WEDNESDAY'S WORD - COUNTER-CULTURAL - 062817 - Sadell Bradley - New Life Covenant Cincinnati

"If we aren't prepared to be counter-cultural, we aren't ready to be Christians." -Kevin DeYoung

I've always been fascinated by Salmon swimming upstream. They go against the current in a way that to the untrained eye looks downright crazy. They return upstream to the place of their birth to lay eggs. In the life of Salmon, COUNTER-CULTURE is the pathway to future fruitfulness, and ensures that the next generation will live. A COUNTER-CULTURE is a sub-culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of 'mainstream' society. In Christianity, it's engaging and being relevant to societal contexts while at the same time remaining faithful to the Gospel.

We are admonished in Scripture NOT to be conformed to the world's standards, but to be transformed by renewing our minds in order to prove God's good, acceptable and perfect will. The willingness to continually put our lives on the altar of sacrifice is our spiritual act of worship. (Romans 12:1-2) Worship is more than singing songs. We must be armed and ready to believe and speak differently as Christ followers, and to act on those beliefs...even to our hurt, to save future generations in the Kingdom.

Last weekend, two days after the mistrial in the shooting of Samuel Dubose by UC Police Officer Ray Tensing, Sherman had an assignment to preach on Race at an almost all-Caucasian church. We've done decades of counter-cultural racial, class and gender reconciliation work in this region and beyond. (Gal 3:28)  We've also started a racially reconciled church as African-American leaders, which is very difficult when 86.7% of US churches are mono-ethnic. Everyone wants to stay in their comfort zones. Few are willing to pay the price to be counter-cultural. It's difficult to go upstream when everyone else is going down, but it qualifies you for crucial moments like these. Do we feel mixed emotions (anger, frustration, fear, sadness) since African-American's lives are in danger, and we don't know how we'll be treated from moment to moment? Definitely. Does the love of Christ constrain our responses? Absolutely. Is it possible we might be misunderstood or even hurt? Unquestionably. Will we continue to do the work to bring about the Unity of One New Humanity described in Ephesians 2 and John 17? By all means.
  

Last week I talked about our need for Scriptural conviction.  If we allowed the love of Christ to compel us; if we would no longer live for ourselves but for Christ who suffered, died and was raised for us (2 Cor 5:14-15); if we had the mind of Christ to serve and esteem others greater than ourselves (Phil 1-3); how much different would the Church be?  If we were actually Christ-like and counter-cultural, most US churches would not look as they do. The division and strife we exhibit demonstrates we're still carnal, living just like the world with it's sinful nature. (1 Cor. 3:3)  Isn't it time we went against the mainstream current on race and started the grueling trek upstream for the preservation of Christ's legacy? Jesus was counter-cultural. He used the vehicle of His death to bring life to us. (Romans 5:10) He loved not just his neighbors and friends, but His enemies. (Matt. 5:43-48) He called those from every tribe, language, people and nation His family (Rev. 5:9)...and He wants us to do the same. Ask the LORD how you can be counter-cultural. 

SUNDAY Worship

11:00 AM Worship
The Great Room Sunday Class
9:30 AM Youth Room Basement
at Wyoming Presbyterian
225 Wyoming Ave., 45215
For information 513-212-1131