Culture - The Gospel According to Culture.

Steve Gentry

[0:01] Thanks so much again for being here. [0:03] I’m a creature of habit. [0:06] So whenever we switch anything in the service, [0:09] I’m like, I have no idea what to do. [0:12] And so I almost introduced myself again as soon as I came up here, [0:16] because that’s how I start every sermon.

[0:18] But I guess we already know each other. [0:20] I guess we’re already friends. [0:23] I guess you know who I am. [0:24] I have no idea who half of you are. [0:27] Which puts me at a real disadvantage. [0:29] But we’re going to get through this together.

[0:31] If you have your Bibles, you’ll get that later. [0:33] If you have your Bibles, open it up to 1 Corinthians chapter 9. [0:37] That’s where we’re going to park today. [0:39] And that’s where I’m going to try to stay. [0:41] I’m going to try not to give you the delusion of scriptures [0:44] that I sometimes tend to do.

[0:46] But I’m going to try to park here today. [0:48] Because what we’re going to talk about today [0:51] is probably the issue within dealing with the culture outside of the walls of the church [0:56] that takes the most discernment. [1:00] It takes the most wisdom. [1:02] And it takes the most amount of gospel saturation.

[1:08] That’s kind of the phrase that I like to cling to [1:11] when we’re talking about the culture at large. [1:13] It takes a huge amount of gospel saturation. [1:16] To really know how to interact day in and day out with the people of culture [1:22] who do not believe in Jesus or have different beliefs about Jesus [1:27] or even have very negative and aggressive feelings about the people of the church.

[1:35] And sometimes I realize, and I’m realistic about this, [1:38] I know that that can be a very difficult thing for you to deal with in your life. [1:44] But what I’m going to tell you today is how you react [1:48] to the people that you are surrounded with day in and day out. [1:54] And the type of conversations that you have. [1:57] And the understandings that you give them about the church

[2:01] just simply through the way that you act. [2:04] And through the things that you believe. [2:06] Will define what the gospel means to them.

[2:12] So as followers of Jesus Christ, we have this great privilege. [2:16] But also great responsibility to represent him in this world [2:22] and to be his messengers of reconciliation with God to this culture. [2:29] The attitude that I want to come from today [2:32] is an attitude from 2 Corinthians chapter 5. [2:35] I’m already breaking my promise.

[2:36] I’m already going through the whole Bible. [2:38] In 2 Corinthians chapter 5, when Paul writes to the church at Corinth [2:42] after this letter, he writes them another letter. [2:44] And he says, we have been made ambassadors for Christ, [2:49] God making his appeal through us to the world. [2:53] God making his appeal through us.

[2:55] Be reconciled to God. [2:56] The scripture says right there, [2:58] that we have been made messengers of reconciliation [3:01] through the work that God has done in our lives, [3:05] through the cross of Jesus Christ, [3:07] and through his resurrection.

[3:10] So in order to be able to go out into the world [3:14] and truly engage the culture, [3:17] we must be absolutely saturated, secure, and sure [3:23] of our standing before God in Jesus Christ. [3:28] Because if we do not go into the culture [3:30] with a gospel centeredness,

[3:33] that that gospel saturation is going to give us, [3:36] we will get it all wrong.

[3:40] We will get it all wrong. [3:42] And like I said last week, [3:44] that is why in the past, especially in the modern era, [3:50] we have gotten it wrong.

[3:54] So last week we talked about the fact [3:57] that the mission of Jesus requires gospel centeredness. [4:02] I cannot proclaim that to you enough.

[4:07] That it requires gospel centeredness. [4:08] But in the second light, [4:10] it also requires cultural relevance. [4:15] The mission requires cultural relevance. [4:18] And we can define that so many different ways [4:22] in our culture.

[4:24] We can define it so many different ways. [4:25] And here is the big key to understanding [4:27] what cultural relevance is all about. [4:29] Because there is no prescription [4:32] on what it means to be culturally relevant. [4:35] I am culturally irrelevant.

[4:37] To a great deal of the world.

[4:42] You drop me in the middle of Europe [4:43] and I would be so confusing to them. [4:47] It would take me months to recover. [4:48] It would take me months to just make a friend. [4:51] Why? [4:52] Well first off, I cannot communicate

[4:53] with lots of people who do not speak my language. [4:56] And I am very stubborn about that. [4:58] And I would look at them and say, [4:59] well it is your problem, not mine. [5:01] Learn English. [5:03] Because I am pretty much your typical ignorant white guy.

[5:07] Alright, let’s just start out there. [5:10] Alright, when I talk about culture, [5:11] I am not coming at it from a scope of [5:14] I am the professional here, [5:15] you guys need to learn from me. [5:17] I am coming at it from a scope of

[5:19] oh my goodness, I struggle with this. [5:21] Just as much, if not more than you do. [5:26] Because I am hung up on my preferences [5:29] on the culture that I want to see. [5:32] And 90% of it I would guess. [5:34] I just made up that statistic.

[5:36] 90% of it is not gospel centered at all.

[5:43] And it is only until you are willing [5:45] to admit that yourself, [5:46] that you can become a missionary to this culture [5:48] with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[5:52] That is it. [5:53] Because when you are willing to admit that, [5:55] you can start becoming gospel centered. [5:58] Because the problem is not that you are so irrelevant [6:00] to the culture out there. [6:01] The problem is you are not gospel centered enough

[6:04] to sacrifice. [6:06] You are not gospel centered enough [6:07] to admit that Bill Gaither is not part of the Trinity.

