The Bible and Our Culture

Understanding Jesus as the Rock of Offense!

As Jesus was rejected, so we will be rejected.

Too many want to change the message to "reach people with the gospel".

Too many want to genetically alter the seed to "reach people with the gospel".

Too many want to put Jesus in a costume to "reach people with the gospel".

Don't let your lack of passion for the issues of today, cause you to frame those with passion as haters or fanaticism.

Why is the gospel so offensive?

If somebody is offended by God's Word, they are a step closer to the Rock of Offense the seed is planted.  

If you don't feel the need to be comforted by God, maybe you aren't really saying anything that matters.

Too many "Christians" are afraid of controversary

The world cannot compete with the unity and love we as the Body of Christ.  

Build wealth in people!

The world's counterfeit is impressive, but it pales compared to the genuine bond of the Spirit God's people have.  

1 Peter 2:7-8  Jesus is a Stone of Stumbling and a Rock of Offense.

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6; 1Peter 5:5)

The word of God is a seed, which must be planted.  Some people are not ripe for the harvest because they haven't heard the message clear enough to be offended.

"Rather than worry about who will be offended if you tell the truth, consider who will be misled, deceived and destroyed if you don't."

Contending for a biblical definition of the Ecclesia (Church). 

The devil has made the word "Church" come to thought of as a non political term.  That is the opposite of what it meant in the New Testament.

There is a cost of following Jesus that we will hated by those who hate Him and what he stands for.

Who is the Church really according to the New Testament?

Saints in the Church?

God has many pet names for His people.  Each designate its own purpose He has for us.  

Neither Saints nor Church were religious words in the original Greek.

We don't understand either term, especially Church, because we don't see a Senate or City Council as a Church. 

Acts 19:23-41 reveals what the term "Ecclesia" or "Church" means.  They were a non-Christian "church" who worshipped the goddess Diana, but had the responsibility to decide the morals and policy of a public situation in their culture.

David was a type of Christ in many astonishing ways.

The “sign of Jonah” is all the validation one needs.

Our Salvation is through the Seed of David.

The central focus of the gospel is the Person of Jesus Christ God’s Son our Lord.  What is the central focus other philosophies and ideologies? 

The Messiah had to be human and His humanity had to be of the “seed of David” or He didn’t qualify.

David is underrated as a historical figure.

We miss a bit of the gospel when we don’t see the longing of the Old Testament believers for the Son of David to regain His rightful place as King of Israel.