Living with the Culture

I don't know if you have noticed or not, but the society we live in is not very Christian-like. In fact, anymore, it is just about outright anti-Christian. It is getting harder and harder to be a part of society and be a Christian. So how do we deal with our faith and society in our personal lives? How do we deal with Christianity on a day-to day basis?

On a quick examination I can see three possibilities.

We can attack the society. We can preach brimstone and hell-fire, telling people how evil they are and how bad they are. I do believe there is a time and a place for that, but that cannot be our complete approach.

We can withdraw from society. Just not be a part of it. Just keep to ourselves with our Bible loving friends. But this is rather hard to do in our modern world and if we are withdrawn from the society how then do we witness to it? The Bible never calls for us to withdraw from the sinner or his society.

We can compromise with society. We can have our faith and just wink at the times society acts or goes against our faith.

Both withdrawing from society and compromising with society are forms of privatizing our faith. It is keeping our faith as an inward spirituality without any kind of impact on our outward world. This is what people really want. They are looking for an inward spirituality that will give them inner strength and inner peace and it is a form of paganism. In Paganism there is no over-arching God, but there is a God of every little area. There Is a God of the sea, the God of the air, the God of the Earth, the God of the harvest, the God of planting, the God of War, and the God of love. These God's rule their own little private areas, but they don't go into another's area.

This is what people really want, even Christians. They are looking for private little God's that they can use. People are looking for a spirituality that can help them meet their own agenda. But Christianity is different. Christianity is in inward change that provides inner strength and inner peace, but it has an outward affect.

Christianity is an inward change that provides its own agenda. When God touches you, you don't just get inward strength and peace, but a whole new way of seeing things. You don't listen to music the way you did before. You can't look at yourself the way you did before. You don't relate to people the way you did before. You relate to the government differently. You relate to your job differently. Everything changes.

It is like a person in a room and they look out and see 20 people. They are trying to find something that can give them inner strength to move into the room. Then there is the other person that is touched by God. They look up and they don't see a room of 20 people, but they see a room of 80. There are 60 people they didn't even see before and the person touched by God is moving about the room getting joy from things others can't see or hear. Where other people trip and fall and wonder what happened, the person touched by God avoids that area.

Acts 17:16–21 ESV

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

In Paul is in Athens. We can use this to best see how Christianity doesn't just change our inside, but changes our relationship with everything. We can look at how Paul reacts in this famous passage and in so doing we can learn how we should interact with our society. We will look at Where Paul Went, How Paul Felt, What Paul Saw, and What Paul Did.

h2 Where Paul Went.

The Bible says Paul went to the synagogue and to the God-fearing Greeks. He went to the people that believed in the Bible. We are okay with that, but Paul didn't just stay there he went to the marketplace.

To understand the marketplace, you must understand Athens. When we think of the Roman Empire we think of this great powerful government. The saying is true that all roads did lead to Rome. However, the center of culture was Athens. If you wanted to be a leader in Art, Business, Philosophy, Religion, or Science you needed to know Greek and be a part of Athens. The marketplace just wasn't a Wal-Mart where items were bought and sold, but it was the place where ideas where exchanged and where news was found. It was the television, workplace, and internet of its day all in one. This is where Paul took his faith. Paul took his faith into the heart of society and he was not private with it.

Another great story of someone who took their faith into the heart of their society is found in 2 Kings chapter 5. Naaman was a general in Syria, but he was more than that. In our modern terms Naaman would have been something like a Prime Minister. But Naaman has a problem, he has leprosy. So, Naaman looks around and tries to find a cure, but finally one of his servants suggest he goes to the prophet of God in Israel.

So Naaman visits Elisha and Elisha tells him to dip 7 times in the Jordan river. At first Naaman isn't happy with this and looks like he isn't going to do it, but his servants convince him, and he goes to the river and there his leprosy is healed. When Naaman comes out he says there is only the God of Israel. This is important, because it shows he just isn't healed on the outside, but he is changed on the inside.

