Not In It to Win It: Culture War Christianity

I don’t know if you’ve had this same experience or not—but whenever I watch a newer movie or a show that depicts what it was like to live through the pandemic… even if it’s a drama or a comedy or whatever… it’s fiction, but it’s set in 2020, and the characters are living through what we all lived through—

Whenever I watch a show like that, I almost get sick to my stomach. You have that experience?

I get a little irritated. Anxious, even.

I just don’t want to relive that in my mind—even if it’s just by watching a dumb show. I don’t want to go back in my mind and remember what that was like and how it felt. I just don’t.

Maybe that’s your experience, too. Maybe you know what I’m talking about.

So here’s the reason I’m starting with that fun walk down memory lane:

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I’m a little worried that history is going to repeat itself…

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And before you go, “Oh, no… 4 weeks on the job, and Jesse’s already losing it. The wheels are coming off”—no; I’m not worried about the pandemic coming back. I’m not suddenly turning all doomsday on you. That’s not the kind of history that I’m worried about repeating itself.

It’s more like this:

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I’m a little worried that history is going to repeat itself… in how the Church will respond to the next crisis.

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2020 was a year of crises. The pandemic and all of the deaths; the lockdowns and all the loss and uncertainty and tensions about what the government could and couldn’t do and the vaccine; the murder of George Floyd and all of the demonstrations; fires burning 46 million acres of Austrailia; a contentious presidential election that eventually led to a riot in the capitol...

It was just one crisis after another.

But how did we respond to those? How did we as the Church respond?

Well… it was a mixed bag. I think the Church responded in some pretty Christ-like ways at times.

But what I watched happen all too often was this:

We divided.

We divided along the same lines as everyone else did.

Some of us lost friends and family to the virus—but almost all of us lost a friend or even a family member to a different tribe.

Battle lines were drawn: mask or no mask; vaccine or no vaccine; climate catastrophe or climate hoax; red or blue.

And if you were on the other side of the line (whatever that line was), you were the problem. And there wasn’t much of a distinction between how the rest of the world drew up those lines and how the church did.

So now here we are, staring down the barrel of 2023 ending with 2024 looming, and we’ve got:

An ongoing war in Ukraine.

War erupting in the Middle East.

Another election cycle about to go into full swing.

Not to mention the increased contention around gender and sexuality and what schools teach and where culture is going and...

And who knows what else?

And so, I’m worried. I am. I’m worried:

How will we respond? Will we respond like we did back then? Or will we be different?

Transition

You know, there’s never a shortage of voices telling us how we as the church should respond to the next crisis—whatever it is.

No shortage of voices.

Our country is in crisis, so here’s who the church should vote for.

Our world is in crisis, so here’s how the church should think about the Middle East. Or the Ukraine.

Here’s who you should be for. Here’s who you should be against. Which side are you on?

Don’t be a fence sitter. Enough of this “both sides-isms.” We’re in crisis here.

No shortage of voices telling the church to pick a side in whatever crisis is coming.

This isn’t a new phenomenon—this “we’re in crisis; how will you respond; which side are you on?” pressure that gets applied. It’s nothing new.

In fact, the same tactic was used on Jesus himself. Take a look at this interaction he has in Matthew 22:

Exegesis: Matthew 22:16-22; Genesis 1:26-28

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Matthew 22:16–17 “They [the Pharisees] sent their disciples to him [Jesus] along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”

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So there it is. Look at the setup: you’re a man of God. Right, Jesus? You’re a man of integrity. Of principles. You’re not someone who is worried about what other people think. You’re someone who isn’t afraid to say the hard things. So tell us. Take a stand. Which side are you on?

So, let’s talk about this just for a second and kinda unpack what’s going on here.

First of all: this interaction happens in Jerusalem at a time when tensions are already pretty high. Here’s why:

Jesus is just days away from being crucified—but at this point, his popularity is at it’s peak. Crowds have packed into Jerusalem for the holiest and largest religious festival of the year, the Passover and Day of Atonement. And it’s usually at this time of year at this very festival that the chatter about the Roman empire and a messiah coming to overthrow them and lead Israel back to freedom starts to get the loudest.

And Jesus is right in the center of that. Speculation about him being God’s chosen one to redeem Israel from its oppressor has gone from quiet whispers to shouts of Hosanna as they welcomed him into the city as their next king. So tensions are through the roof. The city is a powder keg.

But these Pharisees and the Herodians both don’t want anything further to happen—although for very, very different reasons.

See: Jesus had a long, confrontational history with the Pharisees. He called them out on their hypocrisy. He said that they were all about following the letter of the law, but neglected its heart. They’d make the sacrifices and do the washings, but they didn’t love, show mercy, or pursue justice. So the Pharisees hated Jesus.

