Stop Keeping the Peace! - Ole AD's Final Word on the Reformed Pub

Hello there, this is AD Robles and you're listening to AD on the Fight Laugh Feast Network All right, all right

Well today I just wanted to let you know up front that if my eyes or my face looks a little puffy

It's first thing in the morning I've been thinking about this episode for the last hour or so and so I just woke up a little while ago

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AD Robles on YouTube. Let's jump right in what I'm planning on doing today

Is I'm planning on making the case That you should stop keeping the peace in the next 20 minutes,

I'm hoping to Convince you that one of the things that you should stop doing is

Keeping the peace at all costs Now we that might be a weird thing for a Christian to say and I'm gonna use a couple of examples here

I'm primarily talking about The happening over at the reform pub Facebook group.

Now. This is a relatively unimportant thing It's a fairly large group, but it's still just a Facebook group, right?

So it's not the end of the world But but what they did by banning any mention of Doug Wilson's name along with other things

There's other things that are banned over there as well as far as topics of conversation what they did was set a precedent that a

Christian should not accept a Christian should not be the kind of person that just wants to keep the peace at all

Costs, let me explain to you what I mean now you might say that's weird Adam That's weird because I can think of verses in the

Bible that talk about how you should keep the peace So what kind of evil nonsense are you talking about here?

Well, let me sit tight just bear with me for just a minute I could come up with those verses too. There's one in the

Sermon on the Mount and the beatitudes Where Jesus says blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God you want to be a child of God, correct?

So so then why am why is ad telling you not to be a peacemaker when Jesus said?

Blessed are the peacemakers, you know, there's a there's another there's another verse as well that talks about peace

From the lips of Jesus as well and it's from this almost the same context Matthew chapter 10 only five chapters later

What does he say? It's interesting. He says Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth.

I have not come to bring peace but a sword I have come to set a man against his father and a daughter against his mother and a daughter -in -law

Against his mother -in -law and a person's enemies will be those of his own household I remember this pairing of verses very well.

This is one of those pairings of verses that atheists love they say Oh, look, there's a contradiction Jesus couldn't be

God because he said blessed are the peacemakers and then he said that he didn't even come to bring peace And so what do we do?

Right. What do we do about this kind of thing? Because as a Christian, you know, we're committed to Believe every verse in the

Bible we're committed to to to to to Number one assume that Jesus Christ is

God. We need to believe that that's one of our presuppositions Jesus Christ is the Lord of Glory and the

Lord of Glory cannot contradict himself. He cannot lie He cannot be one thing and then he can't be not that thing.

I mean he is who he is I'm the great I am you know what I mean? So we we need to understand these verses were committed to believing them

We need to be able to understand them in a way that makes them not Contradict and luckily Well, this is not luck.

This is because God is amazing. He doesn't just leave us twisting in the wind God never leaves you twisting in the wind with this kind of stuff

So when atheists bring up this kind of stuff, he's these contradictions, you know stuff like that. Don't fear it I used to fear that stuff, but you don't have to He gives us a little explanation here.

This is this is actually from Paul. This is from Romans chapter 18 again It's talking about peace.

And what does Paul say? He says if it is possible as far as it depends on you

Live at peace with everyone if it's possible as much as it lies in you live peaceably with all men the

King James says and So you see the caveat here, right? It's not peace at all costs

Rather as long as If it's possible as long as it depends on you be at peace with all men be a peacemaker

But not peace at all costs sometimes It doesn't depend on you Sometimes it doesn't depend on you and you can't be

Peaceful in certain situations. I can think of many situations like this when we think about Christ himself

He came to bring a sword and the reason he came to bring a sword because it was not possible for him to Come and be at peace with all men because he had and has real enemies on this earth real enemies that want nothing more than to usurp

God's authority real enemies that want to destroy his image bearers and he came to save the world and He came

Essentially to conquer his foes. He's putting all his enemies under his feet. That's gonna be a violent situation

That's not gonna be peaceful It'll be peaceful when everything is put right when he when the final enemy when death is put under his feet

Then it'll be peaceful. But for right now There's not just peace. I Mean the

Church of God has peace. We understand that we have peace with God and we're so grateful for it But at the same time if you look around and it's not just all you know

Daffodils and and daisies and and little puppies and stuff like that. That's just not the reality.

