The Kingdom Perspective

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

It has been my observation that the moment anyone begins to speak of sin and our deep, pervasive rebellion against God, the average American begins to tune out. Why? Well, I think, in part, it’s because it seems harsh. And, if there is anything this world needs no more of, it’s harshness.

However, here’s problem. There is no way to be faithful to the restorative message of the Bible without acknowledging the fact of our sin. No book speaks more profoundly to the problem of human evil than the Bible. And I think we find there the deeper reason why we tend to bristle at the accusation that we are sinners and that God is our rightful judge. We do this because our sin leaves our souls fearful and fragile. As the Gospel of John puts it, we are afraid to come into the light for fear that our sin will be exposed and we will be judged (John 3:20-21).

Look, if this notion rings true for you, I have some really good news. Jesus, our rightful judge, loves sinners just like you and me. Jesus was Himself judged for sinners. And so, you have nothing to fear in coming to Him. Jesus will gladly welcome you, and His love has the power not only to drive out any fear, but also to transform any life.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

~John 3:16-21 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

If we are going to thrive spiritually in troubled times, we must make it our aim to be driven by truth and not mere emotions.

One of the primary commands of the Christian life is Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” (Romans 12:2).

This means much of the Christian life is a war that is waged from the neck up—a fight for the ideas that drive our deepest thoughts. The Scriptures command us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Now, winning this battle is more easily said than done. It doesn’t just happen with the flip of a switch. Rather, it requires the nurture of a whole new way of thinking and living. It is a day-by-day fight—a moment-by-moment discipline to reprogram the thoughts and intentions of our hearts according to the Word of God.

The wise old saying goes:

“Sow a thought and you reap an act; sow an action and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Said another way, you practice what you ponder, and then you perfect what you practice.

Now, this is a path goes both directions—one way leads to life and other to death. And God promises that those who drive their thoughts toward the truth of the Gospel will be transformed into the character of Christ, which is the way of life.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

~ Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

Traditionally, Christians have practiced what is known as catechesis, or catechetical training. Catechesis comes from a Greek word meaning “to teach/to instruct” (Galatians 6:6). It carries with it the idea of in-person training from a knowledgeable instructor. A catechumen in the early church was a person who was under the teaching and training ministry of the church, in process of becoming confirmed in the faith, and so be received into the church as a member.

This catechetical training has taken various forms throughout the centuries and has been manifested in various ways in differing Christian traditions. However, historically, every Christian denomination has prioritized the catechetical process and has had some form of catechesis. Sadly, though, this is generally no longer the case. In most instances, emotions, experience, and “sincerity” have replaced this training. Being formed in doctrinal content (what we believe) and Christian practice (how we behave) has been downplayed in favor of a more emotive and consumer-oriented approach.

But this does not mean that Christians are not being formed in their thinking and character. They are. It just means that they are not being formed in the gospel. To be formed in the gospel requires both truth and intentionality—on the part of the teacher and the one being taught. We must subject ourselves to a process of learning the faith with our whole being—head, heart, and hands. For weeds to grow requires no effort. However, a good crop of vegetables requires intentionality and care.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

~Ephesians 4:11-16 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don Willeman of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

With all the changes in Western culture’s view on sex, we often miss the fact that there is nothing new under the sun. Many of the changes we see all about us are really not so “new”, but something quite old. Much of the contemporary sexual ethic is simply a return to pagan Rome.

This is clearly seen in the increasing acceptability and ubiquity of pornography. Pornography is not new. In ancient Rome, pornography was everywhere. It was mainstream. Pornographic art was prominently displayed, maybe especially in respectable upper-class households.

Over the past 70 years or so, as the prevalence of pornography has risen, many saw it as progress. It was believed that, for the first time in history, we were finally ridding ourselves of the regressive ethic of tradition and religion. What we failed to see is that this was not progress but regress. It was a return to Rome. We were not “back to the future”, but back to the past.

This push toward sensuality, just like in ancient Rome, drives us to see one another as mere objects to fulfill our sordid fantasies, instead of bearers of God’s holy image, to be cherished and honored. Sexual desire without limits trains our hearts to see one another as mere commodities to be used for selfish ends. This is not the biblical view of sex, and I don’t think it’s the sort of world we should want to live in.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

~Galatians 5:16-24 (ESV)

Additional Resources:

https://www.ccef.org/resources?topic=sexual-purity&utm_source=CCEF&utm_campaign=7b95d926de-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_02_22_24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-85c92eaebb-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=7b95d926de

Transcript:

Hello! This is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective!

One of the things that distinguished Christians in ancient Rome was their ethic on sex and marriage.

To the average Roman, sex was largely detached from marriage; it was merely a “natural” impulse to be fulfilled. Male virtue was in part judged by the strength of one’s sexual appetite and exploits. This was not seen as a problem, but as a positive feature.

