Gregg
Gregg DeMey 00:05
All right, as the young ladies exit, we are going to shift the gears hard. It is likely that our presidential election later this year will feature candidate, President Donald Trump he has the very frequent tweet. And if things hold to form Senator Bernie Sanders, a lifelong socialist, what's an American supposed to do in these political times? How should one vote? Why are we talking about this after such lovely music? So at Elmhurst CRC, we are in the midst of three weeks, this is the third and final week of some tough stuff, topics. And the point is not to arrive at easy answers or universally agreed-upon answers, not what it's about. But we need a reminder that we are able to consider everything about life. The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, the messy, the painful, the super complicated, all of it, in the Christian community, and in the light of God's word. That's the big point. Praise God. The last couple of weeks, tons of people have been talking about the previous two topics. My email has been overwhelmingly full and on the phone and, like fabulous and tremendous. This sermon is not going to tell you what to do politically, it is not going to tell you how to vote, however, we are going to talk about our political opinions and political lives as followers of Jesus Christ. So a few core principles guided us these three weeks. The first principle, God asks us, especially in regards to other people with whom our opinions differ, to first accept, and then let God direct. And then if anything else needs to happen to let God correct. Okay, so our first job in the highest calling is to meet other human beings look other people in the eye, except people. The second key principle is that these are intended to be positive messages, not to take anybody down, not to insult anybody. An important principle is that God in all things is for life. He is for every girl is for every woman, he is for every man, he is for every child, even every unborn child, while also simultaneously being for people who are invulnerable in desperate situations like God is for human life. And it's flourishing, and it's reaching its full potential. Last week, the Bible pretty clearly teaches that God is for sex. This is pretty much one of his main strategies for being for life as his whole life comes into the world, right? We all know this. Yes. All right. However, there is a standard that the Bible affirms again, and again, it's been around for 3000 years, it's increasingly unpopular, and culture, it's never been all that popular. Truth be told. I attempted to delineate this last week, while also granting maximum understanding kindness, acceptance, and deference because we the whole lot of us, as human beings are living in a fallen world with some broken-down equipment. Like that's how we're all getting through this life. And this week, I hope you hear a message very clearly, that God is for good government, the government that allows us to thrive and live lives and live up to our potential in a free and well-ordered society. Now, there is tension in every single government that there has ever been between conservative forces on the one side and progressive forces on the other side. This is true in ancient China. This was true in the Roman Empire. It's true in modern America, it was even true in Jesus' time. Progressives generally have this message. I will try to sum up, guys, this thing that we've never done before. Let's do that. That's what it means to be progressive, right? I think it'll work out. Like it might cost it might be a little messy for a while. But let's do this. Let's try this. The conservative force on the other hand, again, summing up in the global picture is like, let's wait a minute, folks. Just kind of like tapping the brakes. Let's think deeply about this. We've inherited some pretty great things from our parents and grandparents that have gone before us. And let's really lean into that. So just let's take a deep breath. I don't mean to present these as like a binary like black and white, you have to be all one, both feet in one. These are a polarity that lives in healthy tension in every society that there has ever been. Okay, conservative forces, and progressive forces. It happens in music, right? People are always writing new songs. People are always singing the great songs that have been handed down to us from hundreds of years before which songs are better?
Gregg DeMey 05:09
Both, right, it's like this is the tension that pretty much all of human life lives in. In Jesus' day, the Conservative Party in religious Judaism was known as the Pharisees and the Progressive Party 2000 years ago, and Jesus Judaism was known as the Sadducees. Which side did Jesus take 2000 years ago?
