Thursday, February 28, 2013
Let Us Pray....A Lot
“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:31
Beloved,
We need to pray. We need to pray more often and more faithfully. God delights in hearing our hearts cry out to him. He delights when His gathered people call upon his name. The early church was marked by faithful, consistent and expectant prayers. They prayed because they were desperate for His presence. They wanted what only God could give: the Holy Spirit. Are we desperate for the Holy Spirit?
Notice what happened when the saints gathered together in one mind and heart to pray. First, the place where they were gathered was shaken. The presence of God fell upon their gathering. Second, those gathered were filled with the Holy Spirit. Third, God’s presence and the filling of the Spirit emboldened the church to speak the Word of God. Can you see how important prayer is for the church?
Please pray. Pray that God would fill our church with the Holy Spirit. Pray that God would grant us boldness as we proclaim the word of God. Beloved, we need God’s power and God’s presence if we are going to fulfill his mission. He has promised us that he will be with us always even until the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20). He has promised us that will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask for Him (Luke 11:13). God has promised that he will reward those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Beloved, let us earnestly seek the Lord in prayer and plead with him for the Holy Spirit to fill us so that we may speak the word of God with great boldness.
In Christ,
Pastor Dave
Gossip Needs to Die
“Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.” Proverbs 26:20
Beloved,
Two years ago I went hiking on the Appalachian Trail. We hiked 30 miles in 3 days. It was early April and the weather was cold. The best thing to do on cold nights is to light a fire, but unfortunately the rain from the morning caused much of our wood at our campsite unusable. Let me tell you that without wood a fire most surely goes out. The fire did not last long because there was no fuel to add to the fire.
American Churches are known for its quarrels and bickering among its own. It grieves my heart every time I hear churches marked by infighting and gossip. Pastor Kent Hughes defines gossip this way: Gossip involves saying behind a person’s back what you would never say to his or her face. We have the opportunity to protect the unity of our church by simply choosing not to participate in gossip. You can be a part of growing unity simply by saying nothing. Do not give fuel to quarrels by participating in gossip. If you would not say it to the person’s face, than do not say it behind their back.
We must fight against our fleshly impulses and avoid gossip at all costs. Gossip is divisive and destroys the unity of the church. James1:10, “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” If you are using your mouth to curse others with gossip, repent of your sins and strive to be a blessing with your words to this church. Do not tear one another down with our words, but use every opportunity to build up the saints. Without wood a fire goes out, without gossip a quarrel dies down. Be part of letting quarrels die.
In Christ,
Pastor Dave
The Lord Rejoices Over Us
“The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
Beloved,
In 2003, I asked Ellen to take a road trip with me to the Midwest over the summer. We were still just friends, but we both knew that his trip would be the official start of our relationship. The night before the trip, Ellen’s roommate walked in to find her packing AND singing. She was so excited to be with me that she couldn’t stop from singing. By God’s grace, my wife is still singing. My wife loves me. Her love gives me strength and courage. The love of my wife is one of my most cherished possessions in the entire world. Her love is a precious gift from a kind and generous God.
Her joy and love for me continues to amaze and astound me. My wife’s joyful love is a model of the joyful love of our gracious and loving God. In the same way, do you know that the Lord rejoices over you with loud singing? He is so excited to save that he cannot stop singing over us. The Lord is mighty to save AND he also loves to save. He will exult over us with loud singing. The Lord does not save us because he has too; He saves us because He delights in saving his people. He rejoices over us with loud singing. Our God is passionately in love with his people. He delights in salvation.
His delight in singing over us is why we should respond in loud singing back to Him during our worship. Music is a gift from God to express our emotions for our great salvation in Jesus Christ. Praise God that we get to sing of his saving love together every Sunday. Beloved, be encourage that our great and powerful God, rejoices over us with gladness and exults over us with loud singing. Let us respond in kind. Let us make a joyful noise to the Lord.
Root of Bitterness: Be Gone
“15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;” Hebrews 12:15
Beloved,
We need to guard our hearts for it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23). We must examine our hearts to make sure no roots of sin are growing there. As I mentioned on Sunday, bitterness is a deadly sin for a church. It is so dangerous because it develops quickly and has the power to control relationships for many years. It may appear easier to allow bitterness to overtake the heart rather than offering forgiveness to those who have hurt you, but the root of bitterness causes trouble and many become defiled.
So what kind of trouble does bitterness cause? Bitterness affects the relational unity within the church. We are commanded to “make every effort to keep the unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace.” When bitterness takes root in the heart we are not make every effort to keep unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace. Bitterness inhibits obedience. It is a sin against God and against God’s people. Our unity is a picture to the world that gospel is true for in the way we love each other all men will know we are disciples of the Lord Jesus (John13:34-35).
Seeing that no root of bitterness develops in your own heart is a protection for you own soul and for the souls of others. We must have the same attitude of that of Christ Jesus for when he was reviled, he did not revile in return (Phil 2:4; 1 Peter 2:23). Jesus received the greatest evil this world has ever known when he became sin who knew no sin so we could become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21). Jesus did not harbor bitterness against those who hurt him, but said, “Father, forgive them.” I pray you do the same.
There are many relationships that need healing, I pray that you will examine your heart to see that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble for your soul and the souls of others.
In Christ,
Pastor Dave
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Do you have beautiful feet?
And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:15
Beloved,
When was the last time you told someone about Jesus? Sharing the gospel can be hard. Listen to the wise counsel of this seasoned pastor:
"I began this year with a desire to be a better personal evangelist. So, what’s happening with that desire? Well, I think I’m learning (again!) two vital lessons.
