Preaching Holiness in a
Post-modern Culture
MODERNISM
COMPONENT
MODERNISM
POST-MODERNISM
Motto
Tell Me
Involve Me
Learning Style
Lecture
Story
Value
Truth
Tolerance
Salvation
A Point in Time
A Way of Life
Truth
Nothing But the Bible
All Truth is God’s Truth
Tendency of Extreme
Legalism
Liberalism
Order of Worship
Fixed
Fluid
Concept of Church
We Do/Have Church
We Are the Church
The Bible
Literal, Historical, Grammatical
Communal
Authority
Hierarchy
Roundtable
Camp of Choice
Separatist
Conformist
POSTMODERNISM
MODERN
POSTMODERN
Emphasis on Crisis
Emphasis on Process
Called Out From the World
Called To The World
Personal Aspects
Corporate Aspects
HOLINESS MESSAGE
HOLINESS MESSAGE
• The holiness message can be
perceived by many postmoderns as arrogant and
judgmental.
2 Corinthians 6:17 (NIV)
"Therefore come out from
them and be separate, says the
Lord. Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you."
MODERN
POSTMODERN
Emphasis on Crisis
Emphasis on Process
Called Out From the World
Called To The World
Personal Aspects
Corporate Aspects
HOLINESS MESSAGE
HOLINESS MESSAGE
• Effectively communicating the
holiness message today will require a
dual emphasis on the internal work of
God (cleansing, “come out”) and the
external societal transforming
(empowering “go to”) power of God..
James 1:27 (NIV) Religion that God
our Father accepts as pure and
faultless is this: to look after orphans
and widows in their distress and to
keep oneself from being polluted by
the world.
HOLINESS MESSAGE
MODERN
POSTMODERN
Emphasis on Crisis
Emphasis on Process
Called Out From the World
Called To The World
Personal Aspects
Corporate Aspects
HOLINESS METHODS
MODERNISM
POSTMODERNISM
Didactic
Teaching/Preaching
Narrative Story Telling
Exegete Scripture – Apply
to Life
Exegete Life – Apply
Scripture
HOLINESS METHODS
MODERNISM
POSTMODERNISM
Didactic
Teaching/Preaching
Narrative Story Telling
Exegete Scripture – Apply
to Life
Exegete Life – Apply
Scripture
HOLINESS METHODS
• The Way We’ve Done It:
• Bible – Exegete – Illustrate – Apply
• Due to cultural shifts, the Bible is no longer
accepted as the ultimate authority to a postmodern or a post-Christian culture.
• New Paradigm:
• Life – Exegete Life – Bible – Apply & Illustrate
Start with
Human
Condition or
Need
Exegete
Human
Condition or
Need
EXAMPLE:
Jesus and the Woman at the Well in John 4
Mark Beeson: “Jesus taught this way and only taught
the other way once, in Luke 4:14 f.f.”
HOLINESS MINISTRY
MODERNISM
POST-MODERNISM
Come and See
Go and Serve
Believe - Behave - Belong
Belong – Behave – Believe - Become
Program Driven
Relational Driven
HOLINESS MINISTRY
MODERNISM
POST-MODERNISM
Come and See
Go and Serve
Believe - Behave - Belong
Belong – Behave – Believe - Become
Program Driven
Relational Driven
HOLINESS MINISTRY
MODERNISM
POST-MODERNISM
Come and See
Go and Serve
Believe - Behave - Belong
Belong – Behave – Believe - Become
Program Driven
Relational Driven
MANAGING THE SHIFT
MODERNISM
POS-MODERNISM
Church Evolution
Church Revolution
Segre-Generational
Inter-Generational
MANAGING THE SHIFT
MODERNISM
POS-MODERNISM
Church Evolution
Church Revolution
Segre-Generational
Inter-Generational