Current State of Evangelical Church

Transcript

GRM 500
9/08/1996
Current State of the Evangelical Church
Selected Verses
Gil Rugh

The church has drifted from its moorings and is in a process of dramatic collapse. Now I say that being one who believes that Jesus Christ will establish His church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. That He is in the process today of calling together His glorious bride. And soon perhaps very soon we will be called to see Him face to face, the event known as the rapture of the church. I also believe that what is called the church and I am speaking of the Evangelical Church today is in disarray. One of my early experiences while we were gone, early church experiences was to visit a church a sizable church, a church that would be biblical, that the pastor would hold up the Bible and say this is the book we believe and so on, but they have been involved in a long ongoing process of trying to decide what they are to be. Every church has a different reason for existing. We are trying to find out what ours is. We talked about it generally in the morning without ever getting to scripture, held hands, sang a song and he said come back tonight we will talk more about it. But I went elsewhere. What is wrong with the church that is not new, that is not small, that is talking about why do we exist? What are we to do as a church? But I have to say at least they were acknowledging they didn’t know what their ministry was. I fear that many are aggressively going down the wrong road.


I want to share a couple of articles with you. Some from magazine, some from book. Then we will get to the word. I will try to move quickly. A newsletter I received in July, from a well-known organization, was bemoaning the declined moral condition of our country. And truly in a visible way our country seems to be morally deteriorated. Everything from the fractured families to crime in the streets to murdering of unborn children and on we go. This eight-page newsletter is about that whole issue and includes over a page of a quote from a friend of the writer of this newsletter, who leads another organization. The gist of what is being said is we thought we would change the direction of our country if we voted in the right presidents because those presidents would appoint the right men to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court would make the right decisions and our country would be turned around. But we can no longer depend on voting in the right president and so getting the right Supreme Court justices. The conclusion, impeachment of certain Supreme Court justices is our only hope of bringing the court back under control. “I hope and pray that citizens will petition their representatives to impeach the majority of this court and in doing so will employ the one remaining remedy they have to save the nation.” Now does that in any way sound like it is at all connected with what the apostle Paul says the ministry of God’s people is to be in this day? Could I honestly stand and say before you the only hope for saving this nation is that we impeach the majority of the Supreme Court? I tell you I would go and do something honest for a living.

The author of the newsletter says that whether we agree that we ought to impeach the Supreme Court justices, “we concur that the legal majority in the Supreme court is the major, serious threat to this nation.” “Imposed as a serious threat to the future of this nation.” Now Christians get caught up in this because we are disturbed by abortion, we are disturbed by crime, we are disturbed by the disintegration of the family. We are disturbed by sexual promiscuity of all kinds. But I tell you the Supreme Court is not the answer.

Many have fallen down a dark hole called psychology. Let me read you from the current issue of Christianity Today that has a multiple page article on counseling and psychology among Christians. “As the American appetite for self-improvement, self-esteem, and family values has grown, Christian counselors have been more that willing to serve up an enticing array of religiously themed books, music, seminars and other products for a Christian audience. Popularizers such as authors James Dobson, Tim LaHaye and Larry Crabb convinced a whole generation of Evangelicals that God cared about their psychic as well as their souls, opening the door for a marriage between theology and therapeutic thought.”

As part of this article there is a subset, “Schools Grapple with Sharp Rise in Psychology Students.” The gist of that is seminaries and the evangelical schools are being overwhelmed with students that want into the counseling and psychology programs. Four years ago Denver seminary had to put an enrollment limit on its counseling program because it was overwhelming all other programs. This issue for us is something we have dealt with. It’s not a cutting edge issue and longer. You know why? It’s a done deal for the evangelical church. They are on to other things. This is a given. All working together. What? We have things in our culture and in our society that have to be changed and the political process becomes key. We have more problems than we know what to do with. As people we need counselors and psychologists and trained people to help us. You know what’s missing in all we have said so far? The word of God which is alive and powerful and sharper that a two-edged sword, it’s even been able to pierce to dividing asunder of soul and spirit and is it discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Now of course, these first two at least are believers. They would say of course you want to use the Bible but it’s not enough. One of the books I was reading was a scholarly consideration of issues. The man made a perceptive insight. He said any time you join something with the scripture, that something will take over. That’s what happens in these areas. We don’t throw away our Bible. We find something that is needed in addition to the Bible. Pretty soon that consumes us.


