We live in a very troubled society. Every day the newspaper and television news reminds us just how troubled our society is. Someone leaves pipe bombs in rural mail boxes in several western states. A local pharmacy is robbed for the fourth time. Oklahoma authorizes water standards that may have adverse economic impacts on Arkansas. Police conduct a sting operation on prostitution. Arkansas leads the nation (per capita) in illegal meth labs.

Much too often many of us live in very troubled homes. Communication is atrocious. Schedules are unreal. Value systems are ridiculous. We are a collection of strangers living at the same address who occasionally cross paths.

The temptation is to believe the solution is simple. We are tempted to conclude that many problems that irritate us can be solved if we could simply live in a desirable form of isolation where our lives do not have to deal with unwanted intrusions.

Recently Joyce and I received a story via e-mail whose point deserves consideration. Perhaps you also received the story. If so, think about the point as I share the story.

A rat on a farm was absolutely frantic. By chance he saw a package arrive at the farmer's house, and by chance he saw the farmer's wife open the package. The package contained a rat trap.

The frantic rat ran to the chicken house seeking sympathy from the chicken. In alarm the rat said, "The farmer just bought a rat trap!" The chicken unsympathetically said, "I am sorry. But that is of no concern to me. That rat trap does not affect my life."

Still frantic, the rat ran to the pig pen to inform the pig about the rat trap. The pig said, "I am sorry you are upset, but that rat trap does not affect my life."

Now the rat was beside himself. No one was concerned. So the rat ran to the barn to tell the cow the news. Same response. The cow said, "How boring! Do not bother me with news about rat traps! Rat traps do not affect my life!"

The farmer set the rat trap, and a snake caught its tail in the trap. When the farmer's wife checked the trap, the snake bit her. Soon she was very sick, and the farmer killed the chicken to make her chicken soup.

She became so ill that the farmer had to call some friends to come help him. He had to kill the pig to feed the people who came to help.

The wife died from the snake bite. The farmer killed the cow to feed everyone who came to the funeral.

The rat trap was of no concern to the chicken, pig, and cow because it did not affect their lives. However, the rat trap was responsible for the deaths of the chicken, pig, and cow.

1. It was difficult and demanding to learn to live the life of a Christian in the first century.
   1. It was difficult and demanding for a Jewish Christian living in a Jewish community.
      1. The majority of the community never believed that Jesus was the Christ the Jewish prophets declared God would send.
      2. Jesus Christ did not meet the common expectations in Judaism.
      3. His teachings did not "fit" their religious perspective and religious system.
      4. To be a Jew involved far more than endorsing a religious perspective, and soon those who believed that Jesus was the Christ were looked upon as traitors to the nation of Israel.
         Matthew 10:32-36 Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household.
   2. It was difficult and demanding for a person who came from idolatry to be a Christian.
      1. The government and idolatry held hands to support each other.
      2. The city administration and idolatry held hands to support each other.
      3. Most trades and idolatry held hands to support each other.
      4. The farmers appealed to the appropriate gods to insure productive crops and livestock.
      5. The Christian honored one God while the majority honored many gods.
         1. The Christian's God declared the other gods did not exist.
         2. Commonly, Christians were considered dangerous to the government, disrespectful to the city, responsible for economic woes, and a reason for agricultural disasters.
         3. Many did not view Christians and their life style with honor or respect.
      6. Paul gives us insight into how difficult it could be to live as a Christian by sharing some of his personal experiences in 2 Corinthians 11:23-33.
         Are they servants of Christ?--I speak as if insane--I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? If I have to boast, I will boast of what pertains to my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.

2. We are caught in a huge transition.
   1. This transition is much more significant, much deeper than a transition that requires some physical lifestyle adjustments.
      1. In this society the basis of morality (correct behavior) is in major transition, and in our world biblical morality is under attack.
      2. In this society the basis of ethics (determining good and evil) is in major transition, and in our world biblical ethics is under attack.
      3. In this society the basis of our system of values (what is deserving of our life focus and dedication) is in major transition, and in our world biblical values are under attack.
   2. Personally, I do not think there is a single relationship of any significance that is not under transition or attack.
      1. How do family units work?
         1. Should there be communication?
         2. Should there be commitment?
         3. Should there be dedication to the family?
         4. Who is included in the family unit? How do you stay in the family unit?
         5. How is the conflict between the person and the family unit to be understood?
         6. How is the conflict between individual liberty and family commitment to be resolved?
         7. Does marriage even matter?
      2. How do jobs, careers, occupations, employment work?
         1. Is the only consideration the potential to make money or meet financial needs?
         2. In what if any way is an employee to be committed or dedicated to his employer?
         3. In what if any way is an employer to be committed or dedicated to his employee?
         4. Does dishonesty or exploitation enter the issue in either direction?
         5. Whether employer or employee, is the correct attitude, "Every person for himself (herself)!"
      3. How should we treat people we know?
      4. How should we treat friends?
      5. How should we treat strangers?
   3. While it may not be difficult to call yourself a Christian in the Bible belt of this nation, it is difficult to live as a Christian anywhere in this nation.
      1. We would like to think the solution is isolation.
      2. We would like to think the solution is exercising control.
      3. We would like to think the solution is passing favorable legislation.
      4. We would like to think the solution is a national dedication to the defense of Christian values.
      5. Beware of focusing your concern on "what I want and what is good for us."
      6. A rat trap can indirectly cause the death of a cow.
   4. There are things you as an individually cannot do and things you can do.
      1. Things you cannot do:
         1. You cannot remake the world.
         2. You cannot stop or reverse globalization.
         3. You cannot transform society in select ways.
         4. You cannot eliminate the presence and influence of evil from our state, our city, or your community.
         5. You cannot "turn the clock back."
      2. Things you can do:
         1. You can live as a godly person in your family and model godly standards and values.
         2. You can live as a godly person in your work place and model godly standards and values.
         3. You can be a godly person in all your interactions with other people and model godly standards and values.
      3. Will it be easy to be a Christian in an evil world and society?
         1. No.
         2. Do not expect the honor and respect as you model godly standards and values.
         3. In fact, in my personal judgment, expect honor and respect for godliness to decrease in the future.
      4. The primary way that you can impact positive change in our society and world is to have the courage to live as a godly person.
         1. You do not do this because society approves of and respects godliness.
         2. You do it because that is who you are in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:1-11 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him--a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.

If the focus is on restoring a desirable physical life, wonder what an eighty-year-old in Afghanistan would want? Wonder what a ten-year-old would want? Wonder what an eighty-year-old Palestinian would want? Wonder what a ten-year-old would want? Wonder what an eighty-year-old Israeli would want? Wonder what a ten-year-old would want? Wonder what an eighty-year-old American would want? Wonder what a ten-year-old would want?

As a Christian, what would you want?