Recently Pastor Tullian Tchividjian was on MSNBC’s program Morning Joe. The Grandson of Billy Graham expressed that politics should not be discussed or addressed from the Pulpit. He does say that his job on Sunday mornings is to “diagnose peoples problems and announce God’s solution to those problems”, unless of course those problems are political. What if a major problem is political? What of the legal politically sanctioned murder of millions of unborn every year? What if a young mother is hearing him and her struggle and “problem” is that she is with child and is terrified not knowing where to go? Would she never hear from his pulpit that God in his Law prohibits the killing of children and that he has a loving and wise solution for her? What of human trafficking? Systemic racism? Mass poverty and hunger? God’s word speaks much on these things, but they are political so we should not preach on them in Sunday mornings? I think that is a weak and ridiculous understanding of Church and State as well as unbiblical.
The Gospel is the announcement of the Kingdom of God coming into the world, Matthew 3:1&2. It is for the obedience of the nations, Romans 1:5. The Kingdom of Christ is an everlasting dominion which will never end, Daniel 7:14. All things belong to God, and he in his authority has given his way regarding all of life, including the governing and legislating of societies. Indeed, the Reformed confessional view of God’s word for human authoritative structures is that God has ordained them into three authorities each with their own ministries and administrations, the family, the Church and the State. All three are to be in submission to God’s Law and all three are to hold one another accountable.
Historically the sermon has been a cultural hot spot. A point where culture is engaged with a met with the very One who is Lord over the nations and all cultures. God’s word is the standard and authority for the State as much as it is for the Church and family. When the State is wicked and in rebellion against Gods word, we are to call them to repentance and back to obedience. Evert Prophet of Israel called the King to repent, the Apostles and early Church stood before magistrates and governors and boldly proclaimed that there was a King and a Kingdom greater than Rome. To say that Jesus is Lord is to claim that Caesar is not. Pastor Tchividjian has a huge problem, for he is preaching a Gospel that he believes is not relevant for the governing and policy of the State, a Gospel that is the announcement of a Kingdom.
In contrast, I am encouraged by Pastor Voddie Bauchman’s brief address on the Pastors duty to politics from the Pulpit. The Pastor is much like the prophets of old, being the conscience and “thermometer” of the culture. I echo his call to the Church to encourage our pastors to be what they have been called to be. We need fear nothing or anyone but God. And the fear of the Lord is a joy and strength. If we the Church, who are “uniquely qualified” to answer the culture, do not speak from the pulpit the whole of the Counsel of God, how will our society know how to do politics? How will they find the answers if not from the Community that has been given the Spirit and Word of God?
See Pastors Tchividjian and Bauchman’s interviews in the links below.
Pastor Voddie Bauchman- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqx3aDSY_JA
Pastor Tullian Tchividjian- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHzTL-KKvoo
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