Navigating Cultural Shifts: The Church's Enduring Mission

 

Summary

In our time together, we explored the profound shifts occurring in our society and the church's role in navigating these changes. Reflecting on the teachings of Dr. R.C. Sproul, we delved into the importance of understanding church history to carry forward the truth delivered to us through Christ and the apostles. This historical perspective is crucial as we face a world that seems increasingly dislocated from its Christian roots. The church has faced similar challenges before, and by looking back, we can find guidance for the present.

Dr. Godfrey highlighted the transition from a society where Christianity held a dominant cultural position to one where individualism reigns supreme. This shift has led to a new cultural consensus that often labels Christian values as outdated or intolerant. As Christians, we must adapt to being a minority, much like the early church, while remaining steadfast in our commitment to speak the truth revealed by God.

Dr. Nichols emphasized the rapidity of these changes and the depletion of the "borrowed capital" of a Judeo-Christian worldview. He drew parallels to the collapse of Rome, where figures like Jerome despaired, while Augustine found hope in God's sovereignty. This historical context reminds us that while cultural shifts are significant, they are not insurmountable.

We discussed the importance of being salt and light in this generation, especially for the youth facing unprecedented challenges. Acknowledging their struggles, we must provide answers rooted in the truth of God's creation. The secular world may attempt to suppress this truth, but it inevitably resurfaces, offering opportunities for us to point others to God.

Finally, we considered the role of the local church in fostering strong discipleship. Dr. Godfrey stressed the importance of integrating children into the life of the church, emphasizing consistent worship and catechetical instruction. By establishing patterns of faithfulness and joy, we can help the next generation navigate an increasingly hostile world.

Key Takeaways:

- Understanding church history is vital for carrying forward the truth of the gospel. By learning from the past, we can find guidance for the present challenges the church faces. This historical perspective helps us remain grounded in our faith despite societal shifts. [01:06]

- The shift from a Christian-dominated culture to one of individualism presents new challenges for believers. As a minority, we must remain respectful yet uncompromising in our commitment to speak God's truth. This requires courage and a firm foundation in our beliefs. [07:27]

- The rapid cultural changes we face today are reminiscent of past challenges, such as the collapse of Rome. By looking to figures like Augustine, we can find hope in God's sovereignty and remain steadfast in our mission. [11:38]

- Engaging with the youth requires acknowledging their unique challenges and providing answers rooted in God's truth. As Christians, we must be present when the truth of God's creation inevitably resurfaces in their lives, pointing them to the gospel. [17:00]

- The local church plays a crucial role in discipleship, especially for children. By integrating them into the life of the church and providing consistent instruction, we can help them develop a strong foundation of faith to navigate an increasingly secular world. [19:41]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:24] - Introduction to Reformed Theology
- [01:06] - The Role of Church History
- [01:51] - Facing Current Challenges
- [02:32] - Historians: Lumpers vs. Choppers
- [03:11] - A Cowardly New World
- [03:59] - The Attack on Christian Consensus
- [05:41] - The Rise of Individualism
- [06:31] - New Cultural Consensus
- [07:27] - Becoming a Minority
- [09:10] - Rapid Cultural Changes
- [10:27] - Lessons from the Collapse of Rome
- [11:38] - Augustine's Perspective
- [13:00] - Resources in Church History
- [14:31] - Being Salt and Light
- [15:42] - Engaging with Youth
- [18:58] - Discipleship in the Local Church
- [21:52] - The Role of Christian Education
- [23:15] - Protecting Our Children

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 5:13-16 - "You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world..."
2. Romans 12:2 - "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."
3. 1 Peter 2:9 - "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession..."

