WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.679 All right, well, good morning, everyone. Welcome to our first session in this class that we've called Gospel Perspectives on Politics. 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:17.240 So this first class is going to be something of an introduction where we consider some principles and passages for political discipleship. 00:00:17.239 --> 00:00:32.899 Now, what I mean by political discipleship is simply growing in our ability to think and act Christianly as we participate in whatever political context God has placed us in. 00:00:33.879 --> 00:00:41.420 Growing in our ability to think and act Christianly as we participate and live in whatever political context God has placed us in. 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:44.219 And by politics, what do I mean by that? 00:00:44.219 --> 00:00:47.979 Well, I mean what I think is the kind of everyday use of the term. 00:00:48.399 --> 00:00:56.700 So in this class, we're going to use politics to mean that sphere of human activity that includes government and voting and laws and advocacy and public policy. 00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:02.960 So how can we think and act Christianly in that political context that God has placed us in here and now? 00:01:03.799 --> 00:01:11.400 So today, by way of introduction to this whole topic, I want to put before us some biblical principles and biblical passages. 00:01:11.400 --> 00:01:16.560 And let me underscore, today is going to be introductory. 00:01:18.240 --> 00:01:19.460 Let me underscore that. 00:01:19.520 --> 00:01:22.500 We're going to have four more weeks to unpack this topic. 00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:26.380 So if you feel like we just scratched the surface today, you're right. 00:01:26.460 --> 00:01:28.040 We just scratched the surface today. 00:01:28.500 --> 00:01:35.780 But hopefully we'll kind of get a good starting point, a good common starting point today from which we can go and explore deeper. 00:01:35.780 --> 00:01:49.420 Also, this morning, I want to spend a good chunk of time hearing from you what your questions or concerns or difficulties or what topics come to your mind when you think about living Christianly in our political context. 00:01:50.240 --> 00:01:52.219 So we're going to spend some time for that today. 00:01:52.400 --> 00:02:03.740 Much of this task of political discipleship, as I've called it, will be, you know, much of that work is going to be engaging in collective discernment so that we can engage wisely and in a way that honors Christ. 00:02:03.739 --> 00:02:09.939 So practically then this morning, I'm going to spend about 25 to 30 minutes laying out some principles and passages. 00:02:10.759 --> 00:02:17.539 And then we'll spend the last maybe 15, 20 minutes just sharing those questions that you have, the things that are in your heart, that come to your mind. 00:02:17.879 --> 00:02:25.240 That way we can have those things kind of on our eye, those salient questions on our eye as we walk through the material over the next four weeks. 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:28.000 Okay, sound like a plan? Sound good? 00:02:28.519 --> 00:02:30.719 All right, let me pray and then we'll dive in. 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:33.500 God, thank you for this morning. 00:02:33.659 --> 00:02:34.680 Thank you for waking us up. 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:36.419 Thank you for giving us breath in our lungs. 00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:41.259 Thank you for the sun that rises, reminding us of your faithfulness and your goodness to us. 00:02:41.780 --> 00:02:45.280 God, thank you for your sovereign care that orders and ordains all things. 00:02:45.800 --> 00:02:55.280 We pray for your spirit to be present now, as you promise, as we walk through, applying, we hope, biblical wisdom to our present context and day. 00:02:55.280 --> 00:03:06.080 Lord, give us a spirit of charity and unity and grace and even joy, God, as we consider your word and your principles in this topic and this class today. 00:03:06.180 --> 00:03:07.280 We ask this in Jesus' name. 00:03:07.479 --> 00:03:07.639 Amen. 00:03:07.719 --> 00:03:07.900 Amen. 00:03:08.920 --> 00:03:10.659 Okay, so we're just going to dive right in. 00:03:10.740 --> 00:03:11.699 For those of you who don't know, I'm Nick. 00:03:12.139 --> 00:03:13.319 I didn't introduce myself. 00:03:13.580 --> 00:03:14.080 Glad you're here. 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:18.259 I want to lay out five principles for approaching politics as a Christian. 00:03:18.620 --> 00:03:21.139 So five principles for political discipleship. 00:03:21.139 --> 00:03:29.019 First one, first one, politics are important but not ultimate. 00:03:29.459 --> 00:03:30.439 That's our first principle. 00:03:30.579 --> 00:03:33.279 Politics are important but not ultimate. 00:03:34.559 --> 00:03:43.879 Broadly speaking, I think as Christians, we want to avoid two extremes or rather be aware of kind of two tendencies that can often tempt us. 00:03:43.879 --> 00:03:52.680 On the one hand, we can fall into a tendency of ignoring politics or thinking that politics maybe aren't a very Christian thing to be doing or to be concerned with. 00:03:53.620 --> 00:03:57.259 We think they're too messy or too complicated or too worldly or too ineffective. 