Krish Kandiah, president of the London School of Theology, talks about growing up in the United Kingdom, where his family could always count on their next-door neighbor, Mrs. Oglive, to be around. They left a spare key with her in case they got locked out. They forgot their keys quite often, and she was always there – morning, afternoon, and night – to let them in.
Mrs. Oglive never went out. She suffered from agoraphobia, the fear of open spaces. Having lived next door to her for 40 years now, he never saw her venture past her doorway. She wasn't always that way. She has pictures on her mantelpiece of less anxious days, from her honeymoon with Mr. Oglive and from a day at the beach with her children. But after her husband died, Mrs. Oglive began to isolate herself. “As a child”, Kandiah says, “I saw opportunity in this.” Her [front yard] resembled a jungle, and he earned some pocket money by pretending to be Indiana Jones, armed with a machete, slicing through the undergrowth, clearing the path to her front door.
Kandiah says, “As an adult, I can only imagine the heavy cloud of fear and frustration that surrounds her.” Now frail and in the twilight of life, Mrs. Oglive's curtains are almost always drawn. But now and then, he still gets locked out, and as she hands him the spare key, he is glad to see she is still alive.
Kandiah says he sees parallels between Mrs. Oglive and the contemporary church. Many Christians observe the world from behind closed curtains, bemoaning culture instead of engaging it. Many local churches are isolated from the wider community… suffering from fear of an open public square with divergent viewpoints and lifestyles. (Krish Kandiah, “An Explosion of Joy,” Christianity Today, June 2014; www.PreachingToday.com)
That’s especially true as our culture becomes more and more hostile to Biblical values. However, Jesus calls His church to impact its culture, to be salt and light in a dark and decaying world, not to cower in fear within the four walls of its facilities.
In John 15, Jesus warns us that the world will hate us, because it hated Him. Even so, He asks us to “bear witness” of Him in partnership with the Holy Spirit who also bears witness of Him (John 15:18-27).
The question is: How can we be effective in that witness? How can we effectively impact our culture? How can we win the battle for the soul of our nation? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Nehemiah 10, Nehemiah 10, where the people of Israel in Nehemiah’s day make a couple of commitments as they battle for the soul of their nation.
Nehemiah 10:28-29 The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding, join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his rules and his statutes. (ESV)
The people of Israel commit themselves, 1st of all, to God’s Law. They swear to keep it, calling on God to curse them if they don’t.
Now, I don’t recommend swearing oaths and making promises to God you may or may not keep. The Bible is very clear: “It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it” (Ecclesiastes 5:5, NIV). Such oaths can get you into a lot of trouble, and they are unnecessary.
Warren Wiersbe says, “We don’t succeed as Christians because we make promises TO God, but because we believe the promises OF God and act upon them” (Warren Wiersbe, Be Determined, p.121). You see, we often fail to keep our promises, but God never fails to keep His.
A 91-year-old woman spent an hour every day reading her Bible. Her mind was about gone, so people often asked her, “What good is it to read your Bible if you can’t remember what you read?”
The woman always replied, “I’m in pretty good health, have a roof over my head, and have plenty of food to eat… I also have two sons and one grandson who love me dearly. My cup runneth over. I am not concerned about my memory. I just do my reading and God does the remembering.” (Bible Illustrator)
We may forget God’s promises. Hey! We forget our own promises sometimes, but God never does. That’s why it’s better to depend on His promises to you rather than your promises to Him. The people of Israel make a promise to God here in Nehemiah 10, but just three chapters later, they will do the very things they promised not to do.
Even so, you have to admire their commitment to God’s Word. In fact, they commit themselves to obedience in the very areas where they had failed.
Nehemiah 10:30 We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. (ESV)
According to Ezra 9, this is exactly what they were doing. They were intermarrying with the unbelievers of the land, which is expressly forbidden in God’s Word (Exodus 34:11-16; Deuteronomy 7:1-4; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18). So here they promise to stop that – no more disobedience in this area. Then they promise to keep the Sabbath.
Nehemiah 10:31 And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt. (ESV)
According to God’s Law, they were to plant no crops and cancel every debt every seven years (Exodus 32:10-11; Leviticus 25:2-7, 20-21; Deuteronomy 15:1-8). Well, they hadn’t done that for 500 years. That’s why God sent them into captivity for 70 years – to let the land lie fallow the number of years it should have in the previous 500 years. Now, after they have returned from captivity, they promise to keep the weekly Sabbath along with the sabbatical year.
They promise to obey God’s Word specifically in the areas where they had failed to keep it previously. Their conviction of sin led them to a commitment to Scripture, and that’s the first commitment we need to make if we want to win the war for the soul of our nation.
COMMIT YOURSELF TO THE WORD OF GOD.
In dependence upon God’s Spirit, determine to obey God’s Moral Law. Resolve to keep God’s Word especially in the areas where you are failing to keep it right now.
