The Kingdom Perspective

Transcript:

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

One of the most difficult things in life is having an accurate self-assessment. Knowing who you are…and who you are not is foundational to everything in your life. However, achieving this is very difficult. The reason it’s so difficult is we tend to have a high view of ourselves. We play a game of puffing up and polishing up our image. We do this Facebook, and we do this face-to-face. Then, in order to maintain this image, we are in constant scramble-mode to make sure no one finds out the truth. It’s really quite miserable.

Now, in his day, John the Baptist was a very popular figure. We would say, “He had a lot of followers on social media.” He was the hottest ticket in all the Jordan River valley, and people were coming from miles around.

But what’s interesting is how John responded to this fame. He did not draw attention to himself but directed it to Jesus. John knew who he was…and he knew who he was not. As a matter of fact, when the religious leaders came to John and asked, “Who are you?” John basically replied, “I am not who people think I am…. I am just a voice directing people to Jesus.” In so many words, John was saying, “I’m not called to impress you with myself. I’m called to point you to Christ. Don’t look at me. Look at Him. Behold Him, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”

My friends, what a relief not to have to bear the miserable burden of keeping up a false (and idolatrous!) image of oneself! John found his identity not by looking at himself but by looking at his Savior.

Where do you find yours?

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’”

~ John 1:19-29 (ESV)

Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit www.christredeemerchurch.org.

Transcript:

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

The Framers of our constitution and country knew that they were proposing something that was quite unique in the history of the world. They were proposing a free Republic where people would not be ruled by the whims of a king or the dictates of a pope but by the will of the people. It was to be as Abraham Lincoln would later say a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Today, we take such notions for granted and are quite intoxicated with our “right to freedom.” We pride ourselves at being able to sniff out threats to that freedom from a mile away.

However, though the Framers were quite committed to this notion, they themselves were not so giddy about how easy or stable such a government ruled by the people would be. They were just as suspicious of the tyranny of the people, as they were about the tyranny of any prince.* Because they knew history and their Bibles, they were quite aware that a system of self-government required the people to be able to govern themselves. This meant that the people would need to willingly restrain their baser instincts and voluntarily submit themselves to the rule of a moral law outside themselves. Though many of them were not personally Christian, they largely saw this voluntary restraining instinct to be the function of voluntary religious practice, particularly Christian practice.

Listen to John Adams:

“We have no Government armed with Power capable of contending with human Passions unbridled from…morality and Religion. Avarice, Ambition…Revenge would break the strongest Cords of our Constitution as a Whale goes through a Net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
~John Adams to the Massachusetts Militia on October 11, 1798

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective”.

“My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
discretion will watch over you,
understanding will guard you,
delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in the ways of darkness,
who rejoice in doing evil
and delight in the perverseness of evil,
men whose paths are crooked,
and who are devious in their ways.
So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman,
from the adulteress with her smooth words,
who forsakes the companion of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God;
for her house sinks down to death,
and her paths to the departed;
none who go to her come back,
nor do they regain the paths of life.
So you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.”

~ Psalm 119:41-48 (ESV)

*See Federalist Papers No. 51, paragraph 6 https://billofrightsinstitute.org/primary-sources/federalist-no-51.

Transcript:

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

The kind of community that the New Testament calls us to is radically different than what you may find in the world. Non-Christians create all sorts of different communities where people feel welcomed and at home, and many times it’s really quite wonderful. But such community is based on affinities such as shared hobbies or interests, political alignments, racial, ethnic or sexual identities, etc. The community that the gospel calls us to is not based on any of these but is rooted in a shared experience of the love of Jesus. “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Now, the “problem” with the love of Jesus is that it is indiscriminate. It is a love that comes to us in spite of us. It comes to us not because of our performance or pedigree but because of Jesus’s performance and pedigree. It assumes our unworthiness, but embraces His. This means that the love of Jesus forces me together with those that have differing natural affinities, maybe even those that I struggle with.

The Apostle Paul put it this way. Becoming a Christian is:

a renewal [i.e. a radical makeover of identity] in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. (Colossians 3:11)

Today, we might say, there is neither Republican or Democrat, black or white, privileged or under-privileged, “woke” or “non-woke”, but Christ is all, and in all.

The test of whether you have truly believed and received the grace of Jesus for yourself is how gladly you extend that grace to others, especially those for whom, by your natural standards, you would have no affinity.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.”

~ Colossians 3:9-11 (ESV)

Transcript:

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

The Christian knows that this world will never be perfected until Jesus returns. Nonetheless, we do believe that the church should have a positive/redemptive effect on society in the here-and-now.

