That's so performative (Ep. 18)

In this episode, Pastors Chris and Tony explore the temptation to live performatively. Far more than just an online insult, performative living reveals a deeper issue. It reveals a misunderstanding of what makes a person right before God. It flows from a heart that seeks self-glory rather than a life of humble service to the Lord. Join the pastors as they unpack this struggle and point to the freedom found in Christ.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

That's so performative. Have you read that phrase online? That's a common accusation that comes the way of people that the things that they're doing is just a performance. It's not truly authentic. This can happen from relaying authentic experiences in one's life to even spiritual practices that they do. It makes me think of an experience that we had at a pastor's conference recently where we were walking down to go for a walk and get some coffee and talk, and then we had seen a brother pastor who was doing his devotion in the entrance of the lobby of the hotel, and jokingly went up to him and said, like, hey, have you heard of performative reading? Is that what you're doing right now? And even made uh a joke that an allusion to uh the Ethiopian eunuch and saying, Do you understand what it is that you read? I'm sure our brother Pastor was not doing a performance as he was doing his personal devotion, but that can be the accusation that comes people's way that when they are reading out in public, when they are doing things, that they're just doing it for attention. So today we want to talk about the temptation to live in a performative way. My name is Chris Fluge from the Pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Yarbalinda, California. Joined with my brother, Pastor Tony Flughaft, who's at Temecula Lutheran Church, Christ Divine Lutheran Church in Temecula, California. And this is Double Portioned, where we uh take an intersection of studying scripture and Christian living, uh conversation sitting down with twin Lutheran pastors in Southern California. So Tony, uh with that beginning there, do you think that provides a expansive definition of performative living, or do you think it'd be better to add some things on here?

SPEAKER_00 2:16

Yeah, I I think maybe we can define it a little more thoroughly. Um in some ways there's it's really a a wide definition. It's doing things as a performance uh for others. So doing things so that you receive the approval of others. You mentioned that idea of performative reading, where in that extreme case, uh someone might not actually even be reading at all. They're just giving the appearance that they like to read. This has really become a big thing in our society. It's cool to be a reader now, and so people want to give the impression that they're readers, and so they they bring books with them, and they might not even really read very much of it. But it's not just limited to that. Um, it's social media as the stage of performance-based living. We want to give a certain picture to people that we are a certain type of person, and and you're doing things for the approval of others. Umil to virtue signaling, might be a little different, but it's a similar idea. You're doing things primarily for the appearance, so that you have the approval of those who see what you're doing.

SPEAKER_01 3:40

Yeah, and there's accusations that come online uh for people. Uh it's actually been happening with fitness influencers uh as of late. I remember one controversy where they were accusing uh some female fitness influencer of not actually having run the miles. She claimed that she ran, and people are saying it didn't actually happen. Obviously, I don't have the information to know what truly happened, but this is something that people are on alert for. It's a suspicion that people aren't truly presenting their genuine self and the things that they do, but they're putting forward things that they think other people would want to see or other people would like. And they're viewing their life as a performance, as you said, seeing social media as a stage. Uh, it can happen in the church, seeing the uh the church as the stage where other people uh see your performance. It could happen every single day, though. Uh so I think that's a little bit of our our cultural diagnosis here, but maybe we need to dig in a little bit deeper. Yeah, and think up further about what what's truly the issue behind this.

SPEAKER_00 4:50

Well, I think before that, I think we can maybe highlight just how big of a problem this is. And and I know you want to dig deeper, but I I think you can think about this in so many different aspects of life. So someone goes on a family vacation and they post all the pictures on Facebook. Well, why are they doing that? It's worth considering. Uh, someone signs up for Strava or some weightlifting app to record their workout. Well, why are they doing that? You could you could say that there are good reasons, but why is it that we need to document all of these things? These things that you used to just kind of do on your own are being being documented. Uh good reads. People document and read, uh share all the books that they read. Uh, we do a lot of different things in our life now in a public way that were not once public. And the question is, why? And and what I'm suggesting is that part of it might be this performative living. Uh, they share their workout because they want people to know that they're the type of person that works out. They share the number of books that they read because they want people to know that they're the type of person who reads books. They share what they do with their family on social media because they want everyone to know that they're good people who have good family lives that do fun things. And I'm saying they, but I do a lot of this as well. And so there's so many different aspects of life that are covered by this. And I think we need to just take a moment to recognize just how expansive this performance-based living really is.

SPEAKER_01 6:35

Yeah, it it touches so many areas of life, and it's not just a young person thing, it can be an elderly person thing as well. Uh, that we live in an age where maybe the social media platforms have changed, uh, but uh we have the same temptation from when you are a teenager until you are a senior citizen, thinking, how can I make other people like me? How can I make other people think I'm doing the right things? Um if we boiled it down, uh what do you think some of the major issues would be behind it? I'm thinking insane uh insecurity would be one of them, but i I'd love to pass it on to you.

