Engaging Culture Barriers and Bridges. You're in a culture which values Plurality of belief Religious and Moral equivalence

Engaging CultureEngaging Culture

Barriers and BridgesBarriers and Bridges

You're in a culture which valuesYou're in a culture which valuesPlurality of beliefPlurality of belief

Religious and Moral equivalenceReligious and Moral equivalence

Yet what you believeYet what you believeIs ridiculed and hatedIs ridiculed and hated

You believe in God become manYou believe in God become manWho died as scum, with scumWho died as scum, with scum

And you say he came back to lifeAnd you say he came back to life

You believe in God become manYou believe in God become manWho died as scum, with scumWho died as scum, with scum

And you say he came back to lifeAnd you say he came back to lifeMadness…Madness…

You follow the teachingsYou follow the teachingsOf a Rabbi who refused toOf a Rabbi who refused to

Equivocate on moralityEquivocate on morality

And your culture stands in And your culture stands in Stark Opposition Stark Opposition

What do you do?What do you do?

Paul's Time and CulturePaul's Time and Culture

I have a familyI have a family

No worries for meNo worries for meBut my son? My wife?But my son? My wife?This world?This world?

When do we yell?When do we yell?

How do we whisper?How do we whisper?

Yelling at the cultureYelling at the cultureSays I care about me and mineSays I care about me and mine

Loving and engaging peopleLoving and engaging peopleSays I care about JesusSays I care about JesusAnd trust him for me and mineAnd trust him for me and mine

Paul's World:Paul's World:

Pedophiles, MisogynyPedophiles, MisogynyProstitution as worshipProstitution as worship

Pagan sacrifices of meat Pagan sacrifices of meat

When do we yell?When do we yell?When writing to Christians…When writing to Christians…

How do we whisper?How do we whisper?We bridge the gap into Culture…We bridge the gap into Culture…



Now when they had passed Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jewswas a synagogue of the Jews

Freed from the LawFreed from the Law

No longer bound by SabbathNo longer bound by SabbathAnd dietary rulesAnd dietary rules

And Paul went in, And Paul went in, as was his as was his custom, custom, and on three Sabbath and on three Sabbath

days he days he reasonedreasoned with them with them from the Scriptures…from the Scriptures…

- Met people where they were- Met people where they were- Gave up his rights- Gave up his rights- Gave it time instead of forcing- Gave it time instead of forcing- Had a conversation based on - Had a conversation based on the scripturesthe scriptures

That's how he engagedThat's how he engagedA culture of religion andA culture of religion and

Self-righteousnessSelf-righteousness

Paul wouldn't fitPaul wouldn't fitIn American ChristianityIn American Christianity

For though I am free from all, I For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant have made myself a servant to all, to all, that I might win that I might win more of themmore of them

To the Jews I became as a Jew, in To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under order to win Jews. To those under

the law I became as one under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself the law (though not being myself

under the law) that I might win under the law) that I might win those under the lawthose under the law

To those outside the law I To those outside the law I became as one outside the law became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the lawmight win those outside the law

To the weak I became weak, that To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I might win the weak. I have I have

become all things to all become all things to all people, that by all means people, that by all means

I might save someI might save someHow to Engage Culture…How to Engage Culture…

Truth remainsTruth remainsMethods changeMethods change

Based on the needsBased on the needsOf the world around usOf the world around usSo we carry a crossSo we carry a cross

Meanwhile…Meanwhile…

"There comes a time when you "There comes a time when you have to rid yourself of negative have to rid yourself of negative

people and negative energy"people and negative energy"- FB Status' by Christians- FB Status' by Christians

I do it all for the sake of the I do it all for the sake of the gospel, gospel, that I may share with that I may share with

them them in its blessingsin its blessings1 Cor. 91 Cor. 9

Responses to CultureResponses to Culture

- Fight- put up barriers- Fight- put up barriers- Flight- make a beeline- Flight- make a beeline