Naaman goes back to Elisha and what does he do? Does he say, “Hey, back where I am from they are just all pagans, idolaters. I am going to stay here in Israel where God is.” Does he withdraw from his society, no. Does he say, “Look I am going to go back and when I go into the temple of Rimmon with the king of my arm and I bow and sacrifice, it doesn't matter. No reason to rock the boat.” No, he doesn't compromise with his society either.

What does Naaman do? Naaman says,

2 Kings 5:17–18 ESV

Then Naaman said, “If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the Lord. In this matter may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon your servant in this matter.”

Why does Naaman ask for two mule loads of dirt? Naaman ask for the dirt because he knows who the real God is, and he knows that he is going to have to go into the temple of Rimmon with the king on his arm and he is going to have to bow. Naaman say, “I am going to go into the temple and I will have my servants spread the dirt of Israel and when I bow and sacrifice everyone who sees will know that I am sacrificing to the God of Israel.”

Some may think it is just superstition act, but it is not. It's a witness, a symbol. Naaman is saying, “I am going to do my job, but I am going to show my faith. People are going to ask me about it, and I am going to tell them I don't serve the way I used to serve. What I do, I do to honor the true God.” Naaman neither withdraws from his society nor does he privatize his faith, but he takes it into the heart of his public life.

Now, you might be wondering, “How do I do that? How do I do what Naaman and Paul did and take my faith into society?” You might think the Bible has some pat answer, but it doesn't.

The Bible doesn't give pat answers, but it gives broad descriptions, here is the type of person that takes their faith into public with them.

You are going to have to work it out yourself. You are going to have to be creative. You are going to have to have wisdom and it's going to take all your life to figure out how to do it. This is why Paul says,

Philippians 2:12–13 ESV

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Acts 17:16 ESV

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols.

(ESV)

The Greek word my translation interprets as provoked is the Greek word paraxyno (pair-acts-see-zo). It is a very complicated word that is translated differently depending upon the Bible version. The NET Bible translates this word as greatly upset, the KJV translates this word as stirred, and the NASB translates this word as provoked. In general, the word means that someone is provoked or upset at something or someone. It doesn’t necessarily mean anger, but is a severe emotional concern.

So, Paul looked out at Athens and he was stirred/provoked. Something he saw moved him. It wasn’t just anger though. Paul felt compassion. He went into the marketplace and he didn't preach down to them, call them idolaters, or dirty pagans. Instead, Paul reasoned, he dialogued. In fact, he did such a good job he was invited to speak at the Aeropagus. Look at how he spoke in that speech on Mars hill and you will see it is very, very respectful. But at the same time Paul felt indignation. Paul was effective because he was filled with indignation. If you are not filled with indignation then you won't have the courage to move out to other people, but if all you have is the indignation, then when you do you won't do it in gentleness.

Look at John chapter 11. Lazarus has just died, and Jesus meets Mary and Martha, but what he says to both is different. Mary says, “If you had been here my brother would have lived,” and Jesus weeps. But when Martha comes to him and says the same thing, “If you had been here my brother would have lived,” Jesus says, “I am the life.” In one case he weeps and in the other he gives a lecture, because Jesus is as much made of truth as he is of tears.

This is not true for us. We each have our own temperaments. Some of us are full of sweetness and have a wonderful ministry of tears. Others of us are full of thunder and have a great ministry of truth. This is a problem. If you are only indignant or compassionate you won't change someone's life. You'll go out into the marketplace and be completely ineffective. You'll either be a coward, too scared to act, too scared to open your mouth, or when you do open your mouth you'll be obnoxious.

