1. PREACHING AND CULTURE

2. QUESTION How do we bridge the gap between church and culture so the lost are reached without our compromising on who God has called us to be as church?

3. WARNINGS AGAINST WORLDINESS Rom. 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 2 Cor. 6:14, 17 Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? "Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord. "And do not touch what is unclean; And I will welcome you.”

4. Col. 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. James 1:27 This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

5. YET CALL TO ENGAGE WITH CULTURE Matt. 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth....You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck- measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matt. 28:19, 20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Matt. teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." John 17:15, 16 "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”

6. 2 Cor. 5:20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ.... Col. 4:5 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.

7. H. RICHARD NIEBUHR Christ and Culture (originally, the content of this book was presented as a lecture series at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 1949).

8. FIVE WAYS Christians can either be: (1)against culture (2)of culture (3) above culture (two spheres) (4)in tension with culture (5)transformers of culture

9. WE ARE ALL INFLUENCED BY CULTURE Egalitarian v. Complimentarian Use of Christological models Two natures human and divine, but neither supersedes the other.

10. TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING Postmodernism Pluralism Secularism

11. POSTMODERNISM No truth Image over content Transitory (change)

12. RESPONSE - WHO WE ARE, OPPOSED TO WHAT WE SAY Who we are and what we do(connecting pre-amble) How we say things (arrogance / dismissive) Ritual / experience

13. PLURALISM One voice amongst many Competing options Consumerism (high service, low cost)

14. CONSUMERISM What do we offer? Presentation over content What we model (arrogance, dismissive?) How does this make people feel?

15. RESPONSE- IS WHAT WE DO ATTRACTIVE? How do we get people to come back? (enjoyable, challenging, engaging) What are the felt needs As a Christian we believe Here are the options

16. SECULARISM Christianity on the margins Compartmentalism / materialism Hostility towards Christianity Dead end religion ( no future)

17. RESPONSE - HOPE Sunday may be the only day that they think about faith stories. Connect the bible to their life. Paint an eschatological vision Cultivate a sense of providence

18. PART 2 How can we best communicate to those in the local church the big cultural issues and how to deal with them?

19. CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS Preaching must identify and then challenge the presuppositions on which contemporary culture is based. Jesus’ model ‘you have heard it said, but I say….’

20. CASE STUDY: GENESIS 1-11 There is purpose and design (Gen.1) Humanity is made in the image of God (Gen.2) The world is not the way God intends it to be (Gen.3)

21. There are moral absolutes and we live in a moral universe. (Gen.6-9) God cares (Gen.8) God is the author of human history (Gen.10)