Month: November 2024

Do Unto Others: Do Not Be Anxious

/ Scott Russ / Leave a comment

Welcome everybody! Today we wrap up our sermon series called “Do Unto Others.” In week one, I talked about the Golden Rule and what it means to be kind to each other, especially during this political season. In week 2, Jen spoke about how we can learn to disagree with one another with kindness. Last week, Mark talked to us about the Kindness Challenge by looking at the parable of the good Samaritan. Today, I want to recognize the reality that many of us are feeling anxious during this political season, and it is a challenge to lead with our faith.

         Recently, I went to get a haircut at Great Clips in Loveland. Whenever I get a haircut, I typically allow the person cutting my hair to lead with whether or not they would like to have a conversation. I can be friendly and have a conversation with my hair stylist, but I don’t want to impose myself and force them to listen to me ramble. Sometimes, I get a talkative person and we have a pleasant conversation. Other times, not much is said as she concentrates on doing her job, and I respect that. Now, I have different feelings about a dentist who wants to talk to me while their hands are in my mouth, but that’s for another story. Recently, I was getting my haircut, and I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation going on with another customer just behind me. It was an older gentleman. During the majority of the time he was getting his hair cut, he was really going off about his view of the state of our country. He was so tense and full of anxiety as he talked about how our country is a mess. He expressed worry for his grandchildren about what kind of country they are inheriting. I genuinely felt sorry for the guy. My thoughts went to the fact that this gentleman probably only had a decade or two of life yet, and I wanted so much to help direct his attention to investing in his grandchildren rather than getting so caught up in politics that he verbally vomited an angry word salad over this poor lady cutting his hair. He was so absorbed in his political views that he was missing the most important thing right in front of him: passing on his love to his grandchildren. The world is changing at a rapid pace. There is very little we can do to slow down or stop cultural trends. We can’t let ourselves get so knotted up inside about things out there that we miss out on those right in front of us.

         Another observation that concerns me is what was described by Russell Moore in the book “The After Party” which I am doing a small group book study on that just finished up this past Wednesday. Russell Moore was a prominent leader in the Southern Baptist denomination. He would be sought after for advice and counsel from many other pastors. He started to see a trend in which several pastors were coming to him about their congregation. These pastors were preaching from the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus tells his audience to love one another, including our enemies. Jesus also says that we are to pray for those who persecute us and turn the other cheek when it comes to those who attack us. Congregation members were coming to these pastors asking where they got those woke, liberal talking points. The pastor would tell them that they were reading the literal words of Jesus from the Gospels. Then, the pastors were told by these members that that doesn’t work anymore. This, my friends, is scary when we not only choose to ignore the words of Jesus Christ but also go so far as to disagree with Him. That begins to put us on shaky ground. That is when faith no longer becomes our primary identity and instead becomes a token of our life that we can compartmentalize from all the other areas of our lives. We then justify our hate and anger towards those we disagree with outside of the church. 

          So, today I want to give you a list of things to consider as we are in this political season. It is times like this that help to sharpen or dull our faith. These are opportunities to wrestle with what you really put your hope and faith in. These times reveal more about us than we might want to admit. We would rather argue against those we disagree with than to look deep down inside of ourselves and see where we might be wrong or lacking in our faith.

         So here we go! This list comes from two sources. The first is from one of the authors of “The After Party”, Curtis Chang. I supplemented this list with another source by pastor Brian Zahnd. The first and most important thing that I want you to remember from today is that Jesus is First! Jesus is not saving the world or this country through a political party. He is saving it through the work of the Holy Spirit and through his church. God’s saving work in the world has very little to do with which political party is in power. We are citizens of God’s kingdom first. That is our highest allegiance. Everything else in this world falls under that. We cannot simply abandon the Sermon on the Mount for our politics. We must live into the teachings of Christ the best we can. Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” As the old hymn teaches us, our faith is built on nothing less than Jesus Christ and his righteousness! That must be primary!