We must overcome our natural tendencies and be both indignant and compassionate. We must have both a ministry of tears and a ministry of truth. We do it the same way Paul did it. How did Paul do it. Look at

1 Corinthians 2:2 ESV

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Paul looked to the cross. Why does this work? Because without the cross you have either a religion of sweetness, a God who is accepting, but whose love cost nothing, or you have a religion of thunder and a God that is very demanding. Only with the cross, only with the gospel do you get a religion that says Jesus HAD to die, God is that holy, and Jesus had to DIE, he's that loving.”

Do you want to know why we don't succeed? Because we are not fanatical enough. I know you are thinking that to be fanatical we need to be harsh, obnoxious, and condemning, but, the Christian that is harsh, obnoxious, and condemning isn't too fanatical, they are not fanatical enough. They are not fanatically devoted to Jesus enough, because this gospel is the only place where you see a God who is not more fundamentally holy than fundamentally loving.

Understanding the gospel is what turns you into somebody that is both thundering and sweet, someone that understands God holiness and is zealous for it, but also someone that is completely gentle, because they look at Jesus. We must be people that are so filled with holy jealousy, and think so highly of God and so highly of people that we want them in each other’s arms and we are outraged and broken-hearted until we see it.

What did Paul see when he peered into Athens. He saw idols. He saw idols everywhere and in everything. I am sure that you are thinking, “Of course he did. You go there today and there are statues of Apollo, Zeus, and Athena, etc.” However, here is the thing. The word that the Bible uses here is the Greek word theoreo (there-ro).

There several words that Biblical Greek uses for sight. The Greek word blepo for instance is a word that emphasis what is seen with the eyes. Theoreo is a means “to look at,” “to view,” with additional senses. It is used to mean “to discover,” “to recognize,” and figuratively “to consider,” “to contemplate,” “to investigate.” What Paul saw, he did not just see with his eyes, but he perceived something.

Paul saw under all the art, under all the business, under all the government, under all the philosophy, there were idols. He saw that under everything wasn't bad things, but things that had taken on such an importance that they had become worshiped. He saw what we should see, that under every personality are idols, under all psychological problems are idols, under every culture are idols, under all moral problems are idols, under all social problems are idols, under all intellectual problems are idols.

We create idols that we worship when from them we take our meaning and what we live for. People have created idols out of their family, their friends, their careers, their happiness, or even their love life. Everybody has something, that thing that if they lose it they feel life is barely worth living anymore. Want to know what your idol is? What is your nightmare? What do look at and say, “If I lose that, I don't know what I will do.”

Look back and Naaman. Naaman goes back to Syria and he says he is going to go into the temple of Rimmon, but he isn't going to sacrifice, and someone says, “That's awful,” but Naaman was smart. He understood that what the people of Syria were really doing was worshiping their country and Naaman says, “I'm going to go back and serve my county, but I am not going to worship it.”

You must look at Jesus and say, “There is my beauty, there is my goodness, there is my righteousness, there is my meaning.” You know what happens then? You are going to do things differently than other people. You will do business differently than other people, you will do your job differently than other people, because like Naaman you are going back into the temple, but like Naaman you’re going to let people now, visibly and in your heart, everything you are doing is for God.

What did Paul do when he went into the marketplace and the Aeropaus. Paul preached Jesus and the resurrection. Paul did not come with flowery language or complex speech. He was simple and to the point. There is a God. God created everything. God gave us Jesus and the proof that he is from God is in his resurrection. Paul taught from a standpoint that this happened and was true. Paul taught what we call apologetics.

Apologetics is a big word in church now and it is reserved for scholars and a special brand of Christian, but it shouldn't be. Apologetics could be defined as the "discipline that deals with a rational defense of Christianity." Our word Apologetics comes from the Greek word apologeomai, which means defense. Paul was an apologist. This is how Paul always taught. Paul always taught from the basis that Christianity was rational because it was true. He defended it from a rational, it happened, point of view. Look at how Paul was an apologist.

1 Corinthians 2:2 ESV

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

1 Corinthians 15:5–8 ESV

and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Acts 26:26 ESV

For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.