[6:16] We must humble ourselves [6:20] under the gospel [6:21] to be any good in the culture around us.

[6:28] In 1 Corinthians chapter 9, [6:31] Paul is dealing with a church [6:33] that is messy. [6:35] Paul is dealing with a church [6:36] that is full of sin.

[6:39] Paul is dealing with a church [6:41] that is full of what we would look at [6:43] as immorality. [6:45] If the stuff that was going on [6:47] in the church at Corinth in this time [6:49] was going on in your family,

[6:51] you would cry every day. [6:54] If your children were doing the things [6:56] that the church at Corinth were doing, [6:58] you would be in shambles. [7:01] They were that wicked. [7:03] If you just read through the book of 1 Corinthians,

[7:06] it reads like a tell all [7:08] Danielle Steele novel.

[7:11] It is rather [7:14] specific as to [7:15] the specific sins that they are dealing with. [7:18] But the weird way that Paul [7:19] deals with it is not the same way [7:21] that many of us would deal with it right now.

[7:24] Because Paul comes [7:25] through all of this wickedness, [7:27] and he says they are spiritual babies, [7:29] he just spends the first three chapters bashing them, [7:31] saying I don’t even know if you people believe the gospel. [7:33] Then he goes through it and says I came to you,

[7:35] I chose to know nothing except for Christ [7:37] and Him crucified. [7:39] Then in chapter 8, he brings a full circle, [7:42] and the way in which he chooses [7:44] to deal with all of the immorality [7:46] that they are struggling with,

[7:47] is to start talking about whether or not [7:50] they were allowed to eat meat.

[7:54] Which is a very strange way [7:56] for me to deal with immorality. [7:58] Because what was taking place [8:02] in Corinth at this time, [8:03] and especially in chapter 8, [8:04] is a huge controversy erupted

[8:07] in the church as to whether or not [8:09] they were allowed to eat certain types of meat [8:11] or they weren’t allowed to eat certain types of meat. [8:15] Because the way that [8:16] people in Corinth [8:18] would get their meat is,

[8:19] they would go to basically the butcher shop. [8:23] Which is not irregular. [8:24] If you grew up in the United States [8:26] a great number of years ago, [8:27] and now we just go to the supermarket, [8:29] but years ago people would go to the butcher

[8:31] in order to get their meat, [8:32] and there are some places in the country [8:33] where they have literal butcher shops [8:35] where you go and get really good meat. [8:37] Well in Corinth they had the same thing. [8:40] Except in Corinth it was a little bit different.

[8:42] The butcher shops were connected [8:44] to pagan temples. [8:47] Where they would build idols, [8:49] and they would offer sacrifices of meat [8:51] to those idols, [8:53] and whatever meat was left over

[8:56] from the pagan temple sacrifices, [8:59] or what they didn’t use [9:00] from when they butchered the animals, [9:02] they would take to a back room [9:05] which was their butcher shop, [9:07] and then they would sell

[9:08] the meat that had been offered to the idols [9:10] to the people of Corinth. [9:13] And they had the market [9:14] cornered on this. [9:16] And if you didn’t go to these temple butcher shops [9:19] to get your meat,

[9:20] it was pretty hard to get meat. [9:21] Well in the church at Corinth, [9:23] there were some people inside of the church [9:25] who used to worship those idols.

[9:30] And so when they got saved, [9:32] when they came to know Jesus Christ, [9:34] they came to the church at Corinth [9:36] because they didn’t have [9:37] the plethora of options that we have. [9:40] So they would just come to the church at Corinth.

[9:42] And they would go and they would have meals [9:43] with people because [9:44] they would have basically the group of people [9:47] come to their house, and they would bring [9:48] the steak out, and they would bring the A1 sauce, [9:51] and they would have the salad.

[9:52] And while the people who used to worship idols in the temple,

[9:59] where did you get this meat?

[10:02] Well, the butcher shop.

[10:06] Don’t you know that [10:08] that meat used to be offered to idols? [10:10] How dare you eat that wicked, [10:12] wicked meat?

[10:16] And so a huge controversy erupts [10:17] and the people of Corinth just did not know what to do. [10:20] Because on the one hand you have people who are struggling [10:23] with their former life of idol worship, [10:26] and on the other hand you have people who didn’t [10:28] used to do that, and they have never thought about this issue before,

[10:31] they just knew that they really, really liked ribeye. [10:36] And so this was not an issue that they had ever dealt with before. [10:40] And so now you have this controversy inside the church. [10:43] And one of the questions that they had sent to Paul [10:47] and not wanting to deal with their actual immorality [10:49] was, hey Paul, are we allowed to eat meat offered to idols?

[10:53] Or are we not allowed to eat meat offered to idols? [10:55] We really need a law on this. [10:59] So could you just give us a yes or no? [11:01] And Paul’s response, as most of his response [11:03] is in the New Testament, [11:04] is so good because he just doesn’t answer the question.

[11:06] Right off the bat, he basically just looks at them [11:08] and says, you’re asking the wrong question.

[11:12] So the question is not whether or not you can eat the meat. [11:15] The question is, do you believe the gospel? [11:17] Or don’t you believe the gospel?

[11:20] And people of Corinth, [11:22] I could just imagine me being in Corinth [11:24] because I would have really been the steak eater [11:26] in that situation. [11:28] I just can’t live without meat. [11:30] And I would have read the letter and been like,

[11:33] Paul, come on, throw me a bone here. [11:36] Just a yes or no would have sufficed. [11:37] Why do you always want to take it deeper into my life [11:40] than I’m interested in going? [11:42] Just tell me whether or not I’m allowed to do it or not. [11:45] That would have been a much easier situation.