Now the Herodians could care less about all of that. They were Jewish, but mostly by race and culture, not as much by faith. They were the Israelis who cooperated with Rome. They were the ones who Rome selected to govern. Puppet leaders, really… but really rich and powerful puppet leaders. And the last thing they wanted was a king that their people loved more. So they hated Jesus, too—but for a very different reason than their Pharisee counterparts.

Which makes this particular interaction around this particular topic, paying taxes to Caesar, so fascinating—right? Pharisees and Herodians were fellow countrymen—both Israelis—but on very different sides of this issue. They probably fought about it all the time.

The Pharisees: anti-tax. Taxes should go to the temple and to the Israeli interests, not some foreign leader who worships gods and envisions himself as one.

The Herodians: pro-tax. Caesar was their patron. More taxes to Caesar meant more money in their pockets.

But even though they were normally mortal enemies when it came to this (and other) issues, they found that they had a common enemy in Jesus.

And so we get to this little gem of them coming together and posing this question to Jesus:

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“Hey Jesus… which side are you on?”

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Because there’s a right one. And a wrong one. And you better choose right.

Tensions were high. You know how the crowd wants him to answer, right? They’ve just welcomed him as king! “Tell ‘em, Jesus. Tell Caesar where he can stick his taxes!”

“You can’t possibly support such a pagan practice, right Jesus? Giving money to a government who stands against everything we believe? That’s immoral. They have no right. Take up your crown and your sword. Stand for what’s right. Pick a side.”

Pick the right side.

Pick our side.

Excursus: War

They wanted Jesus to go to war, really.

A war against Rome.

A war for Israel.

A war for God and his ways.

A war for God and country.

Which meant a war against…

Their culture. Their neighbors. Their ideological and theological enemies.

You know:

It’s really, really common to see war-language emerge and used in crises.

The pandemic and lockdowns? A “war on freedom.”

The 2020 election? A “war on democracy.”

Then there’s the war on religious liberty. Or the war on families. Or a war on Christian values.

And in war, there are always 2 sides. And one side is good while the other is evil.

So you have to pick.

In fact, that’s why war language is so often used—because it’s so powerful. It gets people to move. To act. To join up. To speak out. To support and give towards a cause. Because everything is at stake, and they (whoever “they” are) are coming.

So here’s Jesus. Here’s this tax. Here’s the Pharisees and the crowds; here’s the Herodians and all of Rome’s armies. We’re at war, Jesus. Which side are you on?

Exegesis, Continued

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Matthew 22:18–22 “But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.”

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What do you think Jesus meant by that—”give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and give to God what is God’s?” What did he mean by that?

Well, the “give to Caesar” part is pretty clear. “Should we pay the tax or not, Jesus?” Well, it’s his coin. His image is right on it. So if it’s his, then yeah. Give him what is his. Jesus was a taxpayer, apparently.

But what did Jesus mean by the second part: “give to God what is God’s?” What did he mean by that?

Well, Jesus gives us a clue when he talks about Caesar’s image on that coin.

Because Caesar’s image was on the coin, it was his. He governed its use.

And that concept of image and ownership was one that the Pharisees were really familiar with. In fact, it was embedded in their own Bible in the very first story—one of the earliest lessons they probably learned.

From the first chapter of their Bible (and ours), Genesis 1:

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Genesis 1:26–28 “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule... So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule...”

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Jesus points to the image on the coin. It’s Caesar’s image, so it’s Caesar’s coin, so Caesar gets to decide how they are used.

But then Jesus points to each of them. God made you in his image. You’re his. And so God has decide how you ought to live.

You think the question is tax or no tax. WWGD—“Who Would God Pay?”

But that’s not the question you should be asking, or how you should frame it up.

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For Jesus, the question isn’t: “Who’s side is God on?”

For Jesus, the question is: “Are you on God’s side?”

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We’re in his story—not the other way around. He doesn’t get bound up in tax or no tax, elephant or donkey. He doesn’t pick one of our sides.

God is a side. He is the side. And God is always, always on his own side.

And he’s made you and me to be like him. And he’s commanded you and me to be like him. He doesn’t take one of our sides. We take his.

Or we don’t.

But if we do, here’s what side he’s on:

He’s on the side of loving your neighbor as yourself.

He’s on the side of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.

He’s on the side of loving your enemies and blessing those who curse you.

He’s on the side of justice, holiness, and purity.

He’s on the side of forgiving as often as needed.

He’s on the side of compassion and the elevation of the least of these.

He’s on the side of being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

He’s on the side of humility and gentleness, faithfulness and peace.

That’s what it’s like to be on God’s side. Always. It’s always what it’s like, because he’s always like all of those things.

