Should Churches Be Involved In Political Issues? Pastor Brian Dunlop Sunday Morning, May 29th, 2026

Ajouté : 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]Proverbs chapter 29 and verse two, When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.

[00:00:09]But when the wicked bear with rule, the people mourn. Should churches be involved in political issues? Let's pray. Father, thank you for this chance, another opportunity gather together to look at your word. Lord, help us to be not just hearers of your word, but doers. Help us to respond. Help us to learn. Pray you'd open hearts this morning. I pray for those here that have never been born again the Bible way. Oh God, I pray you'd work in their hearts especially. Draw them to yourself. We pray that you would be honored and glorified in all that we say and all that we do today in Jesus name. Amen.

[00:00:46]The topic at hand is is relevant.

[00:00:49]It is important and it is very controversial.

[00:00:55]And fortunately, the answer to the question is is not difficult to discern. It is abundantly, overwhelmingly clear.

[00:01:04]The one phrase you will hear probably more often than any other when this subject comes up is separation of church and state.

[00:01:13]And people will say, "Well, I believe in the separation of church and state." And sometimes people will say things like, "According to the Constitution, there's supposed to be a separation of church and state."

[00:01:22]But is that so?

[00:01:24]And if true, what exactly does that mean?

[00:01:28]Now, context is vitally important here as well as some clarification. First of all, separation of church and state, that phrase doesn't appear in the Constitution or in the Declaration of Independence or in the Amendment Amendments to the Constitution or in any official government papers.

[00:01:47]Now, the First Amendment says this, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, except for COVID, or abridging I I threw that in. Or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

[00:02:14]That phrase, the separation of church and state, is actually contained in a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut. The letter addressed the concerns of some of the Danbury Baptist who were troubled by a rumor that they had heard that that another denomination was to become the official state religion. And so, Jefferson assured them that there was a wall of separation, and that was a protection of the church from any possibility that a national denomination be declared. And nowhere in the letter is there reason to conclude that the government cannot be Christian in any way or or influenced by Christianity.

[00:02:54]So, it was on January 1st, 1802, that Jefferson wrote that letter to the Danbury Baptist saying that there should be a wall of separation between church and state, which is exactly right. And by which Jefferson meant we should not have a nationally funded or established church.

[00:03:08]What they meant by separation of church and state has now become anti-religion.

[00:03:15]Well, what they won't tell you is that 2 days after Jefferson signed that letter, he got in his carriage at the White House, rode up Pennsylvania Avenue, went to the US House of Representatives Chamber, and went to church.

[00:03:32]Because the US House of Representatives Chamber was used as a church until after the Civil War.

[00:03:40]Furthermore, Jefferson turned over the Treasury every Sunday to be used as a church. So, it's a little hard to explain how Jefferson thought you couldn't say one nation under God or have a prayer or do a variety of really radical things like maybe post the Ten Commandments.

[00:03:58]Now, the term establishment or establishment of religion had a clear, precise, unambiguous, technical meaning at the time. To establish a religion meant to pick one Christian denomination, give it a preference in law, and compel citizens to support it with the tax dollars.

[00:04:16]So, our founders had seen in England the kind of religious tyranny and repression that results from an established church, and they were they were determined not to make that mistake in our young nation. And so, in reference to Jefferson, he started church services at the US Capitol in 1800. By 1857, the largest church in the US was the one he helped start. He also started church services in the War Department and also in the Treasury Department on Sundays.

[00:04:52]When we bought the Louisiana Purchase in 1804, there were several religious schools in New Orleans. Many of them wrote the president asking if they now belong to if they would have to shut down since they now belong to America.

[00:05:06]Jefferson wrote them back saying they would still get the patronage of the government to help run their Christian schools.

[00:05:12]He was one of the founders of the Virginia Bible Society. He made sure that the University of Virginia had a huge collection of Christian literature.

[00:05:23]He also invited several different denominations to establish seminaries on the University of Virginia campus.

[00:05:30]When he signed presidential documents, he signed them in the year of our Lord Christ, unlike the way the Constitution did, which was just in the year of our Lord.

