Transcript
Speaker: Greetings and welcome to this week's edition of this Sunday podcast. Um, I am Pastor Matthew Hardaway. Alongside me is Pastor Phil Brandt. Every week we take a look at one of the upcoming readings in the lectionary for the church year. It serves as a podcast, serves both as a devotion or a Bible study for the church at large.
Speaker: And then also as a sermon help for brothers that are wanting to listen in on a discussion for one of the texts and maybe glean some things from it. to help with their preparation for preaching God's word.
Speaker: So we are going to be in the 15th Sunday after Pentecost. for this week's show. This actually falls on September 6th. of this coming month. So with that, I will scroll down to where I have the collect. As usual, I'll open this up with the collect for the day.
Speaker: And then Dr. Brandt will get us started with our discussion. O God, from whom all good proceeds, grant to us, your humble servants, your holy inspiration, that we may set our minds on the things that are right, and by your merciful guiding accomplish them. Through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
Speaker: who lives and dreams with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for forever. Amen.
Speaker: Yeah. Not only do we need to think the right things, we also got to do them. Oh, man. Well, it's that you that we may even accomplish them.
Speaker: Oh. Yeah, God has set out this this pretty... ah Pretty rough standard. And not only does it matter what you do, but it matters why you do it. And not only does it matter why you do stuff, but it matters what you do.
Speaker: Both of those got to run. And and our our enemy. Um, wins if he can get you to do the right thing for the wrong reason. or the wrong thing for the right reason.
Speaker: Yes. um A master trick. Very rarely do people do the wrong things for the wrong reasons. You know, that's just actually pretty rare. Usually it's the right thing for the wrong reason.
Speaker: Or you're doing the wrong thing. For the right reasons. you know, with it for a good reason. Good. But this one you know the prayer says yeah, well, let's keep us let us think the right things and then let us do and Got to get them booked.
Speaker: Well, we are at A really amazing text this week. It is the ah The 13th chapter of Romans. And and i I really think this is... ah uh actually one of the a really pertinent text for for the moment we find ourselves in.
Speaker: um I think this text speaks to... Uh, particular movements that are going on inside. Uh, the larger political kind of global world right now.
Speaker: Um, You know, Yeah. uh Some of the political tumult and turmoil that's happening around the world is is oftentimes right now about government.
Speaker: And that's what we're going to be talking about today. Um, You're a mean dog. the the the current administration in the United States has kind of a different way of thinking about government than a lot of people have thought about government for a while.
Speaker: ah you're seeing tumult in Europe as well. I mean, the All for Germany party, the AFD in Germany is really getting people nervous. A Vox in Spain, the the Nigel Farage and his his group in England. um But there's similar movements in ah ah in in Italy and in Poland and elsewhere. You know, these kind of hyper -nationalist...
Speaker: um ah and and And a lot of times. and And interestingly, a lot of these are getting mixed up with religion. Probably the most the most ah egregious of them is really of Vladimir Putin's really Complete co -opting.
Speaker: of the Russian Orthodox Church. to support. the the invasion of Ukraine and this idea of... protecting Russian culture. and that everybody else is trying to destroy Russian culture and therefore we can have this kind of hostile that the he says the russian people need to have this hostile Um,
Speaker: this hostile stance over against the West and over against everybody else. um Uh, You know, it's a really... Short step.
Speaker: for a lot of these groups. to Oh. to really start to capture religious metaphor and language and ideas.
Speaker: to bolster a political enterprise. Um, I mean it's One of the reasons Joseph Stalin was so successful.
Speaker: ah in the mid part of the 20th century was because he had actually been a seminary student. Did you know that? No. Yeah, he had been a seminary student when he was younger, and and when he spoke, he spoke in kind of the rhythms and and the and the patterns of of a priest at the liturgy.
Speaker: and And it wasn't that any of the things he was saying were religious. I mean, he rejected religion out of hand, but he used that kind of a kind of rhythm and and and the like in his speeches. And and the faithful Russian people.
Speaker: would just kind of start nodding along because he sounded like a priest. you and And a lot of people have said that they think that actually really contributed to his. to his success, to to the way he was able to do some of the things that he did.
Speaker: and That isn't the only reason. He he ruled with... you know through terror. But. Okay. um but that that That. you know he would He would oftentimes...
