Cultural Missionaries.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] pray with me father as we enter into this time of worship may you open our [0:08] minds open our hearts as we take the privilege of opening your word father [0:17] may you create in this room a passion for your mission that will extend out [0:24] into the streets to the city to the nation and then to the nations that you [0:32] have claimed as your own may we go with a passion into this world to see [0:39] thousands redeemed by the blood of the lamb to live your mission so that your

[0:48] vision which we know will come true so that we will be a part of it.

[0:56] In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen. [0:59] If you have your Bibles, Acts chapter 17. There it goes again, Acts chapter 17. [1:04] A lot of speed bumps up here.

[1:08] As you just watched this video of what we are week in and week out with our funds [1:15] and our finances we are a part of missions around the world. [1:20] W.A. Criswell, a great pastor down in Texas used to say when he woke up in the [1:26] morning he was in China, he was in Africa, he was in Russia and people would say [1:32] have you lost your mind? He would say no I’m there because my money is there [1:37] through the International Mission Board and we support that with our finances in

[1:43] the next coming months we are praying that God will and I know that he will put [1:49] together a team to go to East Asia this summer to work with a few missionaries [1:54] in the International Mission Board and more about that will come but be praying [1:59] right now whether or not God will lead you to join us as we go to East Asia to [2:07] reach people. The last time we went we saw a young lady who had never heard the [2:11] name of Jesus come to faith in Jesus and enter into a relationship with

[2:15] discipleship and quite frankly this series that’s what this is about. [2:21] We started on week one talking about the fact that Jesus has redeemed us for the [2:26] specific and stated purpose of scripture to make disciples and the question is [2:31] often how many and Paul would probably respond to you as he does in I Corinthians [2:36] chapter 10 and say as many as possible in my lifetime and that’s the passion [2:42] that is behind that video and that’s the passion that is behind that series and

[2:45] that is the passion that was behind the planting of Village Church that we [2:50] desire to be used as a force of God to reach as many people in our lifetime and [2:57] make as many disciples as possible in our lifetime and we are calling you to [3:03] change your life to let the spirit come in let him transform you begin to [3:09] sacrifice that which is not eternal for that which is eternal and we’re calling [3:14] you through this series to begin to enter environments in your life where

[3:20] that will take place. The mission of Jesus is not a banana peel like I said [3:25] last week that you will slip on and find yourself in. The mission of Jesus is [3:31] something that you must intentionally walk into environments where you will [3:36] create a lifestyle that is just so saturated with a passion for him that [3:42] others will not be able to keep themselves from seeing the hope that is [3:47] in you and Peter writes in his epistle that we should always have an answer for

[3:51] those that ask us of what the hope that is within us and so we’re called to take [3:59] this hope to a culture to be a people with hope and so the third environment [4:06] that I want to talk about in this series is the environment of culture. The first [4:12] week we talked about just the environment of missional worship and last week we [4:15] talked about being a missional community. Today we’re talking about being cultural [4:20] missionaries. As we saw in that video that this mission calls us to go with our

[4:28] intention as we go into our lives and this today quite frankly is not a call [4:34] for you to go to the culture. It’s coming but this morning is a call for you to [4:41] realize that if we will have any hope of reaching the nations, millions that have [4:46] never even heard the name of Jesus, we must begin to cultivate a passion for the [4:58] world. But this is an area that is so multi-ethnic. God has seen fit to bring [5:05] the nations to us. That if you go to the West End and I thank God for companies

[5:11] like Capital One, not for the debt they put everybody in, but for the nations that [5:15] they’re bringing to our doorstep. We have Chinese populations in the Richmond area. [5:19] We have Sudanese populations in the Richmond area. We have Mexican populations in [5:23] the Richmond area and many more cultures that I’m not even aware of and just [5:28] north in Washington DC. It gets even more diverse where even white Europe is [5:34] moving to the DC area. And I pray that God would use the village as a force to

[5:40] begin to take part in planting churches in every ethnic group that is [5:45] represented in the Richmond area. And then through that I pray that he would [5:49] use us to go overseas and begin to plant churches in the ethnic areas [5:52] overseas. But we must begin to catch a vision for the mission of Jesus in our [6:01] lives and how we are to relate to the cultures all around us. Because there are [6:08] typically a few, two main different viewpoints in the church as to how do we

[6:14] relate to culture. The first is the viewpoint of separatism. That to be as [6:19] holy as God is, we go away from culture and we spend time with God and God will [6:25] bring them to us while we are being holy and separate from everyone in the culture. [6:31] No. That is not right. The second viewpoint is called syncretism. It’s a [6:39] viewpoint that we blend with the culture, that we compromise that which we know is [6:44] true, that there aren’t any key differences between us and the culture around us.

