Culture Series - Subversive Fulfilment

We're going to turn to 1 Corinthians 1, and if you want to turn there in your Bibles, page 1144.

Okay, let me pray and ask for the Lord's help, and then we'll get started that way. Let me pray.

Father, we want to ask for your help. We know we need it.

We are going to seek to think carefully and deeply about the world in which we live,

and we want to ask that you would help us. We want to particularly pray that we might hold on to the

things that we've already thought about, about the power of the gospel to save lost people,

but we want to remember that it's not our cleverness that saves, but it is the power of the gospel,

and so we pray with that in our minds that we would think deeply and carefully about the culture

in which we live. In Jesus' name, amen. Just in case you weren't with us last week,

let me just briefly recap. We've been looking at how we live in the world in which we live. So

God in his wisdom has called us to live our Christian lives in a world that is broken and

difficult and challenging and at times even hostile, but yet still carries the fingerprints

of the God who made it in his common grace, and we've been using that book by Dan Strange

called Plugged In. I've got four copies left. If anyone wants a copy, you can come and make me an

offer for one, and you can have one. If you remember last week, we were seeing that we should resist the

Christian temptations to look in, lash out, or look like. So we recognized that the temptation was to

look in, was just to kind of build walls or fences and just to seek to set ourselves apart from the

world and just kind of set up sub-Christian cultures, or the temptation was to lash out and be angry with

the world and just hate on the world, or look like, which is basically just blend in and just follow the

world's patterns. And Dan Strange says that none of those are right, but what we should do instead is

engage, think deeply, to see where we live and think about what that means and what we watch,

the cultures that we live in, and see how they are both confronted and confirmed by the gospel.

Summary statement, well not mine, not yours, but Dan Strange's, was subversive fulfillment.

Subversive in the idea that what Jesus says undermines the stories that our world tells us,

and fulfillment in the idea that actually the aspirations of our world as they're shaped by

common grace are fulfilled by the Lord Jesus. Now I think this is quite tricky, I did get a bit

of feedback from last week saying it was tricky. Subversive is not a word that you use very often,

fulfillment probably not a word you use very often. Put them together, words you don't use very often,

it becomes like super complicated, so we don't really talk in terms of subversive fulfillment.

So let me just work through an example from 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 18 to 25 and we'll

1 Corinthians 1:18–25

see it together. Let me read it to you. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who

are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy

the wisdom of the wise, the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate. Where is the wise person?

Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish

the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him.

God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews

and foolishness to Gentiles. But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power

of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom and the weakness of

God is stronger than human strength. Now keep your eyes on the passage, just notice the flow with me.

Paul says that the message of the cross is foolishness to the perishing, but like we were seeing this

morning, for the believer, that message is the power of God. So it's not the cross, but the message of the

cross, which is the power of God for salvation. Why is that foolishness? Well, if you look down at verse

22, it's foolishness because Jews demand signs, you know, that you think like Moses in Egypt or

Elijah on Mount Carmel, you know, show me, you know, give me a sign, show me. Greeks look for wisdom

like their philosophers. And Dan in his book lists a whole load of Greek philosophers. Nick here could

list Greek philosophers for you. I can't, so I'm not going to. And they find that it doesn't give them

philosophical ideas like that either. It's not a sign that Jews are looking for and it's not the wisdom

that the Greeks are looking for. In fact, the message of the cross subverts both of those ideas.

It's a stumbling block. Look at verse 23. It's a stumbling block to Jews because it doesn't give

them the signs or the power that they're looking for. And it is foolishness to the Greeks because

it's not wise sounding in the way that Greek philosophy is. So the power is not in a display

of wonder, but in the message of a man hanging naked on a Roman cross, you know, ashamed and cursed in

Jewish tradition. It's an undermining, a subversion of the sign that Jews would be looking for. And it's not

high sounding wisdom that Greeks like, but it is in simple sacrificial logic. It's foolishness

to the Greek. It's, oh, what a terrible, terrible idea. I'm not really interested in that.

