This is the final speech of the series of speeches given by youth for the Youth Speaker Tournament...
___________
As we look to the stars in the space, we see God’s infinite glory and majesty; as we look back to the creation of the world, we see the timelessness of our Lord; and as we look to the cross, we see His love and mercy for us. However, in our repetitive Sunday morning worship services, we dumb down God to mere feelings in our own hearts: feelings that disappear as we leave the sanctuary. Our worship becomes self-centered, and we lose sight of the glorious and holy God that’s right before our eyes. Our worship also becomes trapped in the walls of the church, and we forget His sovereign plan of sanctification and missions outside of the church.
However, in a sermon in the mid 1720’s, the pastor and theologian, Jonathan Edwards said, “[The] glory of God [does not] consist merely in [man] perceiving His perfections.” Instead, he said, “The essence of glorifying … God consists … in [man’s] rejoicing in God’s manifestations of His beauty.” 1 In Romans 14:17, Paul says, “for the kingdom of God is …joy in the Holy Spirit.” In other words, at the very core of worship is joy: joy in his majesty, joy in his love, and joy in his justice. This joy, however, does not simply refer to earthly happiness. Rather, it is a supernatural joy that comes from a passion and zeal for God which is not just confined to Sunday worship but poured out into our lives.
Some of the most famous leaders of Christian history showed this passion and zeal in their ministries as they left a permanent mark on the church. Martin Luther preached almost daily; he lectured constantly as a professor; he was burdened with the care of all the churches; he was continuously harassed with controversies; and he was one of the most prolific writers of his day. John Calvin preached or lectured every day; he was a pastor, professor, and almost a magistrate; he was overwhelmed with letters from all over Europe; and he was the author of numerous works.2 John Wesley averaged three sermons a day for fifty-four years and preached a total of more than forty-four thousand times; he traveled by horseback more than 200,000 miles; and he still found time to publish countless works on subjects ranging from Christian theology to English history.3 These three well-known theologians and reformers of the Church worked tirelessly for the Lord. They devoted their whole lives to His service with a passion and zeal that must consume our lives to the point that we “present [our] bodies as […] living sacrifice[s]” and allow God’s sovereign grace to mold and sanctify us.
Instead of simple songs in worship, these leaders’ lives were worship to God. In
1 Corinthians 10:31, Paul reminds the church of Corinth that every part of their lives should be devoted to the glory of God. He even goes as far as to say that while we are eating or drinking we should glorify God. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus says, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Together, these verses remind us that our deeds should not simply be actions but an act of worship. Works mean nothing without the heart, but where the heart is, works will follow. So, through our deeds, we proclaim the love and might of Christ working through our lives and sanctifying us day by day.
Let me conclude with this story, Dr. Charles Weigle, an evangelist and gospel songwriter, had the opportunity to walk through some of the famous rose gardens of Pasadena, California when the fragrance of the flowers filled the air. Later in the day he arrived at the hotel where a Bible conference was being held. As he took his seat, a man turned to him and said, “Dr. Weigle, I know where you’ve been. You toured one of our lovely gardens, for I can smell the pleasing aroma on your clothing.”
Dr. Weigle replied, “My prayer is that I may walk so closely with the Lord that the fragrance of His grace will pervade my being. I want them to know by my words, my actions, and my songs that I have been with Jesus.”4 And that is the true focus of worship.
1. Edwards, Jonathan. “Nothing Upon Earth Can Represent the Glories of Heaven.” The Works of Jonathan Edwards.
2. Tan, Paul Lee. “Luther and Calvin.” Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations.
3. Tan, Paul Lee. “John Wesley.” Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations.
4. Tan, Paul Lee. “Fragrance of His Presence.” Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Next Generation Leadership
The continuation of the youth speaker series
________
Who are the next generation leaders? Is it the person sitting on your left or is it the person sitting on your right? When we think of the term “leader,” we imagine someone who is mature and is around the age of a young adult or older. This is a misconception that many of us young people believe. A leader can be a person of any age; it’s a person who is willing to step up and take responsibility of a group or to coordinate an event. Young people who want to take their faith to a whole new level should become leaders for God.
