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Beyond Left and Right: Finding God's Path in a Polarized World
What is a Christian's true responsibility in our increasingly polarized political world? Diving into Romans 13, we confront the challenging biblical command to "be subject to governing authorities." This teaching holds particular weight when we consider Paul wrote these words to believers living under the oppressive Roman Empire—a government that would soon begin actively persecuting Christians.
The perspective offered here cuts across our natural political instincts. While many believers look to shape society through political power, Romans 13 reminds us that our primary allegiance must be to Christ, not to political parties or ideologies. This doesn't mean we disengage from civic life, but rather that we approach it with the humility of knowing that no human leader—regardless of party affiliation—sees the world through God's perfect lens.
Through powerful biblical examples from Daniel to Jesus himself, we discover that Christians are called to respectful engagement with government except in one crucial circumstance: when authorities demand the worship or obedience that belongs to God alone. The biblical pattern shows rebellion is justified not when we disagree with policies, but when we're forced to choose between God and government.
Most importantly, we explore how real change happens—not through social media debates or political revolutions, but through intentional conversations with family members, neighbors, and coworkers. The entire Christian movement began with one man and twelve friends, yet spread worldwide through person-to-person interactions, not political power. This remains our model today.
This message will challenge both conservative and progressive Christians to examine whether their hope rests in political victories or in Christ's unchanging kingdom. As believers, we're called to "seek the welfare of the city" while remembering our ultimate citizenship is in heaven. How might our witness change if we focused less on political battles and more on person-to-person gospel conversations?
Everyone else. We are going to jump into Romans 13 today, finally a new chapter in the book of Romans, and I want to make a correction from what I said last week. We were talking about how long we had been in chapter 12, and I went back because it was kind of bothering me after service and I was like man, how long have we been in this? It wasn't two months. We actually started chapter 12 way back in February, so we had been in chapter 12 for almost six months. So I was a little off on that and I want to make that correction. But here we are, finally starting another chapter and we're still, even though Paul's going to switch his focus of what he's talking about, it's still the same overarching idea From now until the end of the book of Romans and from now until well, from chapter 12 to chapter 16,. Paul's focus is actually really simple Now that we have been saved, now that you are a disciple of Jesus, this is how your life should look. And so, even though we're going to be dealing with a different like subject matter starting today, it's still the same thing. It's still hey, now that you call yourself a disciple and follower of Jesus, this is what your life should look like. So, with that being said, I'm going to pray and then we're going to jump in. Father, thank you so much for everything you have given us and, father, I pray today that, as we go through your word, that God, it be your words that I am speaking and not my own, not my opinion, not my thoughts, but God, your powerful word. Father, I pray that we are changed from the inside out, and we pray this in Jesus' name, amen.
Speaker 1:So I'm going to start off by asking you this question what is the Christian's responsibility to society, to culture? We live in a very, very, very, here in America especially, a very, very polarizing political culture where politics has seemed to grab everything in culture and, a lot of times, the church and the Christians on a whole. I think we have the wrong biblical approach to culture, to politics. Our hope should never be in who we are voting for, because, listen to me very carefully, I don't care who you're voting to put into office. You are voting for a sinner, you are voting for someone who is flawed, who sees the world through a certain lens that is not a godly lens and a lot of times, as the church, we take on the role of the moral police. We take on this role where we're sitting here, going hey, you have to conform to us. Let us get one thing straight Can an unbeliever conform to a believer's morality? No, and on the flip side of that, can you legislate morality? In other words, could you write laws in such a way that society and culture on a whole is going to be better? Well, let me ask you here in America, is it illegal to murder? Yeah, it is right. Do we still have murders? Yeah, we do. Is it illegal to steal? Do we still have theft? Is it illegal to like? I mean, there's so many laws out there. Is it illegal to speed? Yes, do we still have speeders? You know why? Because you can't legislate that, you can't make a law and change the human heart, and so a lot of times we get this like overbleed into what our role as Christians actually is.