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Observation Questions:

1. What are some of the historical challenges the church has faced that were mentioned in the sermon, and how do they compare to today's challenges? [01:51]

2. How did Dr. Godfrey describe the shift in cultural consensus from a Christian-dominated culture to one of individualism? [05:41]

3. What examples from history did Dr. Nichols use to illustrate how Christians have responded to cultural shifts? [11:38]

4. According to the sermon, what role does the local church play in the discipleship of children? [19:41]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does understanding church history help Christians remain grounded in their faith despite societal shifts? [01:06]

2. In what ways can Christians today draw hope from Augustine's perspective during the collapse of Rome? [11:38]

3. What does it mean to be "salt and light" in the context of today's cultural challenges, especially for the youth? [14:31]

4. How can the local church effectively integrate children into its life and provide consistent instruction? [19:41]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you felt dislocated from your Christian roots. How did you navigate that period, and what role did church history play in your journey? [01:51]

2. As Christians become a minority in a culture of individualism, what are some practical ways you can remain respectful yet uncompromising in your commitment to speak God's truth? [07:27]

3. Think of a young person in your life facing cultural challenges. How can you be present and provide answers rooted in God's truth when they encounter struggles? [17:00]

4. How can you personally contribute to making your local church a place where children feel integrated and valued? What steps can you take to support their discipleship? [19:41]

5. Identify a specific area in your life where you can be more of a "light" to those around you. What actions will you take this week to shine brighter in that area? [14:31]

6. Consider the cultural shifts happening around you. How can you draw inspiration from historical figures like Augustine to find hope and remain steadfast in your mission? [11:38]

7. What are some ways you can help foster a culture of joy and faithfulness in your church community, especially for the next generation? [20:25]

Devotional

Day 1: Grounding in Church History
Understanding church history is essential for Christians to navigate present challenges. By learning from the past, believers can find guidance and remain grounded in their faith despite societal shifts. The church has faced similar challenges before, and by reflecting on the teachings of Christ and the apostles, Christians can carry forward the truth of the gospel. This historical perspective helps believers remain steadfast in their mission, even as the world seems increasingly dislocated from its Christian roots. [01:06]

"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (Romans 15:4, ESV)

Reflection: How can you incorporate a lesson from church history into your daily walk with Christ this week?


Day 2: Courage in a Culture of Individualism
The shift from a Christian-dominated culture to one of individualism presents new challenges for believers. As Christians become a minority, they must remain respectful yet uncompromising in their commitment to speak God's truth. This requires courage and a firm foundation in their beliefs. By understanding the cultural changes and maintaining a strong faith, Christians can navigate these challenges with grace and integrity, much like the early church did. [07:27]

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2, ESV)

Reflection: In what specific situation this week can you stand firm in your faith, even if it means going against the cultural norm?


Day 3: Hope in God's Sovereignty
The rapid cultural changes we face today are reminiscent of past challenges, such as the collapse of Rome. By looking to figures like Augustine, Christians can find hope in God's sovereignty and remain steadfast in their mission. While cultural shifts are significant, they are not insurmountable. Believers are reminded that God is in control, and by trusting in His plan, they can find peace and purpose amidst the chaos. [11:38]

"The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations." (Psalm 33:11, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to trust more in God's sovereignty? How can you actively practice this trust today?


Day 4: Engaging with the Youth
Engaging with the youth requires acknowledging their unique challenges and providing answers rooted in God's truth. As Christians, it is important to be present when the truth of God's creation inevitably resurfaces in their lives, pointing them to the gospel. By understanding the struggles young people face and offering guidance based on biblical principles, believers can help the next generation navigate an increasingly secular world. [17:00]

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12, ESV)

Reflection: How can you intentionally support and mentor a young person in your community this week, helping them see God's truth in their life?


Day 5: Discipleship in the Local Church
The local church plays a crucial role in discipleship, especially for children. By integrating them into the life of the church and providing consistent instruction, believers can help them develop a strong foundation of faith to navigate an increasingly secular world. Establishing patterns of faithfulness and joy within the church community is essential for fostering strong discipleship and ensuring the next generation remains rooted in their beliefs. [19:41]

"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: What is one practical way you can contribute to the discipleship of children in your church community this week?

