Editor's Note:  Preaching justice unleashes power in the pulpit when it captures the passion and heart of God.  We see this particularly in the preaching of Jesus as he spoke up for the powerless and against leaders who neglected justice.  It’s amazing that there are currently approximately 27 million slaves in our 21st Century world.  Tragic injustice is rampant and begs for leaders to take action against it today.  February is a month especially marked with an emphasis on justice.  Former slave trader John Newton wrote the world’s most recognized song, "Amazing Grace."  On February 18, thousands of churches around the world will celebrate this song by singing it on Amazing Grace Sunday.  On Friday, February 23, the movie Amazing Grace releases, celebrating one of the great justice stories of history, that of William Wilberforce and his quest to end the slave trade in theBritish Empire.   My request is that you prayerfully consider preaching on the cause of justice as well.
 

Preaching Justice, Wilberforce, and Amazing Grace Sunday
By Ron Forseth
General Manager, SermonCentral.com

Injustice is the abuse of power at the expense of the oppressed.  The fire of God’s passion burns against injustice in the world.

Consider these statements:

Our heart cries out about such statements that grossly misrepresent who God is.  Why?  Because we have a conviction that God deeply cares for such people.  He has compassion for those abused by oppressors, a compassion that turns to burning anger against those who treat others in such a way.

Jesus himself told the religious leaders of his day that they neglected justice and that they were hypocrites for doing so (Matthew 23:23).  Our preaching should be marked by a keen awareness of God’s passion for justice, and as we preach God’s Word, we must articulate God’s heart on behalf of the oppressed in our world.  To its shame, there have been eras in the Church where believers have turned away from the oppressed, such as in Nazi Germany.  But there are times when Christians have risen to the defense of the powerless and accomplished justice, such as with William Wilberforce.

I’m incredibly inspired by the passion and audacity of Wilberforce. He had a dream – the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire. Inspired by John Newton, former slave trader and author of the song “Amazing Grace,” Wilberforce fought tirelessly for forty years to see his dream come true. In March of 1807, it did. To modern-day social justice activists like Gary Haugen, president of International Justice Mission, and filmmakers Phillip Anschultz and Michael Flaherty – along with other Christian leaders – God has given a dream for the 21^st century: The liberation of 27 million slaves throughout the world. These courageous men and women believe (and I agree) this is a dream born of God himself, as he has promised to “lead justice to victory” (Matthew 12:20). God delights in seeing justice realized on the earth, not in a thousand years – but now.

As a preacher, you can play a critical role in the fulfillment of the dream for this reason:  God’s design is to administer justice through his people (Hebrews 11:33).  He commands it.  He supports it.  He will accomplish it—through his people.  We are his plan for fulfilling this dream.

But how does that play out in preaching? 

Each week you stand at the pulpit to preach God’s Word to your congregation.  What is preaching but the proclamation of God’s heart as he reveals it in his Word?

Oppression like those described above, and thousands of other cases around the world, break the heart of God.  My question to you as a preacher is this:

Is God’s heart for the oppressed reflected in your preaching?  Do you preach about his passion for the poor, for the hungry, for the sick, for the prisoner, for the slave?

The preaching of justice empowers the preaching of the gospel; it gives it authority.  The neglect of justice undermines the preaching of the gospel; it reveals hypocrisy.  Listen carefully to the preaching of John Wesley, D.L. Moody, Billy Graham and others and you’ll hear them squarely address injustice.  And they speak with authority.

Consider what the Bible says:  The teachers of the law lacked authority because of their hypocrisy.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matthew 23:23).

Jesus basically told them: “You hypocrites! You neglect justice!  You lack compassion for the oppressed.  You have not been faithful.”

So, here we see:

Preaching minus Justice equals Hypocrisy (lack of authority)

In Mark 1:22, we see Jesus himself contrasted to the teachers of the law: "The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the [hypocritical] teachers of the law."

Interpretation:  Jesus retained authority because he wasn’t a hypocrite.  He was not incongruent or inconsistent.  He preached justice!  He stood for what God stood for.

So, we see in Jesus and for ourselves:

Preaching plus Justice equals Authority (credibility)

In our preaching, as we present the whole counsel of the Word of God, we must not neglect justice.

So how does one preach about justice?  Here are two simple action steps I would suggest:

1)    Preach what God says about justice.