An eight-page newsletter and I think there’s one or two sentences about preaching the gospel. And that’s what we need to do along with everything else. Somehow the word of God gets lost in the counseling. Of course, we need to know Bible, but the Bible is not enough. Terribly disturbing. They are not trying to get into the theology division at the seminary. They are being prepared to preach and teach the word of God but with counseling we have to limit enrollment.

With this, we have the desire to be successful. You have to be a success and American society. success is measured by numbers. I’m a successful pastor. Look at you all. However, again I come back to the Bible, and I find that’s not an issue. The issue is faithfulness to God’s word not numbers brought together.

There is a connection of all that is going on. Let me give you an example. The current issue of Christianity Today is advertising the Robert H. Schuler institute for successful church leadership. Now we went through some of Robert Schuler’s material before I left. That will be published into a booklet. I think you will find it helpful to have it in print. We are using Robert Schuler as an example of how you have to watch what is being taught. He uses Christian terminology, Biblical terminology but He means something different by it than you and I mean. What interests me and the purpose of this institute for successful church leadership is to train church leaders to get the mission of the Church done. Keynote speakers: Robert Schuler of course and his wife and his son John Wimber, founder of the Vineyard Movement, (John Wimber and Robert Schuler.) I remember almost 20 years ago visiting Robert Schuler’s church with John Wimber and talking about it. The founder of the Vineyard Movement, which lies behind the Promise Keepers movement, incidentally. Now you have leading Charismatic influence joined with Robert Schuler, the positive thinker self esteem leader. Another keynote speaker, Bill Hybels, Willow Creek Community Church, leading the way in the consumer church, marketing the church, seeker services. What does he have in common with Bob Schuler? Rick Warren, pastor of Saddle Back, another leader in the effective church, built a large church.

All of a sudden we need a meeting together of men that I say what is it that they have in common theologically. Well, they ignore their doctrine to get on with the mission of the church. But what is the mission of the church? Is not the church to be the pillar and support of the truth and yet we sacrifice and ignore the truth to get on with our mission. There are over 700 churches joined in the Willow Creek fellowship to learn and model that style of church ministry around the world. Yet he would go and be with Schuler, speak at Dallas Seminary who has bought into that model. They say that there is a coming together of the Ecumenical Church in preparation for the coming of the Lord in ways that I would have never believed.


One thing that happens here. Para-church ministries have led away... One of the books I read made a note on this that special purpose groups, para-church organizations and the like, have led the way in moving away from a doctrinal emphasis, led us away from a consideration of our theological differences. I was visiting with the leader of a para-church ministry while I was in Florida. I asked him about some of their doctrinal convictions and he personally would be very much where we are. He said early on in the establishing, and they sent out almost 700 missionaries to various places in the world, the organization he has started. We realized that we could not be as doctrinally narrow as a church. Now I hear this again and again. I was visiting with a man in Kansas City who came from another state really to talk to me about my Promise Keepers material when he heard I was preaching there. And I hear the same thing in another discussion. You have to understand we are not a local church. Well, what are you? Well, what we do, we start an organization other than the local church to do what God established the church to do and then believe we are free from the constraints that God has placed on the church.

The church is the pillar and support of the truth. Jesus in His high priestly prayer in John 17 said, Father Your word is truth. Now just what part of the truth do you want me to set aside to do God’s work? Well, we don’t want to emphasize eschatology. Alright let me get those pages here. Rip. And we don’t want to emphasize election and sovereignty. Wait until I find some of those. Once you decide that the church is the pillar and ground of some of the truth, or in our ministry for God we are free to pick and choose what of the truth, you have abandoned faithfulness.

