Humility, Civility, and Unity in Political Discourse, Part 1

If were honest spending a whole lot of time on social media or watching cable news channels these days, that's not particularly spiritually edifying.

So how do we be informed citizens without becoming a part of the divided culture in which we are living.

This is family life today. Our hosts are Dave and Ann Wilson on Bobby peen. You can find us online@familylifetoday.com. If you been having conversations about politics with family members, friends or coworkers, and it has not gone well. There's been a lot of anger in those conversations that some coaching tips for you today. Stay with us and welcome to family life to. Thanks for joining us.

I've been talking to parents who are not looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. You know I mean yeah because there to be people around the table and and we don't know whether were going have election results by Thanksgiving and that crazy as you sit around your Thanksgiving table are, you can ask your kids today voted for II think we all know, maybe we don't know. I I have not thought about that, but that's a scary conversation about rat and and so I thought as I was talking to our church congregation a few weeks ago I thought we all need some coaching on how we should agreeably disagree how Jesus would have us interact with one another, even when we don't see things I do because I'll tell you what, there are some families I got a message. I think this was on Facebook recently from somebody who said a a close friend of 30 years, has just said I can't be friends with you anymore because of your political views somebody else who said I have a family member who won't talk to me because of who I'm supporting for president and I think is that what God intends is that when Jesus when my answer and that's not that unusual. I mean, it's always been that way that I think right now it's heightened and I applaud you for doing this series because I think we all need open our minds little bit and say okay let's get God's heart in this guy's perspective in everybody's back and I think exactly the same, and even if you're a follower of Christ. I did three messages at our church one. The purpose of government is a good gift from God. The second on how we interact about political issues. Even when we don't agree the third. How do we decide who to vote for and how does the Bible inform our thinking on that all three of those messages are available on our website@familylifeto.com both audio and video if you'd like to watch those today were to hear a portion of that second message on how we get along with one another, even when we don't agree. I am excited to listen is not. Thanks for doing so.

Let's tune in a punchline, just as we start here this morning. Okay I want us to see this morning that our conversations with one another in the church with fellow believers and our conversations with those outside the church need to be shaped by biblical worldview. Our conversations in the church when were talking up politics and government where we may have disagreements. Our gospel unity should always be more important and more significant, more powerful than whatever our political disagreements are what we agree on about Jesus and about the essentials of our faith up to bind us together tighter than what we disagree about in terms of government and politics. We should have more in common with one another in the gospel as fellow believers, even when we might disagree on political issues. That's the first thing I want us to see. Second thing I want us to see is that our conversation with people on political issues or any issues for that matter when were talking with people who are outside the church, whether they are believers or not these conversations ought to be marked by a deep respect for the dignity of the person you're talking to.

Even when we disagree that this agreement needs to be engaged with a high degree of civility, not with name-calling, not with intimidation not within tolerance, not with hatred not dismissively, but because we have experienced God's love before us in Jesus.

While we were still his enemies in rebellion against him.

He loved us because we've experienced that we ought to be dispensers of that kind of love and civility and and an expression of dignity for the humanity of the people that were having disagreements with, and there should be humility as we interact with those people, a humility that demonstrates that even though we think were right about something, even the were pretty sure were right about what were pretty sure were right about we acknowledge that we are not people who have all the answers.

Our views are not infallible and we are ready to listen and learn and to stretch how we think about things to hear someone else and devalue what they're saying because we may have a blind spot and we need to be open.

The point I'm making here is that how we engage and how we interact with one another around politics and government. The way that interaction takes place may be as significant as the rightness or the wrongness of the abuse we hold the rightness of your viewpoint does not release you or absolve you from the responsibility to interact with others with dignity, civility, and humility. Even when you disagree or even if those people are wrong, so unity in the church that transcends our political disagreements unity in the gospel and then expressing dignity, civility, and humility in every setting. That's what I want us to see as we spend time in God's word this morning at the start as I want to take us to what had to be the biggest most memorable church service ever held in the history of the church in Philippi in the first century a little background here.

