MeeknessAndTruth

1. Challenges to Evangelism In A Post-Modern World www.MeeknessAndTruth.org

2. The Challenges of Evangelism Today

3. Problems Doing Evangelism in the World We Live in “It is hard to proclaim the forgiveness of sins to people who believe that, since morality is relative, they have no sins to forgive.” Gene Veith, Postmodern Times, p.16

4. Obstacles to Evangelism Today • The World we Live In • Rejection of moral absolutes • The skepticism of our society • An indifference towards • truth or rejection of truth Signs of Trouble Have Surfaced Even In The East

5. Signs of Trouble Have Surfaced Even In The East “Many students don't think that there is a standard of right and wrong. Rather, they believe that this is up to the individual. This means they do hold a standard of right and wrong themselves, but they feel that each person's standard of right and wrong differs from the other.” “Personally, I feel stuck as to how to proceed on with the conversation. It's like saying that this food is nice for me but may not be nice for you. They relegate the standard of right and wrong to personal preference.”

6. Signs of Trouble Have Surfaced Even In The East “I find that I'm shaken. Not in terms of my faith but in terms of how to answer such questions.” - Former Student, East Asia School of Theology

7. There is an intolerance towards those who say there is a bridge they must cross!

8. Our Problems In Evangelism Are Just the Tip Of the Iceberg

9. Our Problems in Evangelism Are Symptoms…Of An Even Greater Problem! “As we approach the twenty-first century, It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize that our entire culture is in trouble. We are staring down the barrel of a loaded gun and we can no longer afford to act like it is loaded with blanks.” J. P. Moreland, Love Your God with All Your Mind, p.21

10. A. Evidence of the World’s Impact On Christians 1. Some Christians are losing their moral compass and embracing moral relativism “53% of those who call themselves evangelical Christians believe that there are no absolutes.” Yet 88% of evangelicals believe that “The Bible is the written word of God and it totally accurate in all it teaches.” George Barna, The Barna Report: What Americans Believe (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1991), pp. 83-85

11. Evidence of the World’s Impact On Christians 1. Some Christians are losing their moral compass and embracing moral relativism. 2. Some of our leaders struggle with establishing a biblical worldview framework in their teaching • Just half of all Protestant Senior Pastors (51%) meet the criteria for having a biblical worldview (2004). “The criteria are believing that God is the all-knowing and all-powerful creator of the universe who still rules it today; that Jesus Christ never sinned; that Satan is real; that salvation is received through faith in Christ, not by good deeds; that every follower of Christ has a responsibility to share their faith with non-believers; that the Bible is accurate in all that it teaches; that absolute moral truth exists; and that absolute moral truth is described in the Bible.” http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdateNarrow&BarnaUpdateID=177

12. Evidence of the World’s Impact On Christians 1. Christian lay people are losing their moral compass. 2. Some Christian leaders themselves struggle with establishing a biblical Worldview. 3. For some the content of their Christian faith is losing its structure • 72% of born again Christians believe they “personally have a responsibility to tell other people their religious beliefs” Born Again Christians, 2000, George Barna, Barna Web-site Yet only 2 out of every 10 born again Christians (19 percent) knew the meaning of the Great Commission. Half correctly described the content of John 3:16, and 6 out of 10 knew the meaning of the term “the gospel.” George Barna, Evangelism that Works, 1995, p.37

13. A Misunderstanding Of What is Involved in Biblical Faith “About one out of four (26%) born again Christians believe that it doesn’t matter what faith you follow because they all teach the same lessons.” Born Again Christians, 2000, George Barna, Barna Web-site

14. Student, University of Texas at Austin What is her misunderstanding concerning Biblical Faith?

15. Christianity is Based on a Historical Event “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” I Corinthians 15:14 (NIV) * Biblical faith must have an object to be valid.

