Welcome to the Revolution Tolerance and Truth. How has your culture Affected you?

Welcome to the Revolution

Tolerance and Truth

How has your cultureAffected you?

How has your cultureAffected you?

To know, look to the Canon

"We are evolved…"

"We are evolved…"

In some ways, yeah

Human nature hasn't changed

The silence of Jesus…

Approaching Scripture

With an agenda

Approaching Scripture

With an agenda(Amplified Bible, anyone?)

When we interpret the scripturesThrough the lens of our culture

It is not the scriptures we believe,But ourselves

How has our culture

Influenced the Truth of our Faith?

God made us

God wants more for us…?

God made us

God knows better how to live our livesThan we do

That's why truth is so important

A woman from Samaria came to draw water.

Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away

into the city to buy food)

The Samaritan woman said to him, "I'm not your servant just because

I'm a woman!"

Jesus answered her, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to offend you.

Please forgive me"

"If you knew who I was, you'd ask me, and I would give you living water- not

that you're not doing just fine without it!”

The woman said to him, “You have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get

that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well

and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will

be thirsty again, but for some who drink of the water that I will give, they might not ever be thirsty again. The water that I will give will become

a spring of water welling up to eternal life”

The woman said to him, “Give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”

Jesus said to her, “Do you have a 'significant other' that you'd like to call

to come and be a part of this?”

The woman answered him, “I have no husband.”

Jesus said to her, “I'm sorry- hope I haven't offended you.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers

worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where

people ought to worship.”

Jesus said to her, “Please understand, I don't want to push my beliefs, but I think

the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you

worship the Father. Some would say that you worship what you do not know and that we worship what we know, for

salvation is from the Jews.

But those are intolerant haters and I know they're wrong and ignorant.

Forgive me, but I really believe the hour is coming, and is now here, when the

true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is

seeking such people to worship him.

God is spirit, and those who worship him might want to worship in spirit and

truth- or not. Whatever”

The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming. When

he comes, he will tell us all things.”

Jesus said to her, “If it doesn't offend you, I believe I am the Messiah”

Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a

Samaritan woman because they were sexist and racist, but no one said, “What

do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?”

For they knew this would be politically-incorrect.

So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the

people, “Come, see a man who was very tolerant and didn't try to shame me or

make me feel bad. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and

were coming to him.

Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's

testimony, "He was very tolerant and told me nothing about my sin or

anything else that might offend me..."- John 4, Reinterpreted

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, even though you mean well and are

generally good guys!"

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, good guys! For you are like whitewashed

tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful. But it's good to appear

beautiful, so never mind.

You also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are…

A OK in my book!"- Jesus, Matthew 23, Reinterpreted

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I

do to inherit eternal life?”

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? You're good, too. In fact,

you're the bomb, bro!

You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not

steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother’”

And he said to him, 'Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth"

And Jesus, looking at him, really wanted to be liked by this guy. And he said to

him, "You're doing just fine. Who am I to make you feel bad? Just keep on being

the great guy you already are and it's all good"

Encouraged by the saying, he went away and continued to spend his money on

himself while all around him people starved. And he was happy, for

he had great possessions andhad been told by Jesus he was "in!"

- Mark 10, Reinterpreted

What's Missing?

What's Missing?

Truth

Jesus is being Tolerant

When tolerance trumps truth

It is not you I care aboutBut me

Relativism-All truth is subjective

Objective truth does not exist

Relativism is the basis

For Tolerance


For Tolerance

Who are you to saysomeone else is wrong?


For Tolerance

You're not allowed to speak "your truth" if doing so might upset someone else

So…

“Judge not, and you will not be judged;

We've just interpreted the BibleThrough the lens of our culture

What it really says...

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be

condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.

Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into

your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you”

- Luke 6:37-38

Context: Love your enemies And give grace…

For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good

fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from

thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and

the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance

of the heart his mouth speaks- Luke 6:43-45

Jesus: This is how you judgeWhat kind of person you're dealing with!

