Welcome to Anchors Of Truth,
live from Surprise, Arizona.
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Well it's another
beautiful day in Phoenix today.
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And I want our people to
know that we've had a tremendous
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welcome by this church.
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And the Clearview
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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right here in Surprise, Arizona
are a wonderful group of people.
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And if you live in this
Phoenix area and you're looking
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for a church, I invite
you to visit this church.
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And if you get a
chance tomorrow, we're at
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19554 N. Papago, that's
a tough one for me, Drive.
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It's just off Gold Water Canyon.
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Is that right?
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It's just off...
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Well, alright. Well
we're getting close.
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- Put it in a GPS.
- Yeah, put it there.
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If you don't have one, call.
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I'm sure someone can
direct you to the church.
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But you'll be welcomed here,
and a wonderful group of people.
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And we want you to visit
us, because you will find
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a lot of good friends
here, people that love the Lord.
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Beautiful church, beautiful
city, beautiful weather.
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Good pastor.
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And good pastor,
good pastor's wife.
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She sang for us on last
evening. Did a fine job.
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And tonight we get
to hear the pastor sing.
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It's a talented couple.
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That's right, and he's going
to sing for us in a little bit.
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But we're having an
attorney speak to us tonight.
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- Amen. - It's Alan Reinach.
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He's going to be
speaking in a moment.
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We'll have
somebody else introduce him.
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Ralph Ringer, the NAD
Jewish Ministries leader,
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is going to be
introducing him a little later.
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Ralph may not tell you, but
Alan is really a New York guy.
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He's an east coast guy.
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He's kind of a world
figure now, but his roots
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are in the east coast.
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And you can still hear that
New York in him when he talks.
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He's got that New York demeanor.
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So we still claim him back
in New York as a New York guy.
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Even though he's a
sought after world speaker,
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he's a New Yorker.
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You know, a few years
ago, a few months ago,
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we interviewed
Juanita Kretschmar.
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You remember, that
was a year ago actually.
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About this time we
were down in Miami, Florida.
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And there are two
individuals of our speakers
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who, I believe, one
of their first contacts
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with Seventh-day Adventists
was through that ministry.
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I think you're one of them?
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Okay, Jeff was
one of them for sure.
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So there have been a number
of others that have received
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Jesus Christ, and it all started
with Juanita and her work.
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Indeed. You know, we are remiss.
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We get to wish our audience,
and I to you, happy Sabbath.
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Yes, happy Sabbath to you.
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The Sabbath hours have begun.
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And it is a respite from
the work day, from the week.
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And it's just good to be in the
house of the Lord on Sabbath.
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It really is.
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And I'm going to ask
you to introduce our...
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I'm going to
introduce our singer.
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But I'm going to ask
you to have a word of prayer
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just before we do that.
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- Would you do
it? - Be my pleasure.
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- Alright. - Shall we pray.
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Gracious Father,
how we praise Your name.
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How thankful we are for
the call that brought us from
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darkness to light,
and error to truth.
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How thankful we
are for the Sabbath day
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and for the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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How thankful we are for Three
Angels Broadcasting Network,
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and the many
things that You are doing
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to warn men and women
that Jesus is coming soon.
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We ask Your
blessing upon this program,
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the music that shall be sung,
the word that shall be preached.
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May we see Jesus again and anew.
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May we take one more step along
that road that leads to glory.
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May our hearts sit with
Christ for just a little while.
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And may we get a
new vision of the King
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and the soon coming kingdom.
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We thank You, Father,
for Your promise to hear
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and answer the prayer of faith.
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- In Jesus' name, amen. - Amen.
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Many years ago
when I was in school,
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I had a good
friend named, Ronnie Tull.
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And we all loved Ronnie.
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He was a very
special, special person.
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Weekend leave, Ronnie went home.
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And he never returned because
of a tragic automobile accident.
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And we mourned him.
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The next year, I
believe it was the next year,
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his younger brother,
Murrell, came to school.
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You know something?
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We all adopted Murrell, first
because he was Ronnie's brother.
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And Ronnie's brother was
going to get special treatment.
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But after that, it was
because we liked Murrell.
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We really did. We
liked to tease him.
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We liked to have fun with him.
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Because he was a
fun loving person.
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In those days, we
had medical cadet core.
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I was the first sergeant.
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And I liked to
give him a rough time.
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And he reminded me
of that the other night.
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Through the years
we've remained friends.
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I think a lot of Murrell Tull.
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Later he met and married Ginger.
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The wisest thing
he has ever done.
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And tonight, it's a
real privilege to introduce
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the pastor of this
church, Pastor Murrell Tull.
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He's going to be singing
for us, My House Is Full.
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There is peace and contentment
in my Father's house today;
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lots of food on His table
and no one is turned away.
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There is singing and
laughter as the hours pass by;
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but a hush calms the singing
as the Father sadly cries,
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"My house is full,
but My field is empty;
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who will go and
work for Me today?
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It seems My children all
want to stay around My table;
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but no one wants
to work in My field,
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no one wants to
work in My field."
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Push away from the table,
look out through the windowpane;
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just beyond this house of plenty
lies a field of golden grain.
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And it's ripe unto harvest;
but the reapers, where are they?
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"They're in the
house," oh, can't the children
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hear the Father sadly say.
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"My house is full,
but My field is empty;
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who will go and
work for Me today?
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It seems My children all
want to stay around My table;
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but no one wants
to work in My field,
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no one wants to
work in My field.
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Who will go and work
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in My field?"
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A beautiful song.
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A beautiful song.
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Tonight, I want to
introduce to you Alan Reinach.
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He's the Executive Director
of The Church/State Council.
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And he will be speaking
on, the title of his message,
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Church, State,
and the Covenants.
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Thanks for telling me my
lights are on, just when I'm
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getting up to preach.
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And C.A., you're
absolutely right.
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You can take the
kid out of New York,
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but you can't take
New York out of the kid.
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Always be a New Yorker.
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But I'm delighted to be
with you folks here in Surprise,
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to reconnect
with some old friends.
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And you know, we're in a
series about the covenants.
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And I was asked to take
the title, the topic that's
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right up my alley, because
my work is in religious freedom
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and dealing with
church/state relationships.
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So we're going to tackle
the topic of church and state
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really in the Bible.
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Church and State,
and the Covenants.
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There's a myth,
ancient by American standards,
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going back to the earliest
days of European settlement
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that likens
America to Israel of old
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and imagines a
special relationship,
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a covenant relationship even.
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And the most famous
and oft quoted sermon in
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American history, John Winthrop,
on his way to New England
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with the
pilgrims, with the Puritans,
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he invoked the blessings
and cursings of God's covenant
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with Israel as he urged his
pilgrim band to righteousness
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and godliness in the face of
the nearly impossible challenge
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of the New England winters and
establishing a settlement there.
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Invoking the
covenant promises to Israel,
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John Winthrop proclaimed
that this puny pilgrim band
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would become a city upon a hill.
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That the eyes of the
world would be upon them.
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"And the Lord will be our God
and delight to dwell among us,"
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he said, "as His own people
and will command a blessing
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upon us in all our ways."
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Well, Winthrop closed
the sermon with one of my
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favorite
passages from Deuteronomy,
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appropriating God's promises
to Israel and making them
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his own
promises to the pilgrims.
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Quote, "Therefore, let us
choose life that we and our seed
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may live; by obeying His
voice and cleaving to Him;
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for He is our life
and our prosperity."
00:12:17.37\00:12:21.97
Well, in every
generation since John Winthrop,
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the errors of the
Puritans have imagined America
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in a special
covenant relationship to God.
00:12:29.98\00:12:33.75
Revolutionary war era
preachers invoked the rhetoric
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of Israel to preach
separation from England
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and to encourage their
flocks that God's blessings
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would attend their efforts
in opposing English tyranny.
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We've written American
history to make larger than life
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Christian heroes of
spiritually apathetic leaders,
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like George
Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
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Neither one of whom
could have given evidence of
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Christian conversion to satisfy
the likes of John Winthrop
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and the early generation
of New England clergy.
