Faith Confronts Culture
In this teaching we're exploring Acts chapter 18 and beginning of 19, showing how early Christian faith fearlessly transformed ancient cultures—from Jerusalem to Athens and Corinth— urging us to boldly live out the Gospel's transformative truth in our own culture today.
The only culture we are to be part of is God’s and live his culture in the church, as the church, and bring his Kingdom culture. wherever we go. It seems people continue to try and redefine what God wants from us and shape ourselves into our own image of who we think God is rather than be shaped into his image of who he tells us he is and who he wants us to be. We are to be made into the image of Christ— nothing more or less.
Let’s look at these scripture passages to help put into context God’s desire for us to be centered on his culture.
John 10:27 CSB
My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me.
Colossians 2:8 CSB
Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ.
John 15:4-5 CSB
Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.
Romans 12:2 CSB
Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Mark 7:8 CSB
Abandoning the command of God, you hold on to human tradition."
1 Corinthians 12:27 CSB
Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.
John 1:12-13 CSB
But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.
Exodus 20:3-6 CSB
Do not have other gods besides me. Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers' iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 CSB
Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.
Do we do that? No, I’m guilty too. What if we did though?
Matthew 6:33 CSB
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Should Christians use the label "American Christian"? Here’s a short clip from my Faith Confronts Culture teaching to get us to think more along the lines of how Jesus thought so we do what Jesus did.