Speaker 1:I'm going to tell you right out the gate our role as Christians is not to be social justice warriors. Our role as Christians is not to sit here and go hey, we're going to reform the government in our own image. We have a term for that. It's actually a theological term, it's this. It's called Christendom. And if you go all the way back to the 300s, we have this emperor who rises up in Rome. Some of you may know his name's Constantine, and that's exactly what he tries to do. He tries to sit here and go. Hey, you know what? I'm going to make it illegal to do these things, because I'm going to shape the world in Christ's image and we're going to take by force the rest of the world. Anybody know what we call it? It's called the holy wars or the crusades.
Speaker 1:Did it work out? Well, no, not at all. You know what we got out of that the Spanish Inquisition. We got the Salem Witch Trials. We got all these other things. Why? Because this thing that we do called Christianity isn't something that's meant to be done by force, and that's what we're going to see. So, with that being said, romans 13.1 says this Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that have that, that exist, have been instituted by God.
Speaker 1:Oh, let's get a couple of things straight real quick with Paul here. When Paul is writing this letter to the church in Rome, is the Roman government like showing a bunch of love and like they're just really trying to care for their citizens, and no, not at all, especially to who? Christians. Shortly after he writes this, we're going to have the rise of this emperor. His name's Nero, and here's what Nero would do as emperor of Rome.
Speaker 1:He would go round up Christians. He would impale them on sticks and if you're not familiar with that, you can Google it later. It just means a stick going through like a skewer. He would dip them and soak them in oil. He would then place them in his them and soak them in oil. He would then place them in his gardens and light them on fire so at night he could have light in his garden. That's the government of this time. The government of this time is going and finding Christians and making them fight in the arenas for their entertainment. That's the government of this time.
Speaker 1:Let's not forget who Paul was before this. He was the same one going around through the power of the church, which was a form of the government, especially in Jerusalem, rounding up Christians, beating them, arresting them, taking their stuff. Christians beating them, arresting them, taking their stuff, sometimes killing them. And yet listen to what he just wrote Let every person be subject to the government. So we're going to look at this from this 50,000-foot view. See, christians, our responsibility to culture and to society.
Speaker 1:It's very easy. It's not the left and it's not the right, and if you're someone who sits in here and you have those deep political convictions, I get it and we're going to get into that in just a little bit about how we should interact with politics like that. But listen to me very carefully. There is stuff on the left that is very, very, very biblical. There is stuff on the right that is very, very, very, very biblical. There is stuff on the left that is extremely demonic and there is stuff on the right that is extremely demonic. But again, our hope isn't in that. Our hope is in Christ. There's a great podcast For the Life of of me, I can't remember the name of it, I just know, like, their little intro is we're not left, we're not right, we are the she, the lamb, something like that, in which they do this.
Speaker 1:They go hey, wait, where should the Christian line up in all of this? Because, should we feed the hungry? Well, yeah, we should. Why? Because Jesus told us to. Should we have some kind of welfare set up? Yeah, why? Because that's what Jesus told us to do Clothe the naked, feed the hungry, give them a handout. Now, on the same side of that, should we be against things like abortion? Well, absolutely. It's murder, and the Bible is very clear about that. In fact, if you go all the way back to Deuteronomy, if you were to strike a pregnant woman and the baby were to die, guess what? You were charged with Murder. You were stoned and killed. So we have biblical precedent for all of that.
Speaker 1:And here Paul is talking about politics we're going to be in this for the majority of the chapter but what he is really saying is this as Christians, our responsibility is very clear that we are to be subjugated to the government. Here's what this means Respect the authority that the government has over you. And Paul is making the argument that government is established not by us, but by who. God it is a form and we got into a great conversation about this on our way home from dinner last night is a form of what we call common grace. God uses governments to restrain and hold back the violence and just sinful nature of who we are, because listen very clearly to this Every single one of us in this room has the ability, the capacity to be just as evil as anyone throughout history, like you and Hitler could be on the same page if you didn't have God's common grace holding back your sinful desires.
Speaker 1:How do I know this? Because have you ever driven down the road? Someone cuts you off. Someone, like gets in front of you like here's my one of my biggest pet peeves. I don't care if you cut me off, as long as, like when you get in front of me, you mash down with the right foot as hard as you can and get up to speed. What really just chaps me is, like when you cut me off and then you decide, hey, I'm gonna go 10 miles under the speed limit. Why does that chat me so much, though? Is that 30 seconds now that I have lost in life going to make or break my life? Probably not, but my kids have heard some very colorful words.
