The Discipline Of Simplicity: Make Affluence History

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• published: 13 Jan 2014
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The second message of the 2014 discipleship series at Look To The Cross For Victory in Edmonton, Alberta. The preacher was influenced by Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster (1978, 1998), The Cost Of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1937, 1995), and a short podcast by John Piper (episode 246 - 2014). The chapter on simplicity from Foster's book can be found here: http://www.hnp.org/userfiles/Simplicity.pdf John Piper's podcast episode on resolutions can be found here: http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/a-little-theology-of-resolutions Part 3 of the discipleship series, on The Discipline Of Fasting, can be found here: http://youtu.be/1W1d29zJhQk Part 5, on The Discipline Of Sabbath Rest, can be found here: http://youtu.be/iBD71Y2TYpI The references for the primary biblical passages from the message are below, followed by a thorough answer to a follow up question posed in response to the sermon about Christian's practical participation in resistance movements. ☠ Matthew 6:25-33, James 5:1-6, Luke 9:23 (Also see Matthew 10:38, Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 14:27), 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, Philippians 4:12-13, Matt 19:16-22, Luke 12:33, Luke 6:30, Luke 12:15, (and 16-21 -- the hoarding rich man, satisfied with his possessions), Hebrews 13:5, 1 Timothy 6:9 ☠ (The following is written from answers to practical questions given in response to the sermon) I think that Christians have, do, and should be lending their voices strongly to the cries for justice in their context. I have two "boundaries" for such action. The first is that action that follows after Jesus will always affirm and honour humanity and the image of God that we bear. Stephen Harper is a human being, made in the Image of God, and dearly beloved by his Creator. We dare not speak in such a way that belittles or dishonours that image he bears, or the love and value he is given by God. When we speak or act against injustice, it is against *behaviours*, systems, positions and titles that are unjust, *not* the human beings who hold those positions or behave in those ways. We are not hateful. We are *always* redemptive, seeking to message in such a way as to offer a hand out to the oppressor, a bridge out of their corrupt ways and back into loving community, should the repent. This becomes difficult to navigate when we participate in satirical demonstration (at least, that's how I most commonly run into it). We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers. Both of these "p" words used as titles or descriptions of government positions or systems at the time. We also spiritualize them, which I think is still very appropriate. As C.S. Lewis said in Screwtape Letters, Satan is especially sensitive to ridicule. So satire has its place, but not at the expense of demeaning a human being. Secondly, our primary motivation is to seek God's Kingdom and his righteousness. As Christians, if our efforts within the realm of political action are our primary or only method of expressing our faith, or we use them to somehow try to make ourselves acceptable to God, we've missed the point. Our action, all our action, is in response to God's work in us, and in participation with God's work in the world. It is just as easy to fall into a "punker than thou" trap in political action as it is the "holier than thou" trap in church. No, there is no standard degree of activism one must reach to fulfill our Christian duty, any more than attending enough church or reading enough Bible. All of our action springs from a place of rest. We are at peace after repentance. No matter how we may recognize we've been complicit in the systems of injustice and oppression, there is no penance that need be made to make up for it. We are righteous, acceptable, and loved before we ever take another step after placing our faith and hope in Jesus' work on the ✝. And we are active in hope, not desperation, knowing that *God will have his way*, with us or despite us. Justice *will* be served. Peace *will* be had. Love *will* be made manifest. All our labour carries this hope, though we may lose many a battle. We do not despair, because the victory has already been had. We just get to see it as it is coming to be.