On other studies we have gone through beginning in the Old Testament to show that it starts at the beginning of the Bible and runs all the way to the end. Closing with the closing verses of Revelation where God warns through Christ, don’t add anything. Don’t take away anything. God warned Israel. Don’t veer to the right. Don’t veer to the left. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. I’m not saying everyone as a Christian does agree on every doctrine. But I say as a believer, as we fellowship together, we are joined in this local church by doctrinal convictions and commitments. That doesn’t mean that we are the ones that have perfect understanding but to the best of our ability we understand that this is what the word teaches. I can not join in ministry on a foundation, well, I will set aside my doctrinal convictions so we can unity. Because there is no stopping once you do that.

From one of the books, The Evangelical Forfeit, the title. “Some Evangelicals suggest that co-belligerence in the cultural war is more important than squabbling over theological differences that no one understands anyway. Catholics, Evangelicals, Mormons, Orthodox Jews frequently stand together in today’s fight against abortion, national endowment for the arts funding...” and all other seismic centers along the cultural fault line. Then he gives the example of Catholics and Orthodox Jews that their writings are accepted among Christians because they are saying what Christians like to hear on these cultural issues.


Let me say something about Roman Catholics here. This all comes into the picture. Then we will get to the word a little more in detail. A cover story of Christianity Today, this issue is “Movers and Shapers” not shakers but shapers. Key evangelicals who have shaped the evangelical church and movement today, Kenneth Cancer was one of these who was one of the editors of Christianity Today in the past. I believe He was formerly president either of Trinity College or Trinity Seminary or both in Chicago. “What is your assessment of the Evangelicals and Catholics together statement?” Here is what he says, “I do not for a moment deny the Christianity of any true Roman Catholic.” “I don’t deny the Christianity of any true Roman Catholic.” That would mean a Roman Catholic who truly believes the dogma and doctrines of the Roman Catholic church. “Many Roman Catholics are certainly Evangelical. We need each other in our battle against secularism and materialism.” I thought we needed the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. “Yet there are crucial differences that we dare not gloss over like the gospel of salvation by grace through faith.” Now is there not a paradox in this? I read these things and I say, I’m missing something.

“I do not for a moment deny the Christianity of any true Roman Catholic.” Although we have a crucial difference about the gospel of salvation of grace through faith. Can you be a Christian if you are not straight on salvation by grace through faith? You see Robert Schuler is not so different. We are using terminology that becomes meaningless because we are not saying the same thing. If you are a true Roman Catholic you don’t believe in salvation by grace alone through faith alone, so you can’t be a Christian. Not in the biblical sense.

There is a book written, A House Divided: Evangelicals and Catholics Together, Keith Forney is the writer with William Watkins. I’ve just run off some copies. This is not in the book, Evangelicals and Catholics have to get together. Keith Forney is a committed conservative Catholic and so holds to the dogmas of the Roman Catholic Church. He makes that clear in the book. But he says we ought to be united. I am an Evangelical Christian. You know what amazes me is that the man he writes the book with is William D. Watkins. William D. Watkins is a graduate of Dallas Seminary. All the sudden lines that used to mean something mean nothing.

Listen to this statement about the purpose of the book. “The church today is a divided house, Protestant, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Christian.” “The church.” Now we start using the church in a broad sense. “A divided house, Protestant, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Christians.” “The church.” You see what they want to do. You remember I told you about 80% of the uses of the word church in the New Testament are to local churches. That tells you where the emphasis is. But we want to give all the emphasis to the broad church, the inclusive worldwide church. And so “the church today is a divided house, Protestant, Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Christians view each other with suspicion and sometimes open contempt. Between and within these camps Christians frequently fight with each other over doctrine and...” He lists other things. Well, I think I have some things to fight about as a Bible believing Christian with a Greek Orthodox or a Roman Catholic. “While we are occupied with these internal squabbles, a much larger battle faces us.” You mean a battle more important than salvation by grace through faith? A battle much more important than the authority or scripture in every area of our life? A battle more important than not only how you were saved but how you were sanctified. And on we go. Yes. “Western civilization continues to decline.” Now we have a quote on how many illegitimate births there have been, how divorce has increased, how teenage suicide has increased. This is more important than the doctrinal differences we have between Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholics, and Protestants.


