The Way of Peace

[00:00:00] Greetings in Jesus' name. The way of peace. In a sense, I stand before you trembling because of the magnitude of the assignment given to me, and I want to do justice to the topic, but there's been a tremendous amount of material assigned and only 45 minutes to cover it, so bear with me as I go through this. And for that reason, I have tried to put some of it in print so that you can both use the ear gate and the eye gate as we go through this information. [00:00:40] Reflecting on the songs that we sang, there was almost an irony within my heart as we sang. If you remember the songs we just sang, we sang about a warfare that is raging. We sang, more than conquerors are we. And by the sound of this group, it almost seemed like it wouldn't take very much to get this group out here on the highway and go marching into the city of Goshen and take over the city. But that's not what it's all about. [00:01:15] That's not the way of peace. And we don't have time to turn to Ephesians chapter 6, but we could look at the Christians' warfare. And I will just suggest in passing that it's not just passive, and this is not a passive group here this morning. I'm not suggesting that at all. I also tried to be practical this morning, but I cannot answer all the questions, all the do's and the don'ts, but rather I felt led to just go back and lay a solid foundation of biblical truth and bring in examples from that truth so that we can really make applications from that truth as well. [00:01:55] And I believe Brother Elmer is correct that in the past this was a given. And in danger of being a doomsday prophet, I'd like to say that this is no longer a given. In the coming generation that is here among us, I believe it's a given in this group. But is it a given out there? Is it a given among our youth? Is it a given among our children? And can we just say that it will continue to be a given unless we are willing to go out there and do something about it? [00:02:25] When you think of the way of peace, what do you think about? We think of the Amish and the Mennonites, the Brethren, the Quakers. We think of them as the peace churches. But what does that really mean to you? What does the way of peace really mean to you in everyday life? Where is it? What are we doing? And what does it all have to do? We usually think of these things. We think of not going to war, not taking military jobs. We do not go to a court of law with our grievances. [00:02:56] We do not take part in jury trials. We do not vote or take part in politics. Do not hold political offices. We do not take jobs as police officers, as trial lawyers, sheriffs, etc. But is that all there is to the way of peace? Is that really what it's all about? Is that really what it is? Let me ask a few questions. Do we as an Anabaptist people know who we are? [00:03:35] Do we have a proper identity? Or are we adrift on the ocean of life, not really knowing who we are? Are we just another Protestant church with maybe a few distinctives? Because we need to get that into the heart of the next generation. [00:04:12] Who are we? Because if we are not anything more than another Protestant church with a few distinctives, then I believe that we are in danger of becoming distinct. And we don't want that to happen. We do not want to become extinct. That's not what it's all about. But rather I believe that we are a unique Christian group. And what do I mean by that? I believe that we are unique in 2010 as peace churches in that we believe that when Jesus spoke the words on the Sermon on the Mount, he actually meant what he said. [00:04:57] It's for today. It's not for some future millennium or other interpretations that we hear, but it's valid in 2010. And we want to do that. I want to make it very clear this morning that the teachings that we hold, I do not believe were ever meant to be Anabaptist distinctives, but I believe that they were Christian in their totality right from the beginning, written for God's people in any cultural situation. And it so happens that Christianity at large in 2010 has chosen to ignore many of them. [00:05:36] And so I think it's very imperative for us to know the difference and make sure that our children and those in our care in the churches know what that difference is. There's a quote to that effect that comes to my mind as I think about it this morning. I'd like to relate various accounts. Sometimes we relate better to stories and accounts. I'd like to share an account just briefly of Pastor and Mrs. Kenna in the Orlando, Florida area. [00:06:07] They have been operating a school there and have changed from a Protestant curriculum to an Anabaptist curriculum. And the reason that they have made that change is during the nickel mine shootings, They were just enraptured, I guess, with the ideas that they were seeing and hearing. So much so that they packed up, drove to Lancaster County to see really what makes these people tick. And in the process, they found Anabaptist curriculum and they have now switched most of their school over from a Protestant to an Anabaptist curriculum. [00:06:43] Dorothy and I had the privilege of having lunch with them last year on the way to Sarasota to the meetings. And I say that to say the next thing. In our lunch together, the administrator of the school said that the present book that she was reading was The Kingdom That Turned the World Upside Down. Now, in the discussion on that book, she said, this book makes me angry. And I