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OUR CLASH WITH CULTURE (2)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    Last Sunday morning, we began a two-part study entitled:  “Our Clash with Culture.”

 

B.      We defined culture as the ideas and activities of a group of people with shared traditions.  Our culture happens to be the culture of the United States of America.

 

C.     We noted in that lesson that all cultures have one thing in common; they have been permeated by Satan.

 

D.    Christians have been called out of their evil cultures and have been added to the kingdom of Jesus Christ (Col. 1:13).

 

Who hath delivered out of the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

 

E.      Our ideals and our activities will definitely clash with society.

1.      Evolution vs Creation

2.      Man’s Wisdom vs God’s Wisdom

3.      Secularism vs Christianity

4.      Desire for Power vs Servanthood

 

I.                   DIVISION VS UNITY

 

A.    Division is one of the ways Satan controls the world.

1.      It keeps those who are divided warring and fighting among themselves.

2.      The divisions are endless.

a.      Age:  youth and elderly

b.      Gender:  male vs female, Tumblr has a list of 112 genders

c.       Race:  black, white, Latino, Asian, etc.

d.      Socio-economic:  rich and poor

e.       Education:  little vs much, common vs elite

f.        Geographic sections:  north and south, city and country, coasts and fly over

g.      Political parties:  Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Socialist

h.      Authorities:  government, police, immigration officials vs public

 

B.      In the first century world, there was a lot of division as well.

1.      Jew and Gentile

2.      Male and female

3.      Bond and free

 

C.     In the body of Christ, we have been called to unity instead of division (Gal. 3:26-28).

 

For ye are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:  for ye are all one in Christ.

 

D.    Thought:  If every person is the world became a Christian, how would our present culture function?  The division should not exist.  We should all be one and should all be able to get along.

 

II.                IMMORALITY VS HOLINESS

 

A.    Our world is filled with immorality.

1.      Severe sins:

a.      Murder

b.      Rape

c.       Pedophilia

d.      Homosexuality

2.      Less severe sins:

a.      Drunkenness

b.      Covetousness

c.       Adultery

d.      Drug use

e.       Greed

3.      Lawlessness:

a.      Disrespect for authority

b.      Breaking of laws with no punishment

c.       Cursing

d.      Filth on TV, radio, movies, and internet

 

B.      Christians have been called to holiness.

1.      I Thessalonians 4:7

 

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

 

2.      I Peter 1:14-16

 

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:  but as he with hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

 

3.      Because we will not involve ourselves in the filth and corruption of the world, the world thinks it strange (I Pet. 4:4).

 

Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you.

 

III.             LIES VS TRUTH

 

A.    The world does not hesitate to build their lives on lies.

1.      There is no God.

2.      The Bible is not the Word of God.

3.      Each person is a law unto himself.

4.      There is no such a thing as sin.

5.      There is no heaven or hell.

6.      We only need to live for the moment.

7.      When we die that is all there is.

 

B.      Christians know that the only true foundation upon which to build a life is on the truth of God’s Word.

1.      John 17:17

 

Sanctify them through thy truth:  thy word is truth.

 

2.      Proverbs 23:23

 

Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

 

3.      Listen to David’s conviction about living in the truth.

a.      Psalm 86:11

 

Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth:  unite my heart to fear thy name.

 

b.      Psalm 119:30

 

I have chosen the way of truth:  thy judgments have I laid before me.

 

IV.             HATE VS LOVE

 

A.    The world is filled with hate and hatred.

1.      People hate our leaders.

2.      People hate other races.

3.      People hate those who disagree with them.

4.      People hate those who are good.

5.      People hate those who tell the truth.

6.      People hate those who love God.

7.      People hate the lowly and uneducated.

8.      People hate their parents.

9.      People hate Christians.

10.  People hate those who truly care for them.

 

B.      Into a world of hatred, God injected His love.  He expects His people to manifest that love to others.

1.      Matthew 22:39

 

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

 

2.      Luke 6:32

 

For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye?  For sinners also love those that love them.

 

C.     A thought:  What would happen in our world if all became Christians?  Could we cease our hatred of others as the Bible commands?  Could all the world love one another?

 

V.                VISIBLE VS INVISIBLE

 

A.    The world is focused on what they can see.

1.      Profits

2.      Assets

3.      Businesses

4.      Toys

5.      Clothes

6.      Success

7.      Popularity

8.      Power

 

B.      Christians know that this world and all that it offers is really only an illusion.

1.      Our wealth is never certain (Prov. 23:5).

 

Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not?  For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.

 

2.      They do not satisfy (Eccl. 5:10).

 

He that loveth silver shall be satisfied with silver; nor he that hath abundance with increase:  this is also vanity.

 

3.      Riches do not bring happiness (Eccl. 5:12).

 

The sleep of a laboring man is sweet, whether he eats little or much:  but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

 

4.      All earthly things will be left behind, or, will perish (I John 2:17).

 

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof…

 

C.     Christian, therefore, look beyond this world and its things (II Cor. 4:18).

 

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:  for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

 

VI.             NO HOPE VS HOPE

 

A.    Hope involves the things which are not seen, the invisible.  Worldly people seldom give serious thought to those things.  Their minds are anchored in this world.  Thus, they have no hope beyond this world.

 

B.      The Christian has hope beyond this world.

1.      This world with its false promises and illusions is not all there is.

2.      This world with its struggles and difficulties is not all there is.

3.      This world with all of its evil and violence is not all there is.

4.      This world that ends in death is not all there is.

 

C.     II Corinthians 5:1

 

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    As Christians, we clash with our culture.

 

B.      As long as this earth continues, it may appear that those who are carnal have it better than we do. 

1.      This is an illusion.

2.      II Corinthians 4:16-17

 

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.