16. Evidence of the World’s Impact On Christians 1. Christian lay people are losing their moral compass. 2. Some Christian leaders themselves struggle with establishing a biblical Worldview. 3. For some the content of their Christian faith is losing its structure • Some Christians are becoming less certain of their beliefs and more reluctant to share the good news. B. Negative repercussions on church growth

17. B. Negative repercussions on church growth “How is it possible for a person to be an active member of an evangelical church for twenty or thirty years and still know next to nothing about the history and theology of the Christian religion, the methods and tools required for serious Bible study, and the skills and information necessary to preach and defend Christianity in a post-Christian, neopagan culture?” J.P. Moreland, Love Your God With All Your Mind, p.188

18. Implications For The Church "When a majority of Christian adults…as well as three out of four born again teens proudly cast their vote for moral relativism, the Church is in trouble. Continuing to preach more sermons, teach more Sunday school classes and enroll more people in Bible study groups won't solve the problem since most of these people don't accept the basis of the principles being taught in those venues. The failure to address this issue at its root, and to do so quickly and persuasively, will undermine the strength of the church for at least another generation, and probably longer." George Barna, The Barna Update: "Americans Are Most Likely to Base Truth on Feelings" from Feb 12, 2002

19. II. Understanding Post-Modern Influences and Why Our Christian Foundations Are Being Eroded Away How Did the Church Fall Into This Crisis?

20.   “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do.” Psalm 11:3

21. A World View Shift “…a major cause of our current crisis consists of a world view shift from a Judeo-Christian understanding of reality to a post-Christian one.” - J. P. Moreland, Love Your God with All Your Mind, p.21

22. The Tsunami of Post-Modernism

23. II. Understanding Post-Modern Influences…and Why Our Christian Foundations Are Being Eroded Away. A. Understanding the three main periods of the history of western thought (Pre-Modern, Modern, and Post-Modern)

24. Changing Beliefs Concerning God Historical Development of Western World Views 1st Century 17th Century 19th Century 19th-20th Century 20th Century Late 21st Century Pre-modern Modern Postmodern Thomas Oden first suggested that the modern age lasted 200 years < 1789- 1989 > To understand the modern period we need to understand the pre-modern period. To understand the post-modern period we need to understand the modern period.

25. Changing Beliefs - Theism Historical Development of Western World Views 1st Century 17th Century 19th Century 19th-20th Century 20th Century Late 21st Century Pre-modern Modern Postmodern THEISM THEISM GOD COSMOS

26. Changing Beliefs - Deism Historical Development of Western World Views 1st Century 17th Century 19th Century 19th-20th Century 20th Century Late 21st Century Pre-modern Modern Postmodern THEISM THEISM Deism GOD GOD COSMOS COSMOS

27. Changing Beliefs - Atheism Historical Development of Western World Views 1st Century 17th Century 19th Century 19th-20th Century 20th Century Late 21st Century Pre-modern Modern Postmodern SOCIETY THEISM ATHEISM THEISM DeismNATURALISM GOD GOD GOD COSMOS COSMOS COSMOS .

28. Changing Beliefs - Atheism 1st Century 17th Century 19th Century 19th-20th Century 20th Century Late 21st Century Pre-modern Modern Postmodern SOCIETY THEISM ATHEISM THEISM DeismNATURALISM Nihilism GOD GOD GOD COSMOS COSMOS COSMOS

29. Changing Beliefs - Atheism Historical Development of Western World Views 1st Century 17th Century 19th Century 19th-20th Century 20th Century Late 21st Century Pre-modern Modern Postmodern SOCIETY THEISM ATHEISM THEISM DeismNATURALISM Nihilism EXISTENTIALISM GOD GOD GOD COSMOS COSMOS COSMOS

30. 1). Philosophical ideas from Europe (Hume and Kant) • If what we can know comes only from our sense, and God is outside our senses, we cannot know God. • The Bible became merely a guide for ethical and spiritual growth

31. Historical Development of Western World Views Changing Beliefs - Pluralism Pre-modern Modern Postmodern THEISM ATHEISM PLURALISM Theism Deism Naturalism Nihilism Existentialism Fill in the blank • PostmodernismWeak Theism • New Age: Pantheism, Monism • Bottom line: “What works for you.” GOD GOD GOD COSMOS COSMOS COSMOS SOCIETY 1st Century 17th Century 19th Century 19th-20th Century 20th Century Late 21st Century

32. II. Understanding Post-Modern Influences… • Understanding the three main periods of the history of western thought (Pre-Modern, Modern, and Post-Modern) • Understanding the Post-Modern Period • * Two Main Characteristics • 1. Pluralism • 2. Post-Modernism