SPEAKER_00 7:22

Yeah, so the when you say insecurity, you mean like this um that they're not comfortable in who they are uh or their status, and so they're looking for acceptance. Maybe it's a fear of rejection. And if you want to put theological terms on it, which I think we really ought to, it's a fear or it's um it's a desire for justification. We want to be justified, not just in like a theological sense, but we want our existence justified. We we want to be feel accept accepted, welcomed, and and um like I guess justified in and that our existence is worthwhile.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Yeah, they want to have that self-justification, present to the world, maybe I feel bad about certain things that I do or what I'm like, but I I am worth it because I do these things, or even lie about the things that you do, just so that you can maybe make up some of that self-worth that you feel you don't have. Because we do know the law always accuses, so then when a person is living in this world, the constant testimony is that you're not enough. You haven't done enough. No one is righteous, not even one. So if you live in this world and you don't know the righteousness before God, you're gonna really grab on to the righteousness before the world, and then think, how can I present myself as good and right in the sight of this world? And then you'll look at all the different things that are going on in this world, the different fads or phenomena, and grab on to those.

SPEAKER_00 9:08

Yeah. And and so I I think some of these things you could do in a way that isn't necessarily wrong, for sure. But I think it's good for us to consider this. And I I think we must admit that we're all in this journey of seeking justification. Uh, Gene Viet in his book Um Authentic Christianity talks about this, uh, how desperately our world is looking for justification, people are looking for justification, and and I think that we should acknowledge that in ourselves too. And consider when I'm doing these different things, am I performing for others in a sense that I am looking to be justified? And so uh whether it's that virtue signaling that you say you believe certain things just because you want people to agree with you, even if you don't necessarily believe that. And I think you see that in politics when things have become so polarized one side versus the other, that you need to talk the talk, you need to walk the company line in order to be accepted. People are looking for justification among their group, among their peers. Um, or or maybe it's that um social media post. Why am I posting this? Am I posting this because I want approval? If these are the reasons you're doing these things, if you're living for the approval of others, there's some very serious heart problems behind that. Uh, because it's not just annoying when someone virtue signals or they um pretend to read for the approval of others. There's actually really an idolatry behind that, uh, because there's this false God, the false God of the approval of others, which is justifying you, and that's a justification outside of faith alone by gra outside of grace alone through faith alone, on account of Christ Jesus alone. This is a justification of the world, which is really no justification at all. And so there is a serious heart problem behind this. It it's idolatry.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

Yeah. So there's idolatry that's happening, there's self-justification. It's not trusting in Christ alone for these things, but looking outside of self or even uh looking at other people as the one who make that judgment for you, right? We know that on the last day everyone will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. That's what scripture says. But is it possible that people live as if they're performing right now in the judgments based on what this world thinks? We're bringing the law here, and we need to bring the law here. So this is what I'm thinking we could do to step forward from here is maybe what are some Bible passages that illustrate these problems, and then maybe take that and do a preacher heal thyself situation and share how we might personally struggle with this idea of uh self-justification through performative living.

SPEAKER_00 12:17

Yeah, I think one place that you you could very quickly go is the um the Sermon on the Mount. Uh and I guess maybe you could also go to the Old Testament where God kind of uh condemns the ritualistic, formalistic worship that that lacked heart. But but Jesus really speaks in in a similar way in the Sermon on the Mount when he talks about prayer and fasting. And so I think one section we could look to is Matthew chapter six, um, in a section about prayer. And so let me find the right verse here. Matthew six, okay. Um he's giving guidance for prayer. And verse five, and when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and praise your father who is unseen. Then your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because there are many words. Do not be like them, for your father knows what you need before you ask him. So there's kind of a couple of thoughts here that I wanted to highlight. The hypocrites who are doing things with improper reasons, do so out in public on the street corners. Why? So that they'll be noticed. That's their reward. Their reward is being noticed and having this righteousness before men. And so we understand these um these two distinctions of righteousness righteousness corum mundo and righteousness corum deo. Uh, righteousness before men, in the presence of men, is not the righteousness of faith which we get to stand in the presence of our holy God. And so if you're looking for righteousness in the presence of men, well, you can do all sorts of things and receive all sorts of acknowledgement and credit in this world, and that can give you a reward here in earth, but that's not the reward we desire. And so he says, Don't go out and do it in public for the appearances to perform for others, so they think you're so religious and such a great person. Rather, he says, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your father. Now, is that saying like it's wrong to pray before your meal when your family's up for food? No, no, I'm not saying that. But maybe be careful about not making a show or a spectacle of it, like standing up and all right, God, please hear our prayer and to the point where you're obnoxiously um disrupting other people's meals. Like, yes, pray when you're out for dinner with your family. That's a good thing. But make sure that you're not doing it in a way as though to present yourself as righteous and holy before others. Jesus is very clear that that's not why we do this. And then he talks about fasting. And he says, when you fast, and notice he does say when you fast. Uh we'd when this isn't an episode about fasting, we do an episode on fasting some other time. Do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil in your head and wash your face so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your father who is unseen, and your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And so those are that's one flow of words from our Savior right there that really speaks against doing things for appearances. So if you are doing things as a Christian to appear religious, to appear like a good Christian, well, that that's really problematic.