It is so There is violence as well and there's a battle. I'm gonna assume

I'm not gonna make the case in this in this in this video But I'm gonna make this case soon because I talked to a lot of people that say well there is no culture war

I'm just a Christian. I'm not engaged in a culture war and I'm like, what kind of what Bible are you reading? I mean the

Bible presents what we do here as a war all the time There's a great verse in Psalm 144 when it's like praise the

Lord or bless the Lord He's the one who prepares me for war who trains my fingers for battle and things like that And so much of what we're doing in the church much of what we're doing in the church is preparing for battle

Preparing, you know understanding what God is like understanding what God desires from us

But not just so that we know more about God Yes, it's great to know a lot more about God. That's wonderful.

Nothing wrong with that But we do it so that we're prepared to act for the Lord. That's actually one of my favorite

RJ rush duty quotes It's not that we go to church and pray and study so that we just have the knowledge and we can say we did our duty

No We do it so that we know what God would do in situations and so that when we face those situations when we're ready for that that that battle

We're ready because we've done our prep work. We've done our preparation. You know, this is a this is interesting because I'm gonna relate

I ripped two things last week that People go too far with and it's very unmanly of them to go too far with and I ripped a video game

This is very popular rip video games, right? I play video games So just so don't hear me saying video games are bad, but we all know that you can go too far with video games, right?

So I have video games and sports These are two things that men go way too far with and I made the case that it's just trying it's an it's an attempt

Replacing the real work that you should be doing, you know doing work in these video games because a lot of these video games are

There there they're like all -consuming like you build stuff and things like that. I mentioned World of Warcraft I used to play

World of Warcraft and World of Warcraft is cool because Because it has different things you can you can play it by yourself, but but it's really meant to be played with others

And they have these big Levels essentially where you basically have to work together.

Otherwise, you can't beat it Like there's no way for you to beat it on your own You have to go in with a team of five or ten or something like that But but not only do you have to do that But you have to do it with with with five or ten people that have different jobs different functions.

There's there's There's things called healers, right? That's what I used to be a healer and a healer as you might imagine

That person's job is really not to fight the enemies, although they can fight they have weapons But they're focused on making sure the whole party is is healed up because they're facing these enemies that are more powerful than they are

And they're gonna they're gonna die in the game unless the healer is doing his healing job That's what

I used to do I used to be a healer and I'd get involved in the fight every now and then but mostly I'm trying to avoid it So that I can you know use healing powers on my on my team, right?

There's also D DPS is what it's called. These are essentially the fighters These are the guys that are just trying to do as much damage as they possibly can to the enemy so they can win

That's their whole job. They don't focus on anything else except damage They just want to do damage and then they've got these guys called tanks and these

I've never I never played as a tank because It always seemed like too much pressure but a tank Essentially is very powerful guy.

He fights but his whole job is really to Draw as much fire to himself as possible so that the healer doesn't get hurt by the enemies

He's supposed to draw as much Aggression from the enemy as possible.

So he's almost like a distracting guy. He takes fire for people He's a he's cover fire. So that way the damage guys and the healers can do their thing

Meanwhile, he's just taking all the brunt of the attacks, right? He's he's he's beefy He's strong and he does that and so that's you need to really work together in the world of Warcraft and everyone has a different Function right?

Everyone has a different function and you know, another thing that works this way is a football team

I'm a Jets fan, you know, and I used to be really into it. I used to go way too far with with being a

Jets fan Anyway, we have a new head coach. His name is Adam Gase And Adam Gase is the worst.

He's the worst and it's not just because the team is losing It's that I mean the team is losing because of him he's he's a professional excuse maker

He you know, like nobody nobody likes it when someone's like basically like why did you lose this game and you're given excuses?

You know, you don't have the right quarterback or you don't have the right offensive line You don't have the right players and things like that.

