Liberty, Justice, and Love for All

Well Summit family and friends welcome at some of our locations. I've actually been waiting a long time to be able to say that we haven't gathered in this way since March 29 or 30th week. Even if a bit in the midst of this, this kind of cove it in and log down things go with that. Unfortunately I'm unable to say yet at all of our locations because right now were only able to do Thursday nights in our in our permanent locations. But hopefully, Lord willing, we will continue this trajectory be able to gather together again altogether. So those you there. Join us at one of our campuses. That is you that are joining us in your homes or those you that are sitting kind of by yourself at a computer watching us once they welcome to all of you and tell you we are glad that you are part of our church. Whether you are a family member with us.

Whether you are a guest and a friend was not sure if you noticed, but our country is headed into election. Did you know that you heard anything about that. The idiot many commercials and anything just as if 20/20 was not challenging enough, right, I saw this on on on Twitter recently and that I thought this actually summed up my year how you feel, like a pair of one thing but then something else came out of nowhere and now we have the election, and you know you understand that there is nothing that foments division in our country like an election and back.

I was going say I know that some you are going to be on pins and needles during this entire series that were even talking about it so let me just try to set some expectations for you okay first is I'm not going to tell you how to vote and secondly I'm not going to tell you how I'm voting.

I know that some of you were to try to read between the lines so that you can try to discern who you think I'm voting for. By little subtle hints you think I throw out there. Did you get even a wealth that I don't see it your way and you are ready with that prewritten strongly worded email explaining why I am a compromise Christian and you are ready to look for another church. Okay, that's true John to see you there with your finger hovering over the word sins or just let me ask you as much as possible that you restrain yourself on that because that is not my purpose and that's not my purpose in the series. Series edited many of you have felt have felt shoved around by strong opinions and talking heads. My goal is not to be another talking head pushing you around I'm not gonna try to act neutral while giving you subtle hints about about what you really ought to do. I'm not going to say things like you know God's already played the ultimate trump card. If you abide in him and your spouse and try to decode what I mean by that what you mean, was a message to us that that's not the purpose on what I want to do in a couple weeks.

Pastor Brian is going to join me and I want to show you that there is a general mindset that all Christians ought to have when they approach questions like these questions, a set of Sulit. Let's call them first principles, a set of first principles that we agree on and after that we extend to one another. A level of freedom and grace. The church is not supposed to be a place where everybody sees every issue exactly to say that call occult and and and what God plaintiff was not a colt what he planted was a church that was made up of people that were natural enemies in society that found that a common unity in Christ that was greater than their divisions. I will say plainly okay. Political questions are important, but the gospel that unites us is more important, the bonds in the in the body of Christ ought to be stronger than any political affiliation, and the flag that we ultimately pledge allegiance to should compel greater allegiance than the banner of any political party ultimately verbally say this hopefully overhauled. Ultimately, we are not the party of the donkey, the party of the elephant. Ultimately, we are the people of the Lamb.

Amen. Amen. Will this series is called flags because I want us to rally around a different want to call us to rally around a different primary flag this November and that we teach a little Hebrew term. Okay Jehovah nisi you say women Jehovah nisi you say Jehovah nisi what it means is translated, the Lord is my banner. In other words the Lord is the flag which I march under. That's what I want to be true in this series and beyond friends.

You know there's these are toxic waters. These issues cause deep division in the church and they really shouldn't. The good news is good news if you want to see this way is that this is not a new problem in the church.

The Bible speaks directly to it, but you did know that did you there parts of your Bible that address precisely questions like these in the back. How does Glidden say the reason these things still cause such division in the church among many of us is that is that when it comes to these questions. Many of us are more discipled by CNN and Fox news and we are the Scriptures.

If we were as immersed in Habakkuk and Matthew as we are in Hannity error Maddow.

We probably wouldn't have a lot of these problems may challenge you going in. Some of you care more about how your neighbor votes and whether to spend eternity that shows you is that you have traded your allegiance to Jehovah nisi and his cause you traded that for a political idol.

There's two things that I want to try to show you today. They both come from the gospel of Luke should be gotcha Bible Luke chapter 10 is where I love you to open up, turn it on and find it there. Luke 10 is were really good again. Here's a first thing first thing is when it comes to pursuing justice Christians are motivated by love for their neighbor that affects everything including how they think political second thing I want to show you is that in practicing justice.