[6:48] And we are just nice. That’s the viewpoint that leads to pluralism where all paths [6:53] lead to God because we are afraid of the offense of the gospel. No. No. We must not [7:00] separate. We must not syncretize. We must engage the culture. Today I’m going to

[7:24] talk about the four things that we are going to look at today in Acts 17 that Paul [7:35] does. The first thing I want us to understand as we are going into the culture, how do [7:40] we avoid these extreme views that go against the culture? How do we avoid these [7:43] do not lead to making disciples? First thing you got to understand this morning is that [7:50] cultural engagement requires discipled discernment. Look in Acts 17. We are going to [7:57] start reading in verse 16. Now while Paul was waiting for them, Paul has been kicked

[8:04] out of Berea. He caused some problems. They kicked him out. But he left two of his [8:09] buddies back in Berea. And so he goes to Athens and he waits for them while they are [8:14] continuing the mission of Jesus in Berea. And while Paul was waiting for them in [8:19] Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. [8:25] Look at his response. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout [8:31] persons and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the

[8:37] Apokurion and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, what does this [8:42] babbler wish to say? Others said, he seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities because [8:47] he was preaching Jesus in the resurrection. Now, first thing I want us to see is the [8:53] discernment of Paul as he enters into a culture that is foreign from him. If you know [8:58] anything about the apostle Paul, first you know that he is probably the greatest missionary, [9:02] the most passionate missionary that has ever existed that I know of. And then secondly,

[9:08] you must understand that he himself was a Jew. If you know anything about the Jews in the [9:14] first century, they were a separatist people. They would not even eat meals with non-Jews. [9:20] They would not engage in table fellowship. And just as a sidetrack, that’s why communion is [9:26] so special because it is God taking table fellowship with us. But that’s another day. [9:33] Jews could not do that. And Paul was more than just a Jew. He was a Pharisee. He calls [9:37] himself a Pharisee of Pharisees. He says he was more obedient to the law, even the oral

[9:42] Torah, than most other Jews were in that time. So Paul took great pride throughout most of [9:48] his life in being separate from other cultures. But look at what the mission of Jesus does in [9:53] his life. He changes so much so that he renounces that separatism and begins to go full [9:59] force into other cultures around the world, reaching Jews and Gentiles with the gospel [10:08] of Jesus. Notice what he does as soon as he gets into Athens. He notices a few things. [10:12] First, he notices that this is not a godly place. He notices that. Just straight on. His

[10:22] Holy Spirit ministers to him and just shows him and reveals to him the idols of that [10:27] culture. Now in Athens it was a little easier because they built a lot of idols that were [10:31] actual statues. And so Paul notices all this. But notice his reaction to it. He does not [10:37] say, what a godless culture I must leave. No. The Spirit provokes him to engage the [10:46] culture. First, he does what I think is the most strategic thing. Paul is very strategic. [10:52] Notice that most of the churches he planted were in port cities where people would come

[10:56] in, hear the gospel, and then go back to other nations. Paul is very strategic. The first [11:00] strategic thing he does is he goes straight to the synagogue where the Jews are. What [11:03] does Paul know the most about? He knows the most about Judaism. So Paul goes straight [11:10] into the place where he thinks immediately he can have some influence. And also I think [11:16] he probably did it so that he could educate himself about Athenian culture from the Jews [11:20] in that culture. But then notice secondly what he does. He then goes straightway into

[11:26] the marketplace. Now in that time the marketplace is the cultural hub of Gentile culture. It’s [11:33] where they trade. If you go to Israel today, there are still traders in Israel that you [11:38] can barter with for goods. And so he goes straight into the marketplace where they’re [11:46] the philosophers of that day, which Athens was a very intellectual culture, obsessed [11:52] with all types of philosophy. So he goes and he begins to engage the philosophers with [12:00] the gospel. I can see it now. He goes into the culture and he says, well tell me what

