The Cross And The Flag Part 1

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Lori stay with the Moody Church in Chicago. Sir helps us make it across the finish line distributes is giving us a clear focus on how to live and how to fold master. What can we look fully in today's message will date you put it very well, you know, there is always the conflict between the cross and the flag and the question is where is our allegiance and how does that apply to politics. These are issues over which there is a great deal of discussion and oftentimes disagreement. But I really do believe that we as Christians need to think very clearly about these things and not lose hope. Even though our culture seems to be going in a very wrong direction. You know when we put ourselves in medieval culture we discovered that it was an entirely different relationship between the flag and the cross.

That's why like to study the Reformation. How would you like to go with me to Wittenberg eyes enough and all of the places that have to do with Martin Luther, beginning in Berlin.

By the way out. Luther wasn't in Berlin but that's where the tour begins. Then we go to Pottstown the Luther sites we end up in Munich I take you where the Munich agreement was signed we visited Hitler's Eagles nest and then if you want you can actually stay for the passion play. Here's how you can find out information about that.

Go to Moody media.org. By the way, this will take place this coming may go to Moody media.org click on the tour button and will learn together. But now we open our Bibles and learn what the Bible has to say about our life here on earth, and the relationship of the cross to our culture today is the cross and the flag cross and the play begin by asking you a series of questions if I might is the American dream the same as the Christian dream and if not, how are they different me put it differently if America were to continue to be strong and prosperous and great. Does that mean that the church would be strong and prosperous and great or to ask it differently if support for tax breaks for families term limits for Congressman and support for the National Rifle Association are those things, Christian agendas, some of us were in Israel recently and we visited the Golan Heights, in fact, you can't get to Caesarea Philippi without driving through the Golan Heights I remember correctly.

Our tour guide said that there when the Golan Heights belonged to Syria. There were 6 million minds that the Syrians put on the in Israel is only found a 4 million of them said he ever go to Israel. I suggest that you not go backpacking on the Golan Heights to somewhere else. But today were going to take a walk on the Golan Heights and hopefully avoid all the mind were going to talk about church and state, God and government cross and flag and what I want you to do for this hike is to stay with me the whole way until we get to the top of the mountain until until we finish because it may well be that, as were walking through, you may think that I'm stepping on a mind when you get to the end of the message, you might decide that was only a firecracker want you to stay with me so that if anybody leaves this message, I might just stop and ask you where in the world you think you're going is a pastor who did that said to Amanda was leaving, why are you leaving the man shouted I'm going to get a haircut as is and why did you get a haircut before you came in here he said before I came in here I didn't want so I want you to stay to the end. Even if you really need a haircut.

When the services of an some of you do. By the way, one day the people came to Jesus to entrap him. It's in the 22nd chapter of Matthew, pick it up in verse 15.

They come to Jesus, and they deliberately try to set a trap for him and they ask this question. They said do you think it is unlawful to get tax on for Caesar to pay this tax or not a trick question. It was a trick question because if Jesus were to say yes.

I think it is lawful, he would have incurred the wrath of the Jews who hated the idea of paying taxes. They didn't think it was lawful that all they just did it because they had. But Jesus would've said no I don't think it's lawful we shouldn't pay taxes to Caesar, they'd of turned them into the Roman authorities and he had been tried for speaking against the government, which in those days would've been a very, very serious offense.

So that's what they said to him, how was Jesus going to answer either way. He was trapped or was he.

He said to them, give me a coin so they fished around and they gave him a coin and that was a denarius was used to pay the poll tax and he said whose inscription is on this coin and they said, Caesar's. Now you must understand how they hated that inscription because they thought it was idolatry.

For one thing, though, for a man to have his inscription put there on on a coin and for another, always bear in mind that Caesar in the minds of those pagans was considered to be God was idolatry hated the tax hated the Romans they hated this currency. Jesus looked at it and saw Caesar's imprint and said well render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and unto God that which is God's. What an answer to my knowledge in history and some of you historians can disprove this but I don't think anyone ever said anything that comes close to that before. What Jesus was really saying is that it is possible to pay your dues to a pagan government because remember he said you should pay this poll tax and how would the tax be used only to strengthen the hands of those Romans sold against only to continue their slavery. But Jesus said you can go ahead and you can use in pay that poll tax and you can do your obligation to this pagan government, while at the same time, you can still pay your dues to God you can do both because these are separate kingdoms but you know the whole history of the Christian church revolves around the conflict between church and state. The early Christians argued in the Roman Empire that they could be good Roman citizens and still at the same time be Christians. They assume that principal but Rome disagreed in Rome said if you want to be a good citizen of Rome.