Christians can disagree on how it it looks like these things I want to say to you today both come right out of the Gospel of Luke.

I hope to show you that and they're going to be challenging, but there really should be controversial or challenging, but they're not controversy. Okay so number one let's talk about pursuing justice Christians are motivated by love for neighbor will look very quickly at a very familiar familiar parable. Parable of the good Samaritan never been in church.

Usually, even if you had met in church. You know the parable of the good Samaritan.

Jesus, here's a contact.

Jesus has just explained the Pharisees were the religious leaders of the day of the ultimate expression of the law was to love your neighbor as yourself. Apart from that, Jesus said all your religiosity all your religiosity that would amount to much. The Jewish leaders feeling convicted by this tried to evade the implications of what Jesus was saying, of loving your neighbor as himself, and like we have, but who actually is my neighbor that's in verse 29. If you see it in response to that Jesus tells a story, a man he says was walking along the road to Jericho, which was an end and a notoriously dangerous road when he was overtaken by a gang.

He was beaten he was robbed and was left for dead lawn by comes a priest to season but passes by on the other side of the road after him, a Levite comes along. There's another Jewish leader who does the exact same thing.

Jesus doesn't tell us exactly why they pass by. Maybe they had religious duties to attend sewer maybe just felt too dangerous or too inconvenient to get involved. Maybe they thought something like this. I didn't beat that man up.

He probably should've known better than to be out here at night alone, it's not my responsibility. I didn't cause Brahms a lot a lot have to be the one he feels like he's gotta be compelled to fix it but whatever reason they excuse themselves of responsibility. They didn't stop to help Jesus then says, verse 33 but a Samaritan, which as you may know were the political and cultural enemies of the Jews, just to bring it up to date.

It will be like saying if you're a Democrat but a Republican right, but a Republican, or if you're Republican say, but it better but a progressive with a fuel to burn shirt on you know is was the one that was going down the road right you tracking with what Jesus is doing here as he journeyed, came to where he was when he saw him, he had compassion verse 34 he went to him, and bound up his wounds for non-oil and wine.

Many set him on his own animal and brought into it in and took care of him and the next day he took out two denarii.

I gave them to the innkeeper which was a decent sized chunk of money to take care of him. Watch this and whatever more you spend, I will repay that when I come back to use his own money uses no money even opened up a line of credit and say whatever you need. You take care of it now. When I get back Jesus's answer to the question of who is my neighbor that I'm supposed to love like I love myself. His answer is whoever around you is in need in your responsibility.

Your responsibility is to regard their needs as important as your own. Being willing to do whatever it takes to lift them up, even if it comes to great great personal cost to yourself. The fact that you were not involved in their predicament does not relieve you of your responsibility to do whatever it is that you can to do to help them use it. What's that got to do with an election as Americans. As Americans we love to talk about our rights and according to Scripture, that is not all wrong.

Our founding fathers in the United States recognized correctly from the Bible that God gave to each of us certain rights and dignity. Certain freedoms chief of which is the choice of whether to worship or reject God as I my friend David Platt said in a in a book that I would highly encourage you to read it just came out seven questions before you vote. He points out, these fundamental rights form the essence. They form the essence of of that, they form the essence of who we are as men and women made in God's image, to write your good okay but as followers of Jesus. We are also called to die to our rights. Jesus said if any man follows me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me your stay in one sense the priest and Levite had the right to walk on by this man. Then cause the accident. Yet in another sense, they were profoundly responsible, insisting on your rights feels very American. Dying to your rights does not, but that's where the call to follow Jesus and the call to follow the American dream diverge. It was a radical unpopular message in Jesus's day just as it is in ours. The world tells us to prioritize our need to tell us to choose candidates that would prioritize our needs and cater to what is best for us in whatever class of people. We think it wherein Jesus calls us to prioritize the needs of others. The world says only demand your rights.

Jesus says also lay down your life may take this a step deeper.

There's a biblical word that Christians often misuse release.