Speaker: kind of co -opt religious ideas. ideology. ah religious religious ideas into his ideology. Um, Lutherans have had a long struggle with this. um If. fascinating conversation about the peasant war.
Speaker: in in in Germany during during the days of the Reformation. you know luther Luther really chastised both sides. for saying, don't you dare claim God is on your side.
Speaker: When you're picking up a sword, and killing other people.
Speaker: um You can't do that. In retrospect, you might be able to say something akin to that.
Speaker: But when you're in that. You really cannot claim God has given me. the Uh, the the mandate.
Speaker: especially on the part of the peasants. to rebel. And. and seize power. and and But he also said to the to the nobility, to the people who maybe could claim something of ah of a divine mandate in that time and frame as they thought about it, um he says, you have to be acting in accord with what God says.
Speaker: and And he says, and too often you are not. And so. um
Speaker: What I find really interesting is... Um. Is that. you know there's There's a lot of talk about Christian nationalism right now.
Speaker: and uh Rusty Reno in in the First Things Journal a ah while back talked about, he said, you know, if you're going to talk about, if you're going to have nationalism, and Christian nationalism might be your best option.
Speaker: um Just because Christianity has always said that the ruler is subject to God. and that there are there is a moral standard to which the ruler should be held.
Speaker: That if you just have straight up. nationalism. without the Christian part. What is to stop? The...
Speaker: The, uh... the the the ruler from just claiming all with authority. um I don't know that I necessarily agree with everything that he said but I thought that was a very interesting point.
Speaker: Let's hear what Paul says. to the people in Rome. 2000 years ago, these people are living in the administrative center of one of the world's largest empires that ever lived.
Speaker: This is the nexus of power. For. really one of the most successful political entities. Ever.
Speaker: Genghis Khan would actually rule slightly or rule more territory. But it would collapse almost immediately upon the Khan's death and have to be reborn several times with children and wars and all this stuff.
Speaker: The Roman state actually managed to be durable. for centuries. At size. That. is actually pretty remarkable.
Speaker: Paul? is writing to the congregation in Rome. And now he's going to bring up that touchy subject. of government. Let's hear what he has to say.
Speaker: Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.
Speaker: Remember what he said last week at the end? Don't. be overcome by evil. but overcome evil. with Good. Here's one of the ways you overcome evil with good. it.
Speaker: be subject to the governing authority.
Speaker: You got to remember that when he wrote that. Do you know who was emperor?
Speaker: Miro? Nero. One of the worst. Most. you know, Awful. of. of of tyrants who's ever lived.
Speaker: No.
Speaker: Um, I don't think... you know Paul would have, would have enjoined people to. participate in and to be approving of Nero's monstrosity.
Speaker: but be subject to the governing authorities. They make a law. Obey it.
Speaker: There is no authority except from God. There's the really interesting claim he makes here. All authority comes from God. And those that exist have been instituted by God.
Speaker: This would create an enormous kind of cognitive issue, kind of dissonance for for Dietrich Bonhoeffer during during World War II because um yeah i mean Obviously, you know that he participated in a plot.
Speaker: to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Yeah. uh but that came only after Deep wrestling with this passage.
Speaker: Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed. And those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.
Speaker: Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good. and you will receive his approval For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid. For he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
Speaker: And I think here's where where Paul... Um. Paul really gave Bonhoeffer and others. the ability to think about it. Because if it would have just ended right there at...
Speaker: uh uh you know Don't resist those. There's no authority except from God. those who exist that It's been instituted by God. Bonifor would have had to go along. He couldn't have done anything.
Speaker: but But when Paul comes in here and starts talking about it, he says they've been here to they've been instituted to do good. and And when you see... When you see an entity like National Socialism doing what it did.
Speaker: And Bonhoeffer realized that. There are other parts of the Bible that also talk about... about political things. And you you have you have Peter and John both referring to Rome as Babylon.
Speaker: You go, okay. This isn't a this isn't a a... One size fits all. Dictum
Speaker: that that there is a discernment, as he talked about earlier, so that you may discern what is good and appropriate. by the will of to the Discern the will of God. what is what is good and appropriate.
Speaker: um that there is a discernment here. uh Yeah, that that you have a... um you you have you have a a thought process that that we're being called to.
Speaker: But I think... the The reality is that sometimes we have... We have assumed that because I don't like it. Therefore, I can rebel against that.