Gregg DeMey 05:37
He didn't, he pretty much ripped them both apart. Alright, he had some super harsh words for the Pharisees and their legal list, religious mindset. And the statues. These are like overly creative and spiritual wondering, he pretty much put them into place a handful of times as well. Jesus was neither conservative or progressive. Which party do you think he endorses today? The Republicans or the Democrats will pause on that for now. God is for the government. In general, it's actually a gift for a well-ordered human society. And for us to be able to live as freely as possible. That's how you know a government is good when citizens have opportunity and freedom. Romans chapter 13, gives probably the most comprehensive, biblical picture of how we as people are supposed to engage with and respond to our government. This is the Apostle Paul who was a Roman citizen, and he is writing about the Roman Empire. He says this, "let every one be subject to the governing authorities for there is no authority, except that which God has established." The authorities that exist have been established by God. Okay, got it. God makes government preferably good government. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted. And those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. Hold on a minute. Does this mean we can ever protest? That government is inherently good? Hmm. Let's continue. "For rulers hold terror, for those who do what is right. But for those who do wrong, sorry, rulers hold no tear for those who do right but for those who do wrong," right, if you steal, if you take someone else's property, if you break the rules, by the way, if you're in spiritual and you go against Molly Lindbergh, like Lookout, like she's the one in authority like she is a very gentle and adept and mature director, but she is a clear and strong leader. Do you want to be free from the fear of authorities? Then do what is right, and you will be commended. Sing your part, study your music, come prepared to rehearsal like that will go well for you, metaphorically, but the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, if you don't learn your part, if you flake on rehearsal, be afraid. For rulers do not bear the sword, the law, punishment capital punishment for no reason they are God's servants' agents of wrath to bring punishment on wrongdoing. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. So in 1994, my wife Sarah and I were living in the country of Hungary, so is pretty much right after the demise of the communist government, governments of Eastern Europe. I mean, it was wild times what took 10 years to accomplish in Poland took about 10 months to accomplish in Hungary. And just a little while later, it took about 10 days to accomplish in neighboring Romania, their communist dictator, Nicolas Ceaușescu, if you remember this, I mean went from being in power to being executed publicly in a very short order of time. Now beneath the overturn, of these tyrannical governments, there was a lot of Christian momentum. I mean, I lived with people for six months, who had been living the Secret Kingdom of God lives for decades upon decades upon decades, and their hope, and hopeful energy, and love and sacrifice and good deeds helped feed a steady diet of freedom to a wider community. Now, when the government was overturned in Hungary, do you think the goal of Hungarian Christians was then to immediately install a bunch of nice Christian leaders to be the next government? No, that was not their goal. Their goal was to create a free society where people had opportunities. We served in a bunch of youth camps that until the year before, had been high school, communist camps, speakers on every pole, you go there you sing the songs, you learn the drill, you hear the announcements every week, young people had to go over two weeks of camp. After the fall of the government, we got to go to camps and teach English and teach music, and share scripture, like it was a whole fresh age of freedom coming to these countries.
Gregg DeMey 10:37
We take Romans 13. If we take our own declaration of independence, our rights, our life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, we conclude these two things that God wants for human governments. God desires governments to thwart evil, to thwart bad behavior, to disincentivize, the kind of things where we hurt fellow citizens like that's the government's job. Thank God for the cops. Yes, please. Yes, now every cop is an angel. I know. But thank God for the cops. The other thing government is meant to do is to protect and promote God-given freedoms, our freedoms do not come from the government, they come from God. And a good government recognizes these freedoms, and protects and preserves, and maximizes them for all citizens, and in particular, for the weak and the vulnerable. So here's a question. How is our government here in these United States, doing these days, tamping down bad and evil, disincentivizing criminal behavior, and making the most of our freedoms and opportunities? So by the way, I do want to differentiate between these two Oh, words, outcomes, and opportunities in our national dialogue, there are more and more people out there who are trying to say that equality means equal outcomes for all. Like, that is not a healthy thought. So again, we had this group of girls here today, like, is every one of them equally musically talented? Of course not. Are there girls who tried out for that choir who did not get in? Because they're, you're lacking some of the musical gifts? Yes, that is true. Does Spirito give every opportunity for a girl to join them? Yes, if a girl wants to be in, makes her audition and it has hurdles because of distance, or transportation, or a financial issue like well, Spirito will be there to try to fill the gap and include them. Yes, because they're trying to give the same opportunity to as many people as can participate. Is it fair that I