[12:05] you think because the scriptures Luke right there identifies. He says there were many [12:09] Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. Two very different philosophies. Completely godless [12:16] philosophies. But Paul doesn’t just run from them because he’s afraid of their intellect [12:21] and he doesn’t run from them because he’s afraid they’ll get a little bit of their sin [12:24] cooties on him. Rather, Paul goes headlong and he begins to communicate with them. He [12:36] begins to infiltrate the culture and be among them for the hope of the gospel. But what

[12:46] does he do it with? He does it with great discernment. You should not run headlong into [12:54] culture to be a missionary if you are not first being a disciple and being made a disciple. [13:01] Last week we talked about Ephesians 4.12 that we have church so that we can equip the [13:07] saints for the work of ministry. Paul was equipped and he went with his equipment. But [13:14] notice he uses the equipment that he’s given. He doesn’t just sit and say, well I really [13:19] need to collect more equipment for the rest of my life. Which is what I believe most

[13:23] believers do is we just go into 17, 18 Bible studies at a time and never actually talk [13:27] about the gospel with anybody that doesn’t know it. But rather, Paul gets his equipment [13:31] and he goes headlong into culture to use that equipment. He does it with discernment. I’ll [13:37] tell you at the village, this is why if you came in and I hope every week you noticed [13:42] that big poster that we had made. Number one because it’s big and it costs money. But [13:46] number two because it has our core values as a church and it shows the cycle all centered

[13:53] around the worship of God. It begins with redemption and it goes to mission and it [13:58] goes to community and it goes to culture and then it restarts back at redemption. Now [14:03] understand, we’re not just paying lip service to have four words that we make our church [14:07] about. It is a system that I’ve seen. When I was in seminary I was posed a question by [14:11] one of my professors, how do you get somebody from point A, which is a new believer, to [14:16] point B, which is a fully devoted follower of Jesus. And I’m someone that was raised

[14:22] in the church. I went to undergrad for a biblical studies degree. Then I went to [14:26] seminary and I’m sitting there and I’m so prideful in my knowledge and I’m like, oh,

[14:33] I don’t know. And I think for most of us it would be the same thing. We may come up [14:40] with a few pretty words like Jesus, love, hope, those kind of things, but I don’t know [14:43] that we could come up with a really good plan to go from point A to point B. But as I was [14:47] posed that question, I said to myself, we should really have a plan. But more than [14:55] that, I then realized, do I have a plan for me to go from point A to point B? And it [15:04] really caused me to do a lot of soul searching and then as we got the team together we started

[15:08] just looking at how we were going to do that as a church. And so that’s where our core [15:12] values came from. We wanted them to be memorable so we only wanted there to be four of them [15:16] because at first we started with like seven or eight of them and then we were like, once [15:19] even, I was one of the people coming up with them and I got to number three and then I [15:22] started losing it and I was like, wait a second, what was number four? Where are we again? [15:25] So I was like, maybe we should just get four of them. And so redemption is where we start

[15:29] a relationship with Jesus and he transforms us to live his mission in the culture. And [15:35] then the mission, we need to be equipped for that so it sends us straightway into community [15:39] with other believers so that we can be made disciples. And then community isn’t the end, [15:44] it’s the beginning so it sends us into the culture so that we can be and make disciples. [15:49] And then that will send them to redemption where they begin to hear the gospel of Jesus. [15:53] But understand they’re in the order that they’re in for a purpose. And it’s for the

[15:59] purpose of your discernment. Redemption is where it starts because you cannot go anywhere [16:05] without knowing the gospel of Jesus that we have sinned against God, that he sent his [16:11] son to die on our behalf. Second Corinthians chapter five, verse 21, he who knew no sin [16:15] became sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God. And so he [16:21] has redeemed us, reconciled us with the father, given us a new life through his resurrection [16:25] so that we can walk in his ways and be the righteousness of Jesus in our lives. Redemption