First, desiring something ain’t the same thing as doing something. Not by a long shot. And while I know that sounds like a rather obvious thing to say, in my case it needs saying. Desire has to be translated into specific plans and actions. I’m looking up nearly 30 days after expressing that desire and only once have I personally shared the gospel with someone. Aaaargh!!!
Second, I’m learning again that faithful evangelism requires putting to death the fear of man. Will I ever stop having that halting tightness in my chest? Will those hesitation-inducing thoughts of rejection and offense ever fade away? You know, probably not. I’m likely to always feel some hesitation and some fear of man when it comes to evangelism. But what am I going to do? Not share the greatest news the world has ever received? No. I’m going to remember Romans 1:16, Philemon 6, and Hebrews 10:38-39, and other such texts which encourage, admonish, promise, and guide.[1] "
It may always be hard to share the gospel. The fear of man may grip your heart, but we must share the greatest news the world has ever received. Be encouraged that you are not the only one who struggles with the fear of man. But also be encouraged to overcome that fear by doing what you desire for how beautiful are the feet that bring good news!!
In Christ,
Pastor Dave
“Prepare Yourself for the Messiah” Luke 3:1-20
Weddings have become big business in America. On average, American couples spent $25,000 on weddings. The wedding industry is booming and there is no shortage of advice. From shows like, Say Yes to the Dress, Bridezillas, My Fair Wedding, A Wedding Story, Amazing Wedding Cakes or Wedded to Perfection, there is a plethora of information about how to prepare for the big day. There are also a large variety of wedding magazine to choose from: Premier Bride, Wedding Style, Brides, Town & Country Weddings, or The Knot Magazine. It has become a booming industry to help people prepare for the big day. Weddings should be a big deal. It is very important day. It is very important day to prepare for it is a day that will alter your future. It is a day that unites two people into one flesh. I think more emphasis should be placed on the marriage over the wedding, but that is another conversation. But I think we can all agree that the bride should prepare to meet the bridegroom. All of us must prepare to meet the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus. There is a day approaching when we will discover if we are prepared for Our Marriage, the marriage supper with the Lamb. Matthew 25:1-13:
25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
We must prepare ourselves for the Bridegroom, the Messiah. I want show you three truths from this morning text that I believe will help us prepare for the Messiah.
By Inwardly Repenting of Sin (v.1-6)
Luke announces John as a prophet from the Old Testament tradition. After placing him in a historical context, roughly 29 AD, He said, “the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert.” Luke does not use the normal logos for the word of God. He uses the word rhema which is typically used to a specific word for a specific ministry. John had a very unique calling from God. Luke (along with the Mark and Matthew) make note the John came in the desert or wilderness. This is important as it connects John to the prophecy of Isaiah 40. The book of Isaiah can be separated in two sections; Chapters 1-39 which are more prophecies of judgment against Israel in the coming exile to Babylon and Chapters 40-66 which are prophecies of salvation from exile. Luke connects John’s ministry to that of the salvation that God will break to Israel while they are in the desert of exile. Verse 4 says, “As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God’s salvation.”
Luke wants the readers to see that God’s Word is still active. As God spoke Zechariah in the temple, he will continue to speak through his servant John. The mention of John’s location in the desert connects John to Isaiah 40 and shows that his ministry will be a crucial step in God’s plan of salvation. Isaiah 40 speaks about how God will bring a second exodus for his people modeling the first exodus. Most Jews believed that just as God led his people out of slavery in Egypt, he was going to lead his people out of bondage to Babylon. Luke is saying here that the salvation promised in Isaiah was not fulfilled in the return from the exile in Babylon, but will be fulfilled in the Anointed Lord, Jesus Christ. So, John’s specific calling to be the one the helps to prepare people for a complete and total salvation or a new exodus not from bondage to a foreign nation, but from sin and death. So how was this going to happen? What was John’s message? Verse 3 says, “He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
John challenged people to prepare the way for the Lord by inwardly repenting of their sins. The concept of repentance is not only important to the ministry of John the Baptist, but it also important throughout Luke’s gospel.[1]The Old Testament idea for repentance is turning or to return. It is often viewed as one changing their point of view or perspective. John was challenging people to change their way of thinking. They needed to live differently and the way to live differently is to think differently. People needed to understand that they lived under responsibility before God. God was coming to bring salvation, but he was also coming in judgment. The salvation that God brings will remove every obstruction that stands in His way. It will be like a highway cleared through a mountain. His salvation will explode mountains and hills to dust so we may see his salvation. Similarly, listen to Isaiah 57:14, “And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people's way.” God will fill every valley, straighten every road, and smooth out the rough places so that all mankind can see His Salvation. But for one to experience that salvation, they must repent. They must change their mind in their relationship with God.
Beloved, we cannot experience salvation unless we repent of our sins. When we are confronted with our own sinfulness, we arrive at the proverbial fork in the road. We either are going to run from our sin or we are going to run from God; we will either hide our sin or hide in the shadow of the cross? My former pastor use to say, “the difference with a Christian and a Non-Christian is that when a Non-Christian is confronted with their sin they will side with themselves against God while the Christian will side with God against himself and his sin.” So beloved how do you respond when you are confronted in your sins? Do you try to justify yourself or do you understand that you are desperate for grace?
