"A Pledge To God Series

“A PLEDGE TO GOD’S KINGDOM”

Hope Community Church of Fleetwood, PA - September 26, 2010

Sermon by Pastor Gary Blosser

This past week there was a lot of action on the News concerning a new Pledge to America. Which developed out of our present political climate, anticipating the mid-term elections. The preamble of the Pledge contains a sense of urgency declaring “The need for urgent action.” The Pledge begins with:

“With this document, we pledge to dedicate ourselves to the task of reconnecting our highest aspirations to the permanent truths of our founding by keeping faith with the values our nation was founded on, the principles we stand for, and the priorities of our people. This is our Pledge to America.”

The source of this Pledge is immaterial to me this morning. Whether from the right or left; Democrats or Republicans; Green, Red, Blue, or Yellow Party for that matter. What strikes me is that it was birthed out of conviction that things must change. I take note when people are moved to action. When they are shaken out of their complacency. When the status quo is no longer sufficient. When people stand up and say - “We pledge to do these things...”

As I considered A Pledge to America I pondered, what would A Pledge to God’s Kingdom look like? What would a pledge made to God’s Kingdom encompass? What would this pledge look like if we were stirred within our hearts and minds? So stirred that we were shaken out of our complacency - out of our comfort zones - shaken out of our small self absorbed puny little world?

So I took a closer look at A Pledge to America. As I searched for insight into A PLEDGE TO GOD’S KINGDOM I notices in the Pledge to America there were five pledges mentioned in the preamble. Let’s pause here a minute - I want to share these with you not to advance any political agenda. I am not affirming nor opposing these portions of the Pledge. I want you to have Kingdom eyes this morning; to glean from the culture around us the TRUTH we should apply in our lives.

Let’s look at the first pledge:

“We pledge to honor the Constitution as constructed by its framers and honor the original intent of those precepts that have been consistently ignored – particularly the Tenth Amendment....”

How might we adapt for the Kingdom?

We pledge to honor GOD’S WORD as constructed by Him and honor the original intent of those precepts that have been consistently ignored – particularly the GREATEST COMMANDMENTS – Love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves.

To whom did Jesus tell the Greatest commandments? He gave them in several settings. In Matthew 22:35-40 a lawyer comes with a test for Jesus asking him which commandments are the greatest. In Luke 10:25 we read of a similar situation where Jesus has an exchange with a lawyer. When Jesus tells him to love his neighbor as himself the lawyer’s response is, “Who is my neighbor?”

Rather than answer the question directly Jesus tells a story we’ve come to know as the Good Samaritan where a Jewish man is mugged - beaten, striped, and left to die. Two religious people (a priest and a Levite) come upon the unfortunate man but both pass by on the other side of the road. Then a Samaritan man comes along. The Samaritans and Jews are enemies with one another. But the Samaritan stops, cares for the mans wounds, lifts him to his own donkey and takes him to an inn where he cares for him through the night then leaves money with the inn keeper to care for him. “And if it costs more, I will repay you on my next visit.”

Then Jesus asks,“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Luke 10:36-37 (NIV)

We pledge to honor GOD’S WORD as constructed by Him and honor the original intent of those precepts that have been consistently ignored – particularly the GREATEST COMMANDMENTS – Love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and love our neighbors as ourselves.

The Second Pledge:

“We pledge to advance policies that promote greater liberty, wider opportunity, a robust defense, and national economic prosperity.”

How might we adapt for God’s Kingdom?

We pledge to advance GOD’S policies that promote KINGDOM liberty, wider opportunity, a robust defense of THE GOSPEL, and SPIRITUAL prosperity.

Back in July - John Fick preached about Kingdom Liberty. He said, “Jesus liberates us from the world, its values, its emotions, its bondage, its materialism, its fears.” He set us free from sin & death. So how are God’s policies, that promote liberty, advanced?