Many Christian teenagers do not take their faith and relationship with God seriously. Think about it; do your Christian friends strive to become more like Christ or do they succumb to the secular world? Many teens follow the behavior of a secular society. They want to feel popular and be accepted by their non-Christian friends, instead of being perceived as “Jesus Freaks”. I follow the behavior of the secular world many times in order to feel accepted, but I continue to strive to be more like Christ. We shouldn’t be ashamed of being God’s elect; we should be proud that God chose us and sent His son to be a propitiation of our sins.
A common belief that young people including me say to excuse ourselves in becoming a leader is the phrase, “Leaders are for people who are older than me.” It is a privilege to be a leader for God. 1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourselves an example of those who believe.” According to Paul’s letter to Timothy, the younger generation should act as mature as the older generations. Just because we don’t know as much as the adult leaders know, doesn’t give us the excuse to not become leaders.
This leads me to my next point; how do we become a leader? Being a leader means we must have humility because Christ Jesus was humble. “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of man. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross,” Philippians 2:5-8. We must follow Christ’s example in order to become a spiritual leader that is fit for leading the church. Paul, a leader and follower of Christ, states in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” Paul was a great leader due to his faith in following Christ. He continuously preached God’s word and had faith in God’s plan for him. Despite Paul being imprisoned many times, he persevered through trials and was obedient to God’s commands. We too, can become leaders for Christ by imitating His attitude and characteristics.
Not only does a Christian leader have humility but they must also dwell in God’s word and have a close relationship with God. Moses was a prime example of someone who had a strong faith and relationship with the Lord. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt with the help of God. He trusted in God and obeyed God’s commands. Moses’ relationship with God was so close that the Lord said to Moses in Exodus 33:17 that he had found favor in the Lord and that God knew him by name. God’s elected children should yearn to have a closer relationship with God and yearn to become the leaders of the next generation.
The leaders of the next generation need to be rooted by the Bible and by the Holy Spirit. They must be blameless in speech and in conduct. One important quality a leader needs is the desire to love one another. In Titus 2, Paul asks the older men and women to remind the younger generation to love others because Christ loved them. Leaders need to interact with the people around them to understand what problems they are facing. Then they can address those problems by teaching the word of God through fellowship. These leaders are humble, loving, obedient and close with God.
The next generation leaders are us young men and women. We must step up and take our faith to a new level. We know more about this culture we live in today than the adults. Let us combine our knowledge with God’s infinite wisdom and address the problems teens are facing today. A.W. Tozer once said, “When God's sheep are in danger, the shepherd must not gaze at the stars and meditate on "inspirational" themes. He is morally obliged to grab his weapon and run to their defense.” We shouldn’t watch our brothers and sisters fall away from God. We must lead them in the right direction. Therefore, let’s not hide behind the curtain and watch today’s leaders from the background. Instead, we should emulate the leaders of our churches and learn from them. Do not worry about not having humility, obedience, a loving heart, or a close relationship with God now. God will give us these qualities of a leader as we continue to strive to be more like Him. Join me and many other Christian brothers and sisters as we strive to become the leaders of this generation and examples to those who believe.
________
Who are the next generation leaders? Is it the person sitting on your left or is it the person sitting on your right? When we think of the term “leader,” we imagine someone who is mature and is around the age of a young adult or older. This is a misconception that many of us young people believe. A leader can be a person of any age; it’s a person who is willing to step up and take responsibility of a group or to coordinate an event. Young people who want to take their faith to a whole new level should become leaders for God.
Many Christian teenagers do not take their faith and relationship with God seriously. Think about it; do your Christian friends strive to become more like Christ or do they succumb to the secular world? Many teens follow the behavior of a secular society. They want to feel popular and be accepted by their non-Christian friends, instead of being perceived as “Jesus Freaks”. I follow the behavior of the secular world many times in order to feel accepted, but I continue to strive to be more like Christ. We shouldn’t be ashamed of being God’s elect; we should be proud that God chose us and sent His son to be a propitiation of our sins.