questioned her about the anger and she said, [00:07:14] All my life I've been sitting in Bible preaching churches and I never, never heard it explained like this. And she said, that makes me angry. Because she saw that she was being deceived in all those years. And that made her angry. I must move on. They've given me five subtopics. The two kingdom concept, proper political involvement, biblical nonresistance, early Anabaptist positions, and our duty to civil government [00:07:48] And that clock keeps ticking away Coming first to the two kingdom concept, I especially appreciate Brother Ken Miller's excellent introduction in the message yesterday He covered a lot of ground that I think will help me this morning so that I don't have to go in as much detail But as we look at the two kingdoms, if we do not get this part correct, the next generation will lose it. If we do not have a proper concept of the kingdom, the next generation will lose it. It will not be a given. It must be passed on. [00:08:23] Merriam-Webster defines a kingdom as a politically organized community or major territorial unit headed by a king or queen. That's just a definition. Strong's uses terms such as royalty, rule, a realm. Bynes describes it as sovereignty, a royal power or dominion. And when we speak of the kingdoms of the world, I'd like for us to see that there's both abstract and concrete. Abstract being in ideas, concrete being in something we can see and something we can feel. [00:08:58] And when we think of the kingdoms of the world, we're thinking of something concrete. We can go out there and we can see it. It's there. It's a place with physical boundaries. We cross from coming here, we cross various state boundaries. You know, welcome to Indiana. That's a physical boundary. Yes, in a sense, a kingdom. But when we're talking about the kingdom of God in heaven, we're usually referring to an abstract. We're referring to an idea. And the same can be true then when we think of Satan's domain and all that goes to it. [00:09:35] Let's go then to the kingdoms. At the creation we have the first family. We have Adam and Eve. From that family we have the extended family. Where we have a patriarch like Abraham who was leading a family and ruling a tribe. From there we go into cities and the government that we knew as city-states. Where you have a strong warrior, a clan or a tribe would erect a city with strong walls. and there they would exert influence over the people that were around them. [00:10:10] But as we think then of the formation of kingdoms and boundaries and nations, that all came and God was at work in kingdom building even then in a different sense. God called out a man, Abram, and of that one man he made a people for himself. Self. That group of people was known as a theocracy with Theo for God ruling them. Theocracy as a type of a kingdom. God used the judges. He used the priests. He used the prophets to convey his will to the people. But they wanted a king. They wanted a king. They wanted a kingdom. [00:10:58] And so God allowed that and allowed, they wanted one like the other nations around them and God allowed them to have that. We move then quickly to the New Testament. In the New Testament, we have John the Baptist coming and preparing the way for Jesus Christ. He's coming to prepare the way. Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. It is coming. He's preparing a way. And again, Brother Ken laid a foundation for some of these next points. [00:11:37] We have there that as Jesus and his followers came, he was teaching about another kingdom, but they were thinking of wanting freedom from Rome. They desperately wanted freedom from Rome. And as we think of the kingdom then, we want to see what all they were involved in. Roman bondage was an everyday practice for them, but Jesus was teaching a higher kingdom. There are over 151 verses in the New Testament referring to the kingdom. [00:12:14] 117 of them are just in the first three gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And mostly Jesus is referring to the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, etc. And even as Jesus was teaching the disciples about another kingdom, they were still thinking of release from Roman bondage. It seems they couldn't get out of that mode of thinking. But as we think then of what Jesus was teaching, we think of God then calling us to a higher kingdom. [00:12:50] He's calling us out of this physical kingdom into a higher kingdom and that's where the Sermon on the Mount comes in. And the Sermon on the Mount is the charter of the kingdom. Now it's very interesting to me, and I'll just mention it in passing, this committee I don't think had any idea that currently at Slanesville I'm preaching through the Sermon on the Mount. I have committed myself to the congregation to doing that and it looks like a long term project but it's coming and it's coming very slowly. [00:13:25] The Sermon on the Mount then is the charter of this new kingdom and by charter I simply mean it is how we operate. It's our mode of operation. It's the way we're set up. It's the way that we're supposed to operate. Jesus repeatedly in the Sermon on the Mount quotes the law, but each time he does, he raises it to a higher calling. It hath been said by them of old time, but I say unto you, and he lifts it to a higher calling. [00:14:00] And each time he does that, he raises the bar of holiness so much higher. It hath been said, but I say unto you, there's a change. It's all