The Role Of The Church In "It"

What if the church holds the key to tackling some of society’s most pressing issues, such as sex trafficking and corporate corruption? In our latest episode, we explore this bold proposition, examining the church's crucial role in navigating the complex terrains of national and global politics. Inspired by the teachings of John 14:12, we challenge believers to step out of the shadows, confronting darkness head-on to illuminate the world with the values of heaven. Rather than passively awaiting divine intervention, we discuss how the church can become an active participant in fostering healing and transformation in today's troubled times.

We also dive into the powerful interplay between prayer and action, focusing on the church’s responsibility to intercede for all, particularly those in authority, as emphasized in 1 Timothy 2:1-4. This episode underscores the necessity of praying for leaders we might disagree with, recognizing that these prayers can lead to a more peaceful and godly existence. Yet, prayer is just the beginning. We call upon believers to embody their faith through decisive action and personal accountability, making a tangible impact just as Jesus did. Join us for an enlightening discussion on how the church can authentically live out its mission, influencing the world through spiritual growth and unwavering integrity.

Hope you enjoyed today's episode! You can find and subscribe to our show on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Theycallmemistayu

Follow us Monday-Thursday on our Youtube, Facebook, IG, Linked In, and X platforms @theycallmemistayu. For audio listeners, TCMMY is everywhere you enjoy your podcasts. 

Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! 
Start for FREE

Chapters

• 0:35 The Church's Role in Politics
• 7:12 A Call to Prayer and Action

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:35

Thank you, welcome back to the all-purpose pod for an all-purpose life. Wherever you are and however you're listening to the Call Me Mr you the podcast and your inspiration station, we thank you again for making us a part of your week. Well, as usual, there's a lot going on in our world and I wanted to jump on this week to kind of share a few things with you that's going on, that I'm noticing, and maybe just answer some questions that you guys have been discussing with me on and offline, and perhaps at the end of this episode we may get to the point where we get a better understanding of some of the things that have been concerning everybody. So, first of all, thanks for listening to all of our listeners. In Audio Land Apple Podcasts, Of course, where you can find our show, you can download all of our seasons of the Call Me Mr U the podcast four plus seasons. Of course you can follow us there and of course you can subscribe to our show there in case you're on all the old episodes. If you're listening in any other way Spotify, iheartradio, amazon Music, pandora of course please continue to keep doing so. You can subscribe there, but you can definitely follow our show, definitely. Appreciate you for doing that in advance, if you haven't been doing that already. In regards to the visual aspect, you see me right now on the YouTube channel. You can find out today's videos-date videos and episodes youtubecom at theycallmemisteryou. Of course, we do simulcasts on social media. So if you got Facebook, instagram, tiktok, twitter, we are definitely simulcasting there. We're even LinkedIn as well, so we're simulcasting in all those locations Definitely can find us there as well.

Speaker 1: 2:22

But thanks for listening, let's go ahead and jump right into this. So one of the things I've been hearing about very, very frequently and I guess our upcoming presidential election plays a little part in this I'm hearing a lot of questions about the church's role in politics. Should the church be involved? Should they not? Hopefully this episode will be short. I won't be getting into a whole lot of detail and not take up too much of your time today, but at the same time, we've got to address one specific thing.

Speaker 1: 2:51

The church has a role in just about everything and we can try to separate what we want the church to be, what kind of segment and compartment we want them to be in, but at the end of the day, because of who and what we're supposed to be in. But at the end of the day, because of who and what we're supposed to represent, we have an involvement in everything. We can't close our eyes to sex trafficking. We can't close our eyes to corruption in corporations. We can't close our eyes to national politics and world affairs. We can't close our eyes to the things that make us uncomfortable. The church has a role in this, because we bring light, we bring affairs. We can't close our eyes to the things that make us uncomfortable.

Speaker 1: 3:31

The church has a role in this, because we bring light, we bring healing, we bring deliverance. So we can't ignore those signals of the world because we don't want to deal with it. If we're light, we can't be afraid of darkness. In a lot of cases we've got to go where darkness is so that there can be light. It's hard to understand, but for some reason we're challenged with that. Areas of ethnic healing is something that we talk about pretty often National pride, politics, et cetera, et cetera. These topics that may be hot, hot button issues, things we don't want to talk about. But at the end of the day, we're supposed to deal with this stuff because we're supposed to have the level of influence, as we hear all the time on heaven and in heaven, on earth as it is in heaven, excuse me, that's how our influence should look.

Speaker 1: 4:18

There are a couple of ways that we can kind of look at this into more detail, but I want to just give you our basic scripture John 14 and 12, and I share this a lot, but I want to just give you our basic scripture John 14 and 12. Now, I share this a lot, but I want you to understand this, because if you are a believer and you stand in the authority of Jesus Christ and you believe that the Bible is the standard for our life, basic instruction before leaving earth, if you will, if you believe in all of that stuff, then this scripture should impact you in a positive way. John 14 and 12, it reads he that believeth on me, the worse that I do shall he do also, and greater works than these shall he do because I go to my Father. Now, if you believe that, if you believe the word of God is the unerrant truth of God it's not contaminated or diluted in any way If you believe that this is the heralded truth of God, then because of that, you understand that we have a job to do.

