Crossing Cultural Barriers or… How to eat chicken feet with a smile on your face
What is Culture? Language n Shared beliefs, behaviors, and practices that characterize a society Customs Beliefs Culture Institutions Values
The Challenge n Making the Gospel relevant to a given people group without compromising the biblical truth. n Flexible without compromise. n Is true incarnational ministry possible?
The Law of Buy-In n People must first buy into the man before they can buy into the message – Dr. John Maxwell, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
Jesus – the First Cross-Cultural Missionary n And whoever of you desires to become first, he shall be servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. Mark 10: 44 -45
Paul n For though I am free from all, yet I have made myself servant to all, so that I might gain the more. And to the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might gain the Jews. To those who are under the Law, I became as under the Law, so that I might gain those who are under the Law. To those who are outside Law, I became as outside Law (not being outside law to God, but under the Law to Christ), so that I might gain those who are outside Law. To the weak I became as the weak, so that I might gain the weak. I am made all things to all men, so that I might by all means save some. - 1 Corinthians 9: 1922
Timothy n Paul wanted him to go with him, and taking him he circumcised him, because of the Jews who were in those places; for they all knew that his father was a Greek. - Acts 16: 3 Titus n And I went up by revelation. And I put before them the gospel which I proclaim in the nations, but privately to those seeming to be pillars, lest I run, or I ran, into vanity. (But not even Titus, the one with me, a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. ) But because of those false brothers stealing in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus; they desiring to enslave us; to whom not even for an hour did we yield in subjection, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. – Galatians 2: 2 -5
Hudson Taylor He took the step he had been prayerfully considering—called in a barber, and had himself so transformed in appearance that his own mother could hardly have known him. To put on Chinese dress without shaving the head is comparatively a simple matter; but Hudson Taylor went all lengths, leaving only enough of the fair, curly hair to grow into the queue of the Chinaman. He had prepared a dye, moreover, with which he darkened this remaining hair, to match the long, black braid that at first must do duty for his own. Then in the morning he put on as best he might the loose, unaccustomed garments, and appeared for the first time in the gown and satin shoes of a “Teacher, " or man of the scholarly class. Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor, Hudson Taylor in Early Years: The Growth of a Soul, Vol. 1 (London: China Inland Mission, 1911), Chap. 24.
Evangelism and Discipleship Evangelism without relationship is difficult. n Discipleship without relationship is impossible. n
Making Christians or Americans n By 2025, 50 percent of the Christian population will be in Africa and Latin America, and another 17 percent will be in Asia. n Are we presenting universal norms?
Turned to God from among the nations n Therefore my judgment is that we do not trouble those who have turned to God from among the nations, but that we write to them that they should abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. Acts 15: 19 -20
The Bible - Principle and Tradition n Traditions are expendable n Principle is not n To the degree that we fail to comprehend the difference between our Christianity and our culture, we shackle the gospel. n Jesus in the hall
Church Traditions That Almost Weren’t n Sunday School – 1784 Gloucester, England n Altar Calls – c. 1830 Charles Finney n Worship “style” – ever changing
The Bible is Multi-Cultural n Any culture can use the Bible to relate to God and man. n The principles of Scripture are intended to be used by persons of any culture in relation to other persons of any other culture or subculture. n Otherwise, it would be good for only Near Eastern and Greco-Roman cultures.
The Bible is Above Culture n It stands to judge any culture. n Whenever culture and Scripture conflict, culture must be judged. – Polygamy – Labola – Ancestor worship n Are we preaching a Gospel free of cultural bias?
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