00:13:08.62\00:13:12.25
And faced with
social and cultural change,
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Christians today and
other generations have lamented
00:13:15.32\00:13:19.19
the loss of our
nations spirituality
00:13:19.23\00:13:22.23
and the loss of
our Christian values.
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A generation ago, American
Protestant leaders abandoned
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their historic commitment to the
separation of church and state
00:13:28.84\00:13:32.94
in the face of
Supreme Court decisions
00:13:32.97\00:13:35.61
consistent with the ethos
of the state as officially
00:13:35.64\00:13:40.02
neutral toward religion;
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and thereby ruling that
state sponsored religion in the
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public schools, such as
rote prayer and Bible reading,
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violated the First Amendment.
00:13:49.39\00:13:51.23
These Protestant leaders
condemned the Supreme Court
00:13:51.79\00:13:55.73
for doing what the
Court surely could never do;
00:13:55.76\00:13:59.27
kick God and prayer
out of public school.
00:13:59.53\00:14:03.57
Even the most casual observer
should realize the absurdity
00:14:04.21\00:14:08.61
of claiming that the
Supreme Court had the power
00:14:08.64\00:14:12.21
to restrict God's
presence in the public school.
00:14:12.25\00:14:15.68
This is terrible theology.
00:14:15.92\00:14:18.59
Now Protestants believe
that Christ indwells the heart
00:14:18.95\00:14:22.52
of the believer
through the Holy Spirit.
00:14:22.72\00:14:24.89
So where there are
Christians in public school,
00:14:25.16\00:14:27.76
God is there
dwelling in their hearts.
00:14:27.80\00:14:30.87
Amen?
00:14:30.90\00:14:32.23
Well equally absurd was
the Protestant defense of the
00:14:32.43\00:14:36.81
Regent's prayer,
which the Supreme Court said
00:14:36.84\00:14:40.38
could no longer be mandated
in New York public schools.
00:14:40.41\00:14:44.85
Now the governing body
of the New York schools,
00:14:45.08\00:14:47.38
the Board of Regents,
had drafted the following
00:14:47.48\00:14:50.95
seemingly innocuous prayer,
and I'll quote it to you.
00:14:50.99\00:14:55.12
"Almighty God, we acknowledge
our dependence upon Thee,
00:14:55.86\00:15:00.20
and we beg Thy
blessings upon us, our parents,
00:15:00.53\00:15:04.30
our teachers, and our country."
00:15:04.40\00:15:07.27
Nothing wrong with
that prayer, right?
00:15:07.67\00:15:09.60
Well, contrast this prayer,
which hundreds of thousands
00:15:10.17\00:15:15.44
of New York students
were required to recite
00:15:15.48\00:15:18.41
by rote day after school
day with the teachings of Jesus
00:15:18.45\00:15:23.92
in the sermon on the mount.
00:15:23.95\00:15:25.59
Jesus said, and I
quote, "And when you pray,
00:15:26.19\00:15:30.53
you shall not be
like the hypocrites;
00:15:30.76\00:15:33.43
for they love to pray
standing in the synagogues
00:15:33.46\00:15:37.07
and on the corners of
the streets, that they may be
00:15:37.10\00:15:39.77
seen by men.
00:15:39.80\00:15:41.14
But you, when you
pray, go into your room;
00:15:41.17\00:15:44.84
and when you have shut
your door, pray to your Father
00:15:44.87\00:15:48.31
who is in the secret place.
00:15:48.34\00:15:50.45
And your father who sees in
secret will reward you openly.
00:15:50.48\00:15:55.48
And when you pray, do
not use vain repetitions
00:15:55.52\00:16:01.22
as the heathen do."
00:16:01.46\00:16:03.19
So what do you think?
00:16:03.86\00:16:05.19
Was teaching our children
to recite the same empty phrase
00:16:05.23\00:16:10.50
day in and day out, this is what
we want to teach our children
00:16:10.53\00:16:14.27
about what prayer is?
00:16:14.30\00:16:16.17
One of my favorite
incites about prayer
00:16:16.94\00:16:20.84
says that prayer is the
opening of the heart to God
00:16:22.88\00:16:27.78
as to a friend.
00:16:27.82\00:16:29.25
And I don't see any of
that in the recitation of
00:16:29.35\00:16:32.45
the Regent's prayer.
00:16:32.49\00:16:33.82
I think the state of New
York was teaching our children
00:16:33.86\00:16:37.23
vain repetition,
not genuine prayer.
00:16:37.26\00:16:40.36
Which is a good
reason to keep government
00:16:40.40\00:16:43.10
out of the business of religion.
00:16:43.40\00:16:46.30
After all, we have such a
dim view of our politicians,
00:16:46.33\00:16:51.57
we really want to trust
religion into their hands
00:16:51.61\00:16:54.94
and expect that they won't
sully the faith in so doing?
00:16:54.98\00:17:00.12
Well the ongoing
social, cultural, and legal wars
00:17:00.45\00:17:03.89
over public religion
in America have to be
00:17:03.92\00:17:07.06
put into a larger context.
00:17:07.09\00:17:10.09
Many Americans still believe
our nation is in a unique
00:17:10.63\00:17:14.76
covenant relation to
God, and that we must
00:17:14.80\00:17:18.03
return to God or
suffer the consequences.
00:17:18.07\00:17:21.47
Now the Bible is quite
clear, as Solomon observed
00:17:22.14\00:17:25.37
in the Proverbs,
that righteousness exalts
00:17:25.41\00:17:28.48
a nation, but sin is a
reproach to any people.
00:17:28.51\00:17:32.21
But this is equally
true for every nation,
00:17:32.25\00:17:35.15
not just the United States.
00:17:35.18\00:17:37.05
But the Bible is also
very clear about the boundaries
00:17:37.52\00:17:42.52
between civil and
religious authority.
00:17:42.56\00:17:45.96
Believe it or not, we're
going to see that there is
00:17:45.99\00:17:49.30
separation of church
and state in the Bible.
00:17:49.33\00:17:53.03
Now those who would invoke
the power and the privilege
00:17:53.54\00:17:56.14
of the state to promote
and regulate the beliefs
00:17:56.17\00:18:00.28
and observances of the church,
I contend that they commit
00:18:00.31\00:18:05.15
a grave and a dangerous error.
00:18:05.18\00:18:07.85
But don't take my word for it.
00:18:08.32\00:18:10.02
Let's take a walk
through the Bible and see
00:18:10.42\00:18:14.22
some of these
passages that give us insight
00:18:14.26\00:18:17.83
about separation,
about the relationships,
00:18:17.86\00:18:20.96
between church and state.
00:18:21.00\00:18:22.86
And we're going to take a
look at the whole teaching
00:18:22.90\00:18:25.63
of Scripture and passages from
both Old and New Testaments.
00:18:25.67\00:18:30.37
Well, in the
beginning of Israel's history,
00:18:30.74\00:18:33.81
we see a separation between the
civil and religious authority.
00:18:34.18\00:18:37.71
Moses, of course, is the civil
leader, and his brother, Aaron,
00:18:38.01\00:18:42.65
the high priest, Aaron
and his sons are responsible
00:18:42.68\00:18:46.92
for carrying out
the religious ceremonies
00:18:46.96\00:18:49.86
in the temple.
00:18:50.06\00:18:51.39
Moses is responsible for
the leadership of the nation
00:18:51.43\00:18:54.83
for the civic duties.
00:18:54.86\00:18:56.70
The priesthood is
given to Aaron's family,
00:18:57.23\00:18:59.93
to the tribe of Levi.
00:18:59.97\00:19:01.70
After the days of Moses
and Joshua, there followed
00:19:02.17\00:19:05.17
a period under the judges, as
recorded in the book of Judges,
00:19:05.21\00:19:09.04
before Israel had
a king, of course.
00:19:09.34\00:19:11.55
We consider it a theocracy.
00:19:11.95\00:19:13.85
God was the ruler and the nation
was under God's authority.
00:19:13.88\00:19:17.19
And there are those today
who imagine they would like to
00:19:17.42\00:19:19.75
bring America into a theocracy
directly under God's authority.
00:19:19.79\00:19:24.39
I suggest to you that if
you look around the world today
00:19:24.59\00:19:28.30
at nations like
Iran and Pakistan,
00:19:28.33\00:19:31.97
you might think twice.
