Breakthrough cultural barriers
In Ephesians 2, the scripture tells us that Jesus came to breakdown the middle wall of separation between the Jews and Gentiles. For the Jews, the Gentiles were considered unclean which caused separation between the two groups. We don’t want to be like the Jews of the past and avoid associating with the Gentiles of our time (unbelievers) because of their sin or sinful lifestyle. Part of our success as believers will hinge upon us being willing to breakdown the middle of wall of separation between us and the unbelievers.
We can get so caught up in our Christian relationships, that we either isolate ourselves from unbelievers or don’t have a desire to spend that much time with them. When we have regular relationships with unbelievers, it will allow us to know the issues that they are dealing with. They become a person who has needs rather than just a fish to get caught for Christ! As the saying goes, “People want to know how much you care about them, before they care how much you know.” We want to have a heart to love them and at the right time share Christ with them.
Several months ago, I was at the gym working out on a stationary bike. A gentleman sat on the bike next to me, so I struck up a conversation with him. He was from one of the Eastern European countries. He happened to immigrate to the United States the same year as I did. So we discussed politics, then talked a little bit on the subject of religion. I shared with him that I was a Christian, and gave a synopsis of my testimony. At one point in the conversation I asked him if he was married. He responded by saying, “You wouldn’t approve of my lifestyle!”
I asked him if he was living with someone and he said, “Yes.”
Then the Lord opened my eyes, and I asked him, “Do you live with a man?” He said, “Yes.” I had no idea up to this point.
That led us to a spiritual conversation. He knew the scriptures about homosexuality very well. His problem was that he had developed a family with another man, and they had children together. As a result, he didn’t want to lose his family. That gave me a great burden for this man and his family.
While we continue to preach, teach, and discuss the sin of homosexuality, there are homosexuals who are getting married and are having children. As the government continues to support civil unions and homosexual marriages, we will see more families developed over time. As a church, we need God’s divine wisdom on how to minister to individuals and families who are coming out of that lifestyle. Lord, help us. We desperately need to be in tune with God and in step with what is happening in people’s lives. Simple and quick answers aren’t going to be the solution, and it is just going to alienate people from church.
The voice of majority isn’t necessarily the voice of truth
Just because the voice of majority is louder, it doesn’t mean it’s true. That’s why it’s important for our ears to be more in tune to hearing the Lord than the voices around us regardless of the environment.
Sometimes, it’s not even the issue of whether something is moral or immoral but the amount of time and energy we put into it that should be evaluated. For example, success is an important American value which culturally translates into higher position and making more money. As a result some have careers ambitions, and they desire to move up the career ladder. There isn’t anything necessarily wrong with it, but with a couple of caveats. First, we don’t want to compromise our standards or be man pleasing in order to get promoted. Secondly, we should be careful in not sacrificing time with God, our spouse, and children, so we can impress the boss by working too many hours.
The scripture tells us:
The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it. Proverbs 10:22
If we strain/damage our relationships with people closest to us in the name of work, then we are out of God’s ordained priority in our lives. The same holds true in ministry. God established the church after he established marriage, work, and children. The Bible tells us that our relationship to our spouse is reflective of the relationship of Christ to the church (See Ephesians 5:22-32). By making a good and successful marriage we model that reality.
Jesus never asked us to live at church. He called us to be the church. We are the living stones, each of us doing our part in building and establishing the Kingdom. He wants us to minister as we go through life touching people’s lives.
Lord, we need your help to create a worldview that goes above and beyond any culture that we are part of. We want to establish our lives around your standard and what is important to you. Help us to see things clearly and be willing to make the necessary adjustments to our cultural values that we’ve held near and dear for so long. We want to be in line with your will!!