Current Events Are Meant to Divide Us
TED Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2RCT6Li4UQ
“We don’t want people to think, we want people to feel” - Eric Bischoff.
Professional Wrestler - doesn’t matter if you are hated or loved as long as the people are passionate about it.
WWF/E - Wrestle Mania. The most-watched form of entertainment.
25 million fans worldwide; $6 billion industry
How? they don’t make you think, they make you feel
Today’s news and professional wrestler use the same tactic - feel, don’t think. they don’t care if you hate or love one side or the other as long as you feel one way or the other - business is good.
It’s very bad today - media pretended to be objective, but there’s no pretending anymore. Integrity in journalism. Letting people decide how to feel and think.
TV/social media is not informing as much as making you feel. “Cheap heat” - easy to get people to react. Easier to react than to think. It’s cheaper to put 2-3 “talking heads” talking about the news and giving opinions instead of going out and reporting. this is the media.
Instead of giving information, media heads argue about it. If they have nothing to argue about they’ll pull out a poll (there’s a new one every day). It will tell you whatever you want it to tell you. It provides talking points.
Next time watching the news and you find yourself getting angry, that’s exactly what they want you to feel. the moment you get angry you quit thinking.
In essence, media has taken away our voice
If you want to find out about what’s going on in the world most people now get their news from Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, IG, YouTube). You see something you like online, you may post it, forward it, retweet it, repost…)
God wants you to have a voice for yourself
That’s tricky given that you are young still and parents tell what to think and what to say...
But what about when your parents are around?
What do you put on your profile? What pictures of yourself do you post online? What activities are you supporting?
That’s you using your voice...
The devil wants to steal your voice too and he wants you to use to promote yourself, your image, your accomplishments,
God wants you to use your voice…
Philippians 4:8 NIV
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
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Interesting talk in light of our current events. Today’s topic won’t necessarily be about marriage but it surely will go over some very gray areas in society that damage relationships. That is - politics. Or better yet, the reporting on politics.
There are many strong opinions about these very issues. If you’re in favor a presidential candidate or another, if you’re for guns or against them, if you’re for a wall or not, helping the poor or not, liberal or conservative, democrat or republican, traditional or progressive, tolerant, intolerant, racist, against or for law enforcement. as long as they get you mad, you stop thinking.
The incredible thing about this is that when you have a position about an issue, you are then categorized as a liberal or a conservative (politically and religiously) and you can’t possibly have anything good to contribute to the conversation because we’ve already decided that you are wrong. You are called, “difficult,” “stuck up,” “arrogant,” “hater,”
The not-so-funny thing is that it happens in the church too. Our current society is looking for ways to make us feel and not think and that has led us - even the Christian church - to look for things that divide us instead of the things we have in common. But there’s no money in that. Nothing interesting to report on if we got along with each other. our human nature seems to thrive on bad news, hoping for bad things to actually happen so that my political opponent looks bad. After the last elections, someone told me, “I hope the president does terrible...”
What is our role in such a climate as this one?
I. Peacemakers - Matthew 5:9
Matthew 5:9 NIV
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
We are to be peacemakers
Proverbs 12:20 NIV
20 Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy.
Romans 14:19 NIV
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Why is it important to seek peace?
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Ecclesiastes 10:4 NKJV
4 If the spirit of the ruler rises against you, Do not leave your post; For conciliation pacifies great offenses.
Your calmness in the midst of anger can put the offenses to rest.
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Romans 12:18 NIV
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
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Hebrews 12:14 NIV
14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
Live in peace with everyone and to be holy
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James 3:17 NIV
17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
Heavenly wisdom is peace-loving, considerate…impartial...
Example of Peacemakers
Abraham
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Genesis 13:8–9 NIV
8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives.
9 Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”
Abraham takes the initiative to fix a problem that exists between him and his nephew (a family problem, business problem, financial problem).
He is willing to split the land that was promised to him.
It doesn’t seem fair, but in order to keep the peace, Abraham gives up part of what is rightfully his.
Abraham valued peace above dirt/land.
Today, land has more value than peace.
People go to war over a piece a land (dirt) that supposedly is theirs.
Symbolizes their territory, their space, their circle
Even though God gave the land to Abraham, Abraham gave some of it to Lot.
There were misunderstandings between Lot’s workers and Abraham’s workers. There was jealousy, complaints,
Abraham didn’t threaten Lot by telling him to get his house in order or else. Maybe it was stressing Abraham out to have to deal with this problem so much that he said, “I’d rather have peace, you go that way, I’ll go this way.”