Now, our areas of disobedience might not be intermarrying with unbelievers or breaking the Sabbath like it was for these ancient Israelites. But we do face issues like same-sex marriage, pornography, and promiscuity in the church. Yet some churches have so watered-down their commitment to Scripture that they no longer condemn these behaviors as “wrong”. They don’t want to be seen as “intolerant” or “judgmental”, but it’s that wishy-washy commitment that makes them irrelevant to a culture that’s looking for answers.
John Beukema, now a pastor in Cypress, Texas, talks about watching The Passion of the Christ on its opening weekend over eleven years ago (February 2004). He returned home in a somber mood, deeply reflecting upon the sacrifice of Christ (If you saw the movie, you know what he was feeling).
When he opened his mail that night, the first letter was from a local church, inviting him to visit their “special community.” They listed the ways they were unique:
No religious dogma – We encourage the freedom of individual thought and belief. A humanist view of life – Our faith is based on celebrating the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
Warm, accessible services – Our Sunday services… typically include a mix of readings, music, moments of meditation or contemplation, and a sermon…
Our children's religious education program – We teach our kids to be accepting of differing beliefs and the importance of each person seeking his or her own truth. They study the world's major religions and draw on the core values of each faith tradition….
So if you're looking for a congregation that cherishes freedom of belief and opinion, with a warm sense of community and fellowship, please visit us!
John Beukema says, “I had watched the horrific suffering of Jesus and heard him say, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ Hours later I opened an invitation to visit a group where truth doesn't matter. The contrast was overwhelming.” (John Beukema; www.PreachingToday.com)
Well, such groups, in trying to adjust to the moral, relativistic culture around them, have become irrelevant to that culture.
According to a recent study just published by the Pew Research Center last month (May 12, 2015), such groups, which are represented by the mainline protestant denominations, have seen a significant decline in the United States in the last seven years from 2007 to 2014. They went from 18.1 percent of the population to 14.7 percent, a 3.4 percent drop which represents a DECREASE of 5 million adherents. (“America’s Changing Religious Landscape”, Pew Research Center, May 12, 2015, http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/ americas-changing-religious-landscape)
In trying to be “tolerant” and “non-judgmental”, becoming just like the culture around them, they have ceased to be able to speak to that culture. You see, in order to make a difference, you have to be different, and the mainline protestant denominations have ceased to be any different than the world they’re trying to reach.
In contrast to that, Evangelical Protestant churches dropped a mere 0.9 percent of the U.S. population in the last seven years from 26.3 percent to 25.4 percent. That actually represents an INCREASE of 2 million adherents, since the total U.S. population is also growing. Evangelical Protestant churches, for the most part, have had an unwavering commitment to the Bible, with the result that they still have a commanding lead among all the major religious groups in America. (Ibid.)
Now, lest we get too swelled a head, we have to realize that we’re not keeping up with the population growth, which means that we are not reaching some of our own children. There is also an alarming increase in what the Pew Research Center calls the “unaffiliated”. These include atheists, agnostics, and those who identify themselves as “nothing in particular.” They grew from 16.1 percent of the U.S. population to 22.8 percent, so there is a huge and growing group of people we are not even touching. And if trends continue, the “unaffiliated” will soon overtake the number of Evangelical Protestants.
So what do we do about that? Become more tolerant of unbiblical lifestyles? Jettison a commitment to biblical principles to attract the so-called “unaffiliated”?
We saw where that led with the mainline protestant denominations. NO, that is not the answer. If anything, this study demonstrates the need to remain committed to the Scriptures. Now is not the time to water-down our biblical convictions, but to speak the truth in love and live out that truth before a watching world.
If we want to be an effective witness to a world becoming more hostile to our values, if we want to positively impact our culture and win the war for the soul of our nation, then we must remain determined to pursue biblical principles. In dependence upon the Spirit of God, commit yourself to the Word of God. Then 2nd…
COMMIT YOURSELF TO THE HOUSE OF GOD.
Determine to support the local gathering of believers to the best of your ability. Resolve to do all you can to advance the progress of the worshipping community in your area. That’s the 2nd commitment the people make in Nehemiah’s day.
Nehemiah 10:32 We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: (ESV)
God’s Law required half a shekel, but they could only afford a third. Even so, they make a commitment to give what they can…
Nehemiah 10:33 for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. (ESV)
They commit to providing for the services of the Temple. Then they commit to provide supplies for the Temple.
Nehemiah 10:34 We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have likewise cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers’ houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law. (ESV)
The Law required the fire on the altar to burn continuously. That meant that everyone had to get involved to provide wood for the fire. They commit to provide for the services of the Temple. They commit to provide supplies for the Temple, and they commit to provide for the servants of the temple – the priests and Levites.
Nehemiah 10:35-39 We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the LORD; also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks; and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor. And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God. (ESV)
Nine times that phrase is found in these verses – “the house of our God”. This house is very important to these people, and they are determined not to neglect it.
They commit themselves to the house of God, and that’s what we need to do if we’re going to win the war for the soul of our nation. America’s hope is not found in its politicians. America’s hope is not found in its economy. America’s hope is not found in its educational institutions. No. America’s hope is found in its churches who faithfully proclaim the Good News of God’s Word.
