Sunday message: Be not afraid, get to work

  I slapped the magazine I had been reading on the table, trying not to be upset at what seemed to be hypocrisy from men I respected.  The magazine article, from one famous pastor, had just spent the last few paragraphs deriding the violent political protests of the summer, based on that we are told several places in the New Testament to respect and obey the government.  But then, in an amazing turnabout, mentions that "there are exceptions", and points to the next article- where another famous pastor who's decided to defy his state's lockdown orders on the basis of 'religious persecution' tells his reasoning.

Now, I have discussed my reasonings on this subject before, so let me try to explain why this really bothered me more this time.

1- I believe Jesus had one teaching on civil government.

Mat 22:17  Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"
Mat 22:18  But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?
Mat 22:19  Show me the coin for the tax." And they brought him a denarius.
Mat 22:20  And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"
Mat 22:21  They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

"Render unto Caesar".  We are to obey the civil government.  But, what if the civil government is evil?  Guess what?  Jesus' civil government was ROME.  Obey the civil government.  Doesn't mean you don't try to CHANGE its policies, you just don't defy them when they are in force.

2- This defiant pastor is NOT being persecuted; no one is telling him to change what he teaches.  That IS the basis for defiance in the New Testament.  He is not defiant because, "You are limiting the Word of God", he's upset because, "How DARE you tell me what to do, Mr Governor?"  We'll come back to that in a sec.

3- In the same magazine, the first pastor brings us the story of the terrible burden on pastors in Latin America because of COVID shutdowns, and how the suicide rate of pastors in Brazil in particular is skyrocketing "because they can't get into their churches, they can't hold services, they can't see their people." Here, I call BS.  When Elijah was depressed unto suicide, what did God do?  Refreshed Him a bit, and said, "Get back to work."  Why CAN'T a Brazilian preacher, not allowed to enter a BUILDING, just work a little harder- go into the HOMES of his congregation, one on one, and do his job there? A church is just a building, a denomination is just an institution, and the Church Jesus established is, "Where ever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in their midst,"  Which invalidates pastors seeing suicide as an option and pastors who see defying civil government as a necessity in one stroke.  I belong to a church whose humble leadership has had no problem both worshiping and obeying the governor.  The famous pastor defying his state is merely stroking his ego at the risk of his people.

I have said this many times- COVID and BLM are happening because we have forgotten Jesus' washing of the feet (humble servant of ALL men) and two or three (the church as an institution does NOT make the worship).  He is teaching us a mighty lesson, and our response has been, "How DARE you change the way we always do things?"  We boo people who remind us that the way we always did things includes tolerance for things that harm others; we wrap the Cross in a flag and wonder why God isn't blessing it.  Not long ago, someone put up an anti-quarantine meme that said, "I'm not afraid of global pandemic, I'm afraid of global government."  Guess what?  Jesus was under a global government, and said two things we refuse to hear:  "Be not afraid" and "Follow Me."