Follow theRight Leader

Happy 4th of July!

This weekend we are celebrating the birth of this great Nation.

Certainly no fireworks, except on TV.

Can’t cook out and enjoy those traditions.

But the sacrifices we have to make today are barely worth mentioning compared to the sacrifices so many ppl made preserving our freedom giving us reason to celebrate this weekend, 245 years after our declaration of Independence.

I can remember so many years as a kid, our family driving downtown Wichita, finding a place on the banks of the Arkansas River.

I discovered the folks in Arkansas are not happy about Kansan’s pronunciation of their River.

Anyway,, There would always be a parade of boats and floats in the River. Punctuated by the 1812 Overture and a massive fireworks display.

Or, we’d to Lawrence-Dumont Stadium where the local minor league team played, Wichita Aeros, and watch the fireworks there.

Of course, this time of year in the Midwest severe thunderstorms are a regularity. About every other year we’d get rained out and end up popping a few black cats lighting a few sparklers in the back yard.

245 years! How have we survived so long as a nation? And, now much longer will we survive?

Will my great grandchildren stand and cheer the red, white, and blue flag and fireworks the way my great grandfather did?

How long will it go? How much time will we get?

You know there is an attack on what the flag represents. Everywhere the red, white, and blue make an appearance it seems there is a protester nearby.

There are people who are angry, hurt, some justifiably so, by events and attitudes from our history from our history, both recent and distant.

Others are just as angry and hurt by the actions and protestations of those who want to change the future and seem to want to change the past.

Do we need wholesale changes to our nation? Or, just a few tweaks and minor adjustments?

Depends on who you ask.

Our nation is becoming increasingly polarized. It would seem time is running out on this experiment that has been called the UNITED States of America.

How much time do we have? It depends on who we’re following.

It is important to follow the right leader. There are ppl who will get in your way and lead you to the edges and extremes b/c there is so much money and power t/b made in keeping us divided.

Jesus won’t lead us to the extreme, Jesus will lead us to eternity. And, along the way, He will keep us united when we acknowledge He is the Right leader and we follow Him above all others.

Our Founding Fathers understood this.

They know the right Leader, still do.

They understood their role as they established this new nation and experimented w/ a way of governance that had never been tried before.

This great experiment will only last as long as we the ppl follow the right leader.

Hint: He or she is not found in Washington DC.

Starting a Country

Many have started businesses or planted a church.

Imagine starting a country!

Standing on the east coast and imagining west.

From Mexico to Canada, Sea to shining Sea.

What did our Founding Fathers see as they imagineered this new county.

Where do you begin?

They were trying to organize rebels.

By definition, rebels don’t organize unless against a common enemy.

Do not try to control rebels. They will do what rebels do, rebel.

They knew where they wanted to end up, at least early on.

They wanted to call this new country, The United States of America.

The united states of revolutionary rebesl.

Today,245 years later, things hardly seem united.

Much of that is because there is so many ppl leading to extreme positions on the edges of the political spectrum.

That is b/c there is much money t/b made and power preserved to keep us divided.

Fear is profitable.

Suspicion is profitable.

Division is profitable.

I will protect you if you will pay me or vote for me. And, it works.

The motivation is to keep us divided.

The result is we can’t solve problems.

Problems are not solved on the far right or far left.

Problems are solved in the middle.

But, money can’t made in the middle and ppl don’t get elected in the middle.

Something else has to motivate ppl to sac wealth and influence to meet in the middle to solve the problems we face.

We have to find common ground.

The brilliance of the Founding fathers becomes clear as we understand their understanding of the common ground we all seek.

They established the Bill of Rights w/ the Constitution. The Bill of Rights is made up of the 1st 10 amendments to the Constitution intended to protect our individual liberties.

All were either Christ-followers themselves, or deists. The only major difference between a deist and Christian is the deist does not believe in a personal relationship w/ God. They bel God created everything then put it all in motion then stepped back.

