Today at St Crispin's we are concluding our series on "is there hope for Britain? Hope for the world?" - with "left, right or UP?"
The LORD Jesus Christ and His Church is the answer to the world's problems - even though many of us still think that we can fix the world without Church through left, right and centre politics.
Church is how we were designed to live - and we only live that way when we are transformed from the inside out by the LORD Jesus - by His death and resurrection - by the Spirit of the Living God.
When Church truly happens, anywhere - regardless of political regime or economic conditions - then we can genuinely see how humans were designed to live.
In Thessalonica, Church was disrupting the markets, the religion and the social order... and so, crowds turned out to protest against Church.
Acts 17:6-7 - "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.... These are all acting contrary to the government decrees, saying there is another king—Jesus."
There is another King - called Jesus.
When we are set free from the powers of this passing age
- When we are granted citizenship in the kingdom of the heavens
- THEN, we can really live in a different way - not because Caesar or any government says so, still less because "the market" says we should, but because Jesus says so and the life of God is within us.
Acts 2:44-47 -
"All the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.
They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.
They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity - all the while praising God."
The conservatives, the progressives and the zealots in the Gospels all opposed the LORD Jesus Christ - as they always do.
In the end they united together - as they never had before - in order to kill Him.
They always do...
For conservatives like the Pharisees, Jesus is too disruptive to human traditions. His Church turns the world upside down.
For progressives like the Sadducees, Jesus rejects their obsession with this passing life and genuinely thinks that a poor man with treasure in heaven is much more blessed than a rich man with treasure on earth.
For the radicals like the Zealots, Jesus won't fight for (let alone lead) "the revolution" - always talking as if God's Kingdom were much bigger and deeper.
Everybody seems unhappy that Jesus won't do politics in the way that they want.
He rejects earthly weapons.
He tells us not to invest in earthly treasures.
He won't anoint political leaders.
He thinks His own Kingdom is incomparably more important that any earthly kingdoms.
He has His own "city" in the heavens, not built by human hands.
He thinks people can be free even when they are in chains.
He thinks vengeance and justice will only be finally satisfied on His own "Justice Day".
He wants the citizens of His Kingdom to share what they have with one another and look after each other with sincere love - regardless of whatever political or economic system we are under.
Acts 4:32-35
"All the believers were united in heart and mind.
And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.
The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all.
There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need."
Church is how we were designed to live - but how many of us really put all our hopes in living as Church?
In my experience, for so many of us, Church is a sideshow, so we actually think that politics is how "real change" happens.
People literally think agencies and organisations outside Church are the way to "engage with the needs of the world"!
Even after the 20th century... we still think like that.
Even after these 25 years of the 21st century... can we STILL think like that?
C S Lewis - Screwtape Letters - letter number 7... (a letter from a devil about how to undermine Christians):
"Once you have made the World an end, and faith a means, you have almost won your man, and it makes very little difference what kind of worldly end he is pursuing.
Provided that meetings, pamphlets, policies, movements, causes, and crusades, matter more to him than prayers and sacraments and practical love, he is ours...”
What would it be like if Church really happens among us... and the divine overflow of life that doesn't care about earthly pleasure and treasure could be a light on the hill for all to see?
What would it be like if there were no slave or free - no injustice - among US - regardless of the employment practices of the world around us?
What happens if there is not even a hint of immorality as we live together as citizens of God's Holy Kingdom?
What if we knew that, as Church, we are ALREADY a kingdom of royal priests - God's own possession - called out of darkness into HIS wonderful light?