We're going to turn to 1 Corinthians 1, and if you want to turn there in your Bibles, page 1144.
Okay, let me pray and ask for the Lord's help, and then we'll get started that way. Let me pray.
Father, we want to ask for your help. We know we need it.
We are going to seek to think carefully and deeply about the world in which we live,
and we want to ask that you would help us. We want to particularly pray that we might hold on to the
things that we've already thought about, about the power of the gospel to save lost people,
but we want to remember that it's not our cleverness that saves, but it is the power of the gospel,
and so we pray with that in our minds that we would think deeply and carefully about the culture
in which we live. In Jesus' name, amen. Just in case you weren't with us last week,
let me just briefly recap. We've been looking at how we live in the world in which we live. So
God in his wisdom has called us to live our Christian lives in a world that is broken and
difficult and challenging and at times even hostile, but yet still carries the fingerprints
of the God who made it in his common grace, and we've been using that book by Dan Strange
called Plugged In. I've got four copies left. If anyone wants a copy, you can come and make me an
offer for one, and you can have one. If you remember last week, we were seeing that we should resist the
Christian temptations to look in, lash out, or look like. So we recognized that the temptation was to
look in, was just to kind of build walls or fences and just to seek to set ourselves apart from the
world and just kind of set up sub-Christian cultures, or the temptation was to lash out and be angry with
the world and just hate on the world, or look like, which is basically just blend in and just follow the
world's patterns. And Dan Strange says that none of those are right, but what we should do instead is
engage, think deeply, to see where we live and think about what that means and what we watch,
the cultures that we live in, and see how they are both confronted and confirmed by the gospel.
Summary statement, well not mine, not yours, but Dan Strange's, was subversive fulfillment.
Subversive in the idea that what Jesus says undermines the stories that our world tells us,
and fulfillment in the idea that actually the aspirations of our world as they're shaped by
common grace are fulfilled by the Lord Jesus. Now I think this is quite tricky, I did get a bit
of feedback from last week saying it was tricky. Subversive is not a word that you use very often,
fulfillment probably not a word you use very often. Put them together, words you don't use very often,
it becomes like super complicated, so we don't really talk in terms of subversive fulfillment.
So let me just work through an example from 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 18 to 25 and we'll
see it together. Let me read it to you. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who
are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise, the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate. Where is the wise person?
Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish
the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him.
God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews
and foolishness to Gentiles. But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power
of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom and the weakness of
God is stronger than human strength. Now keep your eyes on the passage, just notice the flow with me.
Paul says that the message of the cross is foolishness to the perishing, but like we were seeing this
morning, for the believer, that message is the power of God. So it's not the cross, but the message of the
cross, which is the power of God for salvation. Why is that foolishness? Well, if you look down at verse
22, it's foolishness because Jews demand signs, you know, that you think like Moses in Egypt or
Elijah on Mount Carmel, you know, show me, you know, give me a sign, show me. Greeks look for wisdom
like their philosophers. And Dan in his book lists a whole load of Greek philosophers. Nick here could
list Greek philosophers for you. I can't, so I'm not going to. And they find that it doesn't give them
philosophical ideas like that either. It's not a sign that Jews are looking for and it's not the wisdom
that the Greeks are looking for. In fact, the message of the cross subverts both of those ideas.
It's a stumbling block. Look at verse 23. It's a stumbling block to Jews because it doesn't give
them the signs or the power that they're looking for. And it is foolishness to the Greeks because
it's not wise sounding in the way that Greek philosophy is. So the power is not in a display
of wonder, but in the message of a man hanging naked on a Roman cross, you know, ashamed and cursed in
Jewish tradition. It's an undermining, a subversion of the sign that Jews would be looking for. And it's not
high sounding wisdom that Greeks like, but it is in simple sacrificial logic. It's foolishness
to the Greek. It's, oh, what a terrible, terrible idea. I'm not really interested in that.
