Understanding the Secular Culture
Part 1 of Not Beyond Reach


According to the Pew Research, the fastest-growing “religious group” in America is the religiously unaffiliated.

*Attitude and affiliation towards Christianity
USA Population in 1990

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*Attitude and affiliation towards Christianity
Millennial and Gen Z Generations in the USA (2020)

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*Source: In U.S., Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace. (2020, June 09).
https:www.pewforum.org/2019/10/17/in-u-s-decline-of-christianity-continues-at-rapid-pace

Christian progression

Convictional Christian – People who actively follow Jesus, try to align their values and lifestyle with biblical truth, and live out their faith with conviction.

Cultural Christian – People who may have a positive view of Christianity and consider themselves to be Christian, though it tends to be more of a category for them than a lifestyle.

Progressive Christian – People who still believe in God and identify as Christian, but have let go of many of Christianity’s core beliefs. They generally no longer accept the authority of the Bible and shape their faith and view of God according to how they want to see reality.

Post-Christian – People who have followed the natural consequences of progressive Christianity. Once Christianity has lost its connection with biblical authority and power, it is no loner effective in changing hearts and minds and responding to the brokenness and pain of life in this world.

Non-Christian – People who may or may not have consciously rejected Christianity but don’t know about it or consider it. Many young people in the U.S. fall into this category because their parents took steps away from the church, actively or passively rejecting it, and they grew up in a non-Christian home.

To reach a post-Christian culture we need to become cross-cultural missionaries to our own people in our own cities.

Three key realities to engage post-Christian culture:

1.) Secular people have become suspicious of

and are far less likely to walk into a church.

2.) Secular people today do not have the same

as previous generations.

3.) Secular people are open to

.

Four key influences on global youth culture:

1.)

(Music, film, theater, sports)

2.)

via social media platforms.

3.)

(is bigger than Hollywood where the average 21 year old male has spent 10,000 hours playing video games).

4.)

is a pervasive and unashamedly part of many daily routines. Sexuality is just a personal pursuit of happiness; harmless.

Philosophical pillars:

– Faith is private and not meant to be pushed on others.

– There is no absolute moral truth.

– Tolerance is not enough, you must affirm.

Four big worldview questions:

1.)

– Where did life come from? How did life begin?

2.)

– What is right and wrong and who decides?

3.)

– What is the purpose of life?

4.)

– What happens after we die?

Predominant worldview:

– the religion of self. The idea is that God has been replace, man is at the center, and there’s no outside authority that can tell me how to live my life. The key to happiness is found within.

What should our response be?

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

Nehemiah 1:4

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

1 Corinthians 4:20

…we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

1 Thessalonians 2:8

Application:

1.) What impacted you most from this teaching?

2.) Why is it important to recognize and understand the post-Christian shift?

3.) What is shaping the global youth culture? What should our response be?

4.) The foundation for reaching secular culture, for reaching young people in our families, and in this world, who will not walk into a church is desperate prayer and a broken heart. Take some time to specifically pray for this now.


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