00:19:32.00\00:19:34.10
Saudi Arabia.
00:19:34.14\00:19:35.47
We might think twice about
blending religious and civil
00:19:35.50\00:19:39.81
authority too closely, and the
oppression that comes with that.
00:19:39.84\00:19:43.48
But honestly, I don't think that
the modern vision of theocracy
00:19:44.08\00:19:48.38
bears any resemblance
to what actually took place
00:19:48.42\00:19:52.29
in the theocracy in Israel.
00:19:52.32\00:19:54.19
And note, the period
of judges summed up in the
00:19:54.29\00:19:58.26
final verse of the
book says, and I quote,
00:19:58.29\00:20:01.06
"In those days there
was no king in Israel.
00:20:01.40\00:20:04.57
Everyone did what was
right in his own eyes."
00:20:05.03\00:20:09.00
Now we tend to think about
this, that, "Oh well, there was
00:20:09.47\00:20:13.88
a lot of mischief going on.
00:20:13.91\00:20:16.51
People were behaving badly.
00:20:16.54\00:20:18.68
They were doing
whatever they wanted,
00:20:18.71\00:20:20.32
and it was rather lawless."
00:20:20.35\00:20:23.25
But notice what this verse
says about just how heavy handed
00:20:23.92\00:20:30.36
God was in exercising
authority during a time when
00:20:30.39\00:20:34.43
He was directly
ruling the nation.
00:20:34.46\00:20:36.77
During the period of
the theocracy, God was not
00:20:37.23\00:20:40.14
careful to lay down the law
at all, or to impose, you know,
00:20:40.17\00:20:44.77
religious and
civil laws and rules.
00:20:44.81\00:20:47.34
He was not the least
bit heavy handed, was He.
00:20:47.38\00:20:50.28
So I don't think
that's the type of theocracy
00:20:50.68\00:20:53.31
that, when people
think of bringing the Bible
00:20:53.35\00:20:56.92
back into the law
and bringing theocracy,
00:20:56.95\00:21:00.69
that they're looking for.
00:21:00.72\00:21:03.09
Well as you know,
Israel desired a king.
00:21:03.69\00:21:06.09
And Saul was
chosen as the first king.
00:21:06.39\00:21:09.16
And Saul very quickly
faced a military threat
00:21:09.66\00:21:12.07
from the Philistines.
00:21:12.10\00:21:13.47
So he was gathering his army
at Gilgal to prepare for battle.
00:21:13.84\00:21:18.64
And the prophet Samuel
instructed Saul to wait
00:21:18.67\00:21:21.84
for him there at Gilgal seven
days, that he would come and
00:21:21.88\00:21:25.61
offer sacrifice and
invoke the blessing of the Lord.
00:21:25.65\00:21:28.85
Now Saul quite rightly knew
that Israel was outnumbered,
00:21:29.15\00:21:36.02
they were poorly
armed, they were ill-equipped
00:21:36.06\00:21:40.00
to face the
Philistines in battle.
00:21:40.03\00:21:42.26
And he coveted the
blessing of the Lord.
00:21:42.30\00:21:44.87
That was a good thing.
00:21:44.90\00:21:46.30
But read with me the
account in 1 Samuel chapter 13
00:21:46.90\00:21:51.77
beginning in verse 7.
00:21:52.07\00:21:53.98
"As for Saul, he
was still in Gilgal,
00:21:55.08\00:21:57.55
and all the people
followed him trembling.
00:21:57.98\00:22:00.42
Now he waited seven
days, according to the time
00:22:00.85\00:22:03.32
set by Samuel, but
Samuel did not come to Gilgal;
00:22:03.35\00:22:06.96
and the people were
scattered from him."
00:22:06.99\00:22:09.22
Well, Saul must
have been worried now,
00:22:09.72\00:22:12.33
how people are leaving.
00:22:12.36\00:22:13.93
How's he going to
keep his army together?
00:22:13.96\00:22:15.73
"So Saul said,
'Bring a burnt offering
00:22:15.76\00:22:18.00
and peace offerings here to me.'
00:22:18.03\00:22:19.93
And he offered
the burnt offering.
00:22:19.97\00:22:22.17
Now it happened as
soon as he had finished
00:22:22.87\00:22:26.98
presenting the
burnt offering..."
00:22:27.01\00:22:28.74
Funny how that works, isn't it.
00:22:28.98\00:22:30.41
Just as soon as he did it.
00:22:30.45\00:22:32.05
"...that Samuel came; and
Saul went out to meet him,
00:22:32.25\00:22:35.55
that he might greet him.
00:22:35.58\00:22:36.92
And Samuel said,
'What have you done?'
00:22:38.02\00:22:41.82
Saul said," innocently, "What do
you mean, 'What have you done?'
00:22:43.12\00:22:48.10
When I saw that the
people scattered from me,
00:22:48.13\00:22:50.60
and that you did not come
within the days appointed..."
00:22:50.63\00:22:54.24
Shifting the blame, huh?
00:22:54.74\00:22:56.24
"...and that the Philistines
gathered together at Michmash,
00:22:56.50\00:22:59.91
then I said, 'The Philistines
will now come down on me
00:22:59.94\00:23:03.18
at Gilgal, and I have not
made supplication of the Lord.'
00:23:03.21\00:23:06.72
Therefore I felt compelled,
and offered the burnt offering."
00:23:07.25\00:23:11.65
Blah, blah, blah.
Saul's making excuses, right?
00:23:11.69\00:23:15.09
Trying to justify
doing something that he knew
00:23:15.19\00:23:19.63
he was not suppose to do.
00:23:20.00\00:23:22.23
"And Samuel said to
Saul, 'You have done foolishly.
00:23:22.96\00:23:27.27
You have not kept the
command of the Lord your God,
00:23:27.64\00:23:30.91
which He commanded you.
00:23:30.94\00:23:32.47
For now the Lord would
have established your kingdom
00:23:32.51\00:23:34.81
over Israel forever.
00:23:34.84\00:23:36.18
But now your
kingdom shall not continue.
00:23:36.21\00:23:39.65
The Lord has sought for Himself
a man after His own heart,
00:23:40.62\00:23:44.35
and the Lord has
commanded him to be commander
00:23:44.75\00:23:46.79
over His people,
because you have not kept
00:23:46.82\00:23:50.59
what the Lord commanded you.'"
00:23:50.96\00:23:52.86
Saul forfeited his
authority as king, his kingship,
00:23:53.50\00:24:01.37
because he crossed a boundary.
00:24:01.57\00:24:05.51
He crossed a bright
line boundary that no king,
00:24:05.91\00:24:09.78
no civil ruler, ever should do.
00:24:09.88\00:24:12.61
He offered sacrifice.
00:24:12.65\00:24:14.45
He usurped religious authority.
00:24:14.95\00:24:18.62
It was not his
prerogative to do that.
00:24:19.35\00:24:22.32
Saul wasn't wrong to
want to invoke God's blessing.
00:24:23.16\00:24:26.90
He knew he needed God.
00:24:27.16\00:24:28.83
But was this
something that was so wrong
00:24:30.40\00:24:34.80
that his kingdom
should be taken away from him?
00:24:34.84\00:24:38.27
Apparently, it was
a very serious matter.
00:24:39.01\00:24:42.31
And God wanted to make it
very clear, this distinction
00:24:42.51\00:24:45.88
between civil and
religious authority.
00:24:46.18\00:24:49.58
And we see this in some
additional examples as well.
00:24:49.62\00:24:54.19
I'm going to take them
out of historical order.
00:24:55.02\00:24:58.03
So first,
consider the experience
00:24:58.79\00:25:01.10
of a good king; Uzziah.
00:25:01.40\00:25:03.57
The Bible says he
was a righteous king.
00:25:04.33\00:25:06.84
He became king at age 16
and reigned for 52 years.
00:25:07.40\00:25:11.87
The Bible said he did what was
right in the eyes of the Lord.
00:25:11.91\00:25:16.48
But then look
at 2 Chronicles 26.
00:25:16.85\00:25:20.08
Pick up the story in verse 16.
00:25:20.12\00:25:23.85
"But when he was strong, he
grew proud, to his destruction.
