Welcome to the Revolution
Tolerance and Truth
How has your cultureAffected you?
How has your cultureAffected you?
To know, look to the Canon
"We are evolved…"
"We are evolved…"
In some ways, yeah
Human nature hasn't changed
The silence of Jesus…
Approaching Scripture
With an agenda
Approaching Scripture
With an agenda(Amplified Bible, anyone?)
When we interpret the scripturesThrough the lens of our culture
It is not the scriptures we believe,But ourselves
How has our culture
Influenced the Truth of our Faith?
God made us
God wants more for us…?
God made us
God knows better how to live our livesThan we do
That's why truth is so important
A woman from Samaria came to draw water.
Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away
into the city to buy food)
The Samaritan woman said to him, "I'm not your servant just because
I'm a woman!"
Jesus answered her, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to offend you.
Please forgive me"
"If you knew who I was, you'd ask me, and I would give you living water- not
that you're not doing just fine without it!”
The woman said to him, “You have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get
that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well
and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.”
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will
be thirsty again, but for some who drink of the water that I will give, they might not ever be thirsty again. The water that I will give will become
a spring of water welling up to eternal life”
The woman said to him, “Give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
Jesus said to her, “Do you have a 'significant other' that you'd like to call
to come and be a part of this?”
The woman answered him, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “I'm sorry- hope I haven't offended you.”
The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers
worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where
people ought to worship.”
Jesus said to her, “Please understand, I don't want to push my beliefs, but I think
the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you
worship the Father. Some would say that you worship what you do not know and that we worship what we know, for
salvation is from the Jews.
But those are intolerant haters and I know they're wrong and ignorant.
Forgive me, but I really believe the hour is coming, and is now here, when the
true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is
seeking such people to worship him.
God is spirit, and those who worship him might want to worship in spirit and
truth- or not. Whatever”
The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming. When
he comes, he will tell us all things.”
Jesus said to her, “If it doesn't offend you, I believe I am the Messiah”
Just then his disciples came back. They marveled that he was talking with a
Samaritan woman because they were sexist and racist, but no one said, “What
do you seek?” or, “Why are you talking with her?”
For they knew this would be politically-incorrect.
So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the
people, “Come, see a man who was very tolerant and didn't try to shame me or
make me feel bad. Can this be the Christ?” They went out of the town and
were coming to him.
Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's
testimony, "He was very tolerant and told me nothing about my sin or
anything else that might offend me..."- John 4, Reinterpreted
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, even though you mean well and are
generally good guys!"
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, good guys! For you are like whitewashed
tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful. But it's good to appear
beautiful, so never mind.
You also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are…
A OK in my book!"- Jesus, Matthew 23, Reinterpreted
And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I
do to inherit eternal life?”
And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? You're good, too. In fact,
you're the bomb, bro!
You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not
steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother’”
And he said to him, 'Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth"
And Jesus, looking at him, really wanted to be liked by this guy. And he said to
him, "You're doing just fine. Who am I to make you feel bad? Just keep on being
the great guy you already are and it's all good"
Encouraged by the saying, he went away and continued to spend his money on
himself while all around him people starved. And he was happy, for
he had great possessions andhad been told by Jesus he was "in!"
- Mark 10, Reinterpreted
What's Missing?
What's Missing?
Truth
Jesus is being Tolerant
When tolerance trumps truth
It is not you I care aboutBut me
Relativism-All truth is subjective
Objective truth does not exist
Relativism is the basis
For Tolerance
Relativism is the basis
For Tolerance
Who are you to saysomeone else is wrong?
Relativism is the basis
For Tolerance
You're not allowed to speak "your truth" if doing so might upset someone else
So…
“Judge not, and you will not be judged;
We've just interpreted the BibleThrough the lens of our culture
What it really says...
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be
condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you.
Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into
your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you”
- Luke 6:37-38
Context: Love your enemies And give grace…
For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good
fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from
thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and
the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance
of the heart his mouth speaks- Luke 6:43-45
Jesus: This is how you judgeWhat kind of person you're dealing with!
