In a world full of division, we are constantly told what to believe and how to live. However, true and lasting change doesn’t come from politics or trends. It comes through love, service, and humility—it comes from a life-giving relationship with Christ. As followers of Christ, what should we be doing? Our influence in the world stems from loving our neighbors and standing firm in the truth, one act of kindness, justice, and truth at a time. Our hope is in Christ alone.
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Week 3… The Great Debate - God, Politics, and the Church
Today, we’re talking about ECONOMICS and IMMIGRATION
“You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.” —NLT Exodus 20:17
Coveting another person’s stuff, place, or position…
- I may steal
- I may resent
But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it, for I will not present burnt offerings to the LORD my God that have cost me nothing.” So David paid him fifty pieces of silver for the threshing floor and the oxen. —NLT 2 Samuel 24:24
And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. We never accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night so we would not be a burden to any of you. We certainly had the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business. We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good. —NLT 2 Thess. 3:6–13
Have you ever wanted to do the right thing and ended up enabling the continuation of destructive behavior?
What is fair?
Biblically, are all people Equal … Yes & No
It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. —NLT 1 Cor. 12:11
That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’
“He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’ —NLT Matthew 20:8–15
And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. —NLT Acts 2:44–45
Capitalism without compassion = cannibalism
Entitlement without effort = demobilizing
From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. —Luke 12:48
“When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the LORD your God. “Do not steal. “Do not deceive or cheat one another. —NLT Leviticus 19:9–11
Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. —NLT Romans 13:1–2
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