Don’t be squeezed into the world’s mould By Karl Faase, Olive Tree Media
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One crucial thing we must do is set aside our desire for popularity. Follow the example of Jesus and pay close attention to His words. In verses, not often quoted, Jesus told His followers…
But if we are to resist being squeezed into a mould, we have to recognise that the mould exists, and identify its form.
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you” (John 15:18-19).
hen Paul wrote to the church in Rome, he said that the followers of Jesus should “…not be conformed to the pattern of this world but transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). One commentator has translated this idea as “don’t let the world squeeze you into its mould”.
US-based authors Lyons and Kinnaman write in their book Good Faith that modern Western society has a new moral code, which they call ‘the morality of self-fulfilment’. They cite attitudes like “the best way to find yourself is by looking within yourself”, and “people should not criticise someone else’s life choices” as central to this code. It is not difficult to recognise that some recent controversies have occurred because individuals in Australia have broken this new moral code and have paid a high price for their opinions. But as Christians, we are compelled to resist any shifts in what society considers ‘moral’, and instead look to God for our standards.
It is regularly stated that the people loved Jesus, and it was only the religious leaders whom Jesus annoyed. But that is only partially true. In John 6, Jesus’ interaction with ordinary people does not go well and in fact many turn away from following Him. It’s in this situation that Jesus turns to His disciples and asks, “Do you want to leave as well?” Tough question. They reply, “Where else can we go you have the words to eternal life” (John 6:66-69). They know this may not be popular, but it is true. All of us living in comfortable and affluent Western nations must daily remind ourselves that our quiet and easy lives can have the outcome of squeezing us into a worldly mould. Let’s seek to remain faithful to the truth in a society that is regularly shifting its values.
So, what should we do to be sure we are not being squeezed into the world’s mould?
A documentary, course and book series jesusthegamechanger.com | by olive tree media
THIS BOOK TELLS THE STORIES OF GAME CHANGERS, W O R L D S H A K E R S A N D R E A L- L I F E S U P E R H E R O E S W H O H AV E I M P A C T E D A N D I N F L U E N C E D O U R W O R L D BECAUSE THEY FOLLOWED JESUS. Some of the people you will meet lived a long, long time ago and some are still alive today. No matter when they lived in history, we should be reminded of their story. They have shown God’s love, taught God’s truth and devoted their life to make the world a better place. Our prayer is that in the pages of this book, you will discover ordinary men and women who, because they followed Jesus, have made a real difference in our world. Would you like to be a game changer too?
Where did Western civilisation come from: our values, culture, medicine, science, law, politics and wealth? From the great empires of the ancient world? Or from one young man in a dusty outpost of Rome who taught in ways no one had heard before, who healed the broken and reached out to the marginalised, whose life reflected a new way of seeing the world and who was killed as a common criminal.
Jane Faase (pictured left) is the Producer of Jesus the Game Changer, Creative Director of Olive Tree Media and a keen photographer.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS Ainsley and Jamie Freeman are married and live on the Northern Beaches of Sydney with their three children. Ainsley is a communicator and Ministry Associate at Olive Tree Media and Jamie is the Team Leader – Gen1K Mission with the Baptist Churches of NSW and the ACT.
How the life and teaching of Jesus changed the world and why it matters olivetreemedia.com.au
GAME CHANGERS world shakers and real-life superheroes 31 stories of people who have impacted and influenced our world because they followed Jesus.
Freeman
KARL FAASE
Featuring beautiful images and production notes from the award-winning documentary series, Jesus the Game Changer traces the astonishing and undeniable path of Jesus from Nazareth to now, bringing us to the overwhelming conclusion that Jesus is the most influential Game Changer in human history. Each thought-provoking chapter will share insights from more than 30 historians, academics, authors and modern day game changers from all over the world. Most are followers of Jesus, some are not, but across their diverse areas of expertise they all help us discover how the life and teaching of Jesus changed the world and why it matters.
Karl Faase (pictured left) is a popular Australian Christian communicator, media presenter, documentarian and CEO of Olive Tree Media, with over 800 episodes of his Daily Nudge reaching audiences worldwide.
GAME CHANGERS world shakers and real life superheroes
Some people are so amazing that they literally change the world. They leave a mark and are remembered years later. There is one man who changed our world more than anyone else. Millions of people have dared to be like him and do as he did, and they too have changed the world.
Written by Ainsley and Jamie Freeman | Illustrated by Katherine Nelson
The book of the series Published by Olive Tree Media jesusthegamechanger.com
Karl Faase with George Marriott Photography by Jane Faase
available in | DVD | Digital Series | Coffee Table Book | Children’s book | Youth Series
How the UNCHANGING MESSAGE OF JESUS changed the world and why it matters. Page Eighteen