Christians believe we can have a personal relationship w/ the Creator by accepting what Jesus did for us by faith.

All believed the Bible was the best resource to live by.

IOW, the Founding Fathers did their best to set up the framework of our government based on the freedoms they believed were fundamental and taught in God’s word.

So, the Bill of Rights is made up of freedoms in these areas, speech, the press (accountability), assembly, religion, bear arms, due process, jury trials, search and seizure, cruel and unusual punishment, and quartering soldiers.

Quartering soldiers means the gov’t can’t force us to house soldiers if we are not at war.

Basically, it all boiled down to this;

I have the right to do what I want, when I want, w/ whom I want as long as it does not interfere w/ your rights.

That last clause is important.

The tension point is where our rights meet.

Rights must be coupled w/ responsibilities or things go terribly wrong.

Parents understand this.

A child turns 16 and earns the right to drive the family car.

In my case it was a 1973 Vega.

I don’t think anyone at Chevy is proud of the Vega.

Ours needed a complete new engine at 30,000 mi.

My mom had 65 Corvair before that. Purple.

Ralph Nader wrote about Corvairs, “Unsafe at any speed”

My mom didn’t have real good luck w/ her car choices.

Anyway, 16 year olds have the right to drive the family car as long as they are responsible w/ it.

If I were irresponsible w/ my mom’s car I’d lose the right to drive it.

Every right has to be coupled w/ responsibility.

Liberty, apart from responsibility, undermines liberty.

But, there is no Bill of Responsibilities. You cannot legislate responsibility. Gov’t can’t make ppl be responsible. This is an individual choice.

John Adams, 2nd president of the US said,

“Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

IOW, our government will not work if the ppl are not moral and religious.

In fact, the 1st amendment in the Bill of Rights, which includes the freedom of religion, cannot be the freedom from religion or the separation of church and state.

There is a required, inextricable link between church and state in order for our state to work.

Moral right and wrong is a religious question. It is not a legislative question. If a country tries to legislate moral rights and wrongs, we end up w/ Nazi Germany.

The majority can decide that an entire race of ppl do not deserve to live making it right to exterminate them.

There has to be a recognized and respected source of moral absolute above what the ppl and the gov’t can do.

A moral absolute ought to stand outside and above our laws having authority over our conscience.

Law reflects the minimum requirement. What is the least I can get away w/?

In the case of speed limits, it reflects the maximum.

What is the fastest I can go? You can drive slower and drive ppl crazy going 15 mph up Pinewood. But, you won’t get ticketed.

Laws do not inspire greatness.

Free speech does not make your speech good or great.

Rights are what we are entitled to.

Law is what we are allowed to do.

If this is all we’ve got it won’t work. This fuels division.

There is a 3rd element that is necessary for our form of gov’t to stand.

Our Founding Fathers understood this.

We need a moral absolute that stands outside and above our laws having authority over our individual and collective conscience.

We need a national conscience informed by the Law of Christ. W/out this, it’s only a matter of time before this American experiment fails.

Rights are what we are entitled to.

Law is what we are allowed to do.

Morality, based on the law and example of Christ, is what we ought to do.

The ought to is most important.

What is the Law of Christ?

Jesus said this. John 13:34 He was asked a question. This was His answer:

John 13:34 NIV

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Do this for everyone. There is no asterisk, exception, nor exemption.

There is no qualification by skin color, nation of origin, date of arrival to the US, or career and profession.

It does not matter if you keep the laws or break the laws we are to act like we love each other.

This is the fundamental guide in the Law of Christ that should infuse every human interaction, personal and professional.

Paul paraphrased a couple of different times. Here in Romans.

Romans 15:7 NIV

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Treat each other honorably. Why? Not b/c they deserve it.

But b/c that’s the the way God treats you, and it makes God look good.

Simple definition of glorifying something.

Jesus died for you. Be willing to die for each other. And, of course, everything short of dying including living at peace w/ each other.

