Christianity & the "Cancel Culture" (Part 2)

Family policy matters in engaging and informative weekly radio show and podcast produced by the North Carolina family policy Council hi this is John Ralston, presidency, family, and were grateful to have you with us for this week's program is our prayer that you will be informed, encouraged and inspired by what you hear on family policy matters and that you will fold better equipped to be a voice of persuasion for family values in your community, state and nation. Today we bring you part two of an interview with David and Jason Dunham.

The Bena brothers who were just on NC families virtual event on Christianity and the cancel culture. On August 27 20. This is really where what work where Jason and I are constantly pulling entrepreneurs and believers in the marketplace back to the word of God, and I was just reading through Proverbs chapter 28 and in verse four, five, says this those who forsake the law. Praise the wicked foreseeing that, but those who keep the law to resist them evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully now is our time to really seek the Lord to get before the Lord in prayer and fasting and humility seek the Lord in our own lives wetter areas of our lives that are not righteous before God waterways that were treating our lives or our children or waterways that we might even have some racism in our lives are better ways that we got judge mentalism or maybe perhaps were were hypocritical and some really seek the Lord and then God gives us understanding into this moment where we can shine the light. There are two ways to shine your light there to excuse me, there's one way to shine a light that's lift up the name of Jesus and everything we say and do what what happens when we shot our light is believers it does two things. On the one hand it exposes the world's evil deeds. John chapter 3 you read the last half after three, 16. This is in darkness hates the light, because it exposes that its deeds are evil. But here's how you shine your light Matthew 516 it reveals your good works.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify our Father in heaven. The light of our good works in the marketplace. The light of our good works with our marriages, the light of our good works with the way were raising our children, the light of our good works when were helping like yesterday African-American guy at my house he and I were talking and I was talking about okay in your community. One of the one of the families right now with my family and my business can come along and meet needs delete we listed out five families and then were dealing with, you know the Bible says don't let your left hand know your right hand is giving some to talk about what were giving but this is things that were doing because were seeking the Lord, and I want to shine the light when everybody starts doing that your tipping well your your writing on your receipts or speaking to the servers so when change because you're not wearing a mask or whether you're wearing a mask or whatever. You know, just make room for the weaker brother. These are things God speaking to us and I truly believe John that were on the cusp of either a great awakening or Jesus is going to return because this world is going to hell in the Lord wants us to shine his light well and I think that's awesome and I think that's really an inspiring message that in the midst of all of this the Lord gives us the strength been resolved to do your to engage in effective ways.

One of the benefits of the cancel culture, which may seems sort of ironic is that it is created so much sensitivity to different people in different circumstances and at the very least, I think it sorta calls us out and we were engaging with other people, even as were talking with our neighbors, and even as one thinking ourselves. You know, checking our spirit that we are really seeking to treat people with dignity and respect. While we may not agree with them.

You know, one of the countercultural things that we can do is reach out with dignity and respect and try to understand weather coming from, you know, but it's not just on us. Clearly it's it's the Lord it's not just us but it's also that the Christian community around us.

Imagine when when you all got canceled by HDTV that she had friends and family who came around you and supported you what what was that like well you know David and I've discovered that we are called by God to resist with courage ideas that set themselves up against the knowledge of God, while at the same time reaching out with compassion to the people that hold those ideas and so that's a fine line that only the Holy Spirit like what you said John when you're operating when truth with love, you'll be able to do something like that. And when you do and you do get fired and you find themselves in a position like David and I that that's where you discover the beauty of the church in a way that you'd never discovered before, where people come around you like a band of brothers. If you're a dude like us you know and and you got couples that come around you to inspire you and to show you Hank. We may not be in the great cloud of witnesses, but will even witness and what's going on and we are with you and I just tell you there's a bond that happens when you suffer with other people and they jump into that suffering with you. It's the beautiful thing and I think that's a spiritual reality. If you read Hebrews 11 and 12 in Hebrews 11 it talks all about the great men and women of faith and every single one of them went through horrific things like getting sawn into your kids eat in the Coliseum is horrible were facing. Nothing like that right now.

But then it says that all of those died and did not receive the promise that only together with us, would they be made complete and then in chapter 12. It is therefore let us run you know, we see this great cloud of witnesses. Therefore, we run this race. Race with perseverance and self. This is what God is showing us it's a spiritual reality that the community of faith lived throughout the centuries there watching us. It's our moment and it's exciting. And God wins in the end, and all we had to do is just run the best we can. That's awesome so so how do you respond to believers who say that this growing hostility that we see in the culture is really reason for Ross to to fall back to Ms. Grohl. We don't want to start a pot we don't want to expand the flame. We really need to be about just evangelism which is course extremely important, but that that the hostility that were saying as an excuse for us to withdrawal. In this I would be that David and I go to immediate there's theology behind that I had. I was talking somebody and she basically says so well know what the goal is just to to be saved and then God can take us up to heaven, but that's a real misunderstanding of even Christ's prayer when he taught us how to pray said was supposed to pray God your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We see God's will has already come down to earth now through us. God's will needs to come out into the earth, and so were supposed to be mixing into the culture. I mean even Jesus says you need to disciple urination, which means make the environment and where you will in which you live a Christian nation like you're supposed to be mixed and you're supposed to be blended and could you imagine if each of Bonhoeffer and the Martin Lee Muller had that kind of theology and they didn't engage me. Nazi Germany was about as bad as you get. Could you imagine if George Whitfield, John Wesley, Charles Wesley in the first great awakening would had that idea because any things were really bad in the colonies during that time before America could you imagine if Albert Finney and it would have a what was Charles Finney would've had that he's the pastor in the second great awakening would've had that mentality amino.

