Preaching on Being a Christian in a Post-Christian World

[fredtgreco]

I am about to begin a new series after I finish the book of Genesis in a few weeks. The next book I am going to go through will be the Gospel of Luke. I have spent about 18 months in Genesis, and I expect to be in Luke for about two years, so I want to do a short (12 sermon) topical series in between. I did this previously between the books of 1 Kings and 2 Kings. My plan would be to select topics and then find appropriate an appropriate Scripture text to use as the basis. My thought right now (based on my understanding of the congregation's need) is that I will do a series on the implications and application of being a Christian in a Post-Christian world.

So I am now thinking through topics to use. For example, ripped from yesterday's headlines, I will probably have a sermon on how Christians can be salt and light in a dark world through their marriages - in light of the fact that now a Christian marriage will look very different from modern "marriage."

I'd appreciate any suggestions for other appropriate topics.

 

[Reformedfellow]

Maybe even certain worlviews which have infiltrated into the Church. Such as evolution, homosexuality, etc. Redefining of marriage, abortion, merging of religions, "tolerance"...

 

[Reformedfellow]

How Christians can be salt and light through Sabbath observance, and through our work ethic at our jobs during the other six days.

 

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

Christian expectations vs. worldly expectations

 

[Vladimir]

I liked a sermon from Tim Keller on this. He expands upon Martin-Lloyd Jones's thoughts about preaching Christ in a world that was already inoculated against Christianity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBHT50K7-pI

 

[earl40]

2. Being in the world, while by speech and overall carriage, winsomely showing we're separate from the world?

Have you figured out to winsomely convey someone is going to hell yet, if they do not believe like us in Jesus? The reason I ask is this is a charge I often hear..."You think anybody who does not believe like you is going to hell." PS. I believe "like you".

 

[Reformedfellow]

2. Being in the world, while by speech and overall carriage, winsomely showing we're separate from the world?

Have you figured out to winsomely convey someone is going to hell yet, if they do not believe like us in Jesus? The reason I ask is this is a charge I often hear..."You think anybody who does not believe like you is going to hell." PS. I believe "like you".

There's nothing to "figure out". We live as obedient children, preach the gospel (the only message God has promised to bless) and get out of the way. The Holy Spirit's work is to regenerate stone hearts. With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. The thief on the cross repented in his dying breath only moments after hurling insults at the same One he then begged to remember him.

 

[Vladimir]

The thief on the cross repented in his dying breath only moments after hurling insults at the same One he then begged to remember him.

Not sure if I understood you right, but I assume you think that the one who insulted Him and the one who rebuked the first one was the same guy?
[bible]Luke 23:39-43[/bible]

Have you figured out to winsomely convey someone is going to hell yet, if they do not believe like us in Jesus?

Heard this the other day in a sermon from Leonard Ravenhill. A lost man once came to a church service, talked to a pastor, and they started speaking about spiritual things regularly. Eventually, the man was saved. After some time, the pastor asked the man, how he ended up in a chuch? He said that there was a strange guy who came up to him and asked, 'Do you want to go to Heaven?', to which he replied in frustration, 'No'. The guy then said, 'Well go to hell then', and walked away. And the man was restless eversince.

 

[Covenant Joel]

Fred,

Here are some topics that came to my mind as I thought about the series:

(1) Hospitality in a Fast-Food World: Hospitality is such a wonderful way to be a faithful witness and have good relationships in our post-Christian society. Incidentally, the Middle East where I now live is a very hospitable society traditionally. It's increasingly being westernized though (at least where I live), and I seem to be noticing that the more it's westernized, the less hospitable people are. They just go to Starbucks, etc instead of inviting people into their homes. Scripture seems to talk about hospitality a lot, so it might be something worth encouraging people to really consider as a huge way we are different than our surrounding culture.

(2) Engaging with People from Other Religions: Given your proximity to Houston, I'm guessing that the neighborhoods around there are brimming with people from other cultures (though I could be wrong). Obviously much from the book of Acts would be relevant here, but I think knowing how to do this well is a key issue facing the church in America in the coming years.

(3) Not knowing what to call this one, I'll just call it, "speaking of Jesus everywhere" (from Colossians 3:17, which says to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus). Being now in a culture where talk about God is a 24/7 thing because it's infused in every aspect of life seemingly, spending time (even with Christians) in America is a bit weird because of the absence of talk about God, Jesus, spiritual things in ordinary conversation. This could go in many directions: family devotions, talking about Jesus in ordinary talk with neighbors, not as a forced thing, but as a natural expression of our identity, etc. It just seems like it's so easy in the States to do one thing in the name of Jesus (Sunday morning), but it's harder to figure out how Colossians 3:17 applies to our diverse callings.

Those were just the first things that occurred to me, obviously arising somewhat from my own experience here in the Middle East, but also from time in the States.

 

[Fly Caster]

One way to form a 12 sermon series would be to preach two on the Greatest Commandments (Love God & Love Neighbor) and then follow with the other Ten Commandments-- with specific application from each relevant to our-Post Christian Culture.

That would pretty much cover all the bases (worship, family, purity, civil government, vocation, contentment, being salt & light, etc.)

 

[Reformedfellow]

The thief on the cross repented in his dying breath only moments after hurling insults at the same One he then begged to remember him.

"Not sure if I understood you right, but I assume you think that the one who insulted Him and the one who rebuked the first one was the same guy?"

No I do not think it was the same guy.

Scripture tells us THEY BOTH hurled abuse at him.
Matthew 27:44

 

[JimmyH]

Though he is a dispensationalist, I found these sermons by Baptist minister Tommy Nelson, on a related topic, to be very interesting ;

Sermons The 1960's - The Fault Line of America :: Denton Bible Church Media

 

[Edward]

Idolatry, but it needs to be handled carefully. If done right, it will step on every toe in the congregation.

Taking this a bit further - it looks like you have just enough time to do a quick treatment of each of the 10 commandments. (The marriage one would fit in on the adultery commandment)

 

[jwithnell]

Much of our modern philosophy flows out of a Darwinian, materialist worldview. Perhaps, an Ecclesiastes sermon is in order, emphasizing that we cannot limit our perspective to what we see "under the sun." There'd be plenty of modern examples of how this futility has played out.

 

[Jack K]

A few ideas:

1. Humility in a pride-worshipping world. Unchurched young people in America today have only ever been told that pride in oneself is a good thing. How do we be humble people whose pride is in Christ in a world that worships pride in oneself?

2. Sexual purity in a permissive world. Most Americans no longer associate sexual purity with virtue, but rather hear talk of it and imagine an uptight, repressed person. How do we live wholly different from the world when it comes to sex without being the uptight people they think we are? And how do we flee from sexual sin when its temptations are ever-present?

3. Togetherness in an individualistic world. Even in churches, Americans today bristle at being called to accountability, commitment and submission. How can we be people who lay down our lives (including our independence) for each other in a world that only sees any kind of submission as a bad thing?

4. Ethics in a pragmatic world. Increasingly, taking a stand or making a decision based on ethical principles is no longer looked at as virtuous behavior but rather as sanctimonious or even bigoted. How do we live by ethical principles in the workplace, school or community when those around us expect us expect a more pragmatic approach?