A common belief that young people including me say to excuse ourselves in becoming a leader is the phrase, “Leaders are for people who are older than me.” It is a privilege to be a leader for God. 1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourselves an example of those who believe.” According to Paul’s letter to Timothy, the younger generation should act as mature as the older generations. Just because we don’t know as much as the adult leaders know, doesn’t give us the excuse to not become leaders.
This leads me to my next point; how do we become a leader? Being a leader means we must have humility because Christ Jesus was humble. “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of man. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross,” Philippians 2:5-8. We must follow Christ’s example in order to become a spiritual leader that is fit for leading the church. Paul, a leader and follower of Christ, states in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” Paul was a great leader due to his faith in following Christ. He continuously preached God’s word and had faith in God’s plan for him. Despite Paul being imprisoned many times, he persevered through trials and was obedient to God’s commands. We too, can become leaders for Christ by imitating His attitude and characteristics.
Not only does a Christian leader have humility but they must also dwell in God’s word and have a close relationship with God. Moses was a prime example of someone who had a strong faith and relationship with the Lord. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt with the help of God. He trusted in God and obeyed God’s commands. Moses’ relationship with God was so close that the Lord said to Moses in Exodus 33:17 that he had found favor in the Lord and that God knew him by name. God’s elected children should yearn to have a closer relationship with God and yearn to become the leaders of the next generation.
The leaders of the next generation need to be rooted by the Bible and by the Holy Spirit. They must be blameless in speech and in conduct. One important quality a leader needs is the desire to love one another. In Titus 2, Paul asks the older men and women to remind the younger generation to love others because Christ loved them. Leaders need to interact with the people around them to understand what problems they are facing. Then they can address those problems by teaching the word of God through fellowship. These leaders are humble, loving, obedient and close with God.
The next generation leaders are us young men and women. We must step up and take our faith to a new level. We know more about this culture we live in today than the adults. Let us combine our knowledge with God’s infinite wisdom and address the problems teens are facing today. A.W. Tozer once said, “When God's sheep are in danger, the shepherd must not gaze at the stars and meditate on "inspirational" themes. He is morally obliged to grab his weapon and run to their defense.” We shouldn’t watch our brothers and sisters fall away from God. We must lead them in the right direction. Therefore, let’s not hide behind the curtain and watch today’s leaders from the background. Instead, we should emulate the leaders of our churches and learn from them. Do not worry about not having humility, obedience, a loving heart, or a close relationship with God now. God will give us these qualities of a leader as we continue to strive to be more like Him. Join me and many other Christian brothers and sisters as we strive to become the leaders of this generation and examples to those who believe.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The Cost of Being a Christian
• Imagine this. You have been working tirelessly your entire life. As a student, you were devoted to your education and after graduating college you obtained a high-paying job. Finally, you are able to afford the house of your dreams, but imagine that the day you move in something tragic happens…an uncontrollable fire burns down your new house to ashes. Right away you feel anguished and even more disappointed when you realize that what you have worked so hard for is now gone. However, could you imagine that this feeling of great loss is how many people will react once they die? Because after you live your short life in this world and face death, like your house, your earthly wealth that you have worked endlessly to earn will instantly perish and lose all its value.
• Not only will you lose everything once you die, but the harsh truth is that God will judge everyone. Since “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) most people will justly endure God’s wrath forever in hell. Fortunately by God’s grace Christians are the only ones with the hope of receiving eternal life in heaven. But what is the cost of being a Christian? The Bible says in Romans 10:9 that if “you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”. This means you are going to heaven if Jesus is your one and only Lord.
