Engaging Culture
"Men of Athens... what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you." Acts 17:23 (NIV)
I don't know about you, but there are days when I almost don't recognize my country. Social media and a never-ending 24/7 news cycle; angry partisan & divisive rhetoric from both sides of the political aisle; immigrant caravans fast approaching our open borders; the #MeToo movement; false racism claims even against Today weatherman Al Roper for his choice of Halloween costumes; ever changing sexual identity definitions; a cultural shift away from marriage and traditional values; a large surge in the "Nones" for those asked to identify their religion of choice; and a tolerance for almost all things except Christianity are all issues which have greatly contributed to my increased angst. On some days it's easy to ask, "Where am I? What happened and how did it happen so fast?" In more ways than I can count, I am starting to feel like an alien in my own country. For most of my life, Christianity has not only been acceptable; it's been comfortable. That time is quickly passing. As the cultural gap continues to grow between the Church and the World, American Christians will become more like the first century Church in the book of Acts. The counter-cultural early Church frequently faced open hostility; cultural criticism; intellectual ridicule; false accusations as enemies of the Roman state; arrest, persecution, and even martyrdom.
Acts 17 records what has been described by scholars as the greatest apologetics sermon ever preached. The Apostle Paul's words give us valuable lessons for both accommodating and confronting the culture around us. Paul's apologetics sermon in Athens helps us to answer two important questions: How do Christians engage with the culture? How should the Church engage with our culture? Author Kevin DeYoung offers four practical insights for Christians to engage our culture and still remain faithful and fruitful:
Anticipate collisions - Christianity annoys by unbalancing other worldviews. We shouldn't be surprised when a collision occurs between the two. When confronted with a Christianity/cultural collision, De Young advises us:
Don't panic!
Don't revile!
Don't retreat!
Look for connections - In Athens, Paul acknowledges the Greeks' worship to an "unknown God" as a starting point for a spiritual conversation. Paul then references a line ("we are his offspring") from two Greek poets as a point of connection between Christianity and Greek culture. There are two universal points of connections for all cultures:
All men and women are made in the image of God
Because we are image-bearers, we all have some sense of the Divine.
Engage in confrontation - Most of us know to engage in conversation and connection, but few of us are willing to confront another worldview. Fewer still are willing to make a defense of the Gospel. The Apostle Paul never watered down the Gospel and neither should we. If we preach a Gospel message that Jesus saves sinners, but fail to call people to faith and repentance, we have not shared the Gospel. True repentance means we turn FROM our sin and turn TO God.
Expect division - There is no neutrality with the Gospel. It was so in Jesus and Paul's day; it is so in ours. There are only three responses to the good news of the Gospel:
Criticism- "It's nonsense" Curiosity- "I want to hear more"
Credibility -"I believe"
Our culture is changing faster than ever before. As Christians, we must be bold and prepare to share the good news of the Gospel. Boldness means being clear in the face of fear. As we anticipate collisions; look for connections; engage in both conversation and confrontation; and expect division, may we say like Paul, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." (Romans 1:16)