So the gospel comes to both the Jew and the Greek culture and subverts its ideas. But it doesn't stop
there, does it? Because look at verse 24. But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks,
Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Do you see, this is brilliant, isn't it? The foolishness
of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. For the
believer, Jew or Gentile, actually the wonder of the gospel is that it is the fulfillment of their
expectations of both signs and power, and of wisdom. Power, because it takes what is weak and uses it to
achieve what could never have been achieved. And wisdom, because it takes something we would never
have come up with, and demonstrates it to be the greatest and most wise truth in the world. So it is
the subversion, welcome, the subversion of false ideas and the fulfillment of true ideas. Do you get that
idea, right? So this is how it works. It is foolishness and weakness, but is also power and wisdom as we see
it. Now, what I want you to do, just with the person next to you for a couple of moments, is think,
what is it that our culture is looking for in a message of salvation? And then think, how does the
gospel subversively fulfill that, right? So what is it the gospel says, no, that's not quite right?
And what does the gospel say that that's true? So maybe think, what is our culture looking for in
a message of salvation? And then we'll feedback our ideas. Go for it. How have we been getting on?
Anyone want to tell us what they discuss? What does our culture think it is looking for in a message
of salvation? Go on, Teddy. Oh, okay, go on. Anyone, yeah, yeah, right, go on.
We were looking at that last yesterday in March. Yes.
Yes.
Did everyone hear that?
That's brilliant.
So you saw, and actually that's going to be one of my examples later.
Anyway, so you saw in the march yesterday this desire for sort of nationhood, belonging,
an idea of identity and being part of something that's bigger and stronger in a community and all that sort of stuff.
And the gospel comes and it sort of undermines that, yeah, or contradicts it, subverts it by saying,
no, actually, that's not Great Britain that you're looking for and longing for.
What you really want is the kingdom of God.
And you get into that not through citizenship here, but through the message of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Yeah.
And so that desire for being part of something is actually only fulfilled.
You get it?
Anybody else?
Charleston?
Yeah.
Yes.
Okay.
So what about the idea that our culture thinks that salvation is found in everybody being right?
Yeah.
Nobody's wrong.
Everybody's right.
We all end up in the same place.
How does the gospel subvert that?
Well, it says there's only one way, right?
And it's the Lord Jesus Christ.
But actually, the idea that all kinds of different people from all nations and backgrounds and cultures can come that one way,
it says, yeah, amen to that.
Actually, if you want a really diverse place with all sorts of different cultures and all sorts of different people there,
look at Revelation 7.
Every tribe and language and nation and tongue is there, right?
You don't get any more diverse than that.
But they've all come the same one way through the Lord Jesus Christ.
So it embraces the inclusivity, but it subverts the idea that you get inclusivity by telling everybody they're right.
Because everybody's not right.
Does that make sense?
Yeah.
Anyone else?
I would say, I'm just saying, you're sharing.
Because I was at a, I was at a family party yesterday.
And it's a person who knows who knows I'm Christian.
And it was playing a game where he asked questions.
And their question was, if you have two questions, what was you asked?
The first one was, what's the meaning of life?
And if they're God.
They know I'm Christian, they're good.
Yeah.
So I just thought, wow, that question.
Because there were some people there saying, hey, the opportunity to really just share.
But I say to Tanya, you know, I asked that.
There's a stumbling block because of history.
So I just think the sentence that you read, it's just foolishness to those who are perishing.
Because people are looking for something that is relatable to them.
And they're trying to track the fact that they're not going to be able to do anything.
And they're trying to do the gospel.
Yeah.
But because they're required in the sea, it is just foolishness.
Yeah.
Because they're not able to assume that what they're people.
And you talked about the Greeks and the...
Jews.
Yeah.
No matter what culture.
Yes.
Yeah.
No, I think you're right.
So lots of different cultures there.
The gospel seems foolish to them.