We are to judge:

- Ourselves first- Others…in order to restore

- To make choices

We are to judge:

- Ourselves

But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment

- 1 Corinthians 11:31

We are to judge:- Ourselves

How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You

hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye

- Matthew 7

We are to judge:

- In order to help

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him

gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted

- Galatians 6:1

We are to judge:

- To make choices

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly

are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them

- Matthew 7:15-16

If I never judge

Then I don't love

Don't drink that!

Speaking the truth in love…- Eph. 4



Without TruthThere is no Grace

Without TruthThere is no Grace

There is no one righteous, not even one- Romans 3

Once Truth is gone

There is no need for- or possibility of- change



Tolerance= Well-meaning

3 Problems:

- Tolerance isn't- Tolerance aims too low

- Tolerance changes no hearts

1- Tolerance isn't

"Tolerance is the new Intolerance…"

- The Bank "Tolerance" Training

1- Tolerance isn't

"Tolerance is the new Intolerance…"

- Chick-Fil-A- Father-Daughter Dances

2- Tolerance aims too low

I tolerate the flu

2- Tolerance aims too low

I love peopleAnd respect those created

In God's image

Enough to speak Truth to them

3- Tolerance changes no hearts

Tolerance is Religion in a different dress

Purifies the outsideBut leaves bigotry and hatred untouched

Tolerance means I'm not allowedTo speak the truth

If it might offend

Not offending isn't the goal

Truth is offensive

Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,

but we preach Christ crucified:a stumbling block to Jews and

foolishness to Gentiles- 1 Cor. 1:22-23

Truth doesn't depend upon my consent in order to be True

When tolerance trumps truthI care more for me and

My acceptance

Than for you and your need

Brian's Racism…

Ownership of Money…

The moment Tolerancetrumps Truth

It is not you I loveBut myself

Who has loved you enoughTo speak truth into your life?

Who do you love enoughTo risk the relationship

In order to offer life-changing Truth?

Jesus consistently putOther people first

He didn't need their acceptanceHe cared more about their needs

Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband,

and come here”

The woman answered him, “I have no husband.”

Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no

husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is

not your husband. What you have said is true”

- John 4

Jesus cared about The woman at the well

Enough to tell her the truth-She was in sin

And it changed her forever

“Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”

…Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's

testimony, “He told me all that I ever did”

- John 4

He cared enough for Israel

To speak the truthAbout it's religious leaders

And some repented, as did many people

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed

tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead

people's bones and all uncleanness

So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full

of hypocrisy and lawlessness- Matthew 23



Jesus, looking at the rich young ruler

Loved him, as said,"One thing you still lack…"

Jesus cared enough forthe Rich Young Ruler

To speak truthEven though it might upset him

Jesus refused to budge

On issues of truthBut the motive was always love

"For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the

world- to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth

listens to my voice” - Jesus, John 18

Truth: Lost and need a Savior

Tolerance makes people feel good

Truth makes some people angry- And changes hearts and lives

If I don't speak truthFor fear of upsetting you

It's not you I loveBut me

Tolerance says every choice

Is equally valid

Truth says every sinful action

Has Consequences that Lead away from God's best

Speak Truth:

When they can hear- timingAs much as they can hear- amount

In a way they can hear- love



I can't give what I don't have

We are called to accept truth

- Excuse- Rationalize- Blame-shift

Tolerance is a beautiful lie

Today's Pharisees tell themselvesto feel Superior

To the so-called Intolerant

The necessity JesusFor a relationship with the Father

Is intolerant

Be intolerant

The need for new birthIn order to walk with God

Is intolerant

Be intolerant

Truth…is intolerant…

Be intolerant

Who has loved you enoughTo speak truth into your life?

Are you listening?

Who do you love you enough

To offer Life-Changing truth?

Documents

Welcome to the Revolution Tolerance and Truth. How has your culture Affected you?