in the charter of the kingdom. And when he does that, he takes holiness from not just being the physical, but he takes holiness from the physical and the spiritual. [00:14:30] So it's not so much anymore just what we do, although that is very, very important. But he goes deeper and he tests us on why we do what we do. What are the motivations? Why do we act the way we do, think the way we do, and now we're also responsible for our thoughts. Some of us can keep our actions under control and we can look good, but what's going on inside? That's the higher calling that he has called us to. [00:15:04] Jesus said to Pilate, my kingdom is not of this world. And that confused Pilate because he was thinking of the concrete. He was thinking of the kingdom here on earth. And though Pilate had great political power, he found himself powerless before Jesus. Where do we come in? We come in as part of this chosen generation. 1 Peter 2 verses 9 and 10. But you are a chosen generation. A royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people [00:15:36] That ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God Which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy Friends this morning, do you understand that we have been called into a greater kingdom We have been called into a higher kingdom. We have been called to a higher level of holiness. We have been called to a higher level of accountability. [00:16:09] And it's all included in that charter in the Sermon on the Mount and the rest of the tenor of Scripture. But it's no secret to us that not all Anabaptists accept the two kingdom concept. And while I was preparing for this, I came across a news source, and I told the brethren in the prayer room, I didn't even strike me right away that I'm right in the heart of that. But I came across this news article that reads like this. [00:16:43] Goshen College announced today it will play an instrumental version of the Star Spangled Banner before select sports events on campus, followed by prayer. in the same paragraph playing the national anthem followed by prayer it went on to say that this decision was made after discussion and deliberation over the past year and here's part of the reason [00:17:14] providing a more hospitable atmosphere for athletic events was a primary reason for the recommendation and ultimately for the decision. A more hospitable atmosphere for athletic events. The article went on to say a U.S. flag will be placed on the court or by the field for the duration of each competition that the anthem will be played. So we have the U.S. flag, we have the playing of the Star Spangled Banner, [00:17:47] and we have prayer before the game, the flag flying during the game. Interestingly, after I had this in my notes, I got the recent edition of the Calvary Messenger and Brother David L. picked up on it as well. If you haven't read his observations, I invite you to do so. Proper political involvement, number two. The Christian and State by Lloyd Hartzler is an excellent source. You may want to pick up. And again, I'd like to say that if we don't have a good understanding of the two kingdom concept, we will never understand our position on political involvement. [00:18:30] We live in a very activist society. Our Liberana Baptist friends went through this time in their church life many years ago. They were where we are. They are where they are now on a different path. Very activist. But it would appear from some questions that we hear from time to time that, you know, we are hearing questions. Where are we? Our people are asking questions. And the important thing is, or the concern that I have is, why are they asking the questions? And are they getting correct answers? [00:19:07] In other words, why is there, or maybe it's my age, I was going to suggest that why are we hearing more of these questions? Is it because the teaching isn't out there? Is it because they're not rooted and grounded as they ought to be? I'll let you answer that, but think about it very carefully. We're living in the world, but I trust we're not in the world. We do live in a very wicked, perverse society. And so what can we do? How do we interact with the political situations around us? [00:19:44] I'd like to take a few examples from scripture. Paul in Acts 22, we read how he made an appeal to the authorities when they were preparing to beat him without a trial. He made an appeal. I believe when he made that appeal, he showed respect. He honored them. He showed respect. Now, not all requests will be honored, but I believe we have the privilege to honor our government and to make appeals as needed. [00:20:23] He again, in Acts 25, we read of his appeal to Caesar. Could have been released, but he appealed his trial to Caesar, and to Caesar then he went. And again, I don't see that he made his appeals for selfish reasons. I don't believe he was out of place. And so we follow that pattern. We make appeals to our government. And it's interesting, I have Brother Elmer on the platform with me this morning in his work with the Peace and Service. [00:21:03] served us well through the appeals and the interworking with the powers that be. And I believe that that needs to continue. We're not out of the woods yet. I understand recently that the Amish Steering Committee already has been interacting with officials concerning the new health plan. And the ink is barely dry. And already the Amish Steering Committee has made some contacts. And I wonder, has someone from this constituency