POLITICALLY INCORRECT
Do you know anyone who is politically incorrect? To be politically incorrect means that you say things and do things that wouldn’t go over very well politically. The media would disagree with you. Lots of people would say that you are unkind, or narrow-minded. To be politically incorrect means that you don’t agree with the popular opinions of the day. Do you know anyone who is that way?
There is someone you know, someone you are very close to, actually, who is very politically incorrect. And fact, I would say, that he was, and still is, the most politically incorrect person to walk the face of this earth. He said things that did not go over very well politically. His words were so shocking, so different from what people were used to hearing, that he was accused of being demon-possessed, out of his mind. And he did things that did not go over very well at all. Some accused him of breaking the law. Others accused him of being a drunkard, a “partier.” He was so politically incorrect that the religious establishment of the day branded him an “outlaw.”
Of course, the person I’m talking about is Jesus Christ. He was truly the sum and substance of everything that could possibly be considered politically incorrect. The things he said and did were so different from what was considered “acceptable” during his day. He was so politically unacceptable that people were cheering in the streets when he was crucified.
Today, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then you also are politically incorrect. The beliefs that Jesus has given to you through his Word, beliefs about what is moral, and what is immoral, are very different from what the world around you believes. The beliefs you have about eternal life, and how to get there, are very different from what the world around you believes. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, then, whether you like it or not, you are politically incorrect.
Today, we are going to meet a follower of Christ who would also fall into that category. His name was Amos, and he as an Old Testament prophet. We are in our last Sunday of our summer sermon series entitled “Quick Looks at Mysterious Books.” There are certain books of the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, that can seem quite mysterious to the average person. There are many valuable lessons for us to learn as we briefly study these books. The book of Amos is one of those books. We are going to see what it means to be “politically incorrect” because of Jesus Christ and his Word. We are going to look at the temptations that come our way in connection to that. And finally, we are going to see how God gives us strength to believe and say and do the things that please him, regardless of what the world thinks.
Amos was a prophet sent by God to Northern Israel. On the outside, Israel seemed to be doing very well. They were strong militarily. There was peace within its borders. Everyone had money. But something was wrong. Greed was prevalent. The justice system had become corrupt. And worst of all, people were mixing the worship of the true God with the worship of idols.
So God sent Amos, and told Amos to speak some politically incorrect things. Look at verse 11: “For this is what Amos is saying: ‘Jeroboam will die by the sword, and Israel will surely go into exile, away from their native land.’” Amos was telling the people that if they don’t repent and turn back to God, bad things will be coming their way. The king would die, and the people would be deported. Amos was questioning Israel’s lifestyle. He was saying things that weren’t very patriotic. One of the leaders of Israel, Amaziah, reacted to the politically incorrect words of Amos this way. Verse 10, he went and told the king: “Amos is raising a conspiracy against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words.” Then look at verse 12: “Them Amaziah told Amos, ‘Get out, you seer! God back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there. Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel, because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom.”
Even though Amos was speaking the truth, he was politically incorrect. And so they asked him to go away. This same thing can happen to you. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you have some beliefs that are very politically incorrect, beliefs that come from the Bible. The Holy Spirit inspired the words of this book, and so we believe them with all of our hearts. But there are beliefs in here, and if you live them and share them, you will probably not get elected to office. For example, homosexuality. It is politically correct to believe that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle. There are television shows that promote it. Talk show hosts support it. Public schools teach it. But the Bible teaches that it’s a sin. It’s labeled as a sin in a number of different places in the Bible, both in the Old and in the New Testaments. In the eyes of God, it is not an acceptable lifestyle, just as being a kleptomaniac wouldn’t be an acceptable lifestyle, just as being a violent person wouldn’t be an acceptable lifestyle. According to the Bible, it is a sin that one needs to repent of, and turn to Jesus Christ to for forgiveness and strength to overcome.
What I have just said is very politically incorrect. But it’s what God teaches us in the Bible. Or how about this one – It is politically correct to believe that there are many different ways to heaven. All religions are the same – just be good, and you will go to heaven. But the Bible teaches that there is only one way to heaven, and that is by believing that you are a sinner, and that Jesus Christ is your personal Savior. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. There is no other way – the other religions don’t work – Islam, Hindu, Buddhism, or just plain stay home on Sundays and try to be a good person during the week – those religions don’t work. They’re wrong.
Once again, I’ve spoken some things this morning that are politically incorrect. People would label me as a “bigot,” or a small-minded religious extremist trapped in my own world. What is the temptation here? The temptation is to change my beliefs so that I fit in better with society. “Maybe homosexuality isn’t a sin. Maybe believing in Jesus Christ isn’t the only way to heaven. Maybe the things I’m taught by the media are true, and good.” We want people to like us. We want to fit in. And so we are tempted to change our beliefs in order to better match the sinful beliefs of the world.
My friend, if you have ever fallen into that temptation, then this morning, I encourage you to repent of that sin. Give that sin to Jesus Christ, and he will forgive you. Jesus has paid for that sin on the cross. You see, when Jesus died on the cross, he wasn’t being punished for being politically incorrect. It may have looked like that way on the outside. What was really happening, was that he was being punished for the sins of the world - my sins, your sins, every sin that you have ever committed was placed on Jesus Christ, and he took all of them away when he died, and then rose from the dead. Today God forgives you for every sin you have ever committed because of Jesus. He forgives you even for those times you have changed your beliefs in order to fit in.
This forgiveness gives us confidence. Amos had that confidence. When he was told by the authorities to go home, he said in verse 14: “I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore fig trees.” I’m just an ordinary guy, Amos said. An average Joe. But look at what gave him confidence, verse 15: “But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophecy to my people Israel.’” What gave Amos confidence was knowing that God had sent him, and that God was with him. This gave Amos so much confidence that he went on for two more chapters preaching God’s Word to the people, even though he was told to leave.
Where will you find confidence and strength to live a Christian life, to stand up for the truth, even when the truth is not politically correct? If you are just an ordinary person, remember – Amos was ordinary too – just a farmer. Your confidence and strength comes from knowing that God is with you, and that God stands beside you, as you live and share your faith. Right before he ascended into heaven, Jesus told his disciples, “Surely I am with you always.” Jesus was saying that also to you. “I am with you,” Jesus says. “Do not be afraid to live your faith. Do not be afraid to share your faith. I am with you.”
And as you glorify your Lord and Savior, it is true – people may label you as politically incorrect. Maybe they’ll ask you to go home, like they did with Amos. Maybe they’ll accuse you of being out of your mind, like they did with Jesus. But do not be afraid. Christ is with you, and he gives you his Word, which strengthens you.
I’m glad that we have a God who is politically incorrect. God is so politically incorrect that he sent his Son into this world to save sinners, people that don’t deserve it, people like you and me. God is so politically incorrect that he freely forgives you and me of all of our sins – even the worst sins we have ever committed in our lives. He is so politically incorrect that he welcomes people into heaven that don’t deserve to be there – murderers and thieves and adulterers – he welcomes them because of his grace. God would never be elected into office, but that’s OK – you and I know that he is an amazing God who has blessed us beyond our imaginations. May he continue to bless you as you grow in your relationship with him. And he promises to be with you as you live your faith and share your faith in a world that might not always appreciate it. Amen.
