1. “those who reside as aliens…”
Culture is a pattern of ideas, customs and behaviors shared by a particular people or society. It is constantly evolving.
Culture is the patterns of ideas, customs and behaviors shared by a particular people or society. These patterns identify members as part of a group and distinguish members from other groups. Culture may include all or a subset of the following characteristics:
• ethnicity
• language
• religion and spiritual beliefs
• gender
• socio-economic class
• age
• sexual orientation
• geographic origin
• group history
• education
• upbringing
• life experience
Culture is:
• dynamic and evolving,
• learned and passed on through generations,
• shared among those who agree on the way they name and understand reality,
• often identified ‘symbolically’, through language, dress, music and behaviors, and
• integrated into all aspects of an individual’s life.2
Christ and Culture
“those who reside as aliens…”
1 Peter 1:1

3. The church
A sovereign kingdom outpost in enemy territory to rescue the people in Jesus name

4. - Christ is our confidence

5. The church is confidently dependent on truth to rescue
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life
Only He (the truth) can set us free

6. A drowning person cannot rescue drowning people
2 Peter 2:1b “…destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves…”
2:2 - “depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute
2:3 - “exploit you with fabricated stories”
2:4-5 - “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people…”
2:5 - “but protected Noah”
2:7 - “he rescued Lot”
2:9 - “ “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.”
2 Peter 2: “This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord. 12 But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand.”
2 :2:15 - “They have left the straight way and wandered off”
2:2:18 - “For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.
2:2: “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.”
Notice the terms Peter uses to express the danger of the church nurturing untruth:
destructive & destruction, corrupt, wandered off, slaves of depravity, entangled and overcome
Also notice what is directly responsible for this destruction and judgment: Twisting Truth
A drowning person cannot rescue drowning people

7. (Chapter 1: 4b-5a) “through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires, so add to your faith”:
Goodness - Prioritizes God’s Goodness over goals (Means over ends)
Knowledge - Prioritizes divine relationship over religion (Who, not what)
Self-control - Prioritizes truth over temporal emotions (Knowing there’s better)
Perseverance - Prioritizes endurance over temporal victory (Think Eternity)
Godliness - Prioritizes Christ over commonality-worldliness (Identity matters)
Mutual Affection - Prioritizes brotherly kindness over division (Humble care)
Love - Prioritizes Unmerited love over infatuation - (Courageous decisive enduring love)

8. “those who reside as aliens…”
Culture is a pattern of ideas, customs and behaviors shared by a particular people or society. It is constantly evolving.
Culture is the patterns of ideas, customs and behaviors shared by a particular people or society. These patterns identify members as part of a group and distinguish members from other groups. Culture may include all or a subset of the following characteristics:
• ethnicity
• language
• religion and spiritual beliefs
• gender
• socio-economic class
• age
• sexual orientation
• geographic origin
• group history
• education
• upbringing
• life experience
Culture is:
• dynamic and evolving,
• learned and passed on through generations,
• shared among those who agree on the way they name and understand reality,
• often identified ‘symbolically’, through language, dress, music and behaviors, and
• integrated into all aspects of an individual’s life.2
Christ and Culture
“those who reside as aliens…”
1 Peter 1:1

9. Christ’s Heavenly Kingdom
Christ’s Church
God wants to change our non-visible culture so that we can impact the non-visible culture around us.
As our non-visible culture changes, we experience something more than a visible culture change - we experience a spiritual change
The visible culture has an undeniable impact on unregenerate people, but the person who is in Christ is not a slave to what he or she sees.
2 Cor. 4:18 - “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.”
Paul makes this statement after saying that we are decaying and temporal.
Eph. 3: For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
19and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
20Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
Christ’s Heavenly Kingdom

10. the church examines the culture through the lens of the kingdom
2 Peter 2:2 - Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
2 Peter 2:10 - This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority.
2 Peter 2: These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.
Have I Escaped Or am I Entangled?

11. the church is a countercultural movement
A God that is not of this world
A kingdom that is not of this world
A purpose that is not of this world
An emancipation that is not available from this world to life that transcends this world
Why would we (Christ’s rescue team) concern ourselves with emulating a dying worldly culture?