In fact in this book, he uses Peter Kreft as an example of a Protestant who converted to Catholicism and has been respected in Roman Catholic circles and formerly in Protestant circles. As a man who bridges the gap criticizes Christianity Today for not using these men as an example in an article on this subject where they interviewed Forney. He said they quoted men like John MacArthur and R. C. Sproul who were critical of alignment with the Catholics but they didn’t mention men like Peter Kreft who converted to Catholicism from Protestantism and was published by respectable Protestant publishing houses now published by Roman Catholic publishing houses. Here is a man who bridges the gap. But Peter Kreft is also the man who wrote Ecumenical Jihad. And Peter Kreft says the unifying factor for us is monotheism. In his book which I was reading, he makes the point, if you understand the Roman Catholic Church is clear on this in their doctrine, Allah of the Muslims is the same God of the Christians of the Bible. So Muslims are Christians. Where do the lines get drawn? Now it’s not between Protestants and Catholics, Evangelicals and Catholics, or against Greek Orthodox. Now it’s not against Muslims and he uses it as an example in his book.

First you have to understand all truth is God’s truth. That mantra that’s flapped around. In a discussion he was in and in a lecture he was giving on the attributes of God a Muslim came up and said what a good Muslim he is and we realized that the God I was talking about was the same God he worshiped and Allah is the God of the Bible. We don’t have any differences. He is a brother. So now you see how we are moving toward an Ecumenical Church. He lists in here lest you think I am attacking people, heaven forbid, the promoters of Roman Catholic Evangelical alliances. And here’s his list. “Many Evangelical Protestants have called for cooperation with orthodox Catholics.” He’s not talking about Catholics that aren’t really orthodox. He’s talking about orthodox conservative Catholics. “...have actively linked arms with Catholics in pro-life demonstrations, evangelistic outreaches.” How can we link arms in evangelistic outreaches when we haven’t ever resolved the issue of what is the gospel? “...discipleship programs...” How you are going to learn and grow. “...spiritual renewal conferences, retreats, anti-pornography campaigns, legal and legislative battles...” Among these Protestants, Billy Graham, Charles Colson, Bill Bright, head of Campus Life Crusade, James Dobson, an ardent defender of family and head of Focus on the Family, Pat Robertson.

You see what happens here now. We’ve got men... All of the sudden we get a para-church and para-church by it’s doctrine does not emphasize doctrine. Organizations like Focus on the Family, Promise Keepers, Campus Crusade, they are not primarily doctrinally driven. We look for a minimal doctrinal statement. When I asked the head of this organization I mentioned I met with in Florida. Well, we just adopted someone else’s and it’s a concise statement. You give it to me and it’s a few points on one sheet. That’s it. We look for the minimal that can join us together. Peter Kreft says the minimal is monotheism. Well, we do agree with that as believers don’t we? The Lord our God is one Lord. The Jews agree with that. The Muslims agree with that. The Christians agree with that. The Catholics agree with that. The Greek Orthodox agree with that. And on we go. You see the Ecumenical movement to encompass and draw people together. Kreft in his book has the quote form the Pope that Allah is the same God as of the Christians. This is a done deal for Roman Catholics. And we are pushing for us to make room for us in bed with the Roman Catholics who have already brought the Muslims in bed. Do we realize who our partners are? Somewhere the doctrine has gotten lost here. But they’re all against abortion. Hallelujah. Praise God. Do we realize that there are multitudes of people who are against abortion who will spend eternity in hell? Because you don’t become a son of God by being against abortion. We have totally lost our focus on why we exist as a church.


Turn over to Galatians chapter 1. A couple of things that are not new to you but are necessary reminders. I must say I am totally puzzled by what is going on here. And the more I read the more puzzled I become. Because with the issues that have been laid out on the table now, books and articles are being written on both sides. And there is a more stringent, more aggressive pushing for yes we ought to accept this. And it’s going to come like psychology, like the consumer driven church and so on. It’s going to become a done deal for most in quote the Evangelical church.