[16:31] is where it starts, but he redeems us for the purpose of mission to take the gospel and [16:37] make disciples. But then we do that through what we talked about last week. See I’ve [16:42] kind of been sneaking our core values into this series a little bit. That he does that [16:48] and he equips us for his mission through community. That is we engage one another in community, [16:54] we are being equipped to live the mission. And then community sends us into the culture, [16:59] but here’s the key. If you have community without the foundation of mission, it becomes

[17:06] nothing more than a social club. It becomes nothing more than us patting ourselves off [17:11] because we serve at a church, patting ourselves on the back, patting ourselves on the back [17:16] because we’re in the church, we do some stuff. But no, our community must not be the end [17:23] if it’s driven by mission. It will not be. Mission drives the community. But is that [17:32] what it is? It’s just us going deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper. No. Community [17:42] drives us into culture. But if you go into culture without community, you will not be

[17:49] equipped for the work of ministry. If you go into culture without the community, you [17:55] cannot be a disciple of Jesus because a disciple must be made, it’s not born. If you go into [18:01] culture without the community, how are the people you’re going to reach be discipled [18:07] because there’s no community behind you being a missionary and you do nothing more than [18:11] just make converts. We’re not called to make converts, we’re called to make disciples.

[18:18] But what if we go into culture and all we are is a community and we leave out mission?

[18:24] Well then what are we taking to the community other than come join this great organization? [18:28] I have some good hobbies and we do it together. No, all of that must be driven by mission. [18:36] See, if you go out into the culture without the basis of our other core values, my fear [18:42] is that you’ll either be overcome by it and you’ll syncretize with it and fall into sin [18:48] or you’ll be scared to death by it. Run to the hills and buy some compound and we’ll [18:56] see you on the news where the FBI is about to jump in. Nobody wants that to happen,

[19:01] quite frankly. I often say, if I ever tell you I’m buying land in Montana, leave the [19:06] church. Something’s gone terribly wrong. Steve’s lost his mind. No, we must go with [19:16] disciple discernment and we must go in the way that Jesus went. In John 1, 14 the scripture [19:24] says that the word became flesh and dwelt among us. That word dwelt is so important [19:33] because the actual word there in the original language is a word that means tabernacled [19:38] or put his tent or made his home where we are. Jesus, God the Son, became a human being

[19:47] and engaged culture. We also are not to run from the culture but rather we’re to be [19:54] incarnational. We’re in the culture. We need to study the culture. We need to know [20:00] the culture. We need to reach the culture as Jesus reached the culture. Jesus was accused [20:05] of being a drunkard in the glutton because he went to so many parties. What are Christians [20:09] known for? Our lack of parties. We are rarely accused of the same things Jesus was accused [20:16] of. We’re accused of avoiding them when Jesus runs headlong into them. If you’re worried

[20:25] that word will get back to me that you were at too many parties, don’t worry. Probably [20:30] worst case scenario is I’ll call you and ask why didn’t you invite me? I like them. We [20:37] can go together. Here’s the key. That leads me to help us understand to be a cultural [20:44] missionary we have to understand the key fact that cultural engagement is not an issue [20:51] of separation. It’s not. If we look at what Paul did and then look at the sermon that [20:58] he gives, we’ll get the key facts here. Look back in chapter 17. They thought he was crazy

[21:13] because he was preaching Jesus in the resurrection. They took him and brought him to the Aurepagus. [21:20] Understand that the Aurepagus, which is sometimes called Mars Hill, is the center of Athenian [21:24] culture. At first, we’re like, man, they were making fun of Paul. No, they thought what [21:30] he had to say about Jesus in the resurrection was so interesting that they actually took [21:33] him to the centerpiece of their culture, which still stands to this day, which is where the [21:38] philosophers would come together and for hours on end debate philosophy. Some of you are

[21:42] like, I would run to the hills on that one because I don’t want to debate philosophy [21:45] with anyone. Well, this isn’t Athenian culture. Remember, Paul’s trying to reach the people [21:50] at Athens. So they take him and they give him a stage and they gather to hear him talk [21:56] about the gospel of Jesus. Notice that Paul does not say, well, you typically have people [22:02] here that don’t talk about Jesus, so I can’t do this. I’m not comfortable. No. Paul goes [22:10] out of his comfort zone to reach people with the gospel. Do you really think a man who’s

[22:15] been raised as a Jew to avoid everything was fully comfortable there? Of course he wasn’t. [22:22] But the gospel is more important than his comfort. Look at what he says.