We know that John was coming with the Spirit of the Lord for he did everything against the dominate culture. Listen to verse 7, “John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” This is not typically how speakers are trained. Ruler #1 – Do not insult your audience. Isn’t that exactly what John did? You children of snakes. How far do you think John would have gotten in our American culture? The message of sin and our need for repentance is never popular in fleshly hearts. In our flesh we want to justify ourselves and minimize our need to change. Are we any different than John’s audience?
John assumes that certain people are going to attempt to justify themselves with God. Verse 8b, “And do not begin to say to yourselves (do not begin to justify your place with God), ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” The Jews took comfort in their heritage. They believed that because of their privileged place in God’s plan (and it was and is a privileged place) that they were exempt from this baptism of repentance. But John’s message was a continuation of the Old Testament Covenant. People were coming to be baptized into the promise of the coming Messiah. Remember at the start of John’s ministry, Jesus had not yet begun his public ministry. Jews were being baptized into the same hope of the coming of the Messiah. The baptism of John paved the way for the later baptism of Jesus. We will look at this more in a moment, but listen to Acts 19:4, “4 John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into[b] the name of the Lord Jesus.” So the Jews were being baptism into the same promise, but this baptism was more related to the proximity to the time when the promise was to be fulfilled. The time is now. John implies this with statement like “the coming wrath” and “the ax is already at the root of the trees.” The time of salvation and judgment is now.
Many Jews believed that their spiritual heritage was going to spare them from this judgment, but spiritual heritage does not justify us before God. We all are held individually accountable before God. We all must individual repent. Notice what John says, he says that God can raise up children for Abraham from stones. He can take that which is without life: stones and give them spiritual life so that they can be children of Abraham by faith. That is exactly what has happened to us!! He took our dead hearts and made them alive in Christ by faith so we are called children of Abraham. Romans 4:16-17:
16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”[c]He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
Our salvation is an act of God. Before we can come to life, we must first realize that we are dead. John insulted the sin in his audience not to condemn them, but to expose their need for grace. Beloved, prepare the way for the Messiah by inwardly repenting of your sins.
By Outwardly Producing Good Fruit (v.7-14)
Verse 7, “7 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” The inward repentant heart will always produce good fruit. This is very common New Testament truth. You can judge a tree by its fruit. Good fruit equals a good tree. Bad fruit equals a bad tree. Apple trees do not produce orange. Orange trees do not produce apples. A heart that has truly repented will produce good fruit. Before we look at what good fruit is, we must first look at John’s motivation to produce this fruit.
Verse 9, “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” And again in verse 17, “His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” The Lord Jesus comes in judgment and in salvation. This world stands condemned because of their sin. Every human being desires to be cut down and thrown in the fire. This is why we must repent and confess our sins to God. And this is why Jesus came. He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. John’s motivation is very simple: Everyone who does not repent and bear good fruit will burn with an unquenchable fire. So John urges his readers, as I urge you: repent and bear good fruit.
You may be thinking like John’s hearers, verse 10:
“What should we do then?” the crowd asked.11 John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” 13 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” he told them. 14 Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.”
Three different groups are mentioned: the crowds (v.7), tax collectors (v.12) and soldiers (v. 14). You will notice that with all three groups John tells them to look away from themselves to serve others. To the crowds John says to share their clothing and their food with those who do not have any either. A mark of a repentant, believing heart is those who are generous to the poor with their possessions and their food. We do not look to hold what we have, but we give to those who are in need.
Tax collectors also came to be baptized, “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” Notice that they came with respect by calling John teacher. Tax collectors were not well liked in the community. They were responsible to collect taxes for the Roman government, but also were given the freedom to collect taxes to cover their own expenses. Many tax collectors took advantage of their fellow citizens by charging more than what was necessary to line their own pockets. John does not tell them to change jobs just do it with honor. Stop thinking about yourself and feeding your greed, but only collect what is required. Again you see that repentance has a “loving your neighbor” goal.
Soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” He replied don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely—be content with your pay.” The word extort their literally means to shake figs which is where we get our terminology for shaking someone down. These soldiers must not shake people down for more money. Soldiers also would extort money by the use of fraud. John says stop abusing your position as a soldier and be content with your pay. Again, we see repentance has a benefit in blessing others.
Bearing fruit that is keeping with repentance means that we are generous with resources and our time for the sake of others. Notice how in all three of these cases repentance has something to do with money. Did you know that the average Christian gives less today than they did during the great depression? The average church member gives less than 2% of their income to the Lord. The New Testament never mentioned giving a 10% of your income for they assumed that was only the starting point. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Can I challenge you that if you are not currently giving your tithe to start? How your handle your checkbook is one indicator of whether you have truly repented? No man can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money.” It is hard to let go of money, but should repentance be easy? It is very easy to say we have repented, but the ax is ready at the root of the trees and every tree that does not talk about good fruit will be cut down …wait…every tree that does not produce good fruit.
Have you repented? Are you producing fruit in keeping with repentance?
By Upwardly Pointing to Jesus (v.15-20)
John’s ministry created some buzz among the people. Verse 15 says, “The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ.” The people looked at John’s ministry and were amazed. It would have been easy for John to receive the credit for his ministry, but instead he upwardly pointed to the Lord Jesus. Listen to his response in verse 16:
John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the throngs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
John did what we should all do. When people come to us and our impressed with our lives, we should point to Jesus, the one who is more powerful than us. It is very easy to believe in your own hype and press releases. I have always loved John’s heart for the goal of his life was to make much of the Lord Jesus. He is so great and so powerful I am not even worthy to untie his sandals.