You see, the house of God today is not made out of stone and wood like it was in Nehemiah’s day. It is made out of people, you and me, who have put our trust in Christ. We are the “living stones” that make up the house of God, and we are America’s best hope for the future.
Jesus made it very clear: He said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The church is Christ’s plan for pushing back the forces of evil in our world. The church is Christ’s plan for overcoming Satan’s influence. The church is Christ’s plan for overpowering the Devil’s stronghold in people’s lives.
In the early 1800’s, an unknown sage from Europe visited our young country to learn the secret of her greatness. Later, he wrote: “I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers – and it was not there… in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there… in her rich mines and her vast world commerce – and it was not there… in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution – and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.” (Attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville by Dwight D. Eisenhower in his final campaign address in Boston, Massachusetts, November 3, 1952, but not found in de Tocqueville’s works)
In the early days, America was made great by its churches. It was made great by churches that stood squarely and firmly on the Word of God. It was made great by churches that un-apologetically called people to believe and obey that Word.
By the way, that was in a day when there was a much smaller percentage of the population committed to Christ than there is today. Even so, Christ built His church and used it to push back the forces of evil in this great land, and Christ can do it again! All we have to do is remain committed to His Word AND to one another.
In one of the great scenes from the movie Gladiator, Maximus the unvanquished gladiator is in Rome’s magnificent Coliseum with other gladiators getting ready to re-enact Rome’s battle with Carthage.
The gladiators, all foot soldiers, are cast as the hapless Carthaginians in a stage set for slaughter. They are marched out of a dark passageway into brilliant sunlight and met with a roar of bloodlust.
But Maximus shouts to his men: “Stay together.” Then he assembles them in a tight circle in the center of the arena: back-to-back, shields aloft, spears outward. Again he shouts, “Whatever comes out that gate, stay together.”
What comes out that gate is swift and sleek and full of terror. Chariot upon chariot thunder forth. With deadly agility and earthshaking strength, war horses pull wagons driven by master charioteers. One gladiator strays from the circle, ignoring Maximus's order, and is cut down. Maximus shouts once more: “Stay together!”
The instinct to scatter is strong, but they resist the impulse. The chariots circle closer and closer. Spears and arrows rain down on the men's wooden shields. The chariots are about to cinch the knot when Maximus shouts, “Now!”
The gladiators attack, and decimate the Romans. Commodus, the self-serving emperor, in a question dripping with sarcasm, asks the game’s organizer: “My memory of Roman history is rusty, but didn't we beat Carthage the first time?” (Mark Buchanan, “The Good Fight,” Leadership Journal, Fall 2004; www.PreachingToday.com)
“Whatever comes out that gate, stay together.” That’s good advice not only for ancient gladiators, but for the church today.
The enemy is going to come at us with everything he has, but no matter what comes out of that gate, stay together; support one another; and give your time, talents and treasure to help your church win the battle.
Commit yourself to the Word of God and to the House of God. It’s the only way we’ll be an effective witness to a world becoming more hostile to our values. It’s the only way we’ll positively impact our culture and win the war for the soul of our nation.
Carolyn Arends talks about her days as a kid, when she loved Mission Sundays. That’s when missionaries on furlough brought special reports in place of a sermon… There is one visit she has never forgotten. The missionaries were a married couple stationed in what appeared to be a particularly steamy jungle. She doesn’t remember much of what they said except the story they shared about a snake.
One day, an enormous snake – much longer than a man –slithered its way right through their front door and into the kitchen of their simple home. Terrified, they ran outside and searched frantically for a local who might know what to do. A machete-wielding neighbor came to the rescue, calmly marching into their house and decapitating the snake with one clean chop.
The neighbor reemerged triumphant and assured the missionaries that the reptile had been defeated. But there was a catch, he warned: It was going to take a while for the snake to realize it was dead.
A snake's neurology and blood flow are such that it can take considerable time for it to stop moving even after decapitation. For the next several hours, the missionaries were forced to wait outside while the snake thrashed about, smashing furniture and flailing against walls and windows, wreaking havoc until its body finally understood that it no longer had a head.
Sweating in the heat, they had felt frustrated and a little sickened but also grateful that the snake's rampage wouldn't last forever. And at some point in their waiting, they had a mutual epiphany.
“Do you see it?” asked the husband. “Satan is a lot like that big old snake. He's already been defeated. He just doesn't know it yet. In the meantime, he's going to do some damage. But never forget that he's a goner.” (Carolyn Arends, “Satan's a Goner: A lesson from a Headless Snake,” Christianity Today, February, 2011; www.PreachingToday. com)
Like that missionary couple, sometimes we’re frustrated and sickened by the damage that old snake, the devil, is doing in our world. We’re tempted to lose all hope, but don’t. Remember, Jesus already crushed the serpent’s head on the cross. He’s already been defeated. He just doesn’t know it yet; but you do, so don’t lose heart.
