Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Who has more influence: Christians or Culture?

As a little boy, I remember sitting next to my parents as we listened to what the preacher had to say.  There was no sleeping.  Writing notes.  Coloring.  Playing video games, or eating.  My parents felt that “church” was to sit and listen.  No movement. 

We also dressed the part.  It was the days of leisure suits and dippity-do.  My suit was powder blue and my hair had enough dippity-do that it wasn’t about to move no matter what I did. 

I still remember the preachers I was “forced” to listen to.  They would pound the pulpit and proclaim their sermons with a fiery passion and delivered a message that made you afraid if you didn’t obey every word of it. 

Looking back after living 40+ years, I see the value in attending a church gathering that focused its attention of right living.  I may disagree with the preaching method, but who is to say that my method or anyone else’s is any better today. 

I teach that the culture should not change the church, but the church influences the culture.  When a church is focused on living out Values.  Morals.  Ethics.  Honesty.  Love.  Going the extra mile or two.  Generosity.  Unity.  God. Spirit.  It will transform a culture modeling the very ideas of Scripture. 

Could it be possible that our churches have focused on the wrong messages?  Is it possible that our churches are more in competition with each other than it is to weed out the satanic corruption that is permeating our culture?  Could it be possible that we’ve allowed the cultural changes to take a backseat and ignore the decay of values, morals, ethics, honesty, love, going the extra mile or two, generosity, unity, God and Spirit because we have become self-absorbed, selfish, and less caring what our children are being taught through television, music and other social media?

It is a fact that our culture has changed over the last 40 years. It is also a fact that our churches have changed, too?  The simplicity of seeking, serving and sharing seem to have faded away into a more complex way of doing “church.”  We say that we have to keep up with the changes in our culture and generations.  I agree!  We do need to know what is happening and ensure we are engaged and connected with our culture in a very positive way.  However, if we are living out the principles of Scripture and seeking, serving, and sharing, then our culture doesn’t change so badly that it is hard to recognize. 

Jesus got into the mix of his culture.  He didn’t keep office hours, nor did he tell the people to check with his secretary to see if he has an opening.  He was in the trenches with the people.  Scriptures says, “ He came into the world to seek and to save the lost.”
 Luke 19:10.  Some churches have the tendency of using their facilities as the go to place for spiritual security only.  Jesus had the philosophy to go to the people to model what right living looks like.  He also came to minister to the needs of the people, according to Matthew 20:28. We will not know the needs of our community unless we are engaged and connected the way Jesus was. 

Jesus dealt with the sins of the people straight up.  He didn’t sugar coat his message, but he always said it with a loving and grace heart.  Jesus said to the people, in Mark 2:17, “…Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit.” (MSG)

In order to make a lasting impact in our culture, every aspect of the Christian life must be seasoned with the flavor of Jesus.  Jesus talks to the large crowd that gathered to hear him speak at the base of the mountain about being salt and light in Matthew 5:13-16. A Salt life means: “a tasty flavored life” If something doesn’t taste good; it generally isn’t eaten and thrown away.  Christians have the responsibility of ensuring our life is tasteful so that it will cause someone to want to come back for seconds and thirds and fourths!

Jesus also said that we are the light of the world.  Light helps others see what Christian values, morals, ethics, honesty, love, going the extra mile or two, generosity, unity, God and Spirit looks like.  In order to help others see the importance of having a relationship with Jesus, we must be lit up with love, joy, peace, kindness, and goodness.  We must demonstrate a life style that others are willing to change and be like.    

It is the responsibility of Christians to help shape a culture to look like Jesus, act like Jesus and live like Jesus.  The corruption of a community isn’t just the fault of those who have always lived in corruption; they don’t know any other life.  The fault of a corrupted culture partly lies with Christians who idly sit by and live a self-absorbed life and churches who are more concerned about their offerings, programs, and the only one’s right slogans than they are about the spiritual well being of every citizen in the town.

It is time each Christian stands up for the values, morals, ethics, honesty, love, going the extra mile or two, generosity, unity, God and Spirit to change a culture for Jesus

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

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