Speaker: And that is not what Paul means here at all.
Speaker: that. Yeah. In fact, The person who is who is um Aw. subject you know at the time of Rome.
Speaker: Yeah, Rome was a pretty brutal place. 30 % 20 to 30 % of the people were enslaved Um. Public execution was common?
Speaker: You know, crucifixion. uh was not Not uncommon. Um. you know, the the the uh the The abuse of people by other people was sanctioned and even legalized.
Speaker: in many respects. Thanks. Um, There was enormous disparity of wealth. and And some of the laws that the Romans passed were arbitrary and cruel.
Speaker: yeah and and and And what Paul is really saying here is... You are in a system. Live in it. And that if you're going to change it. You're going to change it by doing.
Speaker: You're going to overcome evil. Paul's not saying the system and and the Roman Empire wasn't evil. but you're going to change it. You're going to overcome evil.
Speaker: with good. You're not going to really overcome evil. with Where are you? Hmm. All right. with violence and with, with Ciao.
Speaker: with sedition and overthrowing the government or something like that. That is not the way we're going to actually fix this. Because Paul very much has something he needs to fix.
Speaker: Yeah. There's very much something in here that that needs to change. Um, And so he says, you know.
Speaker: The reality is... Do what is right. And. Don't. don't get arrested for doing what is wrong Don't incur the wrath of the authorities for doing what is wrong.
Speaker: You didn't mean that to say don't get caught, right? No, and that's not what he said. Don't get yourself arrested for doing what is wrong. Peter will reiterate the same thing in his letter.
Speaker: you know Um, this This seems to have been a ah real dictum of the early church was that, and it's very interesting. Even when they were being sentenced to death and being thrown in the arena, you know, and facing wild beasts or whatever.
Speaker: um Christians never seem to say that. You don't have a right to do this. They would. sometimes say this is a bad policy.
Speaker: This is a this is a this is a mistake on your part You're accusing me of being a you know a sedition or of rebellion when I've done no such thing um i I would pay my taxes and be a loyal citizen. I really wanted to do that.
Speaker: Um, You're the one who has said that my Christianity is an act of rebellion. Ah. But I'm not really a rebellion. What have I actually done that's so bad?
Speaker: um But... But they never said. You don't have a right to kill me.
Speaker: They never said that. and And oftentimes they would enter the arena. singing praises to Jesus. They didn't enter into the arenas, you know.
Speaker: I'll turn on that. making obscene gestures at the emperor and um and and screaming and crying that this was unfair. Okay. Isn't it?
Speaker: Therefore, one must be in subjection not only to avoid God's wrath, but also for the sake of conscience. So. yeah i'm gonna I'm going to do what the government says. I'm going to pay my taxes. I'm going to obey these laws. Not only because...
Speaker: Well. God... yeah that that God's wrath poured out and that there's going to be judgment to come. but I can feel good about that if I'm doing if i'm doing what the law says.
Speaker: For because of this, you pay taxes. Do I like what my government does with my tax money? Probably not. But I pay it. For the authorities are ministers of God attending to this very thing.
Speaker: You know? I think a lot of my tax money gets wasted. I think sometimes policies of the government are are contrary to my faith and contrary to the things that that I believe in. and yet
Speaker: The way to change that is not to stop paying taxes. but it is to pay my taxes. and participate in participating the government. and to and to vote and to get to get different people in place to make different policies.
Speaker: Pay to all what is owed them. taxes to the one to whom taxes are owed. Revenue to whom revenue is owed. If you got a toll.
Speaker: Don't. Don't do your darn distance. Take the side road and go around so you miss the toll booth or something like that. you know Or or if there's a if if there's a if there's a line on, if if if you owe a tax on your tax form.
Speaker: Don't. Don't. you know, ah jigger your accounts so that you don't have to pay taxes. That doesn't mean you don't use the law that says, hey, you get a deduction for a business expense. take the take the deduction.
Speaker: But don't. Don't. manipulate that system in a way. So that you don't owe that you don't pay what you were supposed to pay
Speaker: Show respect to the one Whom respect is owed. We talked about that last week a little bit with you know that Roman senator walking through. You were supposed to pay him for a certain measure of respect, an honor to the one whom honor is owed.
