Preaching Through Conflict
Our students need to see a different way than fighting against people, cultures and nations. They need to see the way of Jesus lived out through the entire church.
As a general stereotype, the church is associated with fighting, battling, rising up and taking the land.
Shoot, we’ve even branded it “culture wars” in the past.
Stop it.
Be different.
Be Jesus
Remember, our battle is not against flesh and blood. Our battle is against the kingdom of darkness, death, destruction.
People are tormented by the sin that is waging inside of them. They don’t even know where the tormenting is coming from.
Why do we torment them too?
Preach to lead your church to find the third way in conflict.
Love your enemy.
Lead your people to get a picture in their mind of who they view as the biggest enemy of the church.
And lead them to get a picture in their mind of what it would look like to go out of their way to love them.
Be oddly beautiful.
Nearly everyone will go out of their way for someone who they know will do the same for them. This isn’t odd.
It’s odd for people to go out of their way for someone who won’t go out of their way back to them.
It’s odder for people to go out of their way for someone who is flat out their enemy.
And yet it’s oddly beautiful because mercy is in such short supply.
There is a third way.
Jesus’ examples are not being a doormat for being a doormat’s sake. It’s not fighting. It’s not flighting.
It’s a third way.
The response is to stand strong, look them in the eye, let them do what they want and go above and beyond what they want to do.
Lead them to see practical examples today.
Doing all of what a hard boss says…and then more.
Giving to everyone who asks (this requires intention budget living).
Going out of your way to serve someone who you see as an enemy to the church.
Our students need to see a different way from their entire congregation.
Not the way of fighting against people, cultures, nations.
The way of laying down our lives, being merciful to those around us, for the sake of finding Life in Jesus and advancing his Kingdom.