You must worship like the Romans and you must declare Caesar to be God, and if not, the Lions were waiting after the Christians came to power. And you heard me tell the story many times you will probably hear it again sometime. But after the Christians came to power, they said. Now you have to worship with us if you want to be a good citizen of the Holy Roman Empire fire which Voltaire says was neither Roman nor an empire. But if you want to be a citizen of the Holy Roman Empire. You must believe like us to. And as the church grew in corruption the true church was persecuted under the hand of quote but today were talking about America, so we fast-forward the VCR. We pick it up as the pilgrims come to America. The pilgrims come for freedom of worship.

Now, not freedom for everyone. Mind you, the pilgrims never had that idea in mind.

As a matter fact, they were upset with people like William Rogers who was a Baptist because they saw the controversy in Europe regarding adult baptism, but they wanted freedom of religion for themselves. The way in which they saw the world as Protestants as Calvinists that had been influenced by the writings of the great reformer who lived in Geneva about the time the constitutional convention comes, you have that great document and you had that famous phrase Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof which all Americans know by memory a few comments about it. First of all, obviously, the framers of the document did not intend that this would limit religion. They thought that it would limit the government so that there would be no state church to which everyone would have to attend the idea that social libertarians have today. In interpreting this in such a way that a child cannot draw a nativity picture in a classroom is of course absurd and never intend never intended by the framers of the Constitution or the idea that you can have a rock concert in a public park. But Christians cannot sing hymns that would cause the framers of this document to to turn in their graves if they knew that it would be so interpreted.

Let me ask you another question, where did this idea of this kind of freedom come from Europe had not experienced it least not at that time. Where did it come from well there are of course two streams of thought. There are those who say that it came through the Enlightenment.

That, of course, had a great bearing on it but also the origin of the Enlightenment. Where did this idea come from. I think that it can be shown historically that really it has its roots in the Protestant Reformation. Let me tell you why when Luther there at the diet of worms says that my conscience is taken captive by the word of God. I cannot and I will not recant what he was saying is that you cannot coworkers someone to be a believer. We must give people freedom of conscience to believe is he up until that time it was believed that people could make the decision to make you a Christian. Others could make that decision. All that you needed to do was to be baptized on the eighth day and that you were proclaimed to be a Christian. That's was it and then later on you could belong to a church and as long as you participated in the requirements that were laid out there did not have to be any change of heart.

Really any transformation of life any yielding to God is simply had to go through the outward requirements. The Protestants now were saying something different. They were saying that conversion is in word. It is individual. It is personal and it must be based on a voluntary choice of the Reformation. You then have the Enlightenment, which when some directions that we would not approve of. But all of that now influence the American Constitution, let me ask another question.

Is it possible in America to be a an atheist and be a good citizen.

I think the founding fathers would say yes you can be an atheist.

You can believe anything you like our nothing at all.

Whatever but they also kept saying over and over again that if you want to have freedom you must have religion believed in you know why this spread way because it it supports. It supports transcendent values and behavior because you can't just give people freedom they're going to miss use it unless there are some inward strength is America a Christian country. No America never was a Christian country never will be a Christian country.

There are only countries that are influenced by Christianity and certainly America was in varying degrees, but if you study its history. And you know that even evangelicals discuss this and disagree on it that it was never specifically Christian religious, yes, not necessarily specifically Christian, but of course, Christians were involved in government. What I'd like to do for the next few moments is delineate for you. Now the cross and the flag three different relationships that can exist between these two emblems. First of all, we can think of the flag above the cross, the flag above the cross and that of course happens whenever you get people were so committed to their country that they forget about their commitment to God my country right or wrong and so and so there is this blindness to the cross because they are so committed to whatever their country.I need to tell you that throughout history Christians have always been tempted to render unto Caesar that which belongs only to God, you heard the story of my presence, and that Berlin Museum and I saw pictures of the cross of Christ in the middle of a swastika yet always swastikas with the cross embedded in it and that's how come I decided to write the book, Hitler's cross I stood there and I said how could this happen how nationalistic did the German church get we can see it clearly. In Germany, but I need to say very kindly that sometimes were blind to it in our own lives because we say they were of course living under an evil wicked caterer and that's different is different but the temptation is always there, even in America.

In order to help you to understand what it is that I mean I want to give you some illustrations. This is why we tend to lump together a number of different things.

For example, will take the issue of abortion which is really a biblical issue to be sure because it has to do with human life and the destruction of unborn human life. But what we tend to lump it together so that suddenly it becomes part of a larger agenda. It becomes part of a balanced budget and then we say that that's a part of our agenda and the whole idea of support for the National Rifle Association and and that term limits for congressmen and on and on. The list goes and we say all of this is a part of the Christian agenda. Is it notes this kind of confusion that led Jerry Falwell in 1985 I believe it was the middle 80s to go to South Africa and and take the side of apartheid in South Africa. How did that get into this Christian agenda.

The reason I feel so deeply about this is is because during that period of time I was in Toronto and I caught a cab and like I always do. I try to witness to the cabdriver and he kept throwing this into my face and I kept saying I know that that's not Christian. Let's forget about what happened there, and he kept coming anything but he's a Christian ministries a Christian minister and on and on. I witness to him about Christ.