[11:48] But if Paul had just given a simple example [11:49] [11:49] he wouldn’t have helped them whatsoever. [11:52] So Paul begins in chapter 8 [11:55] and then into chapter 9. [11:56] He begins taking them through

[11:58] his reasoning for not giving them [12:00] a simple yes or no by preaching [12:02] the gospel to them and saying, your problem is [12:04] that neither one of you believe the gospel. [12:06] The people who don’t want to eat the meat [12:08] don’t believe the gospel.

[12:09] And the people who do eat the meat don’t want to believe the gospel.

[12:14] This is an interesting story. [12:15] This is kind of relevant to most of our lives. [12:18] One time I interned at a church. [12:20] This was years ago. [12:23] We all went out to lunch. [12:24] They were having a missions emphasis week.

[12:26] There were a good deal of missionaries there [12:28] from all around the world. [12:31] There was one missionary from Toronto [12:32] and we had hit it off. [12:33] We were just chit chatting over lunch. [12:35] We had gone to an Asian restaurant.

[12:38] After lunch, it had been good. [12:40] I was full. [12:41] Man, if you ever want to make me happy, [12:43] get me full. [12:45] I didn’t get this big by not eating. [12:48] After we are done eating,

[12:50] we go out into the foyer [12:51] and there is this little Buddha [12:54] and he is holding [12:55] this little cup [12:57] that has toothpicks in it. [13:00] I had chicken in my teeth.

[13:03] I go up to the Buddha [13:04] and didn’t think anything. [13:05] I just wanted a toothpick. [13:06] I take the toothpick and I’m trying to… [13:09] It was really rude by the way. [13:10] Don’t do that in front of people.

[13:11] I’ve since learned [13:12] that you are supposed to excuse yourself [13:14] and go to the bathroom. [13:15] At that point, I was fairly barbaric. [13:17] I’m just whittling away at my teeth here. [13:19] Trying to get the meat out of my teeth.

[13:22] The guy looks at me and I can see the offense [13:25] all over his face. [13:27] He says, oh, sorry. [13:30] He says, no. [13:31] Where did you get that toothpick?

[13:34] I was like, over there. [13:35] Do you have something in your teeth? [13:37] He says, no. [13:38] But I cannot believe [13:40] you took a toothpick from Buddha.

[13:46] I was stunned. [13:48] I was like, uh… [13:51] I didn’t know I took a toothpick from Buddha. [13:53] I just wanted a toothpick [13:55] because I had a piece of chicken in my teeth [13:57] and he is telling me

[13:59] I have committed the unpardonable sin [14:01] and I need to pour ashes over my head [14:03] and repent because I have honored Buddha [14:05] by taking a toothpick from him.

[14:10] Alright?

[14:13] So this situation is not far removed [14:15] from my life. [14:17] Alright? [14:18] It’s not far removed from your life either. [14:21] Alright? [14:22] Because, I mean, if you have spent any time

[14:24] in church, you’ve dealt with this issue.

[14:29] Can you drink alcohol [14:30] and follow Jesus?

[14:34] Can you watch rated R movies and follow Jesus? [14:37] Can you smoke cigarettes and follow Jesus? [14:41] Can you do this? Can you do that? [14:42] Can you have a TV? Can you have cable? [14:44] Can you have internet? Can you listen to the radio? [14:47] What radio stations am I allowed to listen to?

[14:49] Can I do this? Can I do that? [14:50] Can I wear name-brand clothes or should I make my own? [14:53] Am I allowed to wear… [14:55] Is my wife allowed to cut her hair? [14:56] Am I allowed to grow my hair long? [14:58] Am I allowed to wear earrings? Am I allowed to have tattoos?

[15:01] Am I allowed to untuck my shirt? [15:03] Do I have to wear a suit and tie to church? [15:05] Do I have to do this? Do I have to do that? [15:07] Do I have to do the other thing? [15:09] Do I have to turn three times before I enter the building? [15:12] Do a little hop, say a little prayer,

[15:14] kiss my fingers, touch the sky? [15:16] What do I… [15:17] Can I, can I not, should I, should I not? [15:20] And if you’re sitting in here [15:21] and you’ve been following Jesus any time at all, [15:23] you have probably asked one or all

[15:25] of the questions that I just directed. [15:28] And I warned you last week, okay, [15:30] let me put a little disclaimer here. [15:31] I warned you last week [15:33] that from last week, this week, and next week, [15:36] there’s really going to be no filter

[15:38] about what I talk about up here. [15:40] And I’m probably going to offend some of you. [15:42] And I promise it’s not personal whatsoever. [15:46] But I am going to try to [15:48] deconstruct some of your sacred cows. [15:52] And some, you’re going to get offended at something I say this week.

[15:54] I was offended at some of the things I said last week. [15:57] So I went home and I sent myself [15:59] an email just to clarify a few things last week. [16:01] But I also put the disclaimer [16:03] that you have to wait until I’m done next week [16:04] to send me any hateful emails.

[16:06] Because I’m going to try to avoid opening them [16:09] until after the service next week. [16:11] And then hopefully if I haven’t addressed your issue by next week, [16:13] you’ll understand.