Yeah.
I think there are loads of other examples you could have given.
I don't know whether anyone wants to...
Yeah, why not?
I'll give you another couple of seconds.
Spirituality and transcendence.
But before that overlaps with meaning and purpose, then I did.
Yeah.
Go on.
Just say what you mean by spirituality and transcendence.
So people are looking like...
Well, I mean, like they're looking for like UFOs.
Right.
Also things like what they call meditation.
Yeah.
some sort of spiritual thing
on the line
to give meaning to purpose
and meaning to life.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
So, right,
there's a desire built into everybody
for a sort of spiritual experience,
yeah,
and so we go looking for it
in all sorts of different places,
particularly looking for it
internally somehow,
and actually,
again,
the Bible's answer is,
no,
yes,
you are a spiritual person,
but you are made for a relationship
with the God who made you
through the Lord Jesus Christ
in the power of the Spirit,
and so it both says,
yes,
you're spiritual,
but no,
you don't go looking there.
I think you can do the same for it,
like things like comfort
or material success
or family
or, you know,
any of these things
that people think is like salvation.
Salvation is getting married
or salvation is having a family
or salvation is getting a good job
or salvation is owning a home
or any of those things.
You can see how the gospel subverts that
because it says,
no,
actually,
you will not find salvation there,
but it fulfills it.
So it undermines the ideas,
but it fulfills the aspirations
as they are shaped by common grace,
saying,
actually,
no,
you're made for the family of God.
Your home is in the presence of the Lord.
Okay.
So in people's mind,
it says subjective thing,
right?
Everyone has to go on
definition,
whatever.
Yeah,
so everyone will think of salvation
in different ways,
won't they?
And we're going to come
and talk about,
so how this links with presenting the gospel as well.
And we're going to do that now.
So let's keep moving
because it's quarter past seven.
So one of the really helpful things
that Dan does in the book
is sort of slow down on this
and give a four-step approach
to this idea of cultural engagement.
And he does it from Acts 17.
So turn to Acts 17 if you want to.
It's just on your handout
if that will speed you up.
Acts 17,
verse 16.
So this is Paul in Athens
speaking on the Areopagus
to the Athenians
who love to listen to good ideas.
Put your hands up if you've been there.
Have you been there?
Yeah, you see.
I knew a few of you would be there.
It's worth going
if you've not ever been to Athens.
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens,
he was greatly distressed
to see that the city was full of idols.
So he reasoned in the synagogue
with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks
as well as in the marketplace
day by day
with those who had happened to be there.
A group of Epicurean
and Stoic philosophers
began to debate with him.
Some of them asked,
what is this babbler trying to say?
Others remarked,
he seems to be advocating foreign gods.
They said this because Paul
was preaching the good news
about Jesus and the resurrection.
Then they took him
and brought him to a meeting
of the Areopagus
where they said to him,
may we know what this new teaching is
that you are presenting.
You are bringing some strange ideas
to our ears
and we would like to know
what they mean.
All the Athenians
and the foreigners who lived there
spent their time doing nothing
but talking about
and listening to the latest ideas.
Paul then stood up
in the meeting of the Areopagus
and said,
people of Athens,
I see that in every way
you are very religious,
for as I walked around
and looked carefully
at your objects of worship,
I even found an altar
with this inscription,
to an unknown god.
So,
you are ignorant
of the very thing you worship
and this is what I am going
to proclaim to you.
The God who made the world
and everything in it
is the Lord of heaven and earth
and does not live in temples
built by human hands.
He is not served by human hands
as if he needed anything.
Rather,
he himself
gives everyone
life and breath
and everything else.
From one man
he made all the nations
that they should inhabit
the whole earth
and he marked out
their appointed times
in history
and the boundaries
of their lands.
God did this
so that they would seek him
and perhaps reach out for him
and find him
though he is not far
from any one of us
for in him
we live
and move
and have our being.
