“Kingdom Come Near"

A Sermon based Upon Luke 10: 1-20

By Rev. Charles J. Tomlin, D.Min.

Flat Rock-Zion Baptist Partnership

Year C: Proper 9, 7^th Sunday After Pentecost, July 3rd, 2016

“Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’  (Luke 10: )

THEME:  In this sermon we will explore the difference between our national identity and our Christian identity.

Some time ago, as I was doing research on the Internet, I came across the story of a Baptist pastor from Texas who recently became a Mennonite pastor in Virginia.  His story caught my attention.  The story goes that when he was pastor a Baptist pastor in Texas, he preach a sermon rightly claiming that our Christian allegiance to God is more important than our allegiance to our country.  He even gave illustration of how Germany once got that wrong and it lead to a world disaster.  This must not happen in America, so he explained the congregation should prove their sole allegiance to God by removing the American flag from the sanctuary.

Many members were shocked at his words, but they accepted them as a necessary warning.   But on the very next Sunday when everyone arrived for worship, they realized that flag was missing from the sanctuary. They ask the pastor what happened and he admitted to removing the flag from the sanctuary and placing it in the fellowship hall.  After hearing that their pastor had removed the flag, the very next week the church voted to remove the pastor.  Then they replaced the flag.  That’s how he became a Mennonite Pastor. They do not allow flags in their sanctuaries.

Let me be clear, I am not going to remove the American flag.  But today, the day before we celebrate our American Independence, I want us to consider the difference between being an American and being a Christian.  Of course, it is a great blessing to be both.   Yet, we also need to keep in mind that for the sake of respecting and valuing both, they cannot or should never been understood to be the synonymous.  You can be a good American without being forced to be a Christian. 

Did you know that in the earliest days when the first English settlers came to this country, that they actually did make America a Christian nation?  They tried, but it failed miserably.  The Puritans, who were the majority of settlers, attempted to force Christian morality with whips, chains, stocks, and sometimes executions.  In early Virginia, the first settlers made the Church of England the official ‘state’ religion and they put anyone in jail who did not agree with that, including many Baptists, whom they called ‘child abusers because they did not have their infants baptized’ and Catholics, whom they called ‘Papists’ who were loyal to the Pope.   This early persecution of Baptists is why they became a major voice encouraging the first Amendment to the constitution, preventing any kind of ‘established’ religion in America, which Thomas Jefferson came to call the necessary ‘wall of separation between  church and state’ (http://candst.tripod.com/tnppage/baptist.htm) .

Our constitutional forefathers, Jefferson, Franklin, James Madison and others, were wise beyond their years, and ours, to ground this nation upon ‘religious liberty’ as a foundational value.   Their major concern was freedom of religion and freedom for religion, not necessarily the freedom from it.  You can be an American and not be religious, but this was not their concern, as it has become the desire of many today.  Amazingly the constitution of the United States allows for both; freedom for and freedom from, as long as Americans retain free discourse to convince the other of the truth. 

Without a doubt, ‘religious liberty’ has been critical to making America a great shelter for our faith.  However, this does not mean that America is, or should ever become an official bearer of the cross, as Constantine, the Holy Roman Empire or some European nations still claim, on paper at least.  While it still confuses some that you can follow Jesus and not want your national identity to be Christian, let’s consider, based on Jesus own words, why it is even more desirable not have the Christian faith as an ‘official’ state church.  We’re not going to consider this from a ‘political’ angle, but from a biblical one.

THE LABORERS ARE FEW

The first thing we observe from this text is that even in a very religious world, like was the world of Jesus, it was not easy to get people to become laborers for the truth.  Jesus’ words imply that it is never easy to find willing, committed, dedicated people who will be ‘doers of the word, and not hearers only.’  Then, as now, those who actually follow and obey Jesus as their Lord are always less than those who might call him Savior.  And even those who would name him Savior will remain a minority compared to the majority who ignore, reject, or fail to acknowledge him.  

Think about it this way, If Jesus ‘came unto his own, and his own rejected him’ (John 1), how much less might strangers understand or receive him.  When Paul wrote that one day every tongue will confess Jesus as Lord, he was not imagining it happening without divine intervention-- as an event outside of human effort, will or the world as we now know it.  For if the real laborers will always be few, so must the true believers be just as few, if not fewer. Let me explain.

After Christianity had quickly and remarkably become the official religion of the Roman Empire, the very empire that once tried to snuff it out, it wasn't long until the old, fallen Roman Empire became the new, enlarging and powerful Holy Roman Empire.  Within 300 years after Jesus birth, the once despised faith of Jesus had become the official state religion of the empire.  But interestingly, even this official acknowledgement did not mean everyone a true, practicing Christian.