Bible doctrine, Bible teaching, this concept that we are right and you are wrong is totally foreign to the pluralism, a word that’s used and not pluralism as we sometimes talk about and we decide is made up of many people with different beliefs and so on. But a pluralism that says that you have no right to say your opinions are correct, your views are correct and mine are wrong. You have a right to your own opinion period. But you don’t have a right to say that yours is right and mine is wrong. That’s the pluralism we are dealing with. Which excludes only those who are truly born again Christians committed to the word of God. Everybody else can make allowances and stretch the tent to include others and find ways to not emphasize disagreement. That’s why you hear precious little preaching on sin, condemnation and hell. It’s out of step with our political correctness within pluralism. Because the whole thing is you have your view. And you are perfectly entitled to it. And you can hold that with every fiber of your being. But you cross the line when you say that I must believe it or that my positions on this are wrong. The whole tenner of the book by Forney is I have dipped through it... You must be gracious. You must be kind. You must be accepting. At the same time the Roman Catholic church has not budged one inch or given up one doctrine.

Galatians chapter 1. Paul writes in the framework. You are familiar with Paul’s ministry. A hard ministry, persecution, imprisonment, beatings. The ministry of the word at Galatia was followed up by Judaizers who came in and said, amen. What Paul said about Christ was true. You must believe in Him. He’s the messiah. But that won’t be enough. You must also be circumcised. And then in the keeping of the law you will grow in your relationship. Paul says in verse six it’s so good to have allies. With the corruption of the Roman Empire... Nine of the first Roman Emperors being open about homosexuals... The decadence and corruption of that empire which is almost proverbial, the persecution and opposition that came from all sides. Here he’s got someone that is so much like him. Verse 6, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ for a different gospel.” It’s a different gospel in the word there he means it’s a different one, a totally different kind. “Which is not another gospel...” Which is another Greek word. It means another like the one. You have gone to a totally different kind of gospel. It’s not like the one I preach. Wait, there’s a lot of points of similarity. We agree on Christ. We agree that he is the messiah. We agree you must believe in Him. We just say that you also have to add part of the law. And don’t you believe the law is the word of God. We’re not saying add the Koran. But simply add part of God’s word, the mosaic law. Well, that’s not even related to my gospel. “There are some who are disturbing you who want to distort the gospel of Christ.” And then that statement, “Even though we are an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” Anathema. Under the curse of God, doomed to hell. If I have said before I say again, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let hem be accursed.”

And yet I read to you from theologians, writers who say we haven’t resolved the issue of salvation by grace but we can work together in ministry, in evangelistic conferences, in discipleship seminars. You know what Paul would have started out that seminar with. I want all of you who are here to know that if you don’t believe the gospel exactly as I preached it you are damned and on your way to hell. “Am I seeking to please men?” He says in verse 10. If I am striving to please men, I can’t please God. Something is wrong.

I was asked while I was gone in a conversation, do you think these men are saved that are leading the way in this. I don’t know. The further down the road we go, I have to say the more serious are my concerns. But whether they are or not is a matter between them and God. I know their doctrines and their teachings and their leadership is in direct conflict with the word of God. And that’s what I have to deal with. That’s what we are a church have to deal with. That’s from without and within.

Paul doesn’t have enough problems. Peter slips off the path. So verse 11 of chapter 2, “But when Cephas [that’s Peter] came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned.” Wait a minute Paul, the last thing we need is you taking the switch to Peter and Barnabas. We’ve got enough battles going on. He stood condemned. Why? “Prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with Gentiles. When they came he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof fearing the party of the circumcision.” When there weren’t the Jews around from Jerusalem, Peter ate whatever the Gentiles were eating, the non-Jewish Christians. But when the Jewish party from Jerusalem under the leadership of James came down, Peter thought they might think less of him if he was eating Gentile foods so he only ate Jewish food. Know what Paul calls that? And this didn’t just effect Peter, verse 13, “The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy with the result that even Barnabas was led away with their hypocrisy. You know what the issue is for Paul? “When I saw that they were not straight forward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all...” This is something that has to be resolved. We can’t say look, we don’t have any friends as it in the Roman Empire. Everybody is already against us. How about letting Peter and Barnabas eat what they want when they want. You know what Paul says? The truth of the gospel is at stake here. There is something being declared in this that blurs the gospel and denies it’s reality.


