Vanishing Values

It has proven to be true that history repeats itself. When God established Israel as a nation He gave them very strict laws, but by the time we reach the book of Judges we find those values, that God had tried to instill in that nation, HAD VANISHED. Look at Judges 17:6. We read, “In those days there was no king in Israel, but EVERY MAN DID THAT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES.”

That is exactly the level American society is on today. We are repeating history. Today we find, on a large scale, EVERY MAN DOES THAT WHICH IS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES. This “religion” IS CALLED “HUMANISM.” It is impossible to define because there is no set of doctrines. Individuals simply believe, IF YOU THINK IT IS RIGHT, OR WRONG, THAT MAKES IT RIGHT, OR WRONG. THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTES! They believe those who are not tolerant, are trying to force their views on them -- WHICH IS A NO-NO!

Notice, the scripture does NOT say, “Every man did that which was wrong in their own eyes.” It says, “...every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Does that sound familiar? That is exactly what most Americans are doing today! No matter how gruesome the crime, they do it if they think it is right.

Illus: Picture with me the television program called, “Crossfire.” Let us IMAGINE that the topic to be considered is going to be “Partial-Birth Abortion.” First, lets us be clear. DO YOU KNOW WHAT PARTIAL-BIRTH ABORTION IS? It is the murder of a partially delivered baby. (Pastor, you may, or may not wish to describe the procedure) It is terrible that in “civilized” America people have regressed to the place that they would allow such evil acts to take place!

Going back to our supposition, suppose on one side there are Bible-believing Christians, and on the other liberal pro-choice people. Let’s say the liberal pro-choicer begins by saying that the majority of the people in America believes abortion is right! Whenever anyone wants to get a matter approved they always state this because somewhere they have become convinced that a thing is right just because the “majority” says it is right.

HOWEVER, THE MAJORITY IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT!

• Look at the people of Noah’s generation. THEY WERE WRONG! God destroyed them with a flood. THEY WERE THE MAJORITY!

• Look at the people of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah when God destroyed those cities. THOSE HE DESTROYED had been THE MAJORITY!

• The Bible tells us that THE MAJORITY TODAY ARE ON THE “BROAD WAY” THAT LEADS TO ETERNAL DAMNATION.

So we see--so many times THE MAJORITY IS WRONG. But, you can always count on the pro-choicer stating the majority thinks abortion is RIGHT because they feel this will give them the right to commit this horrendous act against innocent babies.

Then the Bible-believing Christian is given a turn. He basis the fact that abortion, partial-birth and any other kind, is wrong on the fact that God’s Word states it is wrong. Immediately he is ridiculed as trying to force his religious beliefs on others.

Why do they always accuse Christians of doing that? Have not sinners always tried to force their warped views on people, including Christians?

Why do sinners reject the Word of God as being the legitimate standard for what is right and wrong? They reject It because any time we refer to God’s Word we are referring to an ABSOLUTE and sinners do not want any ABSOLUTES. The sinner wants everything to be “left up in the air” so he can do WHAT IS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES!

When people today DO WHAT IS RIGHT IN THEIR OWN EYES, they are like the people of our text. When this is the case we have...

I. FAMILIES WHO HAVE NO FOUNDATIONS.

Look at Judges 17:1-6. We read, “And there was a man of mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah. And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son. And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a graven image and a molten image: now therefore I will restore it unto thee. Yet he restored the money unto his mother; and his mother took two hundred shekels of silver, and gave them to the founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image: and they were in the house of Micah. And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest. In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Here is a remarkable story of a man named Micah, of Ephraim.