Lesson 4: Into Another Culture

A. WHAT IS CULTURE?

1. What does “world” mean? People. “For God so loved the world that he sent” (John 3:16, ELT).

2. What does “world” mean? Culture or the system by which people live. “Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him” (I John 2:16, CSB).

3. What’s wrong with the world’s system? Selfishness or sin. “For everything that belongs to the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle – is not from the Father, but is from the world” (I John 2:16, CSB).

4. Where are we to live? We live in culture. “The world hated them (Christ followers) because they are not of the world . . . I am not praying that You take them out of the world” (John 17:14-15).

5. What is our relationship to the world? In the world but not of the world. “They are not of the world” (John 17:16). “But these are in the world” (John 17:11).

6. What keeps a believer from being worldly? Christ. “I am praying . . . that you protect them from the evil one” (John 17:15).

7. What does God use to protect a believer from the world? Scripture. “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth” (John 17:17).

B. OUR ETERNAL HOME VS WORLDLY CULTURE

1. We belong to Heaven. “Our citizenship is in Heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20).

2. What does citizenship include?

a. Obligations, such as taxes, military service, obedience to laws, etc.

b. Privileges such as protection, rights, privileges, etc.

3. We live in a foreign land (the world) subserviently to another country (God’s home).

4. We live with worldly people but we are not to be worldly.

5. The problem: we disassociate from them with a wrong view of separation.

6. We can’t participate in the world’s system, but we can’t live in a monastery.

7. We wrongly apply waiting for the Rapture by stopping all activity. “To wait for His Son from Heaven” (I Thess. 1:10).

a. Reach out to neighbors.

b. Serve the poor.

c. Tell the gospel.

8. Some are so heavenly minded, they are no earthly good.

C. WHAT ARE OUR PRINCIPLES?

1. We must follow eternal principles to reach people in every culture.

a. Transcultural, i.e., cross-cultural evangelism.

b. Transtemporal, adapt to the times.

2. A method is the adaptation of a principle to where people live.

Methods are many,

Principles are few,

Methods may change,

But principles never do.

3. American church music probably won’t reach jungle people.

4. We must reach people within their culture; adapt our methods, but not our message.

5. If our churches become irrelevant when we are married to past tradition, it minimizes the message.

6. What did Paul mean? “I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more . . . to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (I Cor. 9:19, 22, CSB).

a. Intentionality.

b. Adaptation to win.

c. Culturally relevant.

d. Don’t become irrelevant.

e. Lost people matter.

7. Meeting people where they are involves:

a. A new mindset.

b. A yielded heart.

c. Going to them.

d. Realize you are sent by God.

If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:

Dear Lord,

I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.

For more information on the TRBC Pastor’s Bible Class, log on to the Internet for TRBC Home page at www.trbc.org/pbc.