PROPHETS AND POLITICS
Who Can You Trust?
These are perplexing times we live in. Some may not want to hear to what I am about to share. In these “last days”, it is important that we are aware of what is going on in the world.
Hopefully none of us live our lives by what we read in the printed newspaper, but by the printed and inspired Word of God.
Nevertheless, I feel I should remind us of how short the days are.
Allow me to share with you what I found this week in the news.
Source: The front page of the February 27th edition of the USA Today newspaper.
Title: “Fuel for nuclear weapons is more widely available than the public has been told.”
Conclusion: There are two significant problems in keeping our world safe from having a nuclear catastrophe.
A) Nations, such as Russia, have less and less money to finance the security of weapons sites still left from the “Cold War”
B) A recent study by the Natural Resource Defense Council found that “It’s a lot easier to make a nuclear explosive device than the public has been led to believe.”
What does all of this information mean to people like us living in a small town?
The world that once felt safe from the threats of the “Cold War” is now learning how to live in more and more fear and instability. The world is convinced that our days of peace and freedom are determined by the world’s leaders.
Question: What does the Word of God tell us about who we can turn to and trust in these days of pandemonium?
How does all of this relate to the Word of God written 2000 years ago?
Text: Matthew 28:16 thru 18
Our text takes place on a little hillside called the “Mt. of Olives”. Just like us, the disciples had gathered themselves there to meet with Jesus. It was here that Jesus made a statement of authority followed by a call to commitment.
Jesus’ Statement –
All authority has been given to me.
Regardless of what the world is trying to tell us in it’s newspapers and on televison, the statement made by Jesus tells us that nothing has happened, or will ever happen, without His direct authority.
Despite what’s happening on the world scene, Jesus has direct authority over everything that takes place. We know that to have been the case while He was here on this earth. And we know that today. Jesus has direct authority over everything that will happen today, this week, this year, & to the end of this age.
Jesus commanded everything to be subject to His voice.
Whether it was the storm out on the high seas, or the demons that tormented the demoniac.
Folks, Jesus is the Lord of your future!
Consider this:
The Bible tells the story of how disciples had to watch our Lord Jesus be beaten and judged before the Sanhedrin Court. Pontius Pilate ordered Jesus to be hung on a cross to die in total humiliation.
There were a lot of terrible things that had happened to Jesus and the disciples. The disciples felt as though they were facing uncertain days ahead.
The disciples were not sure what was going on, or what was going to happen to their lives with Jesus being crucified.
The disciples were frightened of what their future held for them.
The disciples had to learn 3 important things that we must also learn –
1. When you decide to allow Jesus to save you from your sins, you must make Him Lord over every area of your life.
This is not something you kind of grow into and become mature in. It is not a:
· Personality that is be slowly developed in our lives.
· Something that you hope to become.
· Option for you to choose when and how you want to live for God.
You cannot accept His love and forgiveness and then not live under His Authority. To receive the true forgiveness of Christ means you must also receive the His Authority.
Acts 2:36
…God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
Philippians 2:10-11
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Why is this so important? Because in these days of uncertainty, we need to
1. Understand Who is in charge.
2. Comprehended the authority of Christ.
There are many weak Christians that only rely on God to save them from an eternity in hell.
Oftentimes, what the world is saying has a greater influence on the people of God than the authority of Christ has.
Jesus said,
“all authority has been given to me…”
When you make Jesus the Savior of your life, you are not granted the permission to do what ever you want to with your life. When you are saved by grace, you are also placed under the authority of Christ (along with everything else in this world.)
The second thing the disciples had to learn that we must also learn –
2. When Jesus is the Lord and authority of our lives, we are to naturally walk in His truths.
This is something that Christ has already established for us a long time ago.
Our Responsive Reading states this for us.
“…just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,…”
We must accept the Bible as the only complete and absolute truth.
What those verses means is that –
1. We are to walk and obey the truths that Jesus put in place long before the world ever began.
2. We cannot change the rules.
3. We cannot rewrite, altar or modify the commands/principles of Jesus.
4. We do not have an option with the Holy Word of the Lord. It is not a piece of poetic literature that we can pick and choose what we will or won’t agree with.
