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THE ABC'S OF CULTURE: THE WEB OF LIES

Overview Statement

There are fundamental building blocks of culture. Satan lies to individuals and nations by replacing Kingdom building blocks (Truth) with his counterfeit building blocks (lies), resulting in the impoverishment and enslavement of nations. The more Truth a culture embraces, the healthier it is. The more lies it embraces, the more destruction, poverty and enslavement it experiences.

Main Ideas

1. Ideas are the building blocks of culture. 2. Satan lies to people and nations through human tradition and the basic principles of the

world. Cultures built on these lies are following a path to destruction.3. Satan is a defeated enemy. By dying for us, Christ has disarmed the one who has

enslaved us through his lies. 4. Followers of Christ, who have been transformed by the renewing of their mind, are

commanded to replace false thinking with Truth revealed in Scripture providing a strong foundation for the building of their nations.

Outcomes

1. Now: a. To grasp and express the main ideas of the lesson in their own words.b. To share one aspect of the ABC’s of Culture lesson that has been learned with

one other person within the next week.2. Beyond:

a. To analyze the building blocks that exist in your culture, identifying some of the truths and lies, and to ask the Lord what lies you can begin to replace with Truth.

b. To work as a leader to assist others to analyze, and plan ways to bring Truth into their cultures in practical ways.

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THE ABC'S OF CULTURE: THE WEB OF LIES

Outline

I. Review

II. Introduction

A. Contemporary Images

B. What do these three have in common?

III. Natural Man is Enslaved

A. Read Ephesians 6:10-17 (particularly verse 12)

1. What is our struggle not against?

2. What is our struggle against?

3. Describe in your own words who the enemy is.

B. Satan and His Strategy


1. Read John 8:44

a. Who is Satan?

b. What does he do?

2. Read Revelation 20:3, 7-8. What is Satan’s big strategy?

C. Foundations for a Community

1. Destruction

2. Development

D. Read Galatians 4:3-10 and Colossians 2:6-8, 15, 20

1. How does Paul characterize the believer’s past?

2. Who has enslaved the believer? Note: We are looking for someone, not something.

3. What did Christ do?


4. How did He do it?

5. What are the present consequences for the believer?

6. What is the future choice for the believer?

7. What do the principalities and powers use to enslave us? Note: We are looking for their methods.

a. Galatians 4:3

b. Colossians 2:8

IV. The Tools of Enslavement

A. Paul argues that Satan uses two major weapons to enslave us.

1. Man-centered philosophy (Colossians 2:8) which he calls hollow, deceitful and based on human tradition. In your own words describe:

Read I Peter 1:18-19. How does Peter describe the consequences of following man-centered philosophy that is passed down from generation to generation?

2. Basic principles of the world (Galatians 4:9, Colossians 2:8)


a. Concept: First principles, elements, rudiment; in every area of life there are first principles.

b. Identify the fundamental principles of:

(1) Example - Reading and writing – ABC’s

(2) Math

(3) Music

(4) Science

(5) Painting

(6) Nations

B. Quote by Gailyn VanRheenen, a missionary in Kenya from 1973 to 1976, writing in Communicating Christ in Animistic Contexts writes:

... the systemic view [of spiritual warfare] sees the powers as personal spiritual beings who are actively impacting the socioeconomic and political structures of societies. These powers have established their own rules and regulations that pull cultures away from God. The elementary principles (stoicheia) spoken of in Pauline writings (Gal. 4:3; Col. 2:8, 20 NASB) are an example of this. …stoicheia are illustrated by legalistic observances of the law, worship of angels, and returning to pre-Christian animistic practices. Stoicheia within these contexts are the demonic contortions of human society. The powers, although personal spiritual beings, have invaded the very fabric of society. Thus even Christian institutions reflect these demonic influences when the powers invade human institutions. p. 101

List your key observations from reading this quote:


Growing Healthy CulturesTruth the culture embraces.Principles of the Development Ethic

Lies a culture holds to be true

1. What does this graphic reveal?

2. Which of these trees represents your nation? Why?


COUNTERFEIT BUILDING BLOCKS “ABC's of Culture” Exercise

Part 1

1. Break up into groups of 4-6 people by national or ethnic group. Each group will be assigned a counterfeit building block value (lie) that is prevalent in their culture.

2. Discuss the following questions for a minimum of 40 minutes (longer if time allows) in small groups. Record your thoughts on the “Tree” handout. Have one person assigned to report to the larger group.

a. Clearly identify the “value”. How is the value passed down or transmitted in your culture from generation to generation? Identify specific examples. (10 min.)