         Second, we need to have a healthy understanding that politics won’t save us. It is an imperfect system run by imperfect people. What concerns me is when more and more Americans are becoming unchurched, they are still looking for a savior. And our politicians are becoming more of a Christological figure to some. Our preferred politician is going to save us and vanquish our enemies. This is very dangerous thinking. These are imperfect people who need Jesus just as much as we do. They need to be in our prayers that God’s grace will guide and direct them.

         Third, focus on the “how” over the “what.” The “WHAT” focuses on political debates and policies that each party is promoting. But what is so much more important is in “HOW” we treat others. The bottom line for politics is power. But the bottom line in Christianity is LOVE. Therein lies the rub. I know for me, it is easy to judge a person I don’t know by the signs or flags in their yards. Especially some of those who just don’t have a sign in their front yard for their preferred political candidate but have built a literal shrine to their favorite candidate. This shows misplaced hope in an imperfect person. If they win, we think they will fix everything. If they lose, we despair and think it is the end of the world.

         Fourth, politics isn’t about purity. What I mean by this is that we cannot just associate with people who only think just like us. As I pointed out in my previous sermon, Jesus made friends with tax collectors and zealots. He was known for hanging out with sinners and accused of being a glutton and a drunkard with the people he sought out. It is more vital for you to be filled with love for everybody than for your political party to win everything. To isolate ourselves from people who only think just like us is unhealthy. It is through the diversity of thoughts and opinions that we are able to consider other people’s points of view that might differ from ours. Don’t give into a “US vs. THEM” mentality. We are all made in the image of God and are loved by God, from the least to the greatest. 

         Fifth, guess what? We are all going to be groaning on November 6th. Half of our country will not be happy with the election results. Since some have made politics into the new religion of our country, some may even resort to violence if it doesn’t go their way like we saw last time. But look at what Paul says in Romans 8:22-24. He states, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved.” We are all in a state of groaning with the anticipation of Jesus finally renewing all of creation, including ourselves. This state of groaning will never be satisfied by who sits in the White House. We will always find imperfections and faults with whoever holds power in our country or any others. It is the hope that we have in Christ that He will finally make all things right.

         Sixth, the relational stakes are higher than the political ones. Our relationships with each other, our families, and our neighbors are by far more important than whether our political team wins an election. Friendships, families, and churches should not be splitting up over political differences. If we keep Christ at the center, everything else should fall in as a distant second to that. Every election cycle I have lived through has always been ramped up as the most important election ever! If we don’t get this election right, then it is the end of America as we know it! Let me tell you something. There is a great podcast called “Presidential.” I have listened to every episode. Each episode focuses on a president, beginning with George Washington and ending with Barack Obama. The podcast was leading up to the 2016 election. One thing I learned by listening to this podcast is that we have had some heroic presidents, and we have had some real scoundrels. Yet, through God’s grace, we have weathered through all of them for over two centuries. Now, I am convinced that some of our past presidents would have never been able to survive the 24-hour cable news cycle or social media in our present age. But that is the reality of what we have to deal with today. We need to be aware of what is influencing us, and make sure it is not causing us to love less or feel hopeless. I know this is cliché, but it is true, with fewer and fewer people going to church or having faith, you might be the only representation of Jesus to those around you. Are you showing love, grace, and hope to others? Are you building up your relationships rather than dividing them? And as we get closer to election day, let’s remember what Paul says in Romans 12:15, “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” There will be all kinds of feelings about the results of the election on the day after. Depending on who you are with, it may be an opportunity to rejoice or mourn. But it is not appropriate to show pride or contempt towards others. It is an occasion to be sympathetic to their feelings and help point them to Jesus, who is the true Savior of the World.