So the gospel comes to both the Jew and the Greek culture and subverts its ideas. But it doesn't stop

there, does it? Because look at verse 24. But to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks,

Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Do you see, this is brilliant, isn't it? The foolishness

of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. For the

believer, Jew or Gentile, actually the wonder of the gospel is that it is the fulfillment of their

expectations of both signs and power, and of wisdom. Power, because it takes what is weak and uses it to

achieve what could never have been achieved. And wisdom, because it takes something we would never

have come up with, and demonstrates it to be the greatest and most wise truth in the world. So it is

the subversion, welcome, the subversion of false ideas and the fulfillment of true ideas. Do you get that

idea, right? So this is how it works. It is foolishness and weakness, but is also power and wisdom as we see

it. Now, what I want you to do, just with the person next to you for a couple of moments, is think,

what is it that our culture is looking for in a message of salvation? And then think, how does the

gospel subversively fulfill that, right? So what is it the gospel says, no, that's not quite right?

And what does the gospel say that that's true? So maybe think, what is our culture looking for in

a message of salvation? And then we'll feedback our ideas. Go for it. How have we been getting on?

Anyone want to tell us what they discuss? What does our culture think it is looking for in a message

of salvation? Go on, Teddy. Oh, okay, go on. Anyone, yeah, yeah, right, go on.

We were looking at that last yesterday in March. Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Did everyone hear that?

That's brilliant.

So you saw, and actually that's going to be one of my examples later.

Anyway, so you saw in the march yesterday this desire for sort of nationhood, belonging,

an idea of identity and being part of something that's bigger and stronger in a community and all that sort of stuff.

And the gospel comes and it sort of undermines that, yeah, or contradicts it, subverts it by saying,

no, actually, that's not Great Britain that you're looking for and longing for.

What you really want is the kingdom of God.

And you get into that not through citizenship here, but through the message of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yeah.

And so that desire for being part of something is actually only fulfilled.

You get it?

Anybody else?

Charleston?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yes.

Okay.

So what about the idea that our culture thinks that salvation is found in everybody being right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Nobody's wrong.

Everybody's right.

We all end up in the same place.

How does the gospel subvert that?

Well, it says there's only one way, right?

And it's the Lord Jesus Christ.

But actually, the idea that all kinds of different people from all nations and backgrounds and cultures can come that one way,

it says, yeah, amen to that.

Actually, if you want a really diverse place with all sorts of different cultures and all sorts of different people there,

look at Revelation 7.

Every tribe and language and nation and tongue is there, right?

You don't get any more diverse than that.

But they've all come the same one way through the Lord Jesus Christ.

So it embraces the inclusivity, but it subverts the idea that you get inclusivity by telling everybody they're right.

Because everybody's not right.

Does that make sense?

Yeah.

Anyone else?

I would say, I'm just saying, you're sharing.

Because I was at a, I was at a family party yesterday.

And it's a person who knows who knows I'm Christian.

And it was playing a game where he asked questions.

And their question was, if you have two questions, what was you asked?

The first one was, what's the meaning of life?

And if they're God.

They know I'm Christian, they're good.

Yeah.

So I just thought, wow, that question.

Because there were some people there saying, hey, the opportunity to really just share.

But I say to Tanya, you know, I asked that.

There's a stumbling block because of history.

So I just think the sentence that you read, it's just foolishness to those who are perishing.

Because people are looking for something that is relatable to them.

And they're trying to track the fact that they're not going to be able to do anything.

And they're trying to do the gospel.

Yeah.

But because they're required in the sea, it is just foolishness.

Yeah.

Because they're not able to assume that what they're people.

And you talked about the Greeks and the...

Jews.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

No matter what culture.

Yes.

Yeah.

Yeah.

No, I think you're right.

So lots of different cultures there.

