Is There Hope for America? | Part 1

What is it mean to live in a post-Christian era. Listen to Adrian Rogers were living in hostile territory and have those of you who used to be considered.

Joseph good old-fashioned base of Christian because you believe the Bible are now labeled religious nuts and all I am in that fashion to a good bow's name is Jesus.

Welcome to Leavenworth finding three profound truth. Simply stated, pastor and author Adrian Rogers.

It seems America is in a post-Christian era professing Christians now enter hostile territory. We may be tempted to retreat or to allow political strategies to substitute for the gospel of Jesus. We don't have the luxury of silence we been called to preach the gospel and come to the aid of our brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of denomination, vocation, economic status or race. If we want to share the hope for America with others.

We must adopt the principles found in first Peter chapter 3.

If you have your Bible turn there now as Adrian Rogers reveals the answers to the age-old question, is there hope for America to God's word. Look here first Peter chapter 3 in verse 10. I guess if I had a title for this. It would just be. Is there hope for America. Look in verse 10 for he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile, let him eschew evil and do good, but MCPs and ensuing for the eyes of the Lord over the righteous and his ears are open under their prayers but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, and who is he that will harm you if you be followers of that which is good but and if you suffer for righteousness sake. Happy are you, and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that ask if you a reason of the whole that is in you with meekness and fear. Having a good conscience that wears they speak evil of you as evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ, for it is better if the will of God be so that you suffer from welldoing than for evil doing in America we living in a post-Christian era, the America that I know as a young boy, those happy days are gone where living in hostile territory and those of you who used to be considered just good old-fashioned decent Christians because you believe the Bible are now labeled religious nuts.

The religious right fundamentalists zealots wackos and they try to take someone like David Karesh and lump us in with him and them you know I am in that, but I'm fastened to a good boat. His name is Jesus and I we need to stay fasten that way. But something terrible has happened in America and I'm not going to give you a litany of all of that. For further information, consult in a newspaper, but I want to say that in the light of that, there are two dangers danger number one is that we just may. As Christians retreat and so to get a live and let live attitude.

Maybe just again the same hole before we get in our stained-glass fortresses and problem with one another and say well is no hope for America and there's no hope for the world.

So let's just see if we can hold out till Jesus gets here and so we just more or less retreat, but the problem is we can't even do that even if we wanted to because there's no place to hide James Dobson that I greatly respect and I believe you do is pointed this out in one of his newsletters I want to read. He said we will not be permitted to exercise our beliefs in private. The church will not be allowed to protect its precepts are Christian enclaves will be invaded.

We will either speak up our submit in silent, why not use our voices now while the memory of the Judeo-Christian ethic still lingers like rare perfume within the popular culture and then James Dobson went on to challenge us by asking several questions here. The questions at one point will we be willing to defend what we believe will parents object. If the children are routinely indoctrinated in homosexual ideology or occultism in the public schools will we object if the state tells pastors what they can or can't say from the pulpit in sweetening an evangelical pastor who preached a sermon on Solomon Gemara was convicted of verbal violence against homosexuals and sentenced to a four week prison term. Will we object if the state assumes ownership of our children and tells us how to rear them or else lose custody will we objected. If every church has to hire homosexual to satisfy a quota obligation what he is saying is that we will not even be able to retreat and hold for unless something changes.

Pastor Namur was a pastor in Germany.

When Hitler was coming into power and under orders from Hitler pastor, not Mueller because of his preaching was arrested. He was placed in solitary confinement. Other pastors were killed. He survive after the war he was freed and he began to speak, and he gave a speech and he always ended the speech with these words. First they came for the Socialists and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me that we can't have lecture by just being quiet. We cannot even have the luxury of saying live and let live because friend they will not let us live. Mordechai told Queen Esther, this in Esther four verse 14 for if thou altogether hold a slide piece at this time. Then show their enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place. But thou, and thy father's house shall be destroyed and you know if whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this that we as Christians therefore cannot remain silent under the guise that God is simply called us to preach the gospel but on the other hand, there is another danger that is the danger that we will substitute somehow a political agenda for the preaching of the gospel. Now the devil is always wanted to substitute something for the gospel of the grace of God.

