Reason #3: The Church is Too Political

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Good morning, Chapel family. We are living at a time in history when more and more people are deciding they’re done with church. The percentage of young Americans who are completely unreligious today is four times as high as it was when I was in high school and college, back in the 1980s. That’s the fastest decline in religious affiliation ever recorded in our country. And that bothers me deeply—because I love Jesus and I love the church, and I love the people who have given up on church. And I know many of you feel the same way. So, rather than sticking our heads in the sand, we’re looking squarely at what’s happening, and we’re asking, “Why?”

So in this series, we’re looking at six of the big reasons that many people are walking away from church. For each of those areas, we’re trying to honestly listen to the critiques that people have of the church. That doesn’t necessarily mean we agree with every critique! But when you respect people, you listen to them. You try to put yourself in their shoes and truly understand what they’re thinking. And here’s the goal: if some of those critiques are legitimately pointing out ways that our church is not representing Jesus well, then we need to humbly receive those critiques and change. Right? Because ultimately, our goal is to be like Jesus.

Speaking of humbly listening to critiques: I want to say something about last week’s message, which was about racial reconciliation. One of my mentors recently said to me, “If you’re serious about doing multi-ethnic ministry, get ready to make a lot of mistakes, and apologize a lot.” So here goes: last week, I said that the Chapel has a unique opportunity because of our Wayne Campus, which is our Spanish-speaking campus. Because even though it’s part of The Chapel, it usually feels like a separate church. So I said we’re going to be focusing on building unity with that Campus and with the Latino community. And I’m really excited about that. But in saying that, I think I inadvertently communicated that white and black reconciliation is not really important to us. So if that’s what you heard, please forgive me for my lack of clarity. Let me be really clear: The Chapel is passionate about reconciliation between all races. And we also recognize the unique challenges that black Americans face because of the history of slavery and ongoing racism in this country, and we want to do everything we can to be a force for reconciliation, through the power of Christ. It’s a gospel issue, and it matters to us a lot. So yes—we have a unique opportunity because of the Wayne Campus, but for a lot of you, the place that God is calling you to live this out is between black and white brothers and sisters. So I hope that’s more clear. And thank you to those who pointed out my mistake. I’m listening and learning, just like you are.

So…today we come to the third reason that many people are done with church, and it’s this: they believe the church is too political.

I did something different in preparation for today’s message. I reached out to some of our younger staff members—people in their 20s and early 30s. And I said, “Hey—can you reach out to a few of your friends who are done with church—so, personal friends of yours who used to be involved in church, but they’ve walked away—and ask them to respond to this question: How do you feel about the church/Christians and their involvement in politics? So that was the question. And I said, “Please have them get back to me before the end of the day.” By that evening, I had received several dozen responses. Let me tell you: people did not hold back! In fact, they really appreciated being asked. Here’s one of the responses I received:

Basically, it just makes me sad. Scripture is so utterly clear that Jesus came not to establish an earthly kingdom, as those all eventually crumble, but rather to establish His eternal kingdom that never is, has been, or will be shaken by the kingdoms of this world. How did we get to a point where we feel like the future of the kingdom of God is contingent upon which party is in control? Why is it that it feels like so many Christians are more passionate about following a political figure than they are about the one they claim to be their savior?

That’s a pretty typical example of what I heard. So throughout this message, you’re going to hear more of those responses. Some of them, you might not like. Some of them, you might not agree with. But this is the part where we respect people enough to lean in and listen. Alright?

So, let’s begin with today’s Scripture reading, Psalm 146, verses 3 through 5. I invite you to hear the Word of God...

3 Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. 4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. 5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God. This is the Word of the Lord.

In light of many passages of Scripture like that one, and after prayerfully reflecting on all of the feedback and conversations I’ve had, I want to talk about three things today—here they are: The Problem of Hypocrisy, The Problem of Idolatry, and The Privilege of Citizenship. The problem of hypocrisy, the problem of idolatry, and the privilege of citizenship.

So, first: The Problem of Hypocrisy. This is one of the main issues raised by people who are done with church. One person said this: “A lot of what I have seen and heard seems like the best word to describe it is ‘hypocritical.’” So what do they mean by that, and is there any validity to it?