And some of your own poets
have said
we are his offspring.
Therefore,
since we are God's offspring
we should not think
that the divine being
is like gold
or silver
or stone
an image
made by human design
and skill.
In the past
God overlooked
such ignorance
but now he commands
all people everywhere
to repent
for he has set a day
when he will judge
the world with justice
by the man
he has appointed.
He has given proof
to this
to everyone
by raising him
from the dead.
When they heard
about the resurrection
of the dead
some of them sneered
but others said
we want to hear you again
on this subject.
At that
Paul left the council.
Some of the people
became followers of Paul
and believed.
Among them
was Diosenes
a member of the Areopagus
and also a woman
named Demarius
and a number
of others.
Now notice
before we get into
the presentation
to the Areopagus
notice that
Paul was preaching
the gospel.
That's what he's doing
verse 18.
Dan is really careful
to point out
and you must hold on
to this
theologically
this is very important
and actually practically
it's really important
that cultural engagement
is not an excuse
for not preaching
the gospel.
In a sense
what you're doing
is clearing away
the ground
in order to preach
the gospel
and being able
to explain it
in a way that people
can understand
and connect with.
So it's in the context
of preaching
to the people of Athens
about Jesus
that people have questions
about what Paul means
and how it all fits together.
They call him
a babbler
in verse 18
which the book
will tell you
in Greek
means a seed pecker
someone who's
just got little
disconnected ideas
and dots
that don't fit together.
And in that context
Paul gives a presentation
in verse 22
to the Areopagus
which is the place
where everyone goes
to debate
the latest ideas.
And Dan points out
in his book
four steps
in Paul's presentation
there.
Firstly
entering.
So Paul
the first thing he does
is step into their world
he listens to their story
he's been walking around
and carefully looking
at the objects
of worship.
Paul is not hiding out
in Athens
in a corner
and praying
but he's walking
looking
seeing what's going on
and he's engaged
in where he is.
Dan suggests
sort of
thinking through
some basic
kind of questions
what is it
that's being said
here?
Who is saying it?
Who are they saying it to?
That kind of thing
entering into the world.
The next step
is exploring
back in Acts 17
that's what you see
happening
notice that Paul
is looking for the stories
for things to affirm
and also the idols
that are behind them.
So he says
I see that in every way
you are very religious
noticing that they have
lots and lots of idols
including an idol
to the unknown gods.
Now that's obviously
not a good thing
to have idols
that are made
to unknown gods
but it does point
to a religious hunger
which provides
Paul with a hook
to hang his ideas on.
Dan calls this step
exploring x-ray glasses
wanting not just to see
what's happening
but to think about
why is it happening?
Why do they have an idol
to an unknown god?
It's because there is
a deep religious hunger
that they recognize
is still yet unsatisfied
and that's worth exploring
and thinking about some more.
Remembering that human beings
build cultures
that if you remember
from last week
flow out of our
deep held beliefs
about life
and what it's for.
So culture
is this sort of expression
of the stories
or the stories
that tell what we
deeply believe.
So what is it
that has been taken
to be a good thing?
What has been turned
from a good thing
into being an object
of worship
and an idol?
Where is the story
of the gospel
being twisted?
So here in Acts 17
it's clear that
this being made
for the divine
and this God-shaped hole
has been filled
by man-made idols.
So explore.
Next, expose.
Notice again
what Paul says
in verse 23.
As I walked around
and looked carefully
at your objects
of worship
I even found
an altar
with this inscription
to an unknown God.
So he's done exploring
and he then goes
straight for confrontation
doesn't he?
So you are ignorant
of the very thing
you worship
and this is what
I'm going to proclaim
to you.
They've been thinking
about God all wrong.
They are ignorant
of the truth
and their idols
are destructive.
So says Paul
in verse 29.
Therefore,
since we are
God's offspring
we should not think
that divine being
is like gold
or silver or stone
an image made
by human design
and skill.
