Prepare to be Assimilated... Resistence is Futile

I wanted to start out today by talking about cultural syncretism.

When I was younger, one of the things I loved studying was Anthropology. Anthropology is the study of what makes us human. Anthropology takes a rather broad approach to understanding many different aspects of human experiences by using archaeology, bioanthropology, linguistic anthropology, and social-cultural anthropology. Archaeology understands the past through pre-historic and historical materials, architectural features, landscapes, and remains. Bioanthropology examines human and non-human primate evolution, ecology, behaviour, and biocultural variation. Linguistic anthropology studies the many ways language reflects and influences social life. While Socio-cultural anthropology examines social patterns and processes within and across cultures.

I first heard of cultural syncretism within the confines of the last two anthropologies mentioned, Linguistic Anthropology and Socio-cultural Anthropology. Cultural syncretism is defined as “when distinct aspects of different cultures blend together to make something new and unique.” This blending can come from religious practices, architecture, philosophy, recreation, and even food.

The easiest way for me to describe cultural syncretism to you is by telling you of an experience I had in my life. In 2009-2010, when I looked like a curly-haired hippie, I attended Prairie Bible College to take part in the Discover program. As I have mentioned before Chelsea was there as well taking the same program. She had no interest in me, but you can’t stop the magic that works at Bridal colleges, I mean Bible colleges. Through the Discover program, we were studying Anthropology. We got to learn about the Mayans in Guatemala and how when the Spaniards came over and demanded the Mayans adopted their culture and catholic religion.

The Mayans, seeing that they were no match for the Spaniards, obliged with the exception that they could have some of their religious practices as variants within the church. In Guatemala, you can still see evidence of this today. For instance, in some parts of the Mayan religion, they cursed people they didn’t like. Today when you walk into a Guatemalan cathedral, you will see numerous candles burning for numerous different reasons. But a particular candle of note is the black candle. This candle is specifically for cursing people. You will also find the worshipping of a specific Mayan God by Guatemalan Catholics. The Catholics call him San Simon, while the Mayans call him Maximón.

Maximóns altars are crowded with all kinds of conflicting imagery—icons of the Virgin Mary, but also taxidermied animals hanging from the low ceiling. The priests only speak in a certain Maya dialect while remaining constantly drunk, and the air is choked with cigar and cigarette smoke.

This is all part of Cultural Syncretism, the blending of two religions into one.

So the question you may be asking is, why is this important? How do anthropology and cultural syncretism relate to me? Well, the answer stems heavily back to the sermon I gave last Sunday on how do we respond to those who are sinning and thriving in sin around me. The truth be told is that we as a church are being infiltrated by the devil and his workers. As the world changes around us to do the devil's bidding, the church has garnered increased pressures also to change.

When I entered the military, I became more aware of cultural syncretism within the church. This became apparent to me because the military was consciously aiming to hire more “diverse” chaplains than ever before. These chaplains were gay or lesbian or would subscribe to a particular group that would support these individuals in those roles. As I got to know these chaplains I found, increasingly, they were from the United Church. This alarmed me. During this same time, the National Post published an article entitled “The Split in the United Church” the author Charles Lewis wrote this in the first couple of paragraphs.

“The United Church of Canada, which was formed 86 years ago with the grand vision to bring Protestants together “in one glorious national church,” is undergoing one of the most precipitous slides in modern religious history.

In the midst of a breathtaking erosion in its membership, the church is undertaking what some call a great experiment to redefine itself through an intense engagement with the surrounding secular world; whether it be through advocating for the environment, fighting for the rights of homosexuals to marry or taking on the cause of the Palestinians, the church has attempted to blur the boundaries between religion and the broader society.

Supporters believe this strategy will eventually right the ship because they are following the word of God to engage in the world.”

To be clear, this isn’t just an issue that is just affecting the United Church. This is affecting, among many others as well, Anglican, Baptist, Brethren, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal, and Reformed churches as well. Unfortunately, there are many individual churches and denominations that are heeding the siren call of cultural acceptability and joining the ranks of allowing some of this same stuff to happen within their own congregations.

So I guess the question is, do we have a responsibility to change with society as the demand to change becomes increasingly louder? Do we take bits and pieces of what seem to be working or agreeable in our world, and do we apply it to how we view the Bible? Let's face it, not all cultural syncretism is bad after all. I love pineapple pizza. The Melville Roll at the sushi restaurant here in town is delicious. Cultures have come together and have accomplished great things. Macaroni and Cheese with Ketchup and hotdogs is an example of this. So do we just accept this?

There are many examples, within the Bible, of the outside world trying to infiltrate the church and change its values or direction. Many of these values are disguised as something that is beneficial but is ultimately destructive.