I’m actually glad that this message coincides with Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, because the issue of abortion is one that’s pointed to very commonly. As you heard during this morning’s announcements, The Chapel partners with Lighthouse and other crisis pregnancy centers. These are organizations that work with women who are experiencing unplanned pregnancies. They listen to them, they counsel them, they offer practical help; if the woman feels like she’s not able to raise her child, they encourage the woman to have the baby and they help her find an adoptive family. The reason we partner with groups like that is that we believe every human life is sacred, and we believe from Scripture and from biology that human life begins at conception. So we are a pro-life church. That’s not a political position; it’s a moral position. Now: we’re also a pro-forgiveness and pro-grace church. And we realize we’re all messed up and we all make mistakes, and God’s forgiveness is deep enough to cover anything, including abortion. Right? But we do believe that human life in the womb is sacred. That’s our moral conviction.

So what does that have to do with hypocrisy? Well, let me share another response I received last week. I told you these are kind of blunt and raw, right? So try not to be offended by how it’s worded; try to listen to the heart. Here it is: “White Christian America has bought the…lie that the undoing of Roe v. Wade is the only thing that can save the soul of our nation. In their pursuit of its removal, they have abandoned every Christian principle imaginable.” Whew. Well there’s a strong opinion. And here’s what I think he’s trying to say—and remember—these are people who used to be part of the church. Here’s what he’s saying: if we pursue what we believe is a Christ-like

objective, but we pursue it in an un-Christ-like way—with pride and insults and self-righteousness—we’ve contradicted our message. Do you follow? Or, if we passionately support political leaders who pursue a Christ-like objective, but they go about it in an un-Christ-like way, we’ve contradicted our message. So we might win the battle—we might mobilize enough people to change a law—but we’ve lost the war. We’ve lost the hearts and the trust and the respect of the very people we’re trying to influence. Does that make sense? And I think there’s something there for us. I think we need to listen to this.

So that’s one kind of hypocrisy: pursuing Christ-like goals in an un-Christ-like way. Pursuing policy goals at the expense of character. But there’s another angle to this.

A few years ago, we had a pastor on our staff named Mike Bethune. And we had some great conversations, because Mike is black and I’m white (in case you didn’t notice). And I remember asking him once, “Why do you think most black Christians vote Democratic? Aren’t they bothered by abortion?” And I’ll never forget Mike’s answer. He said, “You know, most of the black Christians I know are totally against abortion. They hate it. But sometimes it seems like the people who so passionately defend black human life in the womb, once that baby is born, they have no interest in it. They don’t care that that very often, that child is brought up in a dangerous neighborhood, with really bad schools, without the same opportunities that suburban kids get.” And he said, “I think when black people vote, they’re thinking about all that stuff. So it becomes a little more complicated.” I really appreciated that. I’m still pro-life. But I needed to hear that perspective from a Christian brother.

You know, when I open my Bible, I do see a strong value on human life in the womb. But I see lots of other stuff, too. I see a huge emphasis on how we treat immigrants and refugees. I see a major focus on loving and upholding the rights of the weak and the marginalized in society. I mean, just read the Hebrew prophets! The prophets blasted the leaders of Israel, because they were living in luxury and self-righteousness, oblivious to the injustice experienced by the poor. Read Jesus! He said many similar things.

Look: there are some social issues that American evangelicals tend to focus on. Abortion is a big one; religious freedom is another one. And those are important. Some of you feel called to get involved in the political arena with those things—that’s not what The Chapel does—we don’t get involved in politics—but you may be called to that as an individual, and that’s great. But as we pursue those things, let’s not oversimplify it, as if those are the only things that matter to God. Let’s not make people think that Christians can only vote for one party, because by saying that, you’ve just canceled out a lot of the really mature Christians that I know. And as we pursue what we believe are Christ-like goals, let’s not pursue them in an un-Christ-like way…because that’s called hypocrisy. And believe me, people can smell it from a mile away. And even more importantly: it dishonors the name of Christ.