They don't understand the full implications of that word is justice. When we use the word justice quite often what we mean by that is we only mean that everybody's rights are protected and it certainly means that, but biblically, justice also means the obligation of the rich to care for the poor and their responsibility to use whatever resources they have right however they got them to use those resources to lift them up word justice in Hebrew the word mixed plot after two Hebrew words that you say that when this is kind of mystified say it miss pot miss plot occurs over 200 times in the Old Testament and usually when you see that word you see four classes of people that are brought up connected to miss pot justice widows and orphans foreigners and the poor is what one scholar calls the quartet of the vulnerable. The just person Scripture says is the one who is involved in helping these four groups here's one Deuteronomy chapter 10 God executes justice miss pot for the fatherless and the widow.

He loves the sojourner the foreigner giving him food and clothing Sheila word justice and in giving food and clothing.

It's like they're interchangeable and how they are in and and how God is saying that one scholar said it this way in the Old Testament.

Justice is not just putting down the oppressor. Justice is also helping to lift up your press the just person in the Old Testament is the one who sees his or her resources as belonging to the whole community. A gift they have been given to steward for the benefit of the whole community over 100 times. The Bible talks about the obligation of the rich to care for the poor robbers, 31, eight says speak up for those who cannot care for themselves and cannot speak for themselves. Speak up for the rights of all were destitute.

Speak up and judge fairly defend the rights of the poor and the needy same is true for the oppressed. A simple word search in your Bible will show you that that that that is over 100 references to God's concern for the oppressed, not limited to clear. I'm not saying that that help has to come to government programs or government mandated means I'm just saying that for those of us with means which I would say based on the statuses of a lot of us sitting in here with comparatively benefit is also means God considers it. Our obligation to look after those without means he will hold us accountable for whether or not we use the resources that way. Now I know some of us want to respond.

Use a habit but why are they poor and it's true I understand sometimes people are poor because of their own sin drugs, pride, laziness, family breakup.

These are often factors in poverty. Sometimes though it's it's because of the sin of others is because of oppression or abuse your lack of opportunities.

Sometimes it's because of the of the general curse of sin of the world. Natural disasters can cause poverty or things like sickness, aging or mental capacities can be your own sin to be the sin of others can be the general curse of sin. A lot of Christians I know they say things like, well, somebody's poor and it's not their fault. Not sure I'll help. But if it's their fault I'm not helping. Yeah I get that there are some things that people can only fix for themselves.

Even if you listen to this. Even if somebody is poor through their own fault. Doesn't the gospel teach us to help our spiritual poverty. In this what the gospel teaches us our spiritual poverty was was brought on us by ourselves and Jesus else is anyway thank God a man. Jesus says the measure of our understanding of the gospel is how we respond to the poor. I would want not want to judge somebody else for white bear in poverty when Jesus looked at me in poverty that are brought on myself and set up and help them anyway, here's another vulnerable group. The Bible commands us to care for the sojourner. Deuteronomy 1018 for the Lord loves the sojourner he gives them food and clothing. The Hebrew word for sojourner scholar Sadie to translate his immigrant 80 Exodus 22 verse 21 you shall not wrong to sojourner an immigrant repressing for you used to be immigrants in the land of Egypt. He says Israel of all people of all people. God says, of all people you want to be motivated.

Motivated to help the immigrant because you were an outsider when I care for you and I meet you part of my family now doesn't mean that is a mean that there are no immigration laws by the Hebrew Bible is full of them. By the way is a matter fact if you look at it right just that we recognize that there made it their people made in the image of God just like us and therefore they are worthy of our respect in our care. As Christians we go to the ballot box like the good Samaritan for followers of Jesus, we ought to be thinking not just about our own rights right but all of these we ought to make decisions based on what helps others not just what helps us get this is just basic discipleship 101. We should be thinking not only of her own children, but others children also.

I wish you have no tolerance. I would tell you for statements or policies that denigrate or harm these groups that proverb says rev 17.

Five whoever mocks the poor insults the creator. In other words, God takes it personally when a group is disparaged through their mocked. We ought to take it personally to again want you to notice that this point I'm not getting into which policies better serve society. What role the government plays no role private enterprise plays not trying to dissect that right now I that's not pointing and saying this I'm just talking about the heart posture that you and I live with and that we care even into the voting booth is is I want to serve and I want to bless not just me take care of me, but I want to want even lay down rights where I need to to be able to the benefit right on lights, rights and privileges to benefit others.

