Christian Culture, part 1

Intro: A Construction worker revealed how disappointed he was and even hostile towards the church. He could not fathom how Christians could build church buildings all around the world of children and youth suffer and starve. No amount of explanation would deter his story. He ended the discussion by saying, "I like you Jesus but I don't like your churches. Maybe I would like your churches to favor more like Jesus." Today there is a culture of Christianity; Christianity is popular in America, so there is a complete culture built around it.

Culture: Social or intellectual characteristics in a community or population. Rome 321 A.D., Emperor Constantine declared Christianity was a legal religion. He ended the persecution which was a very good thing. But with that came popularity for Christianity and paganism and false doctrines rushed in and watered it down.
Today there is evidence that the message has been watered-down American. Bribing people to church in 2005? Church in Houston Texas gave away $120,000 house, church in Iowa gave away gas to its first-time visitors, and a church in Florida gave away a Hummer.
Christianity today has a distinct “gospel” that bears little resemblance to the biblical version. The good news it promotes is identified by the suppression of anything that feels threatening; the result is an evangel that is pro-family, pro-life, pro-american , pro-military, pro-capitalism, anti-feminist, anti-sex and anti-gay. The whole thing is sealed with a promise of heaven to boot. The fight is to create a culture that is hospitable to people receiving Christ as Lord and Savior. It is a culture war. The result is a culturally triumphant Christianity. But in the N T there is no culture that is hospitable to the gospel. Tyler W. Stevenson, Brand Jesus. P 136, 137
When the Bible says in Romans 12:2, Do not be conformed to this world. What does that mean? The Christian culture says that “the world” is whatever the church believes itself not to be. So a church can blaspheme the gospel with the "prosperity gospel". Prosperity preachers point to their own lavish lifestyles as confirmation of God's blessing. This makes it possible for these preachers and churches to rail against worldliness, despite the fact that they are concerned with nothing so much as flourishing materially and physically in the here and now -- a definition of "worldly" by most any standard. Actually Mammon, in the form of consumerism, has established the pattern for our day. And Jesus said you cannot serve God and mammon (or money). (Matt 6:24). The "pattern of the world" consists of forces like racism/tribalism, classism, and sexism which infect us all. In Galatians 3:28, race, class, and gender are the three attributes to tell us we transcend in Christ. The poor are still poor, the rich are still rich, the disenfranchised are still thus. Now consumerism threatens to become king of all patterns. We can understand all aspects of identity through our consumption habits. Romans 12:1, says to be transformed by the renewal of your minds. This happens from the inside out, the opposite of consumerism. Stephenson p189, 190

American nationalism, nationalism is devotion to the interests of particular nation. Christianity has taken on that role in the slogans "God bless America" to "we support our military" to "we will not forget 9/11". What is wrong with saying, “God bless Iraq?” “God bless Russia?” God loves the whole world, not just America. If other nations were blessed by God wouldn't that be a blessing to all of us?

Torture: Some of you may think this is a political statement, it is not. It is a moral statement. I am opposed to torture... in any of its forms. “September 2008, a Pew survey showed 48% of the general public believes torture sometimes or often is justified in order to obtain information from suspected terrorists. A poll of 600 Southern white evangelicals was released in Atlanta on the subject of torture. The new poll shows 57% of white Southern evangelicals hold this belief.” Can you imagine Jesus torturing someone? I can't.

Conventional-ism: Developed, established or approved by general usage; customary.
Conventional view:
1- Christ is solution to sin, saving us for eternity, only.
But this ignores current needs in the world.
2- The Christian message is focused on the last days and preparing for the second coming.
But there is no motivation to transform the world of here and now which Jesus spent most of his ministry doing.
3- "Removal" from the world is to keep us pure and prepare for heaven.
But Jesus said I must be in the world (John 17:15) to influence it, help it and save it.
4- God prefers his people over everyone else.
But John 3:16, God loved the world... not just his people.
5- God will destroy the world at the end so why take care of it, why care about it?
But Revelation 11:18, He will destroy those who destroy the earth. Isaiah 45:18, He created the world to be inhabited. Where is the responsibility to all life and our world?
6- Because salvation is for the afterlife and God will destroy the earth, the world will keep getting worse and worse; in fact this is God's plan. This view leads some to celebrate when things get really bad and even hope for bad things like the Sunday laws. A death wish?
But it also ignores the needs of real people today, the gospel of the good news, and the joy of serving Christ.

**A triumphant Church rather than a hurting church makes it difficult for hurting people to be apart.

Given as a talk by pastor Gary Tolbert for a Week of Prayer at University City Adventist church, January 20, 2010.