Quotes


I believe in trying to see continuities and how one thing leads to another, and how there aren't such dramatic breaks as we often think there are. And now, in my extreme old age, I'm becoming a chopper because I think we today live in a moment where Western civilization's history has changed from what it's been for fifteen hundred years. And we live in a cowardly new world. [00:03:11]

Christianity has had a legal and cultural position of dominance and leadership. And whether people were actually Christians or not, they almost all believed in God. They almost all believed there was an afterlife. They almost all believed there were moral absolutes. And, in general, they mostly believed the moral absolutes of the Bible were the real moral absolutes. [00:03:59]

And now, in the last five to ten years, what do we see? We see a cultural consensus that if you criticize homosexuality, if you criticize marital infidelity, if you criticize premarital sex, if you criticize anything transgendered, you are a bigot, you are guilty of hate speech. And you know, that's true on Fox News as much as it is anywhere else. [00:06:31]

And our society has been remade, and we have to get used to being a minority, which brings us right back to the first or second century of Christian experience. And what we have to insist is we are a respectful minority, we are a cooperative minority, in so far as we can be, but we are an uncompromising minority in saying, "We have a right to speak the truth that our God has revealed to us, and you do not have a right to shut us up." [00:07:27]

I think it is the rapidity of it. It's been in the works for a while, but we had a lot of borrowed capital of our Judeo-Christian worldview, whether that was sincere, visible sainthood or not, it was a Christian worldview. There was a lot of borrowed capital for that to cover its long slow death. Now that borrowed capital is being used up and we are seeing it. [00:09:10]

And the time I go back to is the collapse of Rome. And so, we go back to the early couple of centuries, and we see a hostile culture, and we see a hostile environment. And everything about Christianity is out of step with the Roman world. And so, we see persecution. Then we have Constantine, and we are not going to get into whether that was a genuine conversion or not, but there was something different post-Constantine. [00:10:27]

And then, we have our good friend Augustine. And he goes and writes a book. And the first page of that book, it's a very long book, it's almost as long as your Russian novels that you like, "All the empires that on this world do totter," and that would include Rome, that would include Babylon, that would include Medo Persia, Greece. He starts off with that perspective, and he says, here is the city of God, here is the city of man, and we know that God is sovereign, we know that God has His destiny for the city of God, and that is our hope as Christians. [00:11:38]

We have to revive the arguments for these things. We are committed to the proposition that there is a God and that He has spoken. And we have wonderful resources to defend the Scriptures as the revelation of God. And the world is going to sneer at us over a lot of these things but we have resources to challenge those sneers and say, "You may sneer all you want but how are you going to answer these claims and these challenges and these arguments in defense of our position?" [00:13:00]

I think the main thing we need to tell people, and I think this is true especially for youth, first of all, let's acknowledge the challenges they are facing. They are so unlike the challenges we faced as youth. So, let's be very sympathetic to the voices that are coming at them. It's a barrage of an anti-Christian, almost anti-human even, worldview. So, let's have some sympathy for them. [00:15:42]

And they can attempt to suppress the truth, but it's a vain attempt. And what will happen is the truth will pop up. Now, I know this isn't a very good image but, you know, the image of the, you know we have the beach ball in the pool, and you try to sit on it, you know to keep it underwater, and then your weight shifts, and the beach ball pops up? That's how I liken this. [00:17:00]

I think we need strong patterns to teach our children in particular in the local church. My own conviction, I'm sorry if I offend you, but I get to leave soon, our children ought to be in church with us. They shouldn't be in a children's church. Our children should not be able to remember a time when they weren't, Sabbath by Sabbath, in the church worshiping with the church, and part of the church, and knowing people in the church who are a different age from them. [00:18:58]

We need to establish a pattern that the church is a priority; it's not an option. It's not an occasional experience; it's our weekly experience. We organize our life around it. And in, I just think establishing those patterns of attendance of worship, of study, we ought to have good catechetical instruction for our young people so that they learn not only the stories of the Bible, but they learn the pattern of truth. [00:19:41]

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Transcript
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