May 28, 2023 - Cultural Christianity

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

THIS IS WHY!

WE ALL - it says - WERE - DEAD in our sins.

Words have MEANING - and this MEANS we were SPIRITUALLY DEAD...

Dead to Spiritual things!!

UNABLE to accept or UNDERSTAND Spiritual things!

REALLY? Yes - BACK to the Bible!

1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

And so based on this BIBLICAL truth - can you see how the PREMISE of this whole movement - BEGINS on faulty ground?!

And so the goal of the movement is to put butts in the seats!

And so what a segment of the church decided to do was -

Let’s look to the corporate world...

The Microsofts

McDonalds

Fortune 500s

And take their best practices...

AND USE THEM to - Attract people!

Offering the world - what the world desires!

And so CHURCH - Christianity - has become a Marketing Scheme!

So what does that look like - Practically??

Play secular music (people like that)

Smoke Machines - Ambient lighting (people like that)

Replace the pulpit with a small table (less offensive)

Giveaways (people like that)

BASICALLY - appeal to the APPETITES of the FLESH!

NOW - is that PHILOSOPHY...

God-centered?

or Man-centered?

Man-centered...

AND - if the FLESH is the focus of this movement...

WHAT kind of MESSAGE do you think will be preached?

A - man-centered message!

And so THIS MOVEMENT actually plays right into the downfall of this world!

THE GOSPEL - because it’s TOO OFFENSIVE to sell to the people -

MUST BE modified...

The Gospel becomes a PRODUCT that needs REPRODUCED - REPACKAGED...

SO THAT - it will become PLEASING - to WHO?

TO the world!!!

But what does the BIBLE say?

Paul says...

2 Timothy 4:3–4 ESV

3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Now IN CONTEXT - Paul is speaking these words to TIMOTHY - because TIMOTHY would deal with these things...

BUT CLEARLY - this truth absolutely applies to TODAY - and EVERY FUTURE DAY till Christ returns...

What we see is - The entire premise of the Seeker movement - CATERS to [these] same people!

In the Seeker Friendly Movement - the TRUTH is expendable!

WHY? Because the POINT - is NUMBERS!

The point is butts in the seats.

BUT HERE - at AFBC - YOU are expendable!

Maybe we’ll put that on our sign out front...

WELCOME to AFBC - where YOU ARE expendable!

HERE - The TRUTH is not expendable!

WHY? - back to the Bible!

John 8:32 ESV

32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

What people NEED is the truth!

The words of the song are these: Words that speak DIRECTLY to the problem with the Seeker Friendly Movement!

I repent, i repent of trading truth for false unity I repent, i repent of confusing peace and idolatry By caring more of what they think than what i know of what we need By domesticating You until You look just like me I am wrong and of these things i repent

Are we called to be friendly to ALL those who walk through these doors - OF COURSE...

Are we called to be friendly to the lost world? - of course..

But WE - HERE - DO NOT allow the world - to DICTATE what is taught here…OR how/why we DO WHAT WE DO.

A question we need to ask ourselves is this:

SLIDE:

Do I live a Seeker Friendly life in regards to those around me?

We’ve talked about how the church has embraced these philosophies...

BUT HAVE I embraced them in my own life?

Do [I] allow the culture to dictate MY Christian approach to those around me…in my circles?

Is my PERSONAL walk of faith - one which falls right in line with the seeker friendly movement?

Something to think through...

Cultural Christianity allows the culture to DICTATE these things...

And Cultural Christianity caters to the Lost world...

Which leads right into our next Point.

But what else?

SLIDE: The Prosperity Gospel: Cultural Christianity

The Prosperity Gospel

I hope that this is a term that we all know and understand - but that may be ignorant of me to think...

With that said - the Prosperity Gospel is a CONCEPT that says - God wants you to be healthy…God wants you to be wealthy…and God wants you to prosper…THEREFORE - COME to Jesus…BELIEVE in Jesus - AND YOU WILL BE Healthy…Wealthy....and prosperous!

The problem with the prosperity gospel - is that it LEAVES people UNCHANGED in their OLD appetites (desires) - and it PROVIDES JESUS to come and FULFILL those desires!

I want to be RICH - Well - come to Jesus - and He’ll MAKE you rich!