[16:16] So when you see [16:18] the church at Corinth ask the question, [16:20] can we eat the meat or can we not eat the meat? [16:22] Paul’s answer is, [16:25] you don’t believe the gospel. [16:27] And I would find that profoundly

[16:29] unhelpful with most of the questions [16:31] that I have about my life. [16:34] But the question they’re going to ask [16:35] is very important to the issue [16:38] of how we deal with culture. [16:41] Because Paul looks at the people

[16:44] who refuse to eat the meat [16:45] and are telling everyone else [16:47] that they don’t believe [16:48] that they are sinning by eating the meat. [16:50] And he says, you don’t believe [16:52] the gospel enough to realize

[16:55] that those idols that that meat was offered to [16:58] don’t even exist. [17:00] They have zero power. [17:03] And they don’t even have the power [17:03] to eat the meat. [17:03] And why in the world would the meat

[17:05] all of a sudden be pictures of Satan [17:08] in your mind by eating it? [17:10] You don’t believe the gospel. [17:12] Of course people can eat the meat. [17:14] That’s not a gospel issue.

[17:19] But then to the people who did eat the meat, [17:22] he looks at them and says, [17:23] you don’t believe the gospel enough [17:26] to love the people [17:27] who are coming out of the lifestyle of sin [17:29] to avoid eating meat in front of them

[17:33] while you disciple them [17:34] so that they will not have that baggage [17:37] of idolatry anymore. [17:38] So Paul’s answer is, both of you are in sin [17:41] because neither one of you [17:43] believe the gospel.

[17:46] Well Paul, that’s very helpful. [17:48] So what do we do?

[17:53] See, we’re no different than they are.

[17:57] We just want a quick yes or no [17:58] and let me move on my day. [17:59] And Paul’s answer is, the problem [18:02] is not the outer action. [18:04] The problem is what’s going on [18:06] inside of you.

[18:09] The problem is the gospel [18:10] is not taking deep root [18:12] because when the gospel is taking deep root [18:14] you’re going to put the needs of others [18:16] before your own needs so that the gospel [18:18] can go as far as possible.

[18:20] And if the meat stands in front of the gospel [18:23] going forward [18:24] in people’s lives, you’d better [18:26] stay away from the meat. [18:28] But if eating the meat [18:30] furthers the gospel in other people’s lives

[18:33] then you had better go to Golden Corral [18:36] and put it all on your plate [18:37] and have a good meal.

[18:42] The issue is not the meat, [18:43] the issue is the mission of Jesus. [18:45] That’s Paul’s answer.

[18:49] So with these little pet things [18:51] that you have questions about [18:53] understand that I’m not going to give you [18:55] a yes or a no, I’m just going to ask you [18:57] does it advance the gospel? [19:00] Does it advance the mission of Jesus?

[19:02] And when you begin to think that way [19:04] the gospel begins to do amazing things in you [19:07] and you actually become a missionary [19:09] to the culture outside of you. [19:11] So let’s get really specific. [19:13] Go to 1 Corinthians chapter 9

[19:14] and let’s just deal with part [19:16] of what Paul has to say about this. [19:19] 1 Corinthians chapter 9 [19:20] we’re going to start reading in verse 19.

[19:27] I am free from all [19:29] I have made myself [19:31] a servant to all [19:33] that I might win [19:35] more of them. [19:37] Let’s stop right there for just a minute.

[19:39] Paul is kind of summarizing what he has said [19:41] throughout the whole chapter [19:45] of 1 Corinthians chapter 9. [19:47] Paul is summarizing the first part of the chapter right there. [19:49] Paul has just spent that entire chapter [19:51] telling them that the meat has no power.

[19:55] Paul’s basic point right there [19:56] is because I am so secure [19:59] because Jesus’ power [20:01] on the cross [20:02] because of His atonement [20:03] because of all that He did

[20:05] in His death, burial and resurrection [20:07] because of the power of that in my life [20:09] I am free to do whatever I want. [20:13] I am free to eat as much [20:15] of the meat that has been offered to idols [20:17] as I want to eat

[20:19] because that does not [20:21] determine my salvation. [20:24] What determines my salvation? [20:25] Jesus!

[20:30] Paul’s point there is [20:31] is the gospel of Jesus Christ [20:35] sufficient enough [20:36] to save you? [20:38] Completely.

[20:41] Paul’s answer is [20:42] absolutely. [20:44] Because of it, I am free. [20:46] I can go into any culture. [20:48] I can be a cultural chameleon. [20:50] I can reinvent myself.

[20:51] I can do whatever I want to. [20:52] I can wear whatever clothes I want. [20:54] I can pierce as many things as I want. [20:56] I can get as many tattoos as I want. [20:57] I can up tuck my shirt as much as I want to. [20:59] I can do whatever I want to.

[21:01] Have any job I want to. [21:02] Go and eat anywhere that I want to. [21:04] Have as many friends that are lost as I want to. [21:07] Have as many friends that are saved as I want to. [21:09] I can do whatever I want to [21:12] and it does not condemn me.

[21:18] Because the gospel liberates me [21:21] and it has power over death. [21:24] Therefore, I am free [21:27] from all condemnation.

[21:32] And I can already see it on some of you [21:33] faces. Well, if you just take [21:35] that as far as you are saying it right now, [21:37] you are just going to have chaos.

[21:43] Does Romans 8 say [21:45] there is therefore now [21:47] no condemnation to those [21:49] who are in Christ Jesus?

[21:56] How free [21:58] does the gospel [21:59] make you? [22:02] Completely free. [22:03] That is Paul’s point right there. [22:05] I am completely free.

[22:08] Nothing can condemn me. [22:11] Paul is saying I can go in that pagan temple [22:13] and dance a little jig around the idol [22:15] and I am not going to hell. [22:17] I am free baby. [22:20] Because it is all about Jesus.