- Facilitate- build a bridge- Facilitate- build a bridge

And Paul went in, And Paul went in, as was his as was his custom, custom, and on three Sabbath and on three Sabbath

days he days he reasonedreasoned with them with them from the Scriptures…from the Scriptures…

……explaining and proving that it explaining and proving that it was was necessarynecessary for the Christ to for the Christ to

suffer and to rise from the dead, suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I and saying, “This Jesus, whom I

proclaim to you, proclaim to you, is the Christ”is the Christ”

CreationCreationFallFallRedemptionRedemptionRestorationRestoration

Knows his audience (the Christ)Knows his audience (the Christ)

And some of them were And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and persuaded and joined Paul and

Silas, as did a great many of the Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of devout Greeks and not a few of

the leading womenthe leading women

Lives impacted now and foreverLives impacted now and foreverFamilies ChangedFamilies Changed

…rescued us from the …rescued us from the kingdom kingdom of darknessof darkness and transferred us and transferred us

into the Kingdom of his Son…into the Kingdom of his Son…

When Attacking a KingdomWhen Attacking a KingdomExpect OppositionExpect Opposition

But the Jews were jealous, and But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob…set rabble, they formed a mob…set the city in an uproarthe city in an uproar

Ok, that's Jewish CultureOk, that's Jewish Culture

What about Pagan Culture?What about Pagan Culture?

Now while Paul was waiting for Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was them at Athens, his spirit was

provoked within him as he saw provoked within him as he saw that the city was that the city was full of idolsfull of idols

So…So…



So he So he reasonedreasoned in the synagogue in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout with the Jews and the devout persons, persons, andand in the marketplace in the marketplace every day with those who every day with those who happened to be therehappened to be there

No Fight- reasoned, not yelledNo Fight- reasoned, not yelledNo Flight- went where they wereNo Flight- went where they were

Some of the Epicurean and Stoic Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does him. And some said, “What does

this this babblerbabbler wish to say?” wish to say?”

So…So…

Pray that I may declare itPray that I may declare itfearlessly, as I shouldfearlessly, as I should- Eph. 6:20 - Eph. 6:20

I will stay in Ephesus until I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for Pentecost, for a wide door for

effective work has opened to me, effective work has opened to me, andand there are many adversaries there are many adversaries

- 1 Cor. 16:9- 1 Cor. 16:9

Others said, “He seems to be a Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”-preacher of foreign divinities”-because because he was preaching Jesus he was preaching Jesus and the resurrectionand the resurrection

Not talking about what's wrongNot talking about what's wrongBut how Jesus is good and rightBut how Jesus is good and right

The issue isn't worship of idolsThe issue isn't worship of idolsBut the need to know JesusBut the need to know Jesus

The issue isn't: The issue isn't: Gay or StraightGay or Straight

Democrat or RepublicanDemocrat or RepublicanTheist or Atheist or ReligiousTheist or Atheist or Religious

The issue is…?The issue is…?

And all the other distractions and And all the other distractions and sins and causessins and causes

Are simply bridges by which to Are simply bridges by which to Build the GospelBuild the Gospel

And they took him and brought And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new “May we know what this new

teaching is that you are teaching is that you are presenting?presenting?

For you bring some strange For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these know therefore what these things mean”things mean”

Now all the Athenians and the Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would foreigners who lived there would

spend their time in nothing spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing except telling or hearing

something newsomething new

So Paul, standing in the midst of So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said…the Areopagus, said…

So Paul, standing in the midst of So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, Athens, I perceive that in every I perceive that in every way you are very religiousway you are very religious

For as I passed along and For as I passed along and observed the objects of your observed the objects of your

worship, I found also an altar worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To with this inscription, ‘To

the unknown god’the unknown god’

What therefore you worship as What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to youunknown, this I proclaim to you