You don't see winners doing that stuff What you see winners do excuse me use what you see winners doing as you see winner saying.

All right Well, I don't have the right players So let me figure out the best position to put these not right players in a situation where they can be successful So if I don't have a great thrower

I'm not gonna throw the ball a ton Or I'm gonna do gadget plays where they don't have to throw the ball as far or as accurately things like that Like like that's what a winner does but a loser just tries to blame everyone.

I don't have the right pieces I don't have the right pieces and You know I see the church very much in a way light in a way like this where Look these are the people like the people that are in the church.

This is who we got. This is our army, right? This is our army. And so we need to do what we have to do with this army

We didn't and stop wishing we had another army like that's what we really need to do And so I see the church in this way.

Everyone has its own role. In fact, that's a that's a verse that That lots of people love to quote.

This is first Corinthians chapter 12, I believe Just as one body There's just the body is one it has many members and all members of the body though or many are one body

So it is with Christ For one in the spirit. We're all baptized into one body Jews or Greeks slaves are free

We're all made to drink of one spirit It goes on later that I can't say to the hand I know have no need of you nor again the head to the feet

I have no need of you on the contrary the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are Indispensable and those parts of the body that we think are less honorable bestow greater honor

So this is that making the case essentially of what I was explaining with the world of Warcraft. Everyone has a different role

They're not the same role a healer can't be a tank a tank can't be a healer You know what? I mean?

And so so so the reality is that the church is in a war is in a battle and does

Have an army and we need to use this army And and guys like this is this is that this is why

I was up this morning early because this is a problem I see all over the place right where I Mean, this is really how stupid it gets sometimes

We're basically hands are saying you're not a hand like me. Therefore. You're you must be a capitulator

You must be part of the enemy or we have or we have ears saying well, you're not an ear like me

Therefore you must be unloving and I just I it just drives me up the wall It really does it really does

I I see this with with people that Look like like not everyone has to have a

YouTube channel. Not everyone has to be brash Not everyone has to say things like in a no quarter November kind of way like that's not what we're looking for But but just because somebody's a little bit more winsome than you or doesn't maybe identify the enemies as aggressively as you

Does not mean they're on the other team Right like like everyone has a different role

I was I was reading the story of David and Goliath to my son And I it's such an interesting story because we have the fighters, right?

We've got the warrior class We've got like the people that are supposed to be up in the front lines doing battle getting bloody, you know

Maybe making mistakes, but but they're they're facing the brunt of the assault and then we have David, right? And he's not really part of the army, but he has a role right?

He's bringing the food to his brothers He's doing something and there's and in a military you have different people doing different things.

You've got snipers You've got people in the foxholes. You've got people in tanks. You got you know medics you've got

Intelligence officers you got spies you've got like there's all kinds of different roles in a war, right?

And obviously a Spy is not gonna go out into the big of the battlefield stick out his chest and say, okay, let's go

That's a role for somebody else That's a role for somebody else a spy can't do that In fact a spy would be breaking his what would be would be would be would be abandoning his post if he were to do something like that right, and so so this is the thing about the

Facebook thing right because I noticed that I Asked the question in the group about what's banned because I knew there was other things banned

So Doug Wilson, he's to peace. He's banned because because you know, he's he's they're trying to keep the peace

Is the threads about him are too polarizing vaccines and vaccines and anti -vaccine that's banned marijuana drug legalization

That's bad birth control and vasectomies. That's bad the question on whether or not a woman should have children.

I Can't think of a more basic Christian question, but that's banned medical questions are banned any article by pulpit and pen is deleted

And so what are these people attempting to do here? Right? What are the admins of this group attempting to do?

Well one of the things they're attempting There's others a variety of things and and they said so in the in the initial post is a variety of reasons

We're banning Doug Wilson But what the primary one seems to be at least what they're going with is they're trying to keep the peace

It's just too much moderation required, right? It's too much moderation required and And to me that's a real tragedy

Because here's the thing guys When we're fighting with each other Right when we're when we're when we're fighting with each other and we're kicking around these ideas that are controversial and things like that Like, you know vaccines should women have children should women be focused on the home?

like, you know things like that like like these questions that are controversial like We're in that war already and we need to train for that war guys.