[22:25] So Paul is saying [22:26] I really believe the gospel. [22:28] That is what Paul is saying. [22:29] You just kind of believe it. [22:31] I really believe it because some of you [22:33] you think the meat condemns you

[22:36] or liberates you. The meat does not do any of that. [22:38] Jesus did all of that. [22:40] Take one step further. [22:42] Some of you are like [22:43] Jesus says more than that in the verse. [22:46] Give me a minute.

[22:51] First Corinthians chapter 9. [22:54] Go back to verse 19.

[23:00] The grammar here is significant.

[23:04] How does he start that verse?

[23:09] For though [23:11] I am free from all. [23:14] That word though is really important [23:16] because if you don’t know what that though means [23:18] you won’t get the significance [23:20] of what he is saying when he says I am free from all.

[23:23] Though I am free from all. [23:25] Though Jesus has my security. [23:27] Though Jesus is my sureness. [23:29] Though my roots go [23:31] really deep to where no one [23:33] can rip me out of the ground

[23:34] because John chapter 10 says [23:36] once you have been redeemed God puts you in the palm of his hand [23:39] and no man can pluck you out of it.

[23:45] Paul is dealing with [23:47] how secure is the gospel of Jesus? [23:50] Completely secure.

[23:54] Because it doesn’t depend on you. [23:57] But most of us live practically [24:00] as if it completely depends on me. [24:04] Because we go places [24:05] and it’s like if anyone touches me I will be sinful.

[24:10] Have you ever done this? [24:11] Have you ever been to the grocery store? [24:13] Especially now that we have beer in all of our grocery stores [24:15] and you avoid the beer out [24:17] because you don’t want anyone to see you on that one.

[24:22] I have to avoid it. [24:23] They might think I am drinking wine.

[24:28] You know? [24:29] I heard a joke this week [24:30] that the only difference between Baptist and Presbyterian [24:32] is that Baptist won’t wave at you in the liquor store. [24:35] But I wish I had made that up. [24:39] But I didn’t.

[24:45] Some of you live practically

[24:48] as if your salvation depends on your actions.

[24:53] You want to know some of the logic I grew up with? [24:56] I can’t go to the movie theater [24:57] because people won’t know what movie I am going to [24:59] and they might think I am going to a rated R one [25:01] so I can’t go there.

[25:05] I kind of turned that full circle [25:06] when I was like 12 years old [25:08] because my question was [25:09] how do they know what I am renting at the video store?

[25:15] I don’t know. I have to go to the video store now. [25:18] I just sell your DVD player. [25:19] It’s easier that way. [25:21] That’s where it goes. [25:23] So practically, where do you find your security?

[25:30] Keep going. [25:31] Though I am free from all [25:33] and this is where I want you to hone in on today. [25:37] I have made myself a servant to all [25:40] that I might win more of them. [25:43] Paul is saying

[25:45] even though I am absolutely free [25:48] to do whatever I want [25:50] because I know my salvation [25:51] is absolutely secure because of the cross [25:54] because of the resurrection [25:55] because of Jesus

[25:57] there is no condemnation to me. [25:59] I can do whatever I want. [26:03] And I am redeemed. [26:06] But then he says [26:08] but I have made myself a servant to all. [26:13] In the original language what he is saying is

[26:15] I have put myself [26:17] under bondage [26:20] to other people [26:22] so that they will know [26:25] the same Jesus that I know.

[26:29] I enslave myself. [26:31] That’s the idea. [26:33] He is giving us a word picture here. [26:36] I enslave myself [26:38] to others [26:39] so that they will know

[26:41] the same Jesus [26:42] so that they will know the same security [26:45] so that they will know the same [26:48] sureness [26:49] the same glory [26:50] the same worship

[26:52] the same God that I know. [26:54] I enslave myself to them.

[27:02] Elsewhere he says in the book of Galatians [27:04] he says you have [27:05] absolute liberty in Jesus [27:07] only do not use your liberty [27:09] as an excuse [27:13] for the flesh.

[27:18] He says these things not to give us a law [27:20] but rather to let us know what’s at stake [27:22] and what the transformation [27:24] that redemption brings us [27:26] in our lives [27:26] what it leads to.

[27:32] Because when you [27:34] get to redemption [27:35] remember we have redemption, mission, [27:38] community, culture [27:39] when you are redeemed [27:41] God does this work in you

[27:43] where He transforms you [27:45] and He baptizes you in His Holy Spirit [27:48] and what that does is [27:50] Romans chapter 6 [27:51] Paul believed this [27:53] that he had been risen from the dead

[27:56] to a new life [27:58] in Christ. In Ephesians chapter 2 [28:00] he says I was spiritually dead [28:03] but God [28:04] in Christ Jesus has seated me [28:06] in the heavenly places.

[28:10] He believed [28:10] in this transformation [28:11] and what he says is this transformation [28:13] has created a lifestyle in me [28:16] where I absolutely believe [28:17] that I am secure in the gospel

[28:19] but the gospel creates in me [28:22] an ability [28:24] to obey the command [28:26] that says [28:29] love others [28:30] as yourself

[28:31] and if you have been taken [28:33] from hell and seated in the heavenly [28:36] places with Christ Jesus [28:38] what does love dictate [28:39] that you do? It dictates [28:42] that you go and tell others

[28:43] you do not have to live in hell [28:45] you can live in the heavenly places with Christ Jesus.