“I’m willing to die for you. But, I’m not sure I want to live next door to you.”

Forgiveness cannot be legislated either. It’s a choice. It’s an unconditional choice.

You’ve done something to hurt me. You owe me. But I’m deciding to cancel that debt just like Jesus canceled my debt to God.

An apology is not required to let things go.

An apology is req’d to reconcile the relationship. But forgiveness is simply letting God handle the get even.

W/out a national conscience infused w/ the law of Christ this American experiment will collapse. It’s only a matter of time.

The founding fathers could not solve every problem. They could not foresee everything. They could not head everything off and they knew it.

Think Facebook, Twitter, and free speech.

They did a good job w/ a lot of it.

They said, in effect, “We’re doing the best we can. We’ve written these documents that will guide the American ppl for centuries.

But there’s one thing we can’t do that still has t/b done, and it’s up to the ppl.”

They did not set up a system where the ppl served the gov’t leaders. They knew they were not the leaders to follow. They set up the gov’t of the ppl, by the ppl, and for the ppl.

Gov’t serves the ppl. The ppl have the power.

George Washington refused to be made king. They would have made him anything he wanted. Grand Pubah, whatever.

President was okay w/ him.

He handed the power back to the ppl.

When King George heard what he had done, it’s said, he said, “GW is the greatest man alive.”

But in handing the power back to the people, he did so at great risk.

Another paraphrase by Paul in Galatians:

Galatians 5:13–15 NIV

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

You see where rights and responsibilities have to go hand in hand and the tension point where your rights and my rights meet.

What do we do? How do we handle it when 2 equals meet at an intersection?

We cannot use our freedom to indulge the flesh and impose on each other’s freedom. Serve ea other. Humbly, willingly give whatever right you have in order to allow someone else to get their right.

So, instead of the argument about which one of us gets our way. The argument should be about which one of us gets to give up our way.

Check your pride at the door and conflict goes away.

Paul wrote, If you bit and devour each other watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Who bites? Children do. Immature ppl do.

Mature, responsible adults don’t bite. They sac their rights for the good of others.

That unifies us. Unity cannot be mandated. It must be chosen.

Somebody has to go first.

It is always the responsibility of the most mature one in the relationship to make the first and biggest sacrifice.

When my kids were young, I wanted my Saturday mornings t/b about me. My stuff. The things I wanted to.

But, I had to put on all the gear and head to the little league field for at least 5 hours while all 3 played their games.

The mature one is t/b the first one to apologize. The first one to forgive. The first one to make the biggest sacrifice.

In a conflict, whether political or familial, there are sides to be taken and represented.

But, Christ followers don’t take sides.

B/C can’t be found on any side, but His own.

Jesus didn’t come to take sides, He came to take over. -Tony Evans.

He didn’t come to join the temple or the Roman Gov’t. He did his own thing.

If you find yourself firmly entrenched at one end of the spectrum or other, far left or far right; understand the farther you are away from a problem the easier it appears to solve.

Problems are not solved in the extremes. They are solved in the middle.

Whether we are talking politics or your marriage.

Your problems won’t get solved until you both walk toward the center. But, somebody has to go first.

If we are going to be the United States of America in more than name only, we have to commit to not just doing what we can justify, but do what just.

We can’t be looking for what we can get away w/ or how low we can go.

We have to do what’s responsible, not just what’s permissible.

Just b/c we can do not mean we should.

As Christ-followers, we have to represent a national conscience that is infused w/ the law of Christ maintaining morality making what we ought to do more important that what we can do or are allowed to do.

James Madison, the 4th pres of the US said, “No theoretical checks, no form of gov’t can render us secure. To suppose that any form of gov’t will secure liberty or happiness w/out any virture in the ppl is a chimerical idea.

Chimerical means it’s a fairy tale. An illusion.

A gov’t of the ppl, by the ppl, and for the ppl needs a ppl w/ a national conscience based on the law of Christ that we will love ea other the way Jesus loves us.

