God Is Our Environment

Rick WrightChurch of the Nations

13th Sunday of Pentecost (C)August 18, 2013

Macedonia 2000

• Mission trip• Teach English classes• Ejup -> imam• Albanian culture• Muslim religion• Faith > Culture• Respect ancestors and culture <-> way of life in

Christ

Luke 12

• Jesus says, I came to throw fire upon the earth. And how I wish it is already burning. Do you think I have come to give peace on earth? No – I tell you – but instead division. Because from now on in one house there will be five divided – three against two and two against three. They will be divided – father against son against father and mother against daughter against mother.

• One of ten(?) most difficult teachings of Jesus

Jesus = Crisis

• Crisis = moment of truth we must make decision• Jesus = crisis of the world• Jesus brings truth / Jesus is the Truth• We must decide about Jesus• Some say yes – some say no• Jesus brings division• Some believe – some do not

What about us?

• Sometimes others do not believe in Jesus• Parents and family• Co-workers and supervisors• Friends and society• Many say they want to believe and become

Christians• Respect + love parents and culture as much as

we can• God and Father of Jesus Christ created them!

Dee Pennock

• God’s Path to Sanity• Everyone = a little bit insane– Latin insanus = not healthy

• Minds broken and damaged by sin• Spiritually sick• How do we become healthy in Christ?

Who do we blame?

• Our environment• Parents! Society! People hurt us!• We do not want to admit we have sin• We blame everyone + everything else• Yes – our environment influences us

God is our (new) environment

• “Enough of this pretense that we are emotionally and spiritually always going to be at the mercy of our earthly background, says Christianity” (105)– Pretense = lie that pretends to be true

• Yes we learn bad things from environment• Jesus overcame the world (~ environment)!• “God becomes your environment through baptism.

When we use our own free will and desire him. And when God responds to our desire by his love and his grace” (105)