So... About That Riot: Reclaiming the Church from Political Idolatry (Sermon on the Mount Series)
Voxology
Voxology
4.8 • 1.1K Ratings
🗓️ 7 January 2021
⏱️ 38 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
How the events of the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021—and the troubling use of Christian symbols within it—highlight a critical need for the Church to return to the Jesus of the Gospels. Mike and Tim process these pivotal moments in real time, connecting the cultural crisis to the deeply subversive messages within the Sermon on the Mount. Through honest reflection and spiritual clarity, they examine how political idolatry has hijacked the Christian witness—and why reclaiming the cross-shaped way of Jesus has never been more urgent.
Key Takeaways: • The Capitol Insurrection and Epiphany – Why the events of January 6 strikingly mirrored Herod's fear of Jesus and the wise men's rejection of political power in Matthew's Gospel. • Recognizing Political Idolatry – How attaching Jesus's name to political slogans like "Jesus is my Savior, Trump is my President" violates the sacred and embodies taking the Lord's name in vain. • Two Christs, Two Christianities – The distinction between the Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount and a distorted political Christ used as a tool of empire and power. • What is Truly "Christian"? – A challenge to use the Sermon on the Mount as the litmus test for genuine Christlikeness, beyond labels, denominations, or political affiliations. • Processing Righteous Anger – Discussion on anger, protest, and "flipping tables" as metaphor vs. Christlike action, and how believers can engage prophetically without becoming what they critique. • Truth as Love – A call for churches and Christians to love others by confronting falsehood and rejecting a unity that compromises core Kingdom values.
Resources Mentioned: • Matthew 2 – The story of Herod and the Magi • Obadiah & Genesis – Prophecies connecting Edom and the rule of Judah • The Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5–7 as a vision for radical discipleship • Revelation imagery – The Lion turned Lamb in Revelation 5 • Dallas Willard – Teachings on joyful noncompliance and kingdom living • "Jesus Saves" Flags at Capitol – Real-world example of theological misappropriation • Tim Gombis – Referenced for his grounded critique and online presence • Bruce Springsteen – "The idea of America" as an evolving vision worth redeeming
Recenter your vision of Christianity around the teachings and posture of Jesus—not cultural Christianity or partisan power grabs. Subscribe now, leave a review, and follow along as we keep unpacking the Sermon on the Mount and the true mission of Jesus.
As always, we welcome your questions and reflections. Email us at hello@voxpodcast.com and join the ongoing conversation on Facebook and Instagram.
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We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV.
Our Merch Store! ETSY
Learn more about the Voxology Podcast
Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify
Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon
The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio
Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook
Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre
Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford
Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey everybody, Mike and Tim here. |
| 0:06.0 | And we know the world has been breathlessly awaiting the reactions of the Vox |
| 0:13.0 | podcast to this latest, you know, the carryover of 2020 into 2021. |
| 0:21.3 | I saw a great meme that was like, 2021, days without incident. |
| 0:26.0 | And initially it had been five. |
| 0:28.0 | And now it had been reset back to zero. |
| 0:33.3 | So there's some things that we want to talk about. We don't feel the need to have to |
| 0:40.3 | provide social commentary and everything that happens in the world. But this one feels pretty |
| 0:45.0 | important and it feels very significant and, um, it feels very relevant to the sermon on the Mount |
| 0:53.0 | politics stuff that we've been talking through. |
| 0:56.1 | And so I just want to, Tim and I just want to make some observations and talk through a |
| 1:00.5 | couple of things about how to process this, perhaps. And we're doing it literally the day after. |
| 1:05.4 | And we're not settled. We're raw. We're processing this in real time. You're just listening to |
| 1:10.7 | our conversation. |
| 1:12.2 | Yeah, it really is. |
| 1:13.0 | I mean, we started talking on the phone and Tim's like, well, let's just, let's just record |
| 1:18.0 | this right now. |
| 1:18.8 | So you guys are live time with our thoughts. |
| 1:22.1 | Yeah, right, which is a super scary thing. |
| 1:24.4 | Who knows? |
| 1:25.6 | What heretical thoughts will arrive. But that's exciting. |
| 1:31.1 | Yes. Yeah, we're living on the edge. It was interesting, though, that our friend Bonnie noted this, |
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