Memory Verse for today “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”” (Matt 4:17 NKJV) Let’s get ready to sing! Song #624: The Church’s One Foundation

A Faith Built on Sand The Foolishness of Popular Religion in a Postmodern Age Chapter 4: “Cultural Morality”

Chapter 4: Outline 1. Losing the Moral Compass 2. Cheap Grace in the Emerging Church 3. Law and Love 4. The Intolerance of Inclusiveness

Introduction “There is one thing a professor can be absolutely certain of: almost every student entering the university believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative….The students, of course, cannot defend their opinion. It is something with which they have been indoctrinated.” – Allan Bloom

Losing the Moral Compass “It’s wrong for me...but I can’t say it’s wrong for you.” Amorality Antinomianism (“against law”) Unnecessary to submit to religious laws. Cheapens grace. Salvation is not cheap (1 Pet. 1:18-19; Titus 2:11- 14; Eph. 4:17-24). Grace calls us to a higher life, not “just as we are.”

Cheap Grace in the Emerging Church The “emerging church” The embracing of sin Repentance - "to change one’s way of life as the result of a complete change of thought and attitude with regard to sin and righteousness" (Mt. 4:17). Relativism is the norm today.

Law and Love Joseph Fletcher - All morality is relative to “love.” “Love” does not change sin into moral behavior. Homosexual behavior (Rom. 1:24-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-10). Abortion (Pro. 6:16-19). Law actually defines love. 1 Tim. 1:8; Dt. 6:24; Jn. 14:23-24

The Intolerance of Inclusiveness The paradox of “tolerant” intolerance. The Bible transcends culture and geography (Mt. 28:19-20; Heb. 2:9; Acts 17:30f). All men find their ultimate origin in God. Jude 3; Mt. 24:35; Ps. 119:89; Jn. 12:48; Heb. 2:1 87% of young non-Christians believe it is not “Christian” to ‘judge.’

The Intolerance of Inclusiveness To many “sin” is outdated and the gospel is all about self-esteem and self-worth. “People want a non-threatening Christianity, a faith with salvation and grace but without rules, judgment or the need for repentance.” No one can consistently practice “non- judgmentalism.” No one who is the victim of a crime will have a problem wanting judgment on the violator.

The Intolerance of Inclusiveness Abuses of Mt. 7:1 (Jn. 7:24) Jesus called people sinners... “Repent!” (Lk. 13:3, 5) Of what if no sin? Mt. 23 Rev. 2-3 We simply cannot see Christ as the accepting and loving Savior but not the judge of the world (2 Cor. 5:10).

The Intolerance of Inclusiveness “Jesus never excused sin; He never covered it up. He never lied about where sinful behavior came from to allow people to escape responsibility for it. He loved the sinner but condemned the sin and called for people to repent. He did not leave people where He found them. He hated sin so much that He was willing to die to remove the consequences of it from the people He loved.”

The Intolerance of Inclusiveness “We can fool ourselves into thinking non- judgmentalism is virtuous, but the consequences of suspending moral judgment are more and more immorality. Which is better: an immoral person with high self-esteem who fools himself into thinking his sin does not matter and who ends up lost, or a person who, realizing his sin is wrong, repents and enjoys eternal life (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)? With love, Jesus confronts sin and helps the sinner overcome it. Satan, on the other hand, tempts to sin, enjoys the sin and persecutes the brethren for exposing sin to the light.”