Our Communities need the Church to be the Pillar of Peace

Just as I did with Ferguson, I am doing so now. I waited. I watched. I thought. I prayed. Now I speak.

I am not attempting to address all the ills in our country or even the most recent ones, nor am I attempting to address why we have all these ills in our country. My hope is that as believers grounded with a biblical worldview we already understand that the reason for all the world's problems is sin and until Christ returns problems will persist. That said, I do want to address the Church's response (collectively and individually) to the wrongful events in our country involving discrimination and injustice in our communities.

Seeing Shalom in Our Communities
Last night at our church we studied Micah 5. One of the takeaways from our Micah 5 study was, "Jesus is peace/shalom (wholeness; nothing missing, nothing broken)." (v5a, cf. Isa. 9:6-7, John 14:27, Eph. 2:14)

“And he will be the source of peace.” (Micah 5:5a, NLT)

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end. He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity. The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!” (Isa. 9:6-7, NLT)

“I am leaving you with a gift—–peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27, NLT)

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…” (Eph. 2:14, NIV)

In a world that is rapidly becoming more divisive and hateful, Jesus is truly the only hope of peace in this world. We as ambassadors and children of God are to be the representation of His peace in this divisive, hateful, and hostile world, even if it costs us our lives/reputation/status in the process.

The Church is supposed to be the safe place for conversations concerning those who feel discriminated toward or have experienced injustice and the bridge toward reconciliation and peace in our communities when trust and unity has been destroyed or corroded between peoples. Sadly, we are not a safe place or a bridge (for the most part). But why is the Church supposed to be this? Because as you see in those verses above, Jesus is peace. There is no true peace apart from Jesus. The world cannot give each other true peace. But the Church can, because we are the Body of Christ filled with the Spirit of Christ!

The Church should not be getting sucked up into the media-driven (social media included) stew that profits nothing but more division, hate, and hostility. We're supposed to be the voice and sign of Jesus' peace/shalom in the midst of chaos. Why? Because we who profess Christ bear the name and the redeemed image of He who is Peace/Shalom and we know His peace/shalom is the only substantial answer.

Church, be His peace/shalom during these turbulent seasons. Christian, be His peace/shalom during these turbulent seasons. Release Jesus into the situation through being an extension of His peace/shalom.

Please, don't misunderstand His peace/shalom. Jesus' peace is not passive or weak or quiet. His peace/shalom is wholeness. Restoring wholeness in a broken situation involving broken people while still part of this broken world, that is His peace/shalom in action. Be that! Do that! Pursue that! Pray for that! And trust God with the rest.

How Can We Begin Restoring Wholeness in Our Communities, Church?
1. Truly care for your community and your surrounding communities (especially those in turmoil).

• Become the safe place for victims.
  -Mourn with them. Pray with them and for them. Hug them. Love on them. Speak less, listen more, and think before you speak. Be patient with them––not everyone bounces back as quickly as others.
  
• Become the neutral zone for the community.
  -Show the community you don't take sides, you're not trying to be God, or the law, or the government (civil, state, or federal). Therefore, ALL parties of the community (the minorities, the majority, the civil servants, the forgotten, the outcasted, the young, the old, etc) will feel like their voice will be heard. And always, ALWAYS exemplify grace. Grace softens hard hearts. Grace is the entryway to the Gospel.
  
• Have purposeful conversations with disunited members of the community.
  -Find out if there are members of the community who feel mistreated or discriminated toward. Hear them out. What are the problems? What are the concerns? With whom and why? What does reconciliation look like? Then gather all the parties and discuss ways to begin working toward reconciliation.
  
• Partner with other churches, para-church ministries/organizations, and community organizations in your community.
  -There is strength in numbers and unity. When the churches begin working together with each other and other local ministries/organizations, the community begins working together. When a community begins working together, then progress and improvement is underway.

2. Demonstrate the Gospel
Many churches do a great job of preaching the gospel. But very few churches do a great job of demonstrating the Gospel.

• Serve your community.
  -Just as Christ came and served us according to our need (Matt. 20:28), we follow His example and serve others according to their needs. Find ways to be in your community, serving them and serving alongside them. Don't assume you know what they need (other than salvation). Ask first, then serve.
  
• Accept all within your community.
  -Is your church truly welcoming to all of those in your community? Would any minorities or other ethnicities in your community feel welcomed in your church? Would any homosexuals in your community feel welcomed in your church? Whoever is in your community should feel just as welcomed in your church as God welcomed you into His family when you were His enemy (Rom. 5:6-8). And this goes beyond words. This is shown by your actions and attitudes toward them.
  
• Be the example of unity and love to your community.
  -Show the community what true unity and love looks like by how you unite with and love one another in your church, other churches, and the community.
  
• Pray for the events and churches in other communities.
  -Don't be indifferent toward the troubles in other communities. Pray for them. This further demonstrates unity and love to your community.
  
