Talking Points – Part 1

“One not Won” – September 6, 2020

(Note: This is Pastor Rob's manuscript and not a transcript.)

Pastors get sermon ideas from all kinds of places. I got this one in my email. It is adapted from a sermon provided by Pastor Andy Stanley.

Today we begin a three-part series that will make us uncomfortable and better. It’s titled, “Talking Points: The Perfect Blend of Politics and Religion.”

It’s impossible to stay away from the topic of religion at church, but I usually stay away from politics. But when a topic intersects with the teaching of Jesus, it’s my responsibility to talk about it. The division in the church created by our current political climate intersects directly with Jesus. 

Depending on who you vote for in November, you will experience the outcome of the election in a different way than some others will.

Nothing divides like politics
because nothing divides like fear.

You can raise a lot of money peddling fear.

• Republicans are trying to take away your vote.
• Democrats are trying to take away your guns.
• If the president is re-elected, it’s the end of the world.
• If a Socialist Democrat is elected, it’s the end of the world.”

 What exactly do we fear? 

 Loss

• Loss of control.
• Loss of opportunity.
• Loss of wealth.
• Loss of our culture.
• Loss of our freedom.
• Loss of our progress.
• White people fear what might happen.
• Our black and brown brothers and sisters fear what has already happened. For them, it’s not theory. It’s history.

           We have an unprecedented opportunity to model for our community and our country what it looks like to disagree politically and love unconditionally.

We’re in this time in our culture when everyone is peddling fear. And if we’re not careful, we’ll fall victim to it. If we’re not careful, we’ll become divided by it.

Do you want that? Can you disagree politically and not just tolerate, not just be nice to while rolling your eyes…. Can you, do you want to, disagree politically and love conditionally?

Let me ask something else: Are you willing to evaluate your politics through the filter of your faith rather than create a version of faith that supports your politics?

Are you willing to follow Jesus even when doing so creates space between you and your party’s platform and candidate? 

Listen, most Christians aren’t. Apparently, Jesus saw this coming. 

I’m not talking about the election; I’m talking about the division.

John records Jesus’s prayer before his arrest. He prays for us. He had a prayer request. (Can you imagine being in a group when someone says, “Does anyone have a prayer request? And Jesus says, “Yeah, I do”?)

John 17:1, 11, 20–21

¹ “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.”

¹¹ “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

^20-21 My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Did you catch Jesus’ prayer request? He prayed that his family might be one and it doesn’t have anything to do with us! He prayed his family would be one so that world might believe in Him!

Jesus was asking God the Father to move us toward something Jesus had already commanded: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35, NIV).

This was a new command,

not a new suggestion!

Now back to John 17: “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22-23, NIV).

Jesus did not pray for political unity; he prayed for unity of purpose. After Jesus’ resurrection, the church was born with…

• One purpose – to make disciples of all nations
• One message – Jesus is the Savior who came to set things right and died so that people might have access to God.
• One command – Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (and a second one just like it – love your neighbor as yourself)

We must not let anything divide us.

we must not let anyone divide us.

Your candidate will win or lose based on how America votes on a Tuesday in November. The church will win or lose based on our behavior every day between now and then.

We must not let anything divide us; we must not let anyone divide us.

Listen, it was Christianity—not a political party—that shaped Western civilization. It was the teaching of Jesus—not our political parties—that laid the groundwork for our modern sense of justice and fairness and dignity for the individual.

• Throughout our short history as a nation, both of our current parties have gotten it wrong.
• During our short history, political leaders from both parties have fallen short morally and fallen short in their leadership.
• During our short history, several parties turned out the lights because their party was over.

Since all of that is true, why would we, as followers of the eternal king, allow ourselves to be divided by temporary elected officials? Why would we allow a political point of view to divide us from a living, breathing you?

• The you beside you.
• The you next door to you.
• The you you’re related to.

Why wouldn’t we fight, struggle, and sacrifice for the unity our King prayed for? 

 So, there are two things I want you to do:

• Pray for what Jesus prayed for – oneness.
  I have a prayer for you: Heavenly Father, make us one so that we can influence many.
  1. Pray that for yourself.
  2. Prayer that for your local church.
• Look for an opportunity to love unconditionally someone with whom you disagree politically.
  1. Remember, people aren’t projects, they’re people.
  2. That may be harder that it normally is, but it means our light will shine brighter than it normally does.

Some of you are probably thinking, “Rob, you’re really being naïve here.” I’m not.

Let me tell you what is naïve: a first-century rabbi (Jesus) from nowhere telling twelve young men, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18, NIV).

That’s naïve, but he did it and the gates of Hades never have (and never will) overcome it.

We are part of that. We are part of Jesus building his church. (Remember, last week I told you that God has written a part for you.) We are part of Jesus building his church—his family, not his building) and our oneness is a key part of seeing it successfully happen in our generation.

So,  disagree politically. Love unconditionally. Pray for unity. Most importantly, don’t miss part 2 of “Talking Points.”

Prayer