Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. It's almost fashionable to sue someone these days. Sadly, too many of these cases involve Christians, in clear violation of the New Testament. The apostle Paul has some pointed words for those of us who'd like nothing better than to stick it to a fellow believer in court.
Get set for some countercultural teaching and by all means stay with us. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Pastor Lutzer, these days the only real winners in some courts are the lawyers. Dave, you're absolutely right that this is very controversial territory that we're getting into today. Because if you look online, you discover that there are so many lawsuits, Christian against Christian. And on the one hand, I can understand it because people are saying so and so should not get away with what they've done because if they do, they'll do it to others. Others of course argue that it's time that so and so be exposed, on and on it goes.
But there is the teaching of scripture where the apostle Paul says that we should rather be willing to endure wrong. Now before we go any further, I want to speak to all who are listening today. I want to thank you so much for your prayers and your support.
You've heard me say it before, but because of people just like you, Running to Win is now heard around the world, 50 different countries, seven different languages. Would you consider helping us? Would you consider becoming what we'd like to call an endurance partner?
Here's what you do. Go to rtwoffer.com. When you're there, you can click on the endurance partner button. Would you at least investigate the possibility of standing with us regularly with your prayers and your gifts? Go to rtwoffer.com.
Click on the endurance partner button or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Let me remind you once again that it's because of people just like you that this ministry continues to expand. And now let us listen to God's word.
Some time ago I saw a cartoon of a couple leaving the home of some friends and as they were going to their car, the wife said to the husband, they really are nice people, aren't they? And he said, yeah, they really are. Let's sue them.
Well, you can just hear it all over, can't you? Let's sue them. He got the money. He didn't do the job right. Pocketed what we gave him. He thinks it's okay. Everybody else know that it's botched up and now he doesn't want to do anything about it. Let's sue him. A letter I believe that I received from someone. My dad trusted my brother to be the executor of his will because my brother's an attorney and my dad told me he was leaving about $300,000. My brother says I'm going to get about 10 or 20,000 because he says everything else is fees and taxes and all the rest. When I want to see the books, he's defensive.
What should I do? I want to sue him. Man whom I know told me that he owed a Christian organization $300,000.
There's no dispute. He was not disputing that he owed that to them, but he had had a business decline and it went belly up and he got into some real financial trouble and was trying to figure out how he could pay off his debt, trying to work something out when suddenly, boom, he served with papers. He's being sued. No discussion, no communication with him. Do you think you'll be able to pay?
What kind of arrangement can we make? Out of the blue, he's given the papers. That was about two years before I had this talk with him and he said, up till now I have spent $250,000 in legal fees. They have spent about $250,000 in legal fees. That's a half a million dollars.
Let's remember that the dispute was over $300,000, but after a time, money doesn't even matter. I want to just make sure that you get your desserts. I want to humble you. I want to destroy you and I don't care about the money.
I just want you to get zapped. One time at O'Hare Field, I was listening to a conversation. Couldn't help, but it was on the phone and I was on one phone and the other guy was on the other. I can't quote it because it was filled with obscenities, but what this guy was saying is somebody's really going to get it in this. He's talking about a lawsuit.
Now I want to get to him before he gets to me, and I'm going to do unto him before he does to me and we're going to see who's going to get this. Let's sue him. And then there's that celebrated story that got in the news about a woman who was disciplined by her church for adultery. She was not denying the adultery, but what she was saying to the church, though she was a member, what right do you have to tell me what I can and can't do in my lifestyle?
Sue the church. Why are we such a litigious nation? You've often wondered that.
Well, aren't you glad that you came today because I'm going to tell you, if you don't know, you're going to learn something. What we have today is this exaltation of individual rights with a corresponding descent and corruption of personal morals and integrity. So when you put the two together, you have a recipe for incredible lawsuits. Remember that story in the news, I'm not making it up, where two children in a sandbox got into an argument and the parents went to court to settle the dispute. See, it used to be that parents could work those things out when character was important.
But today, you see, without character, they cannot even settle that. And everybody's going to show everybody else what's what. In fact, did you know this?
I'm not making this up. Very recently, two people were arrested because they were standing in line at a courthouse and they were telling attorney jokes. And a young attorney got angry. And the more angry he became, the more jokes they told.
And he had them arrested, handcuffed, brought in. Thankfully, the charges were dropped. But have we come to that where you can't even tell an attorney joke? Now, I feel sorry for attorneys. By the way, we have many of them at Moody Church and they are all honorable. And some of them tell me that the people with whom they work are some of the most honorable people in the business. So I have to feel sorry for attorneys. I have to feel sorry about the fact that 95% of them make the other 5% look bad. I mean, I feel sorry for them. But to arrest them?
You know, you notice the difference between America and other countries on this point. My wife and I were in Switzerland. We took a chairlift to the top of a mountain and then we walked around there for a couple of miles.