[22:30] For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know, therefore, what these things [22:34] mean. Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who live there would spend their time in [22:41] nothing except telling or hearing something new. So Paul, standing in the midst of the [22:47] Oropagos, said, Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. [22:53] For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with [23:00] the inscription, To the unknown God. What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim

[23:07] to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does [23:12] not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands as though he needed [23:15] anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made [23:21] from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined [23:25] allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God [23:29] in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually

[23:34] not far off from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being, as even [23:40] some of your own poets have said, for we are indeed his offspring. [23:45] A couple of things I want you to notice. First, Paul goes to the very heart of their culture [23:52] to talk to them. He does not fear them. Secondly, I want you to notice how he engages them. [23:58] Now in Athenian culture, when they first founded that city, they were very superstitious [24:05] in the way that they viewed deity or gods. They did not want to be offensive to any

[24:12] god, especially the gods that would bring them harvest and would bring their farms [24:16] great produce. So anywhere that sheep and some people think cattle, I believe it was [24:28] sheep, would lay down, they would build an idol. Because they did not want to offend [24:33] the sheep gods because they needed them. They would build all these idols. After a while, [24:40] they ran out of names. Whoever was the creative person that was coming up with these names, [24:45] he must have died or left or got bored. Because then, after a while, they began to erect monuments

[24:52] and the inscription under it would say, to the unknown god. Now, as a follower of Jesus [24:59] Christ, it breaks my heart, but here is how most of us will react to that. Oh, we must [25:04] leave this city. Notice what Paul does. He uses discernment. He says, I see that you [25:13] have a statue of the unknown god. Well, I know his name. Let me introduce you to him. [25:20] His name is Jesus. See how shrewd he is? He has educated himself with the culture. He [25:29] pays attention to the values of that culture so that, for the specific purpose of reaching

[25:36] them with the gospel of Jesus Christ, he knows the way that they think. He knows what they [25:43] want. So he takes it and he turns it right back at him and says, I’ll introduce you to [25:48] the gospel. More than that. I want you to notice two things that he does. In verse [25:53] 28, he quotes two pagan philosophers and poets in reference to God. Now, the original [26:01] people that wrote these poems did not mean them towards God. One of them is actually [26:06] a hymn to Zeus, the mythical god. Notice what Paul says first. He says, in speaking

[26:13] of how God is not far off from them, he says, in him we live and move and have our being. [26:17] That’s true. He’s talking about the theological significance of the omnipresence and the omniscience [26:22] of God. We know that that’s true of God. But notice that this is a quote of the stoic [26:30] poet, Erotus of Soli. Stoicism is atheism. It’s basically the belief that God’s just [26:38] in everything and he’s not a real being. He’s just in all this stuff. Everything he’s got. [26:42] That’s kind of a pantheistic type of view. But Paul says it about God. He uses culture

[26:50] to reach them. Then notice the second thing he does. He says, and even some of your own [26:54] poets have said, for we are indeed his offspring. This referred to Zeus and to humanity sharing [27:03] in divine nature by the original poet. See, that which we would reject and avoid, that

[27:15] Paul redeems and he uses it for the hope of the gospel so that they will understand. [27:23] And you say, well, I think he’s walking a fine line there. I think he’s walking a fine [27:28] line too, but he’s using discernment in the way that he does it. See, remember, Paul’s [27:32] a disciple. He’s not someone that just came to faith in Jesus Christ. Paul understands, [27:39] as Pastor Mark Driscoll always says, there’s three responses that we need to give the [27:44] culture first. We can receive the culture. And Paul does a little bit of that. Oropagus

[27:50] was a place that was built that gave him a great way to share the gospel with people. [27:54] He received that. We must receive all different types of culture. Technology. There’s nothing [28:02] sinful about technology. I’m sure most of you have televisions. Good. I have one too. [28:09] I have a little too. Uh-oh. But it’s a thing. That’s a part of culture that we can receive. [28:17] And we can just simply use it to further the gospel of Jesus Christ. Computers are [28:22] a great invention. Guess what? I don’t think a Christian invented the computer. And we