Speaker 1:I have now cut off the person in the next lane over so that I can get around this car, and I have choice words, and, if I'm honest, I do the same thing as most of you. Yeah, I have that. Stare down as I'm going with them, not even thinking. Now I don't know what's in front of me, but see, we do that because that's who we are Like. There are times, yes, we are driving. I'm like Debbie gun, like just hand it to me, I'm not going to shoot, like to kill them, I just want to give them a warning shot so they know they're dumb drivers.
Speaker 1:Is that very Christian-like, god? No, have I ever done it? You guys don't know? Like maybe no, I haven't actually. But we are to recognize the respect and authority that the government has because it establishes by God. And you know what?
Speaker 1:Paul's not the only one that says this. In fact, if we go all the way back to the book of Daniel, in chapter 2, verse 21, daniel writes this he being God, changes times and seasons. He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.
Speaker 1:Where is Daniel writing this? From Babylon. Why is he writing it? From Babylon? Because Nebuchadnezzar came and took over Jerusalem, assyria, many years before this had already toppled Israel in the northern kingdom. Now Nebuchadnezzar has come into the southern kingdom and, as the prophet Jeremiah has already told them, you are going to be slaves in Babylon for the next 70 years. For all of you that have somewhere in your house, jeremiah 29, 11, hanging up on the wall for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord plans to prosper you. That's when Jeremiah is sitting there going hey, you're about to be slaves for 70 years, so their idea of prospering and our idea of prospering may be very different ideas. Just throwing that one out to you.
Speaker 1:Do you know what else Jeremiah tells the Israelites to do while they're in Babylon? Seek the welfare of the city to which you are going. Hey, they're coming in. They're going to overtake us. You're going to go into slavery, but seek the welfare of them. Why? For two reasons. Number one what are we called to be in the world Lights? So if I'm not seeking the welfare of the city in which I'm in, how am I being a light? Like it's easy, like I don't normally do this, but I'm gonna call out something from social media.
Speaker 1:If you are on that page, deltona, gossips and complaints how is anyone on there seeking the welfare of the city? Because the only thing they do is complain oh, I almost cussed there too, I almost said the B word and complain, so you guys can fill in the gaps there, right, like that's the whole point of this. That's not seeking the welfare that's sitting here going oh and this and this and this and this and this. Yeah, there's some things that need to change. What are you doing to change them, though? Nothing. You're just sitting here complaining about it. And guess what happens when we just sit and complain, do things magically wind up changing? No, they don't. But if you want to see different, what should you do Different?
Speaker 1:If you're sitting here going, oh, the city's trashy. There's just trash everywhere. Are you giving up time to get like a bucket and one of the little grabbers from Harbor Freight and going? You know what? If they're not going to clean up the trash, I will. No, we don't do that, because this is my time. They need to do this. People need to stop being so nasty, and although I agree with you on that, because it's not hard to walk your trash over to a trash can, but if they're not going to same thing at my house, I would love to sit here and go hey, kids, you dirtied the dishes, make sure they get clean. Who winds up cleaning the kitchen the most, though? The adults in the house, right, why? Because they're kids and they're still learning how to do this. So who should be doing the most in our communities. The adults in the communities right Us. So that's number one, because you're called to be a light and that's how you're a light. Number two you live there. You're going to be there for 70 years. Might as well get yourself comfortable.
Speaker 1:One of the things and I'm sure there are people like Mr Holly that could speak more into this, but there are things I saw as a cop that it just blew my mind, especially concerning renters, because a lot of times you would get these calls for landlord-tenant disputes and you would show up and you would see what tenants had done to a particular house and, let's be honest, most of the time it was like after the fact they just moved out. Yesterday I just needed a police report so that I can do my insurance claim. But I've walked into houses where they literally pulled every piece of copper out of the house when they left. And I'm sitting here going like they just opened up the outlets, grabbed a hold of the wire. You could literally see where they just yanked it. You can see it go up the ceiling, then across the ceiling all the way to the fuse box. So now, yeah, you're replacing all that wire, but you're also replacing all of the drywall too.