         Seventh, anxiety can lead us astray. There are so many things that are ramping up everybody’s anxiety. As I’ve mentioned, we have 24-hour cable news sources that have realized that to drive up ratings, they need to play on people’s fears, anxieties, and anger. This is poisoning the minds of many, many Americans. It is not healthy to walk around in a constant state of anger and anxiety. I am here to tell you that no party is perfect, no candidate is perfect, they are all flawed. They will let you down. Once again, our ultimate hope is in Jesus, and from that springs up joy within us. We have a tsunami of anxiety and anger directed at us on our televisions, on our phones, on our social media. For some of us we need to make hard choices about who and what exactly are discipling us. Are we allowing the Holy Spirit to change us and transform us to be more like Jesus, or are we allowing the media we consume to put us in a state of anxiety and anger against those we disagree with? This is a dangerous path that many have gone down recently. Paul reminds us in the letter to the Philippians, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” So, let’s make it a practice to take our anxiousness to God in prayer and allow the Holy Spirit to flood our souls with His peace. Remember, God’s peace transcends our own finite understanding, and it will guard our hearts from the troubles of this world.

Eight, we need to remember that institutions do matter such as the church, the government, the schools, and others. It is up to us to get involved and help create institutions that encourage a thriving life for all. We can’t take on a fatalistic or nihilistic approach to our institutions. We must do what we can to help, whether it’s becoming a teacher, a school board member, a parent volunteer, or an administrator. We can volunteer at our local election site or serve at a church using the gifts that God has blessed us with. There are so many institutions that we need to be actively involved with so that we can help make a difference in this world. Don’t isolate yourself and become anti-institutional. Instead, find a way to plug in and make a difference in your community. The fate of the kingdom of God does not rise or fall on our political contests. But we are called to be salt and light in the world. The only way we can do that is by becoming active and getting involved in our area of influence.

Ninth, cancel culture is not Biblical. What I mean by this is that we can’t just cancel people out of our lives simply because we disagree with them. If it is the radio, TV, or your phone that is bothering you, then yes, turn it off or change the channel. But when it comes to our neighbor, the Bible calls us to radical hospitality. The Christian response to disagreement is love, not exclusion. So, if your political passion is making it hard for you to love your neighbor as yourself, then you need to dial it down a bit. Look at your priorities and make sure you are keeping Jesus as the center of your life.  

And then, finally, we cannot forget to sing together! When the disciples were with Jesus on the night of his arrest before his crucifixion, they were all feeling the anxiety and tension in the room. The Gospels tell us that they participated in the Last Supper and then sang together. When we sing together, we connect in a powerful way that transcends our differences. This is one of the reasons we gather together for worship. Where else do people from so many different ways of life come together all around the world and sing songs, lifting up our voices in recognition of God’s love and hope for us? So, let’s invite the band to come up and lead us out with a song that will inspire us toward love and good deeds.

Benediction

Go out into the world being light in the darkness by showing God’s love to a fallen and imperfect world. Go out and vote, if you haven’t already, but let’s give our anxiety over to God, trusting that He is continuing to build his kingdom through us even despite all the empires around the world.

Kingdom over empire.

Hope over fear.

Love over hate.

May you go in peace and be the peace of Christ. Amen.

Living the Golden Rule: Kindness

/ Scott Russ / Leave a comment

Well, here we are! Another divisive political season is among us. And it is time for us as the church to check ourselves and ensure that the Holy Spirit keeps us in step with our actions and behaviors as so many other forces are vying for our attention and time. Our scripture passage today comes from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus tells us to do to others as you would have them do to you. And this rule alone sums up the Law and the Prophets. If we are honest with ourselves, we all want to be treated with dignity and respect. We want people to always give us the benefit of the doubt. We never want to be judged off of our worst moments. We, as Christians, all desire kindness and grace from God and others. Now, if that is what we would like given TO us, it must also be our Christ-like response TOWARDS others.

         Does this mean that I do not speak up for what I believe in? No. We can all debate policy, ideas, justice, and laws. We should stand up for what we believe in. But all too often, we do this with anger and rancor, using harsh language against those who think differently than us. There are a lot of examples in our politics and news that call the other side names that are demeaning, mean, and darn right unchristian. We can have our views. But we still need to be people of goodness and kindness.

