Opening illustration: Throughout our life, Maureena and I have been exposed to a number of cultures but we have yielded to none, not even the one that we were born in. The weaning process takes a longer time for some than others. The impact that the culture has in the church in America is unbelievable. [Narrate the story of attending a church in Columbia, MO on February 12th 2012] What I took away from the Sunday service was heart wrenching. Soft peddling by preaching the gospel of Christ to suit the flesh and in a subtle way proclaiming the preeminence of the practice of culture in the church rather than adherence and obedience to God’s Word. Sin never even came up. I was broken hearted as I left the sanctuary that day.
Today we are going to address and grapple with some of the major cultural issues that the American church has compromised with. Along the way we will also identify some of those concerns, and adhering to our vision for 2012 ‘moving out of our comfort zone,’ and as time goes by, I might address them with you all individually.
In the meantime let us turn to Luke 8 in our Bibles and check out the parable of the sower that Jesus was talking about …
Introduction: Cultural Christianity means to pursue the God we want instead of the God who is. It is the tendency to be shallow in our understanding of God, wanting Him to be more of a gentle grandfather type who pampers us and lets us have our own way. It is sensing a need for God, but on our own terms. It is advocating that Christ died for our sins and we are forgiven therefore we can continue to live the sinful lifestyle that we have been living as at the end of the day we will continue to be forgiven regardless of repentance. It is wanting the God we have underlined in our Bibles without wanting the rest of Him, too. It is God relative instead of God absolute.
Prevalent among many religious leaders who profess to be evangelical Christians (i.e., Bible-believing Christians) is the promotion of a gospel that is acceptable to, and even admired by, people throughout the world. Today, the most popular form of this is the social gospel. Apparently what the church doesn’t realize that we are in ‘A Cultural War:’ what the bible also considers it as a part of spiritual warfare and the world calls philosophical war. And yet, it’s a very practical war. This is a spiritual war because it is a contest between good and evil, between righteousness and sin. This is a philosophical war because it is a contest between biblical theism and modern humanism, between God’s word and human judgment. This is a practical war because it is about human conduct in social and cultural practices. It’s about whether a society can abide if it tolerates such things as abortion, divorce, gambling, pornography, homosexuality, sexual promiscuity and the list is endless.
How do BA Christians differ from cultural Christians?
(1) Group 1 – The Non-Christian: Those along the path are the ones who receive, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved (vs. 12).
They hear, but are never converted. They are the typical AM radio attempting to receive an FM transmission. The first soil type is the hard-packed path between fields. The seed never sinks into the soil and the devil, represented in the parable by birds, gobbles up the seed before it can have any effect. These are the unbelievers who hear and have closed minds. They are unreceptive. The words just bounce off them. Sure, they may have a smart come-back to defend their unbelief, but the Word does not penetrate their shell, or germinate in their heart. You have some friends - neighbors, relatives, business associates, and friends at school - who are like this. Jesus affirms that this kind of unbelief exists. Your words aren't at fault; it is their heart that resists - though we need to work very hard to communicate the Word of God clearly, unimpeded by a poor witness in our own lives and actions.
(2) Group 2 – The Strong Cultural Christian: Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away (vs. 13).
The second soil type is the thin layer of soil over a limestone shelf of rock. There is enough soil for early growth when the soil is still moist from the spring rains. But soon the searing heat of summer comes. The plant has put out green leaves but has no root system that has penetrated to moist the soil below. The rock stops its growth, and it quickly withers.
The rock here represents people who have surface enthusiasm, but a hard heart. These people can be sorry for their sins and pray the "sinner's prayer." But, in fact, they haven't really internalized Jesus' teachings and restructured their lives around him. You could say, I suppose, that they have sorrow over their sins, but lack real repentance (Greek metanoia, "a change of mind"). You may consider the deep wrenching sobs of a repentant sinner to be embarrassing, or perhaps old fashioned. But these tears represent the destruction of an old value system, and the foundations of a new one being laid in the heart. The heart is rent. (The English word "rend" means "to remove from place by violence, to wrest, to tear.") I'm not saying that weeping is necessary to salvation, only that true repentance IS necessary to the process. Where this doesn't happen, we have the kind of people whom Jesus describes here, with surface growth, but who fall away in time of testing.
The word translated "testing" is Greek peirasmos, 'test, trial,' 'temptation, enticement' to sin." Matthew and Mark use a pair of words to describe this: First, Greek thlipsis, figuratively, " 'oppression, affliction, tribulation' ... of distress that is brought about by outward circumstances." The second word Matthew and Mark use is Greek diogmos, " 'persecution' (only for religious reasons)."
Jesus is describing people who have made a surface commitment, but "when push comes to shove" (and push ALWAYS comes to shove, sooner or later), they fall away. Either it's temptation to fall back to a former sinful pattern, or they lose a job, or a spouse leaves them, or they are now targeted for persecution by those of another religion. When the "heat" is on, these surface Christians wither.