Speaker 1:Why, well, it wasn't my house, so I don't care, I don't live there, I go. Why wouldn't you take pride? That is regardless of who owns it. That is where you live, because, let's be honest, even if you're a home owner in here, do you ever actually own anything? No, because if you don't pay your property taxes, what happens to the home that you have paid off? Uh-oh, it gets taken from you, so you don't own it either. That's a whole different topic there, though, but see Daniel's sitting here going.
Speaker 1:It's not us who set this up, though. It was God. Again, in Genesis 12, verse 2, we see God talking to Abraham, and here's what he tells him and I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. Who's controlling all of that? God is that. Wasn't Abraham going. Hey, you know what I can like become a big, powerful ruler. I can consolidate all of this power, I can get votes for this and that. I can do this and this and this. Who made Abraham great? God? Not Abraham. Who established the nation of Israel. God, who establishes all of these things? God? That's what we see in Scripture. In fact, if we look at Exodus 9, we'll see what God did concerning Egypt. This wasn't even a country that, like, followed after God.
Speaker 1:But here's what it says. For by now, I, being God, could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have raised you up to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. Here's what God is saying through Moses in the book of Exodus, right here. If I didn't want you to exist, you wouldn't. I could have cut you off from the earth and no one would have even known. Like, raise your hand if you know a Moabite. Raise your hand if you're like I know where that is on a map. What about the Edomites? Anyone in here? The Hittites, the Canaanites? Anybody in here like know people? No, why? Because God cut them off from the earth. That's why.
Speaker 1:Why did God even allow Egypt to become the superpower of the world? And let's be honest at this time, egypt was the superpower of the world. Pharaoh was the single most powerful person on the planet at this time, like Egypt pretty much ran the world. Why? Because God went. I'm going to put you up there because I'm going to show my power through you, because if I can topple the most powerful in the world, do you think the least powerful is looking at me? Yeah, do you think they have fear of me? Yeah, because if you can do it to Egypt, who am I Like? Think about it, and I know all of you in here, just hang on UFC all the time. But think about it like this All right, in a couple of months, tom Aspinall is fighting Cyril Gane.
Speaker 1:They're heavyweight UFC fighters. Now, after Tom Aspinall wins this, that means Cyril Gane loses, right? Anyone in here looking at Cyril Gane going dude, I got you. Like he's the loser. In fact, let's drop down to a little like guy, because these are heavyweights Like these are big guys, not wrestling. No, the UFC isn't. I don't know. Broken noses are hard to fake, but even if we drop down to like a little person, you're getting to like the flyweight. Like I talk to JT all the time and go hey, you think you could be even like the bantamweight women's champion.
Speaker 1:I mean, think about this. This is someone who has trained their whole life because this is what they do. And this is what God is saying. He's like this is the biggest and the baddest. I'll set them up so that I may be proclaimed through them and then again, bless you again.
Speaker 1:In Acts 17, we see this and he, being God, made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place. See, anywhere we look in scripture, we see God is above the nations, establishing nations, setting the boundaries of nations. So to rebel against what God has established would ultimately mean to rebel against God. So that's where Paul is setting this thing up. Right, because he's sitting here going. God did all of this. God established this for a reason.
Speaker 1:Do you know which country in the world gives more money to charity worldwide? And it's not even close America, like. We give more money worldwide than almost all of the other countries combined. Why? Because we have it to give. You don't think that God was sitting here going. Oh, no, no, no, I'm going to make you prosperous and I'm going to make you prosperous so this child over in Uganda is going to be able to eat, because I'm going to give you money and then I'm going to put it on you to give them food. That's all God. That is God sitting here, going. I'm going to take care of all of the people all over the place. That's why, in Matthew 6, when Jesus goes, if God, if the father, feeds the birds of the air, how much more important are? You See, it wasn't because we're so smart and capitalism is the most amazing thing in the world, which it is but it was God sitting here, going. No, no, no, no, no. I will make you prosperous because you will do my will. You can either bow to me or you can bow to me, but either way you're going to do my will. You can either bow to me or you can bow to me, but either way, you're going to do my will.