00:25:25.15\00:25:29.52
For he was unfaithful to
the Lord his God and entered
00:25:29.82\00:25:33.66
the temple of the
Lord to burn incense
00:25:33.70\00:25:36.60
on the altar of incense."
00:25:36.63\00:25:38.70
Now to me, this
passage is counterintuitive.
00:25:39.63\00:25:43.87
Uzziah was unfaithful
because he went to worship God
00:25:43.91\00:25:47.11
in the temple
and to burn incense?
00:25:47.14\00:25:49.98
Well, let's keep reading.
00:25:50.61\00:25:52.38
"But Azariah the priest went in
after him, with eighty priests
00:25:53.15\00:25:57.55
of the Lord who were men
of valor, and they withstood
00:25:57.59\00:26:01.72
King Uzziah and said to
him, 'It is not for you, Uzziah,
00:26:01.76\00:26:05.89
to burn incense to the
Lord, but for the priests,
00:26:05.93\00:26:08.80
the sons of Aaron, who are
consecrated to burn incense.
00:26:08.83\00:26:12.27
Go out of the sanctuary,
for you have done wrong,
00:26:12.43\00:26:15.94
and it will bring you no
honor from the Lord God.'"
00:26:15.97\00:26:19.54
Wow, imagine
talking to a king like that.
00:26:20.71\00:26:23.88
Azariah the priest
is not messing around.
00:26:24.45\00:26:27.25
He's got eighty
priests with him as backup.
00:26:27.28\00:26:30.79
Men of valor.
00:26:30.82\00:26:32.15
Sounds like they're pretty
tough guys to me, you know.
00:26:32.49\00:26:35.96
Something like bouncers
in the house of the Lord.
00:26:35.99\00:26:38.96
Well, then Uzziah was angry.
00:26:40.00\00:26:42.43
Now picking up
from the Bible reading.
00:26:43.16\00:26:46.23
"He had a censer in
his hand to burn incense,
00:26:46.27\00:26:48.74
and when he became angry with
the priests, leprosy broke out
00:26:48.77\00:26:53.84
on his forehead in the
presence of the priests
00:26:53.88\00:26:56.85
in the house of the
Lord, by the altar of incense.
00:26:57.15\00:27:00.18
And Azariah the chief priest and
all the priests looked at him,
00:27:00.52\00:27:03.25
and behold, he was
leprous in his forehead.
00:27:03.28\00:27:06.02
And they rushed him
out quickly, and he himself
00:27:06.05\00:27:08.79
hurried to go out,
because the Lord had struck him.
00:27:08.82\00:27:12.19
And King Uzziah was a
leper to the day of his death.
00:27:13.06\00:27:16.46
And being a leper
lived in a separate house,
00:27:17.07\00:27:19.57
for he was excluded
from the house of the Lord.
00:27:19.90\00:27:22.84
And Jotham his son was
over the king's household,
00:27:23.41\00:27:27.08
governing the
people of the land."
00:27:27.18\00:27:29.28
Uzziah was a good king.
00:27:30.18\00:27:31.88
He was a righteous man.
00:27:32.01\00:27:33.65
But he crossed a line.
00:27:34.18\00:27:36.05
A line that no king
was allowed to cross.
00:27:36.45\00:27:39.45
He entered the temple to
burn incense on the altar;
00:27:39.49\00:27:43.19
to engage in religious
ceremonies that belonged
00:27:43.22\00:27:46.19
only to the priesthood.
00:27:46.23\00:27:48.03
And for this grave sin,
Uzziah was struck with leprosy.
00:27:48.56\00:27:52.53
He had to surrender
his throne to his son.
00:27:52.83\00:27:55.30
As a leper, he
would have to live alone.
00:27:55.34\00:27:57.61
He could no longer exercise
the prerogatives of king.
00:27:58.17\00:28:01.84
What a sad
ending for a good man.
00:28:01.88\00:28:05.28
Well in the next
story, the king is chastised
00:28:06.21\00:28:09.48
for setting up a pagan altar.
00:28:09.78\00:28:11.65
Jeroboam is the one who
divided Israel from Judah
00:28:12.35\00:28:17.33
after the death of Solomon.
00:28:17.53\00:28:19.36
And in order to secure
the allegiance of the people
00:28:19.83\00:28:22.76
to his kingdom, he
decided to set up a separate
00:28:22.80\00:28:26.23
center of worship so
that people would not go down
00:28:26.33\00:28:29.80
to Jerusalem and then be led
to follow the house of David.
00:28:29.84\00:28:34.41
And we read, "Behold, a
man of God came out of Judah
00:28:36.08\00:28:40.02
by the word of
the Lord to Bethel.
00:28:40.05\00:28:42.48
Jeroboam was standing by
the altar to make offerings."
00:28:42.88\00:28:46.19
Now this was a pagan
altar that Jeroboam had set up.
00:28:46.22\00:28:50.03
It wasn't the
temple in Jerusalem.
00:28:50.06\00:28:52.43
"And the man cried against the
altar by the word of the Lord,
00:28:53.06\00:28:56.30
and said, 'O altar,
altar, thus says the Lord,
00:28:56.33\00:29:00.10
"Behold, a son shall be
born to the house of David,
00:29:00.67\00:29:04.04
Josiah by name, and
he shall sacrifice on you
00:29:04.24\00:29:08.34
the priests of the high places
who make offerings on you,
00:29:08.38\00:29:12.41
and human bones
shall be burned on you."'"
00:29:12.45\00:29:15.95
That's pretty intense, isn't it,
00:29:16.05\00:29:18.45
to say in the
presence of a king?
00:29:18.99\00:29:21.46
"And he gave a sign
the same day, saying,
00:29:22.19\00:29:24.66
'This is the sign
that the Lord has spoken,
00:29:24.69\00:29:27.33
"Behold, the altar shall
be torn down, and the ashes
00:29:27.53\00:29:31.30
that are on it
shall be poured out."'"
00:29:31.33\00:29:33.74
Well, it's always
dangerous to lift up one's hand
00:29:34.84\00:29:38.67
against God's anointed.
00:29:38.71\00:29:40.38
Civil rulers, kings
even, are playing with fire
00:29:41.14\00:29:45.01
when they strike out
against religious leaders
00:29:45.05\00:29:47.62
on account of
their religious message.
00:29:47.65\00:29:50.32
Here, the king clearly doesn't
like the message of the prophet.
00:29:50.69\00:29:55.29
He doesn't approve of his
exercising free speech, does he.
00:29:55.32\00:30:00.20
"And so when the king heard
the saying of the man of God,
00:30:01.23\00:30:04.57
which he cried
against the altar at Bethel,
00:30:04.77\00:30:07.30
Jeroboam stretched out his
hand from the altar, saying,
00:30:07.34\00:30:10.54
'Seize him.'"
00:30:10.57\00:30:11.91
What do you think
happened to his hand?
00:30:12.57\00:30:14.54
"His hand, which he stretched
out against him, dried up,
00:30:15.58\00:30:18.88
so that he could not
draw it back to himself.
00:30:19.35\00:30:23.02
The altar also was torn
down, and the ashes poured out
00:30:23.82\00:30:28.46
from the altar, according
to the sign that the man of God
00:30:28.49\00:30:31.99
had given by the
word of the Lord."
00:30:32.03\00:30:34.66
Ouch.
00:30:35.00\00:30:36.33
A withered hand.
00:30:36.70\00:30:38.33
Instant judgment on
Jeroboam for daring to strike
00:30:38.67\00:30:42.90
the man of God.
00:30:42.94\00:30:44.34
Now Jeroboam had the
presence of mind to repent
00:30:45.04\00:30:48.08
and to ask the man
of God to pray for him,
00:30:48.11\00:30:50.95
that his hand would be restored.
00:30:50.98\00:30:52.88
And so Jeroboam was
given a second chance.
00:30:53.48\00:30:57.09
His hand was restored.
00:30:57.35\00:30:58.89
But tragically, he
really didn't learn his lesson,
00:30:59.42\00:31:01.99
and he did lead
Israel into idolatry.
00:31:02.02\00:31:06.03
Which ultimately is why
the ten tribes are no more.