been following up on the health care? Where are we going to come in? Where do we stand on all of that? And maybe we'll be hearing more of that later in these meetings. I would hope so. There are others that have made appeals. The CAS board, working with Homeland Security, Social Security Administration. We have various brethren who are active in working with these government agencies. entities and selective service coming in on with the conscientious objector status. Appeals for release from jury duty. I don't know where your communities are. This is a changing world. It used to be that jury selection was made from voter registration lists. Now it's going to driver's license and things like that. And I know in some communities, while our people are released, they [00:22:29] We oftentimes have to go. They have to appear. They have to be questioned by the lawyers before they are released. In Hampshire County, West Virginia, we are very blessed. We have not needed to do that. We are a new Anabaptist group in the area. and when it first came in we drafted a letter to the judge and to this state in our small community I think probably in the last ten years we've probably had ten summons and each of those requests for release have been honored [00:23:04] and we give glory to the Lord for that. So we do make these appeals. We do interact with government, but we do it on an appeal rather than a lobby situation. There is a difference there. We also can be careful on the types of businesses that we patronize and things that go along with that. But what about activist activities? We have a lot of people here today. Should we go marching into Goshen College? [00:23:35] Is that the way of peace? Is that the way that we react? Is that the type of things we should become involved in? Should we participate in anti-abortion marches or the right to life rallies, etc.? Or similar activities. There are a lot of things and I'm not going to mention each one. I think we need to lay the foundation and then make application from the foundation that has been laid. I believe all of us need to recognize that the way of peace is not through the legislative processes, but it's through the conversion of the hearts of evil men and women. [00:24:17] I found a poem that I'd like to read, and you can see it with me, found in the book The Christian in the State, and it goes like this. What Christ said, adapted from Charles F. Reitzel I said, let me go to the polls, and with my vote your kingdom bring He said, my child, you cannot bring the kingdom here without the king I said, let me do what I can to destroy the sin so black and strong [00:24:51] He said, My child, your work is this, to build up good, not tear down wrong. I said, But shall I not send to Congress a petition strong? He said, My child, do you not know that that will not rid the world of wrong? I said, Master, just bid me go to battle with sin till I tire. He said, Don't try to put out sin, my child. just pluck the brands from the fire. [00:25:24] I said, shall I not condemn by law and jail the wayward boy? He said, my child, your work, like mine, is to save and not destroy. Point number three, biblical nonresistance. I invite you to read the pamphlet, Nonresistance or Pacifism. I'm not going to go into the time to try to differentiate between the two. That's one of the topics that I think should come out of this. [00:25:58] And maybe you can go back and preach a message on that as well. But we as a people have done relatively well in taking a nonresistant position concerning nonparticipation in the military, as well as the entire military structure, even in noncombatant jobs, etc. But I wonder, have we done as well in applying nonresistance in other areas of our lives? Because that's really the true test of whether or not we have gotten to the heart. [00:26:40] In how we live it out on a daily basis. Are we willing to give up our rights, especially in other areas of our lives such as our business and things related to finance? You know, when the pocketbook is touched, it's very easy for principles to go out the back door. And I wonder if we as a people are not being tested more in areas of the pocketbook [00:27:14] than we are in areas of going to military battle. And it's part of the same package. You can't have the one without the other. The two need to go together. And in reflecting on those in the past who may have lost the nonresistant position concerning non-military involvement, I wonder if they too didn't stumble and fall over this part of the issue in how it works out in finances in our daily living. How do we do in turning the other cheek? [00:27:52] How do we do in going the second mile? Or in suffering material loss for the sake of Christ and the gospel? Matthew chapter 5 and we don't have time to do a lot of exposition this morning In Matthew chapter 5 verses 38 to 48 and you can take the entire sermon on the mount But I'd like to read a portion of it here Ye have heard that it hath been said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth But I say unto you that ye resist not evil [00:28:24] But whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, thy farm, thy business, your car, let him have your cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you [00:29:04] That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven, for he maketh his Son to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust For if you love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. [00:29:36] How