Speaker 1: 5:13

And if you look at Jesus' lifestyle and his ministry and his example that was set before us, then you know that he wasn't afraid to go in places where there was darkness. Why is he walking around with his cage, with demoniacs in them? Because that's where the darkness was. Why did he go to a porch where people were lame and sick and broken and getting no help from anybody? Why did he go to those areas? Because that's where the darkness was. So if you think that there's darkness in politics, if you think there's darkness in the current governmental structure of our world, then that's where we should go. That's where we should be. We shouldn't be avoiding and hiding from it and waiting for it to all go away, waiting for the Lord to come back in his chariot and take us away from this horrible place. That kind of theology is nonsense. We're bringing heaven to earth, not taking earth to heaven. So if you really believe that, then it's worse that you, seeing Jesus, do. You should be doing those, and even greater than that, and you're mandated to do so, because you're never with the authority to do so.

Speaker 1: 6:23

I've heard so much about why we should be getting involved with politics and all of the false judgments that we hear about so often and I'm not a big fan of politics Excuse me, I don't talk about it a lot on our podcast or any of our brand of shows but I recognize that we have a responsibility in it. I'm not saying go red or go blue. What I'm saying is that we have a responsibility in the real life situation that are going on in our world and we have the ability to make changes in those areas. We can impact. Change is what I'm trying to say at the end of the day, check out this passage of scripture right here. This is really important, I think, for us to understand so we can kind of get an idea of why we should be involved and how we should be involved.

Speaker 1: 7:12

This is 1 Timothy, the second chapter. I'm going to read verse 1 to 4 from the ESV. It does a great job of breaking down what I'm trying to express today in this episode, so check it out. 1 Timothy, the second chapter, verse one through four says first of all, then I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people catch that now for kings and all who are in high positions, kings and all who are in high positions that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good and it is pleasing in the sight of god, our savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. Right there in this passage.

Speaker 1: 8:00

You can hear a bit of a stressor there. What you hear is that prayers and intercessions and thanksgiving should be made for all men, all people, kings and those in authority. For what purpose? So you can lead a peaceful and quiet life. You think you can do that by avoiding praying for these people. That you don't care for, people you think, is deplorable or detestable. That's not what this reads.

Speaker 1: 8:32

If you want to have a peaceful, dignified life in every way, you have to pray. You have to do your part to stand on the wall for these people that you don't care for or you think are beneath you. You should be praying for them, because the Bible said this is good and it's pleasing in the sight of God, our Savior, who what this is God's heart here speaking who desires that all people be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. He doesn't want anyone broken. He doesn't want anyone distraught or in despair. He doesn't want anybody to have anxiety. That's not his desire for us.

Speaker 1: 9:10

And to the degree that we pray and we stand on our authority and be who we're supposed to be as the church, we can affect that end. We can affect the so-called greater good. Now think about this If there is in the context of the scripture I just read to you in 1 Timothy 2, if there's an evil, we should be affecting it, not just addressing it. I know as a church we address issues from pulpits and platforms, but do we affect change? Do we affect and make a difference where it counts? How is it possible that houses of ill repute can still be in your neighborhood, in your region, and be totally unaffected by your presence there? If you are the church of Jesus Christ, preaching the word but also living the word out in your daily life, tell me how people can live in the midst of your ministry. People are going to have houses that sell detestable things or do detestable things within them, in their corporate structure, in their companies, in their buildings, and still be unaffected by your presence there. How is that possible?

Speaker 1: 10:33

Wherever Jesus went, darkness would affect it. Wherever his feet traveled, darkness was affected Immediately. He didn't have to labor three, four hours to affect darkness. When he showed up, darkness was affected. When he entered into the region, everything that was darkness was on notice. Look who's here. You walk into a room and people know that dignity and glory and honor and integrity has entered the room. Can they tell that virtue entered the room when you walk in the room, or does nobody notice If there's evil anywhere? Whatever evil is to you, whatever you think the evil is, that is your biggest pet peeve or the issue that you have with whomever, whether it be a politician or whether it be a lifestyle, or whether it be a social issue or world affair. Whatever the evil is that you're most concerned about, are you affecting it or are you just addressing it, because addressing it by itself is not good enough anymore? We can see that as you look around us. We need to affect change and we can't do that by our own strength. We can't do that by social media posts slamming this candidate or slamming this corporation or this company or this standpoint. We're affected because we have stature in the spirit. The Bible says that when Jesus grew, he grew in stature. Even before he was anointed by the Holy Spirit, he grew in stature. He had a spiritual standing that, wherever he went, darkness was affected.