super want to dunk a basketball? And I'm only 5'11"? I mean, seriously, is that fair? Are you tall people? No, nature is not fair. We have different gifts abilities, and physiologies. If we are looking for an equal outcome and everything, you're going to be frustrated and crazy your entire life. However, a good society makes opportunities open to a maximum number of people. Here's an incredible true thing. For all the political tension and unease that we feel these days. The human race is doing amazingly well, in 2020, giving a maximum number of Homosapiens maximum opportunities to reach their potential. I have been grateful to note that this observation is actually a growing trend in mass media. In particular, I'm going to mention a few perspectives and data points shared by a New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof. He is a Christian guy, and a Swedish economist named Johan Norberg. Here's how good things are. Here's a graph of global literacy. Back in 1820, 10%, of human beings on planet Earth could read and write. In 2020, 90%, of human beings, by the time we're done with elementary school, can read and write. Do you notice the difference between those two? Like we went from only the very privileged, super-rich people having access to education to almost the entire global population, being able to read and write and therefore open their minds to new ideas and have access to education? This is an amazing thing in the history of humanity. And in particular, like the last 50 years, we have been crushing it. Somebody smile, please like this is good news. All right. How about life expectancy over the lat if you were born in the late 1700s. You would probably live on average to 30 years old, globally in 2020 life expectancy is now up to over 70 years. Are you able to reach your potential if you live to more than 29 years old? Like, did you have it all together when you were 29 older people? Have you learned everything there was to learn, put everything into practice, like, this is amazing through medical advances through science through health care, that our global population is now more and more being able to live into adulthood and realize more and more of our potential? You can live a long time, but if you're sick, constantly, you're doing poorly. Here's how access to clean water is doing globally.
Gregg DeMey 15:37
In 1980, just a tick above 20% of humans had access to good water. Have you ever had a gut like a horrible microbe, like for even a week, where you didn't know how you're gonna even like, Get up and walk across the room 80% of humanity was experiencing this on the regular or the irregular? That just came out, I'm sorry. Today, 70% of humans worldwide have access to clean water, and 90% of humans have had their water at least improve just in these few decades. Please, someone, smile at global poverty in the last 50 years. Well, since 1980, this is United Nations, these are United Nations statistics. For the people who can live on $2 a day, extreme poverty or less. In 1820, more than 90% of human beings lived on the equivalent of less than $2 a day including most people in North America. The projection is as of 2020 that will describe less than 10% of humans living on the equivalent of less than $2 a day, like the economic growth and the advantages that we as a human race have enjoyed because of the progress around the globe. This last half-century is unbelievable. I could give you 25 more data points. Homicide rates are their lowest since 1950. In North America, you could write a headline today that said 170,000 People moved out of extreme poverty yesterday. Like what if you saw that on the top of the New York Times you'd be like, seriously 170,000 people, you could write that headline for the last 25 years, every single day. Like, let that sink in 170,000 people every day moved out of extreme poverty. This headline 200,000 People got clean water today, you could write that headline every day for the last 25 years. 650,000 people today will go online for the first time gonna be like, it's gonna make your life worse. But still access to global information and all the opportunities that are explored. We are living in the best time ever to be a human being like today, this year. Why do we feel like life is getting ripped apart? Why do we feel like we're on these opposite ends of a binary and just shouting across the Great Divide at each other as Americans these days? No matter how good our conditions get, no matter how healthy we are, no matter how long we live, no matter how great our education no matter how clean our water is, all of these circumstances can be going awesomely. But if we are missing, meaning, what it is all about, the deeper why, of what we get to do with this enormous opportunity that we now enjoy as a society. We will continue in unhappiness and discontent. We are at a crisis of meaning my friends, and all the other crises that have afflicted the entire tea of human history like those are going away swiftly. These three things are all true at the same time. The world is so much better, so much better. And the world is brutal and broken. And this world can be so much better. From a gospel perspective, those things are all true simultaneously. However, if we forget number one, that this world is so much better than it has been before if we forget number one, we are like little kids with a box of doughnuts like the most amazing gourmet doughnuts are like a little kid is like, oh, there's not enough sprinkles on the doughnuts. Like, have you ever met that kid? Or maybe you've been that kid? I've been that kid. Like you're seeing a moment where there's like this beautiful amazing tasty thing and then like just the attitude is like, oh, it just it should be this much better. Sadly, I believe that's a metaphor for where we are at societally, right now, like this amazing box of opportunity in front of us all. And we can't help but pick on what is not quite there yet.