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Proverbs 15:1 NIV
1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Mordecai
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Esther 10:3 NIV
3 Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews? because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.
Preeminent, held in high esteem, he worked for the good of his people
He “spoke up for the shalom of all the Jews.”
In spite of his elevated position in the government,? he didn’t forget his people.
He used his leadership to advance the cause of the people
Defended the cause of his people
When someone talks bad about God’s people, we should be ready to be peacemakers for God’s sake. I’m sure when God’s people spoke bad about Xerxes (the King), he was a peacemaker too.
Promote the cause, the cause of the just. Mordecai had the king’s ear and he spoke peace to the King about the Jews. He smoothed things out between the king and the Jews.
As Christians and members of God’s church, we too have to speak peace about our leaders, about our fellow church members. Who would want to come to a church where we speak badly? about each other? Where we talk bad about our leaders?
We need to slow down, take a deep breath?, think before you type things on social media, and ask ourselves, “how can I speak peace in this situation?”
In the end, God’s people were saved as a result.
We live in such a negative world, that I cannot be a contributor to the negativity. I become a spokesperson for a political view, a secular worldview. At the end of the day, I’m extending only what I hear from others and repeating them.
We fall into the trap of being spokespersons for the devil to bring division.
Jesus
Jesus brought peace by dying… He believed in peace so much so that he would rather die than allow enmity to continue.
Isaiah 53:5
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Isaiah 53:5 NIV
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
Jesus took the blow for us: my rebellion, my iniquities, he was punished for something that I did, his wounds heal us.
We are all rebellious - and yet he is the one that gets punished. Rebellious people are usually given a chance to change, you address the problem, if he/she doesn’t change, then there are consequences/punishment.
The punishment brings a wound/cut and that wound gets a scab to cover up the wound and heals it.
in the spiritual world, our sins are like cuts to our soul, but the healing doesn’t come from our body creating a scab, in the spiritual? realm, Jesus covers our wounds and heals us. He becomes the hurt person and we are healed by his wounds.
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Ephesians 2:14 NIV
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
Barriers and dividing walls are a hot topic right now. I’d like to say that Paul is not talking about border walls or fences or barriers. He is talking about the wall that exists between us and God. That wall is big and that is a wall that we should seek to overcome. But it’s only possible through God’s grace.
Jesus came to tear that wall down and give us peace.
How? By giving up his life - the innocent one gives his life for the guilty ones. The hostility that existed between God’s requirement and our sinfulness was broken down by the sacrifice of Christ. Someone had to die in order for there to be peace.
The hostility that exists in our time, in our lives, in our church, can only be remedied when we realized that someone died for us to get over the nonsense.
Are we waiting for someone to die in order for us to be in peace, to learn how to get along?
Conclusion
Everyone who names the name of Christ is to adorn the doctrine of Christ our Saviour by a well-ordered life and a godly conversation, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.... Possessing this, you will have favor both with God and with men . - Our High Calling, p. 274.
Words spoken hastily wound and bruise souls, and the deepest wound is made upon the soul of the speaker. Christ's gift, the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, is authoritatively declared by Him who can make no mistake to be of great price. We must each find out its worth for ourselves by seeking it from God. However men may estimate us, if we wear this ornament, we bear the sign of our discipleship with Christ. We are esteemed by the Most High; for the ornament we wear is in His sight of great price. This precious gem is to be sought for....Our High Calling, p. 274
To every soul things will come to provoke, to stir up anger, and if you are not under the full control of God, you will be provoked when these things come. But the meekness of Christ calms the ruffled spirit, controls the tongue, and brings the whole being into subjection to God. Thus we learn how to bear with the censure of others. We shall be misjudged, but the precious ornament of a meek and quiet spirit teaches us how to bear, how to have pity for those who utter hasty, unadvised words. Any unpleasant spirit displayed is sure to arouse the demon of passion in unguarded hearts. Unholy anger need not to be strengthened, but bridled. It is a spark which will set on fire untamed human nature. Avoid speaking words which will stir up strife. Rather suffer wrong than do wrong. God requires every one of His followers, as far as is possible, to live peaceably with all men.... OHC 274.4
We must be Christlike. Let us strive to make our lives what Christ designs them to be, full of the fragrance of love to God and our fellow men, full of Christ's own divine Spirit, full of holy aspirations toward God, rich in the beauty of Christlikeness.