A story is told that Europe was finally conqueror in the sign of the cross when the divine Emperor Charlemagne encountered the last resistant Germanic leaders who were refusing to convert to the Christian Faith.  Those remaining tribesman decided to give up when Holy emperor employed his normal tactic; either to have them kneel to Christ and bow their heads, or to kneel to the sword that would remove their heads (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne).  

This is how the sword converted Europe to Christianity.  It was with the Sword and not by the Spirit, and that may be part of the reason there is so little active faith in Europe today, as it remains a land of “official” profession without very much genuine confession.  As someone has said, it was indeed not difficult for Europe to lose a faith since it never sincerely choose or was rightly converted.

While Europeans today have not been forced to become Christian, it is now their national identity without making any choice at all.  In other words, most of Europe grew up being Christian without choosing Christ.  Perhaps that is why most Europeans today chose not to practice a faith with substance or conviction.  Faith means very little to them today is because it has not been personal for them.

Whatever the exact reason for the decline of Christianity in Europe, an enduring and endearing faith is becoming a question here in the U.S. too, as we watch the decline of civil morality, church attendance, and the lessening of Christian influence, both in the local community and the politics at large.  That  the laborers are few, and perhaps even becoming fewer, is as true for us as it was in the time of Jesus.  The question is what can or should we do about it?

LAMBS IN THE MIDST OF WOLVES

What we need to understand stand, which may even define logic, is that having a minority of the faithful, the fewness of laborers, or even facing a decline of Christianity, does not necessarily means bad news for us now, just as it was not necessarily bad for disciples in Jesus’ day.  For when Jesus sent those ‘few laborers’ out into the world on mission, just as when we go out for Jesus on mission, we are always sent into a world as ‘lambs among wolves’.  But how can this be good news?   How can reminding Christians that we are a minority, and sometimes, perhaps even a ‘moral minority’ be something that we can at least see as not all bad news.

When Jesus sent his first disciples out into the world as ‘lambs among wolves’ it implied that the humble truth that they lived and preach did not, and will never be the national, dominate, controlling nor the aggressive truth of the powers and principalities of this world.   In addition, it can be favorably argued that the Christian Faith even fairs better when the true faith is a minority, and when Christians are not tempted or corrupted by having an official, majority, dominate power.   As when Jesus’ own disciples, the sons of thunder, requested ‘fire from heaven’ to blast the opposition, Jesus rebuked them, because this is not what he came to be or do.   We can also see that when Roman Catholic Church control was the political norm of Europe, as the power of the church was the power of state with a sword, even true faith was easily corrupted and the power of the Spirit was nearly lost.

Our own Baptist forefathers challenged the marriage of church and  state because they wanted a better church without the corrupting power of a militant, triumphalist state.  The very first English Baptist, John Symth, lost his life by execution in early 17^th century England because he refused to bow his faith to the will and wish of a King.  That King was ironically King James, for whom a much beloved version of the Bible gets its name.   This does not mean that the King James translation was tainted or corrupt, but it does mean that it was not good for a King, a president, or any other political figure, to use the Bible or religion to advance his own political ambition, which is what he was trying to do. 

Baptist rightly saw through it then, as we still need to resist the marriage of church and state today.   While this ‘separation’ should not mean that politicians should not have a religion, or that the religious should stay out of politics, but it means that the faithful do their work with the innocence of lambs, must try to avoid the power and aggressiveness of the wolves.  If a lamb tries to gain the power of wolves, it will be the lambs who end up suffering and losing the most. 

NAMES WRITTEN IN HEAVEN

If having political power nor gaining national identity is not our goal, what is it?  What should a Christian do in a world, in a nation, or even in a great country that is still hostile, often immoral, and never fully Christianized and does not, and cannot, equal nor ever bring the Kingdom of God?  What Jesus wanted his own disciples to discover is something so radically different and distinguishable from worldly power or human success. In fact, when the disciples return from their preaching and healing mission, Jesus told them not even to rejoice in God’s moral power over the devil in the world— though he said, “I saw Satan fall….” (10:18).   Yes, good does have ultimate power over evil, but God is at work doing something even greater than overcoming all evil, whether it be evil in all the world or evil in all people.   Beyond all national, political, social or institutional structures in this world, Jesus wanted his disciples to know and rejoice over the fact that by preaching and living the gospel, now they can know with certainty something even greater--- that God has transformed their own lives so that their ‘names are written in heaven’ (Lk. 10:20).