do you preach from some of those verses? And I'll just warn you, if you're considering to follow the example of preaching through the Sermon on the Mount, be prepared. You know, we have preached around some of those verses, tiptoed very carefully. Let's try to look at the Sermon on the Mount with a fresh look, with a new look, without our preconceived ideas. And try to look at it and ask the question, what did Jesus really mean? [00:30:17] Can we look at the Sermon on the Mount aside from our culture? Can we look at the Sermon on the Mount aside from our thrift and our German background, hard work, thrift, make money, etc.? Can we? Let's try it. I think we need to. And then be prepared to follow through. The two key verses in this passage I'd like to look at is verse 39. That ye resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. [00:30:50] And then verse 44, just calling attention to that one. Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you. You know, sometimes it may not be so hard for us to love the Iraqis or the Afghanistan people. You know, a faceless name way off across an ocean somewhere, it's not hard to love them. But how about the man next door? How about the person who is wanting some of your business or making a claim and so on? [00:31:27] It's someone that you see, someone that you face, that is harder to love than someone an ocean or two away. I'd like to read a quote by Merle Ruth. Being negative in name, nonresistance is nevertheless positive in expression. Exercising nonresistant love holds the best prospect of turning an enemy into a friend. In the withholding of physical force, there is an unleashing of spiritual force. [00:32:01] Nonresistance coupled with assistance, motivated by love, practiced in the name of Christ is the greatest peacemaking power on earth In a world of violence, nonapologetic nonresistance is still the Bible way and because it is the Bible way, it is the best way Point number four, early Anabaptist positions The Kingdom that Turned the World Upside Down by David Bersow, I believe is one of the best books having to do with early positions. [00:32:38] And I'm not that much of a historian, so I'll let that to some others. But I would like to share a few other writings. There's one called the Didache, which is an early Christian work written in about A.D. 50 to 150. So very early after the time of Christ. In chapter 1, entitled The Two Ways and the First Commandment, I'd like to read a portion of that. It says, There are two ways, one of life and one of death, but a great difference between the two ways. [00:33:13] The way of life, then, is this. First, you shall love God who made you. Second, love your neighbor as yourself. And do not do to another what you would not want done to you. We've taught that to our children for generations. It goes on, the Didache. And of these sayings the teachings is this, Bless those who curse you, pray for your enemies, and fast for those who persecute you. For what reward is there for loving those who love you? Do not the Gentiles the same? [00:33:44] But love those who hate you, and you shall not have an enemy. Happy is he who gives according to the commandment, for he is guiltless. Another early one is the Schleitheim Confession, which was a declaration of the Swiss Anabaptist belief during the time of the Reformation. And this was written in 1527 in Schleitheim, Switzerland. The meeting was chaired by Michael Sattler. This confession consists of seven articles written during a time of severe persecution. [00:34:19] You may follow after as I read some of these statements from that confession. From Article 4 we have We have been united concerning the separation that shall take place from the evil and with wickedness which the devil has planted in the world simply in this, that we have no fellowship with them and do not run with them in the confusion of their abominations. To us then the commandment of the Lord is also obvious [00:34:49] whereby he orders us to be and to become separated from the evil one, and thus he will be our God, and we shall be his sons and daughters. Further, he admonishes us, therefore, to go out from Babylon and from the earthly Egypt, that we may not be partakers in their torment and suffering, which the Lord will bring upon them. thereby shall also fall away from us the diabolical weapons of violence [00:35:21] such as sword, armor, and the like and all of their use to protect friends or against enemies by the virtue of the word of Christ ye shall not. Let's move to article 6. We have been united as follows concerning the sword. The sword is an ordering of God outside the perfection of Christ. It punishes and kills the wicked and guards and protects the good. In the law, the sword is established over the wicked for punishment and for death, and the secular rulers are established to wield the same. [00:36:03] You can turn to Romans 13, and I'm not going to go there. But notice the various pronouns. It talks about we and it talks about they and them. There is a distinct difference in the administration of justice in the civil government compared to the operation in the church. Second, is asked concerning the sword whether a Christian shall pass sentence in disputes and strife about worldly matters, such as unbelievers have with one another, going to law, etc. [00:36:36] The answer, Christ did not wish to decide or pass judgment between brother and brother concerning inheritance, but refused to do so. And that's the account in Luke 12, you can refer to that later. So should we do also. Third, is asked concerning the sword, whether a Christian should magistrate if he has chosen thereto. This is answered thus, Christ was to be made king, but he fled and did not discern the ordinance of his father. Thus we should also do as he did and follow after him. [00:37:10] And we shall not walk in darkness, for he himself said, whoever would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Peter also says, Christ has suffered, not ruled, and has left us an example that you should follow after in his steps. 