00:31:06.06\00:31:10.47
We can trace the destruction
of the ten tribes of Israel
00:31:11.23\00:31:14.44
directly to Jeroboam's idolatry.
00:31:14.64\00:31:17.61
Had Jeroboam truly headed
the message of the man of God,
00:31:18.21\00:31:21.18
he would have
refrained from idolatry,
00:31:21.21\00:31:23.55
and history would have
been dramatically different.
00:31:23.58\00:31:26.21
Jeroboam crossed a line.
00:31:26.95\00:31:29.32
He crossed the line by
stretching his hand out
00:31:29.98\00:31:33.25
against the prophet.
00:31:33.29\00:31:34.92
But he also crossed the line
by setting up a pagan altar.
00:31:35.52\00:31:38.93
And the consequences
were especially tragic
00:31:39.39\00:31:42.23
for the entire nation.
00:31:42.26\00:31:43.87
Now our final Old Testament
passage involves King David
00:31:44.87\00:31:49.47
and a rare example of a
ruler refusing to invoke
00:31:49.90\00:31:54.91
God's blessing to serve
his own political fortunes.
00:31:54.94\00:31:59.81
Today, politicians
routinely invoke God.
00:32:00.55\00:32:04.65
"God bless America," they say.
00:32:04.69\00:32:06.89
When what they really mean
is, "God, help me get elected."
00:32:06.92\00:32:10.33
We pick up the story
in 2 Samuel chapter 16.
00:32:11.46\00:32:15.26
David is fleeing Jerusalem
on account of rebellion
00:32:15.86\00:32:19.03
by his own son, Absalom.
00:32:19.07\00:32:21.47
"The king went out, and
all his household after him.
00:32:23.27\00:32:27.64
I'm skipping down to verse 23.
00:32:28.54\00:32:30.85
"And all the land wept aloud
as all the people passed by,
00:32:31.85\00:32:35.78
and the king
crossed the brook Kidron,
00:32:36.28\00:32:38.99
and all the people
passed on toward the wilderness.
00:32:39.02\00:32:42.39
And Abiathar came up,
and behold, Zadok came also
00:32:42.99\00:32:46.83
with all the Levites, bearing
the ark of the covenant of God.
00:32:46.86\00:32:50.60
And they set down the
ark of God until the people
00:32:51.13\00:32:53.90
had all passed out of the city.
00:32:54.10\00:32:56.47
And then the king said to Zadok,
00:32:56.94\00:32:59.31
'Carry the ark of
God back into the city.
00:32:59.94\00:33:04.41
If I find favor in
the eyes of the Lord,
00:33:04.78\00:33:07.28
He will bring me back
and let me see both it,'"
00:33:07.32\00:33:10.15
that is the ark,
"and his dwelling place.
00:33:10.35\00:33:13.25
But if He says," if God says,
"'I have no pleasure in you,'
00:33:13.62\00:33:17.86
behold, here I am, let Him do
to me what seems good to Him."
00:33:18.23\00:33:23.23
The ark of God was a powerful
symbol in ancient Israel.
00:33:23.97\00:33:28.20
David might have consented
to having Abiathar and Zadok
00:33:28.64\00:33:32.37
and the other
priests continue in his camp,
00:33:32.41\00:33:35.34
keeping the ark close as a
sign of God's blessing upon them
00:33:35.38\00:33:39.65
to encourage his
supporters and to expect God to
00:33:39.68\00:33:46.09
have David prevail in
his struggle against Absalom.
00:33:46.62\00:33:50.33
But David knew it was
not right to use the ark,
00:33:51.49\00:33:54.50
a powerful religious symbol,
to advance his own personal
00:33:54.80\00:34:00.00
political fortunes.
00:34:00.04\00:34:01.94
If God wanted to restore
the kingdom to him, so be it.
00:34:02.50\00:34:06.14
But if not, David
knew that having the ark
00:34:06.78\00:34:09.11
present with him
would not change God's mind.
00:34:09.14\00:34:13.08
David would pray for
God's blessing, but he would not
00:34:13.62\00:34:16.82
seek to manipulate
God to his own end.
00:34:16.92\00:34:21.19
And this is a lesson that I wish
many other leaders had learned.
00:34:21.59\00:34:25.99
I wish our American
politicians would learn
00:34:26.03\00:34:29.73
not to try to manipulate
God for political purposes.
00:34:29.76\00:34:34.04
Well let's take a look now at
how Jesus related to the state.
00:34:35.87\00:34:40.44
Jesus acted as a
good citizen all His life.
00:34:41.38\00:34:44.61
He avoided encounters
with Roman authorities
00:34:44.95\00:34:47.52
until He was
slandered and betrayed
00:34:47.82\00:34:50.32
to the authorities
at the end of His life.
00:34:50.59\00:34:52.82
When Jesus appeared before
Pilate, Jesus demonstrated
00:34:53.46\00:34:56.73
His understanding of
the distinct roles of Caesar
00:34:56.76\00:35:00.90
and God.
00:35:00.93\00:35:02.26
Pilate asked Jesus whether He
claimed to be King of the Jews,
00:35:02.63\00:35:06.63
as He'd been accused of doing.
00:35:06.67\00:35:08.84
Jesus assured Pilate
that He had no designs
00:35:09.70\00:35:13.81
on Caesar's realm.
00:35:13.84\00:35:15.54
He told him that His
kingdom is not of this world.
00:35:15.91\00:35:21.28
And for this reason
His followers didn't
00:35:21.95\00:35:25.12
wield the sword.
00:35:25.15\00:35:26.59
John 18:36.
00:35:26.62\00:35:28.72
Now Pilate knew that
he had no basis to assert
00:35:29.26\00:35:32.69
jurisdiction over Jesus.
00:35:32.73\00:35:34.53
Jesus' dispute with the
Jews was a matter of religion.
00:35:34.93\00:35:38.73
The Romans weren't
interested in exercising
00:35:38.77\00:35:42.07
jurisdiction over
religious disputes.
00:35:42.84\00:35:45.44
But even so,
Pilate had Jesus flogged
00:35:46.81\00:35:50.25
and questioned Him
further because of his concern
00:35:50.28\00:35:53.82
about the crowd's sentiment
and the threat that it posed
00:35:53.85\00:35:57.89
to his own position.
00:35:57.92\00:35:59.39
And so at this
point Jesus shut up.
00:36:00.12\00:36:02.46
He refused to
answer anymore questions.
00:36:02.49\00:36:04.79
Having
established Jesus' innocence,
00:36:05.56\00:36:07.86
Pilate had no
business toying with Him
00:36:07.90\00:36:10.33
merely to
placate a hostile crowd.
00:36:11.33\00:36:14.40
Pilate stepped beyond
any legitimate inquiry
00:36:14.90\00:36:18.17
as a state official.
00:36:18.21\00:36:19.54
And undoubtedly, he knew it.
00:36:19.57\00:36:21.71
Yet he was
offended by Jesus' silence,
00:36:22.14\00:36:25.31
and resorted to
arbitrary threats.
00:36:25.35\00:36:28.28
"Are You not speaking to me?
00:36:28.65\00:36:30.22
Do you not know I
have power to crucify You
00:36:30.25\00:36:32.79
and power to release
You," Pilate said to Jesus.
00:36:32.82\00:36:36.09
Christ's memorable response
is the correct response,
00:36:37.29\00:36:41.80
the correct Christian
response, to all states
00:36:41.83\00:36:45.67
and all rulers that
overstep their powers
00:36:45.70\00:36:48.84
and invade the
prerogatives of God.
00:36:48.87\00:36:51.51
Jesus said, "You could
have no power at all against Me
00:36:51.54\00:36:56.68
unless it had been
given you from above."
00:36:57.25\00:37:01.28
Jesus reminded Pilate
that his power was not his own
00:37:02.48\00:37:08.19
to wield as he saw fit.
00:37:08.22\00:37:10.76
Pilate had been
given power from above.
00:37:11.49\00:37:14.33
From the emperor certainly,
but ultimately from God.
00:37:14.63\00:37:18.33
And Pilate was merely
a steward of that power.
00:37:18.97\00:37:22.50
Pilate was obligated to
exercise power with justice
00:37:22.54\00:37:26.74
and equity, not arbitrarily.
