A few weeks ago I heard James Emery White, former President of Gordon-Conwell Seminary, speak at the Q Conference. And he made a great distinction between two approaches to culture. He said we can't afford to approach culture as if we're living in an Acts 2 age where we're surrounded by God-fearing Jews. We need to approach culture like we're living in an Acts 17 age where we're surrounded by idolatry like Paul in Athens. I've always felt like Acts 17 is "the model" when it comes to decoding culture.
I would describe Athens as a culture of misdirected spirituality. There were altars all over the place including the altar to an unknown god. Seems to me that America is a nation of worshippers, but our worship is misdirected. We worship celebrities. We worship atheletes. We worship wealth. We worship the body. We worship just about everything except God.
America is full of spirituality, but it is often in the form of idolatry. But we can't boycott the aeropagus. We've got to compete in the marketplace of ideas. We've got to find spiritual touchpoints. Paul started with what they worshipped--the altar to the unknown god--and used it to preach about Christ.
For what it's worth, it seems to me that songs and movies are really altars to an unknown God. They ask the right questions and raise the right issues. But they fall short because they don't have the answers! Part of decoding culture is doing what Paul did in Acts 17:23: Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
I would describe Athens as a culture of misdirected spirituality. There were altars all over the place including the altar to an unknown god. Seems to me that America is a nation of worshippers, but our worship is misdirected. We worship celebrities. We worship atheletes. We worship wealth. We worship the body. We worship just about everything except God.
America is full of spirituality, but it is often in the form of idolatry. But we can't boycott the aeropagus. We've got to compete in the marketplace of ideas. We've got to find spiritual touchpoints. Paul started with what they worshipped--the altar to the unknown god--and used it to preach about Christ.
For what it's worth, it seems to me that songs and movies are really altars to an unknown God. They ask the right questions and raise the right issues. But they fall short because they don't have the answers! Part of decoding culture is doing what Paul did in Acts 17:23: Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.
5 Comments:
You are so right. I used the Acts 17 the last time I had an opportunity to preach in the sanctuary. Paul started where they were, complimented them ("I see you are a religious people") and then shifted to Jesus. What a GREAT model. AND, NO, we are NOT in an Acts 2 environment as the norm.
thanks!
another note about Acts 17...Paul went from being in the synagogue, to out into the streets of Athens...The NIV says, "The Marketplace"...Those two words are a part of my daily quest for how and where and what God is calling me towards...
chill
Interestingly, Paul describes his visit to Corinth following his time in Athens with these words, "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power." (1 Cor. 2:4-5). Decoding culture is one of our jobs. But so is being a conduit for the life-changing power of God.
I was reading one of your old articles on whistle while you work and I was blessed by the message that it led me to repent for a sin that I had committed. I said to myself surely if in Jesus I find such goodness then like Zachaeus I am going to be repentent of every sin I have committed irregardless of the consequance I don't care Jesus will take care of it. You just don't know how God has used your articles in my life. May God bless and use you more and more
Really connecting with that post. I am planting in Lexington, KY and have just got on the ground. I really believe the misdirected spiriuality is a right-on call. Heading out for the aeropagus on Monday. Thanks!
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