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A word to pastors preaching in the aftermath of the SCOTUS decision

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July 6, 2015

I am a pastor. I preach the word of God regularly to the congregation that I serve. And this morning I am thinking about and praying for other pastors across the country who will be ascending the sacred desk tomorrow morning to deliver a message to God’s people. Some of them are wondering what to say in the wake of a Supreme Court decision that seems designed to marginalize our ancient faith. I don’t know that I have anything particularly earth-shattering to offer here, but I would like to encourage you pastors in several specific ways as you prepare.

1. Be biblical

“We do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord” (2 Cor. 4:5). We are not the subject matter of our own sermons. Jesus is. And we do not know him by what we have conjured from our own imaginations. We know him as he has revealed himself to us in the scriptures. That is why if we want our people to know the man, we have to proclaim to them the book—because the book testifies about him (John 5:39).

Pastor, your job tomorrow is unchanged from last week. You must preach the word. That is your task. If you haven’t been doing that up until now, that needs to change. Right now. Make it your aim to preach verse by verse, passage by passage, through as many books as you can until they cart you off or lower you in the dirt. Teach them the whole counsel of God and don’t hold anything back (Acts 20:27). They need all of it, and your job is to give it to them.

You can’t deliver it all in one sermon, so don’t try. But you can start this work with one sermon. Let tomorrow be that day, and don’t ever look back. I promise that you won’t run out of material.

2. Be courageous

The apostle Paul tells us to preach the word “in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2). That means that you deliver the goods when it’s popular and when it’s not. It means that we preach Christ’s word when people congratulate us and when they actively oppose us. And as the Supreme Court and public opinion are going against us, there is no question that you will face opposition—maybe even from some in your own congregation. But don’t be cowed by that.

Right now, your people need you more than ever. They are facing difficulties at work because of their unpopular views on marriage. They are facing ostracism from certain circles that they have always run in. The social pressure to conform is ratcheting up on them. That’s what the folks in my church are facing. No doubt your people are facing the same. How will they stand if you don’t?

God’s people will rally to the truth. Take your stand. Wave the flag high so that the troops will know where to muster. Tribulation and opposition will arise, but that is no reason to back down. The sheep know the voice of their Shepherd. Be his mouthpiece, and they will come (John 10:27).

3. Be practical

When Paul commands us to “preach the word,” he also says “reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Tim. 4:2). This means that we preach in the imperative mood. We are not giving a theological lecture. We are in fact telling people in the name of Jesus what they ought to believe and to do. We are also telling them what they ought to disbelieve and repent of. That means that we know the challenges that they face and we speak directly to them.

We tell them to repent of sexual immorality and to put on Jesus Christ and to make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lust (Rom. 13:14). We tell them that they should expect opposition if they follow Jesus (John 15:18) but that we will ultimately overcome (John 16:33). We tell them to love their gay neighbors in the name of Jesus, to reach out to them, and to practice hospitality to them. We tell them that love is not at odds with truth—even the truths that are unpopular. Truth and love are only in tension for those who are resisting them. Real love always rejoices with the truth (1 Cor. 13:6).

In short, we do not trade in theological abstraction. If you preach the Bible, your stock-in-trade is the nitty gritty. So go there.

4. Be holy

There is an old saying about pastors that is worth repeating here. “If your output exceeds your input, your upkeep will be your downfall.” If you are preaching a message that you yourself aren’t following, you are going to have to maintain an exterior appearance that is at odds with who you really are. And keeping that hypocrisy up can’t go on forever. Ultimately, you will be exposed and discredited.

And so a good servant of Christ Jesus isn’t just teaching the word. He’s living the word, constantly nourished himself by the words of the faith and of sound doctrine (1 Tim. 4:6). The apostle also commands us, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching” (1 Tim. 4:16). That means it’s not just your teaching that has to be right. You have to be right. You have to have integrity.

Pastors, one of the greatest gifts you can give to your congregation is your personal holiness. Do not neglect this. John Calvin said it this way,

There are two things of which a good pastor should be careful; to be diligent in teaching, and to keep himself pure… Doctrine will be of little avail, if there be not a corresponding goodness and holiness of life [comments on 1 Tim. 4:16].

There is more that can and should be said, but these are the things I will be praying for you as you preach tomorrow.

Godspeed, brothers.

This was originally published here.

