Wiregrass Church
People first. Politics Second.
Are we willing to put our faith filter ahead of our political filter?
Are we willing to follow Jesus when following Jesus creates space between us and our political party, space between us and the platform of our political party, and space between us and our political candidate?
We (should) not allow the political climate to divide the church, any local church, or the church in general.
Disagree Politically
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Love Unconditionally
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Pray for Unity
When you interpret the words of Jesus through your political filter, it's amazing.
He's so RED
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He's so BLUE
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It's amazing how often Jesus agrees with YOU!
"Jesus did not come to take sides. He came to take over!" – Tony Evans
The Kingdom of God will always, in some detail and at some level, conflict with the kingdoms of men.
This is why it is absolutely foolish for the church to ever be divided over a candidate or over a political party.
A template to help us all understand where agreement ends and diverse opinions begin.
The Law of Christ
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New Covenant Command
1 Corinthians 9:19 NIV
1 Corinthians 9:21 NIV
Galatians 6:2 NIV
The Law of Christ
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Informed Conscience
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Disturbed
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Irritated
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Convicted
Our collective conscience, the thing that sets us back, that moves us to apology, that moves us to action; it's all tied to this idea that you are to love other people, respect other people, recognize the dignity of other people the way Christ said.
It was self-evident…
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"For that some should rule and others be ruled is a thing not only necessary, but expedient; from the hour of their birth, some are marked out for subjection, others for rule.” – Aristotle
“Slavery is the result of sin." – Saint Augustine (4th Century A.D.)
It was self-evident…
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Infanticide is good for a society.
Christians, from the very beginning, condemned exposure and condemned infanticide.
LOVE REQUIRED IT.
In the year 318, after embracing Christianity…
Emperor Constantine declares infanticide a crime.
In the year 374…
Emperor Valentinian made exposure a capital offense.
When the law of Christ informs an individual or a village or a city or a nation's conscience, things change.
The law of Christ sits at the epicenter of the Kingdom of God values. It will never go out of date, it doesn't have a shelf life, we are forever and ever, every generation, to do for others what God through Christ has done for us.
The Law of Christ
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Informed Conscience
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Knowledge and Wisdom
Your Heavenly Father, our God, accommodates to the capacity of His people.
In every generation, our knowledge increases, our insight increases, and God's ability to help us understand how He made the world and how the world works increases.
We should be the most curious people because our faith is tethered not to an interpretation of a text. Our faith is tethered to an event in history, the resurrection of Jesus.
The Law of Christ
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Informed Conscience
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Knowledge and Wisdom
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Policy, Platform, and Legislation
“Where you stand depends upon where you sit.” – Rufus Miles
“Where you stand depends upon where you sit.”
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Our cultural context (sit) determines our perspective (stand).
Your political views weren't shaped in a vacuum, and pausing to recognize this and to incorporate this into your thinking is what it means to be mature.
Political views and values are shaped by…
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-Where we live.
-How we were raised.
-Where we were educated.
-If we were educated.
Political views and values are shaped by…
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-What we've been told.
-What we've seen.
-What we've experienced.
-What we've seen others experience.
“Where you stand depends upon where you sit.”
The Law of Christ
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Informed Conscience
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Knowledge and Wisdom
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Policy, Platform, and Legislation
The Way Forward
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Listen
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Listen to people who don’t experience the world the way you do.
The Way Forward
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Learn
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Be a student, not just a critic.
Pay attention to the frontiers of your ignorance.
If we don't listen to each other and learn from each other, we will discount anything that doesn't fit perfectly within our flawed world view.
They're taking a stand based upon where they sit.
The Way Forward
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Love
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The you beside you is more precious to God than your potentially flawed view.
Never burn a relational bridge over a political view.
The Way Forward
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Listen
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Learn
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Love
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Once upon a time…
Kingdoms come, kingdoms go. Empires rise, empires fall. | Jesus said, "I'm gonna build my ecclesia and nothing is ever going to stop it."
Disagree Politically
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Love Unconditionally
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Pray for Unity
At Calvary, at the cross, we lost our right to do anything less than that.