The gospel seems foolish to them.

Yeah.

I think there are loads of other examples you could have given.

I don't know whether anyone wants to...

Yeah, why not?

I'll give you another couple of seconds.

Spirituality and transcendence.

But before that overlaps with meaning and purpose, then I did.

Yeah.

Go on.

Just say what you mean by spirituality and transcendence.

So people are looking like...

Well, I mean, like they're looking for like UFOs.

Right.

Also things like what they call meditation.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

some sort of spiritual thing

on the line

to give meaning to purpose

and meaning to life.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

So, right,

there's a desire built into everybody

for a sort of spiritual experience,

yeah,

and so we go looking for it

in all sorts of different places,

particularly looking for it

internally somehow,

and actually,

again,

the Bible's answer is,

no,

yes,

you are a spiritual person,

but you are made for a relationship

with the God who made you

through the Lord Jesus Christ

in the power of the Spirit,

and so it both says,

yes,

you're spiritual,

but no,

you don't go looking there.

I think you can do the same for it,

like things like comfort

or material success

or family

or, you know,

any of these things

that people think is like salvation.

Salvation is getting married

or salvation is having a family

or salvation is getting a good job

or salvation is owning a home

or any of those things.

You can see how the gospel subverts that

because it says,

no,

actually,

you will not find salvation there,

but it fulfills it.

So it undermines the ideas,

but it fulfills the aspirations

as they are shaped by common grace,

saying,

actually,

no,

you're made for the family of God.

Your home is in the presence of the Lord.

Okay.

So in people's mind,

it says subjective thing,

right?

Everyone has to go on

definition,

whatever.

Yeah,

so everyone will think of salvation

in different ways,

won't they?

And we're going to come

and talk about,

so how this links with presenting the gospel as well.

And we're going to do that now.

So let's keep moving

because it's quarter past seven.

So one of the really helpful things

that Dan does in the book

is sort of slow down on this

and give a four-step approach

to this idea of cultural engagement.

And he does it from Acts 17.

So turn to Acts 17 if you want to.

It's just on your handout

if that will speed you up.

Acts 17,

Acts 17:16

verse 16.

So this is Paul in Athens

speaking on the Areopagus

to the Athenians

who love to listen to good ideas.

Put your hands up if you've been there.

Have you been there?

Yeah, you see.

I knew a few of you would be there.

It's worth going

if you've not ever been to Athens.

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens,

he was greatly distressed

to see that the city was full of idols.

So he reasoned in the synagogue

with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks

as well as in the marketplace

day by day

with those who had happened to be there.

A group of Epicurean

and Stoic philosophers

began to debate with him.

Some of them asked,

what is this babbler trying to say?

Others remarked,

he seems to be advocating foreign gods.

They said this because Paul

was preaching the good news

about Jesus and the resurrection.

Then they took him

and brought him to a meeting

of the Areopagus

where they said to him,

may we know what this new teaching is

that you are presenting.

You are bringing some strange ideas

to our ears

and we would like to know

what they mean.

All the Athenians

and the foreigners who lived there

spent their time doing nothing

but talking about

and listening to the latest ideas.

Paul then stood up

in the meeting of the Areopagus

and said,

people of Athens,

I see that in every way

you are very religious,

for as I walked around

and looked carefully

at your objects of worship,

I even found an altar

with this inscription,

to an unknown god.

So,

you are ignorant

of the very thing you worship

and this is what I am going

to proclaim to you.

The God who made the world

and everything in it

is the Lord of heaven and earth

and does not live in temples

built by human hands.

He is not served by human hands

as if he needed anything.

Rather,

he himself

gives everyone

life and breath

and everything else.

From one man

he made all the nations

that they should inhabit

the whole earth

and he marked out

their appointed times

in history

and the boundaries

of their lands.

God did this

so that they would seek him

and perhaps reach out for him

and find him

though he is not far

from any one of us

for in him

we live

and move

and have our being.