[28:26] don’t need to invent a Christian version of the computer. I never understand that. We [28:31] can just use them as is. We can receive those things. I could go down a huge list. Science. [28:38] There are certain scientific facts that we should just receive. Even if a Christian didn’t [28:44] come up with it. Why? Because all truth is God’s truth. Even if a non-believer figured [28:49] it out. God has the patent to all truth. So it was his before it was ever ours. Medicine. [28:59] If an unbeliever tells me I’m fat and I need to lose weight, yeah. I shouldn’t look at

[29:05] him and say, well, you don’t know that because you don’t believe in Jesus. No, he knows that [29:08] because he sees my waistline. I can receive that truth. Sometimes we’re so silly. We think [29:18] we just need to reject things that are perfectly fine. I don’t need a Christian version of [29:23] Little League. It exists. I can send my son to it to play baseball. It’s fine. Maybe he’ll [29:32] have some influence on those terrible pagans for some good. We’re crazy. Why are we inventing [29:39] Christian versions of sporting leagues? That’s insanity. All right, I’ll get off my soapbox

[29:47] on that one and I’ve probably offended half the crowd. All right. Paul embraces certain [29:58] aspects of culture to reach them with the gospel. You can receive certain parts of [30:07] culture. Use it for the gospel. Secondly, Paul seeks to redeem certain parts of culture. [30:14] I want you to notice in Jeremiah chapter 29, usually we only look at verse 11, which is, [30:19] you know, I have a hope for you, I have a plan for you. It’s a great verse. But in Jeremiah [30:24] 29, if I get that up on the screen, this is what God says through the prophet. Thus says

[30:30] the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from [30:35] Jerusalem to Babylon. Things weren’t going great for the Israelites. God sent them into [30:40] exile and they’re living in a pagan society. But notice what God says to how he says to [30:45] act towards pagan society. He says build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their [30:52] produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters [30:57] in marriage that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply their and do not decrease. Notice

[31:01] verse seven, but seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile and pray [31:09] to the Lord on its, the city’s behalf for in its welfare, you will find your welfare. [31:18] We should not disdain the city or the nation. Rather, we should seek its welfare. We should [31:25] live for its welfare. We have all sorts of ways that we’re already doing that where [31:29] our country and our states are concerned. I love living in a democracy. That’s a blessing [31:35] that we can choose our leaders. But here’s the key. Seek its welfare. Don’t seek to

[31:39] be a thorn in its side. That’s that separatist mentality that is not going to make any sense [31:47] to any disciples. There are some parts of culture that we need to also then redeem for [31:54] its welfare. Paul does this. He redeems the poetry of philosophers and pagans. It was [32:02] completely godless. I mean it was completely about false gods. And Paul redeems it. We [32:07] also need to redeem certain aspects of our culture so that we can be effective cultural [32:15] missionaries. I’ll tell you a silly example that I think all of us will be able to understand.

[32:21] Facebook. Facebook is a godless culture, isn’t it? It really is. You look on there and there’s [32:31] all sorts of mental health problems where I think about calling an ambulance for some [32:35] people because they have mental health issues because of their statuses. It’s just a place [32:38] where narcissism rules. It’s just a place where, look at me, look at me, look at me.

[32:44] It’s just very unhealthy. But here’s the thing. If the number of people on Facebook were [32:53] a country, it would be the world’s largest country. Do you know that? It is a cultural [33:02] force whether you like it or not. Here’s the key. You can either look at something [33:08] like that and be an effective missionary or you can divorce yourself to a life of irrelevance.