SPEAKER_01 16:12

Yeah, it reminds me, as you referenced, uh, I'm teaching the minor prophets at my church right now, and it constantly, as we go through the minor prophets, we hear God call out their ritual with list worship. Like they're just going through the motions and their heart is far from him. So God doesn't want action that is motified, motivated by self-idolatry. And God says, Rend your hearts and not your garments, enjoy. So the what God desires is that uh we we live out that life to to glorify him. Uh I think I'm quoting Micah here, but to to seek justice and mercy. Uh so not just doing the things, giving the sacrifices, going to the temple, uh looking like a Christian, but that heart that moves you to do these things. Uh that also makes me think about another Bible study I'm teaching at my church right now. So on Sunday mornings we're going through Galatians, and the Apostle Paul is dealing with these uh people who are trying to call Christians back to the ceremonial laws. Uh and and he says that these were done away with in Christ Jesus, and they they had their function appointed to Jesus, Jesus has come. But as he's wrestling with this, he's also wrestling with the fact that these false teachers, in a sense, are kind of people pleasers. They're just saying what people want to hear. And the freedom in the gospel is a hard thing to hear. We are people who have that opinial legacy, that natural opinion of the law, and we want to just be told what to do. So it could be more appealing to say, Paul, just come here and tell me what I should do. Uh but then he's he's saying, No, I'm not I'm not here just to seek the approval of human beings. So in Galatians 1, chapter uh chapter 1, verse 10, he says, I am now trying to win, am I now trying to win the approval of human beings or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. So the idea for the life of Paul as a minister was not to please people, to give what their itching ears want to hear, but instead to serve Christ. And I think that there's the key aspect there as we pivot uh from law as uh law as mirror to law as guide for the Christian, what we can think about is that is our goal in what we do is to serve Christ.

SPEAKER_00 19:06

Yeah, before we pivot, I I did want to highlight that when we talk about these things of performative living, performance-based living, um the actions themselves are not the problem. And and so that's what happens when you talked about the minor prophets. Uh people look at the actions in the minor prophets and and they make an enemy of the good. And they're like, Jesus and God hated um this uh temple worship to the point that they like say, like, anything that looks ritualistic is the problem. That's just not how the scriptures speak, and it was God Himself who gave this. So it wasn't the action itself that was the problem, it was the heart behind the action. And and to highlight that, I could go a little earlier in the Sermon on the Mount before what I read, where Jesus talks about uh giving to the needy and how to properly do this. Uh chapter 6, verse 1, he says, Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. No one would say giving to the needy is wrong. Well, maybe well, maybe some people wouldn't uh pull yourself up by your bootstraps type of thoughts, but but in general, people should know that giving to the needy is not wrong. So that it's not the giving to the needy that's the problem, it's how you do it. If you're doing it so that you look generous, and and I do think that this is something that Christians ought to consider, because I've seen instances that I'll be vague, um, not about people in my church. I've seen instances in the past of different examples of Christian giving where it really did seem to be more of a show than it needed to be. And so I think this is something Christians ought to consider. Why are we doing the things that we do? Because Jesus says, do not practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. And so it isn't the action itself that is necessarily the problem. These actions can be good and right. Prayer is good, fasting is good, giving to the needy is good, worshiping God is good, like these things we've talked about. It's the um it's the problem of the why behind it.

SPEAKER_01 21:46

Well, and kind of to add to the difficulty in understanding this, uh so giving to the needy publicly for your own glory is clearly wrong. Jesus has called that out. Giving to the needy publicly. As a leader, to be an example for your people and encourage their giving is seen in David and the leaders of Israel. So that is something to say. I think it could be helpful for us to uh to think about and give examples. How might I struggle with this as a father, as a pastor, as a person? And then that can maybe create some avenues in which uh people might be able to relate to these struggles that we recognize with the temptation to performatively live.

unknown 22:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 22:43

You want to go first or else I'm willing to?

