Cypress Bible Notes July 13, 2008 Speaker: JJ Jones
Whose Bright Idea Was This, Anyway?
Matthew 5:13-16 INTRO: Jimmy Buffett’s latest song: “Bama Breeze” I asked myself these questions: -What’s wrong with this picture? -What are we doing wrong? -What would it look like if . . .? -Why is it this way? “world”: kosmos or kosmon -the created earth -humankind/people -systems, values, ways of life woven into human society that are contrary and in opposition to the things of God I think there’s a better term to help us today: _______________________ Two Reactions We Tend To Have As Christians To The “World”: 1. _____________________ Result: we appear legalistic, judgmental, self-serving 2. _____________________ Result: no distinction; no impact for Christ I think there’s a third possible reaction that’s more beneficial to have: _______________________ “The early Christians out-thought, out-lived, and out-died their pagan counterparts.” T.R. Glover – Historian “Despite all the fancy buildings, sophisticated programming, and highly visible presence, it is my contention that the church is almost a non-entity when it comes to shaping the culture. In the arts, entertainment, media, education, (politics) and other culture shaping venues . . . the church has abdicated its role as salt and light.” Bob Briner, “Roaring Lambs” I. THE TRUTH ABOUT SALT a. Salt ___________________________ (truth) b. Salt ___________________________ (influence culture) c. Salt ___________________________ (transform culture) WE ARE TO PRESERVE TRUTH, WHILE WE IRRITATE AND TRANSFORM CULTURE! II. THE TRUTH ABOUT LIGHT a. Light __________________________ (wrong) b. Light __________________________ (right) c. Light __________________________ (guides) WE ARE TO EXPOSE THE WRONG AND ILLUMINATE THE RIGHT, WHILE WE ACT AS A GUIDE! BOTH TOGETHER: WE ARE TO HEAR AND UNDERSTAND OUR CULTURE AND RESPOND WITH TRUTH IN THEIR ARENA! III. THE TRUTH ABOUT US a. Are we not called to be ___________________________? Yes, but . . . -in our heart, but not our _________________________ -in our worldview, but not our _______________________ -in our motivation, but not our ____________________________ b. A __________________________! c. We have no choice, it’s ____________________ command! Which brings me back to one of my questions: WHAT IF . . .???
CULTURE RESOURCES
BOOKS Too Christian, Too Pagan: How To Love The World Without Falling For It: Dick Staub The Culturally Savvy Christian: Dick Staub Eyes Wide Open: Bill Romanowski The Contemporary Christian: John Stott How Now Shall We Live?: Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcey Finding God Where You Least Expect Him: John Fischer Redeeming Pop Culture: A Kingdom Approach: T.M. Moore Christ and Culture: H. Richard Niebuhr Opie Doesn’t Live Here Anymore: Walt Mueller A Mind For God: James Emery White Engaging The Soul of Youth Culture: Bridging Teen Worldviews and Truth: Walt Mueller Hurt-Inside The World of Today’s Teenagers: Chap Clark Roaring Lambs: A Gentle Plan To Radically Change Your World: Bob Briner Unchristian-What A New Generation really Thinks About Christianity . . . : Dave Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons WEBSITES www.cpyu.org The Center For Parent and Youth Understanding, Walt Mueller’s excellent site. Tons of helpful information on pop and youth culture from a Christian perspective. Articles, resources, hot quotes, reviews, cultural trends, etc. www.breakpoint.org Chuck Colson's daily guide to developing a Christian Worldview in post-Christian culture hits the net with Colson's insightful commentary on news and trends. Visitors can search the archives for scripts from past commentaries or listen to the day's broadcast. www.dickstaub.com This site from radio host and writer Dick Staub features movie, music, book and news reviews where "belief meets life." Dick believes by listening to popular culture one can hear and understand issues of importance to today's seeker and become literate in the "vocabulary" most useful in communicating beliefs. www.hollywoodjesus.com Billed as the site that "looks for the deeper more profound meaning behind blockbuster hits," this site examines pop culture from a spiritual point of view. The site is especially helpful with information on current films, but also has information and analysis on television and music. www.relevantmagazine.com RELEVANT has both a print magazine and an on-line 'zine, each with it's own content. Operated by a group of Gen X Christians, RELEVANT is one of the best sites out there examining God, Life, and Progressive Culture. Topics discussed include faith, career, relationships, music, and the culture at large, all from an intelligent and fresh Christian perspective. They also offer a great e-mail newsletter. www.unchristian.com Groundbreaking research into the perceptions of sixteen- to twenty-nine-year-olds reveals that Christians have taken several giant steps backward in one of their most important assignments. Find out why these negative perceptions exist, learn how to reverse them in a Christlike manner, and discover practical examples of how Christians can positively contribute to culture. www.pluggedinonline.com Focus on the Family’s website complete with up to date reviews and info on current music, movies, and culture.