00:37:26.91\00:37:29.58
Which meant that he
should release Jesus.
00:37:30.25\00:37:33.21
Now Pilate's response to Jesus
demonstrates that he not only
00:37:34.05\00:37:38.09
understood, but
really he agreed with Jesus.
00:37:38.12\00:37:42.82
He knew Jesus was right.
00:37:42.86\00:37:44.59
From then on, Pilate sought
to release Him, the Bible says.
00:37:45.16\00:37:48.36
In the end, though, as
we know, Pilate caved in
00:37:49.30\00:37:52.60
to popular demand and
did not release Jesus.
00:37:52.63\00:37:56.60
And so, Pilate has become
an enduring symbol of the weak
00:37:57.31\00:38:01.21
spineless authority
that knows the right
00:38:01.41\00:38:05.71
but chooses the wrong
for safety, expediency,
00:38:06.01\00:38:11.19
and popularity.
00:38:11.22\00:38:12.92
Ever sense that time,
civil rulers have needed
00:38:13.52\00:38:17.43
the prophetic voice of
the church to remind them that
00:38:17.63\00:38:21.50
they serve as stewards
of power, not as masters.
00:38:21.53\00:38:27.24
Amen?
00:38:27.27\00:38:28.60
So we've seen these examples
of the limited civil authority
00:38:29.57\00:38:36.75
of rulers; that they
do not properly exercise
00:38:36.78\00:38:41.12
religious authority.
00:38:41.15\00:38:43.05
But what about the spiritual
authority of the church?
00:38:43.28\00:38:47.96
Just as God has given
civil authority to civil rulers,
00:38:47.99\00:38:53.53
so God has also given
abundant spiritual authority
00:38:53.73\00:38:59.00
to the church.
00:38:59.03\00:39:00.40
And just a few verses
will suffice to give us
00:39:00.44\00:39:04.51
an expansive view of
this spiritual authority.
00:39:04.54\00:39:08.21
For example, Matthew 21:22,
Jesus says, "Whatever you ask
00:39:08.24\00:39:15.25
in prayer, you will
receive if you have faith."
00:39:15.28\00:39:21.52
Wow.
00:39:22.12\00:39:23.46
Whatever you ask in
prayer, you will receive?
00:39:23.56\00:39:28.16
That's astounding, isn't it?
00:39:28.53\00:39:31.30
That's a lot of authority.
00:39:31.40\00:39:33.27
Well in Matthew 18, Jesus says,
"Whatsoever you bind on earth
00:39:34.07\00:39:40.01
shall be bound in heaven."
00:39:41.24\00:39:44.51
Whatsoever you bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven?
00:39:45.28\00:39:48.68
Now Protestants take a
different view of that verse
00:39:48.72\00:39:52.25
than Roman Catholics do.
00:39:52.29\00:39:54.09
Catholics, of course,
look at this in, I think,
00:39:54.29\00:39:59.23
an over-expansive
view of church authority.
00:39:59.26\00:40:02.60
Because they assert the
right to do things like change
00:40:02.63\00:40:07.37
the day of worship
from Sabbath to Sunday.
00:40:07.40\00:40:10.47
To rearrange the
commandments, for example.
00:40:11.04\00:40:14.54
But as Protestants, we
do understand that there is
00:40:14.58\00:40:19.45
abundant authority given to
the church to govern itself.
00:40:19.48\00:40:24.05
Now in this church, for
example, I suspect that in your
00:40:24.39\00:40:28.56
morning worship
service, you have some or all of
00:40:28.59\00:40:31.56
the following elements:
you have some announcements,
00:40:31.59\00:40:34.66
you have opening prayer, you
have maybe a children's story,
00:40:34.70\00:40:38.77
an offering, special
music, you sing some hymns,
00:40:38.80\00:40:42.60
you have a sermon.
00:40:42.64\00:40:43.97
Well the Bible does not
lay out what a worship service
00:40:44.01\00:40:50.31
should look like after the
period of the temple, does it.
00:40:50.35\00:40:54.78
Of course, there's evidence
in the Bible for things like
00:40:55.15\00:40:58.69
prayer, for giving offerings,
for teaching the Word of God,
00:40:58.72\00:41:03.59
for, you know,
having a Sabbath school,
00:41:03.63\00:41:05.83
having a Bible class.
00:41:05.86\00:41:07.30
Sure, these are
all wonderful things.
00:41:07.33\00:41:09.10
But the church has
authority to organize itself.
00:41:09.13\00:41:13.74
The Bible doesn't say
whether the church should be
00:41:14.04\00:41:16.17
hierarchical or whether
it should be congregational,
00:41:16.20\00:41:19.17
what our politics should be.
00:41:19.21\00:41:21.34
Well, we get together
and we figure that out.
00:41:21.38\00:41:24.35
And we pray that
God would lead us.
00:41:24.38\00:41:26.68
"Whatsoever you bind on
earth shall be bound in heaven.
00:41:26.72\00:41:29.92
God has given us
authority to figure things out;
00:41:30.12\00:41:33.82
how we're going to carry
out the great commission,
00:41:33.86\00:41:36.22
how we're going to serve God,
how we're going to bind together
00:41:36.26\00:41:39.89
as God's people.
00:41:39.93\00:41:42.00
How about this one, Matthew
28, the great commission.
00:41:42.30\00:41:46.67
Jesus asserted that
all authority in heaven
00:41:46.70\00:41:51.34
and earth belong to Him.
00:41:51.37\00:41:53.84
And on that basis, commanded
His followers to make disciples,
00:41:54.14\00:41:57.71
to baptize, and to teach.
00:41:57.91\00:42:00.05
All authority.
00:42:00.25\00:42:01.98
And He's given us
that authority to teach,
00:42:02.42\00:42:05.92
to make disciples, to baptize.
00:42:05.95\00:42:08.42
Wow.
00:42:08.46\00:42:09.79
That's a lot of
spiritual authority, isn't it.
00:42:10.26\00:42:14.56
One of my favorite
passages that I think really
00:42:18.87\00:42:23.30
helps us see the distinction
between civil and religious
00:42:23.54\00:42:27.78
authority is found in
the book of Acts, chapter 1.
00:42:27.81\00:42:32.65
These are the final words
of Jesus before He ascends
00:42:32.98\00:42:39.42
to heaven.
00:42:39.62\00:42:40.96
The disciples have been
with Him now for, what, 40 days
00:42:43.43\00:42:47.70
after His crucifixion, after
His resurrection I should say.
00:42:47.73\00:42:52.80
And they still don't
get what kind of a Messiah
00:42:53.27\00:42:59.67
Jesus really is.
00:42:59.77\00:43:01.71
They're still mired in
their Jewish ideas about
00:43:02.71\00:43:07.45
re-establishing the kingdom,
and they're still coveting
00:43:07.72\00:43:11.62
political power.
00:43:11.65\00:43:12.99
Notice the
question that they ask.
00:43:13.02\00:43:15.72
"Jesus, Lord, is it at
this time that You will restore
00:43:15.76\00:43:20.30
the kingdom to Israel?"
00:43:20.33\00:43:21.86
That reveals, that says volumes
about what's in their hearts,
00:43:23.97\00:43:27.74
what they're really hoping for.
00:43:27.77\00:43:29.20
They still want to sit
at the right hand and the
00:43:29.24\00:43:31.77
left hand of the throne.
00:43:31.81\00:43:33.41
They still want to see
Israel restored and the empire
00:43:33.44\00:43:37.31
ruling, dominating, the world.
00:43:37.41\00:43:39.58
They want to see Jesus
as, you know, the Son of David
00:43:39.61\00:43:45.12
ruling all nations
with a rod of iron.
00:43:45.15\00:43:47.96
That's the kind of
Messiah that they want.
00:43:47.99\00:43:50.63
Now notice what
Jesus says to them.
00:43:52.53\00:43:55.86
He'd already told them to wait
for the promise of the Father,
00:43:55.90\00:44:00.34
referring to the Holy Spirit.
00:44:00.37\00:44:02.30
But now He reminds them.
00:44:02.67\00:44:05.27
"It's not for you to
know the times or the seasons
00:44:05.94\00:44:10.95
which the Father has
fixed by His own authority.