[00:05:40]He put Jesus Christ's name right in his signature. If you go to the Jefferson Memorial today, which on three of its walls it has a quote about God. Around the top of the memorial it says the following, I have sworn upon the altar of God Almighty, eternal hostility against all forms of tyranny over the minds of men.

[00:06:04]Now, there were two official government slogans that are worth mentioning and that are pertinent to our discussion.

[00:06:11]Here are two official slogans. Number one, politics do not belong in the church.

[00:06:17]And number two, the church must be separate from the state. These models didn't come from the ACLU or the Americans United for separation of church and state. No, those slogans translated word for word came directly from the mind and pen of Adolf Hitler.

[00:06:33]They were the official slogans of the Nazi Party adopted in the 1930s and relentlessly hammered into the minds of the compliant German population by the Nazi propaganda machine.

[00:06:44]In essence, what Hitler said to the German pastors was this, I don't care what you teach your congregations as long as you don't talk about politics and as long as you keep your voice inside the four walls of your churches.

[00:06:56]He knew that if he could silence the churches, the voice of the church, nothing could stand in his way. And so the church predominantly, primarily in Germany with the Catholic churches and Lutheran churches, the church and its leaders basically capitulated to this form of tyranny and 12 to 16 million people died as a result.

[00:07:19]6 million of them Jews and 70 million plus died World War died worldwide in World War II as a result of the churches capitulating. Here's another official government position.

[00:07:34]In order to ensure to citizens freedom of conscience, the church in the USSR is separated from the state and the school from the church. That's from the constitution of USSR you union of Soviet Socialist Republic or what today is Russia, article 124.

[00:07:53]So, there are two official government documents for you. Now, without as a foundation I want to consider the answer to our original question.

[00:08:02]Should churches be involved in political issues? Now, God has a lot to say in the Bible in regards to the issues of our day. Uh he's far from silent.

[00:08:15]2 Peter 1, Simon Peter a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our savior Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord according as his divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And so, the Bible says God has given to us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.

[00:08:59]God has given us all things. All things that pertain unto life and godliness.

[00:09:03]How do we gain that?

[00:09:05]Through the knowledge of him.

[00:09:10]By by what means? Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises.

[00:09:17]Through his word.

[00:09:19]We gain wisdom and understanding on all things that pertain unto life.

[00:09:27]In Psalm 119 verse 130, the entrance of thy words giveth light. It giveth understanding unto the simple.

[00:09:39]The psalmist would say, "Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right. And I hate every false way."

[00:09:47]In verse 104, he said, "Through thy precepts I get understanding. Therefore I hate every false way."

[00:09:54]He said, "I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients because I keep thy precepts."

[00:10:05]The Bible has a lot to say about government and our response to it and our part in it.

[00:10:15]Good government is a great blessing and bad government is a curse. Again, our opening verse, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.

[00:10:28]But when the wicked bearath rule, the people mourn."

[00:10:33]Our lives are impacted every single day by government and politics.

[00:10:38]We don't notice it to a great extent because we just pretty much get used to it.

[00:10:43]In Proverbs 16:12, "It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness, for the throne is established by righteousness."

[00:10:50]Proverbs 14:34, "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs 20:26, "A wise king scattereth the wicked and bringeth the wheel over them." Proverbs 24:10-24, "He that saith unto the wicked, 'Thou art righteous,' him shall the people curse.

[00:11:09]Nations shall abhor him. But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them."

[00:11:17]Proverbs 28:4, "They that forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them." That's our responsibility. That's our obligation, our duty. Such as keep the law contend with those. "Evil men understand not judgment.

[00:11:31]But they that seek the Lord understand all things. Psalm 11:3 asks the question, if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

[00:11:40]Psalm 12:8, the wicked walk on every side when the vilest men are exalted.

[00:11:46]Psalm 33:12, blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.

[00:11:51]Proverbs 11:10, when it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth. And when the wicked perish, there is shouting. By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

[00:12:05]Isaiah 10:1, woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed.

[00:12:13]Second Samuel 23:3, he that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

[00:12:21]First Timothy 2:1, speaking of our obligation, again, I exhort therefore that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our savior.

[00:12:39]Titus 3:1, put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work. There are a lot more passages than these. Clearly, God wants his children to be good citizens, law-abiding, uh involved, salt and light, praying for our leaders.