I am always asked the question: "Were they really Christians?" That's hard to answer - and Jesus doesn't answer it here. You see, Luke's Gospel specifies that those who fit this soil type "believe for a while" and "receive the word with joy when they hear it" (8: 13). To first appearances these people seem to be Christians. But they don't persevere in faith; they "fall away." They could be (1) counterfeit Christians, (2) weak Christians, or (3) apostate Christians.
(i) Counterfeit Christians: Sometimes individuals you meet believe that they are Christians, but when you talk with them, you realize that they don't understand Jesus' salvation very well at all. They are Christians in name (i.e., "nominal" Christians), but without the commitment, reality, or experience. The Apostle John makes it clear that sometimes churches experience an exodus of these nominal or counterfeit Christians: "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us" (1 John 2: 19). In other words, John is saying, true Christians persevere, remain, and continue. Yes, true Christians sometimes fall flat on their face when persecution or trouble or temptation comes. But true Christians get back up - often with the help of their brothers and sisters - and continue to follow the Lord in the fellowship of his Church.
(ii) Weak Christians: The Apostle Paul talks about "baby Christians" and "carnal Christians" (1 Corinthians 3: 1), about Christians who haven't grown enough to display the fruit of the Spirit's presence, the outward marks of a believer (Galatians 5: 22-23; see Matthew 7:16). But true Christians don't drop out, wither, and fall away.
(iii) Apostate Christians: The Bible also speaks of apostate Christians who have turned away from the Lord that they once followed (2 Peter 2: 20-22; Hebrews 3: 8-19; 6: 1-6). We may not like this fact, and it may not fit our doctrine too well, but it occasionally happens.
The wonderful truth is that there is salvation and forgiveness in Jesus Christ for types 1, 2, and 3. Only God can read the heart. We can't. Only God has foolproof diagnostic equipment in his "garage." We don't. Only God can give true assurance of salvation through the Spirit and the Word - and, praise God, he does! If you are a weak Christian who has fallen away or gotten lost - or know someone who has - there IS a way back. The Good Shepherd is out looking for you, and will bring you home with joy (Luke 15: 1-7).
(3) Group 3 – The Weak Cultural Christian: The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature (vs. 14).
The third type of soil is the thorny soil, where thorns grow up alongside the wheat plants, and out-compete them for sunlight and water. As a result the wheat never comes to maturity to bear a good head of grain. It is stunted. Jesus tells us exactly what stunts people - worries, riches, and pleasures.
The word that describes the wheat's or barley's condition is Greek sumpnigo "(crowd together and) choke." This is a compound word, with the Greek preposition sun, "together, i.e. several ... things united or all in one," and the verb pnigo, "to stifle, choke, strangle, suffocate." In Classical Greek, the word is used to describe a number of rather gruesome and violent incidents. Pnigo is a very strong, evocative word, and seems to be heightened by the preposition in its compound form in our passage. Whereas one thorn weed might choke the wheat or barley, all the thorn plants together (Greek sun-) "choke utterly."
Let's examine these various noxious thorns. While they may not relate as closely to your country and culture, sadly, I think Jesus' analysis of the factors that choke spiritual life describe contemporary American culture precisely.
(i) Worries: The word translated "life's worries" is Greek merimna, "anxiety, worry, care." Worry is the opposite of trust, and trust is the root idea of faith. All of us have anxieties; Jesus certainly did. But it is how we handle them that decides whether they choke out spiritual life or cause it to flourish. To his disciples' worries of food and clothing, Jesus said, "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6: 33).
(ii) Riches: Jesus lists "riches" among thorns, but in our society most people are actively seeking riches - more and more. We Westerners decry the "atheistic materialism" of a bankrupt communist ideology, but we embrace the equally deadly greed of capitalism. The Greek word is ploutos. It comes from a root that means "to fill." Ploutos means "fullness of goods." In Luke's Gospel, Jesus has a lot to say about riches, mostly by way of warning. Riches, by themselves are not as dangerous as relying on riches as a substitute for God (Luke 12: 19), loving riches rather than God (Matthew 6: 24), and seeking after riches rather than after God's Kingdom (Matthew 6: 33).
(iii) Pleasures: The third thorn Jesus identifies in Luke's Gospel is "pleasures," the plural of Greek hedone. Ask the average person on the street what he wants most out of life, and the answer will be, "Happiness. I want to be happy." Thomas Jefferson placed "the pursuit of happiness" in the US Declaration of Independence right up there alongside of life and liberty as unalienable rights. And pursue it we do. But sometimes our pursuit of happiness can be twisted into an all-out pursuit of pleasure. Our society has turned "duty" into a negative, and "self-indulgence" into a positive. Our songs croon, "How can it be so wrong when it feels so right?" We have replaced righteousness and honor with luxury.
Yes, it is possible that you have been saved if your life is choked with thorns, but you can't take the chance of not knowing, or of being wrong about your assessment. Now is the time to repent and turn to him with a whole heart.
(4) Group 4 – The BA Christian: But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop (vs. 15).
