What is culture?

• Culture is language.  
• Culture is cuisine.
• Culture is manners.
• Culture is  “what’s normal here.”

THREE PRINCIPLES OF KINGDOM CULTURE

1. In a kingdom, culture is defined by the king.

1. In a natural kingdom, culture is set by the king.
2. In the kingdom of God, Jesus sets the culture.
   1. “You’ve heard it said, but I say.”
   2. “The law said don’t kill, but I say don’t hate.”
   3. “The law said don’t commit adultery, but I say don’t look.”
   4. “The law said don’t break vows, but I say don’t even vow.”
   5. “The law said you can divorce, but I say only if your spouse has been unfaithful.”
   6. “The law said let punishment match the crime, but I say turn the other cheek.”
   7. “The law said hate your enemies, but I say love them.”
3. We get our culture by:
   1. The KING’S WORDS — what He said
   2. The KING’S NATURE — who He was
   3. The KING’S ACTIONS — what He did
4. THE MAJOR CULTURE OF OUR KING WAS LOVE.
   1. There were many things He taught us, but the greatest was LOVE.
   2. If you find yourself stepping out of love, you are stepping out of the culture of the kingdom.

2. In a kingdom, the culture is set by the LAWS OF THE KINGDOM.

1. As go the laws, so the country’s culture follows.
2. The moral laws of the Word of God set our culture.
   1. How we act
   2. How we talk
   3. How we relate to one another
3. The Word is full of kingdom culture.

Romans 14:17 ESV: For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

3. In a kingdom, you ADAPT to the KINGDOM’S CULTURE.

1. You will not change the kingdom’s culture—it will change you!
2. The kingdom’s culture is ALREADY SET.
3. We have an eternally set culture. It will not change.
   1. Worship was before the earth and will remain after the earth.
   2. Honor was before the earth and will remain after the earth.
   3. Harmony was before the earth and will remain after the earth.

So what?

• Look at what’s normal in your life right now. Is it kingdom culture?
• Start looking at the world through the lens of kingdom culture. 

Romans 14:13–17 NLT: 13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. 14 I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. 15 And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. 16 Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. 17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.