Could you imagine Martin Luther King Jr. would've had that mentality in America. I mean it's ridiculous, weak God has called us to have dominion over what he's given us authority any given us authority to be here as the church of Jesus Christ, the pillar and support of the truth as first Timothy 315 if the church is the pillar and support of the church we should model the truth and leading people to the truth so that the truth can set them free and if Jesus returns, he returns but are not about to sit there and say no words can let the truth be twisted in writing and act like the church were just gonna wait for ourselves to get saved out here that is not Christlike to us as we wrap up our conversation here knowing that you are a man who stood on the front lines for years. What words of encouragement which you offer in addition to what you already said, which is also what words of encouragement would you offer to our reviewers, knowing that we are going to be facing similar challenges that this cancel culture.

It is very likely only to continue to ramp up more and more you know, how can people just really stands out as you all have and follow your example to live to be salt and light in the culture will David and I are our most recent book that we wrote is called bold and broken, becoming the bridge between heaven and earth. I look back to that prayer that I mentioned earlier that Jesus teaches us to pray your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven and the cross-referencing over Ezekiel 22 were God said I look for somebody who would stand in the gap but I found none.

God is calling each of us to become a bridge for people who are disconnected from him.

But in order to become that bridge is going to take baldness were gonna have to stand boldly for the Lord.

But there are ditches on both sides using boldness apart from both brokenness makes ability, but on the other side brokenness apart from boldness makes a bystander is a you can become a bully or a bystander, but what God would call us to do is to become that bridge that connects heaven to earth and so true brokenness and humility are dad would say that only the horses broken by the master were fit to pull the king's chariot.

The rest were left to pasture by broken looming just humble, knowing who it is that you are and staying in that place, but then on that foundation. Standing in a posture boldness, I will not back down from truth and when you do you become a bridge that connects heaven to earth and if you don't have that, then you are not become that bridge and you will not answer the prayer the prayer that Christ teaches us to pray, and I would simply say one simple thing Jesus has his best team on the court in the last few seconds of the game is so humbling to realize that you and us and those that are alive right now where live in this moment I'm God. God could've put you know I mean who knows John Calvin or Martin Luther or MLK or any number of leaders Bonhoeffer William Wilberforce he could put any of those leaders here in America. For this moment, they chose to put guys like us and you and you, for heaven sakes, John is here made cyclist like Jean Hackman in Hoosiers when they said hey you need another down the court and he points over he says my teens on the court. It's like Jesus is saying my teens on the court. I got the men and women out there that I want an outstanding play hard man is awesome. I got right yes all right, bully, break, and I just say that North Carolina family policy Council under your leadership. John you guys are doing awesome things in our state and if you're watching this right now I want to encourage you to share hard share this and to take part in what they're doing a mean that these things don't run themselves by themselves or me. Maybe the money they need friends and bonds become a part of what the NC family policy Council was doing. David IR we want you to become a part of them.

Hey Jason back so much of the U-2 and let me before we closing prayer working our viewers go to get information about your book stand with the Jorgensen you could just go to Benham brothers.com our last name Brothers.com.

Greg will make sure that that link is available to our viewers and encourage them to avail themselves of the great responses that you will have so guys, thanks so much for your time. You are truly a light in the world that is growing more challenging and darker by the day and we are so grateful that you guys are part of the team. The Lord's call for such a time as this and thanks so much for all that you do.

Father God, thank you for this time with David and Jason will require a just a great sense of gratitude for them for their leadership of their boldness and their willingness to stand for you I'm doing it in such a Winsome Way, Lord. There really is a a light in a growing darkness in our world. We pray for their families for continued protection for them in a just wisdom for them in condition for them as they moved toward our thank you for the wisdom that they could share especially your words tonight and I just the inspiration that that is so, we know that they are the vessels that you used to bring your words to Austin I and so we thank you for that. Bless them and prosper them in the future. We pray and thank so much this time to get on the thank you for all of this in Jesus precious name. Amen. Men and landing.

I'd like to thank so much less addictive and even listening to family policy matter.

This is been part two of a two-part interview with David and Jason Benham were just on NC families virtual event on Christianity in the cancel culture to listen to part one of this interview and to learn more about NC families work to inform, encourage and inspire families across North Carolina go to our website it NC family.org that's NC family.org. Thanks for listening and may God bless you and your family