The Yeast Of the Church In the USA

Galatians 5:9 (NIV) [9] “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.”

The other day I was sitting in a Sunday morning church service. One of its members was exercising their gift of teaching and preaching. In the midst of teaching he came to a verse that spoke about disorder. He use this word to engage the body about what we thought of if we consider the word “disorder”. A few medical examples were shouted out like restless leg disorder. Then someone in the body yelled out “liberals”. The immediate reaction was laughter from the body and from the teacher. My heart sunk. I thought to myself what if I brought someone to church that day who considered themselves a "liberal"?

There is this “liberal” couple that lives across the street from Kitty and I. In our American cultural, the perspective they have would be considered liberal as opposed to conservative. I pray for them and hope that God would give me opportunities to share Jesus with them. Could you of imagined, what would it of been like if it was that Sunday that they decided to except an invitation from my wife and I to come to church that day?

What if someone came to visit that day and was not a believer but self identified themselves as a liberal. What would their thought's be? Since this was a place that identifies itself as an ambassadors of Christ, is Jesus laughing and mocking me because of my political leanings? Since these people think I have a mental disorder and mock me for having this disorder are they really willing to invite me into their church? If I came into this group of people must I then change my political leanings and become conservative in order to be apart of the body of Christ? Why should I listen to anything else they have to say to me since they laugh and mock me because I’m a liberal?

This is a great illustration as to why the body of Christ must live as citizens of Gods Kingdom first and foremost. When we allow our political ideals to invade the body of Christ, Jesus begins to be recreated in the image of our patriotism or politics of the kingdoms of man.

That’s why the scripture warn us about yeast. It just takes a little yeast to invade the whole batch of dough. Jesus didn’t send his disciples to go and make the kingdoms of man into Christian nations. He told his disciples to go and invite people from every nation, ethnic group and language to be apart of his Kingdom and to be a nation that is not of this world.

Its just tragic that people who call themselves Christians are so politically party minded they become no gospel good. The message of the cross is offensive enough why do we want to make it even more offensive all for the sake of ones own personal political views? Jesus tells us if we are to follow him we must surrender everything to him. That not only includes time, treasures, talent, personal relationships but also our political ideas. Jesus asked us to follow him exclusively whether in business or relationships and that would include our political ideas. Can we serve the political ideas of the kingdoms of man and the Kingdom of God at the same time? Or must we forsake our earthly political ideas if they create a obstacle with those we are commanded to share the message of reconciliation? If they become like yeast to the gospel message we must rid ourselves of the yeast. What’s more important our political leanings or the eternal destiny of a persons soul?