You have to be a nit picker with truth. You realize if it’s truth, it’s truth. If it’s error it’s error. It is black and white. One of the most wonderful compliments I have ever received in my ministry here came as a condemnation. You’re too black and white. I wanted to kiss him. I mean truth is truth. That’s the beauty of it. As soon as we start saying truth can be ignored. It’s not important. Then we have said something is more important than God’s truth. The saving of our society by political and cultural and social action, the stopping of abortion and on we go. The church is the pillar and support of the truth. The truth.

Come back to Romans 1. This is really my sermon for the morning. That was the introduction. Pray for me as I get back into the grove. Just a couple of highlights. We have done this passage in detail. You can get the tapes. I think Romans 1 ought to be fixed in our minds, particularly verses 16 to 32. You note verse 18, “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” Paul begins with verse 18 a section that will go through chapter 3 verse 20 showing that all humanity is under the condemnation of a holy God. Because everyone is guilty of turning away from Him turning against Him. They have rejected the revelation He has given of Himself, both in creation, general revelation, and in His written word, special revelation given through the Jews in chapters 2 and the first part of chapter 3.

The end of verse 20 we are told “they are without excuse.” Verse 21, “Even though they know God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks.” They knew Him through the facts of creation. If you really were open to what God is saying you would see His marvelous person, His sovereign power revealed in creation. Men reject it. “So they became futile in their speculations. Their foolish heart was darkened.” You understand this is what we are dealing with. People who are empty in their thought life. They are not able to think rationally, biblically. They make no sense. Their foolish heart was darkened. In their inner person, what they are in their mind, their heart, is darkness, blackness. They see and know nothing. They profess to be wise but they became fools. So they begin to worship not the God but the creation. They worship man and themselves and so we have the self-esteem movement which is really a form of worshiping man and self and the worship of the creation generally in verse 23.

As a result of the rejection of God and the worship of the creation, God has acted in judgement. Verse 24, “He gave them over in the lust of their heart to impurity.” And you see that. God didn’t cause them to be impure. But since they have rejected Him He has turned them over to the course of life. That is a result of the rejection of God. Next statement verse 25, “They exchange the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator. For this reason, their rejection of God, their worship of the creation. Verse 26, “God gave them over to degrading passions.” You reject God, you’re on the road of degradation, homosexuality, all kinds perverseness. Problems with homosexuals is not that they practice homosexuality. The underlying problem of homosexuals is that they have rejected the living God. And that is true of adulterers and those in all kinds of impurity and degrading passions.


It is interesting. We don’t have time for detail but you note the women exchanged the natural function. That word exchanged is the same word used in verse 25. “They exchanged the truth of God for a lie. You exchange God’s truth for a lie, you will exchange morality for immorality. Verse 28, “Just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer [they reject God. They won’t recognize Him, acknowledge him.] God gave them over to a depraved mind.? Three times, “God gave them over.” Verse 24, verse 26, verse 28. All in the context preceded by their rejection of God. And that depraved mind leads to all kinds of depraved conduct. Unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, malice, murder, strife, gossips, invertors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding. All of it goes together. But you see where it is. A creation, mankind, has rejected the creator. And in judgement God has turned them over to the course of life that is a result of rejecting the creator. It’s degradation. It’s vileness. It’s filthiness. It’s sin of all kind that consumes and corrupts and destroys.