Denny Burk

Denny Burk is Professor of Biblical Studies at Boyce College, which is the undergraduate school of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He also serves as an Associate Pastor at Kenwood Baptist Church. Read More by this Author

Article 12: The Future of AI

We affirm that AI will continue to be developed in ways that we cannot currently imagine or understand, including AI that will far surpass many human abilities. God alone has the power to create life, and no future advancements in AI will usurp Him as the Creator of life. The church has a unique role in proclaiming human dignity for all and calling for the humane use of AI in all aspects of society.

We deny that AI will make us more or less human, or that AI will ever obtain a coequal level of worth, dignity, or value to image-bearers. Future advancements in AI will not ultimately fulfill our longings for a perfect world. While we are not able to comprehend or know the future, we do not fear what is to come because we know that God is omniscient and that nothing we create will be able to thwart His redemptive plan for creation or to supplant humanity as His image-bearers.

Genesis 1; Isaiah 42:8; Romans 1:20-21; 5:2; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2 Timothy 1:7-9; Revelation 5:9-10

Article 11: Public Policy

We affirm that the fundamental purposes of government are to protect human beings from harm, punish those who do evil, uphold civil liberties, and to commend those who do good. The public has a role in shaping and crafting policies concerning the use of AI in society, and these decisions should not be left to those who develop these technologies or to governments to set norms.

We deny that AI should be used by governments, corporations, or any entity to infringe upon God-given human rights. AI, even in a highly advanced state, should never be delegated the governing authority that has been granted by an all-sovereign God to human beings alone. 

Romans 13:1-7; Acts 10:35; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Article 10: War

We affirm that the use of AI in warfare should be governed by love of neighbor and the principles of just war. The use of AI may mitigate the loss of human life, provide greater protection of non-combatants, and inform better policymaking. Any lethal action conducted or substantially enabled by AI must employ 5 human oversight or review. All defense-related AI applications, such as underlying data and decision-making processes, must be subject to continual review by legitimate authorities. When these systems are deployed, human agents bear full moral responsibility for any actions taken by the system.

We deny that human agency or moral culpability in war can be delegated to AI. No nation or group has the right to use AI to carry out genocide, terrorism, torture, or other war crimes.

Genesis 4:10; Isaiah 1:16-17; Psalm 37:28; Matthew 5:44; 22:37-39; Romans 13:4

Article 9: Security

We affirm that AI has legitimate applications in policing, intelligence, surveillance, investigation, and other uses supporting the government’s responsibility to respect human rights, to protect and preserve human life, and to pursue justice in a flourishing society.

We deny that AI should be employed for safety and security applications in ways that seek to dehumanize, depersonalize, or harm our fellow human beings. We condemn the use of AI to suppress free expression or other basic human rights granted by God to all human beings.

Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14

Article 8: Data & Privacy

We affirm that privacy and personal property are intertwined individual rights and choices that should not be violated by governments, corporations, nation-states, and other groups, even in the pursuit of the common good. While God knows all things, it is neither wise nor obligatory to have every detail of one’s life open to society.

We deny the manipulative and coercive uses of data and AI in ways that are inconsistent with the love of God and love of neighbor. Data collection practices should conform to ethical guidelines that uphold the dignity of all people. We further deny that consent, even informed consent, although requisite, is the only necessary ethical standard for the collection, manipulation, or exploitation of personal data—individually or in the aggregate. AI should not be employed in ways that distort truth through the use of generative applications. Data should not be mishandled, misused, or abused for sinful purposes to reinforce bias, strengthen the powerful, or demean the weak.

Exodus 20:15, Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 40:13-14; Matthew 10:16 Galatians 6:2; Hebrews 4:12-13; 1 John 1:7 

Article 7: Work

We affirm that work is part of God’s plan for human beings participating in the cultivation and stewardship of creation. The divine pattern is one of labor and rest in healthy proportion to each other. Our view of work should not be confined to commercial activity; it must also include the many ways that human beings serve each other through their efforts. AI can be used in ways that aid our work or allow us to make fuller use of our gifts. The church has a Spirit-empowered responsibility to help care for those who lose jobs and to encourage individuals, communities, employers, and governments to find ways to invest in the development of human beings and continue making vocational contributions to our lives together.

We deny that human worth and dignity is reducible to an individual’s economic contributions to society alone. Humanity should not use AI and other technological innovations as a reason to move toward lives of pure leisure even if greater social wealth creates such possibilities.

