Should President Biden Be Banned from Communion?

Should the Roman Catholic Church band Pres. Biden from taking communion best is one of the questions will be answering on today's edition of core Christianity hi this is Bill Meyer along with pastor Gabriel Sanchez and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question. At 833. The core that's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on our Facebook twitter or Instagram account. You can also watch us on YouTube or on live right now you can message us. That way you can email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Justin in Oklahoma just in what your question for pastor atrial question is pastors in the church about to neutralize to your loved Oklahoma say that it's not okay to be outfitted as Christian and I was wondering since we're made in the image of God.

And we know also that our Lord Jesus was offended and upset that the Pharisees and Sadducees in it and that in the town where he if it was not okay to be offended by something that's that's my question. Thank you. Yeah, yeah, I think we necessarily want to say it's it's never okay to be a thing to me. Obviously, there are some people who take offense very easily and I would say that's not a healthy thing you know, sometimes I think we get offended about things that we don't need to be offended about. But there are certainly things that should should and do cause offense and you think you know that the passage of Scripture that you brought up Jesus turning over the table see it in and around the temple in Matthew 21 hour he's cleansing the temple just highlights the fact that Christ was offended by the sin of the people bite by the sin of these these religious leaders who really should have known better and so there are some things I think it really should offend us and if we you know you Caesar make us angry. If we use Jesus as the example they are what's happening. Well, the worship of God is being turned into a business that the people instead of worshiping the Lord fixing their eyes on the Lord, focusing on the forgiveness of sins it's it's all about the sort of transaction and making a buck and and Jesus says in Matthew 20 need you guys have turned my father's house into a den of thieves is supposed to be a house of prayer for the nations, and yet you you corrupted it and so when we see the worship of God being corrupted in the world today. Folks not living in accordance with the teachings of Christ church is not following the ways of the Lord. I think that that should cause us to be angry should frustrate us should you know cause offense. I also think about what Peter says about righteous lot in second Peter chapter 2, where he talks about lot you are living in Sodom and Gomorrah and how it was that that affected him. It says God rescued righteous Lot greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked verse eight for as that righteous man lived among them day after day he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard that in lot there is is or traders as a righteous man is a godly man living in the midst of a society that had totally abandoned God's law and and Peter tells us, you know, it was righteous. In this the sort of torment that he felt this offense that was that was experienced by him because of what people around him were doing that wasn't a bad thing necessarily and so while I would say that you know there are there are certain things that should not offend us that sometimes we do get offended by night. We have to, you know, be careful that were not so overly sensitive that that the things that aren't just did it to be offensive to us end up defending us and causing us to stumble there other things that that really do and ought to lead us to be angry.

In particular, you know that the corruption of God's worship people vulnerable people being hurt and harmed. Yeah, we should be upset about that we should go to the Lord. We should take those things to the Lord in prayer and so just thank you for that for that call.

Appreciate you thinking through this I know that you personally and driller offended by bad Mexican food.

Well Bill, I turn over tables and next is not the way that I like it. You just don't want to sound like Jesus you know with so yeah I believe you say that because not long ago we went to Mexican restaurant and I really was offended, but this is not what is this so anyways had grown up in San Diego and being Hispanic. You know you can still mess with my Mexican food. Though this is a core Christianity with pastor atrial Sanchez and if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

We would love to hear from you.

Here's the number 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 let's go to Brandon who is in Alberta, Canada.

Brandon, thank you so much for calling all the way from Canada and what your question for pastor atrial on me and my family and my question is coworker on not a believer and yesterday he had to do with his son passed away from cancer. Not even three years old and so I was just wondering what kind of biblical encouragement I can give to him the second part of the question, what is would it be correct to say if his son is in paradise with Jesus's Brandon, I'm so sorry to hear about this situation.

I can imagine what your what your coworker is going through right now and I would say in the first thing is you just need to make sure that your your praying for him you I think about what the apostle Paul said in the book of Romans to weep with those who weep.