• But just believing in Jesus’ existence is not enough to save you as the Bible says in James 2:19, “Even the demons believe [in God]—and shudder”. But obviously demons do not have salvation. To be a Christian, you must not only say you believe in God -- you must also reveal your dedicated faith in Him through what you do. In James 2:17, the Bible tells us that, “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead”. Anyone can say “I have faith in God”, but your works will show whether your faith is genuine or fake. Let’s pretend that you tell your friend that you completely trust him, but later when he asks to borrow some money you say “no” to your friend because you have doubts whether or not he will pay you back. Even though you said you trusted your friend, we know that you really do not trust him because your actions reveal you as a liar. In the same way if we call Jesus is our Lord, but we live our life as if He is not our Lord then our words mean absolutely nothing.
• Did you know that 75% of Americans say that they are Christian? Sadly, what you say does not make you a Christian, but how you live your convictions. A Christian is basically a follower of Christ; therefore if you do not follow Christ, you are not a Christian. Jesus tells us in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple”. In order to be a follower of Christ we must put God before our family and even our own life.
• Jesus also tells us in Matthew 16:24-25, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Therefore, do not to place your hope in your perishable house or other earthly possessions, but in the “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4) reward in heaven that waits for those who persevere. The cost of being a Christian is high, it is basically your life, but the reward is eternal. Therefore, if you say you are a Christian, live like one.
• Not only will you lose everything once you die, but the harsh truth is that God will judge everyone. Since “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) most people will justly endure God’s wrath forever in hell. Fortunately by God’s grace Christians are the only ones with the hope of receiving eternal life in heaven. But what is the cost of being a Christian? The Bible says in Romans 10:9 that if “you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”. This means you are going to heaven if Jesus is your one and only Lord.
• But just believing in Jesus’ existence is not enough to save you as the Bible says in James 2:19, “Even the demons believe [in God]—and shudder”. But obviously demons do not have salvation. To be a Christian, you must not only say you believe in God -- you must also reveal your dedicated faith in Him through what you do. In James 2:17, the Bible tells us that, “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead”. Anyone can say “I have faith in God”, but your works will show whether your faith is genuine or fake. Let’s pretend that you tell your friend that you completely trust him, but later when he asks to borrow some money you say “no” to your friend because you have doubts whether or not he will pay you back. Even though you said you trusted your friend, we know that you really do not trust him because your actions reveal you as a liar. In the same way if we call Jesus is our Lord, but we live our life as if He is not our Lord then our words mean absolutely nothing.
• Did you know that 75% of Americans say that they are Christian? Sadly, what you say does not make you a Christian, but how you live your convictions. A Christian is basically a follower of Christ; therefore if you do not follow Christ, you are not a Christian. Jesus tells us in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple”. In order to be a follower of Christ we must put God before our family and even our own life.
• Jesus also tells us in Matthew 16:24-25, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Therefore, do not to place your hope in your perishable house or other earthly possessions, but in the “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4) reward in heaven that waits for those who persevere. The cost of being a Christian is high, it is basically your life, but the reward is eternal. Therefore, if you say you are a Christian, live like one.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
The True Focus of Worship
This is the continuation of a series of speeches given by youth on various topics for a speaker's tournament.
________
“There is no other who can grab a hold of my heart like you can when you whisper in my ear that you love me. I wanna dance with you…in the bright moonlight; just you and I, let’s run away together.” Most of you probably think that those lyrics come from a typical boy-girl love song, but believe it or not, those words actually are taken from a worship song. What is my point? I am by no means questioning the intimate relationship with God that is being sung about. Worship is intimacy with God. What I am saying, however, is that so often we remember only half of the infinite God of the universe. Yes, we know that he is the Lord of love, and yes, we know that He is the God of intimacy, but we must not forget that He is holy and that we are sinful. He is mighty and we are weak. He is the God of Isaiah 40:22 who “sits above the circle of the earth and its habitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in”. Until we begin to grasp a true, complete perception of God, our worship will not be pleasing to Him.