Among a hundred others, here is a carefully chosen collection of Scripture passages that express God’s heart for justice.  Preach them!

Isaiah 1:17-18

       Seek justice,

       encourage the oppressed.

       Defend the cause of the fatherless,

       plead the case of the widow.

      "Come now, let us reason together,"

       says the LORD.

       "Though your sins are like scarlet,

       they shall be as white as snow;

       though they are red as crimson,

       they shall be like wool.

Isaiah 61:8:

"For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity.

Micah 6:8

   He has showed you, O man, what is good.

       And what does the LORD require of you?

       To act justly and to love mercy

       and to walk humbly with your God.

 

Proverbs 31:8-9

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,

     for the rights of all who are destitute.

Speak up and judge fairly;

    defend the rights of the poor and needy.

 

Matthew 12:20

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.

 

Hebrews 11:32-34   

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised.

I believe that preaching justice is key to escaping the trap of living under the theological platitudes severed from the realities God intends to address in our world.  It’s a new apologetic for defending the gospel itself.  The proclamation of the gospel is empowered when the character of God and his passion for justice are also preached.  It clarifies the picture about who we are calling people to obey:  A just God with a beautiful and consistent character, full of light and compassion.

How many times have we seen people turn from God because they think he doesn’t care about suffering in the world?  It’s actually a strategy employed by Satan to malign the Name of God.  Because he knows people won’t respond to a God they think is apathetic about suffering.  But that’s simply not the Biblical picture of our God.  He most certainly does care.

God will not be satisfied until the powerless are vindicated in our world.  We know this with conviction: The heart of God breaks for the oppressed; his anger burns against all who abuse the powerless.

I believe preaching that embraces and reflects this truth is marked by the power and authority of God.  When the passion of God is aligned with the message we preach, his power flows.

In summary of what God has expressed about justice in his Word:

 

2)    Offer concrete opportunities to your hearers to take action for justice.

Each week you have the opportunity to convey the heart of God to your hearers and call them to put their own faith into action as agents of God in the world.

Currently, there is a fantastic opportunity to engage Christians in the cause of justice, afforded by the 200^th anniversary of the abolishment of the slave trade in the British Empire.  This anniversary is being marked by Amazing Grace Sunday on the 18^th of this month and by the February 23 release of a truly amazing film, Amazing Grace.  The movie captures the inspiring story of William Wilberforce and his relationship with his mentor John Newton.  I saw the film four months ago and have been inspired by it daily ever since.  I wholeheartedly recommend it for Christians and non-Christians everywhere.  It artfully captures the plight of 19^th Century slaves (without violence or bloodshed—it has a PG rating).  But more than that, it inspires us to rise up ourselves and take action in the tradition of Wilberforce.

On behalf of the approximately 27 million slaves currently in our world, SermonCentral is endorsing the Amazing Grace movie and Amazing Grace Sunday, to bring a focus on the cause of justice.  Related to Amazing Grace, here are five things you can do to engage your congregation in the cause of justice today:

1)     Sign your church up for and participate in Amazing Grace Sunday.  Mark the occasion by singing the hymn on February 18, 2007.  We also encourage you to preach about God’s heart for justice using the passages listed in this article.

2)     Preach on justice.  If you feel led to preach on justice with a tie in to the song "Amazing Grace," there is a special free packet available as a gift for you.  It is worth more than $100.  There’s even an opportunity to be awarded an original 1799 copy of William Wilberforce’s book Real Christianity.  Visit our Amazing Grace page to learn more about preaching on Amazing Grace.

3)     See the Amazing Grace film—and encourage your congregation to as well.  (I certainly won’t get a nickel for saying so—I just believe it’s an imperative for Christians to do.)  Here is an exclusive trailer of the movie you can share with your congregation.

4)     Pray fervently for justice to be led to victory for slaves and all that are oppressed in today’s world.

5)     Engage in the Amazing Change campaign on behalf of those living under slavery today.  It’s a practical way for young and old alike to join in the cause of justice, enlisting in the ranks of today’s abolitionists. Sign the petition to end modern-day slavery and encourage others to do so also.

And there are a hundred other things you can do for justice, as well.  But this is a concrete and comprehendible starting point.

Who knows what God might do with your preaching?  He just might raise up a Wilberforce from your own congregation.

God grant you power as you proclaim the Gospel and God’s heart for justice in our world today.