[28:49] And Paul says [28:49] my life is saturated with it. [28:52] Paul is saying right there [28:53] that his life is dictated [28:56] it is driven, it is guided [28:58] by the notion that he wants to

[29:00] see the faith that God has gifted [29:02] him with because faith is [29:04] a gift, it is not yours. [29:06] God grants us the faith to believe [29:08] in Jesus. He says the gift that [29:10] God has given us that is faith

[29:12] I want to see that replicated [29:14] in as many other [29:16] people as possible [29:18] in my lifetime [29:20] and he says the issue is not [29:22] eating meat or not eating meat

[29:24] the issue is which one [29:26] will replicate the faith that [29:28] God has given you in Christ Jesus in as many [29:30] people as possible [29:31] in your lifetime. [29:34] He is saying you don’t believe the gospel

[29:36] because if you believed the gospel you would [29:38] love both people.

[29:46] Because what we do [29:48] to the gospel [29:50] and the reason that we want more [29:52] is because we want to see the faith [29:54] [29:54] even though Galatians clearly says

[29:57] we have been redeemed from the curse of the law [30:00] the law was never meant [30:02] to redeem the law was meant [30:03] to imprison so that Jesus could liberate

[30:08] Paul is saying you have perverted [30:11] the gospel [30:14] and made it a religion [30:15] rather than a mission

[30:24] If you do not take what Paul writes seriously and you say, but I don’t want to change my [30:33] life, I don’t want to see my faith reproducing as many people as possible in my lifetime [30:40] because I know what that will take, then I just ask you, do you believe the gospel?

[30:52] I’m going to give you four things this morning. We’re going to move quick. The first thing [31:00] I’m going to give you today, four demands that the gospel makes. I don’t usually preach [31:03] this way, it just happened. Sorry. First thing today, the gospel demands missional [31:11] humility. The gospel demands missional humility. Part of our problem is that we don’t know [31:19] what humility means. We know that it means that counting others is more significant [31:23] than ourselves, but at the end of the day, if that’s all that you do, you’re not really

[31:27] humble because you’re just making other people feel better than you make yourself feel. [31:31] Then at the end of the day, you lay down in the bed and you’re like, oh, I counted [31:34] others more significant than myself today. I’m a good person. That’s pride. You’re [31:40] actually doing the antithesis of being humble. What I’m going to tell you today is that [31:46] anything that you do based on whether it’s good or bad is bad because our choices must [31:59] be driven by the mission of Jesus. If you are going to be humble in the face of the

[32:11] gospel, the first step is realizing Jesus paid it all. I offer nothing to this equation. [32:17] If that’s not humbling, not much is going to humble you. The second thing in that gospel-driven [32:25] humility is understanding that I do not have the option in gospel freedom to live my life [32:36] however I want to. Paul says right there, I’m free. What that freedom causes is a desire [32:44] to see others liberated by the gospel. What he does is he has this missional humility. [32:54] He builds his life humbled by the gospel, counting others more significant. So the

[33:02] choices that he makes are dictated by what will further the gospel in other people’s lives.

[33:12] In chapter 10, he says, if you’re with people who are offended by meat, don’t eat meat. [33:21] If you’re with people that love meat, eat the freaking meat so that you will have an entryway [33:29] to give them the gospel.

[33:39] Verse 20. Here’s where it’s going to start getting sticky for some of us.

[33:45] Start. Verse 20. To the Jews, I became as a Jew in order to win the Jews. To those under the law, [33:54] I became as one under the law, though not being myself under the law, that I might win those [34:00] under the law. To those outside the law, I became as one outside the law, not being outside the law [34:06] of God, but under the law of Christ, that I might win those outside the law. To the weak, [34:12] I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means, [34:25] I might save some. You want to know what missional humility looks like? That’s what missional

[34:33] humility looks like. Paul says, I am not bound to a culture of my own making. I am bound to the [34:41] cultures that others have made, so that I might win some to Jesus. The gospel demands a missional [34:53] mindset. Paul goes into every culture and he begins to look at that culture and he says, [35:03] How can I further Jesus in the most strategic way possible? He says, If I’m in Jerusalem, I am [35:11] surrounded by Jews who live in the prison of the law. And even though I have been liberated from the [35:17] law, when I’m in Jerusalem, I put myself under the law and I live a completely kosher lifestyle. I don’t

[35:33] have to be Jewish. I come with some brisket. He goes to temple and he prays. He follows the Jewish law. [35:50] Why? Not because he earns or loses credibility with God and acceptance with God, but because if he does [36:00] that, he may have the opportunity to liberate them from the law as he’s liberated from the law. What this [36:08] means is, if you go to a Bill Gaither concert, don’t bring a DC Talk CD. I pray none of you would do [36:18] that. Not bring the DC Talk CD, go to the Bill Gaither concert. Some of you are like, I don’t even know [36:26] what that is. Good. You’ll be far more effective in culture that way. And some of you are like, But I like Bill Gaither.

[36:35] That’s okay. So does my mom. And if you ask my wife, she’ll be like, So does my husband. I catch him watching [36:41] TVN sometimes. What? No, that’s not true. Hey, you know, I like Ernie Haas. The people are cool. We’re down.

[36:52] But then, but see, some people inside of the culture would have been like, Absolutely. We need to follow the [36:57] law. We need more people who are religious. Let’s take back America. But then Paul says, Wait. But to the [37:07] Greek, I become as a Greek. To those under the law, I become as one under the law, even though I’m not under the [37:12] law. But to those who are outside of the law, I become outside of the law, even though I’m not outside of the [37:20] law. Wait a second, Steve. You wait just one darn second here. Are you saying we should live our lives in such a way [37:31] that we remove religious barriers so that the culture can see Jesus more clearly? Yep. Well, what does that mean?