Speaker 1: 12:27

Now people talk about the church's role. What should the church be doing? Why isn't the church doing this? Why is the church doing that? Why this and not that? Et cetera, et cetera.

Speaker 1: 12:37

Problem is that people are looking for somebody dressed in a cape or some dignitary or high-ranking official to say something over a microphone to initiate some kind of change, or they're waiting for people who call themselves believers to step up and do something, or people who are in leadership should do something. But there is a responsibility for lack of a better word that comes with being a believer, even in a time when the true leaders will be exodus out of Egypt into the promised land. The true leaders jumped on Moses and Aaron every chance they got exodus out of Egypt into the promised land. They, the children of Egypt, jumped on Moses and Aaron every chance they got, complaining about why Moses and Aaron didn't do this. Why don't we have this? Oh, it was so much better in Egypt when we had onions and leeks and soups and stews and broths. Yeah, we were slaves, but if we had food, what was the responsibility of the people? Were slaves, but at least we had food. What was the responsibility of the people that say they believed.

Speaker 1: 13:49

If you bring me out of Egypt, out of slavery and bondage, where I didn't have nothing but what I was given and I had no freedom or liberty, you don't have to convince me that I have a responsibility to walk in that freedom and walk in that liberty. You don't have to convince me or trick me into doing my job, to walk in my role. If everybody calls themselves a believer, I'm talking to you today If you say you are a believer in Jesus Christ and the word of God. If you're not, I'm not attacking you. This is not really about you, but I want you to hear this because this could potentially impact you. But what I'm saying today to everyone who calls themselves a believer if you are that and you stand on that, nobody's had to convince you to do your job. No one should have to convince you To stand in your role. Stand in the capacity consistently and do what you're called to do.

Speaker 1: 14:47

Do what 1 Timothy, 2 and 1 says Make intercessions and thanksgivings and prayers For all men, for those that are kings, those that are in high authority, that you might have a quiet and peaceable life, because this is the will of God. It's pleasing to God, it's just good in his eyes. It shouldn't be hard to understand People crying out for the church to step up and do this and do that. But the bottom line is that people are asking for a four-wall church, a four-wall building, to do something that's idiotic. Buildings can't do anything but house stuff. A four-wall building can't change people's lives. A four-wall building can't go into neighborhoods where there's darkness and drug activity and gang activity and affect change in those areas. A four-wall building can't do that. That's not the kind of church that we're looking for. As a matter of fact, I don't believe that people who are crying out for the church to step up are looking for that either.

Speaker 1: 15:48

Who is the church? Anyone that has received and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. You have that assignment. You are the church. So if you live in areas where there's degradation and poverty and anxiety and pain and sickness and disease, you carry a weapon against that darkness. You carry an antidote for what ails your region and your nation, your environment, your neighborhood, your community, even your own family. You bring the antidote for what ails them. You bring light. If you feel that's darkness, you bring light. You bring light to the situation. That's your job.

Speaker 1: 16:39

The church has been absent in a lot of areas, silent in several areas. I know that. But it's on you as the believer, it's on us as a believer, it's our job. So I don't care if it's politics, sex trafficking, child abuse, corporate corruption, you name it. Whatever it is that you think is evil. We're supposed to bring change in that situation. I hope this was encouraging to you. I hope it made sense. You understand what our job is.

Speaker 1: 17:13

1 Timothy 2, verse 1-4 helps out with that. John 14 and 12 helps out with that as well, and even use Acts 2, verse 40-47. It shows us how to live as a community, how to serve and meet each other's needs. That's what the church is all about. That's who we are. Yeah, we have past failures. We've missed it in a lot of areas. As a communal church, as a corporate body of people who believe in Jesus Christ and accept him as Lord and Savior. Yeah, we missed it a whole lot of ways. We failed a lot of people who believe in Jesus Christ and accept him as Lord and Savior. Yeah, we missed it a whole lot of ways. We failed a lot of people. But we got a chance to fix that, and today is as good a day as anyone, as any day, to change that. Today is as good a day as any to change that, wherever you are and however you're hearing.

Speaker 1: 17:59

They call me Mr U, the podcast and your inspiration station. Thank you again for listening, making us part of your week. You can find us audio-wise on Apple Podcasts, of course. Primarily, you can download our shows and subscribe to our podcast and, of course, catch up on all the old shows from the past four plus seasons and, of course, our YouTube channel, youtubecom, at they Call Me Mr U. You can find us there as well for all of our video shows. Thanks again for listening. Let us know how we can help you. Thank you for supporting us again and again. We always appreciate it. Have a fantastic day. You are the church and your job and your role in it is to do it. Be the church, be light where there is darkness. Be salt where there's no flavor. Be who you're supposed to be. You got the scriptures and because you're breathing right now and you can see me and you're breathing and you're living right now, that means you have the time. Let's get to work. Thank you.