What Is My Postmodern Neighbor Thinking about Me

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What Is My Postmodern Neighbor Thinking about Me?

• Jerram Barrs
• Lecture II

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Declaring God immoral

• It was said of the Greeks and Romans of the first
  century AD
• It was not that men became so depraved that they
  abandoned the gods but that the gods became so
  depraved that they were abandoned by men
• This is the reality that we as Christians face in
  our moment of history
• Many around us think that our religion is immoral
  and that the God we proclaim is not worthy of
  worship
• He is to be judged and rejected as not meeting
  contemporary standards of goodness and justice
• What do people find so unworthy about the
  Christian faith?

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1. The Loss of Truth

• Truth claims are offensive
• As long as we say only This is my truth no
  one minds, or pays us any attention
• We are considered arrogant when we claim that
  what we believe is 'the truth'
• Exclusive claims are offensive
• The exclusiveness of Christianity follows
  necessarily from our truth claim
• Once we say that Jesus is the Son of God, true
  God himself, then we submit to his insistence
  that he is the Way, the Truth, the Life

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Jesus is the only way

• When it becomes clear to our contemporaries that
  we believe that Christ is the only way to God
• His name is the only name given under heaven by
  which people may be saved
• Then we are regarded as intolerant and unloving
• Tolerance is understood to mean not simply
  respect for a person and for their views
• Tolerance is not saying or even implying that our
  views are right, that others views might be
  wrong and might need to be changed.

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Do we hold on to truth?

• There is enormous pressure to abandon truth
  claims
• 65 of those claiming to be born again think
  devout adherents of other religions will be saved
• It is arrogant and impolite to declare that we
  have come to know the truth
• Facing this pressure many Christians back away
• Increasingly our neighbors and family members
  will come from diverse religious backgrounds
• Will we honor Jesus?

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Are we communicating truth?

• If we are not careful people only hear us making
  religious statements rather than truth claims
• Like listening to a production of Handels
  Messiah inspiring music, but not truth
• Will we speak the truth in love?
• Without personal arrogance?
• With respect for the beliefs of others?
• My challenge this past summer at a wedding

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2. The Loss of Moral direction

• Absolute moral commandments are offensive
• As long as we say only This is my chosen way
  of life
• These are my values
• Then we are acceptable
• As soon as we say You shall not!
• This is God's commandment for all men and women
• Then we are considered to be disrespectful,
  intolerant, judgmental, self-righteous

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The judgment of God is an offense

• Personal freedom to do as one wills is the
  greatest idol of our society
• The conviction that God will hold us accountable
  at the end of our lives for our 'lifestyle' is
  considered outrageous
• 98 of Americans believe we are in charge of our
  own lives and destiny
• One of the greatest changes in our recent past is
  this loss of a sense of accountability to God
• God is declared to be immoral, because he sets
  himself up as the judge and measure of human
  behavior

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Do we hold on to Gods Law?

• Will we delight in the Law of God in our inmost
  being and regard his commandments as more
  precious than gold?
• The loss of moral boundaries for young Christians
  sexual freedom
• The absence of Biblical teaching on money and
  work
• Where do I find the teaching of Gods Word
  uncomfortable?

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Are we communicating in word and life the beauty
of righteousness?

• True righteousness is attractive to almost
  everyone
• Boaz understanding the spirit of the Law
• The example of my father-in-law
• What does my postmodern neighbor see in my
  marriage, my family, my work?

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3. The Loss of Relationships/Community

• Lack of community in the church is offensive
  even when people do not know how to realize true
  community they despise its absence among
  Christians
• Is there a reality of community in our church?
• Would people say of us How these Christians
  love one another!
• Jesus challenge to us by the way you love one
  another all men will know that you are my
  disciples

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• Do we welcome postmodern people into our
  community?
• Jesus welcomed sinners
• They received him gladly
• Is this true of us?
• Examples of our graduates who have lost members
  over the commitment to reach out to sinners
• This is the Gospel The Son of Man came to seek
  and to save the lost
• Jesus loves us and welcomes us, not in spite of
  our sin, but because we are sinners

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The Loss of Respect for Authority

• The claim to authority is offensive
• The claim of authority for our churches, for
  their teaching ministry, for our pastors, is
  unacceptable
• People go shopping for religion and church, just
  as they try out different restaurants
• Our TV anchor
• Our claim to be the one true religion, the one
  true church, creates cynicism
• We become like Islamic radicals in peoples minds

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• Are we cynical about authority?
• It is a challenge to respect authority in this
  culture
• Consider the way Christians speak about our
  presidents and political leaders (despite the
  clear command of Scripture)
• What kind of authority are we displaying?
• Are we leaders who desire to serve rather than to
  be served?
• Like the Servant King we claim to worship