1. 250 years = America Needs the Church more than every by Jack Hibbs
-we’ve drifted far from the Biblical principles that shaped our founding
-truth is under attack
-evil is called good, and good is called evil
“And while the hour may be dark, I believe God is calling His people to wake up, not just pray, but to stand.” (Hibbs)
One scripture calls us to our knees and the other to our feet:
1 Thessalonians 5:17 “pray continually.” (pray without ceasing)
Philippians 2: 15-16 (shine your light)
“so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.”
Prayer: Where the Battle Begins
-when we pray, we are engaging in spiritual warfare
“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against our newsrooms; it’s being fought in the prayer closets of God’s people.”
-we must labor in prayer for our nation
-pray: heartfelt, persistent, and faith-filled
1Timothy 2: 1-2
“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
**if you want to see change in your country, start on your knees
But We Can’t Stop There:
-prayer is essential, but it’s not the end of our calling
-we are commanded to take a stand
Jude 3 “Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.”
-we are called to content, not hide and/or not blend in
-we should be fighting for what matters
-we are called to speak up, even when it’s unpopular
“The early church turned the world upside down, not because they were polite and quiet, but because they were bold and filled with the Spirit of God.” (Hibbs)
Ex. Elijah: He just didn’t pray that his people would follow the Lord, but he stood on Mount Carmel and called down fire. He didn’t shrink back from confronting evil.
Truth Must Be Spoken:
-in a world full of lies, speaking the truth is an act of courage
-truth doesn’t need to sound mean, angry, or ugly to be strong
Colossians 4:6 “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”
-we are to speak the truth in love, with conviction, compassion and tact
-we are not called to be silent, but not obnoxious
-calling sin what it is: defending life, marriage, and Biblical morality
-we do not compromise with darkness, but shine a light into it
America Needs Watchmen on the Wall:
-God is still looking for watchmen, for men and women who will stand guard in prayer and speak boldly in public
Isaiah 62:6 “I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest,”
-it’s time for the church to rise, to be alert, vocal and unashamed
Ex. Nehemiah’s workers who built the wall with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other
-we must both pray and contend
Don’t Just Hope. Engage.:
-It is not the hour to retreat, but the hour to advance
-do not be the Christian that stands on the sidelines waiting for someone else to speak up, to lead, to fight
-take on the responsibility to pray and to stand
2 Corinthians 7:14
“God’s answer to America’s problems is found among His own people, the church. We must humble ourselves and seek His face.”
***The call is clear: Pray fervently. Stand courageously.
When the church prays and stands, God moves through us to bless those around us
2. We Must not be Silent in the Face of Evil by Eric Metaxas:
-when the Nazi regime began to infiltrate society and churches during World War II, German pastor Deitrich Bonhoeffer fought back with all his might
-his sermons, lectures, and essays were taught at an underground seminary
-Bonhoeffer was arrested and imprisoned for two years before being executed for his faith
-What he taught then is essential to the church today
-when believers do not understand or ignore what they know is God’s will, is opposite of God’s will
Ex. when the church says“ God has not called us into politics”
-the idea that we’re supposed to church used spiritual-sounding excuses to avoid standing up against evil leadership today
Ex. when told to be a good Christian by refusing to get involved politically; they were deadly mistaken
-the churches must understand God’s call to live without their faith in the culture
-in Bonhoeffer’s time, Christians didn’t want to cause trouble just as we see happening today
-history shows that when believers removes themselves from the vital job that God gave them to put their faith into the political sphere against the Nazis
-Christians are called to not simply give intellectual theological ideas, but to live out our faith in Christ in realms of the public square
-we are to live out what we believe by taking action
Cultural wars:
-gender ideology
-abortion
-free speech
**We have an obligation before God to live what we claim to believe, to speak out on these issues, to bring them to the forefront, ultimately in order to preserve our right to speak the lifesaving truth of the Gospel
-Bonhoeffer was eventually martyred for his faith
“Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless.”