SPEAKER_00 22:45

Yeah, I can go first. This is one of my classic examples when I teach a Bible information class about why we could never justify ourselves. Because I'll say even our righteous acts are filthy rigs. Um and I'll I'll use the example of the multiple levels of motivation for the things that we do. And I'll say, even as a pastor, when I preach a sermon, often there is a level of selfishness, ego, and sin to what I'm doing. Uh I am in part doing this for the the edification of God's people and to the glory of God. And and in my best, I am doing that with pure intentions. But I admit I am a sinful person who often has a complex range of reasons for why I do the things that I do. And part of this sin, sinful nature that exists in me, that wages war in me, that that sinner that exists in me, does it for my own glory. I I preach a sermon in such a way not only to give glory to God, but to try to get glory for myself. Uh I I work on crafting the right phrase uh in a creative way because I want people to think that I'm smart or I'm a good preacher, that I have a way with words. Uh, I will fully admit there are often selfish intentions behind my preaching of a sermon. Now, God be praised, he works past my sin through his word, his word is powerful, but I must admit that I have this sinful approach often to my preaching because I've got this ego, and so some of it is performance-based, it's performative living.

SPEAKER_01 24:35

Yeah, I think that's very common for the pastor to struggle with. And it makes me think about uh how social media has perhaps amplified this because um as long as I've been a pastor, I don't know if I've preached a sermon that wasn't recorded. Perhaps a sermon here or there, midweek service or special occasion, but most of my sermons were recorded. There's benefits to that so that people who couldn't make it in person or people who want to double up on a sermon that week can watch it. But there can be that personal issue of recognizing this is something that's recorded and seen, and then you have the chopping up of sermons for uh like sermon shots for social media, and then you're looking for what's the one that I I crafted this the best, I said this the best. Yes, this is a good this is a good room where God can use that. We have we live in a world with a poor attention span, so it can be helpful to put shorter things out there for people so they can hear that little gospel snapshot, but there is that personal temptation. It's interesting how this idea has transformed uh music too. Uh so the example I'm thinking about, I was I don't know where I was listening to this, when and why, but it was on the radio they were talking about uh Olivia Rodrigo, and she was sharing how the music industry has changed. From Temecula. Yeah, she's from Temecula. Um so then they they share how the music industry has changed, and now you're you're really wanting to have your song have the ability to have a clip for social media viral purposes. Uh so then for them, uh there there can be the temptation in their line of work to focus more so on where can this be clipped and put into a video. And it's a similar temptation for us as Pat Fase. Could even take down the whole product if you're just thinking about where can I get those sound bites?

SPEAKER_00 26:51

Yeah, and it and it's interesting because like you might have a phrase that is valuable, and it's like, hey, that would make a nice clip. And and now I'm not suggesting that we go as far as uh um as Ambrose of Milan in in the uh on the duties of clergy, where he says that your voice shouldn't be too theatrical, uh, because that that kind of um it's yeah, maybe it's this performative idea, but uh uh like he kind of speaks against like a theatrical way of speaking because it's distracting from the word and stuff like that. And so I'm not gonna go that far and say uh don't be theatrical. I I actually think there's value in being a compelling speaker um to to have focal variety. Um but but you might it might be worth considering, like why am I uh speaking in with the vocal variety? Is it because I want people to think I'm a good speaker? Um is it because I um want this to be viewed as a a good sermon, or is this to help deliver God's word? And so that that's a very good question, is motivation and and valuing like kind of finding that balance between stewardship and and well then ego on the other side.

SPEAKER_01 28:12

Yeah, so as a pastor, uh the public things that we can do could easily become a performance rather than service. And we need to watch out for that. And then for those who are listening, that can be applied to so much of what they do in work. Uh are they tempted to do their work as a people pleaser or one who is serving Christ in everything?

SPEAKER_00 28:41

Yeah. One one thing I was thinking with this idea of like performative ministry is it's so easy to think about this in like that contemporary setting, I suppose, where it's like, oh, they're the church that does this because they they want to seek or find the seekers and reach out to the seekers because often they have a theology that that assumes a free will, and we just need to uh reach the people so that they can make a decision, and so we're gonna do things in a way that appeals to them. I think the natural ways to think about this performative ministry in that sense, but I I I think it can easily be applied in all sorts of circumstances. Um I need to perform in a certain way so that people know that I'm a genuine Lutheran. Um I need to perform in such a way so that people know that I'm one of the guys that that knows how worship is supposed to be done. It's not it's not a one-sided thing. It it fits all different sizes. It it looks many, it it shows itself in many different ways. And so um uh even someone who's like, I'm just gonna read my sermon so that it doesn't, so that it's not about me, it's kind of making it performative in a way. Because they wanna they're painfully showing. Well, they could be about me. They could be, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:13