[00:13:01]In regards to the Israelites, even when they were prisoners of war, carried away captive to foreign lands, and and to a country not their own, God told them how they were to respond in that time.

[00:13:13]Jeremiah 29:7, and seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it, for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

[00:13:28]There are many people who want you to think that Christianity and the Bible, biblical principles have no place in government or in society.

[00:13:40]It hasn't always been that way.

[00:13:44]Samuel Adams said this at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, "We have this day restored the sovereign to whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let his kingdom come."

[00:14:02]George Washington spoke to the chiefs of the Delaware tribe, Delaware Indian tribe, and he said, "You do well to wish to learn our arts and our ways of life.

[00:14:11]And above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. Congress will do everything they can to assist you in this wise intention."

[00:14:24]To learn about Jesus Christ, Congress will do every way everything they can to assist you.

[00:14:29]The House Judiciary Committee in 1854 said, "In this age, there can be no substitution for Christianity. That was the religion of the founders of the Republic, and they expected it to remain the religion of their descendants."

[00:14:44]John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

[00:14:56]Samuel Adams said, "A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy.

[00:15:06]While the people are virtuous, they cannot be subdued. But when once they lose their virtue, they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader."

[00:15:19]Thomas Jefferson said, "And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a the gift of God, that they are not to be violated but with his wrath?

[00:15:36]>> [snorts] >> Indeed, I I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just and that his justice cannot sleep forever."

[00:15:48]A little over 60 years ago, things started going south in a hurry, spiritually speaking, and our country started becoming increasingly secular and increasingly pagan.

[00:16:02]In 1966, this prayer was ruled illegal for public schools.

[00:16:09]"Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence on thee, and we beg thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country."

[00:16:17]That prayer was ruled illegal, 1966. In 1967, this poem was ruled illegal. "We thank you for the flowers so sweet. We thank you for the food we eat. We thank you for the birds that sing. We thank you, God, for everything."

[00:16:33]Ruled illegal.

[00:16:36]I think our founders would have had a problem with that.

[00:16:40]In 1980, the Supreme Court said this, "If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all, it will be to induce the schoolchildren to read, meditate upon, and perhaps to venerate and obey the commandments. This is not a permissible state objective under the establishment clause."

[00:17:04]Can you think of how tragic that would be if schoolchildren read that they weren't supposed to kill or steal or lie or swear?

[00:17:12]And then they were intimidated to do that?

[00:17:14]Boy, our country would to a mess, wouldn't it?

[00:17:18]A moment of silent prayer or silent meditation.

[00:17:22]Silent prayer, silent meditation was made illegal in 1984.

[00:17:26]Supreme Court.

[00:17:28]The suggestion could be made that the state is encouraging a religious activity.

[00:17:36]There are a lot of political issues at any given time in our country.

[00:17:40]Some of them are not that polarizing or consequential.

[00:17:44]And my but many of them are very polarizing and controversial.

[00:17:49]Issues like abortion are very controversial.

[00:17:52]But abortion is a Bible issue.

[00:17:56]It's a Bible issue.

[00:17:58]By the way, every political issue is a Bible issue.

[00:18:02]The Bible speaks to all of life.

[00:18:05]Uh if churches are not supposed to be involved in politics, then churches can't even preach much of the Bible.

[00:18:12]Such a position is of course foolish.

[00:18:15]The Bible is very clear in regards to abortion.

[00:18:18]On the news some years back, there was a story about a nurse at a hospital in New York who was forced to aid in an abortion procedure even though the hospital knew it went against her religious beliefs.

[00:18:29]Uh the irony of the story was that the hospital where the abortion took place was named Mount Sinai Hospital.

[00:18:39]Mount Sinai is the name of the location where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, one of which is thou shalt not kill.

[00:18:48]In the expansion on the commandments and the application of them, we read in the next chapter, "If men strive and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her and yet no mischief follow, he shall be surely punished according as the woman's husband will lay upon him and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life." [snorts] If a pregnant lady is hurt and maybe trying to break up a fight between her husband and somebody else or whatever way, and she goes into early labor, if everything works out okay and the baby is fine, there was still to be a penalty.