I want to be HEALTHY - Well - come to Jesus - and He’ll MAKE you healthy!!

QUESTION - Do you think the PROSPERITY Gospel is just a RECENT issue within the church?

OR - Do you THINK Jesus dealt with this very thing?

At one point in Jesus’ ministry - He decided that He was gonna feed LOTS of people - using 5 loaves and 2 fish...

AFTER THAT HAPPENED - the people - who were able to EAT - came looking for Jesus!!

John 6:25–26 ESV

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

These people were - SEEKING JESUS!!

They had DRIVEN to church that day…!

They WANTED - JESUS!!

But why?

So He could - SATISFY their EARTHLY desires!!

I saw this video from John Piper probably 25 years ago…and wanted to share it...

SLIDE: VIDEO (Prosperity Gospel)

We must know - that ANY Gospel - other than the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ - is a gospel that CANNOT save! - AND is IDOLATRY!

The word Gospel - MEANS - Good News...

And so the Prosperity Gospel - is what?

The Good News of - Wealth

That’s Idolatry!

AND YET - THIS is the posture of the CULTURE!

The CULTURE - exists in a POSTURE of Idolatry!

SLIDE:

Idolatry is the air that the culture breathes

And so - we can SEE the danger that the CHURCH has - when it tries to CATER to the desires of the culture!

Some churches have made - NUMBERS - the definition of success...

And so - when NUMBERS become the measurement of success - the Prosperity Gospel can become the MAIN COURSE meal offered to the people!

That’s damning!

And how IRONIC it is - to know that The Prosperity Gospel actually LEAVES people - POOR!

What have we seen so far?

We’ve seen:

the Seeker Friendly Movement

the Prosperity Gospel

NEXT UP...

SLIDE: Woke Culture: Cultural Christianity

Woke Culture

NOW - I understand that Wokeness entails - MANY different areas.

So what we’ll do is cover a FEW different areas of Woke Culture that have begun to INFILTRATE the church.

The first one we’ll look (Under the BANNER of - WOKE Culture) is this...

SLIDE: Social Justice: Woke Culture

Social Justice

NOW - Social Justice refers to...

Justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society:

Now I THINK - talk to any Christian today - and we would agree that in any GIVEN society, one that is a Free Republic...

EVEN in THAT type of society...

You’ll find things like:

Injustice

Discrimination

I don’t think any SANE person would believe that there is a PERFECT society out there!

BUT - Under the Banner of WOKENESS...

Social Justice became an INDICTMENT on a SPECIFIC GROUP in this country (white males)...

BECAUSE - the claim was that there is SYSTEMIC RACISM, alive and active in our country today!

Now - what does that mean?

It means - the claim (by WOKE Culture) - is that White Males have set up systems/processes in this country - that are INHERENTLY racist!...

IN ORDER to PREVENT the minorities in this country from progressing!

And so UNDER THAT BANNER - all white males were asked to -

apologize

How about Pastors?

So back when this was all in the MAIN HEADLINES - I was actually approached by someone NOT ASSOCIATED with our church - and asked to SAY…from the pulpit...

Black Lives Matter

and THAT would have been - accepted as an apology.

Now - do black lives matter?

Of course - as do ALL lives -

BUT THE REASON - all lives matter - is because of OUR CALL as Christians!

Luke 19:10 tells us why Jesus came...

Luke 19:10 ESV

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

He came to seek and save - WHITE PEOPLE?

BLACK PEOPLE?

NO - He came to SEEK and SAVE - the lost!

See - LOSTNESS crosses ethnic lines…!!

WHICH is WHY we read this in Revelation...

Revelation 7:9–10 ESV

9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

From every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages!

All TYPES of People...

All COLORS of people - will bow to Jesus!!

AND...

…Experience the BLESSING of eternal life with Him forever!

BUT ONLY IF… those people HEAR about - -

Their GREATEST need!!

Think about when Jesus came to humanity!

He came - as a JEW - under OPPRESSION!

He could have easily spent his ministry - PREACHING Social Justice...

But would that have been BENEFICIAL to the Jews?

It would have been - A LITTLE - helpful.

Eternally helpful?

No - of course not!

Jesus MESSAGE - was a MESSAGE that dealt with mankind’s GREATEST NEED!

Their need for Spiritual FREEDOM - not physical freedom!

