A MISSIONARY MAKER: 9th Feb 2011

John 6:60-70 – Many Disciples Desert Jesus.

“Multiculturalism… an Oxymoron?”
Late night CNN ran a story about David Cameron, the Prime Minister of England.
He apparently declared that ‘State Multiculturalism’ was a failure.
I think Jesus might have told him that.
In our passage today we realize that Jesus is not collecting hangers on or even followers. It goes beyond that. He is creating a new kind of person who will make up and advance His Kingdom.
In order to get a group of people who were “once not a people” into a movement that will change the world, you have to create a culture in which that movement can grow.
Culture not control.
Control stifles growth but culture provides its nutrients.
But there is an element of control that goes into building culture. Certain things are required. Laws do not create a culture but common values do. Such as;

o A common language

o A common purpose

o A common dream

o A common ethos

On Pais we hope to have all of these. You can tell someone who has been on Pais for a while because we all start using the same language. I can say one word in a Pais environment and many things are communicated because we all understand what that concept means. An outsider will just hear the word and often not understand its meaning.
Culture is always exclusive in that you have to choose to be part of it.
Jesus in this passage is sifting out those who want to bring their own agenda into His. But in Jesus’ culture there can be no other culture than a Kingdom culture.
Fortunately Kingdom culture can be adopted by anybody of any gender, race or age. We can bring into it our skills and background, our national identity and our accent.

A MISSIONARY MAKER