1 Thessalonians 4:1-8
“Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given[a] us His Holy Spirit.
A note from Pastor Tim:
A Summary of the Church in regard to culture.
1. The Church imitates culture.
This is the approach of the liberals of the 19th and early 20th century. They take everything from the culture and try to imitate it, thus presenting no challenge and accepting culture as presented by the prevailing cultses of the day. This church suffers the real danger of being swallowed up by its society as there is no difference between it and the culture. (Much of modern youth evangelism is guilty of this, we can be as raunchy as you we just add in Jesus name and somehow purify it.)
2. The other side of the road is the escapist or Pietistic approach..
These guys think the world is bad and so they remove themselves from it as much as possible. They don’t participate in such worldly activities as life. They are escapist and should they affect the surrounding culture it is purely by accident.
3. The third approach understands that the only true culture is Biblical Culture.
They see meaning and truth in the Word and in the Family of God. They understand that God created the World and thus it is Good. They understand that their task of dominion lies not in escaping a godless Culture, not in being absorbed into a Godless culture but through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit they continue the Spirits task of making all things new.
Some of discussion points made:
– Holy and Sin do not change. Culture does.
– Our time as God’s children is not short.
Satan’s time is short, that’s why time is the enemy of Satan.
– The the central point of Bible is Christ.
If you read the Bible without Christ being the ultimate point then you miss what’s being laid out.
– Churches trying to being relevant to today’s culture and generation tend to focus on the superficial and neglect God’s word.
– God ‘s purpose is to establish a culture of heaven.
– To lead a church or ministry, there shouldn’t be a fear of offending people if your mindset is creating and cultivating a culture of Heaven.
– God didn’t call us to uncleanliness. He called to holiness.
– We have the ability to live without sin. We can do it while were here on earth. We don’t have to wait to heaven to be living without sin.
– Our lives are to be an imitation of the life of Christ.
– Justification is instant, Sanctification is a process.
– Christianity isn’t a list of do’s and don’ts, its a relationship with Christ and a decision to live in such a way that glorifies God.
– If we, as the Church, truly walked the way God desired, would the church culture be an influence in the world instead of the other way around?
– When you live as if you’re not on a time constraint you are free to live out the Great Commission.
– The time constraint is meant for Satan. The end is coming for the enemy, NOT US.
– Whether we are living on Earth, or in Heaven, our focus of our life is to God.
Join us every Wednesday night at 7pm. Our studies are open forum sessions led by Pastor Tim.
Have a thought about this study that we didn’t cover? Post a comment below or come out on Wednesday.