00:03:57.740 --> 00:04:02.479 So we can kind of just ignore them or distance ourselves from any real thought or engagement with them. 00:04:03.099 --> 00:04:11.000 On the other hand, we can fall into the tendency of feeling that politics are what will ultimately fix things or rescue us, right? 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:16.139 Now, we might not say that, right, especially as Christians, but sometimes we might feel that, right? 00:04:16.980 --> 00:04:21.759 We might feel that, man, if we just get this right, that will be the answer to the problem. 00:04:22.100 --> 00:04:25.379 And if only our human political structures were right, then everything would be better. 00:04:25.800 --> 00:04:32.720 Or only if that party or that candidate did or didn't win, then, then we'd really arrive, right? 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:38.220 So these are the two tendencies that we want to be aware of and to avoid. 00:04:38.620 --> 00:04:43.160 We don't want to ignore politics, but we also don't want to think that politics will rescue us. 00:04:44.540 --> 00:04:46.940 Do you see either of those tendencies in your own heart? 00:04:47.320 --> 00:04:53.480 Are you kind of an ignorer or are you a, you know, do you feel like, yes, this is it. 00:04:53.520 --> 00:04:54.740 This is the most important thing. 00:04:55.180 --> 00:04:56.520 You know, I'm more of the avoider. 00:04:56.720 --> 00:04:58.980 I just think, you know what, let's just get on with the work. 00:04:59.420 --> 00:05:00.480 A pox on both our houses. 00:05:00.680 --> 00:05:01.460 Let's just keep going. 00:05:01.459 --> 00:05:04.799 But that's not the right tendency, right? 00:05:04.899 --> 00:05:05.659 That's not the right tendency. 00:05:05.799 --> 00:05:07.339 So this is where our first principle comes in. 00:05:07.939 --> 00:05:12.079 In a Christian perspective, politics are important, but not ultimately. 00:05:12.799 --> 00:05:17.259 So to that first tendency, to shy away from politics, we need to remember that politics are important. 00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:19.679 We can't just ignore them or think they don't matter. 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:20.339 Why? 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:26.000 Because the lives of many, many human beings are impacted by political decisions. 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:30.560 By what the government does, by what laws we have, by what public policies are in place. 00:05:31.459 --> 00:05:38.039 You know, perhaps the first biblical passage to remind ourselves as we think about this is Leviticus 19.18, right? 00:05:38.439 --> 00:05:40.560 Jesus quotes this verse in Matthew 23.9. 00:05:40.719 --> 00:05:41.099 What is it? 00:05:41.139 --> 00:05:41.359 Do you know? 00:05:42.659 --> 00:05:43.319 What is it? 00:05:45.719 --> 00:05:48.179 You shall love your neighbor as yourself, right? 00:05:48.180 --> 00:05:56.939 In an effort to love our neighbors, we should be appropriately engaged in the political processes of our particular context. 00:05:57.560 --> 00:06:01.920 By way of illustration, think of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. 00:06:02.699 --> 00:06:08.259 I came across this example in the book by Justin Giboney and others called Compassion and Conviction. 00:06:08.259 --> 00:06:13.779 This is a really good book, a really good sort of starting book, starting place on this whole topic of Christians and politics. 00:06:15.259 --> 00:06:22.420 Now, before the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, children with disabilities were systematically excluded from public schools. 00:06:23.060 --> 00:06:27.000 Public transportation was almost totally inaccessible to those with mobility or visual impairments. 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:30.779 Many were institutionalized and crowded in unsanitary facilities. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:37.360 Some people with mental and physical conditions even faced involuntary sterilization and were denied life-saving medical treatment, right? 00:06:38.279 --> 00:06:42.899 And all of that motivated the writing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, 00:06:43.139 --> 00:06:49.660 which prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, public services, public accommodations, etc. 00:06:49.660 --> 00:06:53.000 Who here has heard of Johnny Erickson Tata? 00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:54.720 Yeah, right? 00:06:55.380 --> 00:06:57.360 Yeah, she's a kind of well-known Christian writer and speaker. 00:06:57.460 --> 00:07:01.020 She was part of the National Council that worked on the draft of that legislation. 00:07:01.560 --> 00:07:06.280 She was actually there when President Bush, the first President Bush, signed it into law, right? 00:07:06.840 --> 00:07:13.840 So because politics affects the lives of so many, and because we're called to love our neighbors, politics are important. 00:07:14.260 --> 00:07:14.980 We can't ignore them. 00:07:14.980 --> 00:07:20.300 Another passage that tells us that politics are important is 1 Timothy 2, 1-4. 00:07:21.140 --> 00:07:29.300 So in this passage, 1 Timothy 2, 1-4, Paul urges the church to pray for kings and those who are in positions of authority, he says. 00:07:29.540 --> 00:07:30.960 Let me read that passage for us. 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:32.220 Paul says, 00:07:32.220 --> 00:07:59.620 Notice the progression in that passage, right? 00:07:59.620 --> 00:08:07.660 Pray for what we would now call political leaders, so that we may live in peace, so that the gospel may advance and people may be saved. 