Yeah, I think that's something that's important for us to consider. Um as as pastors, we can have that temptation to make it like the the sibileth, shibboleth. Am I doing the right thing? Uh am I am I uh going through the right actions? And then I'm not even performing to the glory of God or for the sake of my members, but I'm I'm doing it for the approval of other pastors to say, hey, like I'm I'm not one of the guys who uh put my face down in the water. I use my hands to lap it up. Uh just we can have those temptations. Um now let's expand to our lives. Uh so those who listen to this may be in a variety of different occupations, they might have a variety of different family situations, but uh setting forward how we could be tempted to do so in our family setting uh and then applying it to others.

SPEAKER_00 31:13

Yeah. I I think family the family realm is very simple. Um are you are you giving the impression of being a good parent? And I think that's really a big thing for millennials. Millennials want to be viewed as as good dads, especially, and and so then there's a lot of like performance-based living to look like a good parent. Um I someone might say, I'm not the parent who who spanks or disciplines my child and in those archaic ways, and it can be very performative in in the way that they discipline their child so that it they can show to them show to people I'm not one of those old style archaic parents, or they take their kid on a vacation because they want to be able to present, I'm one of those, I'm a good caring parent. They they play with their kid a lot because they want to give that impression that I'm I'm a good parent. And so it shows itself, uh, like they might be good things, but it it the motivation is more I want people to think that I'm a good dad because I perceive that I think people in the previous generation weren't as good, so I need to give this impression that I am good.

SPEAKER_01 32:25

Yeah, and as we're each 31 years old and digital natives uh got onto well, I guess I don't know if you count aim AOL Instant Messenger as social media, uh, but certainly got onto Facebook uh back in what 2009. So it's been a big part of our lives. And then think about how as a father we can have the temptation uh and ask the question, why am I posting these things online? Like, why am I sending a picture of myself with my kids and we're checking out the Redwood uh grove in uh Carbon Valley? Why am I sending a picture of myself with my kids after a shut-in visit? Maybe these are both examples of something I did this week. Uh could the temptation before you want people to think you're a good dad? Yeah. Do I want people to think I'm a good dad and a good pastor? And well, look how how cute that is. He brought his kids to uh uh to to a visit with one of his homebound members. Um I think there is that temptation. Now, we can also make an appeal for how a Christian can do these things in a good and right purpose as a servant to Christ, and we serve Christ by serving others, and there are people who can benefit from seeing your social media posts. Like, hey, I have loved ones who don't live around me, and they get to see it, and they get to see the their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren that they love.

SPEAKER_00 33:53

Do you want to wait to get into kind of like the proper way? Uh because I I think it'd be valuable to maybe just give a couple more real-world examples of what this might look like in the life of a listener, then get into our our actual source of justification, and then kind of that that guided Christian living.

SPEAKER_01 34:10

Yeah. So in the real life of our members, of our listeners, uh, this is one that I think has become uh all too real, and that's fake authenticity. Uh so we think that people just desire, crave authenticity, but then we have staged authenticity through uh people who talk about their burnout, through people who show their mental breakdown. And I I mean, I I don't want to be too like nitpicky at a lot of people on social media, but it's the person who shares the video of them crying after receiving horrible news and say, like, let me hear how you think this benefits other people, or does this present you as the true authentic person that you want your brand to be? Is this about service or is this about branding? No, branding's not always a bad thing. Uh, there are arguments that Martin Luther knew a lot about branding in the Reformation, but there is that room for a temptation to say, uh, I'm just doing these things to create these impressions about myself, which aren't even true.

SPEAKER_00 35:23

Yeah. So um the the popularity of the candid photo shared on social media, and and um often candid photos are faked because it and they're really not even that candid. Um so this impression of being genuine, or you even hear this constant talk about um mental health struggles and and like get rid of the stigma. And the interesting thing is maybe there is still a stigma in a lot of ways, but in a lot of ways there's not. It's actually like almost like a rite of passage for people to talk about um how they go to therapy and stuff like that. And so at what point is it that you're just saying things like that because you want people to think you're genuine and open and and honest and real? And and so that's worth that's worth considering, and I think that's a real way that it hits home, is are you being genuine are you being vaguely genuine?