Finally, we come to the good ground in the parable. These individuals have not only an ear to hear and receive the Word of God, but a willingness to obey its imperatives. The bible often speaks of the unfortunate truth that many are hearers of the Word, but not doers of the Word. Jesus' illustration of the man who built his house upon the rock and the one who built his house upon the sand conveys this idea as well (Matthew 7: 24-27). The fourth type of soil is called "good soil," representing hearers who possess a noble and good heart. The word translated "noble" is Greek kalos, " 'beautiful' in outward appearance ... morally good, noble, praiseworthy, contributing to salvation' etc. Kalos is a fairly common word that denotes a solid person, wholeheartedness. The word translated "good" is Greek agathos, 'good' ... of inner worth, especially moral."
Four characteristics of a good heart are given in this passage: (a) hear the Word, (b) retain the Word, (c) persevere in the Word, and (d) produce a harvestable crop as a result.
The word translated "retain" is Greek katecho " 'hold fast, retain' faithfully, 'keep' in one's possession, 'possess.' Those with a "good and noble heart" don't let the Word go. They hold it fast, retain it in mind, and do not release it to lay hold on something less. They retain the Word; they hold it fast.
The word rendered "with patience" (KJV) is Greek hupomone, "patience, endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance." A characteristic of the good soil, the good heart, is to retain the Word of God over the long haul. As A.T. Robertson observes, "Mushrooms spring up overnight, but they are usually poisonous. The best fruits require time, cultivation, patience." The good ground, because it is good, strong and vigorous, continues to bear: bad or poor ground cannot produce a good crop, and besides it is very soon exhausted. The persons called the good ground in the text are filled with the power and influence of God, and therefore continue to bring forth fruit; i.e. they persevere in righteousness. From this we may learn that the perseverance of the saints, as it is termed, necessarily implies that they continue to bring forth fruit to the glory of God. Those who are not fruitful are not in a state of perseverance.
True Christians will continue in faith and holiness forever. I am sure each one of you sitting here this morning would agree with Jesus wholeheartedly when He said: "By their fruits you shall know them."
Note of Exhortation: Satan’s most effective attacks upon the church may come through culture. Strangely, the Christian seems to look for Satan to attack the church in very direct and frontal ways, rather than through his more subtle (and effective) means. For example, the current “conspiracy” about which the church is being warned is that of “secular humanism.” Our attention has thus been focused on such issues as the teaching of evolution and prayer in schools. In the meantime, Satan is at work undermining our culture. Since our culture is something of which Christians are rarely conscious, Satan’s devices are not even detected.
Let me illustrate what I mean. For a long time the American culture was largely Christian in its values. For example, in the past society did not look favorably upon divorce or homosexuality, and so few practice these evils, at least in a very open way. Unbelievers considered themselves Christians because they practiced Christian values. Christians prided themselves for practicing Christian values, too. In truth, many unbelievers and Christians were only conforming to the mores of their society - they conformed to a culture which was outwardly, at least, Christian. Satan used the moral culture as a means of deceiving many to consider themselves Christian, when they were only conformists.
Saturated by this atmosphere, Christians did not remain married or heterosexual because of any commitment to Christian principles, but out of conformity to culture’s values. Non-Christian values, however, have changed to conform more closely with their hearts. Divorces have become easy to obtain and society came to tolerates them—even encourage them. The values of non-believers have become evident, and so have the values of the Christians. While the divorce rate among the general population has slowed down, the rate of divorces among Christians is reportedly still climbing (Christians are on the lagging edge of culture again). In retrospect we can see that Christians were not acting out of conviction by staying married to their wives, but only out of cultural conformity. Satan thus can attack Christians in such a subtle way that they are unaware of what has happened. When we equate Christianity (or spirituality) to conformity with a certain prescribed culture (which is what the Judaizers did, and what legalists of every age do), Satan can attack Christians by undermining their culture, an area of which they are only slightly conscious.
Application: Can you identify yourself within one of the four groups listed above? Maybe after this morning worship service you might realize that you are more of a Cultural Christian than a Biblical one. If so, Morley shares a few ideas that can help you seek a Biblical Christian lifestyle. To begin, examine the influences you expose yourself to (friends, music, movies, books, internet) Look at your set of values, are they biblical or cultural. In the end, be patient with yourself, pray about your struggles with God, and remember, “The man in the mirror will never change until he is willing to see himself as he really is, and to commit to know God as He really is.”
I will exhort you to consider every part of your life and check it out with His Word. Anything that you do, say or think doesn’t line up with His Word doesn’t reflect Christ and neither does it endorse you to be a Christian. Don’t even try to justify your behavior and actions by twisting God’s Word to support it. Dabbling with God’s Word will get us in deep trouble. Paul tells us in Galatians 3: 10 that “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” Culture is important because of its relationship to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray that you will take this matter seriously, for the sake of the gospel.
Test yourself whether you are a cultural Christian or not. Otherwise you might find yourself standing at the very throne of Christ at the very last judgment saying, “Lord, Lord” and hear Him say, “...away from me, I never knew you.”
