Rev. David Holwick U Father's Day First Baptist Church Ledgewood, New Jersey June 15, 1997 1 Peter 2:13-14,17 TRUST AUTHORITY =============== I. Are cops our friends? A. Some see government as an enemy. 1) Tim McVeigh and "Christian" militia movement. a) (quote in cartoon about Death Star storm troopers...) b) Bumper sticker: "Question Authority". B. Others see government as something to be manipulated. 1) FM 105 - Cops are crooked, so you need some influence. "My son was pulled over, judge threw it out because of who we are." C. Two unpopular themes. 1) Peter highlights two areas we have problems with: authority and submission. 2) Americans have always been cantankerous about authority - Boston Tea Party and Whiskey Rebellion. 3) Fathers are associated with it, and so aren't as popular. a) Spankings remembered: (all lined up, somber, the question: Who's going to be first?) b) What does God think about all this? II. Authority - established by God. A. We are created to need structure. 1) Literal phrase is "human creations." a) In classical Greek, used of city organizations. b) In Biblical Greek, creation always used of something God brings into being. 1> God places us in societies and hierarchies. 2> We need other people, and we need structure. A> Families, corporations, churches. -2- c) Someone has to lay down rules, for kids and citizens. 2) The fact that we are "aliens in world" doesn't mean we can disregard laws. B. Some authorities are higher than others. 1) Peter's pecking order: governors, kings... 2) God is the ultimate authority. a) He sets up government. b) He can dispose of governments. Daniel 2:21, 37-38 3) If we can't accept authority of gov't, can we accept God's authority? Romans 13:1-2 C. Responsibilities of authority. 1) Punish wrong. a) Execution for Tim McVeigh. b) Dads need to set boundaries for kids. 2) Encourage right. a) Politics tends to remain negative and petty. b) Giving people vision is important, and setting a moral example. Americans expect a lot from their leaders. c) Same with dads. Don't just say, "No!" Push goodness. III. Submission. A. For Lord's sake. 1) God has established government, and we need to make a good impression. 2) Christians should not despise government. a) Even bad governments have a use. -3- B. Duties of a Christian citizen. -Jonathan Edwards 1) We have a responsibility to society beyond the walls of the church. 2) We should not hesitate to join forces with non-Christians in the public square to work toward common moral goals. 3) We should support our government but be ready to criticize it when conscience demands. 4) Christians should remember that politics is comparatively unimportant in the long run. 5) Christians should be aware of national pride. 6) Christians should care for the poor. #4097 Richard Rorty is a progressive philosopher who deals with issues like compassion and equality in society. He says he owes more to Jesus on these concepts than to any of the classical writers. Atheist Bertrand Russell wrote a book called, "Why I am Not a Christian." In it he conceded that although he took Jesus to be no more than a humanistic moral prophet, modern progressivism is indebted to Christ for the ideal of compassion. Christianity tries to humble the mighty and prod the rich into concern for the poor. Our bottom line should always be people. #3439 C. Conflicts of authority. 1) Sometimes government tries to take more than it is given. a) Communism and deification of rulers. b) Dr. H. Sloane Coffin once said, "Christians, like Jesus, have God as their authority, and no authority as their God." #2913 c) God should always win. Acts 4:19 2) Is Peter being naive? a) He is not blind to the sin of government. -4- 1> Peter witnessed the crucifixion. 2> He was unjustly imprisoned. 3> Nero, a real loser, was emperor at time. b) Bible gives examples of disobeying gov't. 1> Widwives in Egypt. Exod 1:17 2> Daniel refusing to bow. Dan 3:13-18; 6:10-24 3> Apostles insisting on preaching. Acts 4:18;5:27 c) Therefore our submission is not "under any circumstances." IV. Born-again free. 2:16 A. Living free. 1) Despite struggles, we shouldn't be uptight. 2) We are free to make good choices. 3) We are free to love, serve (below, C.). 4) We cannot be held back by lousy dads or incompetent gov't. B. Freedom not a cover-up for evil. 1) Don't confuse liberty with license. a) "I have rights!!" usually means we are abusing them. b) Christian freedom is never freedom to hurt another. 1> To the contrary, freedom releases us from every restraint that would keep us from doing the right. 2> Only in total submission can we realize maximum freedom. 2) Years ago, Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick offered a helpful story. He compared government to a pump. A pump can only pull out of the well that which is already there. Government is the same. The ruling authorities can only insure a solid moral and spiritual foundation for American by pulling it out of the American people. -5- Government cannot legislate morality; it can only structure the moral commitment that we allow to exist. This is why we must be salt, light, leaven. Or, as Peter puts it, a good citizen is being a servant of God. #2914 V. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. 2:17 A. Proper respect to everyone. 1) Christian contribution to politics: all are created by God and have rights. 2) Be considerate even to enemies. B. Love brotherhood. 1) Love goes beyond respect. 2) Recognizes value, and sacrifices for benefit of other. 3) Try to love everyone, but by all means love fellow believers. C. Fear God. 1) Fear of God is beginning of wisdom. Ps 111:10 2) He is our ultimate authority. D. Honor king. 1) Christians should be known for their respectful way of dealing with government. (Often we're not.) 2) Honor the office at least, if guy is unworthy. 3) If we show proper respect for human institutions, we will live happy, fulfilled lives. =========================================================================== TEXT 13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. ..... 16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king. =========================================================================== ILLUSTRATIONS CATEGORY: Western Civilization, Society, Politics, Liberty, Freedom, Impact, Jesus Christ, Greek Philosophy, Compassion, Community ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TEXT: Gen 11:4f, Gen 12:1-3, Matt 22:17f, Luke 6:36, John 8:32, John 12:32, John 14:6, Acts 2:11, Acts 14:15ff, Acts 17:19ff, 1 Cor 1:20f, Col 2:8, 1 Tim 2:4, 1 Tim 4:10, 1 Pet 2:13-17, Rev 5:9, Rev 7:9, Rev 14:6, Rev 21:2 Number: 3439 Hard copy: y SOURCE: Imprimis, Hillsdale College Newsletter TITLE: A New Vision Of Man: How Christianity Has Changed Political Economy AUTHOR: Michael Novak PAGE: 1 DATE: 5/1/95 Typist: ENTERED: 12/19/95 DATE_USED: ILLUSTRATION__________________________________________________________________ : Little attention has been devoted to the impact of the Bible on economics. At least seven contributions made by Christian thinkers, meditating on the words and deeds of Jesus Christ, altered the vision of the good society proposed by the classical writers of Greece and Rome and made certain modern conceptions of political economy possible. Seven contributions of Christianity to Western Civilization: 1. To bring Judaism to the Gentiles. Belief in a Creator leads to liberty. Three corollaries from notion of a Creator: a. We should be intelligent. b. We should trust liberty. c. We should understand history has a beginning, and an end. The concept of "progress" is a Hebrew idea, not Roman or Greek. Every story in the Bible is about a drama involving the human will. Offering thanksgiving is our first moral obligation. 2. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity points to the mystery of community. Christianity has a vision of the entire world community. The many form one. 3. The children of God. Greeks viewed people as gold, silver or lead (slaves). Christianity sees people as creations of God, and valuable. Even the weak have value. Value comes from God. We are equal because we are unique, we are not equal because we are the same (modern progressivism). We do not have to pull people down to enforce uniformity. 4. Compassion.3439 Progressive philosopher Richard Rorty wrote that he owes more to Jesus for certain key progressive notions, such as compassion and equality, than to any of the classical writers. Bertrand Russell, in his book, "Why I am Not a Christian," conceded that although he took Jesus to be no more than a humanistic moral prophet, modern progressivism is indebted to Christ for the ideal of compassion. Christianity tries to humble the mighty and prod the rich into concern for the poor. 5. A universal family. The entire human race is a universal family. All are created by God, and urged to love that God. We cannot be parochial, and we cannot be premature universalists. 6. "I am the truth." Everything in creation is understandable. Christianity is committed to truth beyond human purposes. The notion of truth is crucial to civilization. Relativism undercuts this foundation. There can be no civilization of reason, or love, without faith in the vocation of reason. 