Language Cultural stories Jokes Sayings/Proverbs Songs Laws or other?

b. What behavior does this value or belief produce? (10 min.) What behaviors are seen in day-to-day life that reflects this value? What is done / not done? What is said / not said?

c. What are the consequences (fruit)? (10 min.) For the individual? For the family? For the church? For the society? For YOU – a personal heart story?

d. What is the root? (10-20 min.) Where did this idea come from? What are the religious/philosophical roots? Look at your culture’s history – what national events/milestones brought this

value into current culture? What are the ancient mythologies?

Debrief with the larger group – What insights did you gain from doing this activity?



What is the Root?Where did this idea come from? What are the religious/philosophical roots? Look at your culture’s history – what national events/milestones brought this value into current culture? What are the ancient mythologies?

What are the Consequences or Fruit?Where did this idea come from? What are the religious/philosophical roots? Look at your culture’s history – what national events/milestones brought this value into current culture? What are the ancient mythologies?

ROOTS - BELIEFS

TRUNK - VALUES

BRANCHES -BEHAVIORS

FRUIT - CONSEQUENCES

What are the Behaviors?What behaviors are seen in day-to-day life that reflects this value? What is done or not done? What is said / not said?

What is the Value?How is the value passed down or transmitted in your culture from generation to generation? Identify specific examples.

Part 2

A. Individually: What one thing will you (personally) do during the next week to begin to stand for the truth against this lie?

B. Corporately:

1. Make a list of actions our church(es) could do to bring healing to this area of brokenness in our society. What is the one you will begin with?

2. Time permitting, report back to the larger group.

3. Pray in small groups for the healing of our nation.


ABC’S OF CULTURENarrative

Darrow received a letter from a friend in Africa who had just been married. He was in love and had a real desire to be a servant-leader of his new bride. After a few months of marriage he wrote a very transparent letter confessing that he was acting like a tyrant towards his new wife. His treatment of his wife was harming her and bringing alienation to their relationship. What was driving his behavior? It was his subconscious mentality – a “sacred belief system”, from his traditional African cultural background that because he was man he was “chief” and his wife was an inferior servant. Darrow’s friend was a broken man as he saw the deep root of his actions and the pain those actions were causing his bride.

All of us have a mindset that was unconsciously shaped by our culture. When the root approximates truth, goodness and beauty, it leads to good fruit. When the root is founded in lies it leads to the fruit of impoverishment. We need to begin to see the relationship between the root and the fruit. After all, ideas have consequences!

A. Consequences of False Beliefs

The fruit tree illustrates that there are consequences associated with living according to false belief systems. To express it more succinctly—ideas have consequences. The Apostle Paul described how fallen men have exchanged the truth of God for a lie and then described the terrible consequences that resulted from that exchange:

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural

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relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” (Romans 1:18-32)

These consequences impact individuals and entire nations as they penetrate social institutions, structures, and laws. Truth is the foundation for nations’ or communities’ development, but lies are the foundation for their destruction.

E. Stanley Jones, a great missionary statesman to India in the past century, had profound insight on this topic. He said we do not break God's laws, but rather we break ourselves against God's laws. 1 God's laws are unbreakable. When we disobey them, we do not end up breaking His laws, but rather we break and injure ourselves and others against His laws.

B. Satan Enslaves

In 1 John 8:44, Satan is described as the "father of lies." When Satan speaks, it is his very nature to speak lies. What happens when we believe one of his lies? The Bible teaches us that Satan uses his lies to enslave us. All of us who are in Christ can recall times in our lives when we came under the bondage of satanic lies. But Satan doesn't lie only to individuals:

“He threw [Satan] into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore.” (Revelation 20:3)

Satan’s desire is to enslave entire nations. In his ongoing effort to enslave individuals and nations, Satan relies on two primary weapons. The first weapon is described as man-centered philosophies.

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

It is not the study of philosophy that Paul attacks. The word "philosophy" literally means "lover of wisdom." As Christians we should all be lovers of wisdom. Rather, Paul is telling us that one of Satan's primary tools of enslavement is "philosophy which depends on human tradition.….” We need to make a distinction between philosophy that is grounded in the transcendent God of the Bible and philosophy that begins with man. Paul say that Satan enslaves us through man centered philosophy that is passed down, unexamined, from father to son (and mother to daughter) from one generation to the next. Paul describes such philosophy as "hollow and deceptive….”

The Apostle Peter referred to this, too, when he wrote: "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." (I Peter 1:18-19)

1 E. Stanley Jones, The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person (New York: Abingdon Press, 1972), 174.


What are the "basic principles of the world" that the Apostle Paul referred to in Colossians 2:8? Paul provided further insight in Galatians 4:9, a parallel passage: "How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?" He described the principles as "weak and miserable." The Greek word used for these principles is stoicheia—literally, the fundamental principles. Stoicheia are the basic, elementary, or first principles.

