Christianity as a counterculture?

Hey guys,
So just doing something different... here's a copy of the notes I used for a talk I did at church recently.

It may be useful for life groups, school groups, youth groups, or just to have a bit of a yarn with anyone you want... If nothing else, maybe it may make you think about what you believe.

Will podcast the mp3 when it becomes available, and hopefully you'll get a better idea of where I was going.



Counterculture

2 minutes – Brainstorm - What is Normal Teenage culture?

What defines us as a culture?

What influences us?

From Wikipedia:

In sociology, counterculture is a term used to describe a cultural group whose values and norms are at odds with those of the social mainstream, the cultural equivalent of political opposition.

Today, counterculture is used to describe moving in a theological or material direction that is not the accepted norm in society; this is most easily seen in its manifestation in the media. However, it can be strange to see the co-option of counterculture movements as they quickly become the spearhead of commercial pop campaigns; once taboo ideas (men wearing a woman's color - pink, for example) can become popular trends.

Examples of counterculture:
Hippies
Rock n' Roll
Punk
Alternative
Emo!
and many others...

In all these movements, the counterculture became so popular it directly affected mainstream culture.

We sometimes think of Christians as the “square” mainstream people. If you think about it, this is NOT THE CASE.

Christianity directly opposes many of today’s cultural values and beliefs.
Examples of this?

Jesus was not a mainstream leader. He spent his entire ministry shaking the current mainstream beliefs of the Pharisees and society.
e.g. performed miracles on the Sabbath. Called the spiritual leaders of the time a pit of vipers and so on…

AS Christians, we are NOT mainstream.
What does this mean to you?
We live to different standards. What is acceptable in the world may not be acceptable in our eyes. In many ways we, shouldn’t fit in…

We need to add some new phrases to our vocabulary.
Why?
I don’t agree with this because…
I believe that…

We need to start standing up for what we believe in…

We shouldn’t be afraid to be different. God has already marked us so. We do not need to conform. In fact, in order to be going for God, we have a completely different mindset:

2 Corinthians 5:17 If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come!– What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun.

This means we are called to be in the world, acting as Christ, not of the world.

We have an opportunity to stand apart.
We have an opportunity to create a positive counterculture which opposes the things in mainstream culture which may be morally or spiritually wrong.

Challenge: Think about how as a Christian, you are different to mainstream culture. What ways are you able to be an example of Christianity as a counterculture?

...
Hope this is useful to someone. If so, great! Let me know...

Ray