SPEAKER_01 36:22

Mm-hmm. Yeah, I mean you're just you're putting on the show. And I I'll I'll admit I've done stuff like that too, right? This is a uh preacher heal thyself situation uh where we've had a a church work day. And to in order to post pictures of people for the church, you need their permission. Uh so then uh you have to be a little bit careful and cautious about just taking a picture of someone working at church. You say, hey, I'm gonna take a picture of you to share it on the church Facebook page, but don't stop working. But it's it's canned. And then ask the the reason behind it. Again, is this so that others may be encouraged in their churches to rally the troops and serve the Lord? Or is this to put on a show and say, look what our church does?

SPEAKER_00 37:10

Yeah. Yeah. I and I think maybe real quick, one other way we could talk about this, how this is lived out in the life of our members, people who listen to this, our own lives, would be those acts of piety of Christian living. And and we kind of talked about it with Jesus' examples, um, but but legitimately, when people are reading the Bible, um, are they doing it in a way to draw attention to themselves? Um when uh people are are um when they're praying, are they doing it in a way to draw attention? Uh when when they're volunteering at church or wherever it might be, uh doing these things that are l legitimately good and godly, um, are they doing it in a way to to show off, to show that they're a good Christian, that they're they're the type of person who serves and loves God and meditates on his word? And so those just different acts of of Christian living are are ways that you could consider, well, why am I doing this? Am I doing this um to serve God for the for my benefit, for the benefit of others, or am I doing this for appearances?

SPEAKER_01 38:22

Well, here's a moment to get kind of meta on this. I just shared a confession of my sins. Uh is that confession of sin to present myself as this type of person who's open and honest with his sin because he has confidence in Christ's forgiveness? Or, and that's not truly there in those insecurities, and I just want to present myself that way, or is this a thought of, hey, being open and transparent here would be beneficial to those who listen to this? And it happens in Christian testimonials very often.

SPEAKER_00 39:00

Yeah. I actually just saw an article that was kind of bemoaning the uh it was like talking, like basically the porn star to uh Christian star pathline pipeline, and they're saying like it's getting a little old that there's these women who were on a site and now they're becoming Christian witnesses and they're profiting either way, and they're kind of questioning the genuineness of it. And and like I get what you're like, I get the struggle, and and so like we celebrate the forgiveness of sins. We there's the prodigal son, uh, we we welcome people back, but but like you said, sometimes these churches have testimonials, and it almost seems like the regular Christian life is downplayed, and you need to have some great story about how you are such a wicked person. And if you don't have that, then um then you're like less than or worse or something. And and so there can be that performance of like, hey, I'm a I'm a type of person who confesses my sins. I'm open and honest about it, or or even like doing a podcast. Is this kind of performative? Um I would hope we do it for the right reasons, but like that's a question to ask. Um, what's being done here? Is this merely a performance thing?

SPEAKER_01 40:24

Yeah, yeah, I think these are good questions to examine our genuineness in these approaches, and uh would encourage our listeners to consider the same thing as we take the law as a mirror to expose our sins and that primary use of the law. I think there's another way to point the mirror at yourself, and that's as the person who watches those who do things you accuse to be performative, um, it seems that that term is thrown around very loosely. The minute someone does anything, it's an accusation, well, that's just performative. You're doing it for the an audience of other people. And we want to be careful and cautious that we are not being self-righteously judgmental as we uh view the things that other people do.

SPEAKER_00 41:11

Yeah, you think of Luther's explanation to the Eighth Commandment. Um, we want to take people's words and actions the kindest possible way. You are not doing that when you assume uh negative intentions. And actually, just quick guidance on that. I wish people use the eighth commandment when they read the scripture, and they always seem to assume the worst of the people of the Bible, but that's not the main point here. Um so they're not following the eighth commandment, they're not following the golden rule that Jesus gives us. Do it to others as you have them do to you. When you assume the worst of other people and assume they must be performative in what they're doing, that's not how you'd want others to treat you. And so uh, like we're public people who live in community. Things that we're gonna do are gonna be in public and are gonna be seen by others. Um, it is not fair or charitable or loving to assume people are doing it merely for the opinion of others.

SPEAKER_01 42:08

Yeah. So take the best construction on their words and actions. So someone talks about books they read, to not assume, oh, you're just trying to impress people by telling us you read all these books. Oh, you're such a C. S. Lewis fan. All right, tell me what you wrote, other than the great divorce and mere Christianity. Like uh, it could be so easy to kind of attack people in that way. But rather, we we can step back and take their words and actions in the kindest possible way and give thanks to God that, like, hey, especially if this is a fellow believer, God has given this person a gift and encouraged them to read and to build their intelligence and then pray to God that he uses that gift to serve others.

