Isolationism I. Introduction A. Let us speak of a topic today that is something that you might have thought about in passing but never considered putting a label on it B. Over the past few generations there has been a tendency toward isolationism C. By isolationism, we do not refer to a political ideology, but the reality that people are not having as much association with their neighbors and fellow town-folk but tend to stay by themselves in their own little pods D. There are many places in the United States where this is not the case; in the majority of the country, however, one can perceive this trend E. This trend, while perhaps not often talked about or fully understood, nevertheless has great impact on our attempts to spread the message of Christ and also on the attitudes of many brethren 1. What are the indicators that demonstrate this isolationist tendency? 2. Why are people isolating themselves? 3. How does this isolation hinder our abilities to preach the Gospel? 4. How does this isolation work against Christians? F. Let us explore these topics and see how we can be more effective servants of God in this climate II. Indicators of Isolationism A. We can look to many factors that indicate how Americans in particular have grown more isolated B. Prevalence of automobiles 1. By in large, the prevalence of the automobile has helped to the isolation of the American family 2. Sure, it can take you great distances and you can meet people, but it also tends to only involve one person or one family at a time 3. No longer do you walk down the street and have the opportunity to greet people; instead, one can leave his house in his car and go to work or whatever else and have no contact with anyone else 4. Cars have also led to the popularity of the suburbs and therefore the daily commute, where more time is spent driving than socializing C. Changes in Housing and City Planning 1. We can also see this trend in the way houses are built and in how cities are planned 2. In many of the middle-to-upper class houses of the Victorian era, one would find not only a family room but also a parlor in which to receive guests 3. How many houses now have such things? Houses today, by in large, are not designed so as to facilitate guests; they only have the family unit in mind! 4. Furthermore, even the way that subdivisions are planned shows the isolated nature of these houses! 5. If you look at most cities on a map, you can tell the older planning concepts-- square blocks allowing for traffic to pass through easily and allowing people to easily get from place to place 6. Modern subdivisions, however, are designed precisely to keep most people out-- they have no through streets in them, with many ending in cul-de-sacs or dead ending! D. Lack of Neighborhood Knowledge and Involvement 1. Another indicator is the general lack of knowledge of neighbors! 2. In olden days, most people would know what was going on in the lives of their neighbors (for better or for worse) 3. While this is still true (for better or for worse) in many smaller communities, it is rarely found in a city with any appreciable size 4. Consider yourselves: how well do you know your neighbors? Do you know them as well as your parents knew their neighbors? Your grandparents? E. Popularity of the Internet 1. The Internet and its popularity attest to our growing isolation 2. While the Internet does allow for a level of connection with the world heretofore unimaginable, it also leads to the ability to completely isolate yourself 3. You do not even have to leave your house anymore-- one person demonstrated that all services necessary for life could be delivered to your home thanks to the Internet! 4. While it may connect to the world, the Internet is no substitute for the world F. While many other indicators could be identified, hopefully these help to show you the nature of modern isolationism III. Reasons for Isolation A. It is good for us now to consider: why are people isolating themselves? B. Technology Leading to Isolation 1. Many of our technological advances has led us to be more isolated 2. As mentioned earlier, automobiles have led to less contact while being transported and also led to the idea of the commute and therefore allotting less time to social activities and more time to travel 3. Modern forms of entertainment, for the most part, do not encourage interaction with others-- television, movies (either in a movie theater or at home), and video games have done much to reduce the participation in fairs, plays, and more physically interactive games 4. The Internet (and the telephone to a lesser extent) allow for communication without any physical interaction 5. These, and other techological advances, have allowed families to be more independent, self-supporting, and has also given people the impression of sociability without the substance thereof C. Fear 1. While technology has provided many beneficial advances, it has also led to a higher level of communication, and therefore a higher level of information distribution 2. For many reasons, news media outlets tend to focus on the evils that are plaguing a city or area as opposed to the good things 3. This constant negative reporting has led to a culture of fear! 4. While Jesus says we are to love our neighbor (Luke 10:27), everything we see coming out of the news tells us to fear our neighbor! 5. We see this manifested by the fact that people are very often suspicious on somelevel of one another 6. While there is some good reason to have a bit of concern with what people in our community are doing, such should not mean that we should isolate ourselves from everyone else! D. Respect of Space/Social Boundaries 1. Why it developed that we feel the need to respect one another's space and social boundaries I know not, or how, but they certainly have! 2. More often than not it is no longer socially acceptable to strike up conversations with people whom you do not know! 3. How often do you go to Wal-Mart or other places where people tend to be and walk by hundreds of people, and only converse or have anything to do with those you know? 4. Imagine what would happen if you decided to approach and speak with even 10% of the people you pass by on a given day...how many times would you be looked at in a funny manner? 5. It's just not done anymore! E. While many other reasons could be identified, hopefully these suffice to give you an idea of the motivations behind this tendency IV. Isolationism Hindering the Preaching of the Gospel A. It is my hope that you can see now how Americans overall have isolated themselves and also can see many of the reasons why B. Let us now explore how this isolation has hindered our preaching of the Gospel C. When we look in the New Testament, we see many times when the Gospel was preached to a community 1. While in many places the preaching was done in a synagogue (Acts 17:1-2), or another place that would suit a specific audience (prayer area, Acts 16:13; school, Acts 19:9)... 