7. The name of God: mercy. Christianity teaches not only about human glories, but also sins. Our republic is constructed for sinners. Mercy triumphs over justice (or none of us would stand). Mercy is only possible because of judgment. A U.S. Supreme Court Justice once wrote, "Our institutions presuppose a Supreme Being." They do not presuppose ANY Supreme Being, but the God of Judaism and Christianity. Remove the religious foundation and free society falls apart. Better than the philosophers, Jesus Christ is the teacher of many lessons indispensable for the working of the free society. #3439 * CATEGORY: Government, Morality, Society, Influence, Salt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TEXT: Matt 5:13, Rom 13:1-7, Rom 13:10-14, Eph 5:8-16, 1 Pet 2:17 Number: 2914 Hard copy: SOURCE: Dynamic Preaching Disk, Summer 1992 "A" TITLE: The Cry Of Freedom AUTHOR: Rev. Ric S. Ritz PAGE: Jul 7 92 bonDATE: 6/1/92 Typist: ENTERED: 12/30/94 DATE_USED: ILLUSTRATION__________________________________________________________________ CATEGORY: Government, Society, Culture War, Values, Democracy, Conflict, Love Enemy, Peace On Earth, Atheism, Secularism, Politics ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TEXT: Hab 1:3, Ps 55:21*, Ps 120:7, Ps 139:21, Ps 140:2, Prov 20:18, Eccl 3:8, Eccl 9:18, Isa 2:4, Matt 5:14f, Matt 5:43f, Matt 12:25, Luke 6:27f, Rom 7:23, 2 Cor 6:7, 2 Cor 10:3-5*, 1 Pet 2:11, 1 Jn 5:19, Rev 12:7,17, Rev 13:7, Rev 17:14 Number: 3453 Hard copy: SOURCE: Online Christianity Today (America Online) TITLE: Culture War Casualities [Part 1] AUTHOR: John D. Woodbridge PAGE: DATE: 3/6/95 Typist: ENTERED: 1/13/96 DATE_USED: ILLUSTRATION__________________________________________________________________ : [see #3454] How warfare rhetoric is hurting the work of the church. Talk of war is everywhere. It exploded into popular discourse when sociologist James Davison Hunter of the University of Virginia published "Culture Wars," his book-length analysis of our nation's moral impasse. In his follow-up book, "Before the Shooting Begins: Searching for Democracy in America's Culture War," Hunter argues that the conflict over values is so severe that our very democracy may be in jeopardy. In his provocative book "Beyond Culture Wars: Is America a Mission Field or Battlefield?" Reformed theologian Michael Horton uses the same language of battle and claims the war has been fought and lost. Horton cites Jewish scholar Irving Kristol's doleful lament: "In his [1992 Republican] convention speech, Pat Buchanan referred to the 'culture wars..' I regret to inform him that those wars are over, and the Left has won. ...The Left today completely dominates the educational establishment, the entertainment industry, the universities, the media.... There is no point in trying to inject 'family values' into these institutions. They will debase and corrupt the very ideal while pretending to celebrate it." Evangelical leader James Dobson of Focus on the Family also uses the powerful metaphor of war, writing urgently about "the ongoing civil war of values." His newsletters rehearsing various battles of this "civil war" mobilize thousands. Other ministries and, indeed, Christianity Today authors comment on both victories and losses in this Herculean struggle. Undoubtedly, the metaphor of "culture war" reflects the reality of conflict. Today Christians swim against a tide of sub-Christian behavior: drugs, distorted sex, greed, violence, abortion, abuse, broken families, children without fathers. Key institutions--the media, universities and schools, and government agencies--sometimes seem less concerned to change such behavior than to defend it from "Puritanism." Christians who want to reverse destructive behavior may find themselves at odds with a culture that enables, encourages, or even celebrates it under the rubrics of personal expression and individual rights. Activist Christians may also encounter anti-Christian attitudes--a spirit of condescension if not outright hostility. ABC News religion commentator Peggy Wehmeyer, herself an evangelical, observed in an interview in TV Guide: "The elite in this country--the courts, education, media, the arts--tend to view people who take their faith very seriously ...with a smug, arrogant attitude." On National Public Radio, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz noted that no evangelical Christian could be appointed as a faculty member at Harvard Law School. He lamented the fact that pluralism is often a code word for "ideologically correct." And yet, I believe Christians should be wary of adopting uncritically the friend-or-foe, either-or rhetoric of war. Such a metaphor is problematic for several reasons. THE DANGERS OF WAR TALK First, culture-war rhetoric can be self-fulfilling prophecy, exacerbating the very conflicts it seeks merely to describe. Repeated recourse to the language of war makes it harder to love our enemies--and it is already hard to do so--because it inflames angry feelings. Second, culture-war rhetoric leads us to distort others' positions, to see enmity in place of mere disagreement. It leaves no room for nuanced positions, or for middle ground. Third, culture-war rhetoric distorts our own position, too--making our message seem mainly to be angry criticism when it ought to be mainly the reconciling gospel of Jesus Christ. Fourth, culture-war rhetoric plays into the hands of extremists on the Left, who would like to convince Americans that "the Religious Right" seeks to impose a theocratic state on them. Fifth, culture-war rhetoric tends to create division among Christians, even evangelical Christians--for in war, there is no room