And some of your own poets

have said

we are his offspring.

Therefore,

since we are God's offspring

we should not think

that the divine being

is like gold

or silver

or stone

an image

made by human design

and skill.

In the past

God overlooked

such ignorance

but now he commands

all people everywhere

to repent

for he has set a day

when he will judge

the world with justice

by the man

he has appointed.

He has given proof

to this

to everyone

by raising him

from the dead.

When they heard

about the resurrection

of the dead

some of them sneered

but others said

we want to hear you again

on this subject.

At that

Paul left the council.

Some of the people

became followers of Paul

and believed.

Among them

was Diosenes

a member of the Areopagus

and also a woman

named Demarius

and a number

of others.

Now notice

before we get into

the presentation

to the Areopagus

notice that

Paul was preaching

the gospel.

That's what he's doing

verse 18.

Dan is really careful

to point out

and you must hold on

to this

theologically

this is very important

and actually practically

it's really important

that cultural engagement

is not an excuse

for not preaching

the gospel.

In a sense

what you're doing

is clearing away

the ground

in order to preach

the gospel

and being able

to explain it

in a way that people

can understand

and connect with.

So it's in the context

of preaching

to the people of Athens

about Jesus

that people have questions

about what Paul means

and how it all fits together.

They call him

a babbler

in verse 18

which the book

will tell you

in Greek

means a seed pecker

someone who's

just got little

disconnected ideas

and dots

that don't fit together.

And in that context

Paul gives a presentation

in verse 22

to the Areopagus

which is the place

where everyone goes

to debate

the latest ideas.

And Dan points out

in his book

four steps

in Paul's presentation

there.

Firstly

entering.

So Paul

the first thing he does

is step into their world

he listens to their story

he's been walking around

and carefully looking

at the objects

of worship.

Paul is not hiding out

in Athens

in a corner

and praying

but he's walking

looking

seeing what's going on

and he's engaged

in where he is.

Dan suggests

sort of

thinking through

some basic

kind of questions

what is it

that's being said

here?

Who is saying it?

Who are they saying it to?

That kind of thing

entering into the world.

The next step

is exploring

back in Acts 17

that's what you see

happening

notice that Paul

is looking for the stories

for things to affirm

and also the idols

that are behind them.

So he says

I see that in every way

you are very religious

noticing that they have

lots and lots of idols

including an idol

to the unknown gods.

Now that's obviously

not a good thing

to have idols

that are made

to unknown gods

but it does point

to a religious hunger

which provides

Paul with a hook

to hang his ideas on.

Dan calls this step

exploring x-ray glasses

wanting not just to see

what's happening

but to think about

why is it happening?

Why do they have an idol

to an unknown god?

It's because there is

a deep religious hunger

that they recognize

is still yet unsatisfied

and that's worth exploring

and thinking about some more.

Remembering that human beings

build cultures

that if you remember

from last week

flow out of our

deep held beliefs

about life

and what it's for.

So culture

is this sort of expression

of the stories

or the stories

that tell what we

deeply believe.

So what is it

that has been taken

to be a good thing?

What has been turned

from a good thing

into being an object

of worship

and an idol?

Where is the story

of the gospel

being twisted?

So here in Acts 17

it's clear that

this being made

for the divine

and this God-shaped hole

has been filled

by man-made idols.

So explore.

Next, expose.

Notice again

what Paul says

in verse 23.

As I walked around

and looked carefully

at your objects

of worship

I even found

an altar

with this inscription

to an unknown God.

So he's done exploring

and he then goes

straight for confrontation

doesn't he?

So you are ignorant

of the very thing

you worship

and this is what

I'm going to proclaim

to you.

They've been thinking

about God all wrong.

They are ignorant

of the truth

and their idols

are destructive.

So says Paul

in verse 29.

Therefore,

since we are

God's offspring

we should not think

that divine being

is like gold

or silver or stone

an image made

by human design

and skill.