1 Peter 2.21 Lastly, from the Schleitheim, One can see in the following points that it does not befit a Christian to be a magistrate. The rule of government is according to the flesh. [00:37:43] That of the Christians, according to the spirit. Their houses and dwelling remain in this world. The world, that of the Christians, is in heaven. Their citizenship is in this world, that of Christians is in heaven. The weapons of their battle and warfare are carnal and only against the flesh, but the weapons of the Christian are spiritual and against the fortification of the devil. The worldly are armed with steel and iron, but Christians are armed with the armor of God, with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and with the word of God. [00:38:17] In sum, as Christ our head is minded, so also must be minded the members of the body of Christ through him, so that there be no division in the body through which it should be destroyed. Since then Christ is as is written of him, so must his members also be the same, so that his body may remain whole and unified for its own advancement and upbuilding. For any kingdom which is divided within itself will be destroyed. [00:38:53] Point number five, our duty to the civil government. We are recipients of many blessings from the civil government. We understand that. We have the highways. We have the police protection. We have an infrastructure that is here that we benefit from daily. It's here. But we also have duties that we need to perform to our civil government. That is what was written when there were some very evil men in power. They were not in a society such as we are where we are so well protected. But we are men like Nero and if you have done any history on those Diocletian and others. Very wicked, very cruel, ruthless men. [00:39:45] And while there are many things which we cannot agree with the rulers that God has put over us We still have a much easier time than those did in the early church We still have a very blessed place in which to dwell And yet, in spite of Nero and others in that time period Again and again and again By inspiration of the Holy Spirit Holy men of God wrote these letters giving direction, giving direction to us in 2010 concerning how we interact with the rulers that God places over us, even in a democratic society. [00:40:29] And again, I believe in our culture we have accepted the fact, what we think is fact, that a democracy is the best place for the Christian. And we have probably bought into the Protestant view that God and country and democracy is God's rule and God's will. Where God's rule and God's will for the church is a two kingdom concept. We are not a part of that kingdom. So what are we to do? [00:41:00] And this is very simplistic, but we need to pray, we need to pay, and we need to obey. And that covers a lot of territory. As we pray, we make intercession. First of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made to all men. For kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. We should pray for their personal salvation. We should pray that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all honesty and godliness. [00:41:35] and we need to pray for the president and the congress and so on that they may make wise decisions and that they can be directed. Think with me of an example in the Old Testament. We have Abraham and Lot and the city of Sodom. We know that Lot sat in the gate and that is a political position in that time. Lot was looked up to in the city of Sodom as a man with wisdom to help them make decisions. But who had the most power with God when it came down to it? [00:42:09] Abraham or Lot there in the political situation in the city? What shall we pay? I believe first of all we pay respect and honor. And as we do that, we also need to teach the oncoming generation that same respect and honor. How do you address a police officer when you see one sitting along the highway? How do your children react to your reaction when we are confronted in something like that? Respect? Honor? Yes, we need to. [00:42:42] Our taxes? Paying tribute to Caesar, the things that are Caesar's. Obedience? There are many laws that we find hard to find practical, or even logical. But is that reason enough to disobey? We have traffic laws. We have zoning and building ordinances. We need to have an honest reporting of income for taxes. April 15th is coming on very quickly and there are many others and I'll let you fill in the blanks. I've covered a lot of territory. It's time to close. [00:43:17] I'd like to draw to a close with a few stories. Sometimes we remember better by stories. The first story I'd like to tell is a story about a man by the name of Alvin York. And I challenge you to pick up an encyclopedia, go online if you can, and research the account of Alvin York. Alvin York was a Christian from Tennessee. He was in, I believe, a brethren setting, and he