We are familiar with the concept of "fundamental principles" in our everyday lives. If you wish to learn the English language, you begin with the fundamental principles of that language—the alphabet, or the "ABC’s." If you do not start with the alphabet, you cannot go on to read or write English. Likewise, if you want to learn mathematics, you must first learn numbers. If you are not willing to learn numbers, you will never be able to learn mathematics. If you want to learn to paint, you must learn the primary colors—red, yellow, and blue. If you want to learn to compose music, you must first learn the elementary principles—musical notes.

Just as every area of life has its elementary principles, there are elementary principles of culture. It is these elementary principles that the Apostle Paul referred to when he used the word stoicheia. It is through these false first principles that Satan enslaves entire nations.

Gailyn VanRheenen, a missionary to Kenya in the 1970s, addressed the enslaving capacity of false stoicheia in this examination of spiritual warfare:

The systemic view [of spiritual warfare] sees the powers as personal spiritual beings who are actively impacting the socioeconomic and political structures of societies. These powers have established their own rules and regulations that pull cultures away from God. The elementary principles [stoicheia] spoken of in Pauline writings (Gal. 4:3; Col. 2:8, 20 NASB) are an example of this. [Stoicheia] are illustrated by legalistic observances of the law, worship of angels, and returning to pre-Christian animistic practices. Stoicheia within these contexts are the demonic contortions of human society. The powers, although personal spiritual beings, have invaded the very fabric of society. Thus, even Christian institutions reflect these demonic influences when the powers invade human institutions.2

This quote is filled with profound insight. It is well worth taking a few minutes to reflect on this quote in light of a few questions. What are these spiritual beings impacting? What have they done to cause that impact? What does it mean that they are invading “the very fabric of society? How is it that Christian institutions are impacted by the demonic influences? Where do you see this in the Christian institutions in your society?

Think of these elementary principles (stoicheia) as cultural building blocks. In most—if not all—cultures in the world, there are some building blocks that are in alignment with biblical truth. These "Kingdom" building blocks are the source of all that is true, moral and beautiful within any given society. These building blocks or knowledge and truth are the foundation for solid community development. We can find such Kingdom building blocks in music, art, science, law, technology, and education. It is very probable that every culture embraces at least some aspects of the truth. Any bit of truth found within a culture is to be nurtured, affirmed, and encouraged.

2 Gailyn VanRheenen, Communicating Christ in Animistic Contexts (Pasadena, California: William Carey Library, 1991), 101.


Also, in all cultures of the world there exist "counterfeit" building blocks introduced by Satan, the father of lies. The counterfeit building blocks are founded on lies. They are the immoral and profane features in any culture. Slavery in the United States was founded on the lie that whites are better than blacks. The abuse and subjugation of women by men in many Latin cultures is founded on the lie that men are better than women. The caste system in India is founded on the lie that people from one group are of greater value and worth than people from another group. These lies, or counterfeit building blocks, exist in every culture. They represent what the Apostle Paul referred to as hollow, deceptive, weak, and miserable elementary principles. They are to be exposed, opposed, rooted out, and replaced with "Kingdom" building blocks that are based on God’s eternal, revealed truth.

Although each culture is made up of both truth and lies, it is the cultures that have more truth, goodness, and beauty that form societies with greater freedom, justice, and compassion. The cultures with more falsehood, evil, and ugliness produce societies that are more callous, enslaved, and corrupt.

C. Examples of Counterfeit Building Blocks

We will now examine some other counterfeit building blocks that we see in our world today—examples of Satanic lies that lead to poverty, injustice and corruption.

One lie is that man is not accountable, responsible for his actions. This lie is found in many Western nations that have been influenced by the naturalistic worldview. In naturalism, there is no God governing the affairs of the universe, and man is left to do as he pleases. If this is true, hedonism and rampant consumerism become the logical approach to life. If we can do whatever we please without fear of ultimate, divine judgment or accountability, then we should "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die." Thus, entertainment has become one of the highest values of many Western nations.

Another prevalent lie in many cultures is that truth, if it exists at all, is unknowable. Naturalism and animism both have distorted understandings about truth. Naturalism allows no room for the notion of transcendent, absolute truth. All that exists is matter and energy in a "closed" cause-and-effect universe. "Truth" is whatever we want it to be. Many animistic cultures also consider "truth" to be unknowable. In Hinduism, the principle of avidya means "to worship the gods in ignorance." In this sense, Hindu society actually sees avidya – ignorance or delusion – as a virtue. Imagine that you are a missionary who wants to teach illiterate Hindu people in India how to read, so they can access the Bible in their own language. When you begin to understand Hindu culture, it slowly dawns on you that, in many parts of the Hindu world, if you encourage the poor to learn to read, you are asking them to sin!

