1. Culture Wars -- actually a continuation of the "War of the Gods"
* Pedophile Teacher in MI raped a young boy: convicted and sentenced to 15-30 years in prison -- fellow Teachers standing with him; Parents are demanding their termination; Teachers are threatening lawsuits if fired; BTW, the man who filed the lawsuit against the teacher was violently targeted with arson at his garage;
* Tax-exempt organizations in CA are about to be threatened with revoking tax-exempt status if they do not embrace Homosexuality -- a state committee approved this legislation the same day Gov. Jerry Brown signed into state law which forces schools to allow children to use restrooms correlating to their own gender identity.
2. All things point back to seeking God -- Proverbs 8.13-17
13 The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.
14 I have counsel and sound wisdom,
I have insight, I have strength.
15 By me kings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;
16 by me princes rule,
and nobles govern the earth.
17 I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.
3. When we see the bad things happening and have different reactions
a. Hide our heads in the sand and hope it goes away -- it isn't going to just go away
b. Stand and fight -- resisting the devil causes him to flee from us (Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4.7)
c. Sometimes resistance seems futile -- house falling into Canadian River
4. Inevitably we ask, "What can we do?"
5. I have borrowed some ideas from the Reclaiming America for Christ website: http://www.reclaimamericaforchrist.org
I. Reach Up -- to God
Eugene Peterson in A Long Obedience in the Same Direction writes, "It is not difficult in our world to get a person interested in the message of the Gospel; it is terrifically difficult to sustain the interest. Millions of people in our culture make decisions for Christ, but there is a dreadful attrition rate. Many claim to have been born again, but the evidence for mature Christian discipleship is slim. In our kind of culture anything, even news about God, can be sold if it is packaged freshly; but when it loses its novelty, it goes on the garbage heap. There is a great market for religious experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier Christians called holiness."
A. Humble Walk with God -- 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7.14
B. Sincere Prayer in the face of the chaos -- 6 Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4.6-7
II. Reach In -- Education
A. Power in Knowing -- 7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23.7a
1. Reason totalitarian governments must control Education
2. [The first public education act in the American colonies was in 1647. It was called, "The Old Deluder Satan Act." Its purpose was to make sure every child could read the bible for him/herself and not be deluded by Satan as in the Dark Ages.
3. We become what we think about -- reason for focusing on God's instructions
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1.1-2
B. Self-Motivation in Education
1. ["The philosophy of the classroom in one generation becomes the philosophy of government in the next." A. Lincoln
2. ["Let the children be carefully instructed in the principles and obligations of the Christian religion. This is the most essential part of education." Benjamin Rush
3. Government ordained education has removed scripture from the curriculum. Now, it is a crime;
[Study of 1000 children from conservative churched homes found that of these who attended public school, 40% no longer believed the bible to be true by the end of 8th grade; and almost 90% no longer believed the bible by their High School graduation -- it is hard to counter 40 hours per week of pagan focus with 1-4 hours of church -- it takes more; it takes a personal commitment (to which we are opposed)
4. Government education has removed mush of our history from curriculum -- it is God-based
5. We must learn to educate ourselves
III. Reach Out
A. Evangelism
1. Francis Schaeffer, a 20th Century theologian said, "The best way to contend for the culture is to win people to Christ."
2. Make disciples -- Matthew 28.18-20
a. More than baptism
b. Life long process which changes thinking and actions
B. Activism
1. Patrick Henry Club -- Monitor websites like: American Family Association; Liberty Counsel; Family Research Council; Faith 2 Action; Vision America; One News Now; etc. -- give me your research and I will inform the congregation.
2. Stay informed and contact our political representatives -- A US Senator told Paul Blair that generally his office received fewer than 5 phone calls from constituents regarding legislation and only 50--60 calls on "hot topics"; what if we flood our representatives with Christian points of view?
3. Participate in political and patriotic events
[Rose Day at the OK Capitol -- annual delivery of roses to state legislators in support of the unborn
4. Be sure to vote (early and often) and encourage others to vote
C. Partnership --
1. Stand with our religious friends to support religious freedoms
2. Does not mean approval of every theological point
3. It does mean we have something in common that we all hold dear
1. The original Minute Men were organized in churches -- they drilled and prayed together; then when the battle came, they stood together against the British
2. Samuel Whittemore was an American hero in the early days of the Revolution. He had come to America as a British soldier during the conflict with France. He loved the Colonies and decided to stay and purchased a farm in Massachusetts.
Samuel believed in American independence and took up arms against the British. On April 19, 1775 the 80 year old warrior joined the Minutemen to attack the British on their retreat to Boston following the battles of Lexington and Concord. He chose a strategic spot on the road and at just the right time fired his musket into the British line. He then fired two pistols at the soldiers and then wielded his old saber against the Redcoats. After inflicting casualties, he was wounded and beaten by the British and left for dead.
Following the conflict Samuel's neighbors came to tend the wounded. They found him not only alive, but trying to reload his musket! They brought him to the doctor, who gave them no hope of survival. To everyone's surprise, Samuel did survive and lived another 13 years!
3. Churches are the last line of defense against a culture that opposes God; those churches must be made up of courageous people who are willing to take the time, expend the effort, take the risks to be devoted to God -- in spite of what the culture thinks, says or does.
