Men for Christ (Part 2)

Highlights from Dr. Ollila's session entitled "The Believer's Relationship to the World". John 17
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-We can go to two extremes, both of which fail to accomplish the purpose for God's leaving His children in this world after conversation. One extreme is isolationism - having no contact with nonbelievers. The second is the assimilation of believers into their culture, thus losing all Christian distinctiveness. Isolationism is certainly not the answer, and assimilation leaves us with no clear testimony. God has chosen us, and Jesus has redeemed us and set us apart as a peculiar people for the Master's use.

-Quoting R. Kent Hughes, "Our Christian lives can easily become monastic. We often find our lives arranged so that we are around nonbelievers as little as possible. We attend Bible studies that are 100 percent Christian, Sunday schools that are 100 percent Christian, and church services that we hope of 100 percent Christian. We read only or at least primarily Christian books, send our kids to Christian schools or home school them, listen to only or mostly Christian radio programs or tapes. None of these things are bad, but it is easy to use these so much that we isolate ourselves in a Christian subculture."

-Salt, to be effective, must touch people in the world.
Light must teach truth.
Salt contacts people.
Light contradicts error.
Salt relates to people.
Light reveals the philosophy of the world.
Salt is an example to people.
Light exposes false philosophy.

-Christians should be "out of the world" v.6
But Christians are "in the world" v.11
The world hates Christians because they are "not of the world" v.14
Christ has sent Christians "into the world" v.18

-A ministry direction is set more by what it tolerates rather than what it teaches.

-3 Kinds of Worship
Ritual Worship - God Hates it (Amos 5)
Recreational Worship - Who is the intended audience the lead guitarist? the listener? or the Lord?
Real Worship - Out of the heart and life