FIGHTING DISTRACTION WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM ROMANS 14

July 25, 2024

When I was a young pastor, I  learned a lot from a veteran, Pastor Gordon MacDonald. “Pastor Mac” served a church in New England for many years. I read some of his books and nearly every article he wrote in Christianity Today’s journal for pastors (Leadership).

MacDonald mentored me through his insightful, reflective, biblical writings. One central lesson he taught me was, I suspect, unintentional.

Back in the day I was  – and today I am – opposed to abortion, committed to protecting unborn children, and committed to assisting women who face challenging pregnancies.

I was surprised when I read what “Pastor Mac” had to say about abortion. Yes, he was against it. And yes, he believed that abortion was a sin in that it took the life of an innocent human being.

But abortion was not his top moral or social issue. Rather, because of numerous trips to Africa where he saw and served untold thousands of malnourished and starving children, he lent his voice to meeting that need, not to fighting abortion.

I now think of that 1980’s difference of focus and emphasis with my mentor as my first “Romans 14 moment.”

Addressing matters where Christians may have honest disagreements about matters where there is no “Thus saith the Lord!,” Paul wrote, [Romans 14:5] Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.

It would not be my last Romans 14 moment. (The covid-19 season was rife with Romans 14 moments as thoughtful Christians had widely differing views on lockdowns, face masks, and more.)

MacDonald taught me many years ago and I have since seen repeatedly that two Christians, both thoroughly orthodox in their theology and biblical in their worldview, may well see things differently, weigh priorities differently, value issues differently.

That’s the way it was in the 80’s and that’s the way it is in 2024. It was, no doubt, the way it was in the first century.

Think of the different theological perspectives, social and political opinions, and relational dynamics in first-century congregations comprised of “Jew and Greek, slave and free, men and women.” (Galatians 3:28)

Christians in those congregations would have seen things differently, weighed priorities differently, valued issues differently.

Imagine how interesting the leadership meetings for the church at Antioch would have been as Barnabas (a Jewish Levite), Saul (a Pharisee of Pharisees), Manean (a Gentile associate of Herod the tetrarch), and Lucius of Cyrene (a Roman) met together to hash out church policies and ministry strategies. (See Acts 13)

Again, those Christians would have seen many matters differently, weighed priorities differently, valued issues differently. But then, while having those differences, they were called to worship, love, and make disciples…together – and they did it!

The writers of the New Testament letters certainly had opinions and perspectives on culture, society, and politics. But as they wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they steered the church away from those matters and into its God-ordained lanes of worship, love, and disciple-making.

At this moment, you and I are living in a highly charged season of political turmoil, social disruption, and cultural upheaval. Daily we read of developments in our nation on all of these fronts that many are calling “unprecedented.”

There is now – as there has always been! – so much going on in the world around us, so much that is newsworthy, so much that is broken and alarming. With 24/7 access to such news, it is tempting to be consumed and obsessed by such things.

As citizens of our nation, state, and city, we pay attention to these matters. We pray about them. We vote. We may even get personally involved.

But our church will stay in its God-ordained lanes. Worship. Love. Make disciples.

Would you join with me in praying that here at our church we will…

…hold to biblical truth, proclaim that truth boldly and lovingly, and will “live not by lies” (one of my favorite phrases from former Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn).

…value dependent prayer, commitment to the Bible, genuine relationships, eternally-focused generosity, gracious evangelism, and empowered unleashing.

…take our own next steps with Jesus and help others take their next steps with Jesus.

…give ourselves to worshiping our great God, loving each other and all those we know really well, and making disciples of all the nations.

Yours…His,

Dave