00:08:08.500 --> 00:08:16.939 When government's functioning well, it can be a blessing to the life of the church to gather and worship freely and peacefully, and therefore for the advance of the gospel. 00:08:18.220 --> 00:08:25.379 Now, of course, the health of the church and the advance of the gospel are not dependent on the well-functioning of the government, right? 00:08:25.379 --> 00:08:31.879 Historically, the church thrives and grows in seasons of trial and persecution, as well as in times of peace. 00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:39.939 But Paul still says, pray for the kings and those who are in high positions, that we can lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way, right? 00:08:39.960 --> 00:08:42.700 They are important, so Christians should care about them. 00:08:42.700 --> 00:08:52.060 But, but, but, to the second extreme, we need to remember that politics are not ultimate, right? 00:08:52.500 --> 00:08:57.960 The next election is not the most important thing in the world, right? 00:08:58.360 --> 00:09:05.000 Despite what the news media wants you to think about it, so that you can watch their shows and they can get money from advertising, right? 00:09:05.000 --> 00:09:07.059 It's not. 00:09:07.639 --> 00:09:09.799 Christ is king and he is our ultimate redeemer. 00:09:10.399 --> 00:09:14.600 The tools of politics will not usher in the kingdom of God. 00:09:15.500 --> 00:09:15.960 They won't. 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:20.740 In fact, the gospel can advance in any culture under any political sphere. 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:25.360 Moreover, what can politics not do? 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:30.019 Politics cannot change the human heart, right? 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:33.480 Just laws are a great blessing, a great blessing. 00:09:33.480 --> 00:09:37.560 But they cannot change a human heart to want to love God and love our neighbor. 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:40.180 Only God, through the gospel, can do that. 00:09:41.340 --> 00:09:44.180 Now, that sort of raises the question, what's the purpose of government? 00:09:44.820 --> 00:09:46.240 Now, we're only going to touch on this this morning. 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:48.680 Maybe we'll come back to this in a later session if you want to go deeper in that. 00:09:49.240 --> 00:09:50.120 What's the purpose of government? 00:09:50.220 --> 00:09:53.840 Well, consider one key passage in Romans 13, 1 through 7. 00:09:53.940 --> 00:09:55.019 Romans 13, 1 through 7. 00:09:55.560 --> 00:09:58.340 That's where Paul gives one window into the purpose of government. 00:09:58.420 --> 00:10:00.000 We're not going to unpack that whole passage today. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:04.620 But we see there, among some other passages, that God at least instituted governments to 00:10:04.620 --> 00:10:09.799 establish a kind of basic platform of justice for everyone created in God's image, right? 00:10:10.299 --> 00:10:13.860 In that passage, Paul says, governments are God's servants for our good. 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:17.120 He even goes so far to say that they're instituted by God. 00:10:17.159 --> 00:10:19.759 And he says that they're there to punish evil and promote good. 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:24.519 And all of that means, according to Paul, that as Christians, we should appropriately submit to the ruling authorities. 00:10:25.399 --> 00:10:25.580 Right? 00:10:26.019 --> 00:10:29.700 Of course, the caveat is, we obey God rather than man in all things. 00:10:29.819 --> 00:10:32.740 But, as possible, we submit to the governing authorities. 00:10:32.860 --> 00:10:34.019 That's Paul's line of thinking. 00:10:35.059 --> 00:10:38.519 But it's interesting, nowhere in that passage does Paul give any indication 00:10:38.519 --> 00:10:44.460 that human governments or human politics will advance the ultimate healing of creation or usher in God's kingdom. 00:10:44.460 --> 00:10:47.620 Only the message of the gospel can truly save. 00:10:47.740 --> 00:10:50.680 Only the risen Christ will consummate God's kingdom. 00:10:51.560 --> 00:10:55.560 You see, as Christians, there's a bigger and longer story that we're a part of, 00:10:55.840 --> 00:10:58.480 stretching all the way from creation to new creation. 00:10:59.440 --> 00:10:59.620 Right? 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:04.920 When will the kingdoms of this world become the kingdom of our God, as Revelation 11 puts it? 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:06.139 When is that going to happen? 00:11:08.139 --> 00:11:09.600 When Jesus returns, right? 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:14.440 So, politics are important in this in-between time, but they're not ultimate. 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:18.899 So, that means, maybe to just sum up this first principle, 00:11:19.659 --> 00:11:23.860 Christians should be engaged, but not enraged by politics. 00:11:23.980 --> 00:11:24.080 Yeah? 00:11:25.279 --> 00:11:25.680 Good. 00:11:25.980 --> 00:11:26.180 Okay. 00:11:26.860 --> 00:11:27.700 I'm going to keep going. 00:11:27.759 --> 00:11:30.800 We're going to have time for questions at the end, or time for engagement or other things. 00:11:31.259 --> 00:11:32.080 That's our first principle. 00:11:32.200 --> 00:11:33.220 Second principle is this. 00:11:34.440 --> 00:11:39.300 God and the gospel are neither Republican nor Democrat. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:42.000 Neither conservative nor progressive. 00:11:43.100 --> 00:11:47.740 Christians can belong to a particular political party for strategic reasons, 00:11:47.899 --> 00:11:50.639 but our allegiance is to Christ alone. 00:11:52.180 --> 00:11:55.820 As Christians, our allegiance is ultimately to Christ as king, 00:11:56.019 --> 00:11:58.980 not the platform of any one political party. 00:11:58.980 --> 00:12:05.100 Now, this does not mean that Christians cannot or should not be affiliated with a political party. 00:12:05.440 --> 00:12:05.560 Right? 00:12:06.539 --> 00:12:10.340 Nor does it mean that political parties don't serve their purpose. 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:14.600 You know, part of the reality of our current political context is that we live in a two-party system, 00:12:14.680 --> 00:12:15.680 and that's how things get done. 00:12:16.379 --> 00:12:17.659 And there's pros and cons to that. 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:21.759 Christians, for the time being, will have to work within that system. 00:12:22.139 --> 00:12:22.379 Right? 00:12:22.379 --> 00:12:34.200 But we must never let the platform of any one political party determine what we believe or what we desire as Christians. 00:12:35.580 --> 00:12:36.120 Right? 00:12:36.179 --> 00:12:42.159 We need a healthy sense of differentiation from whichever political party we happen to align with 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:44.580 in order to remain faithful to Christ. 00:12:44.580 --> 00:12:52.500 Now, practically speaking, that means a Christian should be able to critique their own political party, 00:12:52.740 --> 00:12:53.460 whatever it is, 00:12:54.020 --> 00:12:56.440 and readily acknowledge the strengths of the opposing party. 00:12:57.580 --> 00:12:57.980 Right? 00:12:59.080 --> 00:13:01.379 After all, isn't this what Jesus is talking about when he says, 00:13:01.800 --> 00:13:05.560 we need to consider the log in our own eye before pointing out the speck in our neighbor's eye? 00:13:06.020 --> 00:13:06.180 Yeah? 00:13:06.179 --> 00:13:13.019 In fact, I would go so far as to say if we aren't able to critique our own political party 00:13:13.019 --> 00:13:15.819 and acknowledge the strengths of the opposing party, 00:13:15.959 --> 00:13:17.479 we're probably not. 00:13:18.339 --> 00:13:22.039 We probably have not been shaped enough by the biblical witness. 00:13:22.179 --> 00:13:28.000 We've probably been shaped too much by the context if we're not able to do that. 00:13:28.939 --> 00:13:30.459 Think of Romans 12, 1 through 2. 00:13:30.460 --> 00:13:35.300 I appeal to you, therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:39.120 to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, 00:13:39.180 --> 00:13:40.440 which is your spiritual worship. 00:13:40.940 --> 00:13:46.540 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:49.879 that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, 00:13:49.940 --> 00:13:51.860 what is good and acceptable and perfect. 00:13:52.780 --> 00:13:52.940 Right? 00:13:53.160 --> 00:13:54.960 Don't be conformed to this world. 00:13:55.040 --> 00:13:56.600 Be transformed by the renewal of your mind, 00:13:56.639 --> 00:13:58.940 so that you can test what's acceptable and what's good. 00:14:00.460 --> 00:14:06.160 And I think the implication here is that no political party is the default Christian party. 00:14:08.139 --> 00:14:10.100 Think about the end of Joshua chapter 5. 00:14:10.800 --> 00:14:12.860 I'm using this passage a little bit by way of analogy. 00:14:13.019 --> 00:14:15.280 This is not like perfect biblical exegesis, right? 00:14:16.540 --> 00:14:16.800 Right? 00:14:17.019 --> 00:14:17.780 Joshua chapter 5. 00:14:17.860 --> 00:14:20.019 Joshua and the Israelites have just entered the Promised Land. 00:14:20.440 --> 00:14:21.680 They're approaching Jericho. 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:27.800 Joshua has an encounter with this sort of majestic person-being angel who comes to him. 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:28.400 Right? 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:31.759 And then Joshua chapter 5, verses 13 and 14 read, 00:14:32.319 --> 00:14:34.699 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked. 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:38.959 And behold, a man was standing before him with his sword drawn in his hand. 00:14:39.240 --> 00:14:40.759 And Joshua went to him and said, 00:14:41.059 --> 00:14:43.240 Are you for us or for our adversaries? 00:14:43.879 --> 00:14:44.740 And he said, 00:14:45.439 --> 00:14:46.019 What did he say? 00:14:46.199 --> 00:14:46.480 No. 00:14:46.620 --> 00:14:46.879 No. 00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:50.959 But I am the commander of the army of the Lord. 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:52.360 Now I've come. 00:14:52.360 --> 00:14:54.019 And what does Joshua do? 00:14:54.060 --> 00:14:56.440 He falls on his face to the earth and worships. 00:14:57.700 --> 00:15:02.200 Now that's a shocking answer that the commander of the Lord's army gives to Joshua, isn't it? 00:15:03.539 --> 00:15:05.779 You know, are you for us or for our adversaries? 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:06.180 And he says, 00:15:06.279 --> 00:15:06.519 No. 00:15:06.519 --> 00:15:12.579 I wonder if God would give us a similar answer today if we asked, 00:15:12.659 --> 00:15:15.259 God, are you for this or that political party? 