Our founding fathers got it.

They were not perfect and did not set themselves up to be followed as perfect leaders.

In fact, they did not see themselves as leaders at all, but servants.

As servants, they know who their Master is.

Today we’re wrapping up the series in 1 & 2 Kings.

King Hezekiah demonstrated this same understanding that he was not the leader to follow but there is One greater and everyone should join him in following the right leader.

An Unsolvable Problem

2 Kings 20:1–3 NIV

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

You’re the most powerful man among the people God chose for Himself above all others.

That’s a pretty powerful place to be.

He could say the word and get just about anything done.

But like so many who are in powerful places, there come times when you face problems you can’t solve.

He was sick. He was going to die. And Isaiah told him to get his house in order.

Make sure your will is up to date. Family knows where to find all the important papers.

And, most importantly, make sure your son is ready to take over as king.

His heartfelt prayer acknowledged his faith and his low position before God.

He didn’t demand t/b healed b/c he was some important person in the earthly or heavenly kingdom.

He humbly cried out to God asked for mercy.

God responded by healing him and giving him more time, 15 years.

A humble position before God, a godly conscience infused w/ the same summary of God’s law, love God and ea other led to more opportunities to influence his kinsmen in the same way.

And, I’m sure, he was more intentional for the those year given him to prep his son to a king who followed God and invited his ppl to join him in that.

Hezekiah asked for sign to prove God was giving him more time. This was not out of disrespect nor disbelief. It was a request born of his faith to help ease his doubts and demonstrate to the ppl God can be trusted and will give faithful ppl more time to do what he calls them to do.

More Time

2 Kings 20:10 NIV

“It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”

When we demonstrate faith in God, he will give us the time we need to get done what He calls us to do.

Hez needed a little encouragement that he had been given 15 more years to get his son ready and the nation closer to God.

We don’t know if this staircase was built as a sundial, or if it was casually discovered that it functioned as a sundial.

They just knew that as the day progressed, the shadow on the stairs moved the same direction at the same pace every day.

But this day, in this moment, it moved back 10 steps. We don’t know how big the steps were or how long it took.

When I set my clocks back for DST, it took me seconds and we immediately gained an hour.

Probably in a second, the sunshine on the steps moved back and the people around the world immediately had some extra time that day.

Imagine being on an island in the Pacific.

It’s just about time to get off work. You’re looking forward to that dinner date w/ your wife.

You blink. And it’s now hours before 5:00.

But, for Hezekiah, for the nation, and for us, the message is when you’re humbly following the right leader opportunities will present themselves w/plenty of time to get them done.

This nation has had 245 years to get this right. And we’re not doing very well right. How much more time do we have?

How much more time do we need?

How do we get more time?

If Christ-followers will take the lead, go first, be the national conscience and do what we ought to do, not just what we’re allowed to do or can do.

Do what is just, not what we can justify.

If we will recommit to follow the right leader and invite everyone around us to join in this pursuit, God will give us more time fulfill his plan for the ppl of this planet.

Application

There is only 1 application today.

Find and follow the right leader.

You won’t find him in Washington DC or Phoenix.

You won’t find him at the extreme edges of our political side.

It is important to follow the right leader. There are ppl who will get in your way and lead you to the edges and extremes b/c there is so much money and power t/b made in keeping us divided.

Jesus won’t lead us to the extreme, Jesus will lead us to eternity. And, along the way, He will keep us united when we acknowledge He is the Right leader and we follow Him above all others.

Jesus didn’t come to take sides He came to take over.

Make sure you’re following the right leader b/c we tend to let ppl get in our way.

If you’re being led farther to one extreme or the other, I would challenge whether or not you you’re in the right person’s rear-view mirror.

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness….”

Let’s make these truths, the truths our Founding Fathers bel’d are in God’s word, let’s make these our pursuits, too.

Let the law of Christ infuse your life and influence every relationship you have and let’s celebrate the UNITED State of America this 4th of July.