1. Ideas, Culture, and the Church

2. Matthew 7:15-20
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

3. Truth shift in Western Culture
Geographically: Germany – Continent – England – America
Society: Intellectual – Educated – Workers – Middle Class
Diagram
Philosophy
Art
Music
General Culture
Theology

4. Thirdly, it spread as represented in the diagram, from one discipline to another, beginning with the philosophers and ending with the theologians. Theology has been last for a long time. It is curious to me, in studying this whole cultural drift, that so many pick up the latest theological fashion and hail it as something new. But in fact, what the new theology is now saying has already been said previously in each of the other disciplines. (Schaefer's emphasis)

5. Implications In cultural terms
Not everyone needs to read existentialism
“Imagine”
Culture does affect the church
Titus 1:12
Goes on to emphasize good works 6 times
What happens when ideas reach theology?
Individually designed “Christian” faiths
Pluralism and ecumenicalism

6. Post Civil War Protestantism
“Two party Protestantism”
Both evangelical, interested in redemption
Private party -> individual
Public party -> society

7. 19th Century Eschatology
Post-millennial
Salvation found in building the kingdom of God on earth
Gave rise to Zionism

8. Post Civil War Industrialization
Before, less than ½ worked for wages
Chicago
1840: 5,000
1890: 1.1 million
: townships shrunk by 40%
Large scale immigration from central and southern Europe
Failure of southern reconstruction
The effect

9. Social Gospel Redemption comes through saving society
Consequences of industrialization comes through greed
Fix ills-> usher in the millennium of peace

10. 1907-08 1907: The Social Creed of Churches
1908: The National Council of Churches
Social gospel becomes the dominant approach to evangelism among Protestants

11. What’s the point?
The emphasis placed by contemporary denominations on reforming society and political activism has slowly evolved over nearly 200 years to its present state.
The effects of the social gospel movement have clouded the purpose of the church as well as how the gospel should be preached.
This has led to a cultural expectation for churches that is not necessarily rooted in scripture.

12. The effect....
It is time for God's people to speak out and be heard. Not by leading demonstrations and parades or grabbing signboards. We need to tell people lovingly about Jesus and His love, His plan of salvation and of the judgment. We are surrounded by people who do not really know the Lord and who are headed for hell. If we have any concern for their souls let us earnestly appeal to their sense of reasoning. Talk to them about Jesus, His plan of redemption, the one church for which He died, and the need for their obedience. Whether they are your next door neighbors, or total strangers you meet while on a vacation trip, they need to know about Jesus. Church members have reasoned for too long, that living a good clean life and setting a Christian example is enough. It is not. "Faith comes by hearing" not just by seeing (Romans 10:17). It is true that people may see that you are a good honest person, kind and neighborly, and respect you for it, but they need to be warned about the consequences of sin and the rejection of the Lord. They need to be told about how to be saved by believing in Jesus Christ, repenting of their sins, confessing their faith and being baptized and then living faithfully to the end.