00:15:16.340 --> 00:15:17.439 This or that candidate? 00:15:17.579 --> 00:15:18.740 I wonder if he might say, 00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:19.480 No. 00:15:19.960 --> 00:15:20.759 Wrong question. 00:15:22.259 --> 00:15:23.519 Our allegiance is to Christ. 00:15:23.899 --> 00:15:26.679 He must always supersede our political partnerships. 00:15:26.679 --> 00:15:35.319 And we must never, ever give unyielding, unthinking, unqualified support or allegiance to a particular party or candidate, 00:15:35.479 --> 00:15:37.219 even if we have to work within that system. 00:15:37.639 --> 00:15:37.739 Right? 00:15:39.179 --> 00:15:42.059 Not only is that how we keep our integrity as Christians, 00:15:42.479 --> 00:15:44.959 but it's also just strategic politically. 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:45.439 Right? 00:15:46.319 --> 00:15:47.799 If during an election season, 00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:50.639 Christians just go unyieldingly for a candidate, 00:15:51.079 --> 00:15:52.839 if that candidate actually wins the election, 00:15:52.840 --> 00:15:58.879 what authority or power do we have to actually influence that person to do what we think is just and right? 00:15:58.940 --> 00:16:00.360 They already know that we're in their pocket. 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:02.899 Right? 00:16:03.399 --> 00:16:05.440 So it's not just about preserving our Christian integrity. 00:16:05.620 --> 00:16:08.240 It's about actually being effective in the public square. 00:16:09.720 --> 00:16:10.120 Okay. 00:16:10.420 --> 00:16:11.580 That's the end of the second principle. 00:16:12.379 --> 00:16:12.740 Third. 00:16:13.680 --> 00:16:14.480 Third principle. 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:18.040 The ends never justify the means. 00:16:19.240 --> 00:16:22.300 Character is more important than political victory. 00:16:22.840 --> 00:16:26.740 Or as they say it in this book, Compassion and Conviction, that I referenced earlier, 00:16:27.560 --> 00:16:31.060 as Christians, we want to put our witness before the wind. 00:16:32.920 --> 00:16:34.620 Look, politics is a form of power. 00:16:35.019 --> 00:16:35.200 Right? 00:16:36.340 --> 00:16:42.139 And as Christians, we need to steward power wisely and humbly under God's ultimate sovereignty. 00:16:42.139 --> 00:16:50.139 We should not think that it's justifiable to use this power that we have in an ungodly manner 00:16:50.139 --> 00:16:54.539 in order to achieve what we believe to be a godly end. 00:16:55.659 --> 00:17:02.600 In order the character of our participation in the public square is as important as the ends that we achieve. 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:08.440 Dishonesty, slander, uncharitable speech towards those with whom we disagree, etc., etc. 00:17:08.539 --> 00:17:11.680 Those things might be commonplace in political discourse. 00:17:12.140 --> 00:17:14.819 But it's not how Christ compels us to act. 00:17:16.440 --> 00:17:24.880 In other words, it's better to lose on a particular political issue or vote than to dishonor Christ by winning in an un-Christlike manner. 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:29.680 Now, we've just studied the Beatitudes this summer. 00:17:30.500 --> 00:17:32.380 Some of us have memorized the Beatitudes this summer. 00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:38.760 That sort of character should be evident as Christians engage in politics. 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:44.320 Whether it's on the debate stage, or on your social media posts, or in your conversations with your neighbors. 00:17:47.300 --> 00:17:49.900 Alright, for the sake of time, I'm going to quickly move through the last two. 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:52.860 Because I know we'll come back to a lot of this stuff in future sessions. 00:17:52.859 --> 00:18:00.359 Fourth, Christians must model charitable disagreement within the local church. 00:18:00.740 --> 00:18:03.759 We have to model charitable disagreement within the local church. 00:18:05.039 --> 00:18:08.119 No two church members will agree on every political issue. 00:18:08.599 --> 00:18:08.759 Right? 00:18:10.179 --> 00:18:10.579 Why? 00:18:10.719 --> 00:18:11.319 Why is that? 00:18:11.419 --> 00:18:14.240 Why don't we all just have the exact same view on all these issues? 00:18:14.939 --> 00:18:16.299 We believe in the Bible, right? 00:18:16.779 --> 00:18:17.859 Shouldn't it just be simple? 00:18:17.939 --> 00:18:20.079 We read the Bible, we come up with our ideas, we all agree. 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:24.019 Why do no two church members agree on every political issue? 00:18:25.539 --> 00:18:29.879 Because so many political topics are wisdom issues. 00:18:30.859 --> 00:18:31.919 They're wisdom issues. 00:18:32.699 --> 00:18:39.019 Taxes, immigration policy, healthcare, foreign policy, fiscal policy, environmental policy. 00:18:39.019 --> 00:18:45.259 These are all areas where Christians need to apply biblical thinking and principles. 00:18:45.660 --> 00:18:50.079 But they're not areas where the Bible gives a clear playbook for how to do so. 00:18:50.319 --> 00:18:50.480 Right? 00:18:51.539 --> 00:18:58.000 There's not a straight line between love your neighbor as yourself and adjust an equitable tax code. 00:18:58.539 --> 00:18:59.099 Right? 00:18:59.099 --> 00:19:05.139 These are wisdom issues and different Christians come to different conclusions. 