We are to judge:
- Ourselves first- Others…in order to restore
- To make choices
We are to judge:
- Ourselves
But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment
- 1 Corinthians 11:31
We are to judge:- Ourselves
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You
hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye
- Matthew 7
We are to judge:
- In order to help
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him
gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted
- Galatians 6:1
We are to judge:
- To make choices
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly
are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them
- Matthew 7:15-16
If I never judge
Then I don't love
Don't drink that!
Speaking the truth in love…- Eph. 4
When tolerance trumps truth
It is not you I care aboutBut me
Without TruthThere is no Grace
Without TruthThere is no Grace
There is no one righteous, not even one- Romans 3
Once Truth is gone
There is no need for- or possibility of- change
When tolerance trumps truth
It is not you I care aboutBut me
Tolerance= Well-meaning
3 Problems:
- Tolerance isn't- Tolerance aims too low
- Tolerance changes no hearts
1- Tolerance isn't
"Tolerance is the new Intolerance…"
- The Bank "Tolerance" Training
1- Tolerance isn't
"Tolerance is the new Intolerance…"
- Chick-Fil-A- Father-Daughter Dances
2- Tolerance aims too low
I tolerate the flu
2- Tolerance aims too low
I love peopleAnd respect those created
In God's image
Enough to speak Truth to them
3- Tolerance changes no hearts
Tolerance is Religion in a different dress
Purifies the outsideBut leaves bigotry and hatred untouched
Tolerance means I'm not allowedTo speak the truth
If it might offend
Not offending isn't the goal
Truth is offensive
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,
but we preach Christ crucified:a stumbling block to Jews and
foolishness to Gentiles- 1 Cor. 1:22-23
Truth doesn't depend upon my consent in order to be True
When tolerance trumps truthI care more for me and
My acceptance
Than for you and your need
Brian's Racism…
Ownership of Money…
The moment Tolerancetrumps Truth
It is not you I loveBut myself
Who has loved you enoughTo speak truth into your life?
Who do you love enoughTo risk the relationship
In order to offer life-changing Truth?
Jesus consistently putOther people first
He didn't need their acceptanceHe cared more about their needs
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband,
and come here”
The woman answered him, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no
husband’; for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is
not your husband. What you have said is true”
- John 4
Jesus cared about The woman at the well
Enough to tell her the truth-She was in sin
And it changed her forever
“Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”
…Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's
testimony, “He told me all that I ever did”
- John 4
He cared enough for Israel
To speak the truthAbout it's religious leaders
And some repented, as did many people
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed
tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead
people's bones and all uncleanness
So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full
of hypocrisy and lawlessness- Matthew 23
When tolerance trumps truth
It is not you I care aboutBut me
Jesus, looking at the rich young ruler
Loved him, as said,"One thing you still lack…"
Jesus cared enough forthe Rich Young Ruler
To speak truthEven though it might upset him
Jesus refused to budge
On issues of truthBut the motive was always love
"For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the
world- to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth
listens to my voice” - Jesus, John 18
Truth: Lost and need a Savior
Tolerance makes people feel good
Truth makes some people angry- And changes hearts and lives
If I don't speak truthFor fear of upsetting you
It's not you I loveBut me
Tolerance says every choice
Is equally valid
Truth says every sinful action
Has Consequences that Lead away from God's best
Speak Truth:
When they can hear- timingAs much as they can hear- amount
In a way they can hear- love
When tolerance trumps truth
It is not you I care aboutBut me
I can't give what I don't have
We are called to accept truth
- Excuse- Rationalize- Blame-shift
Tolerance is a beautiful lie
Today's Pharisees tell themselvesto feel Superior
To the so-called Intolerant
The necessity JesusFor a relationship with the Father
Is intolerant
Be intolerant
The need for new birthIn order to walk with God
Is intolerant
Be intolerant
Truth…is intolerant…
Be intolerant
Who has loved you enoughTo speak truth into your life?
Are you listening?
Who do you love you enough
To offer Life-Changing truth?