[33:16] We need to redeem things like Facebook. It can be used for a lot of good. It can be used [33:22] to propagate the gospel. I have tons of friends on Facebook that don’t know Jesus and they [33:27] have to look at my status updates about Jesus all the time because I’m pretty obnoxious [33:30] about it on there. You can blog about Christ. You can start groups and have online communities. [33:37] Now I am not techno savvy. I’m not. It’s just not my thing. I don’t take joy in it. It [33:44] irritates some people. It’s just not my thing. But here’s the key. I would not be a good

[33:48] cultural missionary if I could not engage people through technology. A guy by the name [33:55] of Andrew Warner once said that if we can reach more people by using technology than [34:01] we’re reaching right now, why wouldn’t we? I know why some of us wouldn’t. Some of us [34:07] are apathetic. Some of us are lazy. Some of us are a bit separatist. I know this is a [34:17] small example, but some of you, I’m not going to get on that technology stuff. I’m going

[34:25] to have an outhouse. I said outhouse. You want to know why I said that? Because there [34:33] was a time when people didn’t want to have indoor plumbing. Oh, that fad will fade. [34:38] Really? Imagine life without it. You’ll stink. And so will your backyard. I’m glad I’m not [34:49] going to go home and dig a hole for certain things today. We, to be effective missionaries [34:57] in this culture, we must educate ourselves with technology. We must stay relevant to [35:07] the culture. And I haven’t even talked about music and stuff. I’m just talking about silly

[35:11] things that most of us are a member of anyway. How are you using the culture that God has [35:17] put in front of you to reach an out-time? It’s slipping away. Cultural engagement, [35:23] though, is not an issue of syncretism. Look in verse 29. Being God’s offspring, we ought [35:33] not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by [35:38] the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands [35:43] all men everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world

[35:47] in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed. And of this, he has given assurance to all [35:56] by raising him from the dead. Notice what Paul receives, redeems culture for. It’s for [36:02] the rejection of lies. There are certain parts of culture we must reject. Cultural engagement [36:09] is not an issue of syncretism. Syncretism is a word that I didn’t know it used to mean. [36:14] Syncretism means to blend with, to compromise truth, to just be nice to everybody. You believe [36:23] your way, I’ll believe my way. No, when Paul engages them with all of the equipment that

[36:29] he has from being a disciple and from the culture around him, he gets to the heart of [36:33] the gospel and he will not compromise the gospel of Jesus Christ. He won’t do it. He [36:43] will repent. And he’s given us a hope that the reason that we’re able to turn from our [36:47] sin is because he has risen his son from the dead on our behalf. Notice the passion that [36:53] he goes at them with with this. You must not avoid the gospel in your conversations. You [37:01] must not avoid the gospel in the culture. You are in the culture, in your workplace,

[37:09] in your family, in your social events, whatever you’re doing. Get out there first. Don’t avoid [37:16] them. Be involved. Do something in the culture. Just do something. I don’t know if it’s your [37:24] HOA. I don’t know if it’s a league that you can join, a sports league. I don’t know what [37:29] it is, but do something and when you’re in there, have the hope of Jesus on you that [37:34] you will have through the discipleship that we talked about the last two weeks. Listen [37:38] to the podcast and be a disciple and be a missionary right there. And when they ask

[37:44] or when the spirit provokes you, give them the unedited gospel. Do not be afraid of [37:52] offending them. If that’s the only thing you offend them with, you’re a great missionary [37:57] because that’s what’s supposed to offend them. We set a great, comfortable, hospitable environment [38:04] here on Sunday mornings for people, but it’s so that through song and through the preaching [38:10] of God’s Word, we can present the unfiltered gospel of Jesus Christ to people. And as [38:16] a cultural missionary, that is what you are to do. You are to infiltrate. You’re to be

[38:21] educated of the gospel and of culture, and then you are to communicate the gospel so [38:27] that you can replicate in others. Now notice, God has freed us to do this. And first of [38:34] all, in 1 Corinthians 6, 23, because oftentimes we get confused because I don’t think it’s [38:38] that we’re not trying to offend people. I think it’s that we’re afraid of being sinful [38:42] or we’re afraid that we will use the freedom that we have in Christ as a license to sin. [38:50] And that’s not that’s syncretism. Don’t do that. Stop being so lazy. Don’t be sinful.

