Tuesday, September 12, 2006

"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:13-16). 

IDEA: We can give up being aliens and strangers and baptize the culture into the church.

PURPOSE: To help listeners understand the tension of being aliens and strangers in the world.

Do you find the description of Christians in the New Testament as "aliens and strangers" a big negative?

What picture comes to your mind?

I. There are Christians who have decided to embrace the culture and baptize it into the Christian faith.

An extreme form of baptizing the culture is the move in the New England area several years ago to start a church retaining the Episcopal liturgy without keeping its faith statement.

More recently, denominations have changed their views on homosexuality and have declared that they are ordaining practicing homosexuals to the Christian ministry. 

II. Why do you think Christians and denominations have taken this approach to the society? 

Do you think it's possible to baptize the culture into the Christian faith in less obvious ways?

What problems arise when we do that?

It's like plunging a balsawood church into water. The church is in the water and the water is in the church; it's difficult to separate them.

It's difficult for churches which take this approach to speak prophetically to the world.

The society is worse off if the church cannot speak a word of warning.