Kingdome Culture

Sermon Notes:

Snap shot:

Kingdome Culture

Pastor Greg Stansel Acts 19:21-41 September 18, 2022

The Gospel challenges the culture in which it is spoken. I. The Gospel is preached into specific cultures.

II. The Gospel challenges cultural worship.

III. Cultures should stumble over the Gospel, not us.

Connect

How do you see cultures and Christianity coming together?

Study

Point 1: The Gospel is preached into specific cultures

READ Acts 17

1) How does Paul preach the gospel to the Jews, being aware of their culture? How does Paul preach the gospel to the Greeks, being aware of their culture? How does Paul approach the gospel presentation differently in each case without compromising the message of the gospel? How does Paul’s approach in Acts 17 resist the idea of a “cookie-cutter” gospel presentation?

2) Discuss how you have observed the gospel being preached to specific cultures. What are some dangers of preaching the gospel to different cultures in various ways? How can we make sure that we are not changing or adjusting the gospel message to fit the culture? Can you tell of a time when you had to speak the gospel into a different culture than your own?

Point 2: The Gospel challenges cultural worship

READ 1 Thessalonians 1:2–10; 4:1–8

3) Comparing 1 Thessalonians 1:2–10 with Acts 17:1–9, how did the gospel challenge the cultural worship of Thessalonica? What elements of the gospel message did Paul present to the Thessalonians? How does Paul explain Thess. 1:9 more fully in 4:1–8?

4) How do you see cultural worship in the USA? What are some of the good things we fight for as Americans that have become a type of religion and sense of cultural worship? How does the gospel challenge these areas (your answers from the previous two questions)? How do you see the outrage in Acts 19 (the sermon text) reflected in our nation today? What are practical steps we can take to challenge our culture with the gospel?

Point 3: Cultures should stumble over the Gospel, not us

READ 1 Peter 2:4–10

5) What is the function of those who come to Jesus for salvation in this passage? According to this passage in 1 Peter, what becomes of those who reject Jesus? What is the cause of their stumbling? What should not be the cause of their stumbling?

6) How can we (Christians) cause someone to stumble before hearing the message of the gospel clearly? What are some practical ways we can make sure we are not the stumbling block and Jesus is?

Practical Applications

1. Become a student of the different cultures around you. Grow in your understanding of where people are from, how they think about God and religion, what are their beliefs, etc.

2. Study the core factors of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:1–4 and the early church creeds are really good places to start).

3. Ask yourself if your personality or life has become a stumbling block for people before they hear the gospel message; if so, repent and live for Christ.

Pray the passage

Our Holy and awesome Triune God, we praise you, for you alone are holy and worthy of our praise. You alone are God and there is no other like you. We ask that you would forgive us for the times that we put someone or something in your place, making an idol out of the created instead of worshipping the Creator. We thank you for sending Jesus to cleanse us from our sins, to make you known, and make us look like Him, removing our idolatrous hearts and giving us hearts longing for you.

Lord we ask that you would give us the boldness to preach the gospel in such a way that challenges our culture, but with hearts that longs for you to redeem the cultures of this world to reflect your vast and diverse Kingdom! Would you, by your Spirit, guide us and strengthen us to be reflections of you and to soften the hearts of those who do not know you so that they may confess with their mouths and believe in their hearts that Jesus is Lord and Savior and there is no other. In His precious name we pray, Amen.

Memorize & Meditate

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9, 10)

Preparing for next week

Read: Acts 20:1-16

Ask: questions of the text.

Pray: through text, for Pastor as he prepares, for your heart to hear, for the congregation to hear, for all of us to be obedient.