A house divided!
9/12/2021
Are we a house divided?
Luke 11:17 (NIV)
17Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.
It looks that way
Satan and his crew are doing a good job of dividing God’s house! And it is only getting worse.
It all started to really manifest itself during the 2016 election.
· He has perfected the use of misinformation and division to divide God’s people!
· Trump vs?? (Take your pick)
o You either can’t be a follower and vote for him
o Or if you don’t vote for him, you don’t have faith in Jesus!
· Black Vs white
o If you are white, you're wrong
o If you're black you're a victim
o If you're Asian, you’re a target
o And if you don’t subscribe to this and preach it from the pulpit, you’re a racist
· Pandemic (real or not)
o It’s just the flu
o Or it will kill us all
o It's a government conspiracy
o Or a China weapon
o And no matter what side you’re on someone will tell you you’re wrong
· Mask
o Wear one and you have no faith in Jesus
o Don’t wear one you don’t love your neighbor
· Vaccine
o Get it and you don’t have faith that God will protect you
o Don’t get it and you are a heathen that cares for only yourself
And the list just keeps growing!
God's house is more divided than I have ever seen in my 57 years of existence
1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV)
10I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.
· And it is just getting worse
· We have lost people in this church because of our mask policy
· Because of us not preaching racial equality from the pulpit or the lack thereof
· Over vaccines
· And our lack of political statements
· Or because of where I stand on the state of the church and its lack of BACKBONE to stand for what we believe and to protect God's people!
· I have seen churches close over splits because we are listening to sound bites and gathering facts
· And the madness has to stop!!
Weak men
Matthew 12:29 (NIV)
29“Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
· We are a society of weak men, and we are getting plundered
· Our house is overrun with the thief
· And that thief has come for more than the big screen
o He has come for a generation of weak-minded, and weak convictions
o We are raising an even weaker generation
o And unless we stop it right here and right now the future of God's house and the future of God's children will be full of suffering
We need to grow hard men!
“Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.”
· One of our biggest issues in the church today is weak men
· The problem that the church is having today has been created by weak men
o Unwilling to lead
o Unwilling to protect
o Unwilling to follow Jesus as the head of the church
· Men that have not taken charge, who were never raised to take charge
· We have a generation of boys who can shave
God designed men to lead
· Men are supposed to be gentle and loving in the home
o And a lion that protects it from the harsh world we live in
· Men are also supposed to lovingly lead the body of Christ
o And protect it from the outside world
· Men were never designed to be sheep