What makes Jesus so great? Three things, first Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit. While John’s baptism only pointed to the coming of the Messiah, the baptism of Jesus actually fulfills the promise by taking our heart of stone and giving us a heart of flesh. His baptism is greater because He sends the Holy Spirit into our hearts. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor. 5:17)” Secondly, Jesus is the Savior. Only Jesus saves. “His winnowing fork is in HIS hand to clear HIS threshing floor and to gather the wheat into HIS barn.” The only way to be gathered into his barn is to be baptized by the Holy Spirit or to be born again. We must be saved. We are saved when we repent and believe. Romans 10:9-10 9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. When we repent of our sins and trust in Jesus Christ alone for our salvation, He saves us and gives us a new nature; a nature that desires to please the Lord. This is why we must bear fruit that is keeping with our repentance. Our lives must match up with our new nature.
Thirdly, Jesus is the judge. Listen to Acts 17:30-31 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” When we are judged by God, we will be judged by the man Christ Jesus. In that day, our sin will be fully exposed and we will be compared to Jesus Christ and his holiness and we will not measure up.
Now look at Luke 3:18, “And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.” This is good news. But God has provided a way to save us!! We cannot stand in his judgment so God sent the man, Christ Jesus, to be judged on our behalf. Therefore, if anyone turns from their sin and believes in Jesus Christ, they will be saved. Jesus is more powerful than John because only Jesus overcame death in his resurrection from the dead. His resurrection is offered to us when we repent. John’s audience thought this was good news; do you? For not everyone believes the message of Christ is good news.
Verse 19, “But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of Herodias, his brother’s wife and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.” Herod was a wicked man. John confronted him in his sin and he sided with his sin against God. Herod did not repent, but continue to do evil by locking John in prison. The unrepentant heart will always try to silence the Word of the Lord, because it wants to remain in their sin.
This is why I am consistently challenging people to make the church more of a priority. We do not want to silence the Word of the Lord, but rather we want to hear it, even if it speaks against us. For as Christians, we must always choose the side of the Lord. This is why historically Baptist churches have always made the Word the center of their services. We want to hear the Word of the Lord.
Where are you this morning? Are you more like Herod? Do you get angry when people point out your sins and try to silence the Lord’s voice? Or are you like the tax collectors and the soldiers that realized their sin was great before God? Their sins were many, but they were forgiven through their repentance and faith. Prepare yourself for the Messiah, repent of your sins, bear good fruit and give all the glory to the Lord Jesus. Let’s pray.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Christ as Lord in the midst American Intolerance (1 Peter 3:15)
Garrett Kell, pastor of Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA, wrote this following our recent presidential elections:
A great tragedy unfolded less than one week ago on Tuesday, November 6, 2012.
The tragedy was not found in the celebrations of elected officials or the concessions of defeat. It was not colored red or blue, and it wasn't wrapped up in meaningless campaign promises.
The tragedy of the 2012 election is that in this land of the free and home of the brave, many people were not allowed to vote. Their voices were silenced. Their votes were not cast. Their opinions not expressed. Why?
Because they were dead.
The great tragedy of the 2012 election is that roughly 33 million would-be voters had been murdered. From 1973 to 1994, roughly 35 million babies were aborted. That's roughly 35 million 18- to 39-year-olds who could not vote from the grave.
This is an unspeakable tragedy. The numbers are shocking, but on average 7 babies are aborted every 3 minutes in America. But Pastor Kell goes on:
This is a tragedy that hits close to home. When I was 19, I chose to end the life of my first child through an abortion. My friend and I were in a scary place, we didn't plan to get married, and we had nowhere else to go. So we opted to end the life of our child.
That child would be 16 today. They'd be excited about driving a car and, in just a couple of years, they'd be excited about voting. But they won't be doing any of that. We won't be sitting down together as I explain how to think about policies and the candidates who represent them. I won't be able to tell them about freedom and justice for all. I took that freedom away with my injustice.
I cannot undo what I've done in the past. None of us can. Only Jesus, who shed his blood for sinners like me, can heal those wounds. Jesus gives us great hope in the midst of this tragedy, and all the other tragedies we face in this life.
When we start the discussion of abortion this Sanctity of Life Sunday, we must hold two core truths side by side. Abortion is an unspeakable tragedy and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus forgives that tragedy. Abortion is not the unforgiveable sin. There is no sin that cannot and will not be forgiven when people turn to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith.
If you or a friend or family member, have been impacted by abortion, can I encourage to firmly grasp on to that truth? 1 Timothy 1:15 “This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Jesus came to pay the penalty of sin, including the sin of abortion.
The Church is in a unique place in American History. The State is becoming more and more hostile to the Christian Faith. I believe Peter’s warning to the first century church is very applicable for us today. “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? (Like fighting for the unborn) But even if you should suffer for what is right you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.”
We will suffer so set apart Christ as Lord.