So when it comes to political reasons that people are done with church, hypocrisy is one of the big ones. Here’s the other big one: The Problem of Idolatry. Idolatry means the worship of idols. Putting things that are not God in the place of God. Katelyn Schiess is an author who studied at the same Seminary I did—Dallas Seminary, and she recently wrote a book called The Liturgy of Politics. Listen to what she said: “Political participation has a unique ability to inspire idolatry in people precisely because it so often involves promises of protection and provision, requires sacrifices, legitimizes authority, and inspires submission and worship.” In other words, when we’re involved in politics, we have to be really careful we don’t slip into idolatry. And this is one of the main critiques of people who are done with church. It comes out in two different ways.

First, idolizing our leaders. One person said this:

“I feel as of late that politics are way too intertwined. I see a lot of Christians I once had a lot of respect for now worshipping false idols and putting their faith in a president and not God. I am truly saddened to see the divide this has caused and don’t feel the church has done enough to separate themselves from political ideology.”

We’ve all seen this, haven’t we? People go to see their candidate speak. And they’re so fired up. They’ve got the T-shirt; they’ve got the sign; they’re waving the flag; they are delirious in cheering for their hero. They hang on their every word. And honestly, it feels like a religious revival! At the January 6 rally in Washington DC, I realize people went for all kinds of reasons, but some people who were there were chanting, “Jesus 2020! Trump 2020! Jesus 2020! Trump 2020!”, as if those are the same thing. And it was sickening. Because that’s idolatry.

But if you think this only happens at Republican gatherings, think again! Another person who responded to my question said this:

Especially with my parent’s generation, there has always been this sentiment that if their preferred candidate wins then God’s plans have been accomplished. And I also have recently started to see our generation falling into this but on both sides of the spectrum.

In other words, maybe Baby Boomer Christians idolized Republican candidates, but Millennials and Gen Z people are more likely to idolize Democratic candidates. Some of you remember when President Obama was elected, and the almost Messiah-like treatment he got. Maybe President Biden isn’t quite as charismatic as Obama was, but some people are idolizing him anyway, right? And either way, it’s just wrong.

Psalm 146, verse 3:

3 Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. Why not? Because… 4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.

The reason we shouldn’t get too excited about any human leader is that they are temporary. Are you happy that Biden got elected? Don’t put too much hope in him. He’ll disappoint you. He’s human. Are you upset that Biden got elected? Just be patient. His moment will pass. In the big picture of things, this is a blip on the screen. The Psalm goes on to say:

(But) 5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God.

And then verse 10…

10 The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations.

It’s really simple math: we have the temporary…and the permanent. And we have to decide which one we’re going to rest our hope in. Be careful of idolizing leaders.

There’s another way that idolatry comes out, and it’s this: idolizing our country. I love this country. I have lived in other countries; I have served in many other countries; and all of that has just made

me appreciate this country more. I love this place. But when you love your country, you have to be really careful that you don’t make an idol out of it.

Let me quote Katelyn Schiess again:

Rather than expressing gratitude for the good gifts given to a particular nation and understanding the special connection members of the same nation share, the patriotic gospel requires uncritical allegiance to one’s country. For Christians, it usually takes the form of applying biblical promises or blessings intended for Israel or the church to America.

There’s a dangerous belief out there, called “Christian Nationalism,” and it’s dangerous because it confuses the kingdom of God with the United States. So let me be really clear about this: the United States is not the new Israel. We are not the kingdom of God. The U.S. Constitution is great, but it was not inspired by God, like the Bible was. We live in a wonderful country, but it’s a temporary kingdom.

Look at Hebrews, chapter 11, beginning in verse 13: 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

So the writer has been listing examples of people who lived with great faith—like Noah and Abraham. And he says one of the reasons they did such great things for God was that they knew that their truest identity was deeper than their earthly nationality. Verse 13 says they admitted they were foreigners and strangers on earth. Verse 16 says they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. They realized that even the best human civilizations—even if you could build the greatest country—it’s temporary.

Pastor John Piper addressed his congregation after the 2016 election, and he said this: “One day, America, with her brief history, and all of her presidents, is going to be a footnote in the history of the world. And the kingdom of Jesus will go on, unshaken, forever.” Amen. When we believe that, we become a little more humble and a little less ethnocentric, and we hold a little more loosely to the flag, and a little more tightly to the cross, because we realize that our deepest identity is not being American…it’s being in Christ. And that’s a really good thing.