5. When we accept Christ as Savior and Lord we must accept everything the Word of God has for us.
Jesus was praying to His Father in John 17:17 -
"Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
The problem we sometimes have is when we do not embrace the complete truth of God’s Word.
As an example, someone who is raised (as a child) in a prejudiced and racist home will become a racist and a bigot.
Later in life that person finds that he/she must have Christ save them from their sins. But unfortunately, they refuse to let go of the way they were raised.
What sometimes happens is they will modify their interpretation of what the Word of God says so it will fit into what they have always believed.
Now I just used an extreme example. There are plenty of other examples that could fit for your life. Here’s another.
If I am raised in a home that allows/accepts drinking and smoking, I may choose to continue abusing my body with things that are not good for it. And if that is the case, I may never allow the Lord to rule over my health. I will continue to destroy my body while I profess to be a Christian.
Where is the authority of Christ for me?
We must allow Christ to have authority over every area of our lives!
His truth is the ultimate & absolute truth.
There can be no debating the Lordship and authority of Christ.
Here’s another example.
Some people will become Christians and will continue in other philosophies of mankind. Such as false religions.
No, they won’t go and bow before Alah, the god of the Muslim’s.
But they will believe that we all have access to heaven through other gods.
Where is the authority of Christ?
We must know that Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life.
The third thing the disciples had to learn that we must also learn –
3. We must declare Jesus Lord over our minds and every opinion we have.
When anyone becomes a Christian, they have ungodly thinking that must come under the authority of Christ.
The Bible tells us that our minds are to be transformed into the mind of Christ.
Matthew 22:37
Jesus said to him," ’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
Everything in our minds must come under the complete authority of Christ.
We cannot be a Christian in your private life and someone else in your public life.
Even your political persuasion should be under the complete authority of Christ. Whether you are a democrat or republican really doesn’t matter.
When it comes to politics, only what you believe is the will of God for our God fearing country matters.
Example:
You cannot be a Christian in your personal life, but in your public life you accept things such as abortion.
The world thinks you should because (for them) it is politically correct/acceptable.
The point is this – whatever we think or do in our life must be under the complete submission of Christ Almighty, and no one else. Not your parents position, your favorite talk show host, not your best friend and confidant, not some psychic,
And, not even yourself.
Jesus must be Lord over everything.
There is a purpose in all of this, and it has to do with what we are now faced with in this nation and in this community.
It appears that we are fast approaching days of more fear and terror. Nevertheless, God is in control!
Read Romans 13:1 thru 5 NIV
Many Christians disagree with the politics and certain politicians. And that is okay.
What our nation is going through is causing controversy all over the world.
We must remember that it is God Who rules over the politicians.
The truth here is that all governmental authority has been established by God.
In the Bible, we can find many cases in which even unrighteous governments are established. But they were all used for the purposes of the Lord.
What complicates things is when Christians forget that Jesus is Lord.
Jesus said to all of His disciples,
"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Read Romans 9:17 & 18
Do you remember the story of when Jesus was brought before Pilate and Jesus would not speak to him?
Read John 19:9 thru 11(b).
What this tells us is that power = authority
Two of the most ungodly politicians,
Pilate – New Testament
Pharoah – Old Testament
were both sent for the salvation and deliverance of God’s people with authority given to them by God.
We can trust what God is doing by what He says in His Holy Word. Listen to this.
Daniel 2:21 says that God
“removes kings and raises up kings.”
Apparently - God is God.
He gets to do whatever He wants to.
All authority is given to Christ. Not to us. Not to any one else.
The truth is this. Those in authority over us have been given their authority by God.
There is another point to make here.
We must pray for our nation’s President and it’s leaders to protect our country.
Read I Timothy 2:1 thru 4
The man in authority at the time thiw was written to Timothy was King Nero. He was one of the most inhumane kings ever.
King Nero was known to take babies from the Christians and burn them on a stick for his torches on his garden parties.
The Christians of that day lived under the kingship of a disgusting and vile man.
Read I Peter 2:13 thru 17 NIV
Apparently, this was a time of incredible torment to the Christians.
There were no born again Kings having prayer breakfast in the Oval Office.
There was rampant unrighteousness in all of the politics of that time.
Throughout the world!
Not much different than today…
We are to pray for those in authority over us.