It is clear that the persecution that is happening against the church is only going to rise in the near future. We will suffer. We will suffer in our efforts to do good and honor the Lord and His Word. The recent healthcare law passed by Congress has approved the use of federal funds for abortions. As Christians, we cannot support such regulations. Christian Universities, Catholic Charities, and even secular businesses run by Christians are fighting this law. Most notably, Hobby Lobby, which has refused to honor this bill is being fined $1 million dollars per day for being eager to do what is good. Persecution and penalties are going to come so how do we stand against them. First, we set apart Christ as Lord. We have to make a decision that no matter what happens in our lives, we are going to serve Jesus Christ as Lord. As Joshua said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Well beloved, “As for me and my church, we will serve the Lord.” We do not yet know how this aggressive secularism against the things of God will affect the church. But regardless of consequences or penalties, we must set apart Christ as Lord in our lives. So I pray this morning that I will offer some help in how we can set apart Christ as Lord in the midst of American Intolerance. The first way from the text,
Be Prepared with Gospel Reasoning
Look back on how Peter starts to encourage the church in verse 15, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who ask you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” We must be prepared with gospel reasoning. In order to be prepared we must think and study why we hold the position we do. Today as we look at the issue of abortion, I hope to provide reasons why we support the pro-life position from the scriptures and why we disagree with the pro-choice positions. (This will be posted on our church website later today, so if you miss anything you can find it there).
The reason that there is wide-spread disagreement even within churches is because there is no clear verse of Scripture that says, “Thou shall not have an abortion.” But that does not mean that Bible is not clear about abortion. The emphasis of the Scriptures is that life begins at conception and therefore, abortion would be murder, the taking of a life, which is explicitly forbidden in Scripture; (Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder.”) Listen to the following verses:
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
The foundation of the biblical argument is that every human being is created in the image of God and therefore every human being has dignity and a right to life. The crux of the entire debate is whether or not the fetus is a person and when that personhood is established. The Bible is clear that a fetus is a little man or woman created in the image of God and deserved the right to live.
Psalm 139:13-16
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
God is active while the child is in the womb; forming the child into a unique human being.
Isaiah 49:1
Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.
Jeremiah 1:4-5
4 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
God knows us and calls us while we are still in the womb. We could spend hours dissecting other passages, but for the sake of time let me just say this: The weight of the biblical evidence is that life begins at conception. So positively our gospel reasoning is that the Bible is very pro-life.
But we also must be prepared with gospel reasoning to refute the arguments of the opposing side. My goal is not to provide exhaustive evidence against these positions, but merely to point out some flaws in their argument.
Those are only a few of the arguments of the pro-choice position. If we want to set apart Christ as Lord, we must prepare ourselves with Gospel Reasoning. God has given us minds to think and reflect. One of the greatest successes in the pro-abortion movement is that they have convinced people (and some Christians) to be pro-choice. They may not personally believe in abortion for themselves, but do not feel it is their right to take the choice from someone else. If you are here and fall into the pro-choice side, can I challenge you to study the biblical evidence and work to protect life?
Beloved, we are going to suffer for the position we hold. One danger of a democratic society is the tyranny of the majority. As the majority of our culture, moves away from biblical truth, we are going to suffer more and more persecution. We are just beginning to experience tyranny of a Anti-God majority in our culture. Set Apart Christ as Lord by preparing yourself with Gospel Reasoning.
Be Equipped with Gospel Respect
Secondly, we must be equipped with Gospel Respect. Go back to verse 15, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. BUT do this (giving answers and reasons for our hope) with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” Christians are not always known for their gentleness and their respect. The public square often characterizes Christians who stand for Biblical truth as angry, arrogant and annoying. But our convictions come for a God that is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Peter gives three reasons why we should have gentleness and respect. The first is so our conscience may be clear. God has given us a conscience to help us determine to see what is right and wrong. The Holy Spirit speaks to our conscience to convict of sin and lead us to righteousness. It is important to have a clear conscience. Listen to 1 Tim 1.18-19, “ Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.” The “these” that the some have rejected are faith and a good conscience which leads to a shipwrecked faith meaning a false faith or no faith. We want to do things in keeping a good and clear conscience so we will protect our faith.” Peter wants you to act with gentleness and respect for the sake of your own faith.
Secondly, our gentleness and respect is meant to serve those who are attacking us. Peter says should be equipped with gospel respect so that, “those who speak maliciously against our good behavior will be ashamed of their slander.” We will always be held responsible how we carry ourselves when we are mistreated. We want those who slander and maliciously speak against us to come to repentance and the knowledge of the truth. We also have a goal of their restoration with Christ. I have learned this early in my ministry for as a pastor one of my jobs is to help people with sin, even when that sin is against me. So when people slander me and speak malicious of me (even those of you in this congregation) I must respond with gentleness and respect in hopes that God would grant you repentance.
Paul says this to Timothy:
24 And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:24-26
Beloved, we all need grace. We all need to grow. But those who disagree with Scripture, we must pray that God would change their mind and heart for the sinful or worldly mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law nor can it do so and those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God (Romans 8).
Thirdly, it better to suffer, if its God’s Will for doing good. Ultimately, we trust the sovereignty of God. And in his sovereign control, if we are persecuted, we call ourselves blessed. This is testimony of the early church. This is testimony of Jesus Christ when he said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they are persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).
This past week Pastor Louie Giglio was invited and then dis-invited for praying at the President 2nd Inauguration. He was asked to pray because of his work to combat human trafficking. Then later he was dis-invited because 15 years ago he made a comment that homosexuality was a sin and that people could be healed and can be forgiven in Jesus Christ. There is much could be said about this recent event. I believe it shows that people who continue to hold fast to biblical truth will continue to be persecuted, but I also believe that the response from Pastor Giglio is one we can emulate. He responded by saying:
I am honored to be invited by the President to give the benediction at the upcoming Inaugural on January 21. Though the President and I do not agree on every issue, we have fashioned a friendship around common goals and ideals, most notably, ending slavery in all its forms. Due to a message of mine that has surfaced from 15-20 years ago, it is likely that my participation, and the prayer I would offer, will be dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda the focal point of the inauguration. Clearly, speaking on this issue has not been in the range of my priorities in the past fifteen years. Instead, my aim has been to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ.