We need to train for that war So when I talk to my brother and oftentimes when I'm when I'm gonna make a controversial video

I'll call my brother and we'll kick it around a little bit me and him right and It'll get animated sometimes and sometimes we'll be will be you know

You know get get aggressive with each other with the points and counterpoints and that you know what that is guys

That's practice That's the training ground Like you can't go into a football game without a week of practice behind you

Right, like like you don't send your kids out to war without teaching them and training them first Right, like a military an army practices and they spar with each other and sometimes sparks fly and sometimes

Blood will run, you know, not you know, not not mortal wounds, obviously, but but things happen, right?

And and I don't see any reason why a Christian ought to stop that We we need to practice.

I mean, it's just a Facebook group, right? So we're not gonna get too upset about it But but a Facebook group is a good training ground like we need to take advantage of that There's a lot of members in that group right and what they need to learn a lot of them is how to fight

Metaphorically speaking how to fight Stop keeping the peace

We need to practice with each other in a safe space where it's just us, right? Because we're in the war the real war with the pagans, right?

We're in that real culture where whether we want to be or not We're in it. We're in it and we were bringing the gospel to bear on the culture

We're preaching that gospel kicking down the gates of hell and we don't expect that They're just Satan's just gonna be like, oh, come on in guys.

No, he's gonna fight back He's gonna rage and there's a war a real war happening right now

And you're saying well, let's go to war without training with each other. We got to keep the peace

Keeping the peace isn't a worthy goal in some situations and in some situations. It's actually sin

There is no peace Oftentimes Especially when you're in a battle when you're in a war if you try to keep the peace with people

You shouldn't be keeping the peace with You're in sin In fact, there's a there's a there's a great

Bible verse where the Prophet says you're saying peace peace, but there is no peace You are lying

Keeping the peace is a worthy goal in some situations and in other situations. It's really the wrong move

I'm not saying that the reformed pub is in sin for this I'm saying that they've been brought up in such a way where basically avoiding a fight is like the ultimate the prime directive

Let's avoid the fight, right? This is the this is the same teaching that I grew up with I know about it guys like this is how

I know about it because I grew up with this teaching anything to avoid a fight This is the same teaching that looks down on in scorn with a street preacher who's out there sounding too aggressive

This is the same teaching that has led it us to have to fight back to get people at the abortion mills like that used to be more commonplace and now like Apology a church and these guys are struggling to get guys more interested in that kind of stuff

Like it's that same teaching avoid a fight at all costs Avoid a fight at all costs is the same teaching that is allowing critical theory

Feminism all this kind of stuff to rum run roughshod in our denominations and you're wondering well Where's the guys with the backbone, right?

Well, the guys with the backbone are being trained to avoid fights and to keep the peace. That's where they are

That's where they are. I Was talking to a brother the other day about a guy that that he gave a great talk

And I heard it and I was just awesome is listening to it, you know And I started going into his stuff and he said hey that guy's a coward and I said what it doesn't seem like a coward

He goes, you know, he told me why he says this He says he's the kind of guy that if you're in a foxhole together

You know, you should shoot him first before you make the charge because he's gonna get you in the back Right, and it was it was hilarious joke and I thought a lot about that.

I thought a lot about that and I Was thinking to myself like, you know

That wouldn't actually be right. That wouldn't actually be right because he's on our team I'm not

I don't think that this person was saying this guy was an unbeliever. I don't think that's what he was saying But he was not suited for the role that he was in Not every military guy is suited to be in a foxhole.

Not every military person is suited to be in a pressure situation Some guys are better snipers

Some guys are better, you know way behind the scenes where things aren't quite as high pressure, you know

And and and and they join the fight that way some guys are better medics, right

I Mean, that's just how it is. Some people are gonna be better at that kind of thing But but so so so that's the thing like we got to understand there's different roles for different people just like in football

Just like in World of Warcraft There's different roles for different people and let's stop treating them and acting as if they're on the other team

Let's not be the hand that says to the foot. I don't need you Let's not be the ear that says to the nose. I don't need you. That's not how it is.