So many people can give a sort of defense for Christianity, but it isn't apologetics because their defense isn't rational. Look at Mormonism. Mormonism is interesting because it is based upon "another gospel." John Smith claims he was told by an "angel," (I have no doubt it was an angel all right) where to find the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon, for a quick paraphrase, tells the story of how an Israelite that traveled with his family in about 600 BC and settled a land, most assume North America. It tells the story of how this family became a great civilization and dealt with other civilizations. It tells how Jesus appeared for 3 days in 34 AD at a temple, how 12 disciples where chose, 3 of them should still be alive because they were to live until Jesus comes back, and finally the "church" was wiped out in 385 AD when there was a big battle that resulted in over 230,000 dead.

Now, I told you all that, so you will know that the Book of Mormon talks about nations, kingdoms, cities, rivers, and names mountains. It has a geography. The Bible has a geography too. Nations, kingdoms, cities, rivers, and mountains are named to today you can find the back of any Bible a map of that geography. Can you do that in a Book of Mormon? Well, you might find a map, but it will be different depending upon who made the map. See, Mormon's can't find any land, anywhere, that meets the geography described in the Book of Mormon. No landmarks defined in the Book of Mormon can unambiguously identified as real-world locations

The battle where over 230,000 died is a great example. It occurs on a hill and when Mormonism started it was assumed it was in N. America. In fact, those that hold to the North American geography claim it is the hill in Manchester, NY. It is there, they claim there was a battle between men, on horseback, in medieval armor and about 1,000,000 men took part and the 230,000 that died is just from the losing side. Of course, there is no evidence for this. No bones, not rusted swords, no rusted armor. So, they started to look around. Perhaps the geography of the Book of Mormon is in Central America? When that didn't work they turned to South America. Today, there are many Mormons that are back to the North American view, but no matter where they turn they cannot find a geography on this planet that equals the geography of the Book of Mormon.

Since Mormons cannot turn to the historicity of their book, though they will claim it is history, do you know how they will tell you to see if it is true? The Church of Latter-Day-Saints will tell you that you should study, ponder, and pray. They will tell you that If your heart burns with passion, if you feel something, it is the Holy Spirit telling you it is true. The Holy Spirit can come and work in your heart, but if the Holy Spirit is the only one talking why does the Bible tell us to "test the spirits?"

1 John 4:1 ESV

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

It seems comical to base truth on what is felt or what you think, and I would laugh, if it weren’t for the fact that this is exactly what some Christians do. Why do you believe the Bible? "Well, I prayed, and I felt something." Why do you believe the Bible, "Well you see, I was addicted to this, or I needed this, and I prayed, and something changed, I felt something.”? Why do you believe the Bible? "Well, I have been in church for so long I just believe it. I was raised this way."

This is not how Paul and the apostles taught Christianity. This is not why they believed. They believed because they were eyewitnesses to an historic event. They taught, this is what we saw, this is what we did. Now, you might say, "I can't do that, I wasn't an eyewitness," but you need to understand that time and time again when wanting to defend their faith the apostles, the Bible, does not refer to what someone felt, or now someone was changed, but that Jesus and his resurrection was a historical event.

2 Peter 1:16–21 ESV

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

1 John 1:1–4 ESV

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

1 Corinthians 15:1–8 ESV

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

Christianity isn't true because it is relevant, it is relevant because it is the truth. People aren't changed and therefore Christianity is true, but because Christianity is the reality people are changed. You might think, well does this mean we all need to be apologist and study this out? If all you go to battle with is feelings and emotions don't be surprised when you can't convince someone of the reality of Jesus. And if you do, don't be shocked when they do not endure, because feelings and emotions go away.

Living with the Culture

How to Handle Society

Attack Society

Withdraw from Society

Compromise Society

ACTS

ACTS

Where Paul Went.

How Paul Felt

How Paul Felt

What Paul Saw.

What Paul Did.

Conclusion