SPEAKER_00 42:53

Yeah. So I think maybe at this point we've kind of talked a lot about the sin of this of performative living. Perhaps it would be good for us to talk about our true source of justification. Because I think that's what performative living is trying to do, is it's trying to justify ourselves, to find our value, to find our worth, and it's looking outside of Christ. And now it'd be good for us to firmly establish our source of justification. Uh, do you wanna do you wanna kind of hammer that home?

SPEAKER_01 43:25

Yeah, it makes me think about uh Habakkuk uh as he's quoted in uh in Romans and Galatians, and also Hebrews, uh, about the righteous shall live by faith. And uh as you see, the the struggle with how Hebrews talks about that is that this isn't purely justification, but it's just the fact that you're you're being brought to life. So both are true. That the they are brought to life, justified, declared not guilty, receive Christ's righteousness. And then move forward in that life of being a believer, able to persevere, as Hebrews 10 38 through 39 uh pushes on the reader of that letter, but that uh imputed righteousness, uh righteousness that's outside of self and given, received through faith.

SPEAKER_00 44:21

Yeah. So really hammering home um ideas that are found like in Romans 3. And I wanted to share that because you talked about that imputed righteousness, that righteousness outside of ourselves, that alien righteousness that's given to us. Romans uh three, starting with verse 19. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore, no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law, rather, through the law we become conscious of our sins. And so if you're trying to justify yourself, you are placing yourself under the law. If you're under the law, you're under a curse. You are accountable to God. And the law does not say that you are righteous. If you're looking to justify yourself, the law thunders you are not worthy. You are not righteous, you are damned. And so you can find no confidence. We would never feel worthy if we continued to pursue our own justification. And that's why these things are fleeting. And that's why these things don't make someone happy when you look for that justification outside of Christ, uh, because it just makes us conscious of our sins, of our failures, of our unworthiness. But then it goes on to say Romans 3.21, but now apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the law and the prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. It is given to us through faith. It is a righteousness that is granted. Not that we are righteous on our own, but we are given Christ's righteousness. It goes on, there's no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. We are justified through Christ. That is where we are declared worthy. That is where we are declared not guilty. That's where we have our value through Christ and His righteousness granted to us that we receive by faith. And so we so desperately want to be justified. The only place we can truly find this justification is through Christ. And we know that we are justified through him because of what he has done. Romans 4, 25. He was delivered over to death for our sins, was raised life for our justification. And so I don't normally like getting into the Greek of things, but I really don't know if that English translation does a sufficient job explaining what that passage really says. Really, the thought is more causal. He was delivered to death because of our sins and was raised life because of our justification. Jesus' resurrection from the dead is definitive proof that we are justified, that his sacrifice was sufficient, that he paid for all the prices, all the sins on our that he paid the price for all our sins on the cross, and we are now welcomed by God because of what Christ has done. And so that's my confidence for my justification. I don't need to posture and prove my value to others through the things that I do. I am welcomed on account of Christ Jesus our Lord.

SPEAKER_01 47:36

Yeah. So even if people don't think I'm smart, even if people don't know how much I read, even if people don't walk by and say, nice sermon, Pastor, or even if people don't say, Wow, you spend so much time with your kids, uh, can have confidence because I don't need to be justified before the world, because Jesus has lived the perfect life I cannot live, because Jesus has shed his blood for me, and I am declared not guilty. I am forgiven of my sins, I am saved in Christ alone. So that that very important truth. And the the truth that's delivered to us through the gospel and word and sacrament. So kind of an encouragement before we can get into like that third use of the law encouragement for uh those who struggle with performative living is to say if you want to feel confidence, if you want to have confidence, go to Christ in his word, go receive the Lord's Supper, the tangible forgiveness of sins. Think back to your baptism, how you were washed in the waters, washed in the blood of Jesus, and this confidence that turns you outside of yourself and look points your eyes on Christ on the cross.

SPEAKER_00 48:57

Yeah, uh that's exactly what I was gonna say. If you want certainty of your identity, um go to church, um, receive the sacrament, receive Christ's I love you in that physical way. Hear these words proclaimed of you, um, that that forgiveness of sins, that absolution, as certain as Christ Himself speaking these words. Christ proclaimed for you in the sermon as certain as if Christ were saying this. This is your identity being declared of you. You can be certain. You don't need to perform God delivers his love to you. So go to church and receive these wonderful gifts. Remember your baptism as you're clothed and robes washed white by the blood of the Lamb. I just want to hammer that point home too. That's where you can find confidence.

SPEAKER_01 49:50

Yeah, so with the enabling and encouraging to live a non-performative life coming through the gospel of Christ Jesus, uh how how would you encourage a Christian who says, you know, I I don't want to just do these things performatively anymore?