Before we talk about how we worship, we have to look at why we worship. Throughout the Bible, it is very evident that worship is not optional. From the Old Testament in Nehemiah 8:6, when the people worship with their faces to the floor, to the book of Revelation, when angels bow before God, worship has been desired by God. Deuteronomy 6:13 says “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Through the death of Christ, we have been reconciled. We can confidently commune with God. We must not forget that our worship begins at the foot of the cross, and is only possible because of it. As AW Tozer put it, “We are saved to worship God. All that Christ has done for us in the past and all that He is doing now leads to this one end.”
Now, if we truly understand the amazing grace which the Father showed us through the saving death of Christ, then we will realize how undeserving we are as sinners. Likewise, if we truly recognize the sovereignty and holiness of the mighty God, then we will also grasp the finite, perishable specks of dust that we are. When we begin to possess a low view of ourselves, then our view of the holy God will be that much higher, and that is, in essence, the true focus of worship.
The word “worship” in the Bible translates to the Hebrew word shachah, meaning literally “to bow down oneself” or “falling prostrate” before God. However, this word does not merely speak of the outward action of bowing down, but more importantly of the inward humbling of the heart. For worshippers to gain an accurate high view of God, then it must begin in the heart. We can never fool God with our outward actions of worship. His true focus is our hearts.
But what does the Father look for in the hearts of His worshippers? In Isaiah 66:2 God tells us that “this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.” Pastor and theologian John Piper defines this humility as “a trembling love for the majesty of God and secondarily a trembling sense of our sin and smallness and dependence.” At the very foundation of worship is humility. It is how we are to worship! When we recognize the need for total dependency on God and not in ourselves, then we can give fully.
Let me conclude with this. In Isaiah 6, the prophet Isaiah enters the temple and God is revealed in His glory to him. The passage describes how the train of His robe fills the temple, with God seated on the throne, and how the seraphim are crying to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” It is simply an overwhelming picture. We see Isaiah’s response in verse 5, which reads: “And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Isaiah’s only response is “Woe is me!” – meaning “Curse me!” When the transcendent holiness of God is revealed to Isaiah, the righteous prophet of God, he becomes undone by his own wretchedness in the presence of the King. Isaiah understands his place as a sinner, a man of “unclean lips”, and can only respond with humility and worship. This is the example that we should follow. This is the true focus of worship.
________
“There is no other who can grab a hold of my heart like you can when you whisper in my ear that you love me. I wanna dance with you…in the bright moonlight; just you and I, let’s run away together.” Most of you probably think that those lyrics come from a typical boy-girl love song, but believe it or not, those words actually are taken from a worship song. What is my point? I am by no means questioning the intimate relationship with God that is being sung about. Worship is intimacy with God. What I am saying, however, is that so often we remember only half of the infinite God of the universe. Yes, we know that he is the Lord of love, and yes, we know that He is the God of intimacy, but we must not forget that He is holy and that we are sinful. He is mighty and we are weak. He is the God of Isaiah 40:22 who “sits above the circle of the earth and its habitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in”. Until we begin to grasp a true, complete perception of God, our worship will not be pleasing to Him.
Before we talk about how we worship, we have to look at why we worship. Throughout the Bible, it is very evident that worship is not optional. From the Old Testament in Nehemiah 8:6, when the people worship with their faces to the floor, to the book of Revelation, when angels bow before God, worship has been desired by God. Deuteronomy 6:13 says “You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” Through the death of Christ, we have been reconciled. We can confidently commune with God. We must not forget that our worship begins at the foot of the cross, and is only possible because of it. As AW Tozer put it, “We are saved to worship God. All that Christ has done for us in the past and all that He is doing now leads to this one end.”
Now, if we truly understand the amazing grace which the Father showed us through the saving death of Christ, then we will realize how undeserving we are as sinners. Likewise, if we truly recognize the sovereignty and holiness of the mighty God, then we will also grasp the finite, perishable specks of dust that we are. When we begin to possess a low view of ourselves, then our view of the holy God will be that much higher, and that is, in essence, the true focus of worship.