It was just gorgeous. But along the way, about 15 feet possibly from the path, there was a fence with just two wires. I mean, it was the kind of fence that any kid could crawl through.
You almost didn't have to do anything just to get past it. And beyond that fence was a sheer cliff that must be hundreds and hundreds of feet into an abyss. Now, here's the difference between other countries and ours. Let's suppose a child goes over the fence and falls over. In America, who are we going to sue? It's the fault of the Park District. It's the fault of somebody. Who owns this mountain anyway? They should have put up a decent fence. That fence, I want to sue. You know what they say in Switzerland?
Isn't it too bad that parents don't take better care of supervising their children? It's a whole different way of looking at life. But you see, what we have today, follow this carefully, is a decrease in individual responsibility and a heightened increase in personal rights. And so everybody's suing everybody else to get every last dime and every last little bit because you see the people of the world believe that this is the only world that there is. Well, our text today is 1 Corinthians chapter 6 where the Apostle Paul is talking about lawsuits among Christians. And what he does in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 is to give us a number of reasons why Christians should not go to court with other Christians in civil cases.
Grievances, that's my translation here in the ESV. When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Why shouldn't Christians sue others when it comes to these kinds of grievances?
First, because of your witness to the world. What you are really saying to the people of the world is we're Christians, but we can't resolve our disputes. We don't have any wise people in our church to be able to negotiate, to be able to mediate.
Oh no, no, no. So we have to go to secular courts just like the rest of you to resolve all of these issues, some of which may be great, some of which may be petty. But what we need to do is to get your wisdom because we don't have it in the church.
Paul says, wait a moment. Have you ever thought of how that makes Jesus look? It makes Jesus look bad. Remember this, the world is always trying to find out reasons why they don't need a savior. And when we act like they do, they say, you know, these people are Christians. They attend the moody church or some other church. And look at, they are suing one another just like the people of the world.
They are just like us. Paul says, don't do that because of your witness to the world. Secondly, he says, it shows your love of worldly values.
You have absorbed into your system the values of the world. Notice what Paul says, or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels?
How much more than matters pertaining to this life? So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? That phrase is variously interpreted, but it's translated this way as I've read it. The idea is that you're going before people who are not regarded as Christians.
I say this to your shame. Can it be there's no one wise enough to settle dispute between the brothers but brother goes to law against brother and that before unbelievers, Paul says. He says it really shows that you've absorbed the values of the world if you go to court in these civil cases with another Christian.
Because after all, these cases are trivial in comparison to the ones that we are going to judge their trivial. That's what Paul says. You say, Oh, what do you mean? $100,000 trivial.
What do you mean? The guy came in here recommended by the church of all things. We should sue the church because he didn't do a good job. Paul says, Hey, these cases are trivial. You say, Oh, trivial.
I think about them night and day. Paul says, wait a moment. You're talking like an unbeliever. Do you not know that we are going to judge the world? This is what the Bible says.
Now I'm going to read it directly because if I don't, some of you are going to say he's making it up. Jesus said this, the one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end to him, I will give authority over all the nations and he will rule them with a rod of iron as when earth and pots are broken in pieces. Even as I myself have received authority from my father, Jesus said, I'm going to rule over the world and you're going to be ruling there over the world with me. And I'm going to give you assignments that have to do with authority and Judication.
That's big stuff. Paul says, you're going to rule over the world. Jesus said also in the book of revelation to him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne even as I overcame and sat on my father's throne. Jesus said, you are going to sit on the throne with me in the coming kingdom, judging the world, judging angels could refer to fallen angels. We may have a hand in judging the devil and his demons. If the text is referring to good angels, the holy angels, then of course we won't judge them in that sense, but we will rule over them, which is another way to interpret that word judge. But either way, what Paul is saying is there's an eternity out there with huge eternal issues in comparison, in comparison, your petty differences, you were cheated out of money is trivial.
It's trivial. You want the whole world to stop on its axis because somebody did something to you that was hurtful and wrong and you want justice and you want it now. Paul says, wait a moment, wait a moment. You're talking like the people of the world who want justice now because they don't believe that another world is coming. So the second reason is you've accepted worldly values. Thirdly, you show your lack of submission to church authority. Paul says, are there not wise people in your church who are willing to arbitrate?
Can't you be submissive? If there are two brothers and they're in the same church, couldn't, couldn't you take this to an elder or a wise person in the church who'd be able to arbitrate between the two of you and then you would accept the verdict. People say, Oh no, I wouldn't accept the verdict because I don't know. I don't know what if he, what if he came down on the wrong side? And of course if he does come down on the wrong side, what you can do is, you know, you can leave the church and you can go next door because I don't like what the elders did and I can't accept their authority and so I'm out of here. There's some other church that will accept me. And yes, there is another church that will accept you. You can always find somewhere else to go to church and not use what has happened in your life and your submission for the glory of God. You can escape what God wants to do in your life. And sometimes elders and sometimes people in the church are not infallible. They aren't infallible. Sometimes they make mistakes, but people who are under subjection say, despite the mistake, all accept their wisdom and trust God through it.
