God Is Our Environment Rick Wright Church of the Nations 13 th Sunday of Pentecost (C) August 18, 2013

Macedonia 2000 Mission trip Teach English classes Ejup -> imam Albanian culture Muslim religion Faith > Culture Respect ancestors and culture way of life in Christ

Luke 12 Jesus says, I came to throw fire upon the earth. And how I wish it is already burning. Do you think I have come to give peace on earth? No – I tell you – but instead division. Because from now on in one house there will be five divided – three against two and two against three. They will be divided – father against son against father and mother against daughter against mother. One of ten(?) most difficult teachings of Jesus

Jesus = Crisis Crisis = moment of truth we must make decision Jesus = crisis of the world Jesus brings truth / Jesus is the Truth We must decide about Jesus Some say yes – some say no Jesus brings division Some believe – some do not

What about us? Sometimes others do not believe in Jesus Parents and family Co-workers and supervisors Friends and society Many say they want to believe and become Christians Respect + love parents and culture as much as we can God and Father of Jesus Christ created them!

Dee Pennock God’s Path to Sanity Everyone = a little bit insane – Latin insanus = not healthy Minds broken and damaged by sin Spiritually sick How do we become healthy in Christ?

Who do we blame? Our environment Parents! Society! People hurt us! We do not want to admit we have sin We blame everyone + everything else Yes – our environment influences us

God is our (new) environment “Enough of this pretense that we are emotionally and spiritually always going to be at the mercy of our earthly background, says Christianity” (105) – Pretense = lie that pretends to be true Yes we learn bad things from environment Jesus overcame the world (~ environment)! “God becomes your environment through baptism. When we use our own free will and desire him. And when God responds to our desire by his love and his grace” (105)