INTRO:
ƒ{ In this series I've been working hard to come against a modern day interpretation of Christianity
ƒ{ IT IS NOT Christian Theology
Theology = The study of God and the truthfulness of religion in general
ƒ{ But it is Christian Mythology
Mythology = a set of stories, traditions or beliefs
Associated with a particular group of people
That is deliberately fostered
ƒ{ Our scripture verse helps us with the understanding in the difference
o Internal Christianity = relationship
o External Christianity = religion
ƒ{ Pharisees concerned about;
o what's on your hands
ƒ{ Jesus is concerned about;
o What's in your heart
ƒ{ Jesus and his disciples were engaging in society
ƒ{ And the religious people had issues
ƒ{ The point I want to bring out today is;
ƒ{ We will never be able to engage our society to Jesus
ƒ{ If we don't tear down some Christian mythology
ƒ{ The theology of scripture
„X Concerning and/or engaging our Society
Matthew 28:19-20
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
ƒ{ Greater is the that is in me than he that is in the world.
ƒ{ "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13
Romans 8:1-3
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man.
The Mythology We've Accepted
* Don't get too close to the 'world' -- they might make disciples of you
* Because the Devil is bad
* The church is God's, but the world is the Devil's
* The longer your saved the less sinners you know
* Because I live in a bubble
o And I am not mature enough or strong enough
o To do anything but;
ƒ{ Live in church
ƒ{ Talk church
ƒ{ Go to church functions
ƒ{ Have only church friends
* Christians spend a lot of time trying to uphold a myth
o And propagate things that aren't true!
Like:
ƒ{ Christians have all our stuff together
o See no evil
o Hear no evil
o Want no evil
o Etc
ƒ{ So we don't engage our society
ƒ{ Because they might:
o Break our myths
o And see our hypocrisy
ƒ{ We are so concerned that the religious people are going to say our hands are dirty
ƒ{ That we never have dirty hands
ƒ{ So, if someone:
„X Fails
„X Falls short
„X Flips out
„X Has a fling
ƒ{ We throw them under the bus
o Even if they are 'one of us'
ƒ{ Because we don't want to be seen with dirty hands
ƒ{ So, the world sees the way we 'do' each other
o And want nothing to do with us
ƒ{ They're thinking that if you ever see what's wrong with me
ƒ{ Then (Christian) you will throw me under your mythological bus!
ƒ{ And drive over me on your way
o To your heaven for perfect people
o To worship your
„X Loving
„X Caring
„X Accepting
* God!
* I can sense when a religious spirit is around
ƒ{ If I recognize and sing a song (not Christian)
ƒ{ Talk about a movie I like with
„X Cursing
„X Violence
ƒ{ Wear a T-shirt with a skull on it
ƒ{ Hang out with my non-Christians friends
* In essence they want me to wash my hands
ƒ{ That's taboo
* Because preachers have to be so holy when they preach
* That they pretend that they don't know
„X that football happens on Sunday
„X what movie is out
„X the big new song
* So we have Christians that
„X Can't engage in the world
„X Because
o We've washed our hands so clean
o We're about clean out of business
* I am not getting so liberal
o That we have a license to sin
o But Jesus said;
„X It's not those things on the outside, it's that stuff on the inside
EXAMPLE: We go to work and act like we are offended if someone cusses.
Like we've never said a bad word
Which only builds the myth that only the perfect are in
I am not saying go out and use bad language
But stop acting so 'suchy-much' when someone else does.
* I don't want to have to qualify everything I say
o But quit telling the world to wash their hands
o It's a matter of the heart NOT the hands
Christians are so out of touch and irrelevant
ƒ{ Because mythology has told us to wash our hands
ƒ{ Can't hear a cuss word
ƒ{ So holy we've never even seen ourselves naked
ƒ{ Can't go to movie theater
o But only sit at home and watch 'left-behind' on VHS
ƒ{ People always want me to preach more 'wash-your-hands' messages
o Don't watch that
o Don't go there
o Better be in church
ƒ{ I'd rather talk about
o Your heart
„X Not your hand!
ƒ{ We've dealt with hand issues so much that the church is not relevant
o And only exists for the people that are already in it.
ƒ{ The life cycle of a church is that when it has success (through a method)
o It has to maintain the happiness of the people who built it
o And the longer they are saved
o And enjoy their church
„X The less relevant they become
ƒ{ And they want everyone's hands clean
ƒ{ As to maintain a mythology
EXAMPLE: Aunts funeral
Preaching in Latin
To folks who can't speak it
Singing songs written in the 1500's
ƒ{ And the church is so irrelevant
ƒ{ That now we have to spend our
o Time
o Talent
o Treasure
ƒ{ Evangelizing your children (not the world)
ƒ{ Because they didn't believe the myth!!
ƒ{ Convincing then that God isn't looking for clean hands
o But pure hearts
o Only made pure by grace!
ƒ{ Instead of having an army of young people
ƒ{ We are rescuing young people
ƒ{ If we would spend less time on
o The hands
ƒ{
ƒ{ And more on the heart (soul)
ƒ{ Then you could come to church
o Be built up
o Strengthened
o Learn
o Know Christ
ƒ{ And be strong enough
„X To go into the world
„X And reach people
