Not in It to Win It: Why Choosing Sides Sidelines The Church
Is it possible to disagree politically and love unconditionally? The reaction of evangelicals to political and cultural shifts in recent years revealed what they value most. Lurking beneath our Bible-laced rhetoric, faith claims, books, and sermons is a relentless drive to WIN!
But the church is not here to win. By every human measure, our Savior lost. On purpose. With a purpose. And we are his body. We are not in it to win anything. We are in it for something else entirely. That something else is what this book is about.
You'll discover:
- How to take a stand the right way. You'll learn how to make your case with a posture of humility and understanding, rather than being fueled by the fear of losing something.
- How to view politics through the lens of faith. Learn curiously, listen intentionally, and love unconditionally.
- How the life of Jesus and his teaching applies to modern-day challenges in a fresh way. The "biblical" stand may not be what we've been taught.
Jesus never asked his followers to agree on everything. But he did call his followers to obey a new command: to love others in the same way he has loved us. Instead of asserting our rights or fighting for power, we need to begin asking ourselves: what does love require of me?
Top Highlights
“Once the church relegated Jesus to the role of forgiver of our sins rather than King of our lives, we opened the door to lesser kings. Thrones never remain empty long.” (source)
“But do you actively love, serve, and bear the burdens of people who aren’t like you and who disagree with you? Do you pray for anybody on the other side of the political aisle? Pray for. Not at. Not against. The Greek term is ὑπέρ. It means on behalf of. Do you pray on their behalf?” (source)
“Public alignment with a candidate or party is a betrayal of the church’s imperative, our mandate, to make disciples. Anything that serves as an obstacle to that simple imperative should be eliminated from a local church.” (source)
“When winning replaces following, we are no longer following. We are no longer Christian as defined by the folks who originally coined the term.” (source)
“for Jesus followers, there is no place for rage, brawling, slander, or any form of malice at any time, for any reason” (source)
- Title: Not in It to Win It: Why Choosing Sides Sidelines The Church
- Author: Andy Stanley
- Publisher: Zondervan
- Print Publication Date: 2022
- Logos Release Date: 2022
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9780310138938, 9780310138921, 0310138922, 9780310138945, 0310138949, 0310138930
- Resource ID: LLS:9780310138938
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-06-14T09:26:44Z