Mankind needed - RECONCILED to GOD - first and FOREMOST!!

This was their GREATEST need!

AND since THAT is mankind’s greatest need....look at what our purpose is TODAY!

2 Corinthians 5:18 ESV

18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

We NOW HAVE - the same ministry that Christ had...

Our purpose is to RECONCILE mankind…to God!

Regardless of race, background, upbringing, social status…WHATEVER!!

Jesus is KING OVER ALL men -

THEREFORE - we go and proclaim Christ to - ALL MEN!

WITHOUT prejudice

And so what does that mean - FOR US?

It means - We don’t HAVE TIME - for racism...

We’re TOO BUSY seeing everyone - as a SOUL!

OF COURSE we condemn racism when we see it...

BUT we PREACH - Christ crucified!

NOW - when we DO THAT.....

What often happens?

People - Get - - Offended!

Another aspect of WOKE Culture that has been trying to make it’s way into the church…is this...

SLIDE: Cancel Culture: Woke Culture

Cancel Culture

NOW - I think we would think this is a more RECENT problem…!

BUT - listen to this...

Acts 4:13–18 ESV

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. 14 But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, 16 saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

Cancel - Culture!!

they tried to silence the apostles! (Peter and John)

(told them to stop preaching Jesus - and beat them)

Has anything changed?

No! Of course not!

And this CANCELING didn’t stop here…right?

We need to just look at the apostles...

James “put to death with the sword”

the apostle Peter - crucified upside-down in Rome

And then - The following are the most popular “traditions” concerning the deaths of other apostles:

Matthew suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia, killed by a sword wound.

James, the brother of Jesus (not officially an apostle), was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. He was thrown from the southeast pinnacle of the temple (over a hundred feet down) when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. When they discovered that he survived the fall, his enemies beat James to death with a club.

Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael, was flayed to death by a whip for preaching the gospel.

Andrew was crucified on an x-shaped cross in Greece.

The apostle Thomas - stabbed with a spear in India

Matthias, the apostle chosen to replace the traitor Judas Iscariot, was stoned and then beheaded.

The apostle Paul was tortured and then beheaded

John was boiled in a huge basin of boiling oil BUT he survived..He died as an old man, the only apostle to die peacefully.

- The Cancel Culture has ALWAYS been around!

And we know this CULTURE has Christianity in its Sights...

And so when it comes to Christianity…What does the culture AIM at?

The Way

What is the WAY of Christianity?

We talked about this a couple months ago...

1. Holiness in Light of Christ

2. Sin in Light of Christ

3. Judgment in Light of Christ

4. The Deity of Christ

5. Redemption in Light of Christ

Who GOD IS…! - Culture wants to cancel THAT OUT! (Evolution)

Who WE ARE before God! - The culture DISAGREES! (Abortion)

Consequences UNDER God - NOPE…says the culture (its all COINCIDENCE!)

The PERSON of Christ - NOPE…says the culture! We’ll believe Julius Caesar existed before we believe JESUS existed…even though the ancient manuscript writings about Jesus FAR EXCEED the evidence that Julius actually lived! (laughable)

Jesus IS THE ONLY WAY! - Culture wants to CANCEL out THAT thought!

- The Culture TAKES AIM - at the Way of Christ...

But not just that...

2. The Truth

We know Jesus says He Himself is - THE TRUTH..

And so the culture - TAKES AIM - at truth!

In our culture - ABSOLUTE truth has become an Intellectual BUFFET!

We’ll pick and choose WHAT we WANT to believe!

25 years ago - did we as a society have conversations about what SEX can have babies??

Of course not.

Did we have conversations about whether a biological male should be allowed to compete AGAINST biological females in sports?

..about whether biological males should be allowed to enter a public bathroom for biological females?

25 years ago - did we do MORE than just have conversations about this stuff - and actually IMPLEMENT these things??

No - BUT - the CULTURE has come to say -

We’re DONE with absolute truth!!

At least the truths we don’t want to embrace!

And of course there are SO MANY more topics we could cover...

CANCEL truth - to carry out our earthly - evil desires!

But what else?

The Culture takes aim at:

The WAY of Christianity!

The Truth of Christianity!

AND...

3. The Life of Christianity!

ForEVER the culture’s take on a baby in the womb was - - a CLUMP of - CELLS.