Gregg DeMey 20:20
We lose sight that we are living in the greatest possible time for human freedom and prosperity. And some days we prefer to use our freedom to enjoy a spectacular wrestling match of politics. It's so much fun to shout at each other, rather than rejoice over the systems and structures that in the West have produced health education and opportunity for every corner of the globe. The West did not accomplish this with an explicitly Christian government. That's not the point I'm making. But there have been Christian values that have undergirded the history of our society that have worked their way through the moral foundations of our government. Now, despite this, Republicans are absolutely convinced that if Jesus showed up today, he would totally be a Republican. Because he said, "Let the little children come to me." That Jesus loves little kids and Democrats hate children. Right? Probably not. Democrats are convinced that Jesus would be a Democrat because he always looked out for the least of these the outcast and the downtrodden. The Republicans are just such cold-hearted greedy. They don't care about those people. It's horrible Republicans, right? Maybe not. The real problem is that we're tempted to think the worst of people on the opposite side of our political preferences. If you're progressive, you think of conservatives. I've heard these very words out of people's mouths as racist, bigoted homophobes who hide behind the First Amendment and the charade of free speech, disclose their hatefulness. If you're a conservative person, you're tempted to think of progressives as semi-communist, Second Amendment hating people who have no regard for unborn life. Remember this principle of first except, and then let God direct. Like, as Christian people, we desperately need this when it comes to our political lives. Here's what I know, people on both sides of the political aisle, genuinely, generally have good intentions, the best of intentions for their neighbors, and for the nation at large. And we have different ways of pursuing this and going about this. Please, now, if you can maybe believe this. People who have the opposite political views of you are not inherently evil, they actually want the best for our nation, and the best for their neighbors, but have a different way of going about it. Like that should be a headline every day. Pastor Andy Stanley recently dropped this line in reference to Jesus in politics. When it comes to Jesus. He's so red, he's so blue. It's amazing how often he agrees with you. Like, this is the fundamental problem, we have our political filter, and then we pour Jesus through our politics. And the Bible's way is no, no, no. Government is a gift, even imperfect government. But if you're enjoying some freedom and opportunity, like that's a good government, like don't blow the thing up people. But you're a citizen of the kingdom of God first, and let all your politics get poured through that filter. Instead, Jesus did not come to declare a victor in our political tensions, Jesus came to be the victor and begin a beautiful kingdom that will last forever and has already begun. Jesus' Kingdom is conservative, in that is built on the old old promises of God and is always telling us to remember, take eat, remember and believe. And Jesus' Kingdom is always progressive, and he's always calling us to do new things, new wine in new wineskins. Jesus is making even now new heaven and a new earth, something that has never been before, who had the vote for he's bringing it all together and defying everybody and offering a third way that will blow all of our minds and put the poor, impoverished countries and kingdoms of this world and make them look like a sham. As the kingdom of God is awesome. Our current countries and political affiliations, our preferred party, our preferred candidates, they cannot compare to Jesus and it would be foolish, for we in the church to throw rocks at each other. Over who's the best because we are supposed to be kingdom people first and political people second can show you a short video about a kid named Simon Detmer. He's a recent graduate of Timothy Christian is a young man who has cerebral palsy. And he totally understands what I've just been trying to communicate. Listen to His words.