Dan here quotes
Ted Turnow
who we met last week
as well
and says that
here what you're doing
is showing
the explanatory poverty
of the idols
that you see around you.
Do you really think
that you can carve
an image of God?
Do you really think
you can make God
out of gold?
How's that working
for you?
Or today maybe.
Do you think
that the blind forces
of chance
that created everything
how's that working out?
Really?
Is that what you think?
I think often
we can miss this step
because we want to get
straight to a gospel
presentation
but actually what Paul
is doing here
is saying to us
it's really worth
asking some good questions
exposing the poverty
of people's thinking
and of the ideas
of our world.
and then finally
evangelizing.
Dan calls this
showing off the gospel
as the subversive fulfillment
of what you were looking
for in the first place.
So at the end
of verse 23
he introduces
his presentation
of the gospel
the very thing
that you're ignorant of
I am going to proclaim
to you.
Actually you've demonstrated
that you're ignorant
of the thing
that you want to worship
let me show you
what God is like
let me show you
that God is the one
who made you
who sustains you
in him we live
and have our being
one day we will stand
before him
a fact that's proven
by Jesus' resurrection
from the dead
which then sparks
the response
of verse 32
where some people
believe
and other people
reject and wander off.
There's an example
in his book
of someone
doing this kind of work
in a more contemporary setting
and so let me read it to you
and then we'll think
about how this works
out for us.
This is a former student
of Dan's
who wrote him
an email
he says this
I was recently asked
to talk about faith
to a group
of professional sportsmen.
I began by exploring
the issue of identity
and tried to highlight
how their impression
of themselves
has been determined
by the opinion
of others
from a very early age.
Teachers, coaches,
age group coaches,
professional coaches,
international coaches,
media and fans.
In the eyes
of these people
their value
is determined
by their performance.
I tried to get them
to see
that tying their joy
or satisfaction
or ultimately
their identity
to these things
is a volatile thing
that leaves them
very vulnerable.
One of the players
said that he agreed
with this
and it was why
he didn't put
all his eggs
in the sport basket.
His faith
was his family.
I then explored
how that too
will ultimately
leave you vulnerable.
From there
I held out Christ
as the only certain
and sure place
to stand
and the only place
where our identity
is secure.
I said that
as long as our family,
coaches, fans
or the media
make their demands
we will have to measure up.
As such
we will lie
and put on a front
when things are bad.
Christ knows the worst
about us
and accepts us anyway.
The opinions
and love of others
are fickle,
changing according
to our performance.
Christ accepts us
unconditionally,
liberating us
to be honest
and humble
towards others.
Of course,
I had to show them
how living
with a focus
on themselves
as the end
of all things
might be offensive
to God.
Finding security
in Christ
can only happen
if you repent
of those things.
One guy
asked me
what he needs
to do
to become a Christian
and now
another
wants to read
the gospel.
I am 100% certain
this wouldn't
have happened
if my presentation
had been a standard
God is in charge,
you have sinned,
it's going to go badly
so you better repent
approach.
That is what Dan
is trying to recommend
to us
that we kind of
engage with where
people are coming from
and show them Christ,
show off Christ
against the backdrop
of the poverty
of the way
our culture thinks.
Any questions
or comments
before we go
on to our
final exercise
which is not
real exercise
but a thinking
exercise.
Any questions?
Yes.
Go on.
Yes.
This takes longer
and is more difficult
and requires listening.
Yeah.
Definitely.
Yeah.
Sorry,
Florence's gone?
Yeah.
And I think
especially in a context
like London
where everyone's
from a very different culture,
different aspirations
are very different,
aren't they?
And I think
age affects it as well
so the culture
of young people
is quite different
to the culture
of older people
and of people in between.
So yeah.
Okay.
Now then,
right at the very end
of our meeting together
I'm going to ask you
to do the really hard part
which is to pick
a cultural phenomenon
and investigate it
using those four steps.