[38:55] In 1 Corinthians 6, 23, Paul says that we’ve basically been freed to live for the gospel. [39:01] He says, all things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are [39:05] lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything. Right? But then again, he says [39:12] it again in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. He says in verse 23 of that, he says, all things [39:17] are lawful, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful, but not all things [39:20] build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Because there’s

[39:28] always this issue. Well, how far is too far? All right. Here’s what I believe about the [39:33] gospel and we’ll close. In the gospel, you’re completely free from condemnation of sin. [39:39] You have no fear. Completely. Sin in Romans chapter 6, verse 14, it says sin will not [39:46] have dominion over you any longer. Then in Galatians, he says, only do not use your freedom [39:52] as an occasion to the flesh. You’re completely free. You should not fear sin. Fear God, [39:59] not sin. All right? But I also believe this. You’re not free from Christ, you’re free

[40:03] to Christ. Here’s why I said that. Let me say it in those verses. He says, all things [40:08] are lawful for me. I’ve been completely freed from the law. I can do whatever I want. But [40:12] if I’m a true disciple, if I’m a true missionary, I’ll understand that not all things are helpful. [40:18] There are some things that will not be helpful for you. No sin will ever be helpful. That’s [40:23] what he was dealing with in chapter 6. He says, I will not be dominated by anything. [40:29] He’s saying I need to be dominated by the gospel of Jesus. And then in chapter 10,

[40:33] he’s saying, stop being so selfish with the freedom. Because I know some of us have the [40:38] mentality, well, I can go the rest of my life and not tell anybody about Jesus and I’ll [40:41] go to heaven. And Paul’s saying, your freedom does not exist for you. And that’s what you’re [40:49] using it as. Live for the good of your neighbor, not for the good of yourself. Because that [40:56] is the mark of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Then he closes out chapter 10, in verse 31, [41:03] he says, so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give

[41:11] no offense to the Jews or to the Gentiles or the church of God. Don’t live to offend [41:17] your culture. Just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, [41:25] but that of many. Why? That they may be saved. Be imitators of me as I am of Christ. Stop [41:37] living for yourself. Stop it. Some of you are wasting your lives on yourself. Can you [41:53] say, well, I’m free to do that? No, you’re not. You’ve been called to live for something [42:01] bigger than you. You’ve been called to live for the gospel and you’re just playing around

[42:09] as if we have all the time in the world that somebody will reach them. Yeah, you. The church [42:20] is God’s plan to reach the nations. We have been called to live for the greatest vision [42:28] ever, the glory of God. And we must be willing to sacrifice it all. My free time, my family,

[42:42] my knowledge, my culture, my home, myself, everything exists for the gospel. And I must [42:54] be willing to use it for that. What is stopping us? Because the truth is that if we’re not [43:04] like Paul, we’re like the Athenians. We have idols that we’ve not yet addressed with the [43:16] gospel. Cultural engagement is about making disciples and nothing less. Use your life [43:32] for it. Paul ends it and it says, some people did not believe. But then he names specific [43:43] names. Love that. He says, starting in verse 33, so Paul went out from their midst, but

[44:00] some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius, the Arapahate, and a [44:13] few others with them. God’s writing his story of redemption. Who will he use you to come [44:25] to faith in him for? Whose name is going to be on the list of those that you’ve reached [44:34] with the gospel? We saw two of many that Paul reached that day. Don’t let your vision [44:42] of what God will do through you be limited by your comfort. Father, we love you. God, [44:53] I pray that we would be a people who trust you, that you have a life of joy in front

[45:00] of us unparalleled, and that we would be willing to sacrifice everything for it. May you help [45:08] us to catch a vision as a church to reach the nations, God. I want to reach the unreached [45:14] people, God. May you use someone in here to connect with an unreached people group. May [45:20] you use someone in here to translate the scriptures into a language that we’ve not yet discovered [45:26] yet. Above and beyond that, God, use someone in here to redeem someone that doesn’t know [45:31] the name of Jesus. Lord, use us first here. Or we know people that don’t know you. We

[45:38] know you. May we enter into the culture to reach the people of culture and make disciples [45:44] of the culture around us. Right now, we’re going to partake in communion. If you’re [45:52] in here this morning and you’re a follower of Jesus, these tables are open for you. If [45:57] you’re not a follower of Jesus and you’ve heard something this morning that has piqued [46:02] your curiosity, has caused some questions to arise, come talk to me. Go to the back [46:09] and talk to someone back there. And then maybe you can go to the Lord’s table for the first

[46:14] time and proclaim the broken body of our Savior, the shed blood of our Lord Jesus. And as [46:21] we proclaim that today, may we proclaim that we will be His ambassadors of reconciliation.