be right. But, those are also factual.

What I am talking about is when someone says that a thing is moral or good, and another says that it is immoral or evil. I know that we can disagree on this, that’s the point… if something is good, then must be factually or even objectively good, and the same for if it’s bad. But, it cannot be right and wrong at the same time.

Being selfish and loving what is wrong is called friendship with the world.

James 4:4 (ESV) says,

4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Friendship because the Bible tells us that our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions are relational. Everything we do is in some way in relationship to God and others. When you join in with the world, you are joining ranks with the enemy of God.

James has special words for Christians who develop a friendship with the world. Christians who are friends with the world are called two things:

Adulterous people Enemy of God

Did you know that you are adulterous when you build a friendship with the world?

Revelation 17:1-2 says, “Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.”

The symbolism of the woman reveals the attractiveness of the world to the hearts of sinful man. The way of the world is seductive and destructive, and has already been judged.

In the Bible the world is presented as a prostitute so that we would understand the true nature of our actions with the world.

And this is why James calls out Christians who live for their own desires rather than the desires of God and calls them adulterers. They are cheating on God to sleep with the world.

A Gospel view of culture helps us because it is grounded in a right view of God… and the language James uses in chapter 4 reminds us of who God is to us… it reminds us that there is a covenant of love between us and God.

Revelation 19:6–8 (ESV) objectively shows us that Christians, the church, are the bride of Christ, and that Christ is our savior… and like a groom is coming back for us.

“6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.”

Revelation 19 presents the right view of the church clothed in righteousness and purity… and Jesus Christ is the bridegroom who adores and comes for His bride.

Jesus, the bridegroom, is the exalted Priest-king ministering to the churches in Revelation 1-3

He is seen in heaven as the glorified Lamb of God reigning on the throne.

Jesus Christ is the Judge of all the earth. And here in Revelation 19 He returns to earth as the conquering king of kings to bring home his bride. He has been away preparing a room for His bride in the home of His father… and when he comes he comes like a groom… who loves His bride. And, His expectation is that His bride will wait, and wait with purity and fidelity.

James also refers to those who make friends with the world as the enemy of God.

This is strong language… and it’s because the world hates God. John 15:18–19 (ESV) says, 18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

The world hates God, and if you make friends with the world then you are making friends with the enemy… and friendship with the enemy makes you an enemy.

You can see here in James 4 that friendship with the world is never small… it is adultery and it is against God.

And this is the way that we as Christians have to look at culture. Culture is not neutral. The Gospel teaches us that the world is not neutral, it is opposed to God… but it also teaches us that we are to build and participate in a different “culture” as members of God’s family/kingdom.

Romans 12:2 (ESV) says,

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Culture conforms, and Christians are instructed not to be conformed to the world… but instead to be transformed… and that happens by the renewing of your mind!

James writes in James 4:7-10. “7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

The Gospel helps us understand the true nature of the culture around us, and the Gospel instructs us to be conformed to Christ, rather than the world.

This requires-

Resist

Draw near

Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts

Mourn and weep over sin

Humble yourself

3 Relationship Priorities to Living for Christ in a fallen culture:

Personal relationship with Christ

Not about rules, it’s about relationship… or as James says, friendship.

James 2:23 (ESV)

23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.

John 15:13–15 (ESV)

13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Christ-centered home

Home can’t just work like the world and hope that going to church a few times a week will fix things.

Your home should be a place where prayer is normal

Your home should be a place where accountability is normal

Your home should be a place where grace is normal

Your home should be a place where striving to live for Christ is normal

Local church family

The individual culture we live in is working against the priority of the local church. Many people look to strangers as their spiritual leaders and online friends as their encouragers.

Others avoid routine and consistency with the local church to spread it around and see what all is out there.

Even more just don’t come on a regular basis and as a result don’t know people and aren’t known by others. And why is this is a big deal?

Because a gospel centered view accepts the truth that God says it’s a big deal.

It’s why we make an increasingly big deal about joining HBC… membership should mean something, and first and foremost it means that this is the people where we practice our one another’s

It’s the people who encourage us, the people who hold us accountable, and even the people God is going to hold accountable.

Is Jesus your friend?

Is Jesus at the center of your home?

Are your brother’s and sisters a priority for you?