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:16.259 Now at times, these disagreements will touch on deeply emotional and sensitive topics for particular church members. 00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:17.459 Right? 00:19:18.179 --> 00:19:19.459 That's to be expected. 00:19:19.460 --> 00:19:28.600 However, we have to remember that first and foremost in the church, we are brothers and sisters in Christ, purchased with his blood. 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:36.360 Political disagreement does not warrant treating my brother or sister in Christ as an enemy. 00:19:37.840 --> 00:19:40.980 And even if it did, what are the rules of the house? 00:19:42.120 --> 00:19:43.000 Love your enemies. 00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:46.880 In fact, what is the church? 00:19:46.980 --> 00:19:47.839 What is the local church? 00:19:48.539 --> 00:19:52.039 I love how D.A. Carson, I think it was, who described the church. 00:19:52.099 --> 00:19:58.240 I'm paraphrasing, but he said, you know, the church is where natural enemies have been made brothers and sisters through the blood of Christ. 00:19:59.140 --> 00:19:59.500 Right? 00:20:01.220 --> 00:20:04.359 There are Republican-leaning Christians at Trinity. 00:20:05.480 --> 00:20:08.019 There are Democrat-leaning Christians at Trinity. 00:20:09.160 --> 00:20:12.559 But we are all under the obligation to love one another. 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:16.059 That does not rule out hearty conversation. 00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:17.980 That doesn't rule out disagreement. 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:25.259 You and I may never agree on tax policy or immigration policy or gun control. 00:20:25.400 --> 00:20:26.299 We might never disagree. 00:20:26.380 --> 00:20:27.720 We might never agree on those things. 00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:29.259 We might never come to the same position. 00:20:30.220 --> 00:20:30.319 Right? 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:34.779 But I'm still called and you're still called to listen, to love, and to serve. 00:20:34.779 --> 00:20:42.160 And if Christians can do that in the local church, imagine what a witness it would be to our neighbors. 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:43.599 Right? 00:20:44.339 --> 00:20:48.420 Few people look at the current state of political discourse and conclude it's healthy. 00:20:49.740 --> 00:20:50.259 Right? 00:20:50.899 --> 00:20:52.000 It's divisive. 00:20:52.139 --> 00:20:52.980 It's partisan. 00:20:53.299 --> 00:20:54.599 It's full of name-calling. 00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:57.059 Seems like Congress can never get anything done. 00:20:57.160 --> 00:20:57.779 It's a mess. 00:20:58.000 --> 00:20:58.279 Right? 00:20:58.279 --> 00:21:01.680 But what if it were different in the church? 00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:03.960 What if we modeled how to do it better? 00:21:05.480 --> 00:21:08.379 And the gospel gives us the resources to do that. 00:21:09.960 --> 00:21:14.379 Jonathan Lehman, in his little booklet, How Can I Love Church Members With Different Politics? 00:21:14.460 --> 00:21:14.980 That's this one. 00:21:15.339 --> 00:21:16.819 You know, these both came out around the same time. 00:21:17.259 --> 00:21:20.220 I don't know why red and black was like the publishing color this year. 00:21:21.220 --> 00:21:24.200 It's a little harsh, but, you know, ignore the colors. 00:21:24.259 --> 00:21:25.400 You can take the dust jacket off. 00:21:25.640 --> 00:21:29.440 But this little booklet, we're going to have more of these in the coming weeks. 00:21:29.500 --> 00:21:30.559 I ordered some for us. 00:21:30.779 --> 00:21:31.680 And it's an easy read. 00:21:31.819 --> 00:21:34.059 If you read kind of one thing, I would read this. 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:43.480 But anyway, he does a good job of kind of laying this out about how the gospel starts to get into the cracks and into the working out of these things. 00:21:43.539 --> 00:21:48.100 He says, on the one hand, right, justified people care about justice. 00:21:49.160 --> 00:21:49.299 Right? 00:21:49.299 --> 00:21:49.339 Right? 00:21:49.919 --> 00:21:51.619 Justified people care about justice. 00:21:52.460 --> 00:21:58.859 As Martin Luther famously said, I think it was Martin Luther, he said, we're saved by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone. 00:21:59.500 --> 00:21:59.740 Right? 00:21:59.779 --> 00:22:02.220 It always gives birth to love and good deeds. 00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:05.519 The converse of that would be what James says in the epistle to James. 00:22:05.819 --> 00:22:06.960 Faith without works is dead. 00:22:07.079 --> 00:22:07.259 Right? 00:22:08.180 --> 00:22:14.419 A living faith, a living union with the risen Christ will care about doing good and seeking righteousness. 00:22:14.539 --> 00:22:16.419 It makes us hunger and thirst for righteousness. 00:22:16.659 --> 00:22:16.799 Right? 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:18.919 Justified people care about justice. 00:22:19.299 --> 00:22:23.700 So the gospel propels us to think about these things and to act on these things. 00:22:24.019 --> 00:22:25.720 We sometimes get excited about them. 00:22:26.819 --> 00:22:27.059 Right? 