What does Jesus mean?  Does this mean that our primary concern is getting people’s names on heaven’s roll book, rather than being involved in community, social or political action?   Some would answer that this is exactly what is wrong with religion, that it is ‘so heavenly minded that it is no earthly good.’  While the church has sometimes understood its calling as spiritual rather than social, as prayer rather than politic, I do not believe that doing no earthly good was ever the intention of Jesus, especially the Jesus who told his disciples that they should be the light of the world and the salt of the earth.  When Jesus predicted that the meek would inherit the earth or that peacemakers are called children of God, we should realize it was human need and human life on earth that Jesus was most concerned about.  Jesus never saw faith as just a way to heaven, but he understood faith and prayer as a way to get heaven down to earth: ‘God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven’.

So let’s summarize what our mission is now, in our America, as Christians who are always laboring as few in number, and who always work as ‘lambs among wolves’ in a world that will never be fully converted until that day when God makes all things new.  What do we do in this great country which has had God’s grace shed upon it, providing for us the liberty and opportunity to serve God with prayer and in service to others?  How do we live in God’s kingdom that has come near in Christ?   Can we help others become believers without having to Christianize all of America?

I recall how I once listened as a newly installed preacher once challenged his congregation to win their city for Christ.  That was a great challenge, except that it was also very unrealistic.  It even sounded a bit triumphalist as his church only spoke English, but the overwhelming majority of his city spoke another language altogether. While I knew that the pastor meant well, and he was right to set a vision for his church, it all seemed very unrealistic, and they all knew that they were doomed to fail, unless they all learned another language.    

Christ’s word speaks real possibility, not dooming us to frustration or failure.   Living under God’s rule now does not mean dominating the world or winning world to Christ on human terms with human power.  Living in God’s kingdom happens in a radically different, more powerful way.   Anywhere, whether it be in America, in Africa, in Asia, or anywhere, God’s rule or kingdom comes near when God’s redeeming, freeing, and saving power are at work in the smallest, subtlest, and often most ordinary and unnoticed ways. Besides,  great moments of salvation seldom come into the world when Presidents or Kings kneel before God, but great salvation comes when people themselves, both individually and personally, kneel to the King of Kings, freely giving themselves to God, on Gods terms and in God’s time.

In a favorite "Charlie Brown" comic strip, Lucy and her brother Linus have just finished a chicken dinner, and Lucy is explaining to Linus how to make a wish on the wishbone: "This is a wishbone, Linus," she says. "We both make our wishes and then pull it apart. Whoever breaks off the biggest part gets his wish." Lucy begins the wishing: "Let's see now. I wish for a new doll, a new bicycle, four new sweaters, some new saddle shoes, a wristwatch and about one hundred dollars."Then Linus gets his turn: "I wish for long life for all my friends. I wish for peace in the world. I wish for great advancements in the fields of science and medicine, and.... "But by this time, Lucy is throwing away the unbroken wishbone in disgust, grumbling, "You seem to have a knack for spoiling everything."

There is no doubt that our great nation has had a culture that has been greatly influenced by Christian values, allowed for, but not distinctly defined by our constitution.  There was great wisdom in this, because everyone’s own definition of what Christianity means is different, and should be different.  What it means to follow Jesus today is not the same as what it meant to follow Jesus then.  What it means for God to rule or be at work in our world can be different too.   What it means to take up your own cross will change with your own situation as well.   This is why Jesus says that even when Satan falls, when evil is overcome, whether it be personal, social, spiritual or political, there is only one constant: God is at work in us and through us.  This is why we can rejoice, because we are known by this God who is alive in us; revealing that our names are written in heaven.  

While we could rejoice in what we do for God, there is no certainty that the good we do for God today will impact or change tomorrow---but we should answer this call to speak the truth and do good anyway.   We should do good not because of the good we will accomplish, but we should do good because of the good that is at work in us.  For you see, nations rise and fall, just as the kingdom of Israel came and went.   Not one stone was left of the earthly temple where God once dwelt.  

Scripture also says that one day everything on this earth will pass away, being dissolved by fire so that it is finally and fully transformed into a ‘new heaven and new earth’. Even this land that we love, cherish, which God has blessed, and still blesses-- which has been and still is a great defender of truth and freedom---it will also eventually run its course too, just as the earthly kingdom of Israel did.  But because our names are not written in stone or on earth, but are written in heaven with God, and because God’s kingdom is still coming, we will always be more able to rejoice in what God has done in us, than we will ever be able to rejoice in what we have done for God.   Amen.