Dan here quotes

Ted Turnow

who we met last week

as well

and says that

here what you're doing

is showing

the explanatory poverty

of the idols

that you see around you.

Do you really think

that you can carve

an image of God?

Do you really think

you can make God

out of gold?

How's that working

for you?

Or today maybe.

Do you think

that the blind forces

of chance

that created everything

how's that working out?

Really?

Is that what you think?

I think often

we can miss this step

because we want to get

straight to a gospel

presentation

but actually what Paul

is doing here

is saying to us

it's really worth

asking some good questions

exposing the poverty

of people's thinking

and of the ideas

of our world.

and then finally

evangelizing.

Dan calls this

showing off the gospel

as the subversive fulfillment

of what you were looking

for in the first place.

So at the end

of verse 23

he introduces

his presentation

of the gospel

the very thing

that you're ignorant of

I am going to proclaim

to you.

Actually you've demonstrated

that you're ignorant

of the thing

that you want to worship

let me show you

what God is like

let me show you

that God is the one

who made you

who sustains you

in him we live

and have our being

one day we will stand

before him

a fact that's proven

by Jesus' resurrection

from the dead

which then sparks

the response

of verse 32

where some people

believe

and other people

reject and wander off.

There's an example

in his book

of someone

doing this kind of work

in a more contemporary setting

and so let me read it to you

and then we'll think

about how this works

out for us.

This is a former student

of Dan's

who wrote him

an email

he says this

I was recently asked

to talk about faith

to a group

of professional sportsmen.

I began by exploring

the issue of identity

and tried to highlight

how their impression

of themselves

has been determined

by the opinion

of others

from a very early age.

Teachers, coaches,

age group coaches,

professional coaches,

international coaches,

media and fans.

In the eyes

of these people

their value

is determined

by their performance.

I tried to get them

to see

that tying their joy

or satisfaction

or ultimately

their identity

to these things

is a volatile thing

that leaves them

very vulnerable.

One of the players

said that he agreed

with this

and it was why

he didn't put

all his eggs

in the sport basket.

His faith

was his family.

I then explored

how that too

will ultimately

leave you vulnerable.

From there

I held out Christ

as the only certain

and sure place

to stand

and the only place

where our identity

is secure.

I said that

as long as our family,

coaches, fans

or the media

make their demands

we will have to measure up.

As such

we will lie

and put on a front

when things are bad.

Christ knows the worst

about us

and accepts us anyway.

The opinions

and love of others

are fickle,

changing according

to our performance.

Christ accepts us

unconditionally,

liberating us

to be honest

and humble

towards others.

Of course,

I had to show them

how living

with a focus

on themselves

as the end

of all things

might be offensive

to God.

Finding security

in Christ

can only happen

if you repent

of those things.

One guy

asked me

what he needs

to do

to become a Christian

and now

another

wants to read

the gospel.

I am 100% certain

this wouldn't

have happened

if my presentation

had been a standard

God is in charge,

you have sinned,

it's going to go badly

so you better repent

approach.

That is what Dan

is trying to recommend

to us

that we kind of

engage with where

people are coming from

and show them Christ,

show off Christ

against the backdrop

of the poverty

of the way

our culture thinks.

Any questions

or comments

before we go

on to our

final exercise

which is not

real exercise

but a thinking

exercise.

Any questions?

Yes.

Go on.

Yes.

This takes longer

and is more difficult

and requires listening.

Yeah.

Definitely.

Definitely.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Sorry,

Florence's gone?

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I think

especially in a context

like London

where everyone's

from a very different culture,

different aspirations

are very different,

aren't they?

And I think

age affects it as well

so the culture

of young people

is quite different

to the culture

of older people

and of people in between.

So yeah.

Okay.

Now then,

right at the very end

of our meeting together

I'm going to ask you

to do the really hard part

which is to pick

a cultural phenomenon

and investigate it

using those four steps.

