This week we’re celebrating All Saint’s Day, and thinking about how to live like Christians even in election week. See below for a recording and copy of the sermon. Events this week: worship service 11 am on Sunday (remember to “Fall back” with Daylight Savings) and Bible Study 6 pm Wednesday. Be careful with the masks and keeping a distance, and feel free to join us from home. Praying and doing what we can for safety as coronavirus spreads in Ogden.
1 November 2020 Sunday Message; “Living With Other People”
Call to Worship; 1 Peter 2:11-17
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, 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. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
Opening, Prayer Concerns, Tithe, and Invitation; Father in Heaven, thank you for our very being. Today Lord we pray that you enter and fill us with your blessings of hope, faith, and submission. Father we pray that you show us how to serve in this life to further your kingdom in this hurting world.
Amen!
Message Reading; Romans 13:1-7
1Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Message; “Living With Other People”
This week’s message finds us in the midst of a nationwide vote. Where People in our country far and wide will vote at the local, state, and national levels to determine the direction our society will head towards in the near future. A most American of behaviors, with this week marking the latest iteration of a duty, citizens have performed going back 232 years.
This process has endured the limitations of only landed white men driving the course, through integration post Antebellum (Civil War), Slavery and the South), Poll Taxes and Jim Crow. On to the 19th Amendment 1920 with the expansion of the enterprise affording women the right to vote, then on to the voting rights acts of the 1960s ensuring all citizens common universal voting rights.
Our society’s march forward has been at times jubilant, and at other moments painful. Yet an overall direction towards reconciling the Constitution to the universal rights alluded to in the Declaration of Independence has been an underlying theme of this country’s progression.
Still there remains work to be accomplished, and the actuary’s results remain to be negotiated, compromised, and hashed over by an endless quest to perfect our society for the betterment of all. In the restless quest to improve, good people will disagree and seek redress through courts, legislation, and yes even through voting in our country.
So where does that leave the church and people of faith in this is a most anxious time for countless people in our society? For many just the very idea that there is uncertainty or a lack of confidence in the things many of us have found solace and comfort in (health, government, and community), gives great heartache.
Today, I wanted to talk with you about some ideas that have been brewing around in my mind for a while, and so I thought with the election cycle at its most intense, we could discuss some ideas of how we Christians might support our community at this time.
What today’s message is not, it is not a political endorsement, or direction on how to vote in any way what so ever. Not even hinted at! We are a nonpolitical church that offers refuge to all people. We neither promote nor do we accept distractors from God’s word.
My job as your Pastor is not to tell you my thoughts on liberal or conservative, or libertarian, or any contrarian way of thought. It is not to direct you towards the political right, left, or anything in between way of thinking. I am your Pastor, and this is your church because we exist to equip you with the tools to search out God and with Him; to think for yourselves, to pick for yourselves, and then offer goodwill to all whom you come in contact with.
I thank the Lord that we are not forced to live like people of faith did in the last century, suffering under Nazi Germany or a Communist Stalinist totalitarian regimes, or in repressed regions in the world today. Making our “Call to Worship” passage from Peter within our grasp. From 1 Peter 2:11-17 we have;
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, 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. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
Many would say that we indeed do live in Pagan times like what Paul and the early church endured. And maybe in some degree we can indeed relate the times we live in with theirs, when it comes to idolatry. (Putting false hope in lifeless articles, concepts and ideals.) What is different is that we are afforded the chance to actually participate in the direction our society directs itself.
Yes what is amazing from the perspective of being a Christian in this fallen world that we are given a chance to participate in the sustainment of this country, our nation of hope. Even though we are in some measure outsiders as Moses referred to himself in Exodus 2:21-22
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. 22 Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”
A common underlying theme for people of God through the ages. Again, mentioned in our Call to Worship from 1 Peter 2:11-12, we are called to live good lives from Peter stating;
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
In other words, don’t sink to the baseline of behavior or standards that you see all around you. Live your faithwalk in Him and in each other. What our faith tells us is that we; even though living in the world, living with other people, we are not of the world. Making us foreigners and exiles when it comes to ethics, idolatry and Hope. And yet we still want to try and influence our community for the better by leadership through example. Peter tells us how to do this, continuing in verse 13;
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, 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. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
I think I can hear the move many right now might be making. Reaching for the loophole clause that always comes up. It goes like this; What if the government is corrupt and the emperor and his governors or any other official are vile, unfair, and harsh? What about the Nazis or communist suppression in the last century, or how minorities are treated in some places today? What about how Bonhoeffer stood up to the hate of Hitler? All good points, and leads us to the first step all of us in this faithwalk of ours must take if we are to keep true to who we are. Prayer!
