Today is Pulpit Freedom Sunday
The clip played at the offering closed with these words -
In the face of Tyranny a silent pulpit is a complicit pulpit Ezekiel 33:6
Just what exactly does Ezekiel 33:6 say
Ezekiel 33:6
6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’
Or as Acts 20:28 in the amplified would admonish pastors
Acts 20:28 Amplified Bible (AMP)
28 Take care and be on guard for yourself / and the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you bishops and guardians, to shepherd (tend and feed and guide) the church of the Lord which He obtained for Himself [buying it and saving it for Himself] with His own blood.
God has placed on the heart of His pastors the awesome responsibility of preaching the whole counsel of His Word.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
As I said - Today is Pulpit Freedom Sunday in America.
Today over 1,500 pastors will be true to God and do just that.
Despite the arguments of people like Barry Lynn it is not about politics it is about righteousness. Gods Righteousness. The right to declare all of Gods Word unchained.
Proverbs 14:34 34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people.
Proverbs 29:2 when the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan.
The church, in fact Gods people are all well to familiar with that knowledge.
In the wickedest of times, those God called have always spoken out against the injustices of human Govt when it stands in opposition to Gods Truth.
The Old Testament is full of examples – those like Elijah who stood against King Ahab and his wife Jezebel.
1. Likewise the New Testament both prior to Christ’s death and resurrection and those he called to lead his church.
2. John the Baptist wasn’t exactly on the guest list at any of King Herod’s political rally’s.
Jesus made it plain it was fine to give to Caesar what was rightfully his so long as you gave to God what was rightfully his. I dare say that includes obeying the truths in His Word.
I’ve entitled todays message “An Acts 5:29 moment”
So let’s see what Act’s 5:29 says - 27 the apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!
We have long been at an Acts 5:29 moment in our nation, but for far too long the church has been asleep, the pulpits have been silent.
Perhaps no more a glaring failure than the pulpits of Europe at the onset of the Second World War.
When Pastor Martin Niemöller said this:
First they came for the Jew - and I didn't speak out because I wasn't Jewish.
Then they came for the socialists, - and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, - and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for me, - and there was no one left to speak for me.
It has been said that churches along the route that the trains passed filled with Jews on their way to be executed, simply played their music louder and sang louder as the trains with screaming, crying Jews would pass their buildings.
If you will allow me to say that in our day and age we have been no less guilty. That’s right
I want you just to consider with me ABORTION
Total number of abortions in the United States 1967-2011: 54,900,000
That’s the Population of 72 largest U.S. cities: 54,899,885 (2011)
Number of babies aborted each year worldwide -- 50,000,000.
Number of babies aborted throughout the world since World War II: More than 1.5 billion.
Top 3 countries in number of abortions annually:
1. Red China -- 11,000,000.
2. Former Soviet Union -- 6,000,000.
3. The United States -- 1,250,000 (Projected 2011)
Even though Gods Word tells us Murder is sin, and commands us not to do it we have allowed this to go on. While true evangelical churches have spoken out, many churches, pulpits have remained silent.
God makes it plain in Psalm 139 that we are made by him, knit together in our mother’s womb, fearfully and wonderfully made and yet America is #3 in the world in abortions.
Even though Jeremiah chap. 1 tells us that before GOD formed us in the womb, before we were born that He set us apart, yet it continues.
There is nothing unambiguous about how God saw the death of a child in the womb. One need only look at Exodus 21 for that.
22 “Now suppose two men are fighting, and in the process they accidentally strike a pregnant woman so she gives birth prematurely. If no further injury results, the man who struck the woman must pay the amount of compensation the woman’s husband demands and the judges approve. 23 But if there is further injury, the punishment must match the injury: a life for a life,
And yet so many will step in the voting booths in our land and never even bother to look where any of the candidates stand on the taking of a life. We seem oblivious to the values of those we select
John Jay, first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court - Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.
But it wasn’t just our founding fathers that said that - listen to Exodus 18:21
Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
And far too often because they haven’t heard it preached as sin from the pulpit.
1. Or the church simply says well we don’t do it so it’s not our fault.
What about the spread of Moral, Spiritual and Sexual decay in our nation –
Today there is a great battle going on over Marriage being between a man and a woman only.
Vs. men marrying men and women marrying women. I call that Iceberg Sin
Why Iceberg Sin? - Because 10% of the cause is visible and 90% is below the surface.
Back in the 50’s - Marriage and the home was much sounder, safer. Not perfect but much better
1. It was one man, one woman i.e. Male and female created He they.
2. They waited till marriage to be intimate – Fornication was still seen as sin
3. They pro created and raised children in the respect of God and country.
4. They stayed together until death they did part.
5. The values and laws were still coming from God’s Word
Then came the 60’s – Free love, drugs, God is dead, fornication or sex before marriage became the norm.