[37:45] Where do we start? All right, because some of us are not religious at all, and we’re not going to struggle with this. [37:52] Some of us are very religious, and we’re going to struggle with this. All right, so I’m going to start with a simple [37:57] issue of how we do church. All right. In the early 1900s, there was a new engine. I’m going way back. Like, I’m not [38:12] sure if you were alive. Some of you may have been alive. But in the early 1900s, I don’t know. In the early 1900s, [38:17] there was this new instrument introduced to the world. It’s called the pipe organ. All right. Most of you know what the [38:24] pipe organ is. Go to a traditional church. You’ll know what a pipe organ is. And some churches began to install these

[38:32] pipe organs. Churches began splitting. People began running from the church because they were introducing a [38:42] technological advancement that had obviously come from Satan called the pipe organ. Some of us can’t imagine [38:51] singing hymns without a pipe organ. And some of you wouldn’t go to a church, well, probably not some of you, but some [38:57] people won’t go to a church now that doesn’t have a pipe organ because they think Paul himself played a pipe organ.

[39:05] All right. But how would Paul answer that question? Paul would answer that question. Is the pipe organ attractive to the [39:13] culture outside? Install one. I want to win more of them. Paul lived with the lifestyle of will it reach more people [39:25] with the gospel of Jesus Christ? If the answer is yes, then do it. If the answer is no, then don’t do it. How many signs [39:31] should we have out front? Clearly, you noticed ours. All right. How many signs should we have out front? As many as it [39:40] takes. That’s my answer. If it took 400 signs put in out there so that someone would stop and hear the gospel of Jesus [39:48] Christ and be redeemed, I would put 400 signs out there. What type of music should we play inside of the church?

[39:54] What type of music is most attractive to the culture outside? If I was planting a church in downtown Philadelphia, we may [40:07] even have hip hop worship. If I was planting a church in West Virginia, probably won’t. You can. In the mountains of West [40:20] Virginia, it might involve a banjo. Which is why I’m not going. Steve, you don’t believe the gospel enough to play a banjo? [40:29] Probably not. Probably not. All right. Does that mean that here at the village we might change our worship style if we [40:43] change our worship style? Yes. I’m not going to ask your permission either. We’re not going to vote? Sweet Lord, no. Have you seen what [40:54] church votes can cause? I’m the least culturally savvy, so they’re usually not my decisions anyway. If it was up to me, it would be one

[41:05] guy with a keyboard and he’d be singing like 80s worship songs. He’d be singing Petra. That’s how savvy I am. Because I love the gospel, [41:16] I don’t make it dependent on me because I know I’m not cool. All right? Every decision that we make as a church is driven by a [41:27] desire to take the mission of Jesus to culture. You must form a missional mindset for yourself through the local church because this is the way [41:36] God has designed to reach culture. It’s through the context of the local church. So this is how you must start living your life. [41:46] Must be with a missional mindset. You must ask yourself, is my job furthering the mission of Jesus? Is my family furthering the mission of Jesus? [41:53] Is the way I eat furthering the mission of Jesus? Is the way that I talk furthering the mission of Jesus? Is the television that I’m watching furthering the mission of Jesus?

[42:02] Is the music I’m listening to furthering the mission of Jesus? You must begin to have a missional mindset with everything that you do.

[42:14] If you don’t, then you’re not growing. Because God gave us His word to help us do that. He clearly says right here, [42:24] The context that you live in, in this culture determines the choices that you make. Not just so that you can be cultural and hip, but so that you may win more. [42:41] That’s in verse 19. It’s not about wearing, see when you start talking about culture, people get so confused. It’s not about wearing the coolest clothes. [42:52] It’s not about having the best haircut. It’s not about wearing earrings. It’s not about being the hippest guy in the world. [42:59] It’s about the transformation that God brings to your life through the gospel of Jesus. [43:05] And a desire that He embeds in His people to see the mission of Jesus go as far as possible in your lifetime. Act accordingly.

[43:18] That is how we must live. And the question you have to ask yourself is, am I living that way? Or am I living as a slave to my preferences?

[43:38] Let’s read verse 23.

[43:46] And this is a verse that I want to drive the people of the village. Because if this were true of everyone sitting in here today, we would be reaching people like you would not believe.

[44:00] I do it all for the sake of the gospel that I may share with them in its blessings.

[44:15] You see this mentality he uses throughout this section of scripture. He says that I may win some, that I may win more, that I may share in its blessings. [44:23] But then he gives it this paramount greatness when he says, I do it all for the gospel.

[44:35] The gospel demands missional sacrifice.

[44:42] And that is where it gets tough. I know it has been tough the whole time, but this is where it really gets tough. [44:47] Because what Paul is saying is, every aspect of my life is dependent on the mission of Jesus. I want to do it all for the gospel. Everything. [44:59] The gospel determined everything for Paul. If he wasn’t furthering the mission of Jesus by a single aspect of his life, he changed that aspect of his life. [45:08] To earn credibility with God? No. Because Jesus gave him credibility with God. That’s why he did it. [45:17] So that God would love him? No. Because God loved him he was able to do this.

[45:25] Some of you need to sacrifice your preferences in this life so that more people can come to faith in Jesus Christ.

[45:34] And that’s across the board.

[45:39] I could spend the next hour with specifics, but you know what I’m talking about.

[45:47] If it furthers the mission of Jesus to make more friends at your job, quit being so unfriendly. [45:54] By the way, that would further the mission of Jesus. That’s kind of a given.

[46:01] It’s pretty hard to do this stuff outside of the context of relationship. We talked about that last week. [46:07] Truth outside of relationship is irrelevant in any culture.