This was a porn that lodged in his throat.

How was that Christian that's what happens when we tell you another thing that sometimes happens folks and were just talking here. Among ourselves are going you're still with me on the hike. Think I bypassed some minds are abiding just barely missed one stick with me tendency to confuse our values.

We we as those of us who live in America that we love the American way of life.

Frankly, it's a great way to live. Just look at Christmas. Christmas I don't know how it is in your house but my house at Christmas time.

Our living room looks as if it was an explosion in a department store SOA looks. We love it.

That's the American way of life, but I need to ask you something today is that really the same as the Christian way of life is that distinctively Christian. Three years ago next month I was in Belarus where I met with those pastors the story that I told you about 300 of them. I said to Victor crew Co. is where writing together in the car. I said that. What did the people by here for Christmas. Where did they go Christmas shopping and have you ever asked somebody a question and he looks at you as if to say, how could you be so stupid as to have asked. It's one of those I yeah yeah you'll never learn the will you kind of responses is that there is no Christmas shopping.

There is nothing in the stores.

There are no gifts, nothing we may sing a few hymns, but that's it. Is that non-Christian are we more Christian than our beloved brothers and sisters in volatiles. See how easy it is to get all these kingdoms confuse their some people doing the national debt, high taxes, strong national defense role backing up government regulations means as much to them and they are is committed to that as they are to the evangelism of their neighbors who are going to die without knowing Jesus Christ as Savior.

It's easy to confuse the values of the duking these. I'm convinced there are many angry Christians today who would get over their anger and they'd be very pacifistic and easy to live with all that we could do is to crank the clock back to the good old 1950s, some of you remember those good old 1950s when we didn't have drugs and we didn't have this and they'd be happy even if in the process of cranking back the clock. Nobody was saved. It's just that we got back to the good old times when we didn't have days. Some people be content if America accepted Jesus as the teacher of America, even if they didn't accept them as the Savior they'd be glad. Just give me those good old times again. Many people are not concerned about the fact that there some artists were going to be lost forever doesn't concern them doesn't concern them if they do pornographic art is just the American way. I mean after all, that's what freedom is all about. But if you really want to get them angry if you really want their blood pressure to zoom off the chart. Tell them that there are some people who were doing pornographic art using tax payers money.

Now that's something that will get you good and mad. Not that the artist is doing it is going to be lost forever and and and actually is an affront to Jesus Christ because of all this impurity, that's one thing but he can do it doesn't bother me use my money to do it all. Now we finally touched the sore spot to fight. Are you folks still with me on the hike. Some of you are very quiet and am wondering if you put your back pack down. Let's keep going. Another problem that happens as a result is, of course, that our hope then becomes political and and I'm going to be saying I'm going to be balancing this in a moment. Of course we should be involved but the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God ultimately is not Washington and City Hall or something else that is going on on God's agenda that is much more important. That's the flag above the cross. Nationalism and sometimes folks simply don't see it. Let me give you a second way that they can be configured and that is the flag and the cross take your Bibles and turn now to the book of first Peter and you know I could have used many many passages in the New Testament to preach this part so many in fact that I was actually thinking of preaching another passage and then yesterday I decided no one to stick with first Peter chapter 2 why why are there so many passages in the New Testament that I could've preach this from. Because most of the letters that were written in the New Testament were written to churches that were islands of righteousness in a sea of paganism and the reason that they were written is to help Christians know how to live in the midst of a pagan goblet society and that's why chapter after chapter in book after book is devoted to the topic. Notice how we are to live if we are committed both to God and to country rendering unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and unto God that which is God's my friend today.

This is Pastor Luther. I cannot emphasize strongly enough that the church of Jesus Christ has always struggled with his relationship to this date, whether it was during the days of narrow or even the days during the mid-evil. There's always been conflict, there's always been disagreement and I think it's very important for us to understand our history, but also of course the Bible I believe that this sermon series could be of great help to you. You could listen to it again and again. Share it with your friends use it as a point of discussion Christians politics and the cross for a gift of any amount. These messages can be yours. Now I need to tell you that we hear it running to win depend upon people like you and many of you have never connected with us. Would you like to consider becoming an endurance partner endurance partners are people who stand with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts want more information, go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com you can investigate exactly what an endurance partner is click on the endurance partner button when you go to RTW offer.com or if you prefer, call us at 1-888-218-9337 Christians politics and the cross, the need to think biblically in a world that is lost its way and remember where our true allegiance lies. You can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your race of life we need to learn one lesson will those who mix the cross in many nations flag do a disservice to both believers then distinction is the only way to fulfill our prime mission as ambassadors for Christ in a needy world in his series Christians politics of the cross. Pastor Luther is making the distinction between the cross of the flag.

Next time I'm running to win. He tells us what happens when we mix the two. Thanks for listening. This is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the Buddha nature