One Should Be Understanding The Age

Developing a Christian/Biblical World-View

“Understanding the Age in which we live”

Introduction

II Timothy 2:24-26

-We must be educated and know about the Age in which we live.

-How else will we be able to effectively reach the lost around us?

-We as fundamentalists cannot be stuck in the 1970’s.

-We must never change our message, but our methods can (within a proper biblical context).

-Ex. Door knocking isn’t effective anymore, but should we still evangelize our community?

-I am not saying we win the world by being like the world, but we must understand how people today think, and why they think the way they do.

-Why did so many Americans vote for an avowed socialist?

-Why are we debating about same-sex marriage?

-Why are we debating about men/women or gender-neutral restrooms?

-Why is the pop icon Bruce Springsteen hailed as a hero, because he cancelled a concert in NC for which his customers paid for, because of his convictions concerning gender-neutral restrooms, but, a Christian baker who stands up for her convictions, and does not bake a cake for a same-sex wedding is vilified and loses her bakery?

-The more one understands about the Age in which we live, and understands the predominate world-view of society, the better we can communicate the TRUTH of Scripture to them.

-That is what missionaries on foreign fields do, but not enough Christians in America put much effort into understanding the culture in which they live.

-Most of fundamental Christianity is stuck in the 1970’s. We are debating amongst ourselves about such unimportant things while the culture continues its slide into the abyss of Hell.

-It may have been better back in the 1970’s, but it is 2018, that is not where people are today.

-What can we do to reach our community?

1. A brief historical account:
2. Proverbs 23:7a

-Since the days of Aristotle (384-322 BC), Western thought believed in three very foundational principles:

1. The Law of Identity: a thing is what it is (ex. Man, woman, dog, chair, etc.).
2. The Law of Non-contradiction: a proposition and its denial cannot both be true (no middle ground).
3. The Law of the excluded middle: a proposition must be either true or false (ex. No gray area).

-The Medieval world-view centered on God in every area of life and culture (ex. music, literature, art, etc.).

-Modernism centered on reality, which was external to the individual.

-Tolerance – not conviction – was the chief virtue; and science, not religion, would show us the way, so they thought.

-Post-modernism, and what has emerged from it, such as post-postmodernism and meta-modernism, centers on the ever-changing human perspective, as seen in the motto of meta-modernism, “Oscillation is the natural order of the world.”

-Therefore, there is nothing that is right or wrong for every individual to do or not do.

-Today’s young people don’t know who they are, what they want, what they believe, what is right or wrong, or where they are going. They have no unified world-view; they have no moral compass.

-That is why former NAACP leader Rachel Dolezal who is a white woman can be a black woman.

-That is why you can be a man when you are really a woman.

-That is why you can be a woman when you are really a man.

-Today’s young people believe there is no single correct view of the world, but countless views are correct in their own way.

–How do they answer the questions in life that are truly difficult?

1. How is post-modernism practiced in culture today?
2. In theory:
3. It affirms tolerance.
4. In practice:
5. It only tolerates those who agree with them:
6. Proverbs 14:12
7. Colossians 2:8
8. The problem:
9. Based on A, what do you do with people who say their view is the only right view?
10. When you say the same about yours.
11. Based on A, what do you do with people who say no one view is correct?
12. When you hold one of those views.
13. This causes a problem, because this form of thinking affirms little to nothing to which different sides can appeal to make a rational case.
14. There is no shared reasoning process, perspectives or universal truths. So, one usually leaves totally frustrated, tense or angry.
15. So, all that is left to advance their agenda is power of various kinds such as legal, social or political (ex. you may be labeled a bigot, homophobe, islamophobe, anti-American, not p/c, etc.)

-Again, how do they answer the questions in life that are truly difficult?

• We must understand the culture:

1. Do not isolate yourself:
2. I Corinthians 5:9-10
3. Engage the culture with the TRUTH of Scripture:
4. II Corinthians 10:4-5
5. Paul did this:
6. He knew the culture and philosophy of his day:
7. Acts 17:28 (he quoted their own poets)
8. Titus 1:10-12 (Titus was ministering in Crete, see v 5)
9. Always believe, speak and preach the TRUTH:
10. John 8:31-32
11. People today are blinded by the Devil and the erroneous and rotten fruit of post-modernism.
12. People need the TRUTH
13. The battle is over and for truth. Jesus is the TRUTH (John 14:6), and God’s Word is TRUTH (John 17:17).
14. People don’t need to hear our opinions, thoughts or ideas. They need to hear the TRUTH!

Application

-True Historical Orthodox Christianity has always developed sophisticated defenses to meet every modern problem and attack (this is called apologetics).

-Post-modernism, post-postmodernism, and meta-modernism is no exception.

-Christians can confidently enter into the arena of thought with a Christian/Biblical World-View knowing that they have the Author of TRUTH, and God’s revealed TRUTH on their side.

-In the Christian/Biblical World-View TRUTH is absolute and eternal, and it can critically and compassionately encounter whatever is the current wisdom of the world.

-See I Corinthians 1:20-21