2. ...many times the Gospel was preached in an open-air venue where many people were going about their daily business (preaching on Pentecost, Acts 2:1-36; in the Temple, Acts 3:9-26; at the Agora and Areopagus of Athens, Acts 17:17-31) D. What public area is there anymore where people congregate and therefore could hear the Gospel? E. Furthermore, we see time and time again how Paul and other preachers would go out into communities of which they did not belong and could preach the Gospel and be heard (Acts 13:46-49, Acts 14:8-10, Acts 18:6-8, Acts 19:9-10) 1. Yet today, how many will listen to someone of whom they know little or nothing? 2. Those who do convert today, more often than not, convert by the influence of family, friends, or neighbors, not strangers! 3. Furthermore, anyone who receives monetary support from a church is very often looked upon with immediate suspicion and skepticism, with people believing that the message is preached only to gain more people in the church and therefore more money F. Since people are more willing to withdraw themselves from the public areas and less willing to hear anyone whom they do not know, it is mighty hard to promote the Gospel! G. What can we do about it? H. Many try to play along and utilize the various technologies that have led to this isolation 1. Many times television or radio programs are made to promote the Gospel 2. The Internet is used to promote the Gospel 3. Many more indirect means of evangelism-- mailouts, cards, etc.-- are used 4. There is certainly nothing wrong with using these methods, and these methods do lead to the conversion of some souls I. Unfortunately, the best kind of evangelism is not suited to this isolationist tendency-- the preaching of a man living a godly life and testifying of Jesus and His Word to those with whom they come into contact J. We must do what we can with what we have to work with! V. Isolationism Hindering Christians A. Not only does this isolationist tendency hinder the work of preaching the Gospel, it also hinders the proper functioning of Christians B. While Christians are called to be a "peculiar people", set apart (or sanctified) from the world (1 Peter 2:9), this is even more true now in an isolationist society C. As Christians, we are called upon to love our neighbors (Luke 10:27), doing good to all men, especially those of the faith (Galatians 6:10) D. We are further called upon to have a strong love for one another-- a love that would lead us to lay down our lives if necessary (1 John 3:15-16; 3:23; 4:11-12) E. That love can only be manifest in a community of Christians-- Christians who are together constantly (cf. Acts 2:42-48), Christians who like being around one another, Christians who are hospitable toward one another (1 Peter 4:9), Christians who seek to encourage one another (Hebrews 10:24-25), and Christians who seek to assist one another with their burdens (Galatians 6:1-2) 1. The world cannot and does not understand this love and trust that Christians have 2. The world does not understand how we can visit with Christians anywhere in the country or world and have complete confidence in them and treat them no differently than if they lived next door 3. The world does not understand why we would go to such lengths for one another F. As America becomes more isolationist, the community that the church is supposed to be is able to shine brighter and more distinct, and serves even better as a beacon for those who yearn for that love and association G. Yet with that capability for distinction also comes the capability of conformity, and this is the great evil that is impacting Christians and churches 1. We are seeing Christians who have become rather isolationist themselves! 2. They perhaps do not mind assembling with the saints, but want nothing else to do with them! 3. They do not open up their homes to other Christians, and rarely do they visit other Christians! 4. As opposed to trusting in brethren and becoming involved with the brethren, they seek to withdraw and keep Christians and the church at arm's length H. In this scenario, only Satan wins! 1. The brethren who isolate themselves leave themselves open for discouragement, further conformity to the world, and a too critical view of the church-- they are easy prey for Satan (1 Peter 5:8) 2. The brethren who would love to help these people find it difficult to have good association with them, and are not as able to bear their burdens or show the love of the brethren toward them since they have isolated themselves 3. This attitude hinders the work of the Kingdom; it facilitates continual weakness on the part of many brethren, and that weakness hinders growth (Hebrews 5:12-14) I. What can we do? 1. All we can do is to keep transforming ourselves and not being like the world (Romans 12:2)! 2. While worldly people withdraw themselves, we should open ourselves up to not only our brethren but also those in the world (Galatians 6:10) 3. We need to extend our hand to those brethren who have isolated themselves, and encourage them in every way possible to open themselves up and have trust and faith and to be a functional part of the community (Romans 15:1)! J. The more we love one another, and the more involved we are with one another, the more of Christ will the world see in us (Matthew 5:13-16) K. Let us strive, then, to resist the tendency for isolation present in the world, and be open to one another and to people in the world! VI. Conclusion A. We have examined today the isolationist tendency in our society B. We have seen how people have become more withdrawn and have less contact with people than before and the reasons for this C. We have seen how this hinders our attempt to preach the Gospel D. We have seen how this tendency can negatively impact Christians and the church, and yet we have also seen how we can resist the trend, and be more open, and be the light in the darkness E. Let us not light our lamps and then put it under a basket-- let us have our light shine in the whole world (Matthew 5:15-16)! F. Invitation/songbook G. There may be some here today who are part of the world and who have isolated themselves and can realize how such is not the way to go, but that you need the Lord on your side and you need to be a part of the community of Christians here 1. You have the opportunity today to obey God 2. You may not have another! H. Or perhaps there are Christians here today who are struggling with something and need prayers or encouragement 1. That's what we're here for 2. That's why we are the community we are 3. We are here to bear one another's burdens (Galatians 6:1-2)! I. Whatever we can do to help you today, please allow us to do so now as we stand and sing