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When Jesus says “give unto God what is God’s,” he’s inviting us to stop taking sides and instead start living like we’re on God’s side.

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It’s like Jesus is saying: “Remember: where the rest of the world draws the battle lines isn’t where God draws them.”

Where the rest of the world draws the dividing lines isn’t where God draws them.

God has already drawn the lines. He’s already told us what’s most important to him and what’s most important for us.

The question isn’t whether or not God is on our side. The question is are we living like we’re on his?

Not In It To Win It

One of the books that I read shortly after the pandemic that was so, so helpful to me was this book by Andy Stanley, who is the pastor of North Point Community Church down in the Atlanta area. North Point is one of those churches that over the last 20 years or so we’ve really looked to as a model for some of our ministries here at PLC.

But back in 2021, Andy wrote this book called “Not In It to Win It.” Not In It to Win It. It’s the book that inspired this series—and what we’re borrowing some content from.

In fact, in a couple of weeks, you’ll actually get to listen in on a conversation that I got to have personally with Andy himself. We were able to get in touch with his team, and after some back and forth to wrangle schedules, I was able to interview him for about 30 minutes on how his church navigated some of those crises, what they learned, and what inspired him to write the book. I’m really looking forward to all of you getting to see that.

But in his book, one of the earliest chapters is on this tendency we’ve been talking about today: this tendency we have to draw the battle lines and go to war in ways that God just doesn’t.

Here’s what he says:

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“The problem with the culture war is that there aren’t just winners and losers. There are casualties. When the church takes a leading role in the fray, the casualty is always the faith of the next generation. Their faith is sacrificed on the altar of temporary power and political gain.”

-Andy Stanley, “Not In It To Win It, p. 21

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Story & Close

I gotta share one story with you that put a fine point on this for me. It was from that time. And it still breaks my heart today.

I had two friends, both who used to go to Prairie Lakes, but both of whom had moved away—well before the pandemic. But they attended Prairie Lakes in Cedar Falls at the same time before they moved.

One of the guys was a long-time Jesus follower and was pretty politically conservative. He and his family were really generous—both financially and with their time and talent. He was a great guy. Great dad, great husband. Just great all around.

The other guy was not a long time Jesus follower but had taken some really significant steps toward Jesus while he lived in the Cedar Valley. He actually was someone who became familiar with our church because we hired him to do some contract work around the building. And so I got to know him, got to know his story, started to see Jesus kinda mess with him, started to see him kinda respond...

But then he moved away. Took a different job out of state.

I stayed in touch with him; still do, actually. Not only did he take a step away from church; he also took a step away from Jesus.

The other guy moved away. Took a different job in state, but out of town. Found a different church, though. Still followed Jesus.

Fast forward to 2020.

These guys are facebook friends. Or at least they were. They knew each other from their time at Prairie Lakes.

Only now they were fighting. On facebook, I think.

There was a lot of that going on back then. We were all cooped up. Reading whatever. And the only outlet some of us had was posting things on social media.

And these guys were going at it. The out of state guy was firmly in the pro-mask, pro-vaccine camp. The in-state guy was anti-mask and anti-vaccine.

But I’m watching this, and here’s what I know:

The out of state friend of mine has wandered away from his faith. He’s wandering. He’s lost.

He’s not connected to a church.

I know his family situation. He doesn’t have any real support there.

And here he is, locked in a battle with a guy who he remembered from church—

A guy who is still connected to the church and to Jesus—

But who has started drawing the battle lines in a way that Jesus never did.

And I’ll be honest with you: I got so mad with him. Because he didn’t see this guy that he was arguing with in the way that Jesus did.

He was just trying to win the argument.

The things that mattered to him were mostly political: freedom to live according to his own convictions, or say what he thought without reprisal, or challenge the status quo.

But at no point did he stop to think:

What did the person on the other side of his argument need from him? And does it even matter?

As I watched their argument play out over social media, I watched my out of state friend shut down, shut him out, and shut himself off further from the church.

He even articulated it in the interaction:

If this is how church people treat others, then...

Then maybe he made the right decision to get out when he did.

I don’t think God is done with my friend. But I do think that God’s people often make it harder for guys like my friend to come back to God.

One more quote from Andy’s book:

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“Jesus’ refusal to take sides was not out of a lack of concern. It was because what concerned him most precluded him from doing so.

For Jesus, a you always took precedence over a view.”

-Andy Stanley, Not In It To Win It, p. 26

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And so here’s what we thought:

One year out from the election…

As 2023 closes, and 2024 begins…

Living in a world that still isn’t suffering from a shortage of crises…

What would it look like if the church took a different approach—a do-over, so to speak:

What if we didn’t take sides, but instead lived like we were on Jesus’ side—no matter which side we were on?