Responding to the Culture Police
Responding to the Culture Police
Acts 4:1-22
1. INTRO:
Ø Have you ever held an unpopular opinion? Have you ever tried to defend yourself against the charge that "you can't believe that" because it is not socially or politically correct?
Ø Sometimes this public pressure helps us reexamine poorly thought out ideas or even hidden prejudices. But, is there a time when we need to maintain certain beliefs or values despite prevailing opinion? If so, how do we respond to the culture police in these instances?
Ø We may need to start where Lucy did. Lucy and Edmund have both been to the land of Narnia through the wardrobe, but when they get back home Edmund denies it. The story is so far beyond what others can believe that they won’t even consider it.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Ch.7, Start: 0:36:03, End: 0:38:08
Scene: No one believes Lucy’s claim to have found "a magical land in the upstairs wardrobe" until the Professor asks who’s more truthful, Edmund or Lucy. Then they decide to trust Lucy based on her reputation alone.
Application: Our beliefs as Christians often seem too fantastic or too wrong-headed our peers to even consider. If we are going to gain a hearing we are going to have to gain a reputation of telling the truth. But that still may not be enough. We are also going to have to live in such a way that our behavior will give others ample reasons to believe.
Ø In the passage we’re looking at today, we see an example of this.
2. Scripture, Acts 4:1-22
3. Context
Ø Peter & John by Jesus heal 40 yr old man lame from birth.
Ø People @temple amazed as he’d been there for years.
Ø Peter & John turn this into evangelistic opportunity.
4. The “PC” Offense
Ø Those in power bring them in for questioning. These are religious leaders who are given a bit of political power in Jerusalem.
Ø Sadducees: No-resurrection, Law-light, Roman collaborators.
Ø These men were the culture police of their day. They did not so much want to get at the truth honestly, as defend their position.
Ø The culture police may be defending a religious culture, a peer group culture, a political culture, etc, and to a degree, that is the role of society. But when society collides with Christ, we must remember who can ruin both body and soul.
A. One for their day – the resurrection
Ø Because the Sadducees who ran the Sanhedrin and did not believe in the resurrection. Preaching Jesus’ resurrection with success would really undo their beliefs. This was the “pc” offense.
B. One for our day – one way
5. The Defense
A. Preached
Ø The apostles take their trial as opportunity to testify. They refer back to the good works seen in the amazing miracle, and ask the question “Are you unhappy about good works or miracles?”
Ø Jesus, crucified by you/resurrected by God, did this. He’s the only name through which any can be saved. This is still our message.
Ø It was a simple, bold Spirit-filled witness, just what we’ve been advocating these last few weeks, but that alone wasn’t enough.
B. Lived
Ø The leaders weren’t impressed with the eloquence, unassailable logic or rhetorical power of the speech. They were moved by two things: 1) the response of the people to the miracle done serving the lame man, and 2) that regular Joe’s had so much courage just from having been with Jesus.
Ø What does that mean for us? How do we live this out?
Ø Do you notice what being with Jesus a lot does for your boldness?
Ø Could it be that less self-righteousness with more real righteousness would allow us to be bolder?
Ø Could it be that less lip service about loving the world, and more acts of love and service would allow us to be bolder?
Ø Could it be that we need to pray for more miracles that would open postmodern hearts?
Ø Is the issue that while we have all authority from Christ to preach we have earned too little authority to preach from our hearers?
6. The Response
A. Of the people
Ø At least 2000 more become believers, and the total grew to 5000.
Ø Based on estimates of Jerusalem’s population at the time, this = 10%. Josephus said there were 6,000 Pharisees in Palestine, so clearly the apostles were impacting their culture.
B. Of the “PC” police
Ø Their response reveals that they didn’t want the truth; they just wanted to defend their position. They didn’t try to disprove the apostles’ central assertion that Jesus had been raised from the dead, but neither did these culture police change their minds.
Ø They simply lost their edge with the crowd, and their ability to shout down dissenters. They were reduced to “stop it, I mean it!”
C. Of the apostles
Ø Christians should obey governmental authority (Rom. 13:1–7)
Ø Apostles replied: We must obey God over you. We must testify and make disciples (teaching them) because Jesus commanded it.
Ø They could not obey, but they were respectful and peaceable.
D. Of the folks here today; how will we respond?
Ø When we face moments when we can’t tow the “pc” line, and must ignore society, we need to 1st examine our motives. Are we moved by conscience, prejudice or convenience?
Ø Knowing that some of our values and beliefs seem crazy to our peers, we need to always speak the truth, and live convincing lives of integrity, service and good works.
Big Fish (2004), Ch. 23, Start: 1:36:13, End: 1:42:44
Scene Setup: Edward comes to Jenny's home to purchase it as the last remaining property in the Spectre trust.
Scene: Jenny tells Edward that she does not want to sell. She is suspicious of his motives, but Edward is determined. He fixes the house, and passes a test of his moral motives, and so earns Jenny's trust.
Application: It is not enough to simply tell people that our words are true, & that the motives for our beliefs are pure, we have to live it! Trust is earned. While there is no guarantee that this will always satisfy the culture police, it will help us win the goodwill & the ear of our local culture and insulate us from unfair criticism.
