STAND UP CHURCH
LETTERS TO THE AMERICAN CHURCH • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewThe church needs to stand up now!
Notes
Transcript
INTRO:
We had a great week at VBS. We seen dozens of kids accept Jesus or reconfirm their relationship with God.
We are starting a short two week mini series called: STAND UP CHURCH!
We are going to look at what the Bible says regarding our involvement in Politics?
First…Know Jesus and Make Him Known is the most important calling.
Second…We should do all we can to ensure that we can freely continue to do the first thing.
Jeremiah 29:7 (NLT)
7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.
24 Blind guides! You strain your water so you won’t accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!
Jesus was addressing the moral defilement and ritualistic focus that the leaders were prioritizing over moral purity.
The pharisee he addressed were the one making judgements in courts and establishing laws in land.
6 Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do.
7 Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority.
Government officials are serving God; they are ministers
We are ambassadors for Christ!
20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”
Ambassador - A diplomatic official of the highest rank appointed and accredited as representative in residence by on government or sovereign to another; A diplomatic official heading his or her country’s permanent mission to certain international organizations.
Sound like a political call to me…
God raised up leaders to conquer, defend, rebuild, bring judgement, and to lead His people back to God.
God said to Joshua, Be strong and courageous,
Jesus said, We are the Salt and Light!
2 When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan.
12 When the godly succeed, everyone is glad. When the wicked take charge, people go into hiding.
As Disciples of Christ we should care about the Nation we live in.
Jeremiah’s Letter to the Israelites in Babylonian captivity:
This is what the LORD says…
7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
We see…
Daniel fasted for his nation
Esther risked her life approaching the king on behalf of the atrocities planned for her people
Nehemiah cried, fasted and approached the King concerning the condition of the land.
Jesus debated the religious leaders (Political leaders of the day; standing for the less fortunate and bringing correction to their policies and traditions)
WE MUST STAND UP AS WELL!
HOW?
PRAY:
1 Timothy 2:1-4
1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.
2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.
3 This is good and pleases God our Savior,
4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
VOTE BIBLICALLY!
As we approach Election Day on Tuesday, November 5th
What are the important issue on the ballots?
Become familiar with those running for office and what they stand for:
US House
Senate
State house
Special state legislative
State Supreme Court
Intermediate appellate courts
School Boards
Key issues to look for in a candidate:
1. WHAT IS THEIR BIBLICAL WORLD VIEW?
Do they view the church as essential?
VIDEO: WQAD during covid
People with a negative view on the church will judge and rule allowing new definitions to distort our founding father’s original intent.
EXAMPLE:
Separation of church and state
It’s not in the constitution (It just an old fashion document) “It is not written for the times, it is written to stand the test of time.” - Charlie Kirk
It’s not in the federalist papers
It’s not in the declaration of independence
It is a single letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1802 to the Danbury baptist convention guaranteeing that the church would not be abused by the government.
Pretend that it is a real statement though…why did our governor shut down our churches during covid? So the goverment can come into the church but the church cannot aren’t allowed to control anything in government. NO they want to control us and not allow the church to have a say in politics
WHAT THEY HAVE TRANSLATED JEFFERSON’S LETTER INTO IS…
1954 Lindon Johnson - infringement upon freedom of speech
Don’t mix religion and politics
Don’t bring your faith into the public square where I can see it.
Hide your faith outside of your place of worship because we have a “separation of church and state.’”
What are the five rights in the 1st Amendment?
Apply landmark Supreme Court cases to contemporary scenarios related to the five pillars of the First Amendment and your rights to freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
What does the Equal Access Act of 1984 allow?
Legal Guidelines Regarding the Equal Access Act and the Recognition of Student-Led Non-Curricular Groups. The Equal Access Act ensures that noncurricular student groups are afforded the same access to public secondary school facilities as other, similarly situated student groups.
2. DO THEY BELIEVE IN THE INTELLIGENT DESIGNER?
GOD CREATED THEM MALE AND FEMALE
We must stand on sexual issues which means education policy is very important (School Board Members and Special State Legislation)
ILLUSTRATION:
Last Supper Parody by Drag Queens for opening ceremony of Olympics.
There are not 500 genders
God made them male and female.
Genesis 1:27 (NLT)
27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
If you believe that, you are free to, (God’s judgement will catch up) but don’t teach that in our public schools! It must stop with our children.
They are wanting to offer medical mutilating procedures that effect them for life.
Suicide increases after those procedures.
“It’s better to have a daughter that is alive, than a son that is dead” hogwash! Stats have proven it to be false.
3. DO THEY VALUE LIFE?
Every human being has a soul that is being fought over in the heavenlies.
If they embrace a Darwinian Origin
Believing we evolved over millions of years and we are just a bunch of convenient accidents that happened to form together, it is easy to not value life
and kill a million babies a year for the sake of convenience, profit and gain of function studies.
LIFE BEGINS AT CONCEPTION
This is not a political issue. Politicians have made it that.
Genesis 1:27 (NLT)
27 So God created human beings in HIS own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
3 “Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.
4 Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people.
8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.
STAND UP
SPEAK OUT
Few people are willing to speak out for fear of being canceled or ridiculed
26 “But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.
27 What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!
28 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
41 At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
A lot of us emphasize the importance of fiscal policies too. And we should BUT KNOW THIS…
Good fiscal policy most often follows an valuing life.
CONCLUSION:
I HAVE HEARD NUMEROUS TIMES FROM CHRISTIANS…
“THE CANDIDATE ISN’T CHRIST-LIKE ENOUGH FOR ME”
We are not electing them to our elder board
If God used…
David a adulterer
Samsun disobedient
Rahab a prostitute
Saul a murderer and persecutor of Christians
Peter a denier
Than God can use a colorful candidate for stand righteousness, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
REGISTER TO VOTE
You have until 11:59pm on October 20, 2024 to register to vote.
You can google: Illinois Online Voter Application to register (we can help you at the “Connect Center”)
Election Authority must receive mail ballots by October 31
November 4th last for early voting
RESEARCH THE CANDIDATES
FOR GOOD INFORMATION ON CANDIDATES GO TO:
ivoterguide.com
0% chance of having a voice in our nation and community if we don’t vote.
The secular community has a better statistic on voting than the church.
If the church would vote we could bring all this back into biblical alignment.
