Hot topics and tough times
	The goal: less about what to think and more about how to think
	With an eye toward scripture as fundamental, foundation truth
	With an ear to the voice of the Spirit, who is our helper
	With an ear to the voice of the Spirit, who is our helper
	With a mind toward the model of Christ. What would Jesus do or think or say?

Where we get in trouble outside the church is in thinking that others come at issues from the same starting point. Some call this a post-Christian age…one of the greatest points of stumbling for us is our irritation that the world doesn't get it. Of course they don't. They don't have Christ or scripture as a foundation.

Here, of course, in church, scripture must be our starting point.

Why do we shy away from hot topics and tough issues in church?

• We don't want to drive a needless wedge between well-meaning Christians
• We aren't very sure of our own positions
• We aren't sure that our own positions would be God's position
• We feel somewhat illiterate, biblically speaking, and are afraid to prove our feelings accurate in church, where we think we're supposed to look like we have it all together
• Sometimes we choose to stay on the more central issues that are the just of our purpose and mission, and honestly don't believe that Christians need to have a voice or a stand on every issue that comes along
• We each have one or two hobby horses, but leave the others for others

Why do we shy away from hot issues in public?

• We realize that we don't speak for all Christians and don't want people to think that we're trying to make such a claim
• We don't want to alienate seekers, who are finding their way toward Christ, by bringing up controversial topics that they could never understand from our position until they come into a relationship with Christ
• We don't want to be subjected to criticism or ridicule
• We're embarrassed when some of what we believe is outside the main current of the cultural norm. We like to sound with it and smart, not old-fashioned or conservative
• Maybe we're just too busy doing other things, even good things, to get too hung up on controversies.

That's a good instinct, as a whole. "Don't have anything to do with foolish stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels." 1 Timothy 2:23

Still, sometimes it's good to know what, or even better, how to think, and then how to act in regard to tough issues of our day. Ultimately, we want to know how to represent Christ.

What does it mean to…. Represent Christ

First - Ambassadors and reconcilers (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

This really is a foreign land. For those of us in Christ, we have a dual citizenship, both in heaven and in these United States, or if you prefer, in the world community. But the heavenly citizenship is from a higher authority, it's for a greater duration, and it brings higher obligations. We are supposed to represent God to the world…spiritual matchmakers…reconcilers, healing the rift caused by sin, teaching a message of hope and forgiveness and grace. So much of what we believe is foreign to this place. Jesus urges us to be careful about ties to this world that are so great that they become disruptive to our primary citizenship. This world is not my home…I will cherish the beauty of God's creation and the gift of life, as long as I enjoy it, but our real home is in a place not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Until we get there, we are ambassadors to this foreign land.

Second - Witnesses and disciple-makers (Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19)

As witnesses, we tell what we've seen and heard and know to be true.

As disciple-makers, we invite people into the school of Christian faith, urging people to follow Jesus with us and learn from Jesus with us and grow up in Christ with us.

Third - The Body of Christ of Earth (Matthew 25:21-46, 1 Corinthians 12:27-31)

God has chosen to use the church as His primary instrument for good in the world.

"We're the only Jesus some people will ever see."

So how do we do this? How do we represent Jesus well?

Letting Scripture lead the way

We have to believe that there is a higher authority at work than my opinion. Scripture is true and time-tested. All Scripture is God-breathed, living and active (2 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 4:12)

Do we believe that the Bible is the primary guide to faith and practice for every Christian? If so, we need to learn this…

Differentiating scriptural truth from person opinion

Doing exegesis not isogesis

Exegesis = starting from scripture and using every tool available to extract from the scripture the intended meaning of the writer.

Isogesis = starting from my own opinion and using, twisting, and even changing scripture to support a position that I refuse to give up. By choosing certain verses out of context, or by interpreting verses with undue freedom, we can make the Bible support almost anything.

So HOW do we seek help from the scriptures in regard to the hard issues?

Look for guiding principles in scripture

Direct and obvious help (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

Love God, love people

Indirect help (Philemon)

Paul was not on a crusade to stop slavery, as a human institution. He was on a crusade to introduce freedom as a human reality. So he's subtle but strong

A hierarchy of principles

1 Corinthians 13:13, "faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love."

1 Samuel 15:22 "To obey is better than sacrifice."

Hosea 6:6 "I desire mercy more than sacrifice."

The law and morality matter to God, but more than anything they give a backdrop that puts God's grace and mercy on display. So, as a standard of personal and collective order and sanity, they have their part, but in our failure to keep those laws, they have a greater part - they give God a chance to prove his love for us, and mercy and grace.

Prophetic vs. pastoral (Galatians 3:26-28, 1 Corinthians 14:33)

In Christ there is not east or west, male or female, slave or free…This is a prophetic pronouncement that speaks to God's ideals for his unfolding will.

The same person said "I don't allow women to speak in public…"

Pastoral, especially for the church at Corinth…

Timeless vs. contextual (1 Corinthians 11:3-7)

Many scriptural admonitions are timeless and obviously so…others, we have to contextualize to understand…women and hats…men and hats…the issue isn't hats…how am I representing Christ?

We all contextualize. We're on a spectrum, with some on the far left of what we often call liberalism, with a low view of the authority of scripture and a higher view of situational ethics. Others are on the far right of conservatism, with a high view of the authority of scripture and a low view of situational ethics. Some of us are in the middle ranges, with a high view of the authority of scripture and a hopeful view of our ability, with God's help, to give a sure word in a day when people are looking desperately for contextually relevant direction.

Look at the whole counsel of God (Acts 12:27)

Fight the temptation to use one proof-text to support a radical concept. Yes, Jesus said, "Better pluck out your eye and throw it away than that your eye should cause you to sin." If we pull that out of the context of the whole of scripture, we'd all be blind. As we see it in context, we understand what Christ is and isn't saying. When we pick and paste and pluck scriptures to suit radical concepts of religious ardor, we get in trouble and see cultish behaviors develop.

Live with the tension of problem verses and diverse opinions (2 Timothy 2:23)

Yes, there are verses that seen to argue against each other on first reading. Yes, there are verses we might not like, or teachings we can't make sense of. Some of them get ironed out on further reading and study. But these tensions don't all have to be ironed out.

The problem passages don't have to be explained all the time. I have a very high view of scripture as God's word. I believe that it's exactly what He wants it to be, filled with enough truth and counsel to lead us into lives of purpose and everlasting lives in heaven. And I believe that he's left enough puzzles in scripture to keep us guessing, praying, searching, growing, talking…and most of all, to keep us humble.

Look for emerging values

From the Old Testament to New

God doesn't change, but there is a progressive sense to his parenting technique (without justice, what is mercy; without law, what is grace?)

From this present realm toward God's ideal

Scripture, as it is written, allows for the primitive state of the human condition. But it is always hopeful of a better day, when better values and conditions reign supreme.

God, for example, wishes that we could all be one…what are those emerging values in scripture that represent God's ultimate hope for humanity? Unity, peace, celebration, an everlasting exchange, a gift-sharing of songs of worth and words of value, God to us, us to God…

It's important that we live expectantly. One day the good will win.

So, we want to look at hot topics and tough issues from a biblical perspective.

Is there help beyond scripture?

The counsel of godly people (Proverbs 15:22 "plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors, plans succeed.")

Pray for wisdom (James1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.)

Walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25 or "keep in step with the Spirit," "pray in the Spirit," "be filled with the Spirit.")

What would Jesus do? (The Gospels) Consider the model of Christ. This means knowing Jesus, reading the gospels and trying to capture a sense for who he is and how he handles the many hot topics and tough issues that were thrown at him.