SPEAKER_00 50:13

In some ways it's gonna change the way that our life looks. In some ways it won't. So I I think it's it's an intentional living. So I've been freed to live without the audience of this world. Um at the end of the day, the opinions of others don't matter that much. Now I don't want to say that completely, because there is a point of saying, like, I can influence others, and so there is a benefit of neighbor in even presenting the good that we do. So I want to be careful about that. But at the end of the day, my confidence is in my relationship with the Lord through my through what Jesus has done and the faith that's been given to me. And and so I don't need to appease the world. In fact, sometimes the things that I do to the glory of God is gonna make the world upset with me. And so we we don't need to perform for an audience, we can live freely. And so, in some ways, that will transform the way that we live, that um I just can do the tasks set before me without documenting them or whatever it might be, and just do these things uh because they're good and right, and I want to say thank you to God for for all that he's done for me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:37

Maybe maybe it's setting aside the phone and not documenting it on social media. Maybe it is kind of considering and saying, hey, I do have people I want to encourage and I want to serve them on social media. And if they see that they see this picture, it's gonna encourage them as it encourages bonds within people they know and love. And then that can still be something that we do as Christians uh to serve. Uh you can still post that Bible passage on your Facebook page, you can still uh talk about your church's Easter egg hunt and uh the success uh that you had at that Easter egg hunt. You can still do these things, but just from a heart that flows from faith.

SPEAKER_00 52:20

Yeah. And so I would use that example of um a social media type app for weightlifting, because that's something I do use. Um I just started recently using it because we're in a group chat with our brother and our brother-in-law, and we want to encourage each other in physical fitness. Why? Part of the reason is because it's being good stewards of our bodies. God has given us bodies to take care of, and it helps me to take care of this body when we're encouraging one another. Um, when I have someone accountable to that I have to say, yes, I did or did not work out today. Um, and and so there's there's value in taking care of my body. There's value when I share when I do it in encouraging my brothers and brother-in-law uh to show them, hey, I worked out today too. I made the time for it, you can do it too. There's this mutual encouraging that happens here. So if I'm not doing it to show off to them, but rather to encourage them, that can actually be a good thing. And so I can use that social media app in a way that's not performative, but rather is more of that iron sharpening iron type of thought where we're encouraging each other. And so that's a sense where the action might not look different. Now, maybe I'm not gonna add a bunch of people on that account. Um I don't need a bunch of people to know what what workouts I'm doing. Um, they they might then question, well, you work out a lot for someone who we can't really tell. No. Um I'm not gonna add a bunch of people on that, uh, but I can keep doing it uh without without it being necessarily performative, uh at least I think so.

SPEAKER_01 54:09

Yeah, so uh viewing these things as service to your neighbor and ultimately service to Christ, and then to know that uh great is your reward in heaven, and you don't need the recognition here and now. So you you give the donation at church, you help the needy person, you serve your family, you scrub the toilets, you don't get recognition for any of these things, but these things done to glorify God and serve your neighbor are are wonderful, uh wonderful things moved by the Holy Spirit who lives in you.

SPEAKER_00 54:47

I think one of the things that we could think about in this too is um God knows. And so it so we're doing it to not not to justify ourselves, but it got God who knows what's done in secret, um, and and your rewards in heaven. Uh sometimes it can be frustrating when we do things that go completely unnoticed. You think of the the mom who who doesn't really have anyone to say thank you to her, and and all she hears is her kids complaining that they don't like the food, and her husband who comes home and notices when there's problems, but doesn't notice when things are going well. And she might think, I don't receive recognition ever. I want recognition for the things that I'm doing. And to encourage that individual, like God does see uh the good that you do in faith, and and and we will receive recognition in heaven. We can talk rewards of grace stuff, God um not that we earn our salvation, but but God will say, Well done, good and faithful servant, for what what he has set before that he moved us to do. Um the rewards of grace, it's all about him. But uh these things will be recognized. And so when you you um go through difficult times and and you bear through it because of service to God, like it isn't that it is completely unnoticed either. Um God does notice the good that you do that he moved you to do. I and and so sometimes pastors can feel like we don't always receive we don't always work a job that people say thank you, or we hear a lot of complaints, or whatever, or at least pastors say that I feel like I receive a lot of um thank yous, but sometimes pastors feel that way. They just hear people's frustrations. Uh to to know God does see the good that you're doing. Um, you don't need to try to coerce a thank you out of people because you're you're doing it in service to God. And and so to know there is an audience, but that audience is is satisfied with the work of Christ, we are justified through him, and and so this this uh audience of God of one says, Well done, my good and and faithful servant.

SPEAKER_01 57:10

So we are free in the gospel of Christ Jesus to no longer have to perform for others because the verdict is in from Christ Jesus. Uh God bless you today and always.