Here's a few other things.

Christians were motivated by love and justice will will think about when they go to the Valley good about box. The unborn everyday in our country more than 3000 children are aborted in the womb with the blessing of the state. Every single one of these is made in the image of God. Every single one possesses a soul and is loved by him. God says in Psalm 139 that he knows each of these children by name in the womb. He knows them as individuals as people and knows them as people.

This is not as need to be very clear is not a debatable issue. The biblical clarity on this is overwhelming. Abortion is an affront to God's authority.

It is an assault on his glorious working creation and for that reason Christians work to save children in the womb. Of course we say we mean we love them from the womb to the tomb.

Of course, Christians have have established literally thousands of crisis pregnancy centers all over the nation from all over of the nation in order to do that. Look in the spaces where mothers are making that that the difficult choice to keep her children sometimes difficult choice what you can find nearby the spaces are glutted with evangelical Christians. A lot of church members are involved in this. We need even more is that something yes we care about if we love our neighbor. Here's another one public righteousness, public righteousness, it is a loving to want to see righteousness upheld in our society covers 1430 forces righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people means it's a burden to people I a degrades it causes harm to sin is like a cancer that rots out the soul of a nation celebrating the deterioration of things like marriage or gender sexuality that has devastating effects, as does glorifying bigotry or the prejudice we understand of course that we live in a free pluralistic society where people can make their own choices. But we also know that what God declares is good is not arbitrary. He clarifies a good because is good for creation and it leads to good in people's lives was much as is possible.

We want to see what are we want to see our society align with what God declares to be good to we rightly should desire to see elected those who both promote and exemplify righteousness having what John Adams one of the founding fathers famously said. He said we stake our entire future in this country and our ability to follow the 10 Commandments is that of Americans ever depart from our Constitution will be like a fishnet trying to restrain a whale.

I so we can be motivated by that we going there there other things that that love can motivate us to care about Sue. Of course not try to give you an exhaustive list religious freedom international affairs.

My point is simply that all followers of Jesus when in the ballot box ought to be thinking not just about their own interests, but what is best for the society at large.

Again, that might be challenging for us.

It really should be controversial, as is the posture that all Christians live with.

But that leads me see the number two. The second thing I want to point out from Luke that is in practicing justice.

Christians can disagree on how it looks in pursuing justice were united on what we want and print practicing it. We can disagree and how it looks, jump over to chapters Luke chapter 12 want take you to a moment in Jesus's life that I've talked about recently, but I really want to press in on this, to lay out a case from it a very brief one for why the church the institutional church right what what what what I read what I our staff and pastors represent why we on the whole, should avoid getting entangled in the political specifics in the practice of justice. Here's a situation. Luke 12 Jesus is asked to look at their verse 13 is asked to adjudicate a particular social justice complaint is a younger brother who is accusing the older brother of leveraging his older brother privilege to cheat him out of his rightful inheritance only to say scholars tell us. I was a legitimate problem in ancient Israel. This is a legitimate social justice and white now if you know anything about the life and ministry of Jesus you know that Jesus cares about injustice until your 200 times in the Old Testament tells us that God cares about this in Jesus being the son of God, he cares about in his sermon, Jesus frequently condemned greedy exploitation which would certainly be at work here, particularly by the powerful against the week that Luke goes on to say, point out the Jesus in couple chapters.

Chapter 16 points out that those in positions of power who do not use their positions of power to lift up others who are less privileged than them. Jesus is Luke 16 there danger of hell fire. Regardless of how fervent they are in their religion right we just all this in the parable in Luke 12 or Jesus or Lieut. were Jesus, that the fairly good Samaritan that Jesus says that his followers are responsible to address injustice even if they had no part in the injustice certainly suffice it to say Jesus cares about injustice. That's not in question here. What you see what's this, instead of giving.

Instead of giving a specific, you might even say political answer this question, Jesus withholds his opinion. He says rather starkly verse 14 man who appointed me a judge or arbitrator over you in this situation instead what Jesus does. You read on the verse after you'll see preaches a little mini sermon that warns both brothers about the idolatry of money she had Jesus adjudicated this case, he would've caught off half of his audience. Jesus have been sent to seek and save the lost on all sides of these issues.

