July 13, 2003
Title: "The Immoral Majority" or "Christians: An Endangered Species"
Text: Psalm 12:1-8
Introduction
I’m sure you are at least somewhat familiar with animals on the endangered species list.
Here in Florida, I am aware of several that appear on our license plates http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/specialtytags/specialindex.html
Florida Panther, ($35,902,402 generated from 1990-2001)
Manatee, ($29,965,482 1990-2001)
and Sea Turtle ($4,055,717 from 1998-2001)
protect Florida Whales (only 1 issued according to the above website!)
The money from these plates goes into various trust funds to fund research and conservation activities for these animals.
Last week, I mentioned some of the spiritual discussions that my friend and I got into while we were on vacation. (I doubt he realizes how much sermon material he gave me!! :)
One thing he said has been running through my mind.
He made the comment that there will be many more people in heaven than we might think.
He was making that argument from the standpoint of God’s grace is sufficient to cover a multitude of sins.
and while I agree that God’s grace is sufficient...
we also have a responsibility to "go and sin no more" (John 8:11)
I don’t agree that there will be more people in heaven than we might think...
but I do think it will be quite a surprise to many people WHO is in heaven and WHO is not!!
We might be quite surprised to find people like Ted Bundy or Jeffrey Dahmer in heaven (because, if the reports of their repentence is genuine, then they too can find forgiveness for their sins...no matter that what they did was so despicable)
On the other hand, we might be surprised to find people who dented a church pew every Sunday for 50 years--did NOT make it to heaven...because they never allowed Jesus to change their heart!
(But that’s a topic for another sermon)
Back to the point of this sermon...
There will be fewer people who make it to heaven than we might think...
Sometimes it seems almost as if Christians have become an Endangered Species!
Maybe we need to get a license plate that says, "Conserve the Christians"!
let’s look to our text: Psalm 12:1-8
I’ve entitled my sermon "The Immoral Majority" or "Christians: An Endangered Species"
Body
1. First of all, David is lamenting the fact that Christians have become an endangered species.
In Psalm 12:1, he says, "Help , LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men."
Evidently there USED to be more godly people around...
But they seem to have vanished.
Sometimes we look around and we feel the same way.
There used to be a spirit of revival in this country...
There used to be an excitement about spiritual things...
There used to be an interest in the things of God...
But it seems like the revival has gone....
the excitement has waned...
the interest has dropped off.
Sometimes we feel like Abraham, who said, "Lord, if there be 10 righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah; will you spare the cities?"
And you know the story...there could not be found even 10 righteous people! (Genesis 18:20-33)
There was an Immoral Majority...
And those cities were destroyed.
And, I’m sorry to say that we are living in a time and a place where there is an immoral majority.
Christians have become an endangered species.
The Church of the Nazarene has designated the United States as a mission field...
because a majority of our people are Non-Christian.
The KJV says, "the faithful fail from among the children of men"
We’ve even seen that in our own church...
We’ve seen people who USED to love the Lord...
they were excited to be in the House of God...
they would stand and testify about how much they loved God...
But then, these same people "fail" (KJV) or "vanish" (NIV)
They are no longer attending our church (or any other church for that matter)
They no longer testify about how they love the Lord...
their excitement for the Lord has left.
They have "lost their first love" Rev 2:4
Now, their excitement is for other things...
Maybe they are excited about their job...
or about a new lover...
Some people even seem to get excited about sitting in judgment over the church and Christians:
They criticize the Church...
They criticize God’s people...
David experienced this too. In Psalm 12:2, he points out that Everyone lies to his neighbor;
their flattering lips speak with deception.
The KJV says, "with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak."
I’m sure you have known people like this....
Maybe you have even done it yourself!!...
These are the people who will say nice things about you to your face...
but then, when you aren’t around...they tell everyone else something entirely different.
Their flattery was just lies...
They didn’t really mean it.
they "stab you in the back" as the saying goes.
In various places in Scripture it talks about "backbiters"
No, that’s no refering to someone who comes up behind you and actually takes a bite out of your back (although it may feel that way)
It refers to people who say mean and untrue things about you behind your back.