[00:19:25]There was to be monetary compensation in according with what the judges imposed upon the man who caused the early delivery.

[00:19:33]If either the mother or the baby die, then it was a capital offense.

[00:19:39]And the man was to be executed.

[00:19:42]Now, Carl Keil and Franz Delitzsch were renowned theologians and Hebrew scholars in the 19th century. They They wrote a 10-volume commentary on the Old Testament totaling 7,744 pages. And in reference in regards to Exodus 21, they write, "If men strove and thrust against a woman with child who had come near or between them for the purpose of making peace, so that her children come out into the world and no injury was done either to the woman or the child that was born, a pecuniary compensation was to be paid. Such as the husband of the woman laid upon him, and he was to give it. By an appeal to arbitrators, a fine is imposed because even if no injury had been done to the woman and the fruit of her womb, such a blow might have endangered life. But if injury occur to the mother or the child, thou shall give soul for soul, eye for eye, wound for wound. Thus, perfect retribution was to be made." R. J. Rushdoony, in commenting on this passage, makes the following observation. He said, "Very obviously, the text cites not a case of deliberate abortion, but a case of accidental abortion. If the penalty for even an accidental case is so severe, it is obvious that a deliberately induced abortion abortion is very strongly forbidden."

[00:20:57]What about the issue of slavery? That's a political issue.

[00:21:02]Were the churches who raised their voices against slavery wrong to do so?

[00:21:11]William Wilberforce was an outspoken Christian who battled slavery for years in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

[00:21:19]He enlisted every Christian and every church that he could in the fight.

[00:21:24]He battled poor health his entire life.

[00:21:26]He stood only 5 ft 3.

[00:21:28]And during one of his frequent bouts with illness in his adult years, he weighed in at 76 lb.

[00:21:35]But he was a giant of a man in the battle against slavery.

[00:21:40]He was instrumental in forcing a vote in the House of Parliament in which he served on February 23rd, 1807.

[00:21:46]Previous efforts against slavery had all been thwarted.

[00:21:50]But on this historic day, an overwhelming vote on the Slave Trade Act passed 283 to 16 outlining slavery.

[00:22:00]Years later, the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 abolished slavery throughout almost all of the entire widespread British Empire.

[00:22:11]Here in the US, slavery wasn't officially abolished until December 6th, 1865 when the 13th Amendment was finally ratified by the required number of states.

[00:22:24]It would have been ratified much sooner had more churches been more vocal in opposition to slavery.

[00:22:36]Were those churches who were cowed into silence by political pressures and wealthy land barons and plantation owners right to not speak up and not get involved in politics?

[00:22:52]Of course not.

[00:22:54]Their timidity and cowardice in the face of a great moral evil is a great stain upon our nation's history to this day.

[00:23:04]To this day.

[00:23:06]That they said nothing.

[00:23:09]Because it was politically expedient to just stay quiet.

[00:23:15]According to the archives of the Tuskegee Institute from 1882 to 1968 a period of 86 years the Ku Klux Klan started by Democrats, by the way, lynched 3,446 blacks.

[00:23:37]3,346 in 2025, last year.

[00:23:46]Every 3 days on average 3,822 blacks are killed in their mothers' wombs.

[00:23:58]What took the KKK 86 years to diabolically accomplish the abortion industry accomplishes in less than 3 days.

[00:24:11]Week after week, month after month.

[00:24:14]376 more blacks are killed every 3 days than the KKK did in all of those 86 years.

[00:24:25]And we're supposed to remain silent?

[00:24:30]Are you kidding me?

[00:24:34]Let me show you the power of the media.

[00:24:37]Margaret Sanger founded Planned Parenthood.

[00:24:40]Now, because Planned Parenthood is the leading provider of abortion in the US and liberals love abortion Margaret Sanger is their hero.

[00:24:51]But Margaret Sanger was a racist.

[00:24:54]1939 has saw the establishment of the Negro Project.

[00:24:59]That was the brainchild of Margaret Sanger.

[00:25:04]Its objective was to slow down and maybe stop birth rates among black people to reduce the number of blacks in society.

[00:25:11]To this day Planned Parenthood clinics are disproportionately located in black communities.