Speaker 1:Now, with all that being said, does that mean that, as disciples of Jesus, we never stand up to the government? Well, the Bible does give us certain circumstances where we should rebel, and a lot of time. In Daniel here One in Daniel, chapter 3, we see this and whoever does not fall down in worship shall be cast into a burning, fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon Shadrach, meshach and Abednego. These men, o king, pay no attention to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the golden image you have set up. Does anybody in here know what happens to Meshach? Huh yeah, they get thrown in the fire. Why? Because you didn't bow down and worship. That is an act of rebellion. That is them sitting here going no, no, no, no. I will seek the welfare of my city. I will respect the authority of my government, but where I draw the line is when you ask me to bow down and worship. That I won't do.
Speaker 1:In fact, anywhere we see in scripture where there's a conflict with government. It exists in that tension between bowing down and worshiping. This is why, honestly, rome wanted to stomp out the Christians. The Christians weren't like I mean, there were groups like the Zealots who were rebelling against Rome, but on a whole, the Christians weren't living in like open rebellion to Rome. They knew, first of all, they knew better than that. They knew they were never going to overthrow Rome. Second of all, that's not what we're called to do. It was the same thing here in Babylon. What we see is, but when you tell me, oh, the reason they were so dangerous, though, going back to. That is because, instead of saying Caesar is Lord, they would say Jesus is Lord. Now they would live in subjugation to Caesar, they wouldn't have like these open rebellions and they weren't having meetings about hey, here's how we're going to overthrow Caesar. But what they would, what they wouldn't do, is they wouldn't sit here and go Caesar is Lord. I don't know, with most Christians here in America if we are strong enough to not go. Trump is Lord.
Speaker 1:I mean, from what I see, it's kind of the opposite on that right. I mean, there have been people standing on random corners throughout our city for the past two years Well, actually like seven years, it seems like Holding up flags and waving signs, and how come we can't do that for Jesus, though? I don't see anyone. That one guy I take that back, that one guy, and I see him everywhere. I don't know if he's got like twins or something, because, like, I have legit seen him like way up here on Saxon and Enterprise as I am driving home, and then I see him again up here at Normandy and Saxon and it's like dude, how'd you do this? Either you can have a teleportation device or he's got twins working with him, but other than that. We don't hold up signs for stuff like that, do we? We don't sit here and wave our flags and our banners.
Speaker 1:Why, then again we see another act of rebellion. Again, like I said, said we're going to be in daniel for a minute. In daniel, chapter 6, verse 13, we see this. Then they answered and said before the king, daniel, who is one of the exiles from judah, pays no attention to you, o king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day. Give you a little background on this one. Most of you are going to be pretty familiar.
Speaker 1:When we get to the end, king went hey, look, you can't pray to anyone else. Why? Because there were people in the government who were jealous of how close Daniel was to the king and they knew hey, daniel's not going to give up praying to his God. So if we can trick the king into making a law, then we can get Daniel taken care of. And that's just what happens. And they catch Daniel praying, they bring him to the king. That's what we just read. They're like hey, he ain't listening to you, he's still praying. They bring him to the king. That's what we just read. They're like hey, he ain't listening to you. He's still praying and then he gets thrown into what? The lion den Right, and then he's in the lion's den all night and he gets devoured by lions. No, he doesn't. God is with him, god protects him and he gets his vengeance. Like we looked at a couple weeks ago, daniel comes out unscathed and everything and the guys who were actually trying to manipulate the king. They get thrown in, they get tore up.
Speaker 1:But again, look at what we see this rebellion, right. You're not going to tell me who I can and can't worship. You're not going to tell me I can't pray to my God, that we can rebel for. What we can't rebel for is simply sitting here going well, I don't like them. I didn't vote for them. Not my president Like that stuff. No, no, no, no, no. That's not what we're called to do. We're actually called to pray for them. We're actually called to be subjected to them, whether I agree with your policies or not. The only time I'm called to rebel against them is when you're making me choose between my Father, who is in heaven, and you, with my worship.
