- Christian ideas have ruled and dominated the public square.
- Those days are moving behind us.
- How will we realize this vision of being Christian in a very post-Christian setting?
- The church might not be as highly regarded as it once was; Christians might not be looked at as favorably as they used to.
- We have one of the greatest opportunities ahead of us.
- God has a plan we are walking into.
- God has been guiding us and helping us better understand our world in order to do great works for Him.
- There’s hope in the new generation.
Characteristics of the Next Christians
1 –Provoked
- Instead of being offended they are provoked to engage.
- They don’t condemn people, they get with them.
- They have a mentality that governs that…the stories that come out of the Gospel.
- Luke 19, Zacchaeus. Jesus didn’t avoid, He engaged.
- He did one of the most intimate things you could do in that culture, eat with people.
- In John 4, he engaged with the woman the well.
- He healed lepers.
- He healed the Roman centurion’s son.
- Jesus engaged people where they were at on their journey towards Him and helped them move forward.
- The Next Christians don’t run away form the problem, they run into it.
2 – Creators
- They aren’t critics, they are creators.
- When they show up they create things that correct systemic issues that have led to injustice or brokenness.
- Next Christians don’t talk about what’s wrong, they do something about it.
3 – Called
- A generation is starting to recover the idea of calling and starting to understand vocation.
- They aren’t working for a paycheck, they are looking at how they are investing themselves and bring a new mentality to their work, how they invest their talent and resources, etc.
- It changes the way people work and approach their work.
- They see their work as their calling.
- This is happening in every channel of culture.
- The church is the only channel that convenes the other six channels of culture.
- When we start to support one another, can you imagine what is possible?
- It’s one of the greatest opportunities we have.
- It’s the dawning idea that’s coming to bear.
- What does it mean to send people into the various channels of culture equipped and called to bring Christ to bear in their work?
4- Grounded
- We can’t do any of this without our anchor in Christ.
- In Christ we immerse ourselves.
- We have to immerse ourselves in Scripture; we have to be intimate with God.
- We realize without a deep connection to Christ we will be lost.
- That grounding only comes through discipleship and community.
5- in Community
- We must have a community, the church coming around us.The church may look different.
- The church is coming back to life in new channels and new locations.
6- Countercultural
- We’re not a subculture, we are joining the existing communities and networks in the world.
- New Christians are showing up and adding value to the conversations that are happening.
- We’re being a counter culture for a common good.
- The common good was an idea that, as Christians, we should care for all people regardless of race, class or relgion.
- We care for anyone.
- New Christians care about the good of all people regardless of whether people get saved or not.
- It’s not counter-cultural in an antagonistic way.
- We’re dong things that advance the good of everyone.
- They’re showing up in every place and every corner of society and it’s creating a new experience with Jesus and Christians.
what the soul is in the body, that Christians are in the world - Letter to Diognetus
- We have to be creative and provoked, and when we do that, good things happen.
- Christianity is no longer the center with everything running through it… we are the periphery.
- Our best days lie ahead.