[00:25:19]Consequently, blacks are three times as likely as white women are to have abortions. The clinics are right on their street.

[00:25:25]The KKK is widely reviled all across society as it should be. They're They're responsible for killing 3,446 blacks.

[00:25:35]But Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood and abortion providers are seen favorably by a majority of Americans.

[00:25:44]Oh, a woman's right to choose, reproductive freedom, pro-choice, keep your hands off women's bodies, and on and on and on.

[00:25:52]Last year 465,000 black babies were aborted.

[00:25:57]And over 1.1 million babies of all nationalities were aborted in the US.

[00:26:04]But abortion is a political issue and churches are supposed to stay out of politics.

[00:26:09]Do you see how that works?

[00:26:15]May God have mercy on us.

[00:26:18]And the shame on any church, every church, that won't get involved in political issues.

[00:26:25]Ezekiel 3:18, "When I say unto the wicked, thou shalt surely die, and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thine hand."

[00:26:42]Ezekiel 18:30, "Repent and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin."

[00:26:51]I understand the pressure to conform to what the secular liberal media dictates. They They want to be the influencers of society, its morals, and its values, and and they don't want competition.

[00:27:07]They don't want contrary opinions and voices that might threaten their monopoly on public discourse.

[00:27:13]And they certainly don't want the word of God shedding light on the issues of our day.

[00:27:19]Isaiah 8:20, "To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

[00:27:29]Here's an article, "Texas Democratic nominee James Talarico invokes faith to defend abortion rights. The Bible is silent on abortion," he says.

[00:27:39]"Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico used his faith, {quote} unquote, {quote}, to defend abortion during an interview on the Jamie Kern Lima Show published on Monday. I don't believe it's a place for politicians," Talarico told Lima.

[00:27:52]"I I don't believe it's a place for the state," Talarico continued, "and that's a belief I hold not despite my faith, but because of my faith. Jesus never talks about abortion."

[00:28:05]They never talk about nuclear weapons, either.

[00:28:08]"The Bible is silent on abortion."

[00:28:10]That's not true. And when that happens with a social issue as important as abortions, we Christians have to take scripture as a whole.

[00:28:18]He's not a Christian.

[00:28:20]He's not a Christian.

[00:28:22]You say, "Well, you're not supposed to judge." Actually, I am supposed to judge.

[00:28:26]And so are you if you're a Christian. If you're If you're spiritual, the Bible says you're you're supposed to judge. He that is spiritual judgeth all things.

[00:28:33]You're supposed to.

[00:28:37]I'm not supposed to judge hypocritically, and neither are you.

[00:28:41]But we're we're supposed to judge. We're We're commanded to do that. Matthew 7:15, "Beware of false prophets."

[00:28:49]You know the way you tell false prophets?

[00:28:52]You have to judge.

[00:28:53]You have to make judgments. "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

[00:29:02]So, you have discernment. You have judgment so you can understand these things. John 7:24 says, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgments." Don't just judge according to your own appearance, your own your appearance, or your likes or dislikes, but you're supposed to judge righteous judgment. "He that is spiritual," 1 Corinthians 2:15, "judgeth all things." Philippians 1:9, Paul would write to the church at Philippi, "And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment."

[00:29:34]1 Thessalonians 5:21, "Prove all things." That means to examine, test, judge, prove all things, hold fast that which is good.

[00:29:44]Talarico said, "We've got to try to make some kind of ethical determination."

[00:29:48]Right now in Texas, we have the most extreme abortion ban in the country. No exception for rape.

[00:29:56]If you want to kill somebody over that, kill the rapist.

[00:29:59]Not the innocent baby.

[00:30:00]Talarico, who was first elected to Texas House of Representatives in 2018 at the age of 29, has a history of making provocative statements about faith and biology. In a 2021 video taken on the Texas House floor, he was opposed to a bill to ban men from women's sports. He said, "God is non-binary.

[00:30:17]God is both masculine and feminine and everything in between. God is non-binary. Trans children are God's children made in God's own image. Sex is a spectrum. The point is that biologically speaking, scientifically speaking, sex is a spectrum and oftentimes can be very ambiguous."

[00:30:35]Sorry, but according to the Bible, that man's not a Christian.