Neither I, nor our team, feel it best serves the core message and goals we are seeking to accomplish to be in a fight on an issue not of our choosing, thus I respectfully withdraw my acceptance of the President's invitation. I will continue to pray regularly for the President, and urge the nation to do so. I will most certainly pray for him on Inauguration Day.
Our nation is deeply divided and hurting, and more than ever need God's grace and mercy in our time of need.
He modeled gentleness and respect who those who opposed him. And end this is all we are called to do. We cannot change people’s mind; that is God’s job. Ours is to stand for the Lord with Gospel Reasoning and Gospel Respect. But also must be:
Be Grounded in Gospel Redeemer
Peter reminds us that we also need a Redeemer. It is so easy for us to forget, especially when dealing with the volatile issues of the day like abortion or homosexuality, that we are sinners in need of a Savior. Peter writes, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit.” Beloved, we must never ever forget our desperate need for God. We must always show the world that without God we would be destined for eternal death in hell for our sins. Sin separates us from God. We often comfort ourselves that our sin is not as bad as others (especially in the conversation of abortion), but listen to Jesus,
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[b] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,[c]’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Jesus says that people are in danger of hell not because of murder, but the root of murder which is anger. The smallest of sins deserve the death penalty in the eyes of God. We all are unrighteous because we all have sinned against the righteousness of a Holy God. But listen to Peter’s words again, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” Once for all. For those who are in Christ Jesus, all sin is forgiven, even the ugliest of sins is forgiven for the righteous died for the unrighteous. Why? To Bring you to God. There is no hope for any of us outside of Jesus Christ.
So what are we to do in this era of American Intolerance against the church? We set Jesus Christ as the Lord of our life by embracing his forgiveness. And after we set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts, we speak. We speak with gospel respect and gospel reasoning, but beloved, we must speak. We must in any and every way we can speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
We end where we began by hearing from Pastor Kell, one who participated in abortion, he writes,
I have on my wall a picture of a 3-year-old boy in cowboy boots. He nearly wasn't with us today because his mother was in a difficult place. She was unmarried, pregnant, and scared. But my wife met with her, prayed with her, and took her to a Christian doctor who showed her the baby in her womb through a sonogram. That young mother had the courage to keep her child.
That young boy's smile reminds me that God can save children, one at a time. He does this by using his people to come alongside the struggling to lovingly show them the Christ who can walk them through any terrifying situation---even an unplanned pregnancy.
I believe the only hope to turn the trend of this tragedy is for people to turn their hearts toward the God who made them through the way paved by his Son Jesus. Jesus changes hearts, and changed hearts can change a nation. May God give us grace as a country, and may God give us courage to stand up in the midst of this tragedy so that, if he tarries, many more will cast votes in 2030.
Lord Jesus, we need your help.
So like Pastor Kell and his wife, when you have the opportunity to stand up for the unborn whether in a conversation with a family member or a confused teenager or a voting both. Stand up. James 5:20, “Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
A great tragedy unfolded less than one week ago on Tuesday, November 6, 2012.
The tragedy was not found in the celebrations of elected officials or the concessions of defeat. It was not colored red or blue, and it wasn't wrapped up in meaningless campaign promises.
The tragedy of the 2012 election is that in this land of the free and home of the brave, many people were not allowed to vote. Their voices were silenced. Their votes were not cast. Their opinions not expressed. Why?
Because they were dead.
The great tragedy of the 2012 election is that roughly 33 million would-be voters had been murdered. From 1973 to 1994, roughly 35 million babies were aborted. That's roughly 35 million 18- to 39-year-olds who could not vote from the grave.
This is an unspeakable tragedy. The numbers are shocking, but on average 7 babies are aborted every 3 minutes in America. But Pastor Kell goes on:
This is a tragedy that hits close to home. When I was 19, I chose to end the life of my first child through an abortion. My friend and I were in a scary place, we didn't plan to get married, and we had nowhere else to go. So we opted to end the life of our child.
That child would be 16 today. They'd be excited about driving a car and, in just a couple of years, they'd be excited about voting. But they won't be doing any of that. We won't be sitting down together as I explain how to think about policies and the candidates who represent them. I won't be able to tell them about freedom and justice for all. I took that freedom away with my injustice.
I cannot undo what I've done in the past. None of us can. Only Jesus, who shed his blood for sinners like me, can heal those wounds. Jesus gives us great hope in the midst of this tragedy, and all the other tragedies we face in this life.
When we start the discussion of abortion this Sanctity of Life Sunday, we must hold two core truths side by side. Abortion is an unspeakable tragedy and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus forgives that tragedy. Abortion is not the unforgiveable sin. There is no sin that cannot and will not be forgiven when people turn to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith.
If you or a friend or family member, have been impacted by abortion, can I encourage to firmly grasp on to that truth? 1 Timothy 1:15 “This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Jesus came to pay the penalty of sin, including the sin of abortion.
The Church is in a unique place in American History. The State is becoming more and more hostile to the Christian Faith. I believe Peter’s warning to the first century church is very applicable for us today. “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? (Like fighting for the unborn) But even if you should suffer for what is right you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.”
We will suffer so set apart Christ as Lord.
