August 1st - The Lies We Know
Slide 1
A Product of Culture Big victory
• A little about me
Slide 2
Text: Romans 12:1-2
• Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Slide 3
“Do not conform to the patterns of this world.”
• Normally think of the secular world, the ‘outsiders’
• Common lies we hear
• Money will make you happy
• To succeed, just try harder
• Cheer leading is not a real sport
• Being a good person will get you into heaven
• You need to do more, make more, be more, be busier
Slide 4
Are there patterns is the Christian world?
Slide 5
Going to Church on Sunday makes you a good Christ follower
• These lies make us feel comfortable
• We need to be steeped in God’s love
• Jesus did ministry everywhere he went
• Imagine a student
Slide 6
You can ‘love your neighbour’ without knowing anyone who’s not like you
• Lies aren’t explicit, they hide in our culture, and must be fought
• Classic question, “Who is my neighbour?” – it’s everyone
• But what does that actually look like?
• Jesus embraced the outsiders
• Samaritans, tax collectors, fishermen, leapers, etc.
• How can we do the same?
• Treating ‘outsiders’ like ‘insiders’
• Listen with empathy, that is how we can be transformed
Slide 7
It’s only a problem if it affects me, or ‘us’
• The wall that must be torn down is ignorance
• Example: Residential Schools closing in 1996
• Jesus entered into people’s story; he came to earth to save us
• Things are still a problem whether we’re aware of them or not
Slide 8
Listen with Empathy
“offer your bodies as a living sacrifice”
• This isn’t going to be easy, we must step out of our comfort zone
• We are all one body, if one part suffers we all suffer
• We have to know what is going on, what people’s longings and losses are
• It’s easy to stay behind our walls if we don’t know what is deeply affecting our neighbours
Slide 9
Listen to be Transformed
“be transformed by the renewing of your mind”
• This is how true change happens
• Detect the lies, through humbly listening
• Seek out God’s truth to combat the lies
• “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Slide 10
What lies do we believe?