         When you look at our country, it is easy to assume that we are consumed by division – there are red states and blue states. In fact, there is evidence that people are moving to different parts of the United States based on their political affiliation. To surround yourself with people who only think exactly like you on political issues is not healthy. I learned this in my theological thinking. It was easy for me, growing up in Northeast Ohio at a conservative, fundamentalist, non-denominational church where I believed all Christians thought just like me. It wasn’t until I moved to Lynchburg, Virginia, that I noticed a different brand of Christianity that was far more into politics than I was used to. There was a very divisive tone used from the pulpit against anyone who thought differently than a conservative Christian Republican. This was the heyday of Jerry Falwell, leading the Moral Majority. While I was at college there, I was taught exactly how to think about the faith from a conservative point of view and how anyone who thought differently was wrong. Looking back, I wrestled with what I believed to be indoctrination as opposed to teaching me how to think critically about the Bible.

         Then, I moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to attend seminary. It was there that I was taught that the Bible was far more complex and nuanced. It was one class in which we discussed the different views on hell and the afterlife. The professor explained that there were four different views on hell, explaining how each theological position was supported. After he was done, I immediately asked which view was the correct one and why the others were wrong. The professor said that that was not up to him to tell us; it was something we all had to wrestle with and come to terms on our own, knowing that there were good people throughout church history who believed in each of the four views. This blew my mind! This was the moment that my mind was opened and given permission to think for myself.

         Years later, as a youth pastor, I attended one of my first youth conferences. At this conference, the main speaker encouraged us to consider attending some of our breakout sessions by choosing topics and speakers that may not necessarily align with our thinking. Once again, this was huge for me. It would be easy to hear speakers who only affirmed exactly what I believed. However, I chose to hear from others who had a different position on topics than I had grown up with. This practice helped me to see that there are good people who believe in Jesus and have different views or takes on issues that I was blind to see from a one-size-fits-all view.

         The point of these stories is that life is far more complex and nuanced than we realize. It is naive to think that we could isolate ourselves with only people who think exactly like us, and vilify those who don’t. Yet, if we subscribe to certain talk-radio hosts, podcasters, or cable news networks, it is easy to fall into that “us vs. them” mentality of seeing the world in only black and white, or in our case, blue or red categories, when the reality is that there are many more shades of purple in our political spectrum. When we have real, honest conversations with people, we find out that we have far more in common than we do with what keeps us apart.

         Let’s consider the disciples for a moment. Whether you realize it or not, the Bible is very political, especially when we consider some of the disciples. We find a list of disciples whom Jesus called in Luke 6:12-16. It says:

Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: 14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, 16 and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

          I want to point out two specific disciples who followed Jesus. Jesus called Matthew to follow him while working as a tax collector. Back in the days of the Gospels, Israel was under Roman occupation. Rome would hire out Jews to help collect taxes from the oppressed Israelites. For many people, this was seen as an act of betrayal to the Israelite nation. On the opposite side of the political spectrum was a group called the Zealots. These we people who were violently opposed to the Roman occupiers. They would see the tax collectors as betrayers worthy of death. This is where the disciple Simon was coming from. He was a zealot. Knowing this, what was Jesus thinking about inviting these two into the inner circle of his disciples? They were polar opposites on the political spectrum in Israel at the time. They have been taught to hate and vilify each other. Yet, there was something about Jesus that transcended their politics and gave them a greater purpose. They were able to see each other as brothers in Christ and work together as Jesus’ disciples. They subscribed to a higher purpose that transcended their political views.

         And it is this that I believe we are called to as Christ-followers. I know for a fact that we have Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, and people who will choose not to vote or write in someone else, sitting right here in our church. But the thing that we all have in common is Jesus Christ and what he has done for us, and what he calls us to be through the Holy Spirit. While we can do a whole sermon series on the nine Fruit of the Spirit, I want us to zero in on the fact that KINDNESS is one of them.

         I am reminded of the passage in Micah 6:8 that says:

What does the LORD require of you

But to do justice, and to love kindness,

And to walk humbly with your God?

So, in Micah, we are encouraged to stand up for justice and what we believe is right, but to do that with kindness and humility, not with anger and demonization of those who think differently than you. Be kind to others. Show respect and love, understanding that we are all created in God’s image.