There are a number of Psalms throughout the Psalter. The Psalms of lament with the psalmist is crying out to God and asking God to serve. Why question why did you allow this to happen. Why am I experiencing the suffering that I'm experiencing this is just the reality for Christians and non-Christians alike that we experience devastating things in life that cause us to lament and and you said that you did this coworker is is not a believer. Is that right. He's not a Christian, maybe we might allow us to their brand what what what I would say is you know one. You have to recognize that sometimes it's not helpful when something when something as tragic as this happens to sort of lead with. Let me give you a handful of Bible verses because Scripture doesn't necessarily give us a clear answer to the why these kinds of horrible things happen. We know we live in a sinful broken world. We know that we know that death is is a part of the reality that we experience because of sin, and in situations like this.

I was I would first and foremost encourage you to just be there for this coworker to go to him to offer prayer to encourage him in whatever you maybe that looks like I'm bringing meals. Maybe that looks like just checking in from time to time, especially us as more time goes by, oftentimes with with tragedies like this you know it. Initially there. There is and can be a lot of support, but then as the months go by that that support sometimes wanes, and so I would say being consistent in supporting this this person and and offering your service and then and then you know as you do that praying that the Lord would give you opportunities to share about the hope of the gospel and the promise of the resurrection of the dead.

Now I don't know that it's hopeful to speculate about you know the children and in particular, I am of the the opinion that infants it don't those who die prematurely. Think of abortions as well that kind of thing that they're in the presence of the Lord, you know there's one passage that we sometimes go to work. David's son died and David says look yet. He's knocking to come to me, but I'm to go to him.

Sometimes what will point to that passage of Scripture to indicate that yet. Maybe there is this hope that we are going to be reunited through Christ. Somehow by the grace of Christ with our deceased children's I think I think that you can go there but but right now I would say just loving, lamenting with this individual and praying that the Lord gives you opportunities to share Chrysler with them both in in in deed but also in word. Eventually as you continue to serve this family so brand. Thank you for your encouragement may may the Lord bless lobbyists offer up a quick prayer to the Lord right now for you, dear God, would you please be with Brandon as he has these conversations with this coworker I would you give him wisdom. Lord, if the other day. We need your Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us, especially in these difficult situations and I pray that you would do that for Brandon. I pray for for this this father would you soften his heart. Would you comfort him, Lord, and this and this time of great difficulty would you sustain them and would you draw him to yourself. I pray in Jesus name, amen Brenda, thanks so much for your call. We thank you for your care and concern for this coworker. This is core Christianity with pastor atrial. Sanchez, one of the ways that you can ask us questions is by emailing us and here's the email address its questions at core, Christianity.com here's an email received from Lynn. She says I read in the news that some bishops in the Catholic Church are considering banning Pres. Biden from taking communion because of his pro-choice political policies. I just wanted to get your general thoughts on this. Do you think that practice is legitimate. Yeah, I've seen several news articles and it was interesting of the day. I was just on social media and I saw one prominent. The news agency posted an article about this and I was reading the comments and it seemed to me like this was this was something that a lot of people were very much against unison like how can the church even talk about keeping someone from the table from the Lord's supper from the Eucharist and it is it is the grace of Jesus for everybody.

That kind of thing, but it seems to me that there was a lot of confusion about this and about really the role of the church and even the significance of holy Communion. So I think that this is a really important question. I know it's one that is on a lot of people's minds of first knowing when Peter confessed that Jesus was the Christ in Matthew chapter 16 Jesus said to him I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven is a really interesting language there and then if you go over a couple of chapters to Matthew chapter 18 you. You see this language repeated extended to all of the disciples in the context of what we sometimes call church discipline. Now this is really important. I want you just take a second to listen to this passage of Scripture Matthew chapter 18 beginning in verse 15 Jesus said if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them tell it to the church and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector, and here's we get that language. Again, verse 18.

Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

This is this is the language again of church discipline, and typically this happens to what we sometimes call the ministry of the word is the word of God is being preached the gospel. The gates of heaven are being opened or shut as it were avid this is this is how we enter into the presence of God. So it's through the ministry of the word that that the keys of the kingdom of God are exercised and Christ calls the church to guard the gospel to protect that deposit of faith, so that when an individual Christian is living and unrepentant sinner doing things that are contrary to the teaching of the church and, more importantly, the teaching of Jesus Christ is a church doesn't have any authority in and of itself. The authority that the church has that Christian churches on earth have comes from the word. It's what we sometimes referred to as a ministerial authority were only administering that the, the laws that the rules the commandments that God gives to us in holy Scripture.

And so the question is and and this is where a lot of times people get confusing or they just sort of assume anybody, regardless of how their living should be should be entitled to this kind of the thing. But that's not necessarily the case that when when an individual is under the discipline of the church when they're living in ways that are contrary to the teaching of Jesus Christ there functionally cutting themselves off from Jesus when they're turning from him when nursing. What I don't believe I don't mind. I'm not interested in the teachings of Christ and for an individual like that to say how many continue to participate in the life of the church and take communion as if I was in communion with Christ himself will there's there's a big problem there. And I hope that you can see that now with regard to the, the, the question the specific question here in a one of the reasons it seems like to me that the the Catholic Church is even having this discussion is because Joe Biden is his outspoken as as you know, he's a said before that he's a Roman Catholic, and yet there are things that that he's also supported that are directly contrary to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and I would say in this case, the teachings of holy Scripture related to abortion, and in supporting abortion. We believe that abortion is heinous in the sight of God. We talked about this before. It's not the unpardonable sin that we know that there is grace but to supported and tip to push it, and to encourage it and to make way for me that that's a serious thing and that's why it seems to me that that the Roman Catholic churches is beginning to think about this and and I think it's it's a shock to many people because we sort of just assume that the church doesn't really have any authority. And yet, I would say go back to those text of Scripture Matthew 16, Matthew 18, or Jesus seems to give to these particular churches the keys of the kingdom it and again that that that's exercise those of keys are exercised through the preaching of the gospel. We really do have to guard the truth and hold one another accountable as Christians. If you profess to be be a believer in Jesus Christ. There's a certain way. Your call to live and order your life. Paul made this absolutely clear in first Corinthian chapter 5, where he talked to the Corinthians about a situation there in Corinth were up more of a so-called brother was living in unrepentant sin and not willing to turn from impulses like deliver that person over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that their soul might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus leaders is one more thing that I'll say that it's not about wielding you know ecclesiastical power or the ordinances. The sacraments weapon icing them and some we know it's all about calling people to faith and repentance were saying, look, brothers and sisters. Christ calls us to live a certain way. It's one thing to claim I'm this or that I'm a Christian it's another thing to to follow Jesus, and of course we know that there are people who say yeah this is what I believe this is what I am, but they reject Jesus and his teachings and that's why we have to take this very, very seriously, and I'm not sure you know what what the Catholic Church is going to do in this situation, but I do say is up as a pastor as a minister of the gospel leading a local church. I want to take sin seriously. In my own life in the lives of my congregants so that if there someone in the church who sang yeah I'm a Christian, but I just reject Jesus's teachings here and you know III support certain things that I nor totally contrary to God's word, and I encourage those things know because we love one another.

We hold one another accountable and we do what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 18 there's a process for this and and frankly it's a process that too often doesn't get used even though it's biblical and so we want to make sure that were being biblical want to make sure that were loving one another by being honest with each other about the severity of sin. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez federal suggesting one of the things you mentioned how the culture seems to be responding.

This is some of the comments you saw in social media about this this controversy that people are are shocked that the church would have any authority in today's world it's almost like well it's an irrelevant institution yeah government has authority but mock the church to assert the right. I think part of it. Bill is just we do. I'll be honest. So many who loves to love you.

The church in Jerusalem. I'm the church. So I'm the authority that kind of the hurt all the time you got a go to church.

I am the church that kind of a thing. And yet Jesus did Institute. Really he sent his apostles out to preach the gospel to establish local churches with elders and deacons. First Timothy three Titus chapter 1 were accountable to one another.

They are called to shepherd the flock of God there are these sort of structures for our own good for our own growth in grace and I think a lot of believers have forgotten about that.