The first example I think of is when the Israelites came to an Acacia Grove in Numbers 25, the Moabite women were sent to deceive the Jewish men by offering their bodies to them and then encouraging them to participate in the worship of Baal of Peor. The problem with this was the Israelites began to open themselves up to worshipping other related gods such as Moloch. The short term benefit was sex. But the horrors that would come from offering sacrifices to Molech are things that nightmares are made of.

In fact, Leviticus 18 lays out a disgusting list of different relations that are forbidden, and the reason why these relations are forbidden are described in verses 24-30

Leviticus 18:24–30 NLT

“Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the people I am driving out before you have defiled themselves in all these ways. Because the entire land has become defiled, I am punishing the people who live there. I will cause the land to vomit them out. You must obey all my decrees and regulations. You must not commit any of these detestable sins. This applies both to native-born Israelites and to the foreigners living among you. “All these detestable activities are practiced by the people of the land where I am taking you, and this is how the land has become defiled. So do not defile the land and give it a reason to vomit you out, as it will vomit out the people who live there now. Whoever commits any of these detestable sins will be cut off from the community of Israel. So obey my instructions, and do not defile yourselves by committing any of these detestable practices that were committed by the people who lived in the land before you. I am the Lord your God.”

In Leviticus 19:2 it continues, “… You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.”

You must be holy, set apart, different from the rest of the land, because I, the LORD your God, I have called you to be different from the rest of the land. Not doing the same thing everyone else does! YOU MUST BE HOLY BECAUSE GOD IS HOLY! If you want to find yourself in the presence of God, you must be willing to follow His ways!

When we are looking for examples of how not to fall into following the world off of their cliffs that they shore up, it is hard to come by one. Unless, of course, you look specifically to the one perfect example, and that is Jesus.

Jesus underwent the same temptations we undergo, but he had the master manipulator target him. The rest of us might get the special attention of Satan every once in a while, but other than that, we just get jarred and poked at by his demons. But when it came to Jesus, Satan gladly took that challenge.

We see this take place in Matthew 4:1-11

Matthew 4:1–11 NLT

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ ” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’” Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’” Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

How angry this must have made the devil. Jesus stood in direct opposition to the devil and gladly took a little suffering to be able to be faithful to God and God’s word.

Jesus would later point out that the devil had such a hold on the world and that he could deceive the world into doing wrong. Jesus called the devil the prince of this world, who stands condemned.

In John 14:30, Jesus says

John 14:30 NLT

“I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over me,

Jesus reminds us however that we have the “helper” who will guide us in all matters and will even guide us in how to stand opposing this world in John 16:7-15 Jesus says this,

John 16:7–15 NIV

But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

He, the helper, the Holy Spirit, will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin, righteousness, and judgment. The world is screaming these days that Homosexuality is approtpriate! The world is screaming that adultery is to be normalized! The world has gone so far as trying to normalize and accept Pedophilia as a socially acceptable sexual orientation, they like to call themselves MAP’s, or Minor Attracted Persons. And anyone who stands opposing these values or who would dare say, “if you are attracted to children, you should seek professional help” are screamed at and told they are intolerant or bigots.

The prince of this world has turned people to sin so hard that the world has gone from bad to worse. And there are now people who say that they are reverends and pastors who preach that we should be tolerant of these things, and some of these individuals claim to be members of these very groups! 2 Timothy 3:12-17 says this:

2 Timothy 3:12–17 NIV

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

You catch those key points? Those who live a godly life will be persecuted, while evildoers and imposters will go from bad to worse. And to combat these things, we need to turn to the Scriptures for guidance.

Following the scripture is increasingly going put us in direct opposition to the world. And it is not going to get any easier, infact Jesus even said in Matthew 10:22

Matthew 10:22 NLT

And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved.

Jesus echos these words again in John 15:18-19

John 15:18–19 NLT

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

Jesus says if you are a follower of His the world will not like you.

As we continue down this path you will see more and more churches fall to the worlds values, but we need to hold firm to the teachings of the scriptures. Jesus never promised it would be easy in fact, we see this in his very ministry that he had on this world. He was executed for speaking the truth, for goodness sake. And some of his disciples would later follow him to that same fate. The interesting thing is as churches fall to this world's standard, it is because of self-interest. It is in our own personal interest to agree with the world, but we are called to follow the example of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2: 1-17 says

Philippians 2:1–17 NLT

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.

Through all this, we are called to love our neighbours, we are called to speak Jesus’ good news, and we are called to keep the faith by living in active communion with Jesus Christ.

I guess the question remains are we as the church community, yes this includes you, are we as the church community remaining faithful to God’s word, or are we allowing the world to adapt what the Bible says to us as to please our own desires.

Today we are going to take part in communion, so with that, could I invite the deacons forward.