Speaker 1:The last one we're going to look at, and this one's from the New Testament this is Peter. Again, we know what kind of government Peter's living in. Same kind as Paul, right? They're contemporaries of each other. In 1 Peter 2, 13-14, he says this they're contemporaries of each other. In 1 Peter 2, 13-14, he says this Be subject, for the Lord's sake, to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme or to the governors, as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise who do good. Here's what Peter's saying. Again, the same thing, right Outside of these situations where we're rebelling against because you were trying to take the place of God, here's what we are to be subjected to them Doesn't matter who, like again, as an ex-law enforcement officer years ago when they had the defund police movement like I can't even begin to explain I'm pretty good with words the amount of rage that would well up in me.
Speaker 1:You were talking about a group of men and women who literally don't get to see their own families because they're here to protect you from evil. And when I say evil, I mean evil. I've had people in the back of my car where you could look into their eyes and you could literally see that ain't human. I am talking straight evil, because a handful of them are sinners just like everybody else. And they went yeah, we're going to defund them. Well, in any city that decided, hey, we're going to defund them, how did that city turn out? Chaos and riots. Why? Because you no longer had God's grace holding back and restraining the evil. You didn't have the people there that were sitting here going. You know what? I'm going to stand in between you and evil, at the danger of my own life.
Speaker 1:Jt just got this new video game where it's like it's almost like a role-playing game kind of, where you're a SWAT element and you got to go to these different calls. And I will say as being not that I was on the SWAT team, but as being a law enforcement officer, it's pretty realistic, especially in comparison to other video games. He has Like you have to be able to give commands and you have to be able to move, like tactically, and you gotta like think through okay, do I need to split my team here and split my team there? And like how should we handle this? And like how do we defeat this booby trap? And all of this. Jt absolutely stunk at it. Like second mission dead. First mission got like in training got shot by his own team member because he was shooting hostages and then, like second mission, like just they took him out because he had no tactical training. It was terrible. But I sit here and I go understand that those are people that God has instituted to go. You know what? I'm going to stand up and I'm going to stand in between these people who can't protect themselves and the people who mean to do harm. So you understand, I get it.
Speaker 1:There are bad apples. There are bad apples in every single profession. Does that mean we get rid of every profession in the world Because you want to know something? There's bad teachers, there's bad doctors. Do we just get rid of medicine because there's a handful? Like, I just watched something about serial killers the other day and there was some guy up in the northeast. He was a nurse at some hospitals in Pennsylvania and Jersey and he killed like 40 people and he was like I'm doing them a favor. They were suffering.
Speaker 1:So do we just shut down medicine because there was a sinful, just bad person in there? No, no one's like hey, you know what? Get rid of this medicine, crap. So why do we pick and choose? Well, we pick and choose because we want to be able to do what we want to do with no consequences.
Speaker 1:And if I have the government here making laws and giving me consequences when I break said laws, of course I want to rebel against that. That's who I am as a human being. How do I know Anyone in here ever give your child a rule? You might as well when you're like, don't. This is what's going on in their little heads and wicked hearts. Okay, what they're saying is press this until they wind up yelling at me, and then I'm going to stand here and be like what? I didn't understand the big deal, in fact.
Speaker 1:Here's Jesus's own words on this In Matthew 22, 21,. Jesus famously says they said Caesars, in other words, whose head is on the coin. They said Caesars. Then he, jesus, said to them therefore, render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are God's. See, the Bible says something very clear to us as disciples of Jesus we are to be a light in the world and not rebels against the government.
Speaker 1:Now the argument could be made that Jesus was a rebel, and there's a whole commercial talking about how Jesus was a rebel. Can anyone in here give me any scripture that shows us Jesus rebelling against the government. See, we believe this right Because we've heard it a lot. But how is Jesus a rebel Like? Jesus was like no, no, no, no. Let the government do what the government does. If it's got Caesar's face on it, give it to Caesar. They're sitting here going hey, these are the taxes you owe us. Pay them the taxes you owe them.
Speaker 1:In fact, in John 6 15, we see this Jesus just fed the 5,000, and looks what happens. Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him, that being Jesus by force, to make him king, jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. Like Jesus feeds the 5,000. These people come and they're like hey, we want you to be our king. Why? Because obviously you have the power to overthrow Rome. You literally just fed 5,000 people with two fish and five loaves of bread. Just fed 5,000 people with two fish and five loaves of bread. So what is room to you? And what did Jesus do? Did Jesus stand up and go? Yes, I am King Jesus, and now we're going to establish my kingdom. No, he left, he went.