Many are shocked to learn of temple prostitution—the use of sex in pagan worship. At the temple, it was perfectly normal for a man to hire one of the many prostitutes that worked there. Depending on the temple, these prostitutes could be either male or female.

Now, in this context, followers of Jesus were maligned as prudes. Following Holy Scripture, Christians reserved sex for a loving marital relationship between a husband and a wife (Genesis 2:18-24 & Matthew 19:3-9). Anything outside this bond, they considered “sexual immorality”.

Now, this idea of “sexual immorality” was largely foreign to their pagan neighbors. Having a wife was primarily an economic choice, a way to have children and manage one’s home. And so, for the Roman male, it was perfectly legitimate to find one’s sexual pleasure outside the bonds of marriage. For many men this was fulfilled not only with temple prostitutes but also in relations with other men. Many of the Roman Emperors had male lovers. Nero even “married” his (the former slave Pythagoras), with Nero himself donning the role of “the bride” at the “wedding”. Don’t forget, it was Nero who began the Roman persecution of Christians.

Now, I say all this to emphasize we need not get uptight at our present cultural circumstance, as sad as it may be. As faithful Christians, we are standing not only on the “right side of history”, but also with our ancient brothers and sisters, who were likewise misunderstood and maligned in their day for their faithfulness to God’s commandments.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

‘Awake, O sleeper,

   and arise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.’”

~ Ephesians 5:1-14 (ESV)

Some sources to consider:

Sexual Morality in a Christless World by Matthew Rueger (Concordia Publishing 2016).

Catharine Edwards (1997). Unspeakable Professions: Public Performance and Prostitution in Ancient Rome. (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press).

Thomas A. J. McGinn (2004). The Economy of Prostitution in the Roman World. (University of Michigan Press).

Lauren Weisner ( 2014). “The Social Effect the Law had on Prostitutes in Ancient Rome”. Grand Valley Journal of History: Vol. 3: Iss. 2, Article 4.

Pythagoras, Emperor Nero’s Freedman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagoras_(freedman)

Male prostitutes in ancient Rome

https://oxfordre.com/classics/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-7337;jsessionid=09BD76DBF5980570A1B83F28DD9B86CB

Transcript:

Hello! This is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective!

Even as Christians, it is inevitable that we are going to have differing perspectives, differing consciences, born from our different backgrounds and experiences. The Bible clearly tells us that not everything in life is a matter of absolute truth. There are matters of “conscience” (Romans 14). Therefore, we have a responsibility not to sit in judgment of one another, but to understand, love, and serve one another under the kingly authority of Jesus—despite our differing perspectives.

To discern this and live into it is more necessary in our present cultural moment, where society-at-large is fraught with such moral confusion and decay. We must be strong in the essentials but charitable in the non-essentials.

Listen to Paul as he presses the church in Rome—a church, by the way, that was split along moral, cultural, ethnic, and political divisions that make our present cultural conflicts look tame:

“Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand…. But as for you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you as well, why do you regard your brother or sister with contempt? For we will all appear before the judgment seat of God. For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, to Me every knee will bow, and every tongue will give praise to God.’ So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God…. (Romans 14:4, 10-12, emphasis added)

The true and final Judge has commanded us to understand and accept one another. And He does so precisely because He has already been judged for us all. “So then we must pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another” (Romans 14:19).

And this is something, not only to think about, but also to work at, from The Kingdom Perspective.

“One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.”

~Romans 14:2-9 (NIV)

Transcript:

Hello! This is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective!

There is no question that we live in a time of tremendous change in society’s views on sex, gender, and marriage. For many, this is heralded as progress. For others it is troubling and confusing. Either way, we often forget that there is nothing new under the sun. Many of the changes we see all about us are really not so “new”, but something quite old. Much of the contemporary sexual ethic is simply a return to pagan Rome. Christianity was born during the Roman Empire, and early Christians had to navigate all the varied sexual and gender expressions of it.

In this context, the early Christians distinguished themselves on a few key fronts:

First, their tender care of women and children. In Rome, women and children were generally not protected but seen as products to be used and abused for sexual pleasure. This was especially true of the slave class, which comprised nearly 20% of the inhabitants.

Second, Christians were distinguished by – what their pagan neighbors saw as – their strict sexual ethic. Christians were maligned as prudes in a society obsessed with using and abusing others. Christians followed the teaching of Holy Scripture and reserved sex for a loving marital relationship between a husband and wife.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, they were distinguished by the grace they extended to those exploited by Rome’s sexual confusion and callousness. The church was a place of refuge and restoration, not a place of shame and ostracization.

