Sunday May 2, 2010

First Presbyterian Church
Ripley Tennessee
May 2, 2010
5nd Sunday of Easter
Psalm 148
Acts 11:1-18
Politics of Religion

Around my house growing up there were two things you did not discuss. One was politics and the other was religion. We have always seen these two topics as somewhat independent of one another. We have politics over here and religion over here. They are separate.

But are they? What we really mean to say is the Institutional religion and institutional politics are stand alone separates. Fostering that notion is the separation of Church and state. This separation is mandated because somewhere along the line people figured out that when the line separating spirituality and devotion to god and devotion to state got blurred, some very bad things could happen.

Here is one instance where humans have indeed observed and learned from history…so far.

But the idea that I wish to convey in my message title this morning is more of the politics with a small “p”. That is, political behavior in institutional religion. Now, if it is your opinion that this type of politics does not exist in institutional religion…I almost admire you.

Perhaps you have never been involved in organizing a church program; perhaps you have never participated in any group event at church. Perhaps you have never tried to replace a burned out light bulb and been confronted with an irate member; “You can’t change that bulb! My father donated that bulb!”

Politics have been around since Cain and Able. The story of Jacob and Esau is pure politics at its core level. Who can gain an advantage, hold that advantage and further the cause dear to them? That is politics in churches, civic groups, boy-scout troops and where ever people gather together and interact. It is made up in our DNA.

However, the patience to deal with politics of religion is not. Large churches, small churches, Sunday schools, bible studies, stadiums filled with cheering Christians; whatever you like…politics are involved.

I have heard sermons describing the exact details of Peter’s vision. I have heard the theological expositions of the meaning of each element in the vision. That is not what I want to concentrate on here. This 5th Sunday in Easter, I want to remain focused on the grace that is ours in the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Without that saving act of sacrifice and through the love and compassion of God, we would be lost in our own sin and worldliness.

So in this continuing Easter Season, I want to make sure we keep our focus on the more global Christian movement…the salvation of ALL mankind!

What we see in verse 1The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them."

“Of all the nerve Peter…what are you doing with those , those, …people (shiver)? We can’t let them in, they are not like us, they are not clean, they don’t have the mark; they are not the chosen race or the line of David! How can you hang out with them?”

Sound familiar? The fact is that ALL people have access to God the Father through Jesus Christ! Not just the ones who think like you, or who look like you, or heaven forbid, pray or worship like you. Do you remember the criticism our president got recently when he reached out to the world’s Muslim leaders? World politics aside, this is the same type of divide that separated the circumcised from the uncircumcised in the crowd Peter was facing!

“I don’t care what Jesus did…I can’t stand that guy because he prays funny!” You can just hear that as an undertone in this passage in Acts 11. But what is really going on here. Who are the real players and what are their real motives? Who are “The circumcised”? Who are the “Un-circumcised”? What does each group have to gain or loose?

Some of the most pure, un-abridged and raw politics in the world do not exist in the United Nations or capitols of Nations. The type of politics I am talking about now is too large for State Capitol buildings too. The Kremlin, the Polit Bureau, Parliament, the Vatican; all pail in comparison to this type of politics I am thinking of.

I am speaking of the politics of the playground, of the cafeteria, of the study hall, the politics of adolescence. I am a veteran of one teenager and am well under way with our second. These politics shape individual thinking, development, attitude, personality, relationships, sexuality and destiny. There is no forgiveness, no mercy and rampant cruelty; if you don’t wear the right thing, like the right thing, hate the right thing and say the right thing in the right way…you’re toast! Your life can become miserable in a matter of seconds! Adolescent suicides are at an all time high in our country due to this at times unbearable pressure.

All of these are opposite of the teachings of Christ. From childhood we bring these behaviors along with us into adulthood, we are conditions by the world around us to think like this. Jacob and Esau were great role models for the way we think…but we are wrong!

That is what is so dramatic about the teachings of Jesus and the life He prescribes. We see Peter in a situation not unlike selling ice cream to Eskimos. No one wants to buy what Peter is selling. This can’t be right; even the un-circumcised? Are you sure about this Peter?

The fact is that we can not escape our biases, our thought, our prejudices…our sin…without help. In our passage this morning, our help comes in the form of the Holy Spirit of God; the third leg of the trinity stool. You see, by ourselves, we are indeed powerless to change.

I have experienced change myself and I can tell you it is not something I could have done alone. I have witnessed the healing power of the Holy Spirit on many, many occasions and can testify to it. However, there is still a boundary to the Holy Spirit. We lack vision and we want things our way. We are impatient.
8"I replied, 'Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
Even Peter had to be reminded several times in his own vision. “It’s all right Peter. My gift of grace is for everyone!” Our little problem is that we become threatened by that. I asked a minute ago, “What does each group in our story have to gain or loose? Have you figured that out yet?

Power; position, prestige, leverage, privilege, advantage, and on and on and on!

Are you sure you want to make THOSE PEOPLE equal to us!? Come on!

Not only does he make THOSE PEOPLE equal to us through the death and resurrection of Christ, we are called to be servants of ‘those people’. You may define ‘those people’ however you may, but ultimately I have come to realize a simple truth.

‘Those People’ refers to everyone else but me. You see, it is ‘those people’ who come to God just as I do, lost, broken, repulsive and dirty. It is Christ who makes that approach possible. I believe that you can not get your mind there without the Holy Spirit of God.

15"As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with[a]water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'

I hope young people hear me; it is this Holy Spirit, which you can not understand now, that is your helper. I have found to be of great help, praying for two things.

First, pray for the Holy Spirit to help you think beyond the moment you are in. Pray for insight and for peace and for your horizon to expand beyond where you are to include some of the infinite possibilities God may have in store, most of which have never occurred to you. It was these possibilities that those who criticized Peter could not fathom.

Second, pray for the Holy Spirit to help you think beyond yourself. Jesus taught us over and over that it is not about you. It is not about me, it is about serving others! This is the very point I want to bring you to. If Peter can not serve others by reaching out to the un-circumcised, how can he spread the ACCURATE gospel message of forgiveness to ALL! When confronted by opposition, Peter did not become defensive or self conscious. He became passionate and convicted.

So what of the trappings of power, position, prestige? They were never truly yours anyway. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we can begin to see the world for what it really is; a creation of God. Just as an artist or a sculptor creates, just as musicians play notes combined into a beautiful symphony, just as a writer casts images across the mind, creativity is not confined to a single event or item, nor is it finite. The creative capacity of God the Father is infinite and unimaginable.

What a limited view we have of life, of love and of eternity if we will not trade our earthly power and prestige for what we are offered by God, in this life, or in the next.

Peter said in verse 17So if God gave them (the uncircumcised; you know…THOSE PEOPLE) the same gift as he gave us (the apostles), who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?"
18When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."
Politics are a human invention. Unfortunately, politics will be with us for the rest of human existence. But rejoice in the fact that God does not choose us the way we chose sides at recess!

Thanks be to God for the grace that is ours in Christ Jesus.

AMEN