Title: Gospel, Church and Culture
(July 21, 2019)
1 Peter 4 (NIV) Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 2 As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3 For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4 They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. 5 But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
1. Believers are “done with sin”
2. Do not live for “evil human desires”
3. The past life was one of sinfulness
4. People don’t understand when we don’t join them in sinful living
5. They heap abuse on you/us.
6. There is a day of judgement coming.
Romans 12
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
What does this look like in 21st century Canada ?
…This week being among other things… “Pride Week” …// I want to address the matter of a very complicated relationship – I speak of the relationship between … “Gospel, Church and Culture.”
Romans 12: 2 says it well “do not be conformed to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
• July 14-21 -- Pride week in St. John’s
o Pride Parade ( I attended the Toronto Parade many years ago…)
o Multi-faith service (“Out in Faith”) held on Thursday (which I attended)
o During pride week…Workshops are being offered on pole dancing and sexual “fetish’s”
• Also this week… a Movie came to town…”Unplanned”
• It didn’t have the same acceptance and popularity of pride week.
• It's a movie that tells the story of the director of an abortion clinic making the journey from “pro=BOTION TO PRO-LIFE”
• The controversy around the movie – “Unplanned”
o (1) attempted censure – to keep the movie out of theaters and even out of Canada.
o (2) Canadian govt. attempted to label the movie as propaganda.
o (3) there was even protest signage outside the theatre
o (4) President of Cineplex wrote an open letter to defend his limited showing of the film in his theatres.
• USA, State of Georgia recently passed an anti-abortion law and movie makers threaten to pull out of the state.
• Also This week… the Anglican Church of Canada in their national synod (conference) narrowly voted down a change to the Canon Law on Marriage – to allow gay marriage in the Anglican church
in 3 levels of voting …
(1) laity (passed the motion)
(2) clergy (passed)
(3) Bishops (narrowly failed)…
• comments on social media largely expressed sadness and contempt for the decision.
• Since the national vote …
o (1) local dioceses have permission to rule locally and
o (2) everyone says it's just a matter of time until it becomes Canon law – the next national Synod is in 3 years
• The Province of Quebec recently enacted legislation (BILL 21) to remove religious symbols from govt employees.
o EFC considers this legislation an assault on religious freedom.
o I recommend subscribing to the email updates)***
• Last summer Govt of Canada changed the summer jobs application to include a “Values test” … including attestation for reproductive rights/abortion(?) – later overturned!
o Many Xian groups had no summer student last year
o
o core mandate respects individual human rights in Canada, including the values underlying the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as well as other rights. These include reproductive rights and the right to be free from discrimination on the basis of sex, religion, race, national or ethnic origin, colour, mental or physical disability or sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.
• Very recently Govt of Ontario …went to court …
• court case on doctors “duty to refer” on matters of abortion and euthanasia
Joint Statement from Christian Legal Fellowship, The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, and the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario –
May 15, 2019
TORONTO – Today, the Ontario Court of Appeal released its decision in Christian Medical and Dental Society (CMDS) v. College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). The court unanimously upheld the CPSO’s policies on medical assistance in dying and human rights obligations. The policies require doctors who conscientiously object to ethically controversial procedures (such as euthanasia/assisted suicide and abortion) to take “positive action” to facilitate them, such as by providing an “effective referral” to a willing and available physician.
• The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario (ACBO), and the Christian Legal Fellowship (CLF) – who jointly intervened in the case as a Coalition – are disappointed with today’s ruling.
**what voice does the gospel have in these huge social issues of our day…
(1) marriage
(2) abortion
3) sexuality morality
(4) gender debate.
(5) religious freedom
(6) Political power & Gospel
• Couple all of this with the global increase of persecution against Christians and we see a pattern emerge of church and culture in conflict… and at best a tenuous relationship
**China has been at the forefront of attacking churches in recent months.
• The political events in the USA around the alliance of church and political power is a very dangerous game that threatens to corrupt the gospel witness. (for many it has already crossed that line.)
**It will take courage and conviction to be a Jesus follower in these days and the days ahead.
**The work of discipleship may be more urgent now than ever before – if that is possible.
There is a theological and biblical base to these issues.
There is also a pastoral and redemptive aspect to these matters as they touch perhaps every family in this church.
**But we cannot allow compassion and sympathy to override or silence our commitment to the gospel and the scriptures.
I believe we need courage to stand for truth and for the gospel in these days.
Let me remind us that the gospel was birthed in a hostile and pagan environment.
The romans killed Christians as a form of entertainment.
The 11 disciples were martyred for their beliefs.