Genesis 1:27; 2:5; 2:15; Isaiah 65:21-24; Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-16

Article 6: Sexuality

We affirm the goodness of God’s design for human sexuality which prescribes the sexual union to be an exclusive relationship between a man and a woman in the lifelong covenant of marriage.

We deny that the pursuit of sexual pleasure is a justification for the development or use of AI, and we condemn the objectification of humans that results from employing AI for sexual purposes. AI should not intrude upon or substitute for the biblical expression of sexuality between a husband and wife according to God’s design for human marriage.

Genesis 1:26-29; 2:18-25; Matthew 5:27-30; 1 Thess 4:3-4

Article 5: Bias

We affirm that, as a tool created by humans, AI will be inherently subject to bias and that these biases must be accounted for, minimized, or removed through continual human oversight and discretion. AI should be designed and used in such ways that treat all human beings as having equal worth and dignity. AI should be utilized as a tool to identify and eliminate bias inherent in human decision-making.

We deny that AI should be designed or used in ways that violate the fundamental principle of human dignity for all people. Neither should AI be used in ways that reinforce or further any ideology or agenda, seeking to subjugate human autonomy under the power of the state.

Micah 6:8; John 13:34; Galatians 3:28-29; 5:13-14; Philippians 2:3-4; Romans 12:10

Article 4: Medicine

We affirm that AI-related advances in medical technologies are expressions of God’s common grace through and for people created in His image and that these advances will increase our capacity to provide enhanced medical diagnostics and therapeutic interventions as we seek to care for all people. These advances should be guided by basic principles of medical ethics, including beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice, which are all consistent with the biblical principle of loving our neighbor.

We deny that death and disease—effects of the Fall—can ultimately be eradicated apart from Jesus Christ. Utilitarian applications regarding healthcare distribution should not override the dignity of human life. Fur- 3 thermore, we reject the materialist and consequentialist worldview that understands medical applications of AI as a means of improving, changing, or completing human beings.

Matthew 5:45; John 11:25-26; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Galatians 6:2; Philippians 2:4

Article 3: Relationship of AI & Humanity

We affirm the use of AI to inform and aid human reasoning and moral decision-making because it is a tool that excels at processing data and making determinations, which often mimics or exceeds human ability. While AI excels in data-based computation, technology is incapable of possessing the capacity for moral agency or responsibility.

We deny that humans can or should cede our moral accountability or responsibilities to any form of AI that will ever be created. Only humanity will be judged by God on the basis of our actions and that of the tools we create. While technology can be created with a moral use in view, it is not a moral agent. Humans alone bear the responsibility for moral decision making.

Romans 2:6-8; Galatians 5:19-21; 2 Peter 1:5-8; 1 John 2:1

Article 2: AI as Technology

We affirm that the development of AI is a demonstration of the unique creative abilities of human beings. When AI is employed in accordance with God’s moral will, it is an example of man’s obedience to the divine command to steward creation and to honor Him. We believe in innovation for the glory of God, the sake of human flourishing, and the love of neighbor. While we acknowledge the reality of the Fall and its consequences on human nature and human innovation, technology can be used in society to uphold human dignity. As a part of our God-given creative nature, human beings should develop and harness technology in ways that lead to greater flourishing and the alleviation of human suffering.

We deny that the use of AI is morally neutral. It is not worthy of man’s hope, worship, or love. Since the Lord Jesus alone can atone for sin and reconcile humanity to its Creator, technology such as AI cannot fulfill humanity’s ultimate needs. We further deny the goodness and benefit of any application of AI that devalues or degrades the dignity and worth of another human being. 

Genesis 2:25; Exodus 20:3; 31:1-11; Proverbs 16:4; Matthew 22:37-40; Romans 3:23

Article 1: Image of God

We affirm that God created each human being in His image with intrinsic and equal worth, dignity, and moral agency, distinct from all creation, and that humanity’s creativity is intended to reflect God’s creative pattern.

We deny that any part of creation, including any form of technology, should ever be used to usurp or subvert the dominion and stewardship which has been entrusted solely to humanity by God; nor should technology be assigned a level of human identity, worth, dignity, or moral agency.

Genesis 1:26-28; 5:1-2; Isaiah 43:6-7; Jeremiah 1:5; John 13:34; Colossians 1:16; 3:10; Ephesians 4:24