-at times, our faith may even pit us against the government
-this is a significant challenge as most don’t want to stand against the government
**Believers may think Romans 13 settles the issue, but there are innumerable examples in Scripture of believers standing very firmly against what the government tells them to do
Ex. Esther and Moses are just two examples
-this nation would never have come into existence without a profound expression of Christian faith, and without prayer
-America was birthed in prayer by believers who were living out their Christian faith
**We need a nation of prayer: corporate and privately
-we desperately need the Lord to be with us
-with the murder of Charlie Kirk, it seems people are seeing the need to be bolder about their Christian faith
-Stop hiding in the shadows
***we need more Christians with the kind of courage Charlie displayed in sharing his faith with both boldness and clarity
-Bonhoeffer spoke out against Hitler’s atrocities and started an underground seminary to disciple young men who wanted to become ministers
-he taught them what it meant to be men of God
-he taught them what is was like to have Christian community and practice living out your faith together which is vital in our day
-people are desperately hungry for meaning and truth
-people are confused and don’t know what to believe
**be bold and speak out about what we believe, many will listen
-when believers don’t talk about their faith, bad ideas fill up the vacuum in the culture
**wicked action follows
-nonbelievers will bring godless values into our politics and into our laws
**the church has been silent and apolitical for far too long
Luke 12:48 “But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
***we must live out our lives unto the Lord
3. Church’s Mission in a Decaying Culture by Gary Hamrick:
Isaiah 5: 20 “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”
-these words were written 2,500 years ago and still describes American culture today
-things we once called right are now wrong
-things we once called wrong are now right
We have:
-gender confusion
-redefined marriage
-disregard for human life
-stripping away of parental rights
-environmental worship
***our culture is in decay
-the blame for the social and moral decline in America is on ourselves
-many churches have embraced liberal philosophies
-churches have replaced God’s word with social justice and promoting progressive ideology over Biblical theology
-churches fearful to address political mattes
-churches fear of losing their 503C3 status
-churches don’t want to ruffle the feathers of the congregation so they bow to man instead of God
-40 million Christians who are registered to vote do not
-15 million Christians are not even registered to vote
***Evil has filled the vacuum
-our culture clings to madness and barrels of destruction
-believers turn a blind eye
***the presences of the church and the power of the Holy Spirit are the only two forces restraining evil in the world
-Christians are failing as ambassadors for Christ by being unfaithful doing nothing and ceding ground to the enemy
-the world’s mission is to conform us to its image, values, philosophy, culture, trends, beliefs, and systems
-those who do not conform are ashamed, canceled, and in many places around the globe, persecuted
-Christians have been martyred for their faith in the last 100 years than in previous 20 centuries combined
Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18).
-if society is corrupt, there is no sense blaming society
-this happens when fallen humans are left to themselves and evil is unrestrained and unchecked
Where is the church?
-it is the church’s mission to help others understand that they can be transformed by the person and power of Jesus Christ–and we must not abandon our mission
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” (Romans 1:16).
-truth if offensive to a world that doesn’t want to hear it, but if we love people enough, we will tell them the truth
-we are not responsible for how they respond (the battle belongs to us)
-God handles the rest (the results are His)
Jesus personifies truth:
“For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37).
-we to must be truth-tellers
-a clash between good and evil is being played out in real time
-the Holy Spirit is drawing people to Himself so that as many as possible will be saved and will avoid eternity apart from Christ
-demonic principalities are also at work, seeking to destroy all who would bow to their influence
-souls are at stake, and we cannot bow down to fear
Apostle Paul wrote from prison:
“Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Ephesians 6: 19-20).
-Paul understood the cost following Christ
-He would ultimately give his life fo the Gospel
-like Paul, be strengthened through the power of the Holy Spirit to speak boldly for our Savior
**Jesus is coming again, and the church is to influence the world for Christ until His return
-we are not to be silent, passive, ashamed, embarrassed or politically correct
-we must engage our world, promote Biblical values, speak the truth and tell people about Jesus wherever and whenever we can
***We are charged to be salt and light and truth in this dark world