Speaker 1:No, no, no, you're not going to put me in that position, because that's not why I came. I didn't come so that you could have a perfect form of government and establish a more perfect union Like. That's not why I came. I came so that you can be a totally different creation. I came so that you could have new life. I came so that I could hang on the cross, where you should be, where they will murder me. Well, they will bury me in a tomb and I will rise again so that you can be justified with the father. That's why I came. Jesus's concern was always for the kingdom of God and not the kingdom of here, was always for the kingdom of God and not the kingdom of here.
Speaker 1:So, as I begin to wrap up here, I want to ask, and really I want you to think about what does this really mean for us? Should Christians vote for leaders that they believe are godly? Yeah, you should, 150%, if you have the ability to vote. You should vote for leaders that you look at and go. That is a godly leader. Are they going to lie about being godly? Yes, they're going to lie about it. Why? Because they're trying to get a job. So they're going to lie about everything. Should you know that? Going into it? Yes, a hundred percent.
Speaker 1:So should Christians be politicians? Should we, as Christians, run for public office? Yes, absolutely. We should be teachers and politicians, and doctors and lawyers and all of the things. Why? Because those are the things we're called to be. So should we, as Christians, make our voices known against wickedness? Yes, 100% Now and this was actually and I hate that I ran out of time, because this was actually the most important part of this message but how do you make your voice known?
Speaker 1:See, as Christians, a lot of times we think we have the office of prophet and we're to call the nation to repentance. I don't see that anywhere in Scripture, though. Bless you Once the prophets are done. We don't see that again. You know who you're called to make your voice known to.
Speaker 1:For starters, your family. Do you have any understanding how powerful dinner with your family can be? Think about it. You are the person you are because of the home you grew up in. You see things the way you see things because of the home you grew up in. That is your foundation of life, right there. So first we start in our house your kids. You should be talking to this stuff about them with. I don't care if they're this big or this big Like. You should be having these conversations with them.
Speaker 1:Hey, we don't believe this, because this is what the Bible says. Like your kids should be leaving your house with some kind of a foundation for that and next you branch out from your house, you should be having these conversations with your neighbors. Here's what we shouldn't be doing. Though your neighbor votes differently from you, you don't just slam that, because that's not the issue. The issue is sitting here going no, no, no, we have a different view. We see the world through. The issue is is we don't agree on this because we don't agree on who Jesus is. And then, once that happens, you talk to your coworkers. I hate this stupid like oh, you never talk about religion or politics. Jesus says out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. So if you ain't talking about Jesus, guess what's not abundant in your heart? Jesus, and I get it. Sometimes it's awkward and uncomfortable and, oh, it's going to start a fight.
Speaker 1:You can't have a conversation with someone, didn't we just look at like two weeks ago? Golly, david speaker, as far as it depends on you, live peaceably with one another. I can have a conversation with people about anything without it escalating to World War III. You know why? Because I control half of that conversation. So as long as I'm not escalating up there, guess what the conversation's not going to do? Because if they start escalating up there all by themselves, what can you do? Walk away, you can go. Hey, my bad, my bad, I'm sorry, didn't mean to offend you, we can talk about this later. And then from there you keep going. That is how we affect change. That's how change happens. It happens with individual conversations.
Speaker 1:Let me ask you and so far there has only been one person in my life that has ever answered this question a certain way have you ever put up a post on Facebook or Instagram or wherever it is you use social media and underneath it someone commented and went thank you so much for this. You have completely changed the way I view the world. Anyone, anyone ever, like you, commented on someone else's post because you completely disagreed with what they were saying, and they were like you know what, thank you for that comment. Like I never thought about it that way. You have completely just blown up my worldview and I need to now talk to you Again. I've only met one person who has said oh yeah, that's happened. Some of you know them, so I'm not going to use their name, but here's the deal. It never happens, because you know what actually happens. The people who already agree with you are going to agree with you and they're going to type amen and all the things. And the people who don't agree with you are still going to disagree with you and they're going to tell you how stupid you are and how archaic and barbaric and how unevolved you must be, because this is the way you think Now, debbie.