Speaker: You know what? That's the way this culture works. That's the way this time and place works. Do that. You know, when when the judge walks into the room. In an American courtroom. All rise.
Speaker: Stand up. Okay, if you're there to bear witness or to to Plead a case or something like that. Stand up. Be a part of that.
Speaker: That is not. contrary to your Christian faith. In fact, it is acknowledging that that this that this system is is Is God working in his providential care for people?
Speaker: You know, I always tell, you know, people who. you know I always tell. Yeah. at At several points in my ministry, you know, I've i've had you know women who have you know,
Speaker: been getting out of. and really horrible abusive marriages.
Speaker: and yeah And you don't deal with people long enough. or very long before you run into some you run into some kinds of situations akin to that. And I always tell them, I say.
Speaker: Get a good attorney. Because. God has given you the government. He has said that government is supposed to protect the vulnerable and the and the needy people.
Speaker: And they have established laws. and systems. which are designed to protect you now. Get somebody, the best person you can find, to help you navigate that system so that that law can do its good work in protecting you in this situation.
Speaker: You know? That doesn't mean you don't forgive your abuser.
Speaker: You know. that that yeah that That stuff we read last week, pray for the one who persecutes you. Pray for the one who abuses you. You can still do that. You can do all of this without malice or hatred in your heart.
Speaker: But the law has been established. For your good. Use it. Let it do its work. I think that's actually kind of what what Paul's talking about here.
Speaker: Hmm. oh no one to any Owe no one anything except to love each other.
Speaker: Does that mean you should never take out a loan? You know. Can I borrow money to buy a car or a house? I don't think that's what he's talking about here. I think debt in the ancient world operated a little bit differently.
Speaker: For the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. for the commandments. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not murder. You shall not steal. You shall not covet. Any other commandment.
Speaker: They're all summed up in this word. Love your neighbor. as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore, love. is fulfilling the law.
Speaker: You know, as we... as we think about operating inside our society. Um,
Speaker: you know Paul is really charting a course. where Christianity is... is and And Christians are are to be kind of 11 inside.
Speaker: the culture. Um, Yes. There have been times and places where Christianity has sort of withdrawn from culture. You can think of the monastic movements.
Speaker: and the like. But. But I really think. The. that Paul, even in this, and and and I'm going to read the last verses here that are not part of this in just a moment. Um,
Speaker: I really think that. That. that Paul has real problems with this culture in this time. But that Paul is advocating that the Christian movement, as it's going to make a difference,
Speaker: is going to make a difference in this world. by working inside. its neighborhoods, its communities, its cities, its governments. rather than rather than standing on the outside.
Speaker: um and And this has been this has really been. one of the things that's that's a pretty constant thread throughout the whole Bible. Um, I really think that.
Speaker: Even though he... he he He was necessary and he served this really vital purpose. um I really don't think Elijah...
Speaker: should have precedence over Elisha.
Speaker: um Elijah was that kind of classic prophet who stood on the outside and hurled invective on the king and cursed him from afar. And he was, you know, on Mount Carmel, calling down fire on the prophets of Baal, etc. Um, He was succeeded by Elisha
Speaker: and And if you read the story of Elisha. He worked inside. the system. Elisha was always with the king. He was always working inside the... uh um Da.
Speaker: the government and inside the culture there. And and I think in many respects, Elisha was far more effective. been a light job.
Speaker: and And, you know, that tension. and And there's a time and a place when you need an Elijah. When Ahab is king, And Jezebel is queen. And they're they're killing Naboth for his vineyard.
Speaker: You need that Elijah to stand outside and call him to account.
Speaker: but for most of history. most of the time We need a license. Yeah. We need that one who is in the king's camp.
Speaker: And when the when when they don't know what to do, can stand up and say, this is what God says.
Speaker: And they listened.
Speaker: And so. Yeah, i mean I think Paul is really you know really calling the the Christian, even in the midst of of this really... pretty brutal, sometimes awful Roman Empire.
Speaker: to say We change it. Bye. by by being good citizens, by participating in the system. by not incurring the wrath of the king.
Speaker: but by... but by loving neighbor. by overcoming evil with good. Now, there were things Paul had a real problem. If we look at the next verses.
Speaker: He says, besides the same by the way We don't get these verses now because we heard them back. in early December last year. with the first Sunday of Advent.