• Extend a hand across the aisle and support other churches as they are demonstrating the gospel in their communities.
  -We are the Body of Christ. Our unity is a testimony of Jesus to the watching world (John 17:21). So whenever there is an opportunity to stand with each other in righteousness or in gospel demonstration, do so! This further demonstrates unity and love to your community.
  

3. Don't try to be the Savior, but point them to Him.
Here is the balance to #1 & #2. The Gospel is not for the salvation of communities. The Gospel is for the salvation of people (Rom. 1:16). The Church's aim in being the pillar of peace in our communities is not for the salvation of the community but for the salvation of the people of our communities. Once the people come to Christ in saving faith, communities will change. It is the Church's job to proclaim and demonstrate Jesus. It is the Church's job to be the representation of Jesus' peace/shalom in our communities. It is Jesus' job to do the saving and restoration, not the Church's. So, let us simply do our part and then we wait, watch, and trust Jesus with His part.

Final Word
I am fully aware that what I have discussed may not be applicable outside the US. I am also aware that there may come a point in the future where it will not be applicable in the US. But as of now it is. Thus, Church in the US, for the sake of the Gospel and those whom Christ died for, be the pillar of peace in our communities. They need you. We need you. I need you.

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*Earlier this year I taught a sermon entitled "Jesus on Justice & Injustice toward Others". It's a message on Jesus' view of kingdom justice toward others. We would do well if we walked this out as churches/Christians.

July 7, 2016

The Supreme Court's Ruling & Our Ambassadorship

As I was leaving work this morning, a friend of mine told me about the Supreme Court’s ruling on gay marriage. I was then reminded of the poetic truth rhythmically expressed by Eshon Burgundy,

“they tryna take the title from the Bible/tryna redefine the truth and make us feel like we are psychos/they bullets got our names and aint no typos on their rifles but that’s why we unashamed and make no idol of survival”    (“The Fear of God”, from “The Fear of God” album)

Captures it well doesn’t it?

I have to say, I’m not surprised by the Supreme Court's ruling and neither should you if you are a born-again believer. We are living in a modern time that mirrors the biblical time of Judges. This world in its secularist and postmodernist generations have been doing what's right in their own eyes, which is evil in the sight of God, for several decades now. Even former President Ronald Reagan in his 1983 speech before the Annual Convention of the National Associations of Evangelicals addressed the escalation of modern day secularism in a number of areas from morality, to family, to government interference on religious freedom. But the day will come when the Supreme Judge will address all of Creation from His Supreme Court.

“We will all stand before God to be judged by Him. The Holy Writings say, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me. And every tongue will say that I am God.” Everyone of us will give an answer to God about himself.” (Rom. 14:10b-12, NLV)
“Then I saw a great white throne. I saw the One who sat on it. The earth and the heaven left Him in a hurry and they could be found no more. I saw all the dead people, [great and small], standing before God. The books were opened. Then another book was opened. It was the book of life. The dead people were judged by what they had done as it was written in the books.” (Rev. 20:11-12, NLV)

Believers must remember, this world is not our home (Phil. 3:20). We are aliens here and ambassadors of a great and true King and Kingdom. We cannot expect "this world" to reflect or adopt the principles, conduct, and customs of the Kingdom we belong to. We are ambassadors here with an assignment from our King to be ministers of reconciliation.

“As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.” (Jn. 17:18-19, NKJV)
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, [as though God were] making his appeal through us.” (2Cor. 5:17-20a, ESV)

We are to implore the people of this world on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God (2Cor. 5:20b). That is our assignment as ambassadors of the King. And with every sinful and rebellious turn we see the world take, we should be more and more motivated to implore them to be reconciled to God because we know of the great judgment that is to come.

Yet, I would be remiss to mention that it will get worse here in this world for us. Jesus makes it clear, we are not from this world like He our King was not from here and if they hated and rejected Him they will hate and reject us too because we are His. Let us not respond to them as they do to us.

“If the world hates you, know that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, I have chosen you out of the world, and you don’t belong to the world. This is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you, ‘Servants aren’t greater than their master.’ If the world [persecuted/harassed] Me, it will [persecute/harass] you too. If it kept My word, it will also keep yours. The world will do all these things to you on account of My name, because it doesn’t know the One who sent Me.” (Jn. 15:18-21, CEB)
“I have given Your Word to My followers. The world hated them because they do not belong to the world, even as I do not belong to the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world. I ask You to keep them from the devil. My followers do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world.” (Jn. 17:14-16, NLV)

Until our King's Kingdom is the only kingdom left, we are to joyfully and obediently serve our King in this foreign world in the ministry of reconciliation as ambassadors of His Kingdom and look forward to that great day of His return. Be bold. Stand for God's truth. Represent His Kingdom. But do so seasoned with grace not hate.

June 26, 2015