[46:11] You can look at the people in your work and be like, hey, Jesus is God by the way. [46:16] And then if you’re a jerk the rest of the day, they’re not going to really care.

[46:24] More than that, you give Jesus a bad name.

[46:29] But Jesus and the Gospel demand missional sacrifice. [46:33] Not sacrifice for sacrifice’s sake. [46:36] Because some of you are really weird and love the self-denial thing. [46:39] And you do it just to make yourself feel better. [46:41] It’s like, I tell you, I really love Jesus. I didn’t eat anything all week and I was in serious pain. [46:48] And man, me and Jesus are closer and closer and closer.

[46:51] No, you’re not.

[46:55] Not eating doesn’t get you closer to Jesus.

[47:02] Now, if you fast with a missional mindset of desiring to see the Gospel of Jesus go as far as possible, [47:14] and desiring to know the Gospel in such a way that you can communicate it in the most effective way possible, [47:20] then absolutely fast. [47:22] But fasting just for the sake of a religious experience is pointless. [47:27] Coming to church just for the sake of a religious experience and just so that you can win some more points with God is pointless. [47:33] And some of you are like, oh, so I don’t need to come here anymore.

[47:35] Yeah, that’s a good idea.

[47:41] Every decision that you make about your life must be driven by the Gospel of Jesus. [47:47] Because the Gospel demands a missional vision.

[47:53] If you read through verses 19 through 23 right there, you see an amazing amount of Gospel vision. [48:00] Paul gave up all of his rights to have any preferences, to have any leisure, to do anything for his own sake, [48:19] so that more people would come to faith in Jesus Christ. [48:23] And my question to you this morning is what needs to happen in your life? [48:28] First off, do you know Jesus?

[48:33] If you don’t, you can’t live the mission.

[48:38] You can try to live the mission to earn God, but you’ll never get him.

[48:46] Your security must be found in Jesus, and some of you need to find that security. [48:50] Some of you need to find that sureness. [48:52] Some of you need to find the peace that only Jesus can give you. [48:55] And only then can you live the mission of Jesus. [48:58] But the rest of us, what we need to do is we need to take a good look at our life, [49:02] and we need to take a good look at our preferences,

[49:05] and we need to take a good look at our biases, at our prejudices, at the choices that we make, [49:11] and the idols that we have in our lives and say, [49:14] am I furthering the mission of Jesus as effectively as I could?

[49:22] And that affects every aspect of your life. [49:24] See, the issue of culture doesn’t relieve problems, intentions. [49:29] It adds more, and it requires an amazing amount of discernment.

[49:36] And some of you are like, no, but seriously, can I drink?

[49:43] What furthers the gospel?

[49:47] That’s what Paul would say. [49:49] What furthers the gospel?

[49:57] Do you have a missional vision for your life? [50:02] Do you live as if the gospel is true?

[50:08] If you want to know, look at those verses.

[50:12] Are these a mirror of your life?

[50:16] Or is this idea and concept completely foreign to you?

[50:22] Do you believe the gospel?

[50:27] That’s the issue we’re dealing with today.

[50:31] Next week, we’ll get a little more nitty-gritty, [50:36] and I may be a little more specific next week on a few pet sins.

[50:41] But right now, what I want us to do is I want us to really just meditate [50:45] a few minutes on the question of, do I have a missional vision in my life [50:49] of reaching as many people as possible in my lifetime with the gospel of Jesus Christ?

[50:57] Because that’s what we want this church to become.

[51:01] We want to see people sacrificing. [51:04] We want to see people loving each other. [51:07] We want to see people connecting for the purpose of the mission of Jesus.

[51:13] Without that, it’s pointless.

[51:18] It’s like how we respond every week. [51:21] What’s the purpose of communion? [51:24] Why do we do this?

[51:26] We do it to proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. [51:30] Because it’s how Jesus said that this is a tangible way

[51:35] of proclaiming the gospel to each other. [51:39] It’s a tangible example of what Jesus did for us and is doing to us continually. [51:45] He’s driving us into his mission, some of us at different levels. [51:52] But what’s the trajectory of your life? [51:55] Are you headed towards mission or are you headed as far away from it as possible?

[52:02] What we do right here is we drink the juice, we drink the bread, [52:06] his broken body, his shed blood, because he took away our sins and gave us his righteousness.

[52:14] As we take this into our bodies today, realize that this is a picture.

[52:19] Nothing significant in the actual material possession and things here. [52:25] But what it represents is what each and every one of you say is true about you. [52:32] Every week when you come up and get this, because when you come up and get this, [52:35] you say, I believe the gospel.

[52:42] And what we’re going to do today is we’re going to look at the life of Paul, [52:45] who became a Jew to the Jew and a Greek to the Greek, lawful to the lawful, [52:49] weak to the weak, so that he could win more. [52:53] And that proved he believed the gospel.

[52:57] So when you come forward today, your prayer needs to be, [53:01] oh God, may I live in such a way that I look like I believe the gospel.

[53:07] If you don’t believe the gospel, don’t proclaim that you do.

[53:15] Let’s pray. [53:16] God, we come before you. [53:19] We seek your face.

[53:23] We seek your glory.

[53:25] We seek your life.

[53:29] Lord, the gospel has made it imperative that we take the hope that is in us [53:37] to the culture outside of these walls.

[53:42] May we mirror your image to the people of Midlothian.

[53:51] May they see in us a sureness and a security that they don’t understand.

[53:59] Lord, may we make you beautiful in this culture. [54:03] In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.