The word “worship” in the Bible translates to the Hebrew word shachah, meaning literally “to bow down oneself” or “falling prostrate” before God. However, this word does not merely speak of the outward action of bowing down, but more importantly of the inward humbling of the heart. For worshippers to gain an accurate high view of God, then it must begin in the heart. We can never fool God with our outward actions of worship. His true focus is our hearts.
But what does the Father look for in the hearts of His worshippers? In Isaiah 66:2 God tells us that “this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.” Pastor and theologian John Piper defines this humility as “a trembling love for the majesty of God and secondarily a trembling sense of our sin and smallness and dependence.” At the very foundation of worship is humility. It is how we are to worship! When we recognize the need for total dependency on God and not in ourselves, then we can give fully.
Let me conclude with this. In Isaiah 6, the prophet Isaiah enters the temple and God is revealed in His glory to him. The passage describes how the train of His robe fills the temple, with God seated on the throne, and how the seraphim are crying to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” It is simply an overwhelming picture. We see Isaiah’s response in verse 5, which reads: “And I said: ‘Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”
Isaiah’s only response is “Woe is me!” – meaning “Curse me!” When the transcendent holiness of God is revealed to Isaiah, the righteous prophet of God, he becomes undone by his own wretchedness in the presence of the King. Isaiah understands his place as a sinner, a man of “unclean lips”, and can only respond with humility and worship. This is the example that we should follow. This is the true focus of worship.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
How the Bible Influences Our Politics
This is part of a series of speeches completed by youth in the Youth Speaker Tournament.
________
Ashes. This is all that remains of a mighty oak tree, burnt down by a forest fire. However, we can no longer reconstruct the ashes back into the tree, for a chemical change has taken place. A change... that is irreversible. So it is the same with the Bible-believing church and politics: it is impossible to separate the two without each becoming ashes, without altering the fundamental role of each. Without the church, political views become relative to each person. Without politics, the church loses its voice in the public arena. Although many Christians separate politics from their faith, the Bible does influence my views of moral and socio-economic issues within the political context.
In recent years, the positions of the pro-life movement and traditional marriage have come under attack by abortionists and gay rights activists. Even within the church, controversy arises about a woman's right to choose and same sex unions. Secular lobbyists argue that the Bible-believing churches should not "impose" their beliefs and preach about the morally depraved state of our society. Their argument directly contradicts the inerrant truth in the Old and New Testaments. The Bible condemns homosexuality in both Leviticus 18.22 and Romans 1.26-27. The same is true regarding the right-to-life, for God creates us in His own image, and values each person's existence. But as I observe, sometimes the biblically-faithful and I have slipped into complacency. We do not want to express our faith in public, nor do we want to voice our political views to others. The Bible, on the other hand, encourages me to share my views in terms people can understand. This reminds me of Paul in Athens (Acts 17), who articulated his message in a way the Greeks knew. Paul understood the powerful implications of explaining in other's terms (to Jew be Jew - I Corinthians 9.20). This is something that I can take and apply to politics. Paul's example inspires me to share my views of these moral issues by expressing these ideas in a way that relates to my audience.
Another part of politics deals with the socio-economic aspects, especially with social justice and civil rights. This issue of Christian influence in schools has been hotly debated throughout the years. On one hand, opposition seeks to silence the Christian faith, not allowing any public display of it. Yet, at times, the complacency of the church and its members such as I encourages others to take over the public arena. This sad fact only compels me to further follow the Bible in its teachings, vocally proclaiming the Christian message. On issues like social justice and welfare, the Bible takes stances on those positions as well. Isaiah 1.17 clearly states to "seek justice, encourage the oppressed, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause." All this is well and good, until the cumbersome bureaucracy of the government assumes the position of the church. This causes Americans to rely more and more on social programs, causing more problems when government fails to do the job. When the church shift its responsibilities to government, it loses the right to act, to do the work commanded in the Bible. With Biblical influence in politics, the church and I can talk the secular language with the basis of our Biblical principles.