Okay.

So I want you to enter

into it,

think what's it about,

who wrote it,

who's the audience,

explore it,

why is this happening,

what is valuable,

what's the supreme good

for that cultural phenomenon

and is that good or bad.

Expose,

where does it break down,

what's wrong with it,

how is it a poor story

and then evangelize,

how is Jesus a better story.

Now,

I've got some suggestions

so that you don't spend ages

thinking of a cultural phenomenon

but maybe you could think

of a friend

who is always telling you

about the successes

of their grandchildren

or maybe you could think

of a conversation

about the Tommy Robertson march

on Saturday.

Teddy's already done that

for you anyway

but you could maybe

think about that.

Maybe a colleague at work

who is always career planning

or a school student

who is always stressed

by work

and works obsessively

or you could think

of something else,

right?

What is it

that's going on

in those,

enter into it,

explore it,

expose it

and evangelize it.

We'll go for that

for about five minutes or so

and then we'll collect

our answers back

and then we'll finish.

Okay.

I'm sorry to interrupt

your conversations.

Does anyone want to

briefly,

we'll do one.

Does anyone want to

help us out

on what you were

thinking about?

Come on.

Let's hear it.

Just one good point,

Isaiah.

Right.

Yeah.

And you just talked

about how,

I mean,

there's nothing wrong

with planning

from being,

I don't know,

looking forward

and stuff like that.

There's one good point

where you may or may

not find yourself

trying to be close.

Yeah.

And then when

things don't go

the way

of the original

plan for this world,

you're like,

oh,

what's going on?

Yeah.

Well,

why is this happening?

Yeah.

But actually,

God has a plan

to be used

and he wants you

where you are

and the ones

of those

you know,

what you expect

to be.

Yeah.

Actually,

there's a sense

in which,

you know,

the Bible says

that God

will be

of harm.

So,

actually, yeah,

also in terms of the other position

of the world to the world

that actually God has got that whole

and the world to God.

Yes.

So if your career

turns out to be the source

of your purpose, meaning, and identity,

you've turned what is supposed to be

a good thing for you to enjoy

into a God that you worship.

And it's a terrible God

because it's unforgiving and merciless

and you're only ever one bad decision

away from it judging you

and crushing you.

And God is a good and merciful God

who forgives you and, yeah.

And actually, so we were talking

a little bit about this down here as well.

So actually even the aspiration,

the career aspiration to build something

or make something that lasts

is only really fulfilled in Christ

as well, isn't it?

And so we're made to work.

We will work in eternity,

but we'll work for the glory of God

in the world that he has made

in a perfect way.

Yeah.

Really helpful.

Great.

Hopefully you've had enough

of a taste of it

to think a little bit differently

about some of the things

that we engage with in the world.

But I know we've not exhausted it.

So I've got some books

that you can purchase

and that will help you.

And if not,

you need to come back

in a couple of weeks

when we finish off the series.

But let me pray to close.

We're not going to sing

our final hymn,

but we'll close in prayer.

Let me pray for us.

Heavenly Father,

how we thank you

that Jesus tells a better story

than the world around us.

It's a story of love

and forgiveness

and mercy.

It's a story of

a new identity in him,

a greater purpose,

a greater glory in the future,

of a certain home

and hope in you.

And we want to pray, please,

that you'd make us better

at telling that story

to those around us

by showing them

how it both undermines

and contradicts

the things that they believe,

but also provides

a fulfillment

for the things

that they long for

and that they're looking for

in the wrong places.

Lord, we see

that many people around us

and even ourselves

are tempted at times

to turn to things,

good things,

that you've given us

and turn them

into objects of worship

as if they were

gods themselves.

Forgive us

and help us, we pray,

in a confusing world

with lots of different cultures

colliding with one another

in the city in which we live

to present the gospel

clearly and faithfully

as we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.