00:22:27.659 --> 00:22:34.379 Now at the same time, as our justification pushes us to think about justice and doing righteousness, 00:22:34.380 --> 00:22:37.240 at the same time, what does the gospel tell us? 00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:40.740 We're all prone to self-justification. 00:22:41.380 --> 00:22:41.540 Right? 00:22:43.100 --> 00:22:47.600 We are, again, as Luther maybe more famously said, and he actually said this, I'm sure. 00:22:48.540 --> 00:22:49.980 We're simuliusus e peccator. 00:22:50.260 --> 00:22:50.460 Right? 00:22:50.480 --> 00:22:50.960 What does that mean? 00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:53.100 We're at the same time just and sinful. 00:22:54.740 --> 00:22:59.940 Even as Christians, we're still prone to think in our flesh that our ideas are the best ideas. 00:23:00.779 --> 00:23:10.000 We will naturally come to the conclusion, or we'll sort of naturally think initially that how I approach a wisdom issue is how all Christians should approach that issue. 00:23:10.100 --> 00:23:10.259 Right? 00:23:10.259 --> 00:23:12.740 That's our natural event as self-justifiers. 00:23:14.099 --> 00:23:20.200 But if the gospel tells me that I'm a justified sinner, then I'm aware, right? 00:23:20.200 --> 00:23:26.299 I'm aware in the gospel that I don't always put the pieces together exactly right. 00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:31.200 I need others to help me just as I can help others. 00:23:31.460 --> 00:23:32.259 I need to listen. 00:23:32.400 --> 00:23:33.019 I need to question. 00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:33.880 I need to learn. 00:23:34.220 --> 00:23:34.340 Right? 00:23:35.720 --> 00:23:40.340 So out of those twin things of the gospel comes a model then of charitable disagreement. 00:23:40.460 --> 00:23:41.100 We have our ideas. 00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:41.600 We care. 00:23:41.740 --> 00:23:45.900 We both care about many of the same things, but we also realize that we're not going to always get it right. 00:23:46.480 --> 00:23:47.240 We have to be humble. 00:23:47.340 --> 00:23:47.980 We have to be charitable. 00:23:48.100 --> 00:23:48.680 We have to listen. 00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:49.160 Okay. 00:23:51.860 --> 00:23:54.000 That's the fourth principle. 00:23:54.140 --> 00:23:56.580 We should model charitable disagreement within the local church. 00:23:56.920 --> 00:23:58.360 Fifth, last principle. 00:23:59.640 --> 00:24:05.920 It's helpful to distinguish the institutional church and the organic church. 00:24:06.500 --> 00:24:11.600 It's helpful to distinguish what's sometimes been called the institutional church and the organic church. 00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:19.179 Now, this is a distinction made by the Dutch reform theologian in the 19th century, Abraham Kuyper. 00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:20.139 19th century, right? 00:24:20.219 --> 00:24:21.599 Those of you who really love your reform. 00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:22.480 In the early 20th century. 00:24:22.480 --> 00:24:23.699 In the early 20th century? 00:24:23.799 --> 00:24:23.939 Yeah. 00:24:23.940 --> 00:24:27.140 It's a distinction he made, or at least popularized. 00:24:27.220 --> 00:24:31.580 It's helpful when thinking about how the church should engage in culture or in politics. 00:24:31.579 --> 00:24:33.980 The question is, well, what do we mean by the church? 00:24:34.899 --> 00:24:38.220 Do we mean the local church as an institution, right? 00:24:38.759 --> 00:24:41.899 With elders and deacons that preaches the word and serves the sacraments? 00:24:41.899 --> 00:24:43.859 Do we mean the institution of the church? 00:24:44.500 --> 00:24:48.419 Or do we mean individual Christians living out their allegiance to Christ in the world? 00:24:48.420 --> 00:24:51.100 Both of those are the church, right? 00:24:51.240 --> 00:24:57.860 But, and there's overlap between the two, but that distinction is helpful between the institutional church and the organic church, right? 00:24:58.420 --> 00:24:59.340 Here's where it's helpful. 00:24:59.900 --> 00:25:03.880 There are certain things that an individual Christian can do. 00:25:04.440 --> 00:25:08.500 For example, campaign for a particular political candidate. 00:25:08.700 --> 00:25:10.779 That's a perfectly legitimate thing for a Christian to do. 00:25:11.580 --> 00:25:16.980 But that would be inappropriate for a local church as an institution to do, right? 00:25:18.420 --> 00:25:22.460 Now, some individual Christians will be called to engage in politics vocationally. 00:25:22.740 --> 00:25:25.900 Some will be more engaged in politics due to personal interest. 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:31.180 But the church institutional must keep its mission of making disciples first and foremost. 00:25:32.600 --> 00:25:38.600 Now, of course, that doesn't absolve church leadership from making disciples who know how to engage faithfully in politics, right? 00:25:39.860 --> 00:25:47.240 But it means that the institutional church will often be more keen to explicate biblical principles 00:25:47.240 --> 00:25:51.620 than to advocate for particular policies. 00:25:53.319 --> 00:26:00.559 For example, the church institution will teach the dignity of human life from conception to resurrection. 00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:10.339 But it will probably not necessarily get into the weeds of which specific policies are best to care for unwanted pregnancies and to prevent abortion, right? 