Is America outside of God's will? Are we in charge of who leads us? Can a Nation that stands against God, last as long as they want?
Today is Sunday, November 1st, and it is the first Sunday of the month.
Which means-------- Communion
So before the announcements, and before the kids are dismissed, let's take Communion together as the Family of God.
Because of everything with Covid, we have been asking people to bring their own Bread and Wine, but if it slipped your mind, don’t worry-----we have some available for you all in the back.
We are taking Communion together, not only because Jesus Himself instructed us to, but because we need the daily bread of the Lord, to remind us of His love, His patience, and His sovereignty.
1st Corinthians 11:23 says this:
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Amen. Never forget how much you are worth to our God. You are worth the blood and the body of Jesus Christ.
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Now, we have a few announcements before we dismiss the kids:
The Operation Christmas Child Boxes are due NEXT WEEK, and we have a quick 3 minute video that will help guide us.
Also next week, we will be having another Baptism, however, in our dreading to be in Lake Ontario in November, the Baptist Church here in Clyde has graciously offered us the use of their heated Baptismal.
So after Service next week we’ll be going to the Baptist Church across from Fastrac and letting everyone know about the heart change that happened.
In a few weeks we will be collecting donations for food boxes to go out to families in need in our local Community.
I'll continue to keep everyone updated about that as the date gets closer.
We’ll be looking for either food items, or money to go and buy the food items, if you don't want to lug a frozen turkey all over the place.
Yesterday we gave out 144 hotdogs to the Community members who were out Trick or Treating!!
Last announcement:
We will be having a Fall Clean-Up day on Saturday the 14th at 8am.
The kids are dismissed.
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So today, we are going to talk about 2 controversial things ----- that everybody says you shouldn't talk about.
So get ready, this is going to be good.
The primary verse for this morning, is going to be from the book of Job chapter 42, verse 2.
We’ll be looking at a few other verses this morning as well, so if you don't get the chance to look them up, that's ok. I just want you all to know that the things I will be talking about, come directly from Scripture.
So they won't be up on the screen, but if you want to know them and look them up later in the week, feel free to jot them down.
Job 42:2
“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”
( → → Opening Prayer ← ← )
There is a pretty well known saying, about two things that you're not supposed to talk about in certain situations
At your job
At family dinners
When you're hanging out with your friends
Anybody know what those two things are?
Well, today----we are going to talk about politics and religion
But…….not the politics of here and now
Not the politics of America, or The UN, or the rest of the world
We aren't going to talk about the left or the right
Republicans or Democrats
No bi-partisan, house or senate, electoral college, Supreme Court political nonsense
We are not going to talk about the Election this tuesday, and until Jesus Christ runs for president...you will never hear me use this pulpit to tell you how to vote.
The Pulpit is for Scripture and its explanation. Nothing more and nothing less.
Well….if we aren't going to talk about all of that stuff…..then how exactly are we going to talk about Politics?
Today, we are going to talk about the politics of reality.
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And our verse this morning shows us that the
The political system that this world operates under, is a complete and total, all consuming Absolute Monarchy.
Jesus Christ, is the King of the Universe.
He has authority and control over everything single that happens, doesn't happen or will or won't ever happen.
We live …….. in an absolute Monarchy.
That is what it means to say that God is sovereign.--- it means has the final say. That His will will be the one that comes out on top, no matter what.
He is the King of the Universe, and He is intimately involved with and has control and authority over ------ literally everything.
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A few examples in Scripture
We may end up asking some really big questions in relation to this-----
What about suffering?
What about free will?
What about prayer?
We will answer those questions, on another Sunday….
But today, we are going to look at God being sovereign over ….over every single Country and Nation that has ever and will ever exist.
But first, a few examples of His sovereignty.
He is sovereign over Nature:
Matthew 8:26 says: “Who is this, that even wind and waves obey Him?”
He is sovereign over random happenstances:
Proverbs 16:33 says: “The lot (Dice) is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.
There is no such thing as a coincidence
He is sovereign over our salvation:
John 6:44 says: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
And our focus for today is His sovereignty over Nations
Were talking about this today:
because there seems to be a blanket of fear and anxiety wrapping our country in its embrace
Because everytime I turn on the news, the general consensus of our Country is that if we simply VOTE for the right person….then all of the bad will go away.
If WE get rid of this one person….and instead WE put this other person in office, then everything will be ok.
It is up to US
WE are in control
The fate of the most powerful Nation that has ever existed in the history of humanity…..is in OUR hands…..
But the Bible teaches something different.
God is the one who is sovereign over every Nation:
Psalm 22:27-28
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, 28 for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.
Psalm 33:6-11
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. 10 The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. 11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
Our God, has total authority over every Nation, regardless of their size or age.
Regardless of the system of government, God is in charge of every single Nation
Socialism // Communism
Fascism
Nazism
Feudalism
Constitutional Republics
Democracies
Dictatorships
Totalitarianism
Anarchy states
Warlords who fashion their own government by force
Modern parliaments and presidents
And ancient kings
God has absolute and total authority over every government and nation that has ever existed.
They can establish rules and laws and write constitutions ----- but God has the final say
They can create systems & checks and balances --- but God has the final say
They can raise armies and grow in unsurpassed military power ----- but God has the final say
They can cast ballots ----- but God has the final say
God is absolutely sovereign over every nation, from the first to the last
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And if we look at Scripture, God uses all the Nations of the world to not only carry out His will and His plan….but he uses Nations to prove the kind of God He is.