00:44:10.98\00:44:15.18
But you shall receive power when
the Holy Spirit comes upon you.
00:44:15.72\00:44:21.19
And you shall be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea,
00:44:21.86\00:44:27.50
and Samaria, and even
to the ends of the earth."
00:44:27.53\00:44:31.97
The disciples were
wanting the exousia.
00:44:34.64\00:44:38.87
There are two Greek
words for, "power," here;
00:44:39.77\00:44:42.21
exousia and dunamis.
00:44:42.24\00:44:44.21
"It's not for you to
know the times or seasons
00:44:44.25\00:44:47.32
which the Father has
fixed by His own exousia."
00:44:47.35\00:44:50.59
His own authority.
00:44:50.62\00:44:51.99
The civil authority.
00:44:52.02\00:44:53.36
God setting up His
kingdom and ruling.
00:44:53.46\00:44:56.46
That was in the Father's hands.
00:44:56.66\00:44:58.59
That was not to be
given to the disciples;
00:44:58.63\00:45:02.80
ruling in God's name.
00:45:02.83\00:45:04.60
Which is, after
all, the core concept
00:45:04.63\00:45:08.74
of America in
covenant relationship with God.
00:45:09.00\00:45:12.47
The core concept is, we
want to rule in God's name.
00:45:12.51\00:45:18.45
And Jesus said,
"That is not to be.
00:45:19.88\00:45:22.45
The Father keeps the exousia.
00:45:22.48\00:45:25.45
He keeps the authority.
00:45:25.49\00:45:27.06
He will set up His
kingdom in His own time.
00:45:27.09\00:45:30.59
But you, you've
got something else.
00:45:30.63\00:45:34.66
You've got dunamis."
00:45:35.43\00:45:37.77
The Greek word
that we get, what?
00:45:38.57\00:45:40.74
Dynamite.
00:45:40.77\00:45:42.10
Dynamo, dynamic. Right?
00:45:42.14\00:45:44.21
"You've got the dynamite
power of the Holy Spirit.
00:45:44.31\00:45:48.14
And with that, you will
be My witnesses in Jerusalem,
00:45:48.18\00:45:51.38
in all Judea and
Samaria, the ends of the earth."
00:45:51.41\00:45:55.08
And in a generation,
the disciples of Jesus took
00:45:55.68\00:45:59.49
the gospel around the
earth and changed the course
00:45:59.52\00:46:03.02
of human history
with the dunamis power
00:46:03.06\00:46:06.80
of the Holy Spirit.
00:46:06.83\00:46:08.16
And I ask you, do we really
need the power of the state,
00:46:08.20\00:46:13.34
the exousia, the
authority of the state,
00:46:13.37\00:46:16.37
or is the power of God enough?
00:46:16.64\00:46:20.51
Now in the book of
Revelation, there is a warning.
00:46:22.44\00:46:26.68
There's a warning about
what happens when the church
00:46:27.35\00:46:31.69
has lost the power of God.
00:46:31.72\00:46:36.19
She's lost the
power of the Holy Spirit
00:46:36.62\00:46:39.19
to where she seeks in
the power of the state,
00:46:39.23\00:46:43.87
in state authority, a
substitute for the Holy Spirit.
00:46:43.90\00:46:49.54
The warning is found in
chapter 14, and it's repeated
00:46:50.31\00:46:54.01
again in chapter 18.
00:46:54.04\00:46:55.88
There are messages of
three angels, aren't there.
00:46:56.78\00:46:59.78
And the second angel's
message, in symbolic language,
00:47:00.72\00:47:05.65
very simply says,
"Babylon is fallen, is fallen,
00:47:05.69\00:47:10.33
that great city,
because she made all nations
00:47:10.36\00:47:13.66
drink the wine of the
wrath of her fornication."
00:47:13.70\00:47:18.63
Let's unpack that.
It's really quite simple.
00:47:20.24\00:47:22.84
It sounds very complicated.
00:47:22.87\00:47:24.37
It sounds, you
know, impenetrable even.
00:47:24.41\00:47:27.18
But it's really quite simple.
00:47:27.48\00:47:29.21
Babylon, as a
symbolic name in Scripture...
00:47:29.91\00:47:33.28
And I don't have time
to explore and explain
00:47:33.31\00:47:37.19
where we get this from.
00:47:37.22\00:47:38.55
But Babylon
symbolically represents
00:47:38.59\00:47:41.39
corrupt religious authority,
corrupt religious powers.
00:47:42.02\00:47:47.63
Of course, it derives
from the tower of Babel.
00:47:48.30\00:47:51.23
It means, confusion.
00:47:51.27\00:47:52.77
And the book of Daniel opens
with the tale of two cities;
00:47:52.80\00:47:58.44
the contest between
Babylon, the city of confusion,
00:47:58.47\00:48:01.88
and Jerusalem,
the city of peace.
00:48:01.91\00:48:04.25
Light and dark, good and evil.
00:48:04.28\00:48:06.28
The great controversy
between Christ and Satan.
00:48:06.31\00:48:09.52
Babylon, the symbol
of corrupt religion.
00:48:09.55\00:48:13.56
"Babylon has
fallen, has fallen."
00:48:13.76\00:48:16.52
Why? How?
00:48:16.73\00:48:18.59
Because she made all
nations do something.
00:48:18.96\00:48:21.60
So we start to see a collusion
between church and state.
00:48:21.63\00:48:28.14
Babylon is no longer,
the church is no longer
00:48:28.70\00:48:31.67
operating under the unction
and power and inspiration
00:48:31.71\00:48:35.18
of the Holy Spirit.
00:48:35.21\00:48:36.54
She's in bed with the state.
00:48:36.58\00:48:39.95
Well that's what it says.
00:48:39.98\00:48:41.42
She commits fornication.
00:48:41.72\00:48:43.62
She's in an immoral,
intimate relationship
00:48:43.95\00:48:48.76
with the political powers.
00:48:49.02\00:48:51.46
Church and state
are in bed together.
00:48:51.69\00:48:54.23
Babylon is fallen
because she makes all nations
00:48:54.33\00:48:56.80
drink the wine of the
wrath of her fornication.
00:48:56.83\00:49:00.30
Well, wine in Scripture,
Jesus said you don't put
00:49:00.97\00:49:04.07
old wine into new wineskins.
00:49:04.17\00:49:06.94
Wine is a symbol of the
teachings of the church,
00:49:08.51\00:49:11.88
the doctrines of the church.
00:49:11.91\00:49:13.98
Well, whether those
doctrines are true or false,
00:49:14.22\00:49:17.65
in the context of this warning,
these doctrines are being
00:49:17.85\00:49:22.59
shoved down everybody's throat
through the power of the state.
00:49:22.62\00:49:26.36
And that's where
the wrath comes in.
00:49:26.39\00:49:29.03
The wrath of this relationship
between church and state
00:49:29.06\00:49:32.50
is the power of the
state to impose, to enforce,
00:49:32.53\00:49:36.74
the doctrines and the
teachings and the observances
00:49:36.77\00:49:39.64
of the church.
00:49:39.67\00:49:41.14
We've already seen that
it is not for civil authority
00:49:44.05\00:49:48.95
to be crossing that
line and meddling with
00:49:49.15\00:49:52.22
religious observances, is it.
00:49:52.42\00:49:54.69
We certainly don't want
our politicians telling us
00:49:55.26\00:49:58.56
which doctrines to believe
and which ones are out of line.
00:49:58.76\00:50:03.80
We see that throughout
many nations in this world.
00:50:03.83\00:50:07.80
You have religious
freedom in many nations:
00:50:08.20\00:50:11.37
you're free to believe
what the majority believes.
00:50:11.41\00:50:14.44
But if you believe something
different, you are oppressed.
00:50:14.78\00:50:18.65
You're not free to believe.
00:50:18.68\00:50:20.32
There are blasphemy laws.
00:50:20.35\00:50:22.08
There are innocents
languishing in prison.
00:50:22.12\00:50:25.15
And if they weren't in
prison charged with blasphemy,
00:50:25.19\00:50:28.49
if they were released,
they would be assassinated.