So you have the key verses that will govern the book of Romans. Verses 16 and 17 of chapter 1. Paul says I am anxious to get to Rome so we can clean up the place. No, I have to come and preach the gospel “For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” It is in the gospel that the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. That’s why all these things I’ve been quoting and referring to you, at heart they are a denial of Romans chapter one and a denial of the gospel. It grieves my heart to say that because I know some of these men are paying the price and think they are serving the Lord but serving the Lord is not having a feeling. It is living in submission to the word. It’s not thinking you are doing the right thing, it is doing the right thing.

To go around saying we clean up society and we can turn the course of our country if we changed the make up of the Supreme Court is a denial of Romans chapter 1. That man as a sinner who has rejected God and lives under the judgement of God. And the only hope is the power of the gospel. That’s what brings salvation. Our country is not as bad as they say it is. It is much worse. It is far beyond the power of the Supreme Court to clean things up, far beyond the power of the President. We are dealing with hearts and minds that are blackened and darkened by sin, that are in rebellion against God and refuse to acknowledge Him. It will take the power of God to make them new, to change them. They are going to have to die. They can’t be cleaned up. That’s where He is going. To demonstrate we are all sinners, to demonstrate that Jesus Christ provided righteousness through His death on the cross beginning in chapter 3 verse 21 through chapter 5:21. So that in chapter 6 we can say that we died with Christ so that we were raised to newness of life so that we can live righteously.

Romans 1:28. “They did not see fit to acknowledge God.” Number one, if you have a pencil write this down on the back of the bulletin or your notes. First they did not see fit to acknowledge Him as God so secondly “God gave them over to a depraved mind.” Point two is “God gave them over to a depraved mind” as a result of point one. “They didn’t see fit to acknowledge God.” Point three is “to do those things which are not proper.” Now everything I’ve read from cleaning up society to stopping abortion to changing the make up of the Supreme court wants to start with point three. We want to get people to stop doing things which are not proper. But they do things which are not proper because they have been given over in the judgement of God to a depraved mind. They live under the control of depravity, Their own mind. And the only correction for that is what? To acknowledge God. And it will take the power of the gospel of God to bring about that transformation.


It greatly grieves me and I must say it greatly angers me to see the church muddling around like a blind man. What are we about? Why are we here? What should we do? Let’s attend this conference and see why their church is given. We need to have a seeker service so people will feel comfortable coming. We need to get involved in the anti-abortion movement. We need... The church is the pillar and support of the truth. The truth. The word of God which is alive and powerful, the only hope of fallen humanity and a fallen race. Am I discouraged? Not the least bit. My God rules over all. He is sovereign. Am I glad we are a vile, sinful country? No. Am I surprised? No.

We want to clean up things. I remind you the Pharisees didn’t practice homosexuality. The Pharisees didn’t do a lot of these vile things. You know what Jesus said? You go over land and sea to make a convert. And once you have made him a convert he’s twice the convert of hell as he was when you got him. We ought to watch what we are doing. We want to clean up our society like the Pharisees wanted to clean up people. You know what that means? We confirm them in their lost condition. We make them more unreachable than they were before we started. We have left them with the idea God is pleased that you don’t practice abortion. God is pleased they voted right. God is pleased fill in the blank. We make them twice the convert of hell as they were when we started.

No. They need to hear the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Indeed they are sinners, depraved and disgusting, just like you. Just like me apart from the grace of God using the power of the gospel. May this church be a pillar and support of the truth. May it stand and be faithful until Jesus comes. And by His grace may He use us to carry the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ to every person we can by every means we can. Let’s pray together.

Thank you Lord for Your grace. Thank you for our salvation. Father, we forget that we were once like them. We were once lost and without hope. We were once alienated from You without God in the world. But by Your grace You touched our hearts and minds and turned us from our sin to the Savior that we might be born again. Lord, what a tragedy it is that the church should loose it’s way as we anticipate the coming of the Lord, that we should muddle about in confusion and disarray and follow whatever voice calls. Lord, may we be a people committed to Your truth, in our lives personally and in our life together as the church of Jesus Christ. All that Jesus our Lord and Savior might receive the glory and honor. For we pray in His name, amen.