But how exactly are we to do this? Well, we do this by being the church—by demonstrating a new society, a new way of living together.

Jesus put it this way,

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, [Jesus goes on to say] let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)

Jesus tells us that we are to be a city on a hill—that is we are to demonstrate a new social arrangement visible for all to see. Note well, that He does not say we are to be a “chump on a stump.” We are not to be individual moral prudes merely spouting our religious opinions and moral platitudes. Rather, we are to be a city—that is an alternative society. We are to be a community that is redemptive in the midst of an otherwise rancorous culture. We are to be the church.

Thus, the way we live in community, as the church, is the key element. The most distinctive and attractive thing about us is not merely our individual lives or families, but our corporate life as the church, the family of God. How we treat one another makes us shine like a lighthouse, guiding others to safe harbor.

So, here’s the question: Does your interaction within the church shine like a thing of beauty? Does your attitude toward your fellow believers exude a positivity, fostering greater trust and community?

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 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.”

~ Matthew 5:13-16 (NASB)

Transcript:

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

In one very profound sense Christians do not live for this world. And, because of that, in a very profound sense that’s the best possible thing for this world.

What do I mean?

Think of it this way. What causes all the injustice and fighting in this world? In large part it is driven by those people lying, stealing and cheating in order to get worldly gain over others that are likewise lying, stealing and cheating in order to do the same. This vicious cycle of envying spirals to the point of misery and even murder.

What drives this obsession? Underneath is a belief that this world is all there is. Simply put, you only go around once. And so, if I don’t get my way in the here and now, I’ll never get it.

However, the Christian is driven by a different vision of the world. She believes and knows that this world is not all there is. Rather, this world is a kind of testing ground for a renewed world yet to come. In the yet-to-come world, God has promised unimaginable delights to all who trust and obey him in the here and now.

Now, what’s the effect of this? The effect, I think, is quite obvious. Those trusting in this promise from God will live differently in the here and now, because they know the best is yet to come. They will have patience when mistreated, kindness when slandered, courage in the face of opposition, perseverance in doing good, and generosity with their material possession. Why? All because they have a hope that goes beyond here-and-now.

Is this what drives you?

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

~ Luke 12:13-21 (NASB)

Transcript:

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

We are easily tempted to both judge others and live under the judgment of others. This dynamic is toxic both to us and to our relationships with one another.

However, in the gospel, we are called to live under God’s assessment of us, and not set ourselves or others up as the judge.

The theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer tells us that being a Christian means living under the judgment Jesus alone. Bonhoeffer was referencing the fact that as human beings we can’t help but live under the assessment of some law, some gaze by which we are judged. We were made to live under the gaze of God, but when we reject Him, something else will take its place.

Therefore, in times of social tension, we tend to feel the heat of living under the gaze of others more acutely. Am I socially aware enough? Am I responding to this crisis or that crisis properly? Am I sensitive to this issue or that issue enough?

As a Christian you are free from the judgment of others and, perhaps even more profoundly, from the judgment of your own conscience. Why? Not because there is no standard to which you are called and by which you will be judged. No! Rather, because Jesus, the ultimate judge, was judged for you. The true Judge has already rendered His verdict and He did so on the cross.

This is tremendously liberating, and when properly understood leads us not to dismiss others and their concerns, but to serve them—just like Jesus did for you.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.”

~ 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 (NASB)

Transcript:

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

In times of great political division, our thinking tends to become what some sociologists have dubbed “apocalyptic”. We begin to believe that what takes place at this moment—in the next election, during the next session of Congress or the next ruling from the Supreme Court—is going to determine the fate of our lives, indeed, the fate of all history. One side says: “If this guy wins the White House or this party wins the Congress, we are all doomed.” And the other side says: “If that guy wins the White House or that party wins the Congress, we are all doomed.”

Such thinking is not only false and extreme, it is also revealing. It reveals where our real hope is. (Interestingly, the word “apocalyptic” quite literarily means to “unveil” or “reveal”.)

Christians need not think like this—not because there are not issues at stake in any given election or that what happens in Washington is of no significance. Rather, Christians have an anchor that goes beyond the chaos of the present moment. Our hope ultimately does not come from the White House in Washington but from our Father’s house in heaven. Our hope is not in human powers, but in the power God.

As the Psalmist put it:

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7)

Such confidence allows us to enter the public square, not desperately seeking salvation, but rather seeking to serve. We are free to bring the hope of the true Savior to a world bent on finding it in political saviors that are only destined to disappoint.

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.
Some boast in chariots and some in horses,
But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.
They have bowed down and fallen,
But we have risen and stood upright.
Save, O Lord;
May the King answer us in the day we call.