Sincere complimentSincere compliment- - ReligiousReligious

Bridge/Point of AgreementBridge/Point of Agreement- - Unknown godUnknown god

"I just think everything happens "I just think everything happens for a reason"for a reason"

""It's great to be spiritualIt's great to be spiritualI see purpose in things, too I see purpose in things, too

God uses them for…"God uses them for…"

The God who made the world The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, of heaven and earth, does not does not live in temples made by manlive in temples made by man

Your gods are too smallYour gods are too small

……nor is he served by human nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed hands, as though he needed

anything, since he himself gives anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath to all mankind life and breath

and everythingand everythingYour gods are too needyYour gods are too needy

And he made from one man And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of periods and the boundaries of their dwelling placetheir dwelling place

……that they should seek God,that they should seek God, and and perhaps feel their way toward perhaps feel their way toward

him and find him. Yet he is him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from actually not far from

each one of useach one of us Having your gods isn't enough Having your gods isn't enough

If you'll describe the majesty andIf you'll describe the majesty andGoodness of the God you serveGoodness of the God you serve

You really don't need to discountYou really don't need to discountWhatever others worshipWhatever others worship

“‘“‘In him we live and move and In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring’we are indeed his offspring’

Epimenides and AratusEpimenides and Aratus

Being then God's offspring, we Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine ought not to think that the divine

being is like gold or silver or being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the stone, an image formed by the

art and imagination of manart and imagination of man

The times of The times of ignoranceignorance God God overlooked, but now he overlooked, but now he commands all people commands all people everywhere to repent…everywhere to repent…

……because he has fixed a day on because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in which he will judge the world in

righteousness by a man whom he righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has has appointed; and of this he has

given assurance to all by raising given assurance to all by raising him from the dead”him from the dead”

Now when they heard of the Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, resurrection of the dead, some some mocked.mocked. But others said, “We will But others said, “We will hear you again about this.” So hear you again about this.” So Paul went out from Paul went out from their midsttheir midst

But some men joined him and But some men joined him and believed,believed, among whom also among whom also

were Dionysius the Areopagite were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and a woman named Damaris

and others with themand others with them- Acts 17- Acts 17

At Areopagus:At Areopagus:

- Started with a compliment- Started with a compliment- Found a point of agreement- Found a point of agreement- Made God big, not himself- Made God big, not himself- Used culture to reach culture- Used culture to reach culture

At Areopagus:At Areopagus:

- Pointed out their mistake- Pointed out their mistake- Called to repentance- Called to repentance



What our culture is embracingWhat our culture is embracingIs dangerous and destructiveIs dangerous and destructive

Not just disagreeableNot just disagreeableTo some people of FaithTo some people of Faith

Which Did Jesus Do?Which Did Jesus Do?

- Fight- put up barriers- Fight- put up barriers- Flight- make a beeline- Flight- make a beeline

- Facilitate- build a bridge- Facilitate- build a bridge

Gay, Straight, Bi, TransGay, Straight, Bi, TransConservative or LiberalConservative or LiberalPro-gun or anti-gunPro-gun or anti-gun

Don't miss the pointDon't miss the pointJust to make your pointsJust to make your points

……in your hearts honor Christ in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holythe Lord as holy

always being prepared to make a always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you defense to anyone who asks you

for a reason for the hope for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet that is in you; yet do it with do it with

gentleness and respectgentleness and respect- 1 Peter 3:15- 1 Peter 3:15

Let your conversation be always Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to so that you may know how to answer everyoneanswer everyone- Colossians 4:6- Colossians 4:6

"You can antagonize or influence. "You can antagonize or influence. You can't do both" You can't do both"

- John Knox- John Knox



Who has God given you?Who has God given you?

What's Christ's response?What's Christ's response?Go and do likewise…Go and do likewise…

Let's PrayLet's Pray

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Engaging Culture Barriers and Bridges. You're in a culture which values Plurality of belief Religious and Moral equivalence