Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro: WE have all heard that we should not discuss religion and politics in polite company…I think I understand why this school of thought was started.

All you have to do is look at the events of the last week where politics has virtually destroyed the morale of a country.

We have seen two people used at pawns in a political game between two groups of people who have wrapped themselves in the flag and in a pursuit of the truth that really have nothing in mind except to keep power… (Nathan Dahm Local politician)This message is not a message about who is right or who is wrong…It is not about choosing a political party to become a part of.

The truth is that what we are going to talk about is not only useful in politics but in everyday relationships with people…however politics is the everyday conversation that is creating fear and anger instead of hope and peace.

The Christian has an opprotunity to speak hope into every situation…even politics…

However most people have decided to sit on the sidelines instead of wading into this important arena.Failure to civilly discuss Politics and religion leads to an inability to be Christian in either…This leads to a place of anger driven by fear.

The truth is that fear is what keeps pastors from speaking into these things…lets face it as pastors we tend to stay away from political discourse not simply because of being afraid to lose tax exempt status..Because sometimes the political discussion simply does not reflect Christ like living…facebook is full of people using Jesus as the reason they vote for this party or the other but right now there is little Holy living present in any of them.

As followers of Jesus we are supposed to be a people of Hope driven by the Love of God…even in politics

When we allow fear to drive our anger we are angry all the time…Being angry all the time is exhausting and isolating.

I for one am tired of being angry all the time…and my guess is you are too…the answer is not to stop speaking into this world but to release or allegiance to a political party and re-immerse ourselves into what it looks like to live as citizens of the subversive kingdom of God.

Christians are not called to avoid conversations about politics…in fact we are called to be examples of civility in these types of conversations.

In order to do this we must resist the urge to dismiss people just because they do not identify the way we believe they should politically.38

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.”

39 “Don’t stop him!”