A Moment With Pastor Anthony
One of the best ways to understand the values of any given culture is to observe what it celebrates or mourns. As believers, we will be pressured into joining in celebrating and mourning what our fallen world celebrates/mourns irrespective of the biblical basis. In fact, culture often judges the validity of religion based on how well a particular religion celebrates or mourns what the culture celebrates/mourns. We witnessed an example of this pressure last Lord’s Day when a group of angry protesters interrupted a church during morning worship to draw attention to their cause. In the exchange you can see a man condemning the church for not protesting as they were, implying their worship is invalid if they do not mourn with the protestors.
This is nothing new. Jesus said, “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates, We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
So, how do we recognize when culture is trying to pigeonhole us into their causes?
- Our religious validity will be criticized when we don’t celebrate and mourn with them—John was accused of being demonic.
- Our morality will be criticized when we don’t celebrate and mourn with them—Jesus was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard.
How should we respond? Don’t allow people to judge the validity of your Christianity based on their causes. Instead, judge the validity of their causes with the Word of God. This is where our stability in life comes from. Stand firm upon it!