33. Religious Pluralism Is the belief that all religions are true. (They all have a part of the truth)

34. RELIGIONS JUDAISM HINDUISM ISLAM TAOISM CHRISTIANITY BUDDHISM

35. II. Understanding Post-Modern Influences… • Understanding the three main periods of the history of western thought (Pre-Modern, Modern, and Post-Modern) • Understanding the Post-Modern Period • Understanding Post-Modernism and its impact

36. C. Understanding Post-Modernism and its impact * What is Postmodernism? A. Main Characteristics 1. In general it is a rejection of anything modern

37. Changing Beliefs - Pluralism Historical Development of Western World Views 1st Century 17th Century 19th Century 19th-20th Century 20th Century Late 21st Century Pre-modern Modern Postmodern THEISM ATHEISM PLURALISM THEISM DeismNATURALISM Nihilism EXISTENTIALISM Fill in the blank • Postmodernism (influenced by the philosophy of Nietzsche) • Weak Theism (of various stripes) • New Age: Pantheism, Monism A key belief in a modernistic framework is that science and reason could solve all of man’s problems GOD GOD GOD COSMOS COSMOS COSMOS (Ps. 19:1) The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. (Psalm 53:1) The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” (Judges 17:6) In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.

38. A. Main Characteristics 2. It is a belief in the Incredulity of meta-narratives

39. Postmodernism “I define postmodern as incredulity toward meta-narratives,” Jean-François Lyotard, The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge, 1984, xxiv

40. What is Postmodernism? A. Main Characteristics 3. It’s a total rejection of the idea of absolute truth…in favor of mere cultural relativism * What are the characteristics of relativism from a postmodern perspective?

41. * Characteristics of Post-Postmodern Relativism • No universal moral rules or standards exist • No single standard or set of standards has been (or is) universally accepted as binding oneveryone. • Moral norms vary from culture to culture and are determined by social setting or environment.

42. What is Postmodernism? 1. In general it is a rejection of anything modern 2. It is a belief in the Incredulity of meta-narratives 3. It’s a total rejection of the idea of absolute truth…in favor or cultural relativism 4. In its most extreme form, it is a belief that our thoughts, attitudes, as well as our very existence is just a social construct and not real.

43. Beliefs are merely social constructs! “But postmodernist go beyond observing the influence of culture to declaring that all beliefs and knowledge claims are ‘arbitrary social constructs,’ fabrications of culture.” Dennis McCallum, ed., The Death of Truth. (Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1996). p.13.”

44. C. Understanding Post-Modernism and its impact “Postmodernism is thus an eclectic construct, shrouded in deconstructionalistic and post-structuralistic verbiage, based on the hermeneutics of suspicion and an epistemology of uncertainty that leads to the three defining features of postmodernity as a cultural mood--ie. The incredulity of meta-narratives, the propagation of reality as a social construct and the emergence of hyper-reality as a postmodern phenomenon.” As such, postmodernism is a sad commentary of man’s desperate search for meaning; a vain championing of an ideological abstraction which promotes an ideological arbitrariness – a reasoning without reason in the face of human arrogance and absurdity, which ultimately ushers one towards fideism at best and nihilism at worst.” (Rev. Edmund Chan ) * What is Postmodernism?

45. C. Understanding Post-Modernism and its impact * What is Postmodernism? • Main Characteristics • A Biblical response to its more extreme form

46. * Remember that Biblical truth is not a matter of your own perspective! “Above all you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:20-21 NIV

47. * Remember that Biblical truth can not be contradictory The Apostle Paul said, “But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not yes and no.” (2 Cor. 1:18 NIV)

48. III. The Implications of Post-Modern Thought On Our Witness to Others • How it impacts others: • They feel free to create or construct “knowledge's” and “realities.”

49. This Explains Why Many Are Questioning The Biblical Story of Jesus The Da Vinci Code The Lost Gospel of Judas The Lost Tomb of Christ

50. The Implications of Post-Modern Thought On Our Witness to Others * How it impacts others: • They believe that our belief that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life is just one of the narratives among other narratives in the world that are equally as valid. • Their pluralistic mindset gives them no internal motivation to hear about Jesus.