Being the Church
Thesis: Though despised on the whole from without and even within, the Church/church is God’s powerful secret weapon to change the world (1 Co. 10:1-6; Ep. 3:9, 10, 20).
Implication: Christians must build the church (the local organization) and be the Church (the organism in all of life) (Ac. 2:42-47; 1 Pt. 2:4-12).
EvangelismBill Bright
“Fast and pray for spiritual revival throughout America and the world. . . .We can help change the world by introducing people to Jesus Christ” (10).
Political ActionJames Dobson
“The side that wins gains the right to teach what it believes to its children. And if you can do that, you write the curricula, you tell them what to believe and you model what you want them to understand and in one generation you change the whole culture” (13)
Does evangelism (alone) change culture?
While 86 to 88% of American population adhere to some faith, the major institutions of our culture (business, law, government, academics, entertainment) are “intensely secular and materialistic.”
Traditional religious adherents give more, attend church more, and get involved in more religious activities but influence has steadily declined over past 175 years.
Is a political and social majority necessary for cultural change?
Jews have had oversized influence on art, science, economics while only 3.5% of population. While only 3% of population gay community has exercised unabated influence in politics, social advocacy and media.
Evolution: 83% of all Americans take a providentialist view of origins.
Abortion: Over 50% believe that abortion should only be legal in a few circumstances.
Institutions
Propagators
Artisans, Institutions
NetworksIntellectu
als Educators
Converted Influential
Political Wealthy
Cultural change occurs from the top down when resourceful patrons (financial and political) sponsor dense networks of intellectuals and educators who inspire artists, poets, musicians and institutions to define a new culture.
Early ChurchEarly Christianity exercised an oversized influence on the Roman world through the conversion of aristocrats and political influential.
Influential in Early Church
Aristobulus: grandson of Herod and friend of Claudius (Ro. 16:3-16).
Eusebius: lists Xns in places of power.
Philip the Arabian (244-49): first Xn emperor
Diocletian’s wife and daughter
Networks in Early Church
Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Jerome, Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa, Ambrose of Milan, Augustine
Christian philosophers who were part of the nobility could speak their minds freely to nobility and fellow educators.
Institutions in Early Church
Christian philosophers changed minds of politically powerful and changed course of paideia (Roman educational system) which resulted in cultural consensus by 300s.
Became dominant politically. Care for poor and disenfranchised (e.g. fatherless children) was distinguishing mark of Christian society.
Influential in Early Europe
Patrick, Columba, Columbanus, Boniface, Pirmin, Willibrord, Wilfrid, Aiden, Amandus, Vladimir
Networks in Early Europe
Monasteries: centers for learning on every topic, repositories of publications and culture, outposts for evangelization (particularly of politically and financially powerful).
Institutions in Early Europe
Barbarian kings propagated Christianization of culture (built churches, monasteries, schools, libraries, helped the poor).
Clovis (king of the Franks); Ethelbert (Kent); Edwin (Northumbria), Stephen (Hungary), Sigebert (Essex), Boris (Bulgaria); Peada (Mercia), Vladimir (Kiev), Herald (Danes), Olaf (Norway), James (Sweden)
Sponsored relief of the poor
Influential of Reformation
Growing cities produced wealthy merchants
Zurich, Geneva, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Ghent, Strasbourg, Nuremberg, Augsburg, Cologne
Networks of Reformation
Luther: von Staupitz, Capito, Melanchthon, Dore
Calvin: Farel, Beza, Knox
Cranmer: Knox, Vermigli, Ochino
Institutions of the Reformation
Universities and academies: Geneva, Leiden, Oxford, Cambridge
Political states: France, Geneva, Holland, England
Commerce and free enterprise
Mercy ministries to poor and ill
Influential of the Awakenings
Great Awakening: Wesleys and Whitefield (Oxford); Erskine and Gillespie (Edinburgh); Edwards, Brainerd, Parsons (Yale); Prince, Sr., Colman, Pemberton (Harvard).
Social Reform: Wilberforce, Venn, Clarkson, Simeon (Cambridge); Shore, Teignmouth (aristocracy); Thornton (business elite); Hannah More (literary elite); Pitt (government).
Institutions of the Awakenings
Churches: 150 Congregational churches alone between (1740-1760); 25-50,000 converts (3-20% of population).
Princeton
Georgia Orphan House (Bethesda)
Faithful PresenceThe doctrine and practice of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ is
the only answer for” dissolution” and “difference”
Without an Incarnate Christ. . .
Culture dissolves: trustworthiness of relationship between words and world (e.g. revisionism, deconstruction, political correctness, political speech)
Culture disintegrates into differences: e.g. racism, multi-culturalism, political parties, rich and poor.
With an Incarnate Christ. . .
Truth, learning, communication possible: “Truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn. 1:17)
Relationships made possible among different: “Destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of separation” (Ep. 2:14).
What do we do?
In the power of the Spirit, after the example of Christ, and with a willingness to suffer we must practice FAITHFUL PRESENCE as Individuals Networks Within Institutions (existing and new)
Individuals
To each other Christians (Ro. 15:1-3) Non-Christians (He. 13:1-3)
To our tasks Cultural mandate (Ge. 2:15-18) Calling/vocation (Co. 3:22-24)
Within spheres of influence (1 Pt. 2:17)
Networks
Presbyterian Church in America
Gospel Coalition
CMDA; CO/MCO
Christian Legal Society; International Justice Mission
Redeemer/South Africa/WSA
Christians in the Visual Arts
Restoring People
Do Church (Acts 2:42-47) Worship: Preaching, Sacraments Work: Teaching, Mercy, Discipline Witness: Evangelism, Community Development,
Cultural Transformation
Be Church (1 Peter) Cultural Mandate (Ge. 2:9,10) Calling/Vocation (Co. 3:19)
Rebuilding Places
Do church Places for worship, work, and witness
Be Church Places for human flourishing:
Housing (justice for poor, dignity for handicapped) Respite for hungry Restoration through recreation
A Great Commission
Locally: Harness wealth for strategic purposes Leverage social capital for kingdom initiatives Continue WSA’s missional focus Network with peers to do vocation according to
Kingdom values Influence MCG at highest levels Influence ASU at highest levels Set standard for arts Eliminate social ills: abortion, poverty, sex trade,
hunger, homelessness
A Great Commission
Send “missionaries” into upper tiers of cultural matrix Nationally: plant churches in key cities, urge youth
to pursue upper tier vocations Internationally: plant churches and schools in key
world cities
Conclusion“This, I would insist, is not a cheap pietism. The fact is that Christ’s victory over the principalities and powers was a victory over the power of oppressive institutions—the sense that reality is what it is, that all is as it should be, that the ways of the world are established and cannot be changed; that the rules by which the world operates are ones we must accept and not challenge. We are not bound by the ‘necessities’ of history and society but are free from them. He broke their sovereignty and, as a result, all things are possible. It is this reality that frees all Christians to actively, creatively, and constructively seek the good in their relationships, in their tasks, in their spheres of influence and in their cities.”
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