Reflections on the Two Kingdoms
5. The Sermon and the Left-Hand Kingdom
Dear friends,
I wanted to take a quick detour from specific two-kingdom issues and make sure everybody knows that I oppose random street violence, and I hope that this puts any uncertainty to rest.
I also hope there wasn’t any uncertainty to begin with; but despite my strong feelings, I don’t spend much time denouncing assault, looting, rioting or the wanton destruction of property from the pulpit. There’s a reason for this: namely, I don’t know of anybody in the congregation who advocates those particular sins.
See, the purpose of the sermon is to bring forgiveness to sinners, and by definition preaching is limited to sinners within earshot—or eyeshot(?) if you’re reading online. Sinners are ready for forgiveness when they hear of their sins and are moved to repent. On the other hand, sinners are not ready for forgiveness when they hear about other peoples’ sins for which they themselves don’t need to repent. If the saints at Good Shepherd were leaning towards assaulting passersby or overturning cars on Cassia after the service, I’d need to spend time condemning random street violence. Since I’m not aware of any such inclinations in the congregation, there’s no need to call people to repentance for sins they’re not committing.
Condemning widespread social ills in the sermon has pros and cons. The benefit is that it assures the hearers that they’re not crazy for opposing them and that they’re in a congregation of like-minded people: it’s a comfort to know you’re not alone, especially regarding issues when you’re opposed by cultural pressure and popular opinion. But there are dangers, too. One is that if I spend my sermon condemning the sins of people who aren’t in church, I’m wasting time better spent on caring for the souls of the people who are. In that case, I’m personifying the old joke where the guy exiting worship says, “That was a terrific sermon, pastor. I really wish my neighbor had been here, because he really needed to hear it.” Another danger is that if we have parishioners who have repented of random street violence, my harping on it will tempt them to believe that their sin isn’t really forgiven.
If this seems a trivial thing, it can create unnecessary tension when it’s misunderstood. A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in the national March for Life in Washington, D.C. As part of that experience, I had a conversation with a pro-life political activist from the South; and as we exchanged casual pleasantries about our communities, she suddenly said, “Do you know who I blame for abortion in this country?” As I mentally ran through the list of the usual suspects like Planned Parenthood, relentless media bias and various political entities, she answered her own question in a sweet-southern, yet totally serious, drawl: “I blame you pastors!” Sigh.
To put the best construction on this, she’d dedicated her life and career to the pro-life cause, and in her mind any pastor who wasn’t doing the same was part of the problem. But the job of the pastor is not to be a political activist: it is foremost to apply law and gospel to the saints entrusted to his care. It’s to make sure the sheep in the fold repent of their sins and rejoice in forgiveness.
Like random street violence, I don’t devote much time in sermons to abortion or other hot-button issues in the news cycle because, as far as I know, none in the congregation are advocating for positions against God’s Word. (If the occasional individual parishioner voices such an opinion, I’ll likely speak to them privately.) I’ll concentrate instead on the sins common to the congregation, like anger, lust, sloth, greed, envy, gluttony, pride, and doubt. They’re not spectacular, but they’re called deadly sins for a reason.
By the way, thank you for not indulging in spectacular sins.
In the case of spectacular social ills, I suspect that the common temptations in the congregation are not the sins themselves, but either apathy or a feeling of futility—both of which lead you to abandon your left-hand kingdom responsibilities. In that case, I might spend an email outlining a bunch of two-kingdom reasons why you should make use of your right to vote in left-hand kingdom elections. (Like, say, a vote regarding the horrific Proposition 1 on November 3.) And I would remind you to be of good courage, for the Lord fights with you.
When “big” things happen in the world, I need to decide how much they belong in the sermon intended to move you to repentance for your sins and the comfort of the gospel. Candidly, sometimes I’ll get that measure wrong. I will, however, guarantee that you’ll always hear of Christ, His grace and His promise that He’ll deliver you from this chaotic world to everlasting life.
A pastor and church that engages in political activism on either side of the aisle will always appear more relevant to the world than a congregation that sticks to the gospel. However, we would be foolish ever to expect the unbelieving world to consider the gospel relevant! Nevertheless, the gospel is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). As I said in a different way last week, a congregation that preaches “Christ and Him crucified” is both faithful to what the Lord has given it to do, and it’s addressing the big problem in society today: unbelief. Again, the more citizens of our nation who repent of their sins and trust in Christ, the better will be the laws of the land protecting the unborn, defining marriage appropriately, defending the family, prosecuting evildoers justly, and more. It’s tempting to diminish that truth, because compelling by means of law seems so much more effective than witnessing to others, and we’d rather our legislators actually “do something” then knock on our neighbor’s door.
I hope, too, that the Divine Service provides a respite from the world outside. Step in from the rancor of the world, the partisan arguments, the senseless badness, all of which should leave you with a yearning for the Lord and His gifts of grace and life. Be refreshed by His mercy and the company of your fellow believers; and refreshed, go in peace and serve the Lord.