         I am also reminded of a passage that has greatly impacted my view of God Himself. Paul is writing his letter to the Romans, making the case that we should be careful not to judge others to lift ourselves up. When we do, we are showing contempt towards God and all He has done for us. Paul states:
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

         So, get that and let it sink in: God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance. Of all people who have the right to judge us, it is God himself. If we are honest with ourselves, we don’t stand a chance compared to God’s perfect holiness. Yet, it was His KINDNESS, FORBEARANCE, and PATIENCE with us that drew us in to experience his love and acceptance. God’s overwhelming patience and kindness towards us is truly something to wrap our minds around, especially during this political season. Let us be people who reflect the kindness that God gave to us and lavish it out to others.

         If your family is like my family, you have people on both sides of the political spectrum. And even though conversations at Thanksgiving and Christmas may raise one’s blood pressure a bit, we still deeply love each other and try to show kindness to each other. If someone is in need, our homes and resources are available to each other. Don’t ever shut people out of your life simply because they think or voted differently than you. Instead, let us be people of compassion and kindness towards all.

It is time for us to realize the importance of our faith impacting all areas of our lives. While I am a big believer in the separation of church and state, sometimes I wonder if we are misunderstanding the purpose of that belief. We live in a country where the government cannot impose a specific religion on the people. But this does not mean we separate our faith from our politics in the context of the church. Now, what I am not saying is that we should endorse a candidate or tell everyone which party to subscribe to. But we should allow our faith to be the grid through which we sift our thinking of politics. Our faith should help to shape our thinking on politics. Now, do all Christians think the same way? No. Absolutely not. There are good Christians on both sides of the political spectrum. I subscribe to the fact that both parties reflect good and bad ideas for this country. And it is important that we all pray and wrestle with who we think has a better vision for our country moving forward. But we must ground our thoughts and ideas about politics in the goodness and kindness of God towards us and others.

I’m reminded of what Paul told the Galatian church when they were getting all divisive over what it meant to be a “real” Christian. Paul went after the categories they were trying to force everyone into and said the Galatian believers need to think differently in chapter 3. Paul states:

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

I would extend this passage to the American church to say there is neither progressive nor conservative, Republican or Democrat, instead, we are all one in Christ. I honestly believe the only thing that will ever save our country, or any country for that sake, is for the church to be the church. The church needs to rise above the anger and hate that is becoming so prevalent in politics all around the world and be the best representation of Jesus Christ to others. We need to be people of kindness and grace towards all.

         Many of the mission trips I have taken teens and adults on connect us with a local church in the area where we go. I do not ask that they make sure we sign up with a church that thinks exactly like us. There have been times we have been connected to a conservative, rural or suburban church, while at other times, we have been partnered with progressive urban churches. My hope is that I can help teens and adults consider different perspectives of Christian thought that we may agree or disagree with respectfully, but we can still keep Jesus central to what holds us in common. For at least one week out of the Summer! We ought to be able to come together and show grace and kindness to each other, understanding that we all come from different walks of life, but ultimately, Jesus is the center of all our lives.

         There is one final challenge that I want to give you for this month. Let’s all commit to praying for our current president and those who are running for president and vice president for the next term. I am not necessarily telling you how to pray. But I am asking you to pray, recognizing that these are real people, many of whom are members of churches, so some of them are brothers and sisters in Christ! The problem is that some of us allow our political views to shade the spiritual reality of these people. All of them need our prayers. We want to see God impact their lives and lead them well. Their success is reflective of our success. Also, we must be reminded again and again no matter who is in the White House, Jesus is still on His throne, and His kingdom will not be shaken.

         So, KINDNESS is our keyword for this month. It is a reminder to you that our faith overrides our politics when it comes to our relationships with others. So, here is the deal: we have t-shirts, stickers, and yard signs for you with the reminder that we are to do unto others by being kind. There is a suggested price for these things, but I would love to see many of you wear your t-shirts this month, put your yard signs out, and stick that sticker somewhere you will see it every day as a reminder that we are to treat all people with kindness and grace. We are neither Republican nor Democrat, but we are all one in Christ Jesus. Let’s make it a practice to live by the golden rule, especially during this time.

May it be so.