The church in Philippi was established sometime around 49 or 50 A.D. when the apostle Paul who had been in Asia minor had heard the Macedonian colleague had a vision one night a man from Macedonia said come and help us so he and his group had gotten up the left.

The next day. This was their first time to come into the Macedonian region in northern Greece. They landed in Philippi. They went down to the river to to because that's was a gathering place and they started to preach the gospel. There was a woman there named Lydia, who was a wealthy woman, a seller of purple garment. The Bible tells us Lydia was converted.

She opened up her home in the church in Philippi began in Lydia's house and you can read about the birth of the church in Philippi. In acts chapter 16. Ultimately, Paul and his missionary team left Philippi left the church there and went further into Greece and established other churches in Corinth and other places throughout Greece. Now you jump ahead 10 or 11 years. So now it is 59 or 60, 61 A.D. and Paul is in Rome and he's in prison is in the member team present a hole in the ground with a great over the top where he is living under guard under arrest and the Philippians have learned that their beloved church founder, the man who planted there churches in prison in Rome and even though the church was it self in economic distress at this time. They took up an offering and they sent a man named Pepperdine. This they sent him to take the offering to Paul in Rome so it Pepperdine's travels to Rome, he meets Paul. They are in prison in the way this offering works if you were in prison in Rome.

Friends gave to your account. You could have like a bank account where you could buy toothpaste and other things like the Roman government did not have high standards for how they cared for their prisoners so it was the generosity of people on the outside who made life in prison, livable and bearable. Pepperdine's Springs Paul things he needs like a coat like paper and and pen and ink so that he can write in books that he can read so he after ministering to Paula Pepperdine.

This comes back to to Philippi with a letter from Paul that he's written to them in prison. This is again 6061 A.D. and the whole church learns that it Pepperdine's is back from Rome. He's been to see Paul.

He's got a letter from Paul at the next gathering there to read the letter allowed, so everybody who's ever been a part of the church is coming this particular night or day, or whatever it was they were gathering on the Lord's day for their worship service to hear read aloud the letter that was coming from the apostle Paul. They wanted the latest was Paul Gilbey released what had he been sentenced to die there about to find out what's going on with him. So it's Sunday, and the place is packed wall-to-wall. The letter is opened, and they begin to read and it's a lovely letter all about Paul's great love for these people in this church is great joy to know that they're doing well spiritually that they're growing he expresses his gratefulness for the offering. In fact, the letter is kind of like a long thank you note to them for their care for him. He's grateful for the offering because of what it tells them not out, not only because he will benefit from it, but he is grateful because of what it tells him about them in their spiritual maturity. These people in distress to take up an offering.

Paul knows these are people who who are understanding and believing the gospel their trust in God. So he's overflowing with joy not because he's getting money but because these people are generous in giving people silt the letters being read to the whole church.

Everybody is smiling there being encouraged. They love hearing from the apostle Paul until near the end of the letter when Paul does something that sucks the air completely out of the room. I think the temperature of the room had to drop about 10° when he said this I entreat you all you and I can treat since the key to agree in the Lord not you get the context he's been warm and and you and generous and then in the midst of this, he calls out to women in the church who are having some kind of a public disagreement and in the middle of this letter, he calls them out by name and says you ladies you need to get along.

I'm imagining both of the women were there right there sitting there they been hearing this letter and everyone in the church is aware of the fact that these two women are getting along. In fact, I'm imagining there were FO use and FOS as friends of the Odeon friends of syndicate right and they had kinda polarized and they were on opposite sides and since he had her group that sat with her church and he only had her group and the kind of snarked at each other a little bit I mean in Christian love. They snarked at each other because right. Paul had no doubt learned about this rift between these two women from it. Pepperdine does and he felt it necessary in this thank you note to call them out by name publicly and tell them they need to agree in the Lord and then he tells an unnamed friend to someone he calls his true companion to help them deal with their issue. He says yes and I ask you also true companion.

Something that may be Luke help these women who have labored side-by-side with me in the gospel together with climate of the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. If these women can't work it out on their own.