Speaker: Right. Okay, so these ah we we get Romans... ah 13, 11 through 14 on the first Sunday of Advent in series A.
Speaker: Besides this, you know the time. That the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. So the end of the world is closer.
Speaker: than when we started. It is. The night is far gone, says... The day is at hand. You know, Paul sometimes talks as if he thinks the world is going to end next week.
Speaker: So then, let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in... orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
Speaker: Paul understands there's deep -seated... cultural, societal, moral problem in Roman. in the Roman Empire. And I mean his his when When he starts talking here about orgies and drunkenness, it' he's not just talking about...
Speaker: um you know this this laundry list of things that people... um Uh, that that people imagine people are doing somewhere else. No. We know that this this was kind of that. that that that's that that the Roman devotion to power.
Speaker: had thoroughly corrupted the sexual relationships of people in the first century. Okay, and and that that that they that that Roman society had a real problem. And even the Roman...
Speaker: you know, moralists of the time, the non -Christian guy. they were recognizing.
Speaker: So put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Make no provision for the flesh. to gratify its desire.
Speaker: Wear Jesus. You know? Jesus submitted to the authorities and ended up getting crucified.
Speaker: Was that fair? Was that just? Heavens no. but it was also the very salvation of all.
Speaker: Put on Christ. Go out into this world. Love will overcome evil.
Speaker: Overcome that evil by doing good. Feed the neighbor. Care for the... for the poor. Be kind. Be gentle. All those, you know, those fruits of the Spirit in Galatians, do them.
Speaker: And. There's... There's Paul's take on your relationship. To the. political and other machinations in the world. is not. simply submission and don't do anything.
Speaker: But it's in fact. Do a lot. but the change you're going to work. is not going to come through rioting in the streets. through breaking windows and breaking the laws.
Speaker: It's going to come. By doing one good thing. after another. to your neighbor. In fact, we're sleeper agents. Go ahead.
Speaker: It's like we're sleeper agents. Yeah. you know, sent out by an entity that just... blend in and be completely unknown that you're there within.
Speaker: Daring say ulterior motive? what might look like an ulterior motive, but the motive of the church. Yeah. Christ or mission. Yep. You don't need to be Beethoven on the...
Speaker: Harpsichord. Nope. You know, to you don't need to be. Dr. Brandt or Pastor Hardaway in the pulpit every week. given these eloquent sermons that...
Speaker: 100 % perfect all the time. Hit everybody. Yeah, right, right, right, right. No, maybe, you know, you'd be the only one in the 10 block radius.
Speaker: All right. We're in work. And you're going to you're simply going to be kind. to the people who work by your house. You know, maybe you're going to bake cookies and bring them to that guy down the street who who who who who's got having a bad day.
Speaker: All right. or you're gonna You're going to. You're going to let the kids. play basketball on that old basketball hoop you got in your front yard. from when your kids were young. And it's still there.
Speaker: and Oh. Sure, you can come and play. You can play you can shoot some baskets on that. Why not? You'll move your car out of the way. You'll just be kind. Okay. and and And those things, you you don't have this cause and effect.
Speaker: kind of a kind of a thing that that our world... and our our human rationality is looking for. But I think Christians do those things.
Speaker: With this understanding that. With good. You overcome evil. That God is empowering these very humble and simple acts of charity and goodness.
Speaker: And in his time and in his way.
Speaker: This is how he overcomes evil.
Speaker: It isn't by sending you know a legion of angels with you know lightning bolts. to rank all the bad guys and and and and kill them all. you It's not like some some Marvel movie with superheroes swooping in with capes and and tights.
Speaker: It happens with... Simple people. and and And people who... oftentimes look and and you look at look a little like Like the doormats, the people who are getting stomped on.
Speaker: mm -hmm Do the good. and And you think about a slave who hears this. Bye. Um.
Speaker: you know, be the Be the one inside the system. who by kindness overcomes evil. and And again, I think back to that Old Testament narrative.
Speaker: of Elisha and Naaman. And it started with a little slave girl. who told her mistress, I wish he would go.
Speaker: the prophet in Israel. because he could heal me.
Speaker: You know, you think about what that little slave girl had 10. probably seen and endured. She was enslaved. Probably she was captured in a raid. She probably watched her parents get killed by Naaman's soldiers.
Speaker: Overcome evil. Good.