So what he said is you show a lack of submission. He says you accept defeat and not blessing. Notice in verse seven to have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded, but you yourselves wrong and defraud even your own brothers.
What Paul is saying is for openers, the very fact that somebody in the church does something wrong to you and then will not make it right. That in itself is a defeat. But then that the person takes you to court, the person whom you have wronged, he is becoming a part of that defeat. He is submitting to the worldly system regarding the resolution of a conflict and he's doing it in the wrong way.
A Christian attorney said that in all the cases that he has seen, when a Christian goes to court with another Christian, then he does not receive blessing even if he wins the case. So you win the case. Okay, you do, but at what cost and at what expense? Suffering wrong as we shall see in a moment is highly prized by the apostle Paul and highly prized by Jesus. Would you not rather suffer wrong in taking a brother to court? You participate in his guilt, assuming that he is guilty.
Now I need to talk with you very, very practically about some matters. First of all, if you are taken to court, if you are sued, you certainly have a responsibility and a right to protect yourself. The apostle Paul, when he was in difficulty, he appealed to his Roman citizenship. So if someone serves you papers, you have really little option except to respond. In fact, attorneys tell you, don't talk to the person who is suing you.
And so they cut off brother from brother and sister from sister. And they, they simply tell you now, no talking, no phone calls, no cards, nothing until this is resolved. Well, because you're a part of a legal system now, you have to go along with that and you have to defend yourself.
Also, I need to say that I do believe that Paul here is talking about civil cases. If you as a woman are married to a man and you discover that he's a pedophile and is dangerous with your children, whatever you do, don't say, well, we're just going to let it happen and suffer wrong. You have a responsibility to yourself. You have a responsibility to your children. You have a responsibility now in those matters of criminal activity where the state has an interest. You know, as a pastor throughout the years, I know it's so difficult to balance all of these matters.
So I want to encourage you to go for help, especially if you are being abused. But at the same time, you know, the Bible emphasizes the ability that we should have to forgive. On this broadcast, we're offering the book entitled When You've Been Wronged, and I have in my hand a letter from someone who says, I feel I was wronged by my children when they coerced me into signing an irrevocable trust. After reading your book, When You've Been Wronged, I felt God wanted me to forgive my children, so I did. I want to obey God. And I can go beyond this and say that when you do that, you are set free. Let me ask you a question. Would you consider helping us here in the ministry of Running to Win?
You've heard me say it repeatedly because of people just like you, this broadcast is heard around the world in seven different languages. Here's what you can do. Go to rtwoffer.com, and when you're there, you click on the endurance partner button. You say, well, Pastor Lutzer, what's an endurance partner? That's someone who stands with us regularly with their prayers and their gifts.
Of course, the amount that you give is entirely at your discretion. But I hope that you take time to investigate the possibility of joining what I like to call the Running to Win family. Go to rtwoffer.com, click on the endurance partner button, or pick up the phone and call us at 1-888-218-9337. Gifts from people just like you make this ministry possible. From my heart to yours, in advance, let me thank you.
Go to rtwoffer.com, click on the endurance partner button. Time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Lutzer a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Marriage, as we've known it since the dawn of history, is under attack.
One Running to Win listener from Chicago has this question. In your book, The Truth About Same-Sex Marriage, you discussed civil unions. While I'm against same-sex marriages and the sin of practicing homosexuality, I don't oppose civil unions.
What are your thoughts? Well, thank you so much for writing about this, but I find it a little bit troubling that you say that you recognize the sin of homosexuality and you're opposed to the sin of practicing homosexuality, and yet you don't oppose civil unions. Now, the point is that in a free society, people can pretty well do whatever they please. If two homosexuals want to live together, they have the ability to do that in the United States of America. But when you talk about civil unions, you're talking about some official recognition of them, and you're talking about some legal implications here, if officially recognized by the state. As a matter of fact, civil unions turn out to be marriage, just by a different name. So that's why I'm opposed both to same-sex marriages as well as civil unions. In their own private lives, people sin and can do whatever they like, so to speak, but let's not recognize it by the state. Let's not sanction it. Let's not promote it by giving it the same status as marriage.
And I believe that civil unions would do just that. Some wise counsel from Dr. Erwin Lutzer. Thank you, Pastor Lutzer.
If you'd like to have your question answered, you can. Just go to our website at rtwoffer.com and click on Ask Pastor Lutzer. Or call us with your question at 1-888-218-9337. That's 1-888-218-9337.
You can write to us at Running to Win, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60614. Jesus never complained when He suffered. So why do we haul fellow believers to court when we think we've been cheated? Maybe it's too many courtroom shows on TV. In reality, God wants us to get our justice from His hand. Next time, more from Pastor Lutzer on why it's better to suffer wrong than to tarnish the name of Jesus in a court of law. This is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.