Paul frames the matter as a spiritual conflict – he reminds us that we wrestle against principalities and powers and the rulers of this dark world – and he calls us to stand.
Today we live in a culture that is referred to as largely “post-modern”
• Truth is seen as relative
• Personal Experience matters more than absolute truth.
• Language is understood as fundamentally biased depending on who writes the narrative
• (Note – that works both ways!) ( and is thus self- incriminating)
• There is no sense of accountability to a creator. (lost long ago with the age of Enlightenment…(1715 -1789)
• Proverbs states that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge… if this principle is true then much of our knowledge and education is flawed and urgently needs a Christian worldview to enhance it.
21st century western Culture –
Redefinition of life…death…marriage, sexuality and gender and ultimately the core biblical concept of sin !
You could make a case that as people come out of the closet the church is being put into the closet… and we feel this tension.
It's not merely a matter of losing our grip on so-called “Christendom”… it's about the gospel and its proclamation.
this pressure attempts to Reduce the cross and its necessity… it Disrespects Christ and his sacrifice.
Church cannot compromise the gospel. Some are. More
will. Pressure
Church is silent. Go into the closet.
Love yes...
Careful here. Clarity requires us to affirm the gospel of the cross. Not a vague love without truth.
Our first love is to our Lord – 1st commandment
“Jesus said, if you love me you will keep my commandments”
The second love is to our neighbour.
Even on this basic level there can be tension.
So today, I feel the need to proclaim the gospel into the confusing culture in which we live… noting however that Christianity and culture have always had an uneasy relationship. For example, in conversation with a Christian brother a couple years back, he told me that my views on biblical morality and sexuality placed me on the “wrong side of history”… to which I replied, “the church has been on the so-called wrong side of history before” … meaning over the centuries we have been much persecuted for the gospel and the freedom to worship Jesus as Lord… but the church is still here.
I would also add that Jesus is Lord of history… he is not ever on the wrong side of history – time and history are his creation and under his dominion…and so as long as I follow him, I’m on solid ground.
…
I want to share a number of core affirmations:
1. I/we affirm scripture as authoritative.
It disturbs me when people use the bible as a “proof-text” – or ignore scripture altogether. I aspire to see all of us able to read, understand and apply scripture.
Many people simply ask us to “love everyone”… because God is love. I completely agree. There is no room in the gospel for hate or phobia or fear. However to love someone doesn’t mean to affirm or approve of their lifestyle and choices.
Some churches in Canada and St. Johns have taken a step further to a position of “gay affirming church.” I cannot support such a position with a clear conscience – simply because I cannot justify such a position from scripture. And furthermore to capitulate to culture trends on the basis of popularity or to avoid confrontation is disingenuous.
Scripture: __________
• Jesus was a friend of sinners—and that got him into trouble with the religious leaders of the day.
• Jesus often warned against hypocrisy …
•
• In 2 passages in John – chs 4 (Samaritan Woman) and 8 (Woman caught in adultery) /set-up)… Jesus gives us a beautiful and gracious ethic:
• John 4;
o (1) he associates with a social outcast (Samaritan)
o (2) offers a broken woman (5 husbands + ) “living water” – a better life …better stated – “real life”…
o He asks her to call her husband as a means of confronting her sin.
o Jesus points her to God in the person of himself the messiah… he doesn’t simply affirm her in her present situation… he offers her a new way of living centered in God.
• John 8 (a disputed text…)
o (1) Jesus confronts religious judgment and hypocrisy
o This woman has been caught in adultery – but the man seems to have been released!
o (2) Jesus -- “whoever is without sin cast the first stone”
o Where are your accusers?
• (3) to the woman… “ neither do I condemn you…go and leave your life of sin.”
• (4) Jesus offers her “living water” that will satisfy her thirst!
Scripture is our authority … a beautiful and precious gift from God
We are accountable to his Word.
2. I/we affirm all persons as made in God’s image and hasten to add that all of us are fallen and flawed by sin.
We are all image-bearers… we are all fearfully and wonderfully made. But we are all fallen and in need of redemption.
3. I/we affirm the need for redemption through the cross. That Christ died for all and all are separated from God through sin. The core gospel message is “ Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures (1 Cor 15)
4. We affirm God’s love and our love for all persons – the greatest command says Jesus is to (1) love God and (2) love your neighbour.
5. I further affirm the greatest expression of this love is to proclaim and practise the gospel…calling people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
Our identity isn’t found in our sexuality – our identity is found in Christ our Lord.
It should not surprise us that the gospel will confront culture and will also be resisted. This is the biblical record of the OT and the NT.