for question or hesitation, and those who are slow to march in lockstep seem to be cowards or traitors. These concerns apply to all orthodox believers. Culture-war rhetoric may hurt our purposes--and hurt us. I regret the haunting title of Hunter's recent book: "Before the Shooting Begins." Such rhetoric may sell books. But such rhetoric does little to foster an ambiance in which those Americans who are alienated from each other can seek reconciliation. Indeed, it reinforces the mindset of people like those extremists who laud the killing of abortion doctors and staff. The vast majority of other Americans are not hostile toward evangelical Christians and are not ready to shoot anybody. We would be more accurate to portray the bulk of the American public not as belonging to two giant phalanxes of the Right and Left engaged in mortal combat, but as religious centrists, remaining to varying degrees committed to Judeo-Christian values and to First Amendment guarantees regarding freedom of religion. There are theaters of cultural warfare, but millions of Americans are not self-consciously enlisted soldiers in them. The recently released study of American sexuality, for example, "The Social Organization of Sexuality," paints a more conservative portrait of Americans' sexuality than we would suppose, given the lurid presentation often proffered by the television, film, and print media. Similarly, a recent Roper poll sponsored by Focus on the Family uncovered a spectrum of beliefs regarding abortion, not the monolithic divisions associated with a culture-war model. A majority of Americans lean toward the pro-life position, with 52 percent of men and 60 percent of women fitting this description. In their book "The People's Religion: American Faith in the 90's," George Gallup, Jr., and Jim Castelli note the surprising finding that the formal beliefs of Americans have changed relatively little since the 1940s: "In fact, the nation in some respects has remained remarkably orthodox--even fundamentalist--in its belief." The imagery of a spectrum must be counterbalanced with Augustine's famous descriptions of the City of God and the City of Man. Evangelical Christians do believe that only some follow Christ and the Spirit; these disciples are distinguished from others who follow the Evil One and the flesh (see also Jesus' parables in Matthew 13). Moreover, hard-fought spiritual warfare is taking place on this planet and right in this country. Nor should we run away from the biblical passages that compare the Christian life to soldiering and fighting the good fight and contending for the faith. But Augustine reminds us that, at the societal level, it is preferable if the citizens of the City of God and the City of Man live at peace on earth. The imagery of a spectrum encourages our seeking after civic peace, disdaining rhetoric that promotes unnecessary explosive confrontations. Perhaps the spectrum might be envisioned in this way. On the Far Right are those Americans who want to impose Christian values by law on their fellow citizens and who appear willing to sacrifice constitutional guarantees regarding freedom of religion. The culture-war motif serves them well as a rationale for enlisting and inspiring partisans. On the Far Left is a relatively small but powerful group of atheistic elites in education, government, law, and the media who want to drive anything but atheism from the public square. Their tactic is to woo the huge, confused middle by characterizing conservative Christian political activists as extremists who want to take away the civil rights of other Americans. The culture-war motif also serves their cause beautifully. With their oversized media megaphones, they can try to persuade Americans in the middle that perfidious Christian extremists (read fundamentalists or the "Religious Right") are the nation's foes. And whenever a Christian leader speaks about a desire to recreate a "Christian America," or a fringe extremist from the Far Right commits murder, he or she gives ammunition to those who would want to frighten the religious middle. It would be wrong to confuse those in the muddled middle with the left-wing extremists. What many Americans in the middle are concerned about is the imposition of moral teachings by law. They cannot justify this approach with their perception of the Constitution's guarantees regarding separation of church and state. For example, Hunter has found that some Americans oppose abortion but feel their personal beliefs should not be forced upon others. One woman told Hunter's researchers, "I would say my views are true for me, but I can't put that on someone else. I just can't force my truths on other people." Those of us who oppose abortion and believe the law should explicitly protect unborn children may sometimes misinterpret our neighbors' concern as hostility toward us or our view of the morality of abortion. In fact, they may agree with us about the horror of abortion but