Europe 2014 Mission Impossible?

A vision of yesterday•Strong nation states with empire aspirations

•Conservative, religious and confident

•The cutting edge of philosophical discourse

•White and monocultural

•Impervious to the outside world

The Euro-Global Village•Networked with 1.19 bn Facebook users

•Playing catch up with the USA and China

•Struggling for identity and confidence

•A spiritual black hole

Presenting Christian TruthMore….

•Educated•Influenced•Uncertain•Inaccessible

…than even before.

The Shape of European society

1) Consumerism A way of life

focussed on Consumption [link with personal happiness]

Deliberate policy of government, industry and us

•Thorstein Veblem

Post WWII Development New technology

mass production Produce outstripping

demand = glut The box that

changed the world Advertisers

stimulated demand

New areas of merchandising [teen fashion/ accessorizing]

Economic boom & expectation– spending on impulse

Problems with Consumerism A consumer society is

• Unequal• Wasteful• Dominates life

•We live in a society where the spiritual has receded in favour of the material and our philosophical history has contributed

Personal and national debt• Personal 1,43 bn• 54,197 per household

• National 1,3 bn• 43 bn interest

Rise of the BRIC and MINT countries

2) Multiculturalism

• 2.1 births per woman• No western country (except USA and Albania)

maintain this• Mass immigration is an economic necessity

Changing perspectives

• A Judaeo-Christian world view is no longer assumed• Other faiths occupy the same shelf space• The link between church and state becomes

untenable• Evangelism can assume no privileged position

for Christianity

The good, the bad and the ugly face of multiculturalism

On-going tensions of multiculturalism

The higher intellectual ground

3) Religious pluralism• Religious diversity• A positive attitude to diversity expressed

structurally• Social inclusion• Openness to truth claims• All religions are equal

Why is pluralism an issue?• Unprecedented exposure• A collapse of confidence in

the bible• Public-private belief• A pragmatic view of religion• The assumption that

exclusive beliefs are arrogant and intolerant

• The doctrine of universalism

John Hick

• Major religions are ultimate responses to ultimate reality.

• Religions are historically and culturally conditioned interpretations of reality.

• The ability to transform is equal.

Is there Hope?

Yes

But only if we do

things right

Learn the 2,000 years old secret to evangelism• Feel the need v.16• Right place right

time v.17• Speak the language

v.23 (cf.Jn.4)• Get the big picture

Learn to whisper forcefully

• Hard truths to communicate (homosexuality & Islam)• Learning to be robust

but gentle (and pick your battles)

Be ready to carry Burdens

Moral Baggage

• People coming to faith don’t know right from wrong• People come to faith to

experience Christianity but not necessarily through guilt

Emotional Baggage

• Work pressures, family crisis, marriage breakdown, abuse, bereavement, stress, wounds

Be ready to carry Burdens

Moral Baggage

• Don’t run• Maintain biblical

standards• Be Christ-like• Remember they are

babies• See the big picture• Separate acute from

chronic

Emotional Baggage

• Don’t duck any problems• Be prepared for the long

haul• Treat people sensitively• Pray for healing• Be aware of the monster

of dependence

Follow the Fisherman (1Pet.3:15)

• The New Atheists (dealing with the God question)

• Postmodern-relativism (dealing with the truth question)

• Islam (dealing with the revelation question)

Things to note…

• Two contradictory ideas cannot both be true!

• Sincerity does not make something true!

Remember Jesus is special

• His virgin birth• consistent life• His claim of deity• His claim to control the world’s destiny• His miracles• His resurrection• Jn.11:35 I am the Resurrection and the

Life, he who believes in me will live even though he dies