was a conscientious objector. He was denied that, and here is his testimony. [00:43:51] He keeps an extensive journal, and I'll read right from his journal. He said, as long as the records remain, I will be officially known as a conscientious objector. I was. I joined the church. I had taken its creed and I had taken it without what you might call reservations. I was not a Sunday Christian. I believed in the Bible and I tried in my own way to live up to it. But he was persuaded to go into the army in World War I, and he became a mighty hero. [00:44:24] I'm not going to go into what all was included in that. Brother John D. Martin tells in a message that I listened on nonresistance, he gives the account in 1945 when a B-52 bomber headed toward Japan, which eventually then dropped that nuclear bomb. It had that bomb in its hold. but the thing that is astounding here is that the entire crew of that B-52 was quote Christian and before they left their chaplains prayed a blessing upon that crew [00:45:02] and if you know history and know Nagasaki the rest is history And as they approached the city, they needed a landmark, and the landmark they chose was the Catholic Church in that city. I'll share the significance of that a little later. Soon after we moved to West Virginia, there was a local church had a meeting for answers in Genesis, and one of the speakers told of a Captain O'Hare, actually the Chicago airport is named after him. [00:45:36] He was a Christian hero during World War II, according to this speaker, because of the number of Japanese planes that he shot down. Now why am I telling you these stories? These are heroes that are lifted up in churches today because they have lost the concept of the two kingdoms. They have embraced the doctrine of God and country. [00:46:13] Some of these same stories are included in some textbooks that are in some of our schools. And this is my burden. How can we continue to have Protestant materials in our schools that are teaching God and country and expect to raise a generation in a two-kingdom concept? That's my passion. Let's go to the other side. I'd like to tell the story of Dean Taylor, and it's in the book A Change of Allegiance. [00:46:48] Dean Taylor and his wife were active in the U.S. Army, and through a study of the Bible came to a nonresistant position. I listened to a message that he preached on nonresistance and he concluded the message with this story and I'd like to borrow the story from Dean Taylor and share it with you here this morning. In the years from about 1948 to 1994, in the country of South Africa, there was a white minority ruling under what was called apartheid. [00:47:20] It was very similar to the United States in the civil rights things. The difference being that it was the white minority that was ruling rather than a white majority. And during that time, there were a lot of atrocities. They were very, very brutal. Nelson Mandela then, in years later, was instrumental in ending those evils. There was a commission established to bring these men to justice, and there was a man by the name of Mr. Vandebroek who was brought to trial. [00:47:59] There was an elderly black lady at this trial because her family had been connected to his evil deeds. Mr. Vanderbrook admitted to taking her 18-year-old son and shooting him and then burning his body while they danced and partied around the fire. Eight years later, they came back to the same lady and they took her husband into captivity. Sometime later, in the middle of the night, they came and they took her. [00:48:37] They took her out to an isolated area, and there she saw her husband. He was tied to some wood, and they poured gasoline over his body, and in her presence, they lit the gasoline, and there he died. While they watched, while she watched, his body was burned up But the last words she heard from her husband were these Forgive them, forgive them [00:49:07] We come now to this commission We come to the trial of Mr. Vanderbrook And this elderly black lady is at the trial And when Mr. Vanderbrook was convicted of all the evils in which he had been involved. The judge turned to her and asked her what she would like as part of the judgment. And here's her words. Three things, she said. If you can bear me a few more minutes. [00:49:40] She said, I want Mr. Vanderbrook to take me to the place where they burned the body of my husband so I can gather together some of the dust and ashes and give my husband a decent burial. 2. Mr. Vanderbrook took all my family away from me and I still have lots of love left to give him. Twice a month I want Mr. Vanderbrook to come to my ghetto and spend a day with me so I can be a mother to him. Number three, she said, I want Mr. Vanderbrook to know that God can forgive him and that I forgive him too. [00:50:27] And I want someone now to come and lead me to Mr. Vanderbrook so I can embrace him and so he can know that my forgiveness is real. The story is told that this elderly lady was led across the courtroom to Brooke, and as she got closer to him, he passed out. It was more than he could take. The entire courtroom was silent, and it remained silent as people began to realize what this lady had actually done. [00:51:02] She had forgiven him. She had truly followed the way of peace. I can imagine that courtroom as silent as this room is today when off in the back a lady started to sing Amazing Grace Let's sing it together in closing Thank you Elmer I was moved, challenged, and blessed this morning