1. “A Whole Life Christianity”
Mark 12:28-34
Pastor Carl Shank

2. Our Problem: A Line Faith Inexplicable Hope God Religious Belief
Thinking
Science
Actions
Facts
Feelings
Reality

3. The Societal Results
“God is dead!” (Nietzsche)
“God is irrelevant!” (Pragmatism)
“God is Me!” (Shirley MacLaine)

4. Results In The Church “Mindless” Christianity (John Stott) FIDEISM
An illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable
RITUALISM
“same-old/same-old”
ACTIVISM
Politics and social action gospel
EXISTENTIALISM
What I feel more important than what I think

5. Results In The Church “Cultural” Christianity
Adding Jesus as another life-interest
“Compulsory” Christianity
“Comfortable” Christianity
“Country-club” Christianity
“Copycat” Christianity

6. Results In Our Lives
“There is a God we want and there is a God who is. They are not the same God. Cultural Christianity means to seek the God we want instead of the God who is. By default, people become cultural Christians when they do not proactively choose to become biblical Christians.”

7. A Whole Life Christianity (Mark 12:28-34)
NO “line”!
A God NOT of our own making: “The Lord our God is ONE” (v. 29)
A God of the SECULAR as well as the SACRED
A God of the MUNDANE as well as the IMPORTANT
A God of heaven AND earth
A love for God AS WELL AS others: “The second is like it . . .” (Matt. 22:39)

8. A Whole Life Christianity
TOTAL devotion
Everything we are and have
More important than religious sacrifices (v. 33)
Unconditional and full
“all all all all”
Selfless
“as yourself . . .”

9. A Whole Life Christianity
EXTENSIVE and INTENSIVE
“heart” = center of being, existence
“soul” = source of emotions
“mind” = intelligence, understanding, attitude
“strength” = abundance of possessions

10. A Whole Life Christianity
“To love God in the way defined by the great commandment is to seek God for his own sake, to have pleasure in him and to strive impulsively after him (William Lane)

11. How To Have A Whole Life Christianity
“I cannot get there myself!”
“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)
Develop a “world-and-life” viewpoint
No “line” between job/church, home/church, and so forth
See God’s rule and oversight in everything

12. How To Have A Whole Life Christianity
Repent of “cultural” Christianity in your own life and habits
Learn how to love God with your MIND as well as your FEELINGS
“A Christian mind is a mind trained, informed, and equipped to handle the data of secular controversy within a framework of reference which is constructed of Christian presuppositions.” (Harry Blamires)

13. A Lesson from Erosion