00:50:28.52\00:50:31.09
They would be killed.
00:50:31.13\00:50:32.46
There have been
leading politicians in Pakistan
00:50:32.79\00:50:35.63
assassinated for
opposing blasphemy laws.
00:50:35.66\00:50:38.77
And their murderers were
never brought to justice.
00:50:38.80\00:50:42.97
It is not for the state to say
that, "This is true religion."
00:50:44.04\00:50:49.11
And if you don't go
along with this religion,
00:50:49.54\00:50:52.08
you are to be
punished or even put to death.
00:50:52.11\00:50:55.15
But what we see in
the book of Revelation
00:50:56.12\00:51:00.12
is a warning that in the
last days these bright lines,
00:51:00.16\00:51:05.46
these distinctions between
civil and religious authority,
00:51:05.49\00:51:09.26
they will be blurred.
00:51:09.30\00:51:11.57
Church and
state in bed together.
00:51:12.07\00:51:15.34
And with it,
the loss of freedom.
00:51:15.74\00:51:18.47
So to those who
imagine that somehow a return
00:51:19.91\00:51:25.88
to a more biblically
faithful era where the state
00:51:25.91\00:51:31.49
is in service to the church,
that this would be a good thing
00:51:31.69\00:51:35.22
for America and would
bring the blessing of God,
00:51:35.26\00:51:38.19
the irony is,
the opposite is true.
00:51:38.69\00:51:42.16
When church and
state, when the church,
00:51:43.16\00:51:45.83
having lost the
power of the Holy Spirit,
00:51:46.03\00:51:49.54
hops in bed with the
state, that's when God will
00:51:49.74\00:51:52.94
execute judgment.
00:51:52.97\00:51:54.61
That's the warning that
we must faithfully give.
00:51:54.71\00:51:58.91
All those who read
and understand the book of
00:51:58.95\00:52:03.95
Revelation are to
proclaim this warning.
00:52:03.99\00:52:07.12
The judgment doesn't come except
that the warning is first given.
00:52:07.42\00:52:12.19
Right? That's what
we learn from Jonah.
00:52:12.23\00:52:14.80
Jonah... You remember Jonah.
00:52:15.83\00:52:19.27
Jonah delighted when
God told him that Nineveh
00:52:19.87\00:52:25.77
was finished and He
would execute judgment.
00:52:25.81\00:52:28.88
Forty days; judgment on Nineveh.
00:52:28.91\00:52:31.28
They were the
enemies of God's people.
00:52:31.31\00:52:33.62
But Jonah was worried that if
he went and gave this warning,
00:52:36.02\00:52:40.22
that they might
repent and not be judged
00:52:40.49\00:52:43.29
and not be destroyed.
00:52:43.32\00:52:44.79
And that's why he
wound up on that ship,
00:52:44.83\00:52:47.26
and ultimately would up
in a storm, and in the sea,
00:52:47.30\00:52:51.33
and in the
belly of the big fish,
00:52:51.37\00:52:53.37
and coughed up on dry land,
before he came to his senses
00:52:53.40\00:52:56.84
and said, "Okay God, I
guess I better go to Nineveh
00:52:56.87\00:52:59.91
and do what you told me to do."
00:52:59.94\00:53:01.58
And sure enough, Jonah
knew God only too well,
00:53:03.28\00:53:07.75
and his worst
fears were realized.
00:53:08.12\00:53:11.49
When he gave the
warning, Nineveh repented.
00:53:11.52\00:53:14.82
And they were spared.
00:53:15.22\00:53:16.56
And Jonah was so
depressed, wasn't he.
00:53:16.59\00:53:20.16
He just hated that.
00:53:21.13\00:53:23.13
The judgment will not come
except the warning is given.
00:53:24.00\00:53:30.64
Now I believe that God
has given to the church
00:53:31.64\00:53:37.51
ample power and authority
to accomplish the work of God.
00:53:37.61\00:53:44.32
The promises are there
in Scripture, aren't they.
00:53:44.72\00:53:47.66
God has given the
church ample power
00:53:48.46\00:53:51.86
in the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:53:51.89\00:53:54.00
We do not need to rely
on the power of the state.
00:53:54.23\00:53:58.83
But, you know,
there's something else here.
00:53:59.37\00:54:02.00
It's easy to look at the
moral and spiritual degradation
00:54:02.97\00:54:08.98
of society, and it's easy to
lay blame and to point fingers.
00:54:09.01\00:54:14.22
But, you know, Hollywood,
as immoral as it may be,
00:54:14.72\00:54:18.69
or the Madison Avenue,
the advertising that they
00:54:18.72\00:54:21.82
dish out, as immoral as
it may be, these institutions
00:54:21.86\00:54:26.76
are not responsible
for the moral and spiritual
00:54:26.80\00:54:30.90
health of society.
00:54:30.93\00:54:32.40
And, you know, they may be
irresponsible, but they're not
00:54:32.43\00:54:37.31
fundamentally charged
with the responsibility
00:54:37.34\00:54:41.98
to preserve the moral and
spiritual health of society.
00:54:42.01\00:54:45.65
But there is an institution
that God has ordained
00:54:45.68\00:54:51.39
to bless and to maintain the
spiritual health and well being
00:54:52.09\00:54:57.26
of society, right?
00:54:57.29\00:54:59.09
Isn't that the church?
00:54:59.29\00:55:01.13
So instead of pointing
fingers at the public schools,
00:55:01.60\00:55:05.57
the teachers, the politicians,
the Hollywood producers,
00:55:05.60\00:55:10.41
and looking at all
these other places and saying,
00:55:10.44\00:55:13.41
"Oh, the immorality.
Look what they're doing.
00:55:13.44\00:55:16.18
Look how our nation is
going to you know where
00:55:16.21\00:55:19.78
in a hand basket."
00:55:19.81\00:55:21.28
It's not their job to
build up the moral and spiritual
00:55:22.18\00:55:26.92
life of the nation.
00:55:26.96\00:55:28.32
And if there is a problem, and
I dare say we would all agree
00:55:28.36\00:55:33.33
that there is great
need for improvement
00:55:33.36\00:55:36.83
in the moral and
spiritual health of the nation,
00:55:36.87\00:55:39.37
well folks, we can look
no further than the doors
00:55:39.40\00:55:44.07
of the American church.
00:55:44.11\00:55:46.37
Because God has
ordained the church to be the
00:55:46.88\00:55:50.31
influence in society that builds
up the moral and spiritual
00:55:50.35\00:55:55.38
health of the nation.
00:55:55.42\00:55:57.15
So repentance
begins at the house of God.
00:55:57.95\00:56:02.56
We don't need the
power of the state.
00:56:02.86\00:56:05.39
We need the power of God.
00:56:06.39\00:56:08.56
America is at its most
Christian when we uphold these
00:56:09.66\00:56:16.60
bright line distinctions between
civil and religious authority,
00:56:16.64\00:56:21.21
when we uphold the
separation of church and state;
00:56:21.24\00:56:27.08
which is
fundamental to the preservation
00:56:27.12\00:56:31.15
of religious freedom.
00:56:31.19\00:56:32.75
You know, we saw the terror
attacks in France this week.
00:56:33.32\00:56:38.76
What a tragedy that was
played out finally today
00:56:39.13\00:56:42.26
with the death
of the terrorists.
00:56:42.30\00:56:47.94
A reminder of what a
free society is; that we have
00:56:49.67\00:56:53.71
free speech, we
have religious freedom.
00:56:53.74\00:56:56.44
Because the government is there
to protect everyone's right
00:56:56.71\00:57:01.48
to our own
beliefs, and to speak them
00:57:01.85\00:57:04.55
whether we
offend somebody or not.
00:57:04.59\00:57:06.89
We all have those rights.
00:57:07.02\00:57:08.99
And we have a prophetic duty
as a church to build up society
00:57:09.12\00:57:14.00
and to warn against
looking for false answers,
00:57:14.03\00:57:18.60
false solutions, to
moral and spiritual decline
00:57:18.63\00:57:22.17
by looking somehow to
the state and our politicians
00:57:22.37\00:57:26.61
to do what God has
called the church to do.
00:57:26.64\00:57:30.81