So Jesus showed restraint in adjudicating the particulars of this case so that he could preach the gospel to both of them to all of them following him the institutional church shows restraint in adjudicating the particulars of political and social questions. I mean which policies which candidates best get the job done which strategies work best because our commission in the local church is to preach the gospel. Everybody perhaps it might be helpful here recognize a distinction between what what I want to cause the churches organization in the churches organism because the calling on each of those dimensions of the church is different as an organism, members of the church ought to infiltrate every dimension of society, bringing God's wisdom and shalom into that dimension of societies like Abraham Kuyper said there is not one square inch of the entire universe over which Jesus does not declare mine as part of the creation mandate that several church members your to infiltrate every part of society and bring your understanding of kingdom principles into those areas. Organism as organization we the church of a limited platform reflecting an extension of the earthly ministry of Jesus. As such, our focus is on proclaiming the gospel message and teaching all things. Jesus commanded words that came out of his mouth those principles.

In other words, explicitly stated in Scripture. That's the role of church officers and staff, whereas members you can and should bring your perception of God's wisdom into your respective sphere, church leaders, we ought to limit our platforms to what the Bible clearly says because were responsible to disciple people in what Jesus directly commanded which policies are which candidates work best in accomplishing societal goods is almost always an indirect application of scriptural principles and places and places where were the bite when there's a direct line between what the Bible teaches and an application than we speak clearly is a church where there's more of what I would call a dotted line by which Canada because of best which which which issues should take priority over the others. What strategies are best.

I call that a dotted line when there's a dotted line and we usually reframe as an organization we preach righteousness we reach justice we preach compassion and love as members of the organization. You, the members your apply that in government, education in business, the roles are complementary, but most cases you understand they are distinct, but Tim Keller says it is helpful if you think about this in a noncontroversial area right so him as a pastor I preached a lot of people members are there in financial planning okay and they need to learn to apply kingdom principles and financial planning. When it comes to what it means to be ethical and kingdom driven stock trading. I'm probably not the best guy to give all the advice on that. I can preach the principle of justice. But what counts is insider-trading. What counts is unethical right wing as a loan when this to become predatory and what's the difference in data just healthy you healthy loans. I can preach the principal but I'm probably not the best one to jump in and give the specifics that need to be a conversation between me, the pastor and then the one who's been called to work in that area was in the same conversation to take place between pastors and politicians were pastors, advocate principles, the electorate applies, but the churches organization. You see we refrain from attaching our authority to particular strategies and what I call the dotted line round now, I do want to add right there can be exceptions and there are exceptions there places y'all were the application is so clear that we can connect the dots.

For example, if you're a German pastor in 1940. You need not only to speak about the value of Jewish lives you need to oppose Nazi-ism right. Tragically, I will tell you that a lot of the evangelical church sat on the sideline and the civil rights movement, and that's a very clear issue that that there's no daughter lasted straight line and we ought to have been more present in a lot of a lot of our forefathers were today.

I would add is that list pro-life legislation on antidiscrimination laws, religious freedom protections.

There is a clear enough that we can advocate directly like Paul did on certain occasions. If you read the book of acts, but they really should be exceptions the way we see this restraint in the early church. You understand that there were plenty of societal and political reforms that were needed in the first century Roman empire. I would dare say even more than we need an hours. We have a lot that they had even more yet we don't see the apostles prescribed political solutions to any of them, not because you weren't smart enough to think of answers amount about you but I for one would love to see is a letter from the apostle Paul, outlining his plan reforms of the Roman Empire unit on a great job with that.

But in an incredible act of discipline, he chose not to so that he could preach the gospel to all of course the gospel that they preach planted the seeds that would ultimately lead to the societal reforms, but the church as an organization, and the apostles as its representatives. They kept himself focused on preaching the gospel and proclaiming those things that Jesus explicitly commanded Christians must care about poverty relief but as a state-mandated living wage is that the answer want of some Christians that say yes that that's ultimately fair. Other say no that ultimately will hurt the poor right there that with him it would lower the wage forever by that. That's a great discussion you want to have that much of the church tie its authority and its message to one of those positions.

Christians are gotta care about healing the sick is universalize healthcare private enterprise that the best way to help that is another great discussion. Christians should care about education's school choice.

