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Undivided Kingdom: My Obligation To My Country
Senior Pastor Jeff Maness
August 18, 2024
If a Christian fits neatly into any political party, that Christian does not fit neatly into the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God transcends all political parties. —Rich Villodas
Big Idea: My obligation to my country is not determined by who leads my country.
Big Question: What is my obligation to my country?
Main Scripture: Romans 13:8-14
Owe nothing to anyone — except for your obligation to love one another. —Romans 13:8a
If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. 9 For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. —Romans 13:8b-10
What is my obligation to my country?
1. Live as people of love
Religiously or Politically Conservative.
Your party will win or lose based on voter turnout on a given Tuesday in November. The church will win or lose based on our response to Jesus’s new-covenant command to love one another. I’m not suggesting that you love your country less. I’m suggesting that we love one another better. In doing so we demonstrate our allegiance to our Savior, who made it clear that our love for one another is the best evidence of our love for the Father. —Pastor Andy Stanley
In order to love our ‘neighbor’, we must allow our neighbor to be beside us and yet be different from us. Our neighbor has permission to be ‘other’ than us. That requires us permitting and even celebrating the freedom of others to find happiness, fulfillment, flourishing, purpose and meaning in ways that we might disagree with or disapprove of. Unless their happiness is to the direct detriment of our own well-being, our neighbor is free to be who they are, how they are, where they there, whenever they are. —N.T. Wright
Saving America is not the mission of the church. The moment our love or concern for country takes precedence over our love for the people in our country, we are off mission. Imagine a world where people were skeptical of what we believed but envious of how well we treated one another. —Pastor Andy Stanley
What is my obligation to my country?
1. Live as people of love
2. Let other people see your light
This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. 13 Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. —Romans 13:11-13
The political task of Christians is to be the Church, to embody an alternative way of life under the lordship of King Jesus. —Preston Sprinkle
Perhaps the single greatest threat is not the rise of secularism or the emptying of churches, but the apathy and indifference of the churches that are still here. People too self-absorbed and too affluent to care for anything outside their own social media bubble, beyond their own circle of friends, and beyond the view of their front lawns. Too many so-called disciples committed to Jesus to the point of convenience, not to the point where their discipleship costs them anything. Yet Jesus bids us all to come and follow him, to leave worldly trinkets behind and to do hard things, crazy things and impossible things, for no other reason than that he is our king. —N.T. Wright
Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. —Romans 13:14
What is my obligation to my country?
1. Live as people of love
2. Let other people see your light
3. Long for the presence of the Lord
Books:
Jesus and the Powers by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird
Not In It To Win It by Andy Stanley
Exiles: Church in the Shadow of Empire by Preston Sprinkle
Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaign’s Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement by Justin Giboney, Michael Wear, and Chris Butler
If you have decided to follow Jesus today, we’d like to celebrate with you and help you with some next steps. Please text Life to 855-725-2939 or click here.