25:23
When I was born, I suffered a stroke at birth, which resulted in me having cerebral palsy, which means that the entire right side of my body has muscle weakness, tightness is partially paralyzed. Muscle spasms 24/7 in my leg and my right arm, so I can't hold my right hand naturally steady. Ever. And although many of the things became, were much more difficult for me, I couldn't say I was frustrated at God, or frustrated whatsoever because of that. Because as a Christian, I believe that God has, has given us what we need, that's best for each individual person. And he's given to me the things that I need in order to be faithful to him. Even when I qualified to be on the team, I was asking God, why? Why did you allow this to happen? Of course, I wanted to happen. But, Lord, You have given me so much more than I could ask for. And when I was nominated to be the US, flag bearer, I just, I couldn't comprehend how gracious and merciful the Lord's been to me, in my life. And during my time at the Junior World Championships in Switzerland, I was able to be many people who don't live ordinary lives, so to speak, and to hear their personal stories. I've heard stories from people who had no legs and literally get around there, their house walking on their two hands, I got to talk about people who are blind, and lived like ordinary people. And to me, that story was hearing those stories, just to me in emphasizing how, how the Lord is working through so many other people's lives, even if they aren't Christians, we are all human beings, no less, no more than all the others. We're all blessed to be image-bearers of Christ.
Gregg DeMey 28:07
So this young man gets it. Want to point out two of the extraordinarily wise things that came out of this 18-year-olds mouth? First, he asked God the question, why, but his question, why was God Why are you blessing me so much? If this is a kid with cerebral palsy, right? If His attitude was like, I'll only be happy when my disability is cured. He might never be happy. Right? Instead, he has chosen the way of gratitude and has his eyes open to the opportunities and whatever it is that God has ahead of him. In political life, if we think we'll only be happy when the political outcomes match my preferences, we might never be happy. And that is a much smaller burden to bear than the physical one that Simon bears and yet so many of us experience so much discontent, and anger because our political preferences aren't matched. Simon also concluded by saying how he sees the image of God in all of his fellow athletes like that's pretty cool. Do you think that would be possible in our modern American politics? I'm guessing there are a few people who are not necessarily the biggest fans of our current president. Like, if that's you? Could you spiritually challenge yourself to look at Donald Trump and have the first thought in your mind be that is a man who's made in the image of God? If you really don't like Nancy Pelosi, to challenge you to have this first spiritual thought, whenever you see her on television or read a quote in the paper, that is a woman who's actually made in the image of God and trying to do what's best for her neighbors and her nation? There are fewer people nodding No. Like this is a hard exercise, right Rod Blagojevich, now out in the wild once again, made in the image of God, Bernie Sanders made in the image of God. Like if we could put those two pieces of wisdom from Simon into practice, like, even just as Christians, just for us, it would transform the dialogue. This perspective allowed the apostle Paul, author of half the New Testament, God traced him to write half the New Testament to write the following words even as he was imprisoned in a Roman jail cell, okay, unjustly imprisoned, Paul was eventually unjustly executed. And he wrote these words, this is what concerned him. Pray for us that God may open a door for our message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, and pray that I may proclaim it clearly. as I should, did Paul ask anybody to knock off Nero to overthrow the Roman government to throw a pity party for him, because he was suffering for the cause for which he devoted himself to hope for the day when a non-tyrannical government would hold the keys to power? No pause was like, pray for me. What I'm free and able to do is share the gospel that God put inside me, pray for me to do that. Like that is a dude who gets it. And then here's some awesome political advice. Let's read it together. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders. Make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone what our political climate needs is more believers who are full of grace and seasoned with salt. Amen to that. Martin Luther, the great reformer 500 years ago, said this, I'd rather be ruled by a just infidel than an idiot, Christian. As such a great quote. His point was not that we Christians need to perform a hostile takeover of all the systems in government of society. That is not what is going to bring the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God comes when believers like us are willing to do the small things, to listen to people, to make a meal for somebody to sing a song as the girls did for us this morning, to open the book together. It's in these humble, tangible but significant acts that the kingdom of God works like 11 through a batch of dough. Like that is our primary Kingdom calling.
Gregg DeMey 33:00
Will you pray with me? Jesus, you are the king. And your kingdom is coming swiftly. Forgive us for thinking that our political aspirations could ever create the perfect country or Heaven on Earth. Only you can do that. Thank you that you are the king and you are indeed going to do exactly that. We can't wait till you come and make it all right. In your name, we pray Lord, Amen.