Okay.
So I want you to enter
into it,
think what's it about,
who wrote it,
who's the audience,
explore it,
why is this happening,
what is valuable,
what's the supreme good
for that cultural phenomenon
and is that good or bad.
Expose,
where does it break down,
what's wrong with it,
how is it a poor story
and then evangelize,
how is Jesus a better story.
Now,
I've got some suggestions
so that you don't spend ages
thinking of a cultural phenomenon
but maybe you could think
of a friend
who is always telling you
about the successes
of their grandchildren
or maybe you could think
of a conversation
about the Tommy Robertson march
on Saturday.
Teddy's already done that
for you anyway
but you could maybe
think about that.
Maybe a colleague at work
who is always career planning
or a school student
who is always stressed
by work
and works obsessively
or you could think
of something else,
right?
What is it
that's going on
in those,
enter into it,
explore it,
expose it
and evangelize it.
We'll go for that
for about five minutes or so
and then we'll collect
our answers back
and then we'll finish.
Okay.
I'm sorry to interrupt
your conversations.
Does anyone want to
briefly,
we'll do one.
Does anyone want to
help us out
on what you were
thinking about?
Come on.
Let's hear it.
Just one good point,
Isaiah.
Right.
Yeah.
And you just talked
about how,
I mean,
there's nothing wrong
with planning
from being,
I don't know,
looking forward
and stuff like that.
There's one good point
where you may or may
not find yourself
trying to be close.
Yeah.
And then when
things don't go
the way
of the original
plan for this world,
you're like,
oh,
what's going on?
Yeah.
Well,
why is this happening?
Yeah.
But actually,
God has a plan
to be used
and he wants you
where you are
and the ones
of those
you know,
what you expect
to be.
Yeah.
Actually,
there's a sense
in which,
you know,
the Bible says
that God
will be
of harm.
So,
actually, yeah,
also in terms of the other position
of the world to the world
that actually God has got that whole
and the world to God.
Yes.
So if your career
turns out to be the source
of your purpose, meaning, and identity,
you've turned what is supposed to be
a good thing for you to enjoy
into a God that you worship.
And it's a terrible God
because it's unforgiving and merciless
and you're only ever one bad decision
away from it judging you
and crushing you.
And God is a good and merciful God
who forgives you and, yeah.
And actually, so we were talking
a little bit about this down here as well.
So actually even the aspiration,
the career aspiration to build something
or make something that lasts
is only really fulfilled in Christ
as well, isn't it?
And so we're made to work.
We will work in eternity,
but we'll work for the glory of God
in the world that he has made
in a perfect way.
Yeah.
Really helpful.
Great.
Hopefully you've had enough
of a taste of it
to think a little bit differently
about some of the things
that we engage with in the world.
But I know we've not exhausted it.
So I've got some books
that you can purchase
and that will help you.
And if not,
you need to come back
in a couple of weeks
when we finish off the series.
But let me pray to close.
We're not going to sing
our final hymn,
but we'll close in prayer.
Let me pray for us.
Heavenly Father,
how we thank you
that Jesus tells a better story
than the world around us.
It's a story of love
and forgiveness
and mercy.
It's a story of
a new identity in him,
a greater purpose,
a greater glory in the future,
of a certain home
and hope in you.
And we want to pray, please,
that you'd make us better
at telling that story
to those around us
by showing them
how it both undermines
and contradicts
the things that they believe,
but also provides
a fulfillment
for the things
that they long for
and that they're looking for
in the wrong places.
Lord, we see
that many people around us
and even ourselves
are tempted at times
to turn to things,
good things,
that you've given us
and turn them
into objects of worship
as if they were
gods themselves.
Forgive us
and help us, we pray,
in a confusing world
with lots of different cultures
colliding with one another
in the city in which we live
to present the gospel
clearly and faithfully
as we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.