islam s15 church planting in muslim countries part ii
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Islamic StudiesChurch Planting Thoughts
Basic outl ine fromThe Messenger, The Message, The
Community By Roland Muller
Summary of Arab culture Think as a group Define people as near and far Conformity of those close-by and
brings Honor Social prestige Secure place in society
Arab culture Rivalry in relationships – high benefit
in abil ity to dominate Groups wil l stick together – dishonor
on entire group Conformity is honored – notice the
prayers and meaning of Islam – conformity required
Right & Wrong - Arab Defined by the Qur’an But because many things are not laid
out, what the group says is usually key
Right & Wrong - Arab Shame is not necessarily wrong –
Allah has created both good and evil If there is a wrong, it must be
concealed to avoid shame
Shame Often avoid risks When shame occurs – deny or blame
shift to something/someone else and react violently
Shame Often Arabs are easily offended
and expect special treatment Honor MUST be restored, even at
the cost of one’s l i fe.
Revenge Revenge is sanctioned in the
Qur’an: 6:173 Peace – only in the house of
Islam with Muslims Dhimmi
Honorable acts When people come, insist that
they eat and drink Honor blood relatives, people
near you – especially the eldest son
Honor and education Especially elder son = educational
honor Doctorate – a high honor for the
family It is the degree and not the effort or
knowledge that is important
Honor Marriage raises honor of son, and
especially after the birth of a son Language is very important – Arab
wil l l isten to anyone who speaks well
Honor Wealthy are honored
They can be hospitable They can be generous Gets respect and covers many sins
Honor and violence Honors strength, no compassion for
weakness Violence to obtain honor It is honorable to reach down to help
the helpless – and Jesus showed incredible honor when He reached down to us
Can you honor yourself?? No – but people usually do not honor
someone without a cause Jesus is the only one who can bring us
to God God honors the one who serves Jesus:
Jn. 12:25-26
Summary of Salvation We need to see that God deals with
guilt, fear and shame throughout the Bible
We in the west trace the guilt through the Bible. But we need to see the others too
The Holy Spirit
Convicts of sin, righteousness and guilt Guilt – convicts of sin Shame – exposes. Remember John
3:20 – that we don’t come to the l ight, because it exposes our sin
God’s dealing with sin
Propitiation – an act which satisfies God’s anger at sin. It satisf ies the requirements of the law
Sin of man wrath of God judgment of God
God’s dealing with sin
God’s wrath places people and nations and groups under his judgment
His answer – sacrif ice. Wrath on the sacrif ice
Sin and redemption Redemption cleanses us clearing
our guilt (guilt based cultures) Redemption works through a
mediator to pay for our sins (shame cultures)
Reconcil iat ion Reconcil iat ion is restoration of Father-
child relationship Shame is removed and honor restored Fear is gone and we are accepted Again – sacrif ice is required
A paradijm ju Propitiation – God’s wrath – fear Redemption – God’s justice – guilt Reconciliation – God’s honor
Repentance
Acceptance of God’s way for us Turn from sin Turn from our own innocence Turn from our own honor Turn from our own power
God’s dealing with sin Propitiation – God’s wrath – fear Redemption – God’s justice –
guilt Reconcil iation – God’s honor
Repentance Acceptance of God’s way for us
Turn from sin Turn from our own innocence Turn from our own honor Turn from our own power
Christ’s sacrif ice God deals with all aspects on the
cross Satan wil l attempt to undermine the
total victory of the cross in our minds
Honor before whom? We need to seek God’s honor, and
not man’s honor I t is the same as rewards in heaven
are different from earth
The result of the resurrection
I Cor. 15:42-43 So also is the resurrection of the dead It is sown in corruption, it is raised in
incorruption (guilt – innocence) It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in honor
(shame – honor) It is sown in weakness; i t is raised in power
(fear – power)
Three-fold salvation Fear, guilt and shame dealt with
In Eden In the temple offerings & ceremonies By the prophets In Isaiah 53 Calvary Pentecost
Expect confl ict The gospel is going to challenge
every culture in some areas We are sinners It is our culture which we have created
Community is strong Islam – umma, or community, is
very strong Shame based culture Shame based religion Shame based community
Community is strong Everyone is responsible to care for
others Seekers want to know about
community, its rules, etc.
Difference in approach The Qur’an spells out do’s and don’ts.
If i t is not mentioned, it is probably OK The Bible gives principles which we
need to apply to different situations
Difference in approach Bonding is very important The Qur’an allows bonding and sti l l
ethnic or international r ivalr ies to occur
Bonding At family or tr ibal level – not too
diff icult. But more diff icult with changes in
language, culture, etc. We tend to want people made in
our own image (people l ike us)
The kingdom of God The king and subjects – we are to
do the wil l of the king The king gives responsibil i ty to
his subjects
The ekklesia – the assembly
Scripture reading and teaching Fellowship and edif ication Breaking bread Prayer Music is an important part
The body Each member has gifts The gifts are to build the body We are to carry on the physical
presence of Jesus in the body – He indwells us, and we are the temple of the Holy Spirit
Community We should not expect the
government to care for everything. We should be careful not to have a
business model of the church in action
Bible teaching to others The natural man needs propitia-
tion, a sacrif ice for sins The carnal man needs the
termina-tion of an independent l i fe style
The spiritual man needs the pattern of daily dying to self
Carnal vs. spiritual believers
Carnal believers – concerned about their own comfort, welfare & security.
Focus on getting good things. Alive to physical things
Carnal vs. spiritual believers
Spiritual believers – in tune with God’s desires, and the needs of others.
Focus on leading others to Christ, discipling and serving them
We need to be others-focused
Our false assumption Because we are so individual focused,
we assume that the individual wil l opt for salvation f irst, and then check out the community
Our false assumption But for a community based culture,
they wil l want to see what the community is l ike, and how it functions
Danger New converts may assume that
they can join the community of the expatriate missionary rather than the national church
Working with contacts They wil l want to identify who you are,
and what your role is in society. Do you have marks of godliness?
What are these marks in your target group?
We need to have a correct message contextualized as needed
Is the community valid? Be transparent in relationships,
struggles, ways to relate to God, and how God helps through a Christian community
Do not underestimate the importance of the body of believers to a shame-based society
Is the community valid? We must work so that our church
is open to all types of persons with different types of cultures, including shame-based backgrounds
Islamic communit ies It is diff icult for Muslims to start
their own communities as Christians from scratch
Let them come into the church and see how it works for themselves
Adjustments Muslims may assume that we are very
free with sex because separation is not r igid
Some of our feasts (Christmas, Thanks-giving) are more restricted to families
Often a seeker wil l test the community
Spiritual growth Eventually –the power of the Holy
Spirit must become personal We need transparency,
repentance & forgiveness
Spiritual growth Old sins need to be dealt with
and forsaken Confession is an important
question in a shame-based culture
Spiritual growth He may want to test your hospitality,
your tolerance of other religions, your materialism, and your interest in him as a person, as well as your spirituality
If f inancial challenges come, suggest that the community wil l approach the problem
Changed order
Sometimes it is l ike this: Community Discipleship
Saving faith A transparent community reflecting
Jesus wil l attract unbelievers
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