~ Psalm 20:6-9 (NASB)

Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit www.christredeemerchurch.org.

Transcript:

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

Truth is absolutely critical to any functioning society. Once lies become the public and political norm, then the society becomes a game of thrones. It is power bloc vs. power bloc. Cynicism rules. Truth is DOA.

So, what is the answer? Well, the answer cannot be more power—merely be more human laws, or, God help us, more power to Washington. If truth is dead, that only feeds the beast.

So, what is the soil in which Truth is able to flourish? What keeps the weeds of corrupt power plays from entangling and overtaking the seedlings of truth?

It is the fear of Almighty God. We were made for accountability to our Creator. One day, we will all stand and give an account to Him for our every word, our every thought, our every deed. Every motive of our heart will be revealed.

When we deny this fundamental truth, we poison the soil where truth can grow. When we manipulate God and His Word to our selfish and tribal ends, we uproot the seedlings of truth. When we no longer fear God, then we no longer fear harming and manipulating those made in his image (Luke 18:2).

The celebrated Russian author and Soviet dissident, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008) knew the effects of a society in which truth was completely DOA. He had spent many years in a Soviet gulag simply for telling the truth. At the end of his life, reflecting on why atheistic communism had destroyed so many millions of innocent lives in His beloved Russia (and beyond), he simply said: “Men have forgotten God; that’s why all this has happened.”

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’”

~ Luke 18:1-8 (ESV)

Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit www.christredeemerchurch.org.

Transcript:

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

Living in a pluralistic society is not foreign to the New Testament. The Church was born in such a context.

And so, it is not surprising then when the Bible gives us instruction for how to live as followers of Christ in such a context. What are we to do when our values and beliefs are so misunderstood by the surrounding culture and attacked from both the left and right? Well, this is precisely the question that is behind Paul’s statement to the believers on the island of Crete. Paul commands the church to not be arrogant and divisive with their unbelieving neighbors and authorities but rather humble and service oriented. They are to be “ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men” (Titus 3 NASB).

Paul gives at least two reasons for this response. First the Gospel humbles us. It reminds us that the principle of sin we see at work in the world is exactly the same sin that once held us captive and still seeks to control us. “We ourselves were once…disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures” (Titus 3:3). If you know Christ, then you should be very familiar with your own sin, and so, very much full of empathy towards others.

Secondly, Paul reminds us that the only reason we are set free from the absolute rule of such sin is the absolute free and sovereign love of God in Christ. We did nothing to save ourselves. He did it all. “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:4-5 ESV).

We need not feel threatened when attacked. We are secure in the sovereign love of God. Such security frees us, genuinely and gladly, to serve others.

Have you been so freed to serve?

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.”

~ Titus 3:1-11 (ESV)

Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit www.christredeemerchurch.org.

Transcript:

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

Cornel West is one of the more interesting public intellectuals of the present moment. Though some of us may not like his politics, you’ve got to be an admirer of his gracious tenacity. Even Sean Hannity of Fox News loves having him on his program!

In the cultural conflicts of the present moment, Cornel calls on his fellow liberals to be “love warriors”—to fight for truth the way Jesus did. He says our public engagement—whatever our political persuasion—ought to be cruciform, that is shaped by the cross. Listen to how he puts it:

“We’ve got a love that the world can’t take away. White Supremacy may make being black a crime, but we refuse to get in the gutter. We’re gonna go down swinging like Ella Fitzgerald, like Muhammed Ali, in the name of love and justice…. We’re doing it for the whole world, because that’s the only hope of the world. And that kind of love is always tragic, comic and cruciform. You’ve gotta get ready to get crucified with that kind of love.”

He goes on talking about the weeping of the cross:

“Socrates never cries, but Jeremiah [the prophet] does, and so does Jesus. We cry because we care. We’re concerned. It is not about political correctness. It’s not about self-righteousness. We cry because we are not numb on the inside. We don’t have a chilliness of soul and coolness of mind and heart. We cry because we connect….”

“We don’t need summer soldiers. We need all-season love warriors.”

~Cornel West in an interview with Anderson Cooper in the Summer of 2020

Look. Whatever your political persuasion, or lack thereof, the question the gospel thrusts at you is do you weep over suffering of others? Do you love your neighbor as yourself?

Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.

“And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.'”

~ Luke 19:41-44 (ESV)

Thank you for listening to and supporting The Kingdom Perspective! The Kingdom Perspective is a ministry of Christ Redeemer Church of Hanover, NH. To hear more episodes you can subscribe on Apple Podcasts. To donate or to find out more about the ministry and resources offered by Christ Redeemer Church visit www.christredeemerchurch.org.