Culture vs. Scripture

Evangelist and author Dr. Erwin Lutzer tells a fascinating story when asked about the difference between current cultural norms versus Scriptural values.  He begins describing a time when he went to a country club to play golf with a friend.  Beside a pond that they were standing next to, Lutzer noticed a mother duck's nest, partially hidden behind some brush.  When he walked over and took a closer look, he noticed that the nest contained a single golf ball!  The poor mother duck had mistaken it for an egg, and would soon be in for a disappointment after months go by, and no baby duckling emerges.  

Although humorous, Dr. Lutzer's point was that the mother duck had been deceived early on, and taken in what she considered to be the genuine article.  It equates to people thinking that they are worshipping the real God in Heaven, but finding out later that a false, culture-produced version of the Lord isn't going to save them.  In the same way that this poor duck was convinced she was going to be a mother someday - people all around us are guarding and nurturing a faith that may not be Scriptural or true.  

There is very real pressure for churches in the West today to begin making allowances and accommodations in order to let in fashionable beliefs and trends.  For example, some pastors may think that if their church doesn't bend to current cultural norms, they may lose parishioners.  Or take for example the extremely popular liberal ideology which says that we shouldn't ever judge sin, people can do whatever they want as long as it doesn't hurt someone else, and God is more like a fun uncle than a strict parent.  Although this diagnosis sounds odd, I do believe that many churches subscribe to this way of thinking.  

2 Thessalonians 2:15 says, "So then brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter."  Here the apostle Paul is exhorting his readers to remain faithful, and not to let any other false doctrine or tradition supersede what Jesus actually said and did.  Apparently, this type of thing happened two-thousand years ago also, and required several letters from Paul to help keep believers on track.

And I think this is where the modern church finds itself today.  Many have gone apostate and shifted from Christ's commandments altogether in order to begin reflecting the passions of our current time (pro-choice abortion ethics, religious universalism, veneration of sexual sin, etc.).  

A good many other churches have begun the slow but steady process of leaving the faith one small step at a time, through a series of little concessions.  "It's okay to compromise on this or that, as long as we don't go too far" you might hear them say.  But one step in the wrong direction often invites others to follow, and before too long, the entire congregation may become spiritually lost.  Such is the power that pastors and leaders possess.  

If you are in a Biblical church that follows a Scriptural pastor, then take a moment now to give thanks and praise to God above.  If you aren't sure, then test what is taught in your church against Scripture itself; never take a leader's opinion as the ultimate truth unless it lines up with what the Word says in print.  Faithful  Christians will need to stay strong and stick together during these coming times of lukewarm religion and false teaching.  Remember always: the pulpit is designed to preach Scripture - not politics, opinion, or cultural trends.  

Not long ago, my own church engaged in an old tradition known as an alter call.  The pastor asked anyone in the congregation who wanted to accept Christ to come forward and kneel.  It was an awesome thing to behold.  In my heart I felt joy.  Not just for those who came forward that morning, but because I was confident about the type of faith they were accepting.  It was the Scriptural Jesus, and the Christian God.  I hope and pray the same for all of you who are reading this today.  May the true God of the Bible bless you and cover you.  Jesus didn't die on the cross for a "golf ball religion."  He died for you and I, so that we wouldn't be abandoned to sin.  

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God is Not a Tame Lion

My family and I visited Custer State Park in South Dakota a few years ago.  It is located in the Black Hills, and the beauty of this natural landscape permeated each day of our trip.  Although the tourists had come out in full force to join us, we often found a spot here and there on our trip when it seemed to be just us and God's sprawling landscape.  It was truly a sight to behold.  

Custer Park contains one stretch of highway called the Wildlife Loop.  It is just what it claims to be: hundreds of acres of land dotted here and there with wild horses and bison.  As we traveled down this small highway, I could feel the anticipation from my family.  

"Would we see any wild buffalo today?" they commented from time to time.  As it happens, we were just about to give up after going around several more curves without seeing anything.  And then it happened.  Our SUV pulled over one last hill and we had to come to a quick stop - there were at least a hundred buffalo herded together across the road.  Cars were stopped all along the shoulder to take photos.  

I began to get nervous as one large bull crossed in front of us and started licking the hood of the vehicle a few car lengths away!  A mother and her calf came close enough to my daughter's side of the car that she could have reached out and touched it.  I motioned to her to roll up the window quickly.  For some reason the button didn't work right away, so for a few seconds I began to sweat as the calf came closer and the window stayed down.  "When would it's mother decide to step in and protect her baby," I thought to myself.  Finally, the button worked and the window came up.  Not long afterward, the herd thinned out, and we continued down the road and on our way.  

It didn't occur to me until later, a flimsy car window would have been no match for a charging buffalo anyway.  Although everything went well that day at the park, I'm willing to bet that from time to time, a tourist gets into trouble quickly.  It isn't a petting zoo.  Maybe people decide to feed the animals, or simply get too close.  Whatever the reason may be, it is by and large, an illusion of safety for those who visit the Wildlife Loop on any given day.  

When we shift to discuss spiritual matters, I find that many churches often talk very freely and comfortably about God.  In fact, maybe from time to time, we get a little too comfortable with Him.  This is easy to do, especially sitting inside of a nice, climate-controlled church building.  We tend to think that God must certainly see the world the same way we do.  But we don't know what it was like to be Moses up on Mt. Sinai as the Lord spoke to him in claps of thunder.  We will never know what it was like to be one of the Israelites who witnessed the parting of the Red Sea.  

Those stories have grown into comfortable children’s' fables and vacation Bible lessons.  But the fact remains they really happened, and so did other stories like them.  They depict God as mighty and Holy, and not someone you want to mess around with necessarily.

In the Narnia book series, author C.S. Lewis invents a protagonist named Aslan the Lion.  It is a direct connection to Jesus of Nazareth, couched ingeniously into a kid's novel.  In the books, Aslan is often seen protecting little Lucy, Edmund, and Susan from the clutches of the evil ice queen.  At one point in the book, Susan asks Mr. Beaver if Aslan is "safe" to hang around with.  Mr. Beaver replies by telling her, "Of course he isn't safe, but he is good.  He isn't a tame lion."

Lewis' implication here is that Jesus is good and he is loving, but we must come to him humbly and with awe.  God is sovereign above all things, and that includes us.  We cannot compartmentalize Him away into some kind of comfortable, fun uncle - any more than we can really control the weather.  It is God's Universe, we just live in it.

Jesus bridges the sin gap that exists between us and God.  Indeed, the Bible mentions elsewhere that to fall into the hands of the living God can be a fearful thing (at least without the covering and the blood of Christ).  Atonement is necessary in order for us to commune properly with God the Father.  Trusting Jesus in that way, allows the removal of barriers between an imperfect people and a Holy God. That is why we are “safe” with Jesus as our Lord. 

From time to time, my job as pastor required me to say unpopular things based on how I interpret the Scriptures.  Things that were often counter-cultural and politically incorrect.  When I needed to prepare something that I knew may draw rebuke from people, my mind went back to the command from James chapter 3, verse 1.  It says, "Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly."  

If I know what the Bible says, I need to preach it in just the same way ... I dare not test the Lord on this matter.  He is just and He is good, but He is not a tame lion.  It’s best I think, not to get too comfortable when it comes to the being who created everything.  Even better to trust in His son Jesus, who sacrificed himself such that we can have eternal salvation.  Now stop being comfortable, and start spreading the Gospel message.   

 

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