That's one of the things we try to continually bring up on this broadcast is look if you're Christian. If you believe in Jesus Christ by faith. You need to be in a good church where you're being watched over, cared for, encouraged were other people to step into your life. If you're struggling with something or doing something that that you know is wrong and in your try to keep concealed, they can encourage you and and and cold needed to be faithful to the Lord and we all need that it it's so important brothers so you're right, Billy. It's interesting, but I think we just are lost sight of those those realities in the Bible. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez summer is here and most kids will be out of school for the next couple months and just in time for summer.

We have a great free resource for families. Yes, it's the resource we've been sharing with you now for a few days, I do. I do hope that you'll get a hold of this resource as as a summer is getting underway, 10 verses to memorize as a family this summer to 10 versus just you know one verse or two verses really not not too difficult. But verses of Scripture that we think are really important for you to plant deep down in your heart. The other was a poll done not too long ago talking about how many Christians know what the great commission is what is the great commission. It was really quite shocking what what the poll discovered was that very few evangelical believers know what the great commission is that it shocked me as a pastor because you know that the great commission is is need of our marching orders from Jesus himself.

This is the mission of the church that he told his disciples go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you. And low I am with you always, even to the end of the age of the kind. The passages are to be memorizing to get a hold of this resource 10 verses to memorize as a family this summer if you go to our website@corechristianity.com/offers. You can download that for free again. It's 10 verses to memorize as a family this summer. You can also call us for that resource or any one of her resources at this number 833-843-2673. Again, that's 833 the court let's go to Elias in Hempstead, New York alas what your question for pastor. Israel Dr. Monica.

I'll try to make it possible. I eliminated questions through multiple writing binary important to make the first one is smoking certain natural for years are long but I love them and I hate the same time how to quit smoking tobacco warm victory over the cigarette habit local coaching. I will write a lot of departures limiting) and also hard to either smoker or rapture training and I was still smoking when I wind up in hell or I go to show glory among born-again questionnaires about my psychiatrist asked me do I hear voices don't hear normal lawyers are so you know how little Barbara guards are the Bible my sheep show hear my voice hundred extreme sugar Christian reader's mind, soul and spirit are still small voice of the Lord speaking to remember your paradox or contradiction. Thank you, Elias. Let me try to tackle both of those questions for you right now. First Paul says in Romans chapter 14 verse 23 that whatever is not from faith is sin. So if your conscience is plaguing you and you feel like man I i.e. I do know every time I do this, I, I, it's like I'm sitting against the Lord and and I just keep doing what and there's a real big problem there because you know whatever we can't do with a clear conscience. It it does sort of cause offense in us and our souls.

If you will. Now the good question about you know will I be in the presence of the Lord, you know if I can ever if I can kick this habit is God going to reject me. I would say no because you're not saved by the fact that you don't smoke Elias are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, and through the blood of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven.

When you believe in him you are as you said born-again, your sins are washed away and day by day were called to be sanctified and and I know that for for many people.

There are addictions that that it takes many many years to get any frankly I mean sometimes just getting extra help and accountability prayer, but I don't want you to question your eternal salvation because you struggle with this. I want you to rest in what Jesus has done for you and and to to to just embrace that reality lies that you're not saved by the fact that you don't smoke saved by the fact that Jesus bore your sins on the cross and so worship him go to him with that. Now, with regard to what John writes in his gospel. Jesus says my sheep here my voice and they follow me and I give them eternal life. I don't think that's referring to an audible voice. I've never heard the audible voice of God. Most believers I would say don't ordinarily speaking but God speaks to us. He lies through his word and the Holy Spirit illuminates the word of God to us so that as you're reading Scripture and you sense that conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Your mind is opened. It's almost as if the passage is coming to life. That kind of thing that that's how God is speaking to us today. That's how God speaks to you today. It's not so much that when Jesus said, you know my sheep you're my voice that he was referring to some booming voice that they would hear from heaven, it's the spirit using the word to open up our eyes and our hearts to receive the grace of Christ and and I am sure he lies that that that that that happened to you and will continue to happen for you, brother, and so may God bless you and thank you for giving us a call. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together