00:26:10.339 --> 00:26:12.959 Of course, we want those things, right? 00:26:13.000 --> 00:26:16.259 We want to care for those who are in the midst of unwanted pregnancies. 00:26:16.379 --> 00:26:20.759 We want abortions to go way down, to be no more, right? 00:26:22.859 --> 00:26:28.959 But individual Christians, the organic church, will need to discern how to best live out those principles in the public sphere. 00:26:29.939 --> 00:26:33.439 Now, I say all that, but we need to be very careful, actually. 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:39.840 I'm not saying that the church is spiritual and has nothing to say on these topics. 00:26:40.519 --> 00:26:43.320 That was actually a grave error in the American church. 00:26:43.400 --> 00:26:54.820 If you know the history of racism and slavery in the United States, you know that some Christians historically justified not speaking out against slavery because of the so-called spirituality of the church, right? 00:26:55.380 --> 00:26:56.779 That was something out in the world. 00:26:56.980 --> 00:26:58.180 That's not what the church does. 00:26:58.240 --> 00:26:59.340 We just make disciples. 00:26:59.620 --> 00:27:00.980 We don't have anything to say about that. 00:27:00.980 --> 00:27:07.039 That was an utter failure of the church to think that way. 00:27:07.779 --> 00:27:09.400 That's not what we're saying here. 00:27:09.660 --> 00:27:11.700 There are some things that the Bible is very, very clear about. 00:27:12.220 --> 00:27:16.160 Abortion, same-sex marriage, caring for the poor and oppressed, the danger of greed and wealth. 00:27:16.660 --> 00:27:21.680 And we certainly don't want to back down from teaching what the Bible teaches clearly, what Scripture teaches clearly. 00:27:21.779 --> 00:27:22.599 We want to teach. 00:27:22.599 --> 00:27:30.039 But we also recognize that on many political issues, health care reform, immigration policies, etc., the Bible's not so clear. 00:27:30.399 --> 00:27:33.119 And faithful, Bible-believing Christians can hold different views. 00:27:33.219 --> 00:27:35.839 The church can't bind your conscience on those things. 00:27:37.299 --> 00:27:44.799 And we also realize that implementing good policies, even on the clear biblical topics, is not always something faithful Christians agree on. 00:27:44.799 --> 00:27:54.680 We might agree on a very clear topic, but not have the same priorities or approach for how to implement that through laws and policies. 00:27:55.839 --> 00:27:56.919 Does that make sense? 00:27:58.319 --> 00:28:08.819 Thus, in the local church, we want to teach clearly what the Bible teaches, and then empower individual Christians to make Scripture-informed decisions when it comes to applying those things. 00:28:08.819 --> 00:28:12.799 For example, in choosing who to vote for. 00:28:14.359 --> 00:28:15.700 Now, some of you might be disappointed. 00:28:16.859 --> 00:28:21.960 Maybe you were hoping this class would tell you who to vote for in November. 00:28:24.319 --> 00:28:29.220 The elders of this class, the elders of this church, excuse me, are not going to tell you who to vote for. 00:28:30.220 --> 00:28:34.099 It wouldn't be right, actually, for us to bind your conscience in that way. 00:28:34.099 --> 00:28:44.399 We can tell you with all authority that Jesus is God, that murder is wrong, that Christians should care for the poor, that God shows particular kindness to the refugee and the outcast. 00:28:45.079 --> 00:28:51.379 But we can't bind your conscience as to the wisdom-based application of those passages and principles in the sphere of politics. 00:28:53.500 --> 00:28:54.099 We can converse. 00:28:54.939 --> 00:28:55.579 We can warn. 00:28:55.740 --> 00:28:56.099 We can engage. 00:28:57.599 --> 00:29:00.959 And there may be a time when things get so clear that we can do that. 00:29:00.960 --> 00:29:06.740 If the straight line gets really straight, I'm not saying we can never speak about those things, right? 00:29:07.720 --> 00:29:11.500 But most of the time, it's not going to be a conscience-binding issue. 00:29:13.019 --> 00:29:18.539 Okay, to wrap up, I want to share some wisdom again from this little booklet about voting in particular. 00:29:19.259 --> 00:29:20.200 This is what Lehman writes. 00:29:20.279 --> 00:29:20.500 He says, 00:29:20.500 --> 00:29:47.599 In other words, 00:29:47.599 --> 00:29:51.899 Don't see your vote as the litmus test of your identity. 00:29:52.559 --> 00:29:54.219 Certainly not your identity in Christ. 00:29:54.480 --> 00:29:55.519 No candidate is perfect. 00:29:56.259 --> 00:30:01.319 All of us have to weigh many factors as we decide who to vote for. 00:30:02.419 --> 00:30:06.839 But as you do your best to weigh all the wisdom issues and then translate that into a vote, 00:30:06.939 --> 00:30:11.679 recognize that different Christians will make different wisdom-based calculations. 00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:17.759 And perhaps it's good to remember at this point our first principle, right? 00:30:18.259 --> 00:30:20.640 Politics are important, but they're not ultimate. 00:30:22.180 --> 00:30:24.960 Do you know what's going to last longer than the next presidency? 00:30:26.799 --> 00:30:30.880 Do you know what's going to last longer and have more impact than even the United States of America? 00:30:32.140 --> 00:30:33.320 The Church of Jesus Christ. 00:30:34.759 --> 00:30:36.720 Jesus' kingdom really is forever. 00:30:36.720 --> 00:30:44.039 So how you love the Church and how you love your fellow Church members is vastly more important than how you vote in the next election.