Another lie, found in both naturalistic and animistic cultures, is that human life is of little value. As a consequence, abortion has become a common practice, and is even cherished as a right in naturalistic cultures. Few people speak out for the millions of unborn children sacrificed on the altar of "choice." Animism also accords little value to human life. Hinduism, for example, has no rationale for why people in need should be helped—the poor are destined to poverty because of what they did in their past lives. Unlike Christianity, Hinduism does not value individual people or see them as "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14) in the image of God.

Of course, Hinduism is not the only system with a low view of man. During Ethiopia’s monstrous famine in the mid-1980s, Dr. Tetsunao "Ted" Yamamori, former president of the development organization Food for the Hungry International, visited a refugee camp that was home to tens of thousands of displaced people. From one tent he heard a baby cry and decided to investigate. He went in and discovered an infant, alone and gasping for air. Ted quickly pulled the baby into his arms and went looking for her parents. He soon found the mother and offered her the child. "Put it back," she told him coldly. "It is the will of the gods that this one die." Looking her in the eye, Ted replied firmly, "No, this baby was born to


live." Not only did their statements reveal two totally different worldviews; but their actions produced immediately different results for that little child—because Ted Yamamori took the infant to a health center for treatment. Our ideas have consequences.

The lie that resulted in the mother’s inaction was the lie of fatalism. This lie is pervasive in many cultures of the world today. In the Dominican Republic, there is a lovely tropical valley known as Constanza. On the floor of the valley are many farms. The people who live and farm the valley floor are some of the poorest people in the nation. Yet, magnificent homes and villas, each with a spectacular view of the countryside, are built into the hills overlooking the valley. Japanese immigrants, who came to the Dominican Republic shortly after World War II, own the houses. They left Japan with virtually nothing. Like the local farmers who labor on the valley floor, they also labored as poor farmers. Yet after a few decades, they are prosperous, while native farmers still struggle to eke out a living in the midst of this breathtaking setting. How can we account for the difference between these two groups of people? Their physical circumstances were identical, but the answer is not found in the realm of the physical. The answer is found in their different worldviews. The Japanese settlers brought with them a belief system that valued hard work and perseverance. In Japan, children are trained always to try harder and never give up. The local farmers, on the other had, held to a belief system that was fatalistic. Their fatalism led them towards passivity in the face of hardships, believing that "whatever will be, will be." Such fatalism is a lie, and such lies have destructive consequences.

Except for such catastrophic events as war, drought, or flood, physical poverty doesn’t "just happen." Rather, counterfeit cultural building blocks—such as fatalism—play an important role in determining whether people will suffer from poverty, corruption, or other forms of brokenness. These Satanic lies, when they become part of the basic foundation of a culture, eventually become institutionalized into the laws and structures of that society. The inevitable end result is corruption, injustice, lack of respect for human life, and many other cultural ailments. Ultimately, brokenness is rooted in man’s sin and rebellion against his Creator and in the ongoing work of Satan, who wreaks destruction through his lies and distortions.

By Scott Allen, Darrow Miller, and Bob MoffittCopyright 2007 by the Disciple Nations Alliance

1110 E. Missouri Avenue, Suite 393, Phoenix, AZ [email protected]@disciplenations.org

www.disciplenations.org

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided you do NOT alter the wording in any way, you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproducing, and you do not

make more than 1,000 physical copies. Any exceptions to the above must be explicitly approved by the Disciple Nations Alliance.


http://www.disciplenations.org/

Suggested Resources:

Miller, Darrow L. Discipling Nations: The Power of Truth to Transform Cultures. Seattle WA: YWAM Publishing, 2001. Chapters 2 and 8.

Mangalwadi, Ruth and Vishal. The Legacy of William Carey. Wheaton IL; Crossway Books, 1999. Chapters 2 and 4.

Miller, Darrow L., Bob Moffitt, and Scott D. Allen. Worldview of the Kingdom of God. Seattle WA: YWAM Publishing, 2005.

Disciple Nations Alliance online course: www.disciplenations.org/resources/course. Sections: The Nations, Kingdom of God

DNA Resource Reader articles available at www.disciplenations.org/resources. ● “What makes development happen?” from Underdevelopment is a State of Mind by Lawrence E.

Harrison. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc., 1985. ● “The Great Liberal Death Wish” by Malcom Muggeridge from Imprimis● “The Four-Thousand Year Connection” from Eternity in Their Hearts by Don Richardson.

Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1984. ● “Evangelism and Social Reform: All Things New” from Truth and Social Reform by Vishal

Mangalwadi. Landour, Musoorie, India: Nivedit Good Books, 1996.


http://www.disciplenations.org/resources

http://www.disciplenations.org/resources/course

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