Speaker 1:On the other hand, my wife, whom I get to talk to as much as I possibly can we have had a lot of conversations about a lot of very deep theological things throughout our many years together she's changed quite a bit, even if we just look at over the past ten years. Like I remember coming home from work one day and going, hey, debbie, do you think you chose God or do you believe God chose you? And that kicked off a three-year battle within our house where we are like throwing academic papers at each other and going, well, what about this essay and what about this? And this guy said this and this, and in the Bible it says this and this and this and this and this. And like when I say like robust conversations, they weren't always ending peacefully. Some of them were like, hey, I don't want to hear about Jesus for the next three days because this is starting to cause a conflict. It happens, I get it, but that's how change happens as well. See, this thing we're doing right now.
Speaker 1:Think about this, and I'm wrapping up right now. You came up a little too early. I'm putting that one on you. You make me feel like I have to hurry now. I done skipped eight slides, told you, I could have preached till one.
Speaker 1:Think about it like this, though what we are doing right now was started by one guy and 12 friends, and for those of you that were like they weren't his friends, they were his disciples. Jesus tells them in John I no longer call you disciples, I now call you my friend. So, one guy and 12 friends 2,000 years ago, 2,000 miles away from where we are right now, and yet here we are still talking about it. Why, huh? Because it had that big of an impact. Why else, though? Specifically, because Peter told one other person. Who told one other person, paul told one other person who started a church, who did this? Who did that? There was something, if you're not familiar with the village church don't worry about it, you don't need to be for what I'm about to say. But years ago they were doing this like study and it was the coolest thing I'd ever heard because the bumper to their sermon. They literally walked from like their church, from the village church, and they walked backwards some like 500 years and they could trace like how their church came to be from like some church, like overseas in England somewhere, and it was super cool.
Speaker 1:Like you know how you guys do, like you guys that trust the government, you do the what is it? 23andme or whatever? And you're like, oh here, yeah, half my blood. Like you're, like you don't trust the government on anything else, but you're like here, take my DNA and then you find out like oh crap, man, like I descended from royalty. Like oh crap, man, like I descended from royalty. Like how has everyone descended from super cool things Like I've never seen on there? Oh crap, half of my family got locked up in the Middle Ages. Like, but again, like they do the same thing just for their church. And it's super cool Because ultimately we are here because one individual talked to another individual, who talked to another individual.
Speaker 1:So, as we close. Who is it that you need to have a conversation with? Who is it that you're sitting here going, hey, you know what? We are all sinners in need of grace and I need to bring light into the darkness. Who is that one person that you're sitting here going like, no, no, no, this is an individual thing. I'm not meant to call the nation to repentance. I'm meant to call so-and-so, because that's what we are called to do. We're not called to rebel against the government. We're not called to start the revolution.
Speaker 1:Did Jesus start a revolution? We're not called to start the revolution. Did Jesus start a revolution? No, he didn't. What government did he overthrow? Who did he revolt against Satan? He didn't revolt. He went hey, I'm going to reform. I'm going to give you the ability to lead the life that I designed for you to live. I'm going to take away sin and darkness. He wasn't overthrowing the government. We shouldn't be either. Our call is to one another. Your call is to your family, to your friends, to your coworkers, to your neighbors. If we get off social media, I promise you you will be much happier in life. You will be less depressed, less anxious, less all of the things I promise you, jt, you'll be able to sleep, like I promise you. It would be better for you.
Speaker 1:So, father, I ask and I pray that God, you put on us who it is that you are sitting here going hey, here's who. I want you to have that conversation with God. I ask and I pray that if there are those of us in here who are still wrestling through our rebelliousness and sitting here going, oh, we're called God, I just ask and I pray that you go hey, hold up, I got this, I'll handle this, I'll make this work. You do the things I told you to do. I got everything else. So, father, I ask and I pray that you be with us, that you change us from the inside out, that, father, we can worship you more clearly and that, father, we just sit here and go. I'm just going to tell the world about you and I'm going to let you handle it, father. I pray this in Jesus'.