[00:30:38]Now, because liberal secular politicians and the liberal secular media don't want to have public policy influenced in any way by the Bible.

[00:30:47]They cry out, "Separation of church and state."

[00:30:51]Has that been effective?

[00:30:53]Absolutely.

[00:30:54]Absolutely.

[00:30:56]In a recent Pew Research Center survey, 66% of respondents said churches should keep out of political matters.

[00:31:05]That's basically 2/3 of the country.

[00:31:08]Thinks churches should just stay silent.

[00:31:11]Now, most of time they haven't thought it through.

[00:31:14]If you ask them, should churches have stayed silent during slavery?

[00:31:17]Oh, well, uh Well, either we're supposed to stay silent or we're not.

[00:31:22]Can't pick and choose.

[00:31:24]By basically rewriting and misinterpreting history, they're able to sway large numbers of people to endorse really a historically wrong and biblically wrong position.

[00:31:38]We've we've come a long ways from where we used to be in America.

[00:31:42]You know, the first American textbook, the New England Primer, published in 1690, used to teach reading for the next nearly 200 years.

[00:31:53]You know, first graders learned the alphabet and the Bible at the same time.

[00:31:59]For nearly 200 years.

[00:32:01]A In Adam's fall, we sinned all.

[00:32:08]That was used in public schools.

[00:32:11]Letter C Christ crucified for sinners died.

[00:32:17]In public schools.

[00:32:19]Right. Instead of being told they were an accident, one of the more complex animals to rise from the primordial slime, students learned about creation and that Jesus, the son of God, for sinners died.

[00:32:30]Oh, and they also used another textbook the Bible.

[00:32:35]Let me read you a quote. Should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a school book? Its morals are pure, its examples captivating and noble.

[00:32:48]Well, well, who would say such outlandish thing? Some some nut?

[00:32:53]It had to be someone with no clue what the First Amendment really means, right?

[00:32:59]The guy that said it was Fisher Ames.

[00:33:02]Who was he?

[00:33:03]He was the guy that wrote the First Amendment.

[00:33:07]Pretty sure he had a clue about what it meant.

[00:33:10]He's the one saying should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a school book. Its morals are pure, its examples captivating and noble.

[00:33:24]Quite obviously, we're a long ways from that today.

[00:33:27]Now, in closing, let me say that there are a lot of reasons why some people so adamantly clamor for separation of church and state.

[00:33:39]They deny history. They don't want to uh have anything to do with history.

[00:33:46]Uh really realistically.

[00:33:49]Um did you know that public schools were initially established to ensure that all children receive instruction in the Bible?

[00:33:57]So, the propagation of the Christian faith would continue to the glory of God. You know, of the first 108 colleges, 106 of the 108 were founded on the Christian faith established by evangelical Christians.

[00:34:10]Let me read you this motto, this creed.

[00:34:12]Seeing God is the giver of all wisdom, every scholar, besides private or secret prayer, where all are bound to ask wisdom, shall be present morning and evening at public prayer in the hall at the accustomed hour.

[00:34:27]That was a Yale University requirement.

[00:34:31]Imagine that.

[00:34:33]The original motto of Harvard was truth for Christ and the church.

[00:34:39]Sometime later it was changed to to the glory of Christ.

[00:34:43]Now it's simply veritas or truth.

[00:34:47]But people don't want to know that.

[00:34:50]And they don't want to know what the Bible says and they don't want the Bible influencing society.

[00:34:55]And people are adamantly uh clamoring for separation of church and state, meaning churches shouldn't even weigh in on political issues.

[00:35:03]Because there are certain people that would like to get God out of every area of society that they possibly can.

[00:35:11]And Psalm 10:4 says the wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God. God is not in all his thoughts.

[00:35:17]Therefore they say unto God, Job 21:14, "Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." And that is the mindset of of many people in America.

[00:35:26]God, get out of our lives. We don't desire the knowledge of your ways. But the Bible calls God the judge of all the earth.

[00:35:37]And according to the Bible, he will one day rule the nations.

[00:35:44]And Psalm 9:8, "And he shall judge the world in righteousness."

[00:35:50]And he'll set everything all right.