Slanderous things.
Psalm 15:1-3 says, "LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
2 He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
3 He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; "
In other words, if you DO "stab" someone in the back"
or "speak with a double heart"
or, let’s just call it what it is... a lie.
Then, you will NOT "abide in
or "dwell in
Psalm 12:4 goes on to indicate that these men and women who have fallen away:
They not only speak with double heart...
but they take PRIDE in their deception.
These backstabbers say, "We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips--who is our master?"
When people use their words to lie...and judge...and backbite...
they are basically putting themselves in the judgment seat.
They feel like they are the boss...
they are in control...
whatever they think is right...
anyone who opposes them obviously has to be wrong.
And they take pride in the way they utilize their tongues and lips to hurt others.
Psalm 12:8 says, "The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men"
The KJV says, "The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted."
We see this all the time in modern society.
When we exalt evil people...
when we encourage their wickedness...
when we let them get by...
not only with sin...
but also with breaking the law...
When society praises the rebel...
when we have sympathy for reprobate...
Then it simply stands to reason that wicked people are going to flourish.
There is a certain notoriety in being the bad guy.
And evil people will copycat their heroes.
I notice that these teens today that go into their schools and shoot other kids...
many times they wear these long black overcoats (which are many times worn by the bad guys in the movies)
and other troubled kids begin to think about those people who have done these horrendous things...
and there’s a certain celebrity about them.
And as a result, it sets up an atmosphere where evil people strut their stuff...
and other impressionable people look up to them.
Yes, there is an Immoral Majority...Christians are an endangered species...
2. But make no mistake, God will protect His people!
In Psalm 12:5, God says that "I will now arise...I will protect them from those who malign them"
Notice what it is that moves God to action, "because of the...groaning of the needy" Psalms 12:5 (NIV)
When God’s people pray...God will act.
We (in Florida) have those license plates to make money to help with the conservation efforts for different endangered species.
Unfortunately, we Christians don’t have a special license plate to help with the conservation of Christians...
but we have something much better!!!
God will protect us!
Not only in verse 5; but also verse 7, David says, "O LORD, you will keep us safe
and protect us from such people forever Psalms 12:7 (NIV)
We also see this in other places throughout Scripture that talk about the preservation and conservation of Christians...
Jude wrote the book that bears his name: "to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ" Jude 1:1 (KJV)
1 Peter 1:5 says, "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" 1 Peter 1:5 (KJV)
1 Sam 2:9 says, "He will keep the feet of his saints" 1 Sam 2:9 (KJV)
John 10:27-28 says, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand"
Some of you might be getting nervous that I’m talking about "eternal security".
I must confess...I DO believe in eternal security...(according to my definition).
I believe that when we get saved...we can’t just fall away into sin without even trying.
We aren’t just walking along...
minding our own business...
when all of a sudden,
out of nowhere,
we fall into sin.
Sin is a WILLFUL transgression against God’s desires and His Word.
And as a result...No one can snatch us out of God’s Hand...
However, many times, we voluntarily leave the security of the fold...
and run out and willfully and knowingly embrace the sin of the world...
much like in the Prodigal Son.
God will keep us safe...
He will preserve us...
AS LONG AS WE FOLLOW HIM AND SERVE HIM WITH OUR LIVES!
The Latin Vulgate Bible for Psalm 12:7 uses the word "custodies"..from where we get our English word "custody" and "custodian"
God will serve as our "Custodian"...
Our "caretaker"
Our "overseer"
Our "protector"
What a blessing to realize that as long as we do our part....by serving God...
God will certainly do His part...by keeping us safe "in the hollow of His hand"
And you can count on God to do His Part!!
Psalm 12:6 says, "the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times."
This verse stands in glorious contrast to Psalm 12:2 which indicates that the words of mankind are deceitful and full lies.
Conclusion
Yes...sometimes, as Christians, we feel like we are in a small minority...
We feel like an Endangered Species...
we feel like evil people are all around us...
speaking lies...
tearing us down...
tearing down the church...
But praise God! He protects us!
He watches over us!.
God hears us when we pray....and He runs to our rescue!