It is clear that the persecution that is happening against the church is only going to rise in the near future. We will suffer. We will suffer in our efforts to do good and honor the Lord and His Word. The recent healthcare law passed by Congress has approved the use of federal funds for abortions. As Christians, we cannot support such regulations. Christian Universities, Catholic Charities, and even secular businesses run by Christians are fighting this law. Most notably, Hobby Lobby, which has refused to honor this bill is being fined $1 million dollars per day for being eager to do what is good. Persecution and penalties are going to come so how do we stand against them. First, we set apart Christ as Lord. We have to make a decision that no matter what happens in our lives, we are going to serve Jesus Christ as Lord. As Joshua said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Well beloved, “As for me and my church, we will serve the Lord.” We do not yet know how this aggressive secularism against the things of God will affect the church. But regardless of consequences or penalties, we must set apart Christ as Lord in our lives. So I pray this morning that I will offer some help in how we can set apart Christ as Lord in the midst of American Intolerance. The first way from the text,
Be Prepared with Gospel Reasoning
Look back on how Peter starts to encourage the church in verse 15, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who ask you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” We must be prepared with gospel reasoning. In order to be prepared we must think and study why we hold the position we do. Today as we look at the issue of abortion, I hope to provide reasons why we support the pro-life position from the scriptures and why we disagree with the pro-choice positions. (This will be posted on our church website later today, so if you miss anything you can find it there).
The reason that there is wide-spread disagreement even within churches is because there is no clear verse of Scripture that says, “Thou shall not have an abortion.” But that does not mean that Bible is not clear about abortion. The emphasis of the Scriptures is that life begins at conception and therefore, abortion would be murder, the taking of a life, which is explicitly forbidden in Scripture; (Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder.”) Listen to the following verses:
Genesis 1:27
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
The foundation of the biblical argument is that every human being is created in the image of God and therefore every human being has dignity and a right to life. The crux of the entire debate is whether or not the fetus is a person and when that personhood is established. The Bible is clear that a fetus is a little man or woman created in the image of God and deserved the right to live.
Psalm 139:13-16
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
God is active while the child is in the womb; forming the child into a unique human being.
Isaiah 49:1
Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name.
Jeremiah 1:4-5
4 Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
God knows us and calls us while we are still in the womb. We could spend hours dissecting other passages, but for the sake of time let me just say this: The weight of the biblical evidence is that life begins at conception. So positively our gospel reasoning is that the Bible is very pro-life.
But we also must be prepared with gospel reasoning to refute the arguments of the opposing side. My goal is not to provide exhaustive evidence against these positions, but merely to point out some flaws in their argument.
- A Woman has a right to her own body – Although there is a lot of truth to this claim, a woman does not have an absolute right to her body. For example, a woman cannot use her body as a battering ram to injure other people and she does not have the moral right to sell her body as a prostitute. So although a woman has a right to her body in some cases, it does not mean she has a right to her body in all cases. We should also note that this position assumes that the baby in the womb is a part of her body. Now the baby is in the woman’s body and is sustained by the woman’s body, but the baby also is uniquely different than the woman’s body. A genetic DNA mapping of the woman and the baby will show two unique individuals rather than two identical ones. So the fetus is essentially not a part of the woman’s body as the child has a unique genetic fingerprint.
- The decision is between a woman and her doctor – This is a common view held by those in the pro-choice camp. And this is one of the reasons, why men often are persuaded not to involve themselves in this matter. This, they say, is a woman’s rights issue. All I will say here is that the right to privacy does not trump the right to life. We see that in every other facet of society. What people do in their own homes is allowable unless it infringes on one’s rights to life. And men should be able to speak on the issue of life because we should care about life. Would the apostle Paul not be allowed to speak on the matter because he was male? Or Jesus Christ?
- If abortion is made illegal, then women will resort to back alley abortion that will potentially harm their lives. – If abortion is made illegal, there will be some women who resort to unlawful and harmful abortion practices that may injure their life. But if abortion was illegal, they would be breaking the law and the consequences would be by personal choice. It is not the government’s job to protect people who willfully place themselves in danger when they break the laws. This argument also implies that the lives lost of women who continue to pursue abortions are more important than the millions of children that would be saved if an abortion was illegal. We lose approximately 1.5 million children to abortion every year. In a simple comparison, the argument does not hold water.
Those are only a few of the arguments of the pro-choice position. If we want to set apart Christ as Lord, we must prepare ourselves with Gospel Reasoning. God has given us minds to think and reflect. One of the greatest successes in the pro-abortion movement is that they have convinced people (and some Christians) to be pro-choice. They may not personally believe in abortion for themselves, but do not feel it is their right to take the choice from someone else. If you are here and fall into the pro-choice side, can I challenge you to study the biblical evidence and work to protect life?
Beloved, we are going to suffer for the position we hold. One danger of a democratic society is the tyranny of the majority. As the majority of our culture, moves away from biblical truth, we are going to suffer more and more persecution. We are just beginning to experience tyranny of a Anti-God majority in our culture. Set Apart Christ as Lord by preparing yourself with Gospel Reasoning.
Be Equipped with Gospel Respect
Secondly, we must be equipped with Gospel Respect. Go back to verse 15, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. BUT do this (giving answers and reasons for our hope) with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.” Christians are not always known for their gentleness and their respect. The public square often characterizes Christians who stand for Biblical truth as angry, arrogant and annoying. But our convictions come for a God that is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
We must portray a Christ-like demeanor and response when we suffer for what is right.