6. Sexual sin is “Sin” …and needs – like all sin – repentance. Of course society doesn’t understand or agree with this concept and many churches also deny sexual sin as defined in scripture.
Speaker -- “Nothing needs to be fixed. We are not broken. We are good.” Buddhism ...In moments I can reach out and touch that feeling.
Book ? “A War of Loves” by D Bennett (2018)
• Came out at age 14
• Lived a gay lifestyle
• Met Jesus (15?)
• Continued to have boyfriends for 3 more years
• Eventually came to see his allegiance to Christ and choose to follow the biblical teachings on sexual ethics
• It was and is a journey – a complicated journey.
• Page 124-125
• Many of us here have a family member or good friends in the gay community…
1 Cor 6 -Sexual Immorality
12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.”
The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? …
18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.
Sexual ethics apply to heterosexuals as well as homosexuals…
Pre-marital sex among Christians is not OK – it is sin that needs to be repented of and turned away from.
Sin is always destructive… and because God loves us, he calls us out of sin…
His redeeming work and his sanctifying work are expressions of his love for us.
7. How to live in this culture for Christ -- The Experience of Israel Living in Exile Is A Helpful Narrative.
They were not in a position of power. They were in a society that worshipped idols. They were called to remain true to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – and the covenant as stated in the 10 commandments. Though they were encouraged to build houses and settle down they were called to remain worshippers of the true and living God.
In 21st century Canada only 7% of us attend church of any kind. We also live in a secular and idolatrous society. We are a minority…in terms of values, the pressure to conform to societal norms is enormous… this includes everything from materialism, models of success and power…and the deification of self… and sexuality too.
T. Keller has observed that the sin beneath every sin is idolatry – to worship someone or something other than God – to take good things (money/career success – even family) and see them as ultimate things- this is modern day idolatry. This is an essential concept to understand as we live as Christ followers in the 21st century. (Exile).
8. I take the prophetic voice of preaching seriously – as God called Ezekiel to be a watchman for Israel – I see the preacher in a similar vocation today. It's typically unpopular to be a prophet. Prophets get themselves killed. Here is the job description – Ez 3
17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for[b] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.
Hebrews 13. 17 Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.
9. I Owe You the Respect to Proclaim the Gospel… And Warn You to Flee the Coming Wrath Of God Upon Godlessness.
acts 17: 29 “… now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed.
Ephesians 2
2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
10. I have been reading and educating myself on these social and moral issues and I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I must tell you that my primary source for truth is the Bible.
If we diminish the role of scripture, we are signing our own death certificate. Then culture will become the authoritative voice – even for the church… and the church will cease to be the church and will become apostate.
11. A helpful voice on these issues is R. Niebuhr …
A Pastor in Detroit 70 years ago he wrote a hugely influential book called “Christ and Culture”
Niebuhr argued that to approach religion (Christianity) as the individualistic attempt to fulfill biblical commandments in a moralistic sense is not only an impossibility but also a demonstration of man's original sin, -- which Niebuhr calls “self-love”
Through self-love man becomes focused on his own goodness and leaps to the false conclusion—that he can achieve goodness on his own.
Thus, mankind mistakes his partial ability to transcend himself for the ability to prove his absolute authority over his own life and world.
*** Niebuhr argued that original sin provides a far stronger foundation for freedom and self-government than illusions about human perfectibility.
Quote – “
"Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible.
Man's capacity for injustice makes democracy necessary."
Reinhold Niebuhr.
To this view of culture biblical scholar Don Carson writes: … “The ultimate hope is not that we get more and more of our structures right, (good govt is good but elusive) ... but that Christ returns with a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” (Don Carson)
***Our hope is in the gospel…
Carson – “We don't need to live our lives in fear; God works things out. We are to live responsibly. God's sovereignty is over both good and evil
Example –
Anti-Catholicism surged in Detroit in the 1920s in reaction to the rise in the number of Catholic immigrants from southern Europe since the early 20th century.
It was exacerbated by the revival of the Ku Klux Klan, which recruited many members in Detroit.
Niebuhr attacked the Klan.
During the Detroit mayoral election of 1925, Niebuhr's sermon, "We fair-minded Protestants cannot deny", was published on the front pages of both the Detroit Times and the Free Press.
This sermon urged people to vote against mayoral candidate Charles Bowles, who was being openly endorsed by the Klan.
The Catholic incumbent, John W. Smith, won by 30,000 votes.
Niebuhr preached against the Klan and helped to influence its decline in political power in Detroit.[58]
Niebuhr preached:
“Protestantism gave birth to the Ku Klux Klan, one of the worst specific social phenomena which the religious pride and prejudice of peoples has ever developed.... I do not deny that all religions are periodically corrupted by bigotry.