Some churches that sacramental is him with a church just dispenses the sacrament. Some people feel ipso facto they going to heaven, and other places its rationalism substitute bus at the mind of man put us at the word of God and other places its education, getting idea that man's problem is primarily ignorance rather than sin, that becomes a substitute one of the newest things coming to the modern church today is psychology as a substitute for the gospel. I believe in psychology like I believe in education, like I believe in a rational mind but none of these is the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and what many churches today, a political strategy has become the substitute for the gospel of Christ, as long as I'm the pastor here, it will no yet yet there is a sense in which we are so and light and we do not have the option to be uninvolved.

Every Christian, every member of this church must be an activist. The standup and to say enough is enough is enough. All of us must and not only must we speak up.

But we must come to the aid of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Those who name the name of Jesus, regardless of their denomination regardless of their location, regardless of the economic status, and regardless of their race. We as brothers and sisters in Christ made the lock arms win hearts lift our prayers together. Now the times that we're facing a new for us, but they're not new. In Christian history.

As a matter fact, this book that I read to you from the book of first Peter is a handbook for survival in days like our days because the Christians were being put upon very much like Christians today are being put upon them will be put upon the Christians of that day were accused. First of all, a being subversives because they would not bow the knee to Caesar they would not confess that Caesar was Lord.

Secondly, they were perceived as being an economic threat because they were dead set against idolatry and idolatry was more than religion. It was big business but also the Christians were put upon because of the lifestyle they said in that day, as we say in this day that adultery is wrong. Fornication is wrong.

Homosexuality is wrong and other things are wrong and that ran against the grain of the powers that be. Now I want to give you. Therefore some principles you say pastor you say that I'm to be involved.

How what should I do. How can I help my neighbors. What shall I do in the SKU. What shall I do it business. What shall I do in City Hall. What are the principles of God's word.

The very first principle is the principle of Lordship. Look, if you will, in verse 15 but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Nothing nothing nothing must stay in the way of your obedience to Jesus Christ. Have you enthroned him as Lord. If not, I pity you because you're going to be a most miserable of all people, you're going to be caught in the crossfire. Many don't have enough courage to serve the devil are enough grace to serve God and I am not sanctify.

That means set aside the Lord in your hearts set aside God as Lord sanctify the Lord God in your heart that means set him aside. Place him in throwing him as Lord.

Too many church members today going forward in services like this to unite with the church and be baptized, but all are looking for fire insurance, they have no intent of making Jesus Christ Lord. Now, when Jesus Christ is Lord help you not to be intimidated anything else and everything else must get in line behind the Lordship of Christ. I was talking about Hitler's day years ago I heard a pastor I just 30 years ago. Tell a story that I've never been able to get out my heart. Hitler gave an eating as he was persecuting the Jews that no Jews would be allowed in the Christian worship services and over many Jews who were Christians.

But Hitler gave an eating number two would be allowed the pastors had to make up their mind with the pastor be arrested with the church be close to what they say to the Jews were sorry you cannot attend one pastor wrestled with this wrestled with not an easy question.