Speaker: Have a few. Chose to buy a house that had an HOA. Follow the rules. Yep. If you don't want to follow HOA rules... Then you need to not buy a house with an HOA. That's right. and But if you buy a house with an HOA, you are absolutely...
Speaker: part of the homeowners association, and you go to the meetings. And when the time comes to vote on new rules. Vote! There's your opportunity to change things. Yes, but until then...
Speaker: Please enjoy. Paint your house the color the rules mandate. Don't make it light pink. the prayer and And, you know, okay, so I've potentially heard that once or twice from the very significant other in my house.
Speaker: Over the last... Eight years that we were in Texas with an HOA. And even when we were looking for the house moving up here to Connecticut, that was something in my mind. I was like, no. And there's not really as many in the region that we are. It's a lot more of a.
Speaker: Rural area. um I was like, nope, nope, if there's any hint, any sign of it, no.
Speaker: And but at the same time, um I'm Estelle. Try to take care of my art. Mhm. um for whatever weird reason the neighbors across the street Have their mailbox in front of our property. So it's probably public land or, you know, there's a public easement. Right the way, right. So I'm not going to argue anything. I could care less.
Speaker: uh but you know obviously right by the road because of the mailbox but it's across the street. And it's in front of me. my house. So I try to make sure that I... keep that part of it successful for them.
Speaker: Not like I'm going to just ignore it because, well, i remember the rest of the whole place is a mess. It takes too much time. It might be the last thing on my list to do and maybe it doesn't get done as often as I want it to but But again, not boasting, just saying that this is what, I don't know, this is the way I was raised.
Speaker: And again, not that I've always been perfect at it, any none of this happened, but... Follow the rules. Mm hmm. Let your yes be yes and your no be no.
Speaker: That was my dad's voice. I heard that a thousand times probably every year of my life. Oh. And if you have a disagreement with it. Follow the procedures that are in place.
Speaker: yeah and work through it and and if you know and then at least then it gives you something to to focus on. I mean, just an earthly application. Instead of grumbling about something all the time,
Speaker: That's like the one thing your neighbors always hear you grumble about. They never get to hear you share joy in Christ because you're always grumbling about. and not do anything about it.
Speaker: Whoa. Surf. But he's out. Join the HOA. Join the school board. you know oh and You have a voice. you have an opportunity Yeah.
Speaker: did Did you hear about, I think it was. It was either Vermont or New Hampshire. I'm not sure which of those states. Um, but ah But a group of... kind of radical libertarians took over the...
Speaker: took over the town council. A bunch of them moved into town and they got they got themselves all elected to the town council. And they... and they they um abandoned all rules.
Speaker: Oh. Well. they They just dissolved all of the rules and the enforcement of rules in the community. and Ah. And so. A bunch of people just started living as if the rules didn't apply. There were no rules.
Speaker: And one of the things they started doing was they, well, you know. Yeah, the the garbage company charges to pick up the trash. So they just started dumping it in their backyard. Yeah.
Speaker: And. They lived in a part of the state where, well, Pretty soon bears started showing up. And pretty soon there were bears like. Coming into the people's back doors at their house.
Speaker: People running down the street because there's bears in my house. and all and It was just because people wouldn't follow the rules. Yeah, you know it was like yeah i mean yeah rules sometimes chafe they sometimes are hard they sometimes are no fun But.
Speaker: Yeah, you kind of got to keep... And it's best if everybody does. I mean, I live in a city right now which has a real problem with some people who... Just.
Speaker: They abandoned both the official and the kind of the unofficial rules of decorum and presentation and things like that, you know. um Yeah.
Speaker: you you you You drive by one of the one of the one of the homeless encampments here in town, and it's just... it's like that is no way to live that's no way you know and And culturally, we're having kind of a hard time right now saying, you know, no, there are some rules about.
Speaker: what to do and how to live. which are really good for you. And they, by the way, are good for everyone. and And Paul, I think, is really exhorting us in this passage to say,
Speaker: Yeah. Keep the rules. They're good. Let's do that.
Speaker: This was a neat text, Matt. We will. ah a We will. We will have a good one to preach here, I think. Oh yes. I might actually go to Romans this time. Yeah.
Speaker: Cool. Excellent. Well. Preach them a good one. You do the same. Have a blessed week. You too. God be with you. And also with you.