[00:35:52]Ecclesiastes chapter 5 and verse 8, "If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter. For he that is higher than the highest regardeth, and there be higher than they."

[00:36:11]He says, "You see injustice and you see wrong in society and you see wrong judgments proceeding from the courts and politicians making wrong decrees." He says, "One day the one that's higher than the highest.

[00:36:28]We'll deal with that.

[00:36:30]Isaiah 33:22, the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king. He will save us. You have the judicial, the legislative, and the executive all wrapped up in one.

[00:36:46]And one day he'll arise to take his throne.

[00:36:49]We are told that God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent.

[00:36:55]That one that every one of us will stand before one day.

[00:37:00]He commands all men everywhere to repent.

[00:37:03]Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness.

[00:37:10]By that man whom he hath ordained. For the Father, John tells us, judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men should honor the Son even as they honor the Father.

[00:37:20]He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which has sent him.

[00:37:25]Need to understand that God is not some easygoing folksy grandfather with a flowing white beard sitting in a rocking chair. He's not.

[00:37:35]Psalm 7:11 says God is angry with the wicked every day.

[00:37:40]Every day. The wicked shall be turned into hell, Psalm 9:17 says.

[00:37:48]Now, the average lost person thinks, well, I'm I'm not wicked.

[00:37:52]I'm pretty moral. I try to do well. But according to the Bible, until a person has had their sins forgiven, he's wicked.

[00:38:01]He's wicked.

[00:38:03]You might be a nice wicked person, but you're still wicked.

[00:38:09]You might be a kind to your neighbors wicked person, but you're still wicked until you've had your sins forgiven.

[00:38:15]And the Bible says God is angry with the wicked every day. Revelation 20:15, whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

[00:38:25]Doesn't matter how nice you are.

[00:38:28]Doesn't matter how many friends you have.

[00:38:30]If you've never trusted Christ as your savior, if your name has never been written in the book of life, you will be separated from God forever in hell.

[00:38:38]By your own choice.

[00:38:41]Because you rejected his mercy.

[00:38:43]Revelation 21:8, but the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

[00:38:57]That's the main reason why a lot of people want to banish God from every corner of society.

[00:39:03]Because he's a holy God.

[00:39:05]And judgment day is coming.

[00:39:09]But not thinking about him and putting him out of your mind, out of your thoughts is not going to make him go away.

[00:39:19]And it's not going to change anything for you on judgment day.

[00:39:23]It's not going to get you out of judgment day.

[00:39:26]But there is one thing that will get you out of judgment day, the judgment day that Revelation 20 speaks about.

[00:39:33]Earlier we read John 5:22, for the Father judgeth no man, but has committed all judgment unto the Son.

[00:39:40]Verse 24 says this, Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation.

[00:39:51]But is passed from death into life.

[00:39:53]He says, if you will believe on him, play that doesn't just mean acknowledge his existence. Means to believe on him, to trust him, to place your eternal destiny in his hands, to trust in him and him alone to save you. Not some church, not some religion, not some creed, not some pope, rabbi, imam, or preacher, but trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. When you believe on him, he says, then you will not come into condemnation.

[00:40:16]You're not coming to condemnation, but you're passed from death unto life. It's present tense. They have They are passed from death unto life at the moment you get saved.

[00:40:25]Not you will one day have that happen.

[00:40:27]No, you're passed from death unto life.

[00:40:29]You cannot come into condemnation.

[00:40:31]That's why the Bible says that you have everlasting life. You have eternal life.

[00:40:35]When you get saved, God gives that to you. John 3:18, "He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

[00:40:49]John 1:12 says, "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."

[00:40:58]You can avoid that coming judgment day, the great white throne judgment, if you'll accept Jesus Christ as your savior.

[00:41:05]If you'll avail yourself of his mercy.

[00:41:07]That's why he died on Calvary.

[00:41:09]To to pay your sin debt, to pay the price for your sins.

[00:41:14]Now, if you walk away from that, then you get to pay the price for your own sins.

[00:41:20]It's your choice.

[00:41:22]It's your decision. Lord, I pray you'd bless this invitation time now that you'd work in hearts and lives. In Jesus' precious name.

[00:41:29]Amen. With heads bowed and eyes closed,