come to a different conclusion when they wrestle with the issue of how its eradicat ion should take place. They often view religion and morality as "private," having no place in public life. It does not necessarily help, in persuading such people, to cast them in the role of "enemy." In an address to the National Association of Evangelicals, NAE president Don Argue declared: "The so-called Religious Right has lost its right to be heard by a large segment of the general public." He continued: "Our positions regarding abortion and homosexuality are very clear, but we need balanced, articulate, biblical leadership" in order to avoid alienating "the very people we are trying to lead." He lamented the fact that some evangelicals "have violated Jesus' command to love their enemies and do good to those who persecute them." I would argue that the very use of "culture wars" rhetoric tends to reinforce that attitude. It pushes people into opposite camps instead of encouraging them to seek areas of common ground. It blinds us to our own shortcomings by keeping our focus on the wounds inflicted by our "enemies" rather than on addressing our own failings. Culture-war rhetoric can even stir misunderstandings within the evangelical community itself by creating a climate in which anyone who speaks up for civility can be suspected of inadequate courage in fighting for "Christian values." #3453 * CATEGORY: Society, Change, Transform, Politics, Reform Movements, Hero, Riot, Violence, Telemachus, Pornography, Entertainment ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TEXT: Gen 6:11F, 1 Kg 14:24, 1 Kg 15:12F, 1 Kg 22:43F, 2 Kg 18:3F, 2 Kg 23:3F, Ps 7:9, Ps 55:9, Jer 22:3, Ezek 8:17, Ezek 12:19, Ezek 45:9, Hab 1:3, Mal 2:16, 1 Cor 5:1, 1 Cor 10:7, Eph 5:5, 1 Pet 2:12 1 Pet 4:3* Number: 3078 Hard copy: SOURCE: Discipleship Journal, #86 TITLE: "Changing Society From The Inside Out" AUTHOR: J. Stephen Lang PAGE: 52 DATE: 3/1/95 Typist: ENTERED: 3/3/95 DATE_USED: ILLUSTRATION__________________________________________________________________ : The Roman Empire was socially corrupt, and it took a long time for Christians to have a positive influence. Romans liked spicy "slice of life" theater, with ample nudity, live sexual acts, and the actual torturing of criminals on stage. Chariot racing was an obsession, and (as with modern-day soccer matches) fans of rival factions often rioted. In one riot in A.D. 532, 30,000 people were killed. Note the date: 532 was more than 200 years after the Roman empire had become (in theory, at least) Christian. Worse than drama and racing were gladiatorial games. Their blood and brutality make 20th century hockey and boxing matches seem like parlor games. Gladiators, most of whom were criminals or prisoners of war, fought to the death. The loser in each contest was usually stabbed through the throat, with the crowds roaring. The bloody sand was raked over, and a new contest would begin. Such bloodbaths were not just for the dregs of society but for everyone, including the emperors. Blood flowed, bodies fell in droves, and the Roman elite cheered. From the time of Nero on, Christians were part of the spectacle. The famous cry "Christians to the lions!" is truth, not legend. When Christianity became legal in the year 312 under Emperor Constantine, Christian persecution ceased, but the games did not. Did the supposedly Christian emperors find the games disgusting and immoral? If they did, they never let on. Politically speaking, it wouldn't have been prudent. The gory games were a cherished Roman tradition. Both before and after Constantine's conversion, Christians lamented the evil of Roman public amusements. One Christian author called the games "cannibal banquets for the soul." Other Christian leaders claimed that the public shedding of blood for sport encouraged crime and a general disdain for human life. Even though many gladiators were convicted criminals under a death sentence, sensitive souls grieved that citizens enjoyed watching the butchery. Besides, some professional gladiators made a career out of public slaughter. Many churches refused baptism to a gladiator unless he changed professions, and some congregations refused holy communion to Christians who attended the games. One Christian tried a more drastic approach. In the fifth century a man named Telemachus leapt into the arena to stop a gladiatorial contest. The mob (composed of citizens who were nominally Christian) stoned him to death. Soon after, the emperor ordered the contests stopped - permanently. They did not end solely became of Telemachus's martyrdom, but because enough Christians, and people influenced by Christians, saw the games as the vulgar, inhumane entertainment that they were. What can we learn from this? One way to fight an evil is to make fellow believers aware of it. In the days of the empire, pastors reminded their flocks that Christ's people have no business attending such spectacles. #3078 [see also #480] *