When Do We Take Pleasure In The Death Of The Wicked? Series

- [Maybe put this made-up passage up on the screen or in the sermon outline.]

- Imagine that there is a Romans 17. (I’m not going heretical here - this is just a thought experiment with a point.) Imagine that at the end of Paul’s letter he shared some additional advice.

- Let’s say that Romans 17 begins: “Finally, to my brothers and sisters of the church at Rome, I wish you to understand the battle in which you are engulfed. It is imperative that you face squarely the warfare that is before you. I urge you to do all you can to further the pride and glory of the Roman Empire by working diligently for the continued rule of Julius Caesar. The ascendancy of Marcus Estonius to the throne will have catastrophic implications that will lead to the end of pax Romana. Those who support Estonius must be opposed and destroyed. Long live Rome! Timothy sends his greetings. Grace and peace from our Lord Jesus.”

- What would our response be today to reading that in Paul’s writing from 2,000 years ago?

- First, I think it would be something like this: why in the world is Paul, in the eternal Word of God, focusing his attention on the success of a nation that from our perspective 2,000 years later doesn’t even exist anymore? Isn’t that focusing on things that are temporary?

- Second, I think we would wonder why he is emphasizing a worldly country over the Kingdom of God. Isn’t the focus supposed to be on the Kingdom?

- Third, is it really Kingdom work to be advocating for particular candidates for secular political positions? Wouldn’t that indicate he’s off-track?

- This is obvious from the perspective of 2,000 years later (after all, Rome doesn’t even exist anymore and its language (Latin) is extinct) and yet much of the American church does the same thing today. We act like the battles to be fought involve electing certain politicians. We act like our goal is saving America. We act like our work is supposed to win battles that are temporal.

- I want to discuss that reality in the sermon today.

- We are starting with an interesting verse in Ezekiel 18 that points in the right direction regarding our contemporary cultural battles.

WHEN DO WE REJOICE IN THE DEATH OF THE WICKED? This has become a feature of the culture war.

- Ezekiel 18:23.

- Ezekiel has a lot of judgment in it. Rightfully so: the people of God have drifted from Him and the surrounding nations are regularly doing horrible things.

- And yet here in the midst of all that we have God clarifying His heart regarding that judgment. “Do you think I enjoy bringing judgment in these situations?” God essentially asks. “Do you think I like this?” This answer is clear: no. “I want people to turn and live.”

- This is key: He does not rejoice in the death of the wicked.

- Do we? To put in sharper terms: do we as “good church people” rejoice in the destruction of our cultural enemies? - Unquestionably, yes.

- The rhetoric has grown increasingly hostile and bitter in recent years.

- We act like our job is to fight and to hate our enemies. We say, “We’re battling for our country!”

- Essentially our approach is that we are hoping to win America back by hating our enemies. Our righteousness is proven in how much we hate.

- All of this calls for some clarification of some basic matters: what is our highest aspiration for our “enemy”?; what are they?; what team am I on?; what’s the win?

- These are fundamental questions that we are off-track concerning. I want to review each one and then at the end come back to the larger problem with our mistake here.

FOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR CULTURAL WAR ENEMIES:

1. WHAT IS OUR HIGHEST ASPIRATION FOR THEM? That they be destroyed or that they be redeemed?

- It is clear from the way we often talk that it is that they be destroyed. “They’re ruining America!” “They’re the problem!” “They need to leave!”

- The talk of many in the church (or, at least, many who claim to be Christians) is a language of destruction and warfare.

- “But, wait,” some of you might say. “I do want them to be redeemed so they’ll change their behavior.” I grant that many would be happy with that.

- But note the question. I didn’t ask if you’d be ok if they were redeemed. I asked what your highest aspiration for them is and that’s shown in your language. How many of your social media posts (either that you read or that you post) are about loving your enemies and earnestly praying for them and how many are about hating them and wanting to see them destroyed? How much of your thought about them is focused on hoping for them to be changed and how much is on desiring they be wiped out?