Divorce sprang out of nowhere, and politicians rushed to make laws that made it ok, or seem ok.
And yet the word of God says What God has joined together let no man put asunder.
His word says He hates divorce.
Still those we elected made new rules – We never even thought to see how they viewed marriage before we pulled the lever for them.
• We might have learned something if we had done a fruit inspection of their marriage or life, or beliefs.
• If you want my honest belief even in the area of homosexuality I believe that many see the behavior and are appalled, but we fail to see the causes, which now are many.
• And is heart breaking.
From the evils of molesters back as far as the 40’s and 50’s, to the breakdown of 2 parent male/female homes, to the moral cesspool that exists today within television, music, the internet, and good old printed porm.
To children being raised in homes where perverted things are normal or as the subtle catch phrase of our day “ THE NEW NORMAL.”
But most importantly to the slow subtle eradication of God and Godly laws, and Godly leadership in our nation. Blue Laws
With each new perversion men and women have come to the powers of govt. willing to alter Gods Word, with laws that are in direct violation to Gods commands, and His purposes for our life.
Romans 1 makes it plain it wasn’t until man had fallen from God to a place where they knew how to look religious, but did things in direct opposition to God that He gave them over to their own futile thinking and men began to lust after men, and women after women.
Church there are very few families today who are not affected by a family member who has been caught up in the homosexual lifestyle.
That doesn’t stop us from loving them. Or praying for them. But we can’t put our heads in the sand and just act as if God is going to hand out exemptions for close family members.
Laws are actually being passed in California to insure that they can’t be helped by believers trying to bring them back to the Lord. How did they get in power to be able to impose those views on all.
The current hot issue of Obamacare – Is full of requirements that will cause believers to either betray their faith, or face the risk of criminal punishment.
Hobby Lobby will be fine. 1.3 million Dollars a day because it holds that the morning after contraceptive kills an action of God already begun in the womb.
No one should be forced to violate their sincerely held Biblical views.
Dan Cathy just went through this with Chick Fil A – pressure to differ to sinful behaviors.
The freedom to keep our Biblical Convictions and to declare them is why the 1st amendment exists.
1. That was the intent of the 1st Amendment
2. But we keep selecting people whose legislation drags us further and further from God
Church we are accountable to God – Even as I began this morning
In the face of Tyranny a silent pulpit is a complicit pulpit Ezekiel 33:6
Ezekiel 33:6
6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’
A. We are accountable to God for our stewardship of what He has given us.
B. We are accountable to God for those we place in leadership over us.
C. He has given us the freedom to vote our values, not political parties or candidates.
We need to be like Joshua, as for me and my family we will serve the Lord.
The election coming up in less than 40 days will determine I believe America’s history before God.
If it were the candidate’s personal faith alone that was the selection criteria I would be in trouble this election.
I had to pray Long and hard but the Lord showed me that in the end it’s the direction that will take the nation or simply put the values they will choose to put into legislation.
No one party has a lock on Godliness that is the value of voter’s guides.
• Find out what they believe.
As an example of that in their separate Conventions the one party chose to mention God is a positive way in numerous documents of their platform, they chose to re affirm the life of a child, the sanctify of marriage between a man and a woman, and yet I am sure there are those in that party that Biblically I would find myself totally at odd with. So it’s not about the party.
The other party in a very disingenuous way first voted to kick God out of all statements and then faked putting him back in. They are pro-abortion, and now are pro-gay marriage. I have a great problem with that, and yet it was a pastor who pushed to try to get God back in.
So it can’t be the person, or the party that moves the believer it has to be the WORD of God.
When I exercise my right this election day it will not be for a party or a person but for the values represented and how they line up with God’s Word.
1) For the ones who will restore us to Godliness
2) Who will protect the life of the child in the womb.
3) Who will not devalue the life of the elderly
4) Who will not put us in a position to have to betray God to keep their laws
5) Who will not impose sinful lifestyles on our people.
6) Judges who will judge rightly rather than legislate their morality from the bench.
7) Legislators who will do justly,
Delivering an "Election Day Sermon" before the Massachusetts Legislature in 1791, Chandler Robbins declared,
How constantly do we find it inculcated in the sacred writings, that rulers be "just men -- fearers of God -- haters of covetousness." That they "shake their hands from holding bribes," because a gift blindeth the eyes of the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous."
From Moses before Pharaoh, to Elijah before Ahab, to Peter and John before the Sanhedrin Gods Word and His Word alone must be the benchmark for all believers. It must be declared boldly, lived faithfully.
The Pulpit must be free to preach His Word
The believer must be free to hear and live His Word
If our nation is ever to return to God
We all must be watchmen on the wall