That's not how it is guys Let's fight each other But not

Betray each other. Does that make sense? Does that make sense? And so that's one of that's the real sad thing about this

Facebook group situation with the reform pub It's because it sends the wrong message that that fighting and keeping the peace

I'm sorry Keeping the peace is the ultimate good and fighting is is to be avoided especially when it gets too heated

I think that's that's topsy -turvy. That's upside down. That's contrary to what's true, especially in this situation

We ought to use these Facebook groups as a training ground. It's not the real fight The real fight is not in reform pub.

The real fight is out there But we need to be ready to fight that real fight last point last point the the case that Essentially is being made is that Doug Wilson is too polarizing.

He's too polarizing and That's that's the big problem. That's why people can't handle, you know, you know arguing about about him and And the reality is this is a this is a common thing that's said a lot of the time where you have you ever heard

This where the people say it's not X or Y it's somewhere in the middle The the truth lies somewhere in the middle people love to say that stuff, right?

And it's so often not even close to being true The truth often doesn't lie in the middle.

The truth is often very polarizing I think we understand this as Christians But for some reason it doesn't make it from our brains to our hearts, right?

Like we don't act like it is the the minute someone gets polarizing or says something too juicy or too spicy

We we shriek back like like gasp like a woman like we're just shocked and we want to keep the peace

We know that kind of thing Polarizing can be a good thing guys Polarizing often is a good thing

Polarizing is often a very very good thing Christ was being very polarizing when he said look if you're not for us you're against us

You're not for us Rather so it was you're not if you're not for me.

You're against me, right? If you're not on my side, you are against me. He who is not with me is against me.

It's Matthew 12 It all comes from the same book. Isn't this interesting? Yeah, that's not very peaceful right blessed are the peacemakers

I thought right but but polarizing can be good guys And and this is this'll this'll really bake your noodle

Maybe I don't know and I'm not gonna go into it because it's the episodes over but but not only can polarizing be good

Oftentimes it is but being moderate is often very bad being moderate otherwise known as lukewarm

Can be very bad on things that you shouldn't be moderate about if you're moderate on it

You're in sin. I'm not talking politically. I'm talking scripturally, right? There are things that you need to be polarizing about and that's that that's just how we have to do it but we've been taught that being moderate being being a mild manner to sort of a lovely kind of man is

The prime directive and that's wrong. We need to get over that. We need to rediscover how to fight

There are different soldiers that'll fight in different ways But everyone's got a fight and we need to practice that fight in these spaces like in like in the reform pub

For example where there's lots of people and things when someone brings up should women have want to have children

This is a very basic Christian question, right? What is a woman for? Right basic Christian question.

It gets too heated. So the admins ban it that's wrong Because that question you can't avoid the fight the fight is going to happen

But what you're saying is let's not practice that fight in our I don't have time to moderate it that fight

And I just don't see I don't see how that could be productive in any way. I really don't One thing

I'll do before we end if you have not already consider joining the fight laugh feast club

I Can guarantee you there's one thing about the fight laugh feast club that you that will never happen is we will not avoid a fight at all costs

We will try to keep the peace but not at all costs because we understand that necessity of fighting the necessity of fighting

If you're looking for a safe haven for where you can actually kick these ideas around these controversial ideas about birth control

Marijuana vaccines, we will talk about any of these things in our in our Facebook group fight laugh feast family party join it

This is not the real fight, right? That's this is in many ways This is a this is a training ground, but not the real fight itself, but come on over what we'll do that with you

We'll do that with you. I can guarantee you Doug Wilson's name is not banned there Guarantee is not banned there and all of those topics that are banned in the reform pub won't be banned here

It's still gonna be moderated by the way, so it's not gonna be chaos, right? we're not gonna have little my little pony memes all over the place for an entire day, but We understand the value of fighting and we understand that if you're going to fight you got a train

Anyway, this episode is gone long. I'm gonna end it right there. I hope you found it helpful. God bless