Prayer followed by more prayer may not sound like much, but they tap us into the greatest force in the universe. My being in tune with the Lord helps me to know when to submit (when it’s lawful and righteous) and when I need to ask others to help with guidance. Another reason for us to be together to pool and channel ourselves together in search of the promptings of God’s Holy Spirit. To ensure that we are following God and not our own limited understandings in this life.
It will always be easy and desirable to employ the Hitler, Stalin, and totalitarian what about defense when we are called to submit to authority. My hope would be that we generally avoid using a one size fits all approach to life, understanding that our existence is full of nuance and individual judgements in the practice of our faithwalk.
To understand when we are being manipulated or lead in the wrong direction by modernity’s nuances or hard to understand things in this life, we must be in relationship with the Lord’s Spirit! Realizing that as James 3:13-18 instructs us, that there are two kinds of wisdom in life;
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
As we strive to be good citizens living with other people in our community, we must strive to lead by example and in synch with the Lord. For me this means that before I act on my feelings about someone or some law, or some group feeling they are immoral, unjust, or flat out unredeemable, I need to be in communion with the Lord and His family and perform some real soul searching in prayer. Listening to what God has to say and not what my ego, fears, and envy have to say. This I believe is the gateway to being productive members of our community, as we were instructed in today’s “Message Reading” from Paul’s letter to the Romans chapter 13, and I will start at verse 4;
4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
In our country, if we believe a leader, an elected official, law, or tax is unjust or outright wrong, we are empowered to work for change within the framework of the law. In fact working within the framework of our laws and subscribing to the rule of law is how we submit ourselves to the lawful authority of “We the People”. That is what is reflected in the history of our republic. This is the wonderful inheritance we share in this society of ours as we seek to live with others in our communities.
So what should we do if we disagree with where our community is positioned in relation to civil rights, laws, or community assistance? Is there recourse if my conscience is revolted at the unfairness I see? Yes! Here are some ideas for your consideration.
- Prayer for God’s wisdom.
- Seek out other people whom you trust to learn with.
- Educate yourself.
- Participate in your community
By reaching outward, by looking outward instead of recoiling into us versus them, we make ourselves available to be God’s tools in the here and now. Beginning with:
- Praying for God’s wisdom: I need to be in a relationship with the Lord to ensure my actions are as Paul spoke of as “a matter of conscience”. Praying that all of us are listening to the Lord and not just getting my way in life.
- Seek out other people whom you trust to learn with and from: With family, friends and yes Church!
- Participate in your Church; Learning to be a part of a force for good in life, by building instead of tearing down.
- Leading, following, and walking with others we seek to build up, support, or are subjected to in obedience; Are crucial aspects in life’s development. We learn to do one through doing the others. This is so because it involves putting others first before ourselves!
- Educate yourself: Through scripture and theological study, secular studies historical and current events, with those you agree and differ with but trust and then alone.
- Participate in your community; Vote!
- Volunteer work.
- Pray for your community and society.
Notice; not once have we mentioned Republican or Democratic! And yet Our Church and this Faithwalk is all about equipping you with the confidence and hopefully tools to get out there and live your life with your Lord. You choose how that works for you with God Not me or any other Pastor.
When we hope for the good, pray for the best, and work for the progress of our society, in sync with the Lord’s agenda in the unfolding of our History, we build upon a purchased foundation. We magnify those who have come before us, and we honor those who have given the last full measure of themselves in its sustainment. We keep the words of Lincoln at Gettysburg alive each time we do so.
And in the words concluding the Gettysburg Address we remember:
“that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Every time we as a people vote, work towards change or sustainment by taxation, or pursue liberal and conservative objectives, in times of joy or in angst, When we share grace, good will and love, I believe we are also following the Lord’s instruction in Matthew 22:21 by submitting and even paying taxes, Jesus said:
“So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
I pray we do all of these things in prayerful humility, with our church being a force for good in all in these pursuits. And that every time we do so, we reaffirm our resolution to support others we live with in this society.
Amen!
Benediction; Numbers 6:24-26