I’m certainly not saying that every American Christian and every church is constantly guilty of hypocrisy and idolatry. But I’m sure I’ve been guilty of both at times. So to anyone who has legitimately been repulsed by political hypocrisy or idolatry in the church, I’m sorry for any part I’ve had in that. It breaks my heart that that’s turned people away from the church. And I’m determined to represent Jesus better in the future.

So let’s talk about a hopeful vision going forward. Third and final point: The Privilege of Citizenship. So how should our faith affect the way we think about politics? This was one of my favorite responses I received last week—and keep in mind, this is a person who has stepped away from church, but listen to this person’s heart for Jesus…

I don’t know how to sum this up. On the one hand I want Jesus and politics to be totally separated. But on the other hand I’d even possibly argue that maybe

Jesus should be MORE involved in our political thinking?? Maybe if we all really considered Christ in our politics we’d…humble ourselves.

I think I see what this person is saying. We don’t believe the church should be directly involved in politics. But individual Christians should be, and when we do, our relationship with Jesus should be the thing that guides us. Right? So let’s think about citizenship on two levels:

First, Citizenship in God’s kingdom. And here’s our calling: Love one another. One person said, “To think less of someone, to not want a relationship with them because they think differently than you, sometimes on a single issue, is not only incredibly prideful and arrogant, but it couldn’t be further from the heart of God.” Well said. There is so much anger; so much shaming.

Romans chapter 14 is all about how to treat people within the church who disagree with us on non-essential issues. Issues that aren’t central to the gospel. And you should read the whole chapter, but listen to verse 10: You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. In other words, there is a Judge…but it’s not you. And it’s not me. So when we disagree—and that can’t be avoided, right? But make sure winning the argument isn’t more important than loving the person. Like I said before, you can win a battle, but lose the war.

1 Corinthians 13:1 says If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. And I think we can adapt it like this: If I prove you wrong politically, but do not have love, I’m just making noise. Jesus said the world will know we’re his disciples by the way we love each other. And the hardest time to do that is when we disagree. Which is why we need supernatural help.

Look: Christians are always going to disagree! But the way we treat each other when we disagree is more important than we realize. So let’s prioritize our citizenship in God’s kingdom.

At the same time, we also have Citizenship in earthly kingdoms. And here’s our calling: Work for Shalom. Look with me at Jeremiah, chapter 29, verses 4 through 7: 4 This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7 Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

Just like the people of Israel in Babylon, our true citizenship—our deepest identity—is somewhere else, but God has put us here. So the question is: how should we relate to this culture where God had placed us? Look what it says…

Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters. And then verse 7 is key: seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. The Hebrew word for “prosper” is the word shalom—which is one of my favorite words—because it means harmony and thriving and mutual support and peace—which is what God wants for every community. So literally, this verse says, “Seek the shalom of the city…Pray to the Lord for it, because in its shalom you will have shalom.”

You know what that means? It means that as Christians, we don’t have the option of looking at the towns and the cities where we live as intrinsically evil and beyond hope. Maybe you say, “Yeah, but

culture has become so godless! So dark!” Not as godless and dark as Babylon. Believe me. And God told his people living in Babylon to pray for that city and seek the shalom of the city. He says, “I have put you there for a reason—to bring my peace to that place.” Sink roots; care about what’s going on in your town; get to know the people around you; serve the needs there; serve on the school board; pray for your community; work to make it a better place. Don’t think of it like, ‘They’re going to contaminate me!’; think of it like, ‘I get to bless them!’” That was God’s word to His people back then, and it’s God’s word to us. And if God has called you to be involved in blessing your community through political involvement, do it in a way that works for Christ-like goals in a Christ-like way. Because you represent Jesus, and that’s an awesome responsibility.

When you get to the New Testament church, God’s people were no longer living in Babylon. But they were in a similar situation, because now they were now under the control of Rome. And in Paul’s first letter to Timothy, here’s what he tells Pastor Timothy to do—and I’ll close with this:

1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. So for them, you know what that meant? Praying for Caesar! And the other Roman leaders, whether you liked them or not. And for us, it means praying for our political leaders—whether we like them or not; whether we voted for them or not. Because whether our leaders realize it or not, the wisdom they really need comes from God. And when they lead well, the shalom level goes up, and everyone is blessed.

So I would like to end our service today by praying for our leaders. Would you rise and join me?