What remains for the church to do? The Bible already reveals several examples in both the of people who explained the Gospel on the listener's terms. Jesus used parables to illustrate his message to these Israelite farmers and fishermen; Paul used Greeks gods debate with the Greeks. Even historical figures such as William Wilberforce and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, utilized politics as a means to fight against social injustice. As Dr. King puts it, "Injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere." By applying these core Christian ideals, the church dealt head on with the issues, backed with the solid Christian foundation. This is the most significant way the Bible influences my politics: to uphold Biblically-based views when seeking a solution to our problems. Without our voice in the public arena to discuss moral and socio-economic issues, the ideas held dear by the church will be replaced by relativism. The absence of Christian thinkers in society only results in the ashes of the world's morals and values.
________
Ashes. This is all that remains of a mighty oak tree, burnt down by a forest fire. However, we can no longer reconstruct the ashes back into the tree, for a chemical change has taken place. A change... that is irreversible. So it is the same with the Bible-believing church and politics: it is impossible to separate the two without each becoming ashes, without altering the fundamental role of each. Without the church, political views become relative to each person. Without politics, the church loses its voice in the public arena. Although many Christians separate politics from their faith, the Bible does influence my views of moral and socio-economic issues within the political context.
In recent years, the positions of the pro-life movement and traditional marriage have come under attack by abortionists and gay rights activists. Even within the church, controversy arises about a woman's right to choose and same sex unions. Secular lobbyists argue that the Bible-believing churches should not "impose" their beliefs and preach about the morally depraved state of our society. Their argument directly contradicts the inerrant truth in the Old and New Testaments. The Bible condemns homosexuality in both Leviticus 18.22 and Romans 1.26-27. The same is true regarding the right-to-life, for God creates us in His own image, and values each person's existence. But as I observe, sometimes the biblically-faithful and I have slipped into complacency. We do not want to express our faith in public, nor do we want to voice our political views to others. The Bible, on the other hand, encourages me to share my views in terms people can understand. This reminds me of Paul in Athens (Acts 17), who articulated his message in a way the Greeks knew. Paul understood the powerful implications of explaining in other's terms (to Jew be Jew - I Corinthians 9.20). This is something that I can take and apply to politics. Paul's example inspires me to share my views of these moral issues by expressing these ideas in a way that relates to my audience.
Another part of politics deals with the socio-economic aspects, especially with social justice and civil rights. This issue of Christian influence in schools has been hotly debated throughout the years. On one hand, opposition seeks to silence the Christian faith, not allowing any public display of it. Yet, at times, the complacency of the church and its members such as I encourages others to take over the public arena. This sad fact only compels me to further follow the Bible in its teachings, vocally proclaiming the Christian message. On issues like social justice and welfare, the Bible takes stances on those positions as well. Isaiah 1.17 clearly states to "seek justice, encourage the oppressed, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause." All this is well and good, until the cumbersome bureaucracy of the government assumes the position of the church. This causes Americans to rely more and more on social programs, causing more problems when government fails to do the job. When the church shift its responsibilities to government, it loses the right to act, to do the work commanded in the Bible. With Biblical influence in politics, the church and I can talk the secular language with the basis of our Biblical principles.
What remains for the church to do? The Bible already reveals several examples in both the of people who explained the Gospel on the listener's terms. Jesus used parables to illustrate his message to these Israelite farmers and fishermen; Paul used Greeks gods debate with the Greeks. Even historical figures such as William Wilberforce and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, utilized politics as a means to fight against social injustice. As Dr. King puts it, "Injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere." By applying these core Christian ideals, the church dealt head on with the issues, backed with the solid Christian foundation. This is the most significant way the Bible influences my politics: to uphold Biblically-based views when seeking a solution to our problems. Without our voice in the public arena to discuss moral and socio-economic issues, the ideas held dear by the church will be replaced by relativism. The absence of Christian thinkers in society only results in the ashes of the world's morals and values.
Welcome to Unikoi's Blog
This is the blog of Unikoi, the high school ministry of FCBC Walnut.
We periodically will update this blog with theological ramblings and musings.
We periodically will update this blog with theological ramblings and musings.
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