- Well NOW - they can’t push THAT NONSENSE...

So what do they say NOW?

They don’t say anything - they just seek to kill babies - POST birth...

LIFE - for the culture - is not - VALUED!

For the culture - Preferences TRUMP Life...

…PHYSICAL life...

Eternal Life?

The culture doesn’t even GO THERE!

The Culture wants to CANCEL out the thought of Eternal Life...

Because Eternal Life leaves open the possibility that JESUS MIGHT actually matter!

And so this is what the Cancel Culture does…WOKEISM!

But what else about WOKEISM do we need to understand?

Our last topic today will be this...

SLIDE: Celebrating the Judgment of God: Woke Culture

Celebrating the Judgment of God

What do I mean by this…?

There are 2 judgments of God that I’d like to look at...

Judgments of God - that CULTURE NOW Exalts in...

SLIDE: Homosexuality: Judgment of God

Homosexuality

We start by looking at something that we’re all probably familiar with - to SOME degree or another.

What I want to do is look at homosexuality - as a Judgment from God...

Romans 1:22–28 ESV

22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

What does it say here - in v28?

It says - God GAVE THEM UP - to a debased mind!

God pulled back His MERCY and GRACE...

And let them follow through in their passions!

God’s JUDGMENT CAME on them!

And that Judgment was - Ok - I give you over to DO WHAT OUGHT NOT BE DONE...

Homosexuality!

And so - Homosexuality - is a JUDGMENT of God!

Now - with that in mind - think through what we see in our culture today?

We see our CULTURE - PROMOTING what ought NOT be done!

Romans 1:32 ESV

32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Now - I know the typical conversations out there about this...

One side says - I was BORN this way.

The other side responds - No you WEREN’T!! It’s a CHOICE!

Can I address that?

I want us to THINK THRU this...

Why do Christians always side with - NO YOU WEREN’T BORN that way?

Here’s my question: What if some people REALLY ARE born that way?

My THOUGHT IS - MOST Christians believe that people CAN’T be born with those desires - BECAUSE IF they WERE...

THEN that would be UNFAIR that God would ask them to NOT LIVE THAT WAY!

Is that the thought?

Ok - Here’s my response to that!

Thought experiment!

I am - a MAN!

Would you all AGREE - I was born with specific desires - FOR Women?

YES - that’s correct!

NOW - As (i think all of you) know...

I am married.

To a woman.

NOW - BECAUSE I got married…does THAT MEAN that my DESIRE for WOMEN - DISAPPEARED?????

No - of course not...

Just because I’m married to ONE WOMAN - doesn’t mean I’m now NOT ATTRACTED - to women.

Well - QUESTION - why am I STILL attracted to WOMEN - EVEN after getting married??

ANSWER? - Because I was - BORN that way!

OK - well since I was BORN that way - Do I get to LOOK AT GOD and say -

"I know that I’m MARRIED God - BUT - as YOU know…I was created to be attracted to WOMEN - not just ONE woman…SOOOOOOOO - I’m going to EXERCISE that desire for ALL WOMEN!

Does that work?

See - Christians are USUALLY afraid to think that Homosexuals might be BORN that way - because they feel IF THEY WERE - then we can’t EXPECT THEM to honor God in their sexuality!

So make the connection...

I know that YOU expect me - as a married, heterosexual man - to STILL HONOR GOD in MY Sexuality…right?

I’m MARRIED - BUT HEY - I was BORN to DESIRE ALL WOMEN!

Can I LIVE THAT OUT - because I was born that way?

No...

Why?

See - its the difference between Rights and Responsibilities.

The homosexual community would stand up and say to Christians...

I was BORN this way - and THEREFORE - I deserve (have the RIGHT) to be happy!

And so - MY response to “I was born that way” - is this...

So what.

It doesn’t CHANGE ANYTHING....

Whether you’re BORN THAT WAY OR NOT...

...What their missing - is their RESPONSIBILITY before God!

I - a MARRIED heterosexual man - am RESPONSIBLE to God - in how I handle my sexuality.

A homosexual man - is RESPONSIBLE to God - in how he handles his sexuality.

See - We’re IN THE SAME BOAT!

So listen - would it be difficult for a homosexual man to honor God in his sexuality - his whole life long? To never fulfill that desire… YES!!

