There Will Be Blood

I've been thinking all night about this question of "cultural immersion." I've read and reread Acts 17, which I will be preaching upon this Sunday. In Thessalonica, Paul approaches the Jews and reasons from Scripture with them - because that was their foundation. In Athens, he reasons from nature, from their philosophers, and from their way of debate and discussion (using the Socratic Method). He adapts his style to the audience.

But he never adapts the message. Two things are consistent: the inevitable judgment of God, and the atoning cross of Christ. In other words - one way or another - there will be blood. It will be the blood of judgment upon your sins, or the blood of Christ upon your sins. Paul uses whatever means necessary to get THAT message to the lost. But make no mistake - he always gets to that point.

So while we discuss the merits of using the culture of man to bring in the culture of God, never forget that it must always be brought to the cross. If you fail to do that, you are not preaching the Gospel. You may sound good, you may look good, you may be culturally relevant, you may be very very cool. But you are as useless as the rest of the philosophies of the world.

I don't mean to sound harsh - but what people really need is a direct intersection with the cross of Christ. First for the judgment it delivers without partiality, and then for the mercy it delivers without condition. I'm convinced that we're on the verge of a breakthrough in our church and I know it won't mean anything unless the cross is lifted up.