I need you true companion to get in there and help them figure out how to work it out that we don't know what the issue between these two women was and I think that's by design.

I think the Holy Spirit doesn't want us to focus on who was right or who was wrong. He doesn't want us teaming up and saying well I do been with the audio syndicate know he wants us to understand that in God's providence, the issue was not who was writer who was wrong. The issue was these women needed to agree in the Lord. He wants us to see that division in the church like this division between followers of Christ, no matter what the issue is apart from false doctrine when there is division it's wrong and it's harmful and it should not go unaddressed. The thought that there was division between these two women is grievous to Paul. His concern about the division in the church was so deep that he addressed it publicly. That's what entreat means he begged them to agree on the Lord unity in the church is a big deal Paul. You know why because it was a big deal. Jesus, Jesus, on the night before he went to the cross having the last supper with his disciples and then instructing them on what is to come.

He then prays for them.

In John 17 what's called the high priestly prayer and in that prayer after he praised specifically for the 11 men who were in the room.

The 12 minus Judas was already left. He prays for them. He prays that they would be sanctified and that God would protect them and then in John 17 verse 20 he shifts his prayer from them to us.

He says I do not ask for these only but also for those who will believe in me through their word. That's us.

We believe in Jesus through the word of the 11 who were in the room that night, so I'm not just praying for them. Jesus says I'm praying for those who will come to believe in me through their word, and here's my prayer that they may all be one, just as you father are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us that the world may believe that you have sent me the glory that you have given me I have given to them that they may be one even as we are one, I in them you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. He says the same thing twice. I want them to be one because this is how the world will know that you sent me. I want them to really be one perfectly one wife because this is how the world will know Jesus is praying that our unity as his followers would be like the unity that father son and Holy Spirit experience in the Trinity. A perfect unity and he says this unity will be a marker for the world to know that God sent Jesus that he is who he claims to be the mission of the church in the world is hindered when there is a lack of unity among believers in the church, Jesus told his disciples by this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another, unity and love are linked together. Paul has already addressed this in his letter to the Philippians before he got to yo to you and since Dickie and called them out back in chapter 2, he had said this, he said if there is any encouragement in Christ any comfort from love any participation in the spirit any affection and sympathy and by the way, all that's it. It's he's even a rhetorical question is saying if there is encouragement in Christ, and of course there is if there is love of good comfort from love.

There is participation in the spirit, affection and sympathy.

Here's how you should respond complete my joy by being of the same mind having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind, one translation says of one mind means to be intent on one purpose together. Paul says if what Jesus has done for you means anything to you. It will bring me great joy to know that you are bound together in gospel unity, loving one another and intent on gospel purposes that should be the glue that binds you together. I think it's safe to say the opposite is true here.

There is great sadness when these things are not true pulses make my joy complete by being of one mind, and I think it's true, Paul's sorrow would be expanding when when that's not have. That's why calls out the audience indicate Paul's not saying there should not be any differing opinions about anything in the church. There's a difference between unity and uniformity.

He's not calling for uniformity. He's not saying that everybody has to think exactly alike. It's not wrong for us to have differing viewpoints from someone else or a different perspective on life and we have that in our marriages.

Don't we every husband and wife knows we don't always think alike about things and that's okay. Infected benefits us to be thinking differently about some of these things.

There are different ways to think about different kinds of disagreements when we have differences about things where the Bible is clear.

