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Message: “Nonconformity” Series: The Radical Disciple Preached by Mike Pickard @ North Point Church on September 25, 2011 Prayer: Last week we introduced the idea of Radical Discipleship, which is the subject of John Stott’s book, “The Radical Disciple.” We defined a Radical Disciple as one who self-consciously and wholeheartedly commitments themself to the discipline of following Jesus. And I challenged each of us to use these studies as an opportunity to move from wherever we are on our journey of faith to the next level: whether from a fan of Jesus to a follower; from follower to disciplined believer; from disciplined believer to wholeheartedly Christ-centered. John Stott’s book is a guide to making the journey and he focuses on eight neglected aspects. This morning we’re going to take up the first one, nonconformity. Stott describes radical disciples as those who are in radical non-conformity to the surrounding culture. Romans 12:2 says, for example, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 (NIV) This well-known verse declares that radical disciples must be non-conformist in order to do God’s will. Why? Because the pattern of this world is to rebel against God. This rebellion is seen not only in individual behavior but also in what we call human culture—the pattern of a nation’s thought and behavior in its common life. The Message Bible translates Romans 12:2 accordingly: “Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Conformity with the pattern of this world, therefore, means to simply “go with the flow,” actively or passively following the world in its rebellion. So the first phrase of Roman’s 12:2 is the negative side of nonconformity—Radical Disciples don’t do that. We don’t just fall in line with the values and lifestyle of American Culture. The apostle Paul has the Greco-Roman world in mind when he challenges his readers to nonconformity, so we need to think of it in terms of our own Post-Modern Western culture. What patterns or trends must we resist in order to do the will of God? 1 In The Radical Disciple, John Stott identifies four powerful trends that have taken root in American culture: The first is Pluralism—the idea that there is no final and unique truth; there is only opinion. Every idea or religious faith is equally valid and must be equally respected. The second is Materialism—the preoccupation with and dependence upon material things to make life happy and meaningful. The third is Ethical Relativism—the denial of moral absolutes, especially in the area of sexual ethics. The fourth is Narcissism—an excessive preoccupation with oneself and a corresponding lack of empathy for others. These trends have become so embedded in American institutions, economics, arts and entertainment that we hardly notice them anymore, and we rarely question them, because there is tremendous cultural and legal pressure to just keep quiet and conform. But radical disciples respectfully decline to conform; they won’t be bullied or silenced but instead, out of love for the world and obedience to Christ, we will humbly offer the gospel as an alternative lifestyle. (Having lived in San Francisco in the 60-70’s it seems funny to refer to Christianity as an “alternative lifestyle!”) But this brings us to the positive side of nonconformity. Radical disciples don’t just counter the culture, they offer the hope of transformation—of a new way of life, of a counterculture, as John Stott says. When we live in accordance with God’s will, loving God with all our being and loving our neighbor as ourselves, we become, as pastor Tim Keller espresses it, “a counterculture for the common good.” I think Keller’s phrase is brilliant: A counterculture for the common good. It encompasses both the negative and positive of Romans 12:2. On the one hand we grieve that our present culture is lost and broken because of its rebellion against God, and so we decline to conform to it and dare to challenge it. On the other hand, we believe that the gospel is for everyone—for the “common good of the whole world.” It heals and transforms individuals, communities and even cultures. And so we discipline ourselves to live like Jesus and so that people may see the gospel and be drawn to it. Now, a “counterculture” for the common good avoids two hurtful extremes: hiding from the world for fear of being contaminated by it, and conforming to the world for fear of not being accepted by it. Jesus drew this distinction when he prayed to the Father for the Church and it’s ministry in the world: “I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 2 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. John 17:14-18 (NLT) Think about it: this is Jesus’ continuing prayer for us: We are to be in the world, but not of the world— for the sake of the world we are non-conformists; we are Radical Disciples who bring the gospel; we are a counterculture for the common good. I picture our mission in the world as walking a tight rope. This has not proven to be an easy mission, as church history demonstrates. At times the church has fallen to the right side of the rope by retreating from the world in order to keep itself uncontaminated, such as during the monastic movements. (Simon Stylities, who started the Anchorite monastic community sought to avoid the distractions of the world by living on a small platform at the top of a 50 foot pole for 30 years to practice his austere asceticism. Didn’t work: he became a celebrity. People came from far and wide to see him.) At other times, the church has fallen on the left side of the rope by becoming almost indistinguishable from the secular culture, such as Liberal Protestantism of the past 100 years. But Jesus has called us to walk the scary, wobbly center, neither retreating nor conforming, but transforming the world by the gospel. This can only be done by nonconformity. Stott says, “We are not to be like reeds shaken by the wind, bowing down before gusts of public opinion, but as immovable as rocks in a mountain stream. We are not to be like dead fish floating with the stream, but as fish swimming against the stream, even the cultural mainstream. We are not to be like chameleons, lizards that change their color according to their surroundings, but to stand out visibly against our surroundings.” In short, we are to be like Jesus. To conclude then, what would it look like for us at North Point to counter the trends of our society—to be a counterculture for the common good? Well, we could answer the challenge of pluralism with a humble suggestion that people consider the uniqueness of Christ—his unique birth, life, death and resurrection. Consider the singular influence for good that he has had upon human history, that most of what we call good in our civilization has been inspired by the gospel. Consider the fact that, 2000 years after he walked on earth, people from every nation, language and culture on earth worship Jesus as Lord. We could answer the challenge of materialism with a lifestyle of simplicity, generosity and contentment to show our neighbors that people flourish when they love God and use things, but flounder when they love things and use God. We could answer ethical relativism by being a community that keeps Jesus’ commandments without apology because it is holy, happy, healthy way to live. And we could answer narcissism by being a community of love by putting others first and serving those around us. 3 This is a difficult calling, my friends. If Jesus were to have used my analogy of the tight rope, he might have said: “Narrow is the rope and few there are that walk it.” If we are to be a counterculture for the common good, we need to become Radical Disciples, and for that we need each other’s encouragement and support. The good news is that Jesus has not sent us into the world without fuel. He is our power. He ends his prayer to the Father for us in these words: “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. I have revealed you to them and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.” John 17:25-26 (NLT) 4