Peter gives three reasons why we should have gentleness and respect. The first is so our conscience may be clear. God has given us a conscience to help us determine to see what is right and wrong. The Holy Spirit speaks to our conscience to convict of sin and lead us to righteousness. It is important to have a clear conscience. Listen to 1 Tim 1.18-19, “ Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.” The “these” that the some have rejected are faith and a good conscience which leads to a shipwrecked faith meaning a false faith or no faith. We want to do things in keeping a good and clear conscience so we will protect our faith.” Peter wants you to act with gentleness and respect for the sake of your own faith.
Secondly, our gentleness and respect is meant to serve those who are attacking us. Peter says should be equipped with gospel respect so that, “those who speak maliciously against our good behavior will be ashamed of their slander.” We will always be held responsible how we carry ourselves when we are mistreated. We want those who slander and maliciously speak against us to come to repentance and the knowledge of the truth. We also have a goal of their restoration with Christ. I have learned this early in my ministry for as a pastor one of my jobs is to help people with sin, even when that sin is against me. So when people slander me and speak malicious of me (even those of you in this congregation) I must respond with gentleness and respect in hopes that God would grant you repentance.
Paul says this to Timothy:
24 And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:24-26
Beloved, we all need grace. We all need to grow. But those who disagree with Scripture, we must pray that God would change their mind and heart for the sinful or worldly mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law nor can it do so and those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God (Romans 8).
Thirdly, it better to suffer, if its God’s Will for doing good. Ultimately, we trust the sovereignty of God. And in his sovereign control, if we are persecuted, we call ourselves blessed. This is testimony of the early church. This is testimony of Jesus Christ when he said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they are persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).
This past week Pastor Louie Giglio was invited and then dis-invited for praying at the President 2nd Inauguration. He was asked to pray because of his work to combat human trafficking. Then later he was dis-invited because 15 years ago he made a comment that homosexuality was a sin and that people could be healed and can be forgiven in Jesus Christ. There is much could be said about this recent event. I believe it shows that people who continue to hold fast to biblical truth will continue to be persecuted, but I also believe that the response from Pastor Giglio is one we can emulate. He responded by saying:
I am honored to be invited by the President to give the benediction at the upcoming Inaugural on January 21. Though the President and I do not agree on every issue, we have fashioned a friendship around common goals and ideals, most notably, ending slavery in all its forms. Due to a message of mine that has surfaced from 15-20 years ago, it is likely that my participation, and the prayer I would offer, will be dwarfed by those seeking to make their agenda the focal point of the inauguration. Clearly, speaking on this issue has not been in the range of my priorities in the past fifteen years. Instead, my aim has been to call people to ultimate significance as we make much of Jesus Christ.
Neither I, nor our team, feel it best serves the core message and goals we are seeking to accomplish to be in a fight on an issue not of our choosing, thus I respectfully withdraw my acceptance of the President's invitation. I will continue to pray regularly for the President, and urge the nation to do so. I will most certainly pray for him on Inauguration Day.
Our nation is deeply divided and hurting, and more than ever need God's grace and mercy in our time of need.
He modeled gentleness and respect who those who opposed him. And end this is all we are called to do. We cannot change people’s mind; that is God’s job. Ours is to stand for the Lord with Gospel Reasoning and Gospel Respect. But also must be:
Be Grounded in Gospel Redeemer
Peter reminds us that we also need a Redeemer. It is so easy for us to forget, especially when dealing with the volatile issues of the day like abortion or homosexuality, that we are sinners in need of a Savior. Peter writes, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit.” Beloved, we must never ever forget our desperate need for God. We must always show the world that without God we would be destined for eternal death in hell for our sins. Sin separates us from God. We often comfort ourselves that our sin is not as bad as others (especially in the conversation of abortion), but listen to Jesus,
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder,[a] and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother[b] will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,[c]’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Jesus says that people are in danger of hell not because of murder, but the root of murder which is anger. The smallest of sins deserve the death penalty in the eyes of God. We all are unrighteous because we all have sinned against the righteousness of a Holy God. But listen to Peter’s words again, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” Once for all. For those who are in Christ Jesus, all sin is forgiven, even the ugliest of sins is forgiven for the righteous died for the unrighteous. Why? To Bring you to God. There is no hope for any of us outside of Jesus Christ.
So what are we to do in this era of American Intolerance against the church? We set Jesus Christ as the Lord of our life by embracing his forgiveness. And after we set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts, we speak. We speak with gospel respect and gospel reasoning, but beloved, we must speak. We must in any and every way we can speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
We end where we began by hearing from Pastor Kell, one who participated in abortion, he writes,
I have on my wall a picture of a 3-year-old boy in cowboy boots. He nearly wasn't with us today because his mother was in a difficult place. She was unmarried, pregnant, and scared. But my wife met with her, prayed with her, and took her to a Christian doctor who showed her the baby in her womb through a sonogram. That young mother had the courage to keep her child.
That young boy's smile reminds me that God can save children, one at a time. He does this by using his people to come alongside the struggling to lovingly show them the Christ who can walk them through any terrifying situation---even an unplanned pregnancy.
I believe the only hope to turn the trend of this tragedy is for people to turn their hearts toward the God who made them through the way paved by his Son Jesus. Jesus changes hearts, and changed hearts can change a nation. May God give us grace as a country, and may God give us courage to stand up in the midst of this tragedy so that, if he tarries, many more will cast votes in 2030.
Lord Jesus, we need your help.
So like Pastor Kell and his wife, when you have the opportunity to stand up for the unborn whether in a conversation with a family member or a confused teenager or a voting both. Stand up. James 5:20, “Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.”
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