Reinhold Niebuhr – “Christ and Culture”
5 options:
1. “Christ Against Culture” -
(old-order Mennonites?) (St Jacobs)
? separation from world
? Christianity has never actually achieved this at any time, nor can it.
? There seems to be the false notion that sin lies in culture and when the Christian escapes culture, he/she can escape sin.
***Example – “Old Order Mennonites” are traditionalists who resist adopting modern expressions of faith and culture.
2. “Christ of Culture” (Christ becomes absorbed by culture & blesses it)
a. Nominal Christianity???
b. Becoming more popular…
*** Jesus is the Messiah of this society/kingdom --not his own kingdom!
*** this approach Produces a distortion of Christ and the gospel … makes Jesus conform to society (syncretism)
3. “Christ above Culture”.
The adherents stress that God orders culture, and thus culture is neither good nor bad
Leads to the institutionalization of Christ and the gospel.
this position can draw attention away from the “eternal hope and goal of the Christian” towards instead the “temporal embodiment” in a “man-devised form”
Also… “this position…does not face up to the radical evil present in all human work.”
4. Christ And Culture In Paradox
Christ and culture in paradox is another medial option between the extremes. It sees human culture as a good creation that’s been tainted by sin. As a result, there’s a tension in the Christian’s relationship to culture, simultaneously embracing and rejecting certain aspects of it.
Augustine ,Martin Luther and Soren Kierkegaard are representative of this view.
5. Christ Transforming Culture. *
this view means that we work in the culture for its betterment,
We also work for its transformation ? just and moral laws
Church history teaches us a few things about gospel, church and culture…
Germany – the state church supported A Hitler…
Karl Barth – Barmen Declaration… (1934)
8.11 Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God which we have to hear and which we have to trust and obey in life and in death.
8.12 We reject the false doctrine, as though the church could and would have to acknowledge as a source of its proclamation, apart from and besides this one Word of God, still other events and powers, figures and truths, as God's revelation.
8.15 We reject the false doctrine, as though there were areas of our life in which we would not belong to Jesus Christ, but to other lords--areas in which we would not need justification and sanctification through him.
8.17 The Christian Church is the congregation of the brethren in which Jesus Christ acts presently as the Lord in Word and sacrament through the Holy Spirit. As the Church of pardoned sinners, it has to testify in the midst of a sinful world, with its faith as with its obedience, with its message as with its order, that it is solely his property, and that it lives and wants to live solely from his comfort and from his direction in the expectation of his appearance.
8.18 We reject the false doctrine, as though the Church were permitted to abandon the form of its message and order to its own pleasure or to changes in prevailing ideological and political convictions.
8.23 We reject the false doctrine, as though the State, over and beyond its special commission, should and could become the single and totalitarian order of human life, thus fulfilling the Church's vocation as well.
8.27 We reject the false doctrine, as though the Church in human arrogance could place the Word and work of the Lord in the service of any arbitrarily chosen desires, purposes, and plans.
EFC – “God’s mercy and call for us to truly understand speaks truth to the faulty premise of individual autonomy and to the idols of our Western culture. Our true accountability is to God. God’s mercy helps explain God’s patience with all humanity, wanting us to know the truth of God’s revelation at Mount Sinai, in the Law, by the prophets and ultimately and completely in Christ Jesus.
The evangelical call is to testify about having experienced God’s mercy. We are sinful people who have acknowledged we can’t save ourselves. We have repented, cried to God for help and received God’s amazing mercy and compassion. With thanksgiving, we are to love mercy, be merciful and proclaim how human mercy is just a weak imitation of the great mercy of God.
Author: Bruce J. Clemenger
Big idea: “while we live in this world and make our living in this world…Our allegiance is to Christ and the gospel as revealed in holy scripture.” … like Abraham we are looking forward to a city with foundations whose architect and builder is God!
Application/take-away…
1. the best thing we can do is proclaim and practise the gospel good news
2. love God
3. Love our neighbour
4. be a friend of sinners - without becoming one.
5. hold in tension our dual citizenship of earth and heaven… but confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord… as written in the barmen declaration…”
8.11 Jesus Christ, as he is attested for us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God which we have to hear and which we have to trust and obey in life and in death.
8.12 We reject the false doctrine, as though the church could and would have to acknowledge as a source of its proclamation, apart from and besides this one Word of God, still other events and powers, figures and truths, as God's revelation.
Big idea:
“While we live in this world and make our living in this world…Our allegiance is to Christ and the gospel as revealed in holy scripture.” … like Abraham we are looking forward to a city with foundations whose architect and builder is God!