YET - he’s still responsible to do that.

At the same time - IS IT DIFFICULT for a heterosexual man to HONOR GOD in HIS sexuality?? YES!!

We’re all BORN sinners, in REBELLION against God - BY NATURE - - YET - we’re also all ACCOUNTABLE to God for our sin.

YET - the Culture pushes and PROMOTES / and celebrates this Judgment of God… Homosexuality.

But there’s another judgment of God that the Culture is celebrating and promoting…and it’s making its way INTO the church.

SLIDE: Women Pastor/Elders: Judgment of God

Women Pastor/Elders

Not sure if you’re aware - but a trend that’s been gaining traction within the church is this idea that women can be pastor/elders.

Many churches around here even - churches pretty close to us - have now jumped into these waters...

And it doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

Let’s look at what Scripture says first - about this issue.

Titus 1:5–9 ESV

5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

1 Timothy 2:12 ESV

12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

Pretty clear that an elder/pastor - is to be a Man...

But what we’re seeing today - IN THE CHURCH - is this push for women to do the OPPOSITE of what Paul just said here in v12...

The push is for women...

TO TEACH

AND to exercise authority or men in the church!

Now - you might be wondering where the Judgment of God comes into play in this...

Let’s go ALL the way back - to the garden.

Eve is deceived in the garden - she and Adam eat of the forbidden fruit…

AND - SIN comes into the world.

You know what else came at that time?

God’s judgment!

Let’s go to it...

Genesis 3:16 ESV

16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.”

It’s the end of this verse we need to focus on.

God says..

Your desire shall be contrary to your husband...

BUT he shall rule OVER YOU...

[THIS] is why - marriage is so hard!

This phrase here – Your desire shall be contrary to your husband…

· The Hebrew word here is found only twice elsewhere…

· Once in Genesis and the other in the Song of Solomon

The usage in the Song of Solomon points to “Sexual desire”….but that doesn’t actually fit well here in Genesis 3:16

· The other usage connotes this idea of – a Desire to Control…

THAT’s the usage that fits with God’s judgment here in Genesis 3:16

The verse could literally say:

SLIDE:

Your desire shall be to control your husband, but he shall rule over you.

What’s the DESIRE of the woman?

to - RULE OVER the man..

To exercise Authority over the man!

Remember!! - this is a JUDGMENT of God!

SIN - caused Eve to want to RULE over her husband!

TO have control...

SIN caused that...

AND NOW - the CHURCH - TODAY - instead of listening to the clear words of God in relation to the structure of church eldership...

…TODAY - we have churches celebrating the RESULT of SIN in the function of MANKIND!!

We have churches saying - YEAH God - we read where You say the man will RULE OVER the woman...

BUUUUTTT - we’re gonna appoint SUZIE to RULE over the men!

Cultural Christianity is on the attack!

With the Body of Christ as the target!

NOW - to CLOSE...

What we’ve seen today - is how Cultural Christianity has made its way INTO the church - from the outside.

We also need to be aware of one final aspect of Cultural Christianity...

And it actually has an ALLY - on the inside.

Guess who it is?

YOU - and me

When we pick up our Bibles - and we read a passage, our NATURAL, default response…to UNDERSTANDING that passage...

Is to read the words - and INSTANTLY import those words into our - - Culture today.

We MUST be careful!

A PROPER way to interpret scripture is to always FIRST - understand the passage - IN ITS CONTEXT...

What type of literature is the book?

Who is the audience?

Who is speaking?

What CULTURE were these words SPOKEN INTO?

How would THOSE people have UNDERSTOOD this?

THEN - we ask - is there a PRINCIPLE HERE - that applies to us today?

And guess what...

Sometimes there is not.

We can VERY easily - misunderstand a passage - and then by default…MISAPPLY a text to our situation today...

And so we should KNOW - that Cultural Christianity isn’t solely something that we witness - OUTSIDE of us...

WE TOO - can initiate this attack on truth - by our methods in how we interpret God’s word.

SUMMARY:

Cultural Christianity

Seeker Friendly Movement

Prosperity Gospel

Woke Culture

Woke Culture:

Social Justice

Cancel Culture

Celebrating the Judgment of God

May we stick true to what the world needs most - The Gospel of Christ

Let’s pray...

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