When He raised up Israel-----He was proving that He is a God who cares for the weak and oppressed
When He used Israel to destroy the canaanites for their Child sacrifice ----He was proving that He is a God who enacts justice against the wicked
When He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah----He was proving that He is a God who punishes sexual immorality
When the Nation of Nineveh repented and turned from their sin----He was proving that He is a God who forgives
All through Scripture, we can see Country after Country, Nation after Nation, either willingly or unwillingly reveal the character and nature of God.
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That brings up questions then….doesn't it?
What about the nations in history….that were evil?
What about the countries that suppress and hurt and are unfair towards their people?
What about the Nations that starve their people?
What about the countries that force their will onto the weak?
What about the Nations that condone and support and encourage sexual immorality?
What about the Nations that legally kill children by the thousands?
If God uses Nations-----what are we to think when we see Nations acting evil?
First:
We need to remember that God’s timing is not our own.
No country that continually rejects God, will remain
No country, that endorses evil, will do so unchecked
All sinful evil Nations, will be punished
Every Nation that acts against the will of God----will see the wrath of God
And part of that perfect timing of God------is that He does not stay quiet about His judgement.
He give warnings ------- He gives 2nd and 3rd and 4th chances
In fact, a Nation will receive as many chances and warnings as are necessary from them to either repent and turn-----or to be settled in their evil
You see, God already knows the outcome of repeated 2nd Chances----
He already knows if a Nation will repent and turn from evil------
And He gives them every opportunity necessary to do so
Every single Nation, that has or will ever exist, is given every chance for them to repent and turn from their wickedness.
After every government endorsed sin-----God says “Repent and turn”
After every legal murder------ God says “Repent and Turn”
God will give a Nation every opportunity that is needed to repent of their sins and turn from their wickedness
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You see, when a Nation establishes it’s laws and its rules, it is for the single purpose of standing up for what is right and true and just.
Criminals are to be punished by the government, because it is just
The innocent are to be protected by the government, because that is what is right
It's like that, because Romans 13 teaches us that all positions of authority are placed there by God to punish evil doers.
Our government is supposed to do the National scale work of God
Protecting the innocent
Punishing the criminal
But when a government---
When the rulers of a Nation---
When those who were supposed to stand up and protect the innocent and punish immorality------instead choose to endorse and protect evil-----
God tells that Nation ----- Repent and turn
You are supposed to stand up for what is good and right----but you endorse evil and sin
You Judges and Kings----
You Governors and Senators----
You Congressmen and Presidents----
You who were supposed to protect the innocent and act justly----have failed in your positions of authority-----
Repent and turn to the Sovereign King of your Nation
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In closing---
That brings up the question, then----
Where does America fit?
Does God still judge Nations….today?
Will God sit back in heaven, doing nothing, while we endorse and commit evil?
Is He waiting for us to repent and turn?
Is He giving us another 2nd chance?
Has He forgiven the years of slavery and racism?
Has He forgiven the Billions of dollars a year we spend on pornography
Has he forgiven the government endorsed sexual immorality?
Has he forgiven the hundreds of thousands of child sacrifices that stain our abortion clincis with the blood of the innocent?
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Does our system of Government ---- overpower God’s authority over our Nation?
Will our votes and our Electoral College ------- stay the judgment of God?
Is God no longer Sovereign over our Country ------- because WE the people are the ones in charge?
Or does this American experiment mean that we have even MORE responsibility?
Does our freedom to live how we want------ make US the ones responsible for how our Government behaves?
This may upset our American sensibilities, but it is nevertheless true:
Our freedom in America, is a double sided coin. We are allowed to live how we want and then fashion our Government to ensure it...….
But that means we are allowed to live however we want, and our government will ensure it.
Do we want immorality? --- our government will make sure we get it
Do we want wickedness ---- our government will make it legal
Do we want to lawfully engage in all manner of sin and evil? ------- our government will protect it.
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Is our Nation due for judgement?
Is God still sovereign?
We are the ones in charge?
Can we as regular American citizens, have any say in the plans or outcome that God has for our Nation?
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My answer, to all of the questions above is this:
God is still sovereign---
And we are still responsible---
If we want our Nation to repent of their evil and be saved from the coming doom, then we must live every aspect of our lives in line with what Scripture teaches.
We care for the weak and the poor
We stand up for the oppressed
We feed the hungry
We help the helpless
We oppose sexual immorality
We oppose child sacrifice
We oppose racism and bigotry and drunkenness
We spend time in prayer
We spend time in worship
We forgive those who have wronged us, regardless of if they have asked for it
We let everything in our life radiate the love and justice and peace and truth of God
We hold our Government accountable to the truth of Scripture
And we pray for our leaders.
Regardless of who wins this coming Election….we pray for them
For their safety
For their health
For them to come to see Jesus Christ as He truly is, and fulfill the duties of their office.
When we have done everything we can---
When we have prayed for our leaders, and lived our lives according to Scripture---
When we have voted however we feel would be the Christian way to vote---
We rest in the reality that God is in control----
Our trust is not in the Democrats
Our trust is not in the Republicans
Our trust is not in the Electoral College, the Supreme Court
Our trust is not in the Democratic process that has served our Nation for 200 years.
Our Trust is in the Lord, the maker of heaven and Earth
A loving and just God
A forgiving God
A God who cares so much for us that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will NOT perish, but have eternal life.
We are in His hands, and only He can protect and save us.
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I would like to close with the words of Saint Peter in the 2nd Chapter of his book, verses 9-17
In these verses, he is talking about we are only VISITING this Nation.
This is not our home
We are citizens of heaven, on an 80year Mission Trip to America
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.
12 Live such good lives among unbelievers that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.
15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
( → → Closing Prayer ← ← )