The right answer about your system. Is that helpful Christians rightly care about protection of voting rights or voter ID laws that help protect against voter fraud or there's things inherently discriminatory. Christians are gotta care about immigrants and refugees. What does the Bible give us the exact number that God wants her nation to allow other verses in the Bible tell us that is it is the answer whatever number is higher. That's God's number and the one that Florida's you know, mean-spirited.

We gotta be careful to differentiate with what is clear in God's word and applications that are less clear right because because commission preach the gospel is so much more important you understand so we take things of secondary importance and we say those are important, but the gospel in one for limiting one pleasure I got wrong. Hopefully you won't get too much pleasure in this in 2003, I was on that will be all southern Bettis resolutions committee, which is once a year they select about 10 representatives and they come in. You make statements on behalf of the other 50,000 churches of the Southern Alps convention and out we were asked to make a public statement in support of the Iraq war again on number 2003 some you are like two years old that point but nearly everybody in our country.

2003 was in support thereof, and it was like bipartisan Hillary Clinton was forwarded and not just it seemed like everybody was for you know like that and so I personally I'll tell you I was for like I thought it seemed to me like a legitimate and just for well we were asked to and I'm in that committee was accustomed to like why would the wiser image of the church is endorsing a war as it would be better for us to like outline the principles of just war, call our government leaders to investigate them and said we will pray for them and doing that would not be a better approach. The other members of the committee thought that no we need to actually put some teeth in this and so we can on 2003 and officially as a group of churches endorsed the Iraq war only watch of the next six or seven months as all these things, came unraveled and everybody change their opinion and you don't that's okay because people are fallible. We get things wrong, but the question is why did we tie the churches reputation and authority to something listen that we were neither cold nor competent to jump into you understand that policies always looks so clear in the moment right they always look so obvious in your life.

This is obviously what you need, but what happens is right when I as a church leader tie the churches reputation is something that I'm not called or competent to adjudicate. I hinder the gospel that I am I am and called to proclaim.

That's why we show is a church that kind of restraint, sorghum, refrain from endorsing particular candidates or particular approaches as tell you is believers you have patience with one another in patients when people who things different see things differently from you as you get a differentiate between what is clear in God's word that we must agree on practical applications that we don't what unites us is not a politics here. What unites us is our identity in Christ and her permission to preach the gospel commission preach the gospel.

That's what's a first importance is what is above all how to stay in conclusion, quote my friend David Platt again here.

He says there are certain issues on which every Christian should agree, but there is no political method for resolving these issues upon which every Christian has to agree. However, there is was in a clear spiritual method for resolving these issues upon which every Christian should agree and that is faith in Jesus.

You have a flag wave on the top of your heart. It should not be Republican. It should not be Democrat. I hope that what you will fly highest will be the gospel flag hope that you will pleasure highest allegiance to Jehovah nisi like I said we are not a part of the elephant were not the party of the donkey where the people of the land.

That's because we understand from this book, but ultimately our salvation did not come riding in on the wings of Air Force One is not border. It was born in a manger. 2000 years ago, our true king are true king then sit behind the resolute desk he reigns from the right hand of God to the question I want you to assess we going to this series is very simply, is he your flat is at the flag fly to the top of your heart is his cause your highest cause development discloses an order prayer if I could get you everywhere campuses in homes is by your heads with me for just a moment here to tell you everything you trust the ends and let you down� Jesus leaving in a message like this one are you being compelled to tailor Jesus I need be reunited to you.

I don't want to be enemies to you.

I don't want to be a different party than you and so I do surrender to you right now from the gospel is that Jesus Christ died to save you because you couldn't save yourself, but he offers it as a gift. You have to receive you've never done that.

I want you to receive a right now see Jesus I surrender not receive. If you're already a believer maybe would say hey got I would just acknowledge that I have care more about where my neighbor Wilhelm I would never vote somewhere, he or she spends eternity in God. I want to be clear about the gospel than I am about politics. Father I pray that the summit church would not be characterized by political party, or even by political leaning would be characterized by the gospel, a gospel that compels justice and righteousness gospel that saves people now we pray that all these are the secondary things would fade in light of the most important thing in Jesus name, amen