Sharing Transcendent

Values…

with those who may not share them

The Identity of the Church;a Bride and a City

“And I John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” – Revelation 21:2 (1st Peter 2:5-17)

The Bride of Christ

Holy City

What is Culture?

“The application of labor or other means to improve good qualities in, or growth, as the culture of

the mind; the culture of virtue.” - Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

“Culture is religion externalized, and it is the development of man

and his world in terms of the laws of his religion.” - R.J. Rushdoony

What produces Culture?“Keep thy heart with all diligence, for

out of it are the issues of life.” – Proverbs 4:23

(see also Matthew 12:34; James 3:2)

Issues – (Hebrew) – “to go out, to go forth” – produce, germinate, promulgate

Issues – “event, consequence; end or ultimate result.” – Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

Culture is the atmosphere created by behaviors that flow from the heart – it

is reason incarnate

God’s Sovereignty created man with The Law of Reason

POWER – God is all-powerful“I will make a helpmeet for him” - Ge. 2:18

Men and Women are created by God to reason – a mark of being the

highest of God’s Creation

FORM – Reasoning is multi-jurisdictional

Plan - “It is not good that the man should be alone.”Evaluate – “there was not found a helpmeet for him”Execute – “…God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam”

Genesis 2:18, 20, 21

GOD, Logos and Logic (truth)• “In the beginning God…” – Genesis 1:1• “In the beginning was the Word, and

the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” – John 1:1– Word is “logos” in Greek – “the divine word

or reason incarnate” (a complete expression)

– Logos also means “computation, proportion, explanation, argument, principle, law, debate…

– Logic is reasoning on premises, using principles to apply this in wisdom for real solutions

Reasoning: Face to Face Relationship

• Isaiah 1:18 – “…let us reason together, saith the Lord, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…”– Revelation first (spirit) – revealing the

Word– Reason second (soul) – based on the Word

• Exodus 33:11 – “…the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend…”– Reasoned with the Word – an intercessor– Mark of maturity (1st Corinthians 13:12)

1st Peter 3:15 – Preparation of the Heart and Mind

• “…sanctify the Lord God in your hearts…”– God (and His Word) must be our source…

• “be ready always to give a reason for hope”– Plan ahead – be ready… prepare to think clearly…– Evaluate – a reason - clothing faith relevantly– Execute – to all who ask… timing of leadership

• “…with meekness and fear…”– The right attitude makes it easier to be received– An assumed relationship with the culture (v. 13)

The Nature of Biblical Wisdom“…that he would show thee the secrets

of wisdom, that they are double to that which is!” – Job 11:6

1 - Knowledge (from Hebrew) – analysis“to take things apart” (rudiments)

2 - Understanding (Greek) – synthesis“to put things together” (usefulness)

Wisdom is living according to God’s Word

Seven Pillars of Wisdom merged with the Ten Axioms

Genesis 2:15-24 reveal creation wisdom for mankind

Note: Transcendent Values applies to all the others…

(1) “dress the garden” – Genesis 2:15 (labor – service)(2) “keep the garden” – Genesis 2:15 (management - limits)(3) “of all trees thou mayest freely eat” – Genesis 2:16 (liberty

– self-govt)(4) “…you will surely die” – Genesis 2:17 (consequence –

localism / results-based reality)(5) “I will make a helpmeet for him” – Genesis 2:18 (power –

jurisdiction Note: family is one of the jurisdictions)(6) “and Adam named the animals” – Genesis 2:19 (variety -

justice)(7) “and shall cleave unto his wife” – Genesis 2:24 (covenant -

trust)

Relating / Reasoning to those without Transcendent Values

• Colossians 4:2-4 – Pray for relationships– “doors of utterance” to open…– Speak the “mystery of Christ” as I ought to…

• Walk in Wisdom – toward those without– Understand jurisdiction – church / community

(Creator / Redeemer distinction)– Seek common ground (unity) wherever found– Redeem the time (buy back lost years)– Speak with grace seasoned with salt (service)

Understanding Wheat and Tares Mt. 13:24-30; 36-43

• Know when to unite and when to separate…• Enemy sows tares “when the righteous sleep”• Wheat and Tares are together by God’s design• Separation is insulation, not the extremes

of…– An indulgence with tares leading to isolation

which undermines the growth of the wheat– An ignorance of the wheat leads to mixture which

accepts tares as if they are wheat (compromise)

Luke 16:1-8 - Why Transcendent Values?

• These are principles, values that transcend cultures, creeds, saved and unsaved…

• They are put by God in all Creation (natural)

• Principles shared with cultural terminology– What is God doing in the heart of your culture?– How can you build relational bridges to those

in your neighborhood, marketplace and city?– Principle-based policies are primarily sharing

biblical values that work efficiently, and it is here that we will find common ground

Examples of Transcendent Values • Self-Government – internal obedience to laws

– Take the initiative – volunteer early and often– Do your job – return emails, accomplish tasks

• Service-Based Power – service-based power– Bless those you serve – be interested in others– Attempt to make others successful and get credit

• Localism – decision making on lowest level– Emphasize local responsibility and jurisdiction– Encourage those closest to the problem to provide

the solution – most efficient

Luke 16:9 - Making Friends of “unrighteous mammon”

• The marketplace is the joining ground• We can avoid being unequally yoked if

we understand jurisdictions of church / culture

• We serve together every way we can…– Mammon is the love of money– It cannot overcome true love, service and

giving– When it fails to solve the problem, we will be

asked to “give a reason” for the hope within– These are the “everlasting tabernacles”

Three-dimensional Christianity• Friend of “publicans and sinners”

– Publican – “tax collector” – civil magistrates– Sinners – people – let us love working with them

• Blessings of friendship with people in the culture but outside the church – Lk. 16:10-13– We love and serve vs. revenge (Mt. 5:43-44)– We listen more than speak (James 1:19-27)– We serve rather than be served (Mt. 20:25-28)– We are legitimate vs. illegitimate (1st Peter 2:12)– We are allies vs. being enemies (Eph. 6:10-18)