Finally decided it would be better for the church to remain open even though the Jews could not attend. He stood in his pulpit. He said this is the requirement with a broken heart. I must say if there any Jews in this congregation. They must stand now and leave one who was sitting there said in my mind I saw the Jew all that crucifix climbed down and walk out the door is not a place forever, but it is not a place for anybody, especially Jesus. Jesus sanctify sanctify the Lord God in your heart's the principle of Lordship second principle, the principle of learning. Look again in verse 15, but sanctify the Lord God in your heart and be ready always to give an answer to every man that ask if you are the reason that is in you. Can you do that, the people of this world have got some good questions they want as the church and friend. A good question and if you don't have any questions because you not think I mean friend there some good questions they had. I will give you some news. We've got some good answers. We got some glances but you know those answers. Have you learned. Do you know that the word here answers. Lord we get the word apology from apologetics. That doesn't mean apologizing for the gospel. It just simply means a verbal's like you would given a court of law. Can you verbalize your faith can you intellectually, logically, systematically defend what you believe one lighting he was a member of a church was asked what do you believe she said I believe what my church believes is a verify what you charge billing. All they believe what I believe will very well what do you your church believe what we believe the same thing that's not enough. Bible says you need to be ready. There's very little reason that you should not be informed.

Spend less time with the newspapers and less time with the television and more time putting something between your ears because you love the Lord your God with all your mind, as well as with all your heart, the principle of learning. We need Christians who will go to the school boards and articulate some things we need someone Christians the places of interest rate can explain some things we need some people in society and in politics. The city Council who know what they believe and why they believe it, I'm often embarrassed by those who do speak for us because they might practice the principle of learning in the world and respect us a while back. The Washington Post, in an editorial spoke about Sammy Vaux I were talking about us and they said evangelicals are and I quote for uneducated and easy to command.

That's what they think of us have no respect because without that homework third principle first principle Lordship sanctify the Lord God. Secondly, learning be able to give an apologetic data for this blowhole continue third principle, the principle of lowliness lowliness.

Look, if you will. In this verse but sanctify the Lord God in your heart and be ready always to give an answer to every man that ask if you've a reasonable hope that is in you with meekness and fear you want. Meekness is it's not a weakness.

The strap on the control and the word fear here has the idea of reverence for Almighty God, we are not to be arrogant. When I do be boastful not to be rude. This nation is not going to be one my arguments alone, not by the ballot box only, not by organizations and marches most of the people think about us.

They think were hateful and spiteful is what I think we don't receive ourselves that way but I think of us is hatemonger and many of us when we stand up against some of these issues are rhetoric is not the rhetoric that the Bible teaches us to use lowliness was the method that the very son of God used so that the wheel abuse. James says this and put this into Marge and James one verses 19 and 20. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath and then here's what James says for the wrath of man work is not the righteousness of God that a Pensacola and abortion doctor was shot by man in the abortion rally and in the name of pro-life killed wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God is a did Jesus get angry.

Yes, you know he got angry with the religious ground Jesus. Most gaming words were the for the self righteous Acquaintance.

Jesus talked to the sentence study and see how Jesus dealt with the publicans and the pilots. The tax collectors.

But now, now they crucified Jesus because they called him a friend of sinners.

Jesus was that way toward sentence because he knew they were to pray they know they were victims of Satan. They were downtrodden.

We talk about one always sinners do over and what expected him to do their centers.

What is a center they would send me. That's the nature they'll have Jesus God may need love how convicting today sinners nature is to sin. They don't need our anger or bitterness and resentment. They need God's love spoken through us will continue with the conclusion of this insightful message coming up tomorrow.

However, if you have questions right now about who Jesus is what he means to you how to receive the forgiveness that he's offering you go to were discovered.

Jesus page@lwf.org/radio to find resources there materials that can answer questions in a way to reach out to us as well. Again, go to LWF.org/radio and click the tab discovered Jesus, if you like a copy of today's message on CD you can order one by calling 1877 love God mentioned the title is there hope for America. This message is also part of the powerful series. Whatever happened to the American dream if you'd like to complete collection.

All seven insightful messages. Call us or go online. It LWF.O RG or you can write love worth finding box 38, 600 Memphis, TN 38183 thanks for studying with us in God's word today. The only hope for America is Christian to begin to look more like Jesus Savior of the part of that solution and be sure to join us next time for the conclusion. Is there hope for America tomorrow.

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