We need to find our unity by going to the Bible and saying what does God's word say here so our unity is found in the clarity of Scripture. That's why Paul himself was not embarrassed to call out Peter in Galatians when Peter was drifting from the gospel message. He disrupted unity by calling Peterson, we gotta get back to thinking biblically about the gospel. So when there is disagreement about the clear teaching of the Bible, we come together to the Bible and say Lord, teach us from your word and and we gain clarity and unity there but when our differences are around things where there might be a different understanding of what God's word says, then we need to give each other room to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, so our Presbyterian friends have a different view of how baptism should be practiced are charismatic friends have a different view about how gifts should be employed. That's fine we can have unity in the gospel, even when we disagree on these things and we should all seek to work out our salvation. What is the Bible say but giving liberty, giving freedom for them and then finally when our differences are around things where the Bible is silent where we may have a strong preference or where our conscience is leaving us in a particular direction. But the Bible is silent about that. We should not judge or condemn or distance ourselves from others who see things differently. This is what Romans 14 is all about what we do when there are some people who hold the view that you shouldn't drink wine and others who say no it's okay, you shouldn't eat meat. Now it's okay. How do you deal with that and the answer is you give each other a lot a latitude and you don't separate over those things.

We need to be able to differentiate between those things that are essential to our unity and those things that are not essential where we need to give grace and liberty to others RC Sproul, who said this, he says, agreeing in the Lord with other believers does not necessarily mean that we concur on every secondary or tertiary matter.

It does mean, however, that we recognize other believers as true brothers and sisters in Christ. When we agree on gospel essentials. It also means that we strive to debate and discuss. Respectfully, that is, in a manner that honors other people and shows the world that we are united in the gospel while believers may debate issues that do not touch the heart of the gospel. They may not do so in an overly contentious manner that denies the peace. Our Savior has brought to his people.

We can disagree, but how we disagree matters to Jesus. When we been listing to the first part of a message I showed recently at our church in Little Rock. As I've been teaching about how do we think biblically about the coming election units. Two weeks from this week and there's a lot of conversation going on a lot of friendships being fractured because of political disagreements and I think we've got to do better on Twitter and on Facebook and on every social media platform and bad, what a great message and what a great job he's done. It's inspiring.

I'm gonna listen to the rest of it for sure, is so helpful because it isn't just social media. Although that's huge but it's in person it's sitting beside one another in church or watching it from home. It's having conversations. It's a reminder that whoever gets elected in two weeks is not the hope of the world you know you're not the lead pastor of your church, Jesus is in Donald Trump or Joe grinds that the lead of this nation. The Lord is I'm thinking of Jesus, talk about political unrest imitates that he walked the earth and thinking.

In Matthew 544, when he says but I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. If we could do that and treat one another as fellow image bearers that would change the way we would converse in their not enemies because they vote for somebody else that are actually your brother and sister were getting here. Another portion of this message tomorrow and if you're interested you can also hear the entire message when you go to our website family like to.com you can download this message or view it online. In fact, all three messages from this series are available for download or for online viewing. Go to family life to a.com and look for the series marked Jesus politics and the gospel.

Again, our website is family life to a.com and the audio links and the video links are available.

There out next week we got something special that we are kicking off three successive Thursday nights beginning Thursday, October 29 and then continuing on November 5 to November 12. We are to be getting together for a love like you mean it.

Marriage small group. Damon and Wilson. I will be gathering online on Facebook live with anyone wants to join us will be talking about what real love looks like a marriage relationship of the Bible defines love and how we can do a better job of loving one another in marriage. It all kicks off Thursday night October 29 7 PM. It's a Facebook live and you and your small group or your friends. You and your spouse. You're welcome to join us if you're engaged.

Make this a party or premarital preparation and join us Thursday night, 7 o'clock central time.

Find out more about how you can be part of the love like you mean it Facebook online small group go to family life to a.com and all the information is available for you. There. And finally, if you have not yet downloaded the family life mobile app it's brand-new. It's free and it's available in your app store type in family life as one word in the app store search box and the app should pull up again.

It's free to download and that gives you easy access to family life to any time you'd like to listen and we hope to be back with us again tomorrow as were to talk about how we can have political conversations that are characterized by civility, humility, and where we are demonstrating dignity for every person in the conversation. I hope you can tune in for that.

I don't think our engineer today.

Keith Lynch along with our entire broadcast production team on behalf of our hosts Dave and Ann Wilson. I'm Bob Lapine. See you back next time for another edition of family life today.

Family life to a is a production of family life of Little Rock, Arkansas approved ministry help for today hope for tomorrow