Now, in that ancient context, the church was disparaged and persecuted for these values. But the community they created caused it to thrive. Today’s church would be wise to aspire to that same example.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”

~1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 (ESV)

Some sources to consider:

The Rise of Christianity: A Sociologist Reconsiders History by Rodney Stark (Princeton University Press 2020).

The Patient Ferment of the Early Church: The Improbably Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire by Alan Kreider (Baker Academic 2016).

Why You Think the Way You Do: The Story of Western Worldviews from Rome to Home by Glenn S. Sunshine (Zondervan 2009).

Transcript:

Hello! This is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective!

There is so much controversy over sex, gender, and marriage in our day. And it seems that the greater the controversy, the louder the conversation. Our cultural debates generate a lot of heat, but very little light.

So, why so much controversy? Well, I think that part of the reason comes from not knowing the right questions to ask. For example, very rarely if ever, have I heard anyone ask the question: What is the purpose of our sexuality? Until we know the purpose of sex, it’s design, we really don’t know how to use it. And to answer that question, we need to ask the One who created it. Anytime you get a new product, the first thing you do—or at least should do—is read the owner’s manual to make sure you’re using it properly.

Once Jesus was asked a controversial question about sex and marriage. Instead of taking the bait of controversy, He simply went to the owner’s manual and restated what the designer said. Fully acknowledging the brokenness of our world, Jesus pointed out that it has not always been that way—the world’s not always been broken. Listen to Jesus:

“Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one….” (Matthew 19:4-6a)

You see, according to Jesus, marriage and sex is for the permanent uniting of a man and a woman into the beautiful joy of marital oneness. He goes on to emphasize that it is a union created by God Himself. “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate” (Matthew 19:6b).

Now, we can be comforted with the fact that despite our misuse of God’s design, God is merciful and forgiving. His grace has the power to restore us. But we mustn’t use this to excuse our continued misuse of His design.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

~Matthew 19:3-9 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

In November 2020, Vogue magazine featured an interview with singer Harry Styles. What caught my attention was a statement he made: “Anytime you’re putting barriers up in your life, you’re limiting yourself.” Allow me to clarify the logic: barriers/limits/rules are all obstacles to personal fulfillment – to one’s true self. As the title on the cover put it: “Harry Styles Makes His Own Rules”.

Now, regardless of what you think of Harry Styles, the popular ethos he parrots (“Make your own rules.” “Do your own thing.”) is far from liberating. It’s devastating and a recipe for loneliness!

To the degree that you “do your own thing”, to that degree you can’t be in relationship with others. You can’t even play a game without objective rules and boundaries. The guy who makes his own rules in poker (or basketball or whatever) will soon find himself playing alone. To the degree that you demand your own way, to that degree you’ll have to do it all by yourself.

Is it any wonder that as we’ve immersed ourselves in this ethos of self-expression, the experience of loneliness has gone through the roof. Constantly re-inventing oneself makes it impossible to be known by anyone — even ourselves! Eradicating boundaries doesn’t alleviate our intuitive sense of alienation; it only increases it.

The elevation of such nonsense parading as freedom would be silly if it weren’t so sad. Removing all rules, doesn’t make life freer, it literally destroys it. Utter chaos is no substitute for liberty. There is no self without limits.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

~ Deuteronomy 6:1-9 (ESV)

Transcript:

Hello this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.

Are you stressed out? Feeling overwhelmed by all your responsibilities? Does it feel like the world’s going to fall apart if you don’t hold it all together?

Or perhaps, it’s not so much that you’re stressed out as you feel left out. You feel hurt—forgotten, unrecognized, or underappreciated.

Or perhaps you are feeling judged? Scrutinized and looked down upon all the time! When you walk in a room, it feels like everyone is looking at you and judging you.

Now, I suppose, it’s possible that your feelings could have some truth to them. 

There are things you need to get done.

There are times when people will leave you out, and perhaps even intentionally so.

And there may also be times when people judge you and look down on you.

But often, I find the issue is not really, objectively, “out there”, but rather subjectively in my heart. It’s a matter of an inflated self-importance—an ego that over-estimates itself. If it spoke candidly, it would say something like this:

“Everything depends on me!”

“I deserve to be the center! The first thought on everyone’s mind!”

“If I just work hard enough, I can rise above any possible critique.”

Such a false pride assumes that the world revolves around me, and this reveals a radical idolatry of self.

Now, the only remedy to this miserable burden is humility. A heart without humility is a heavy and unhappy heart. It takes itself all too seriously.

That’s why Jesus invites us to be like Him, to take on His “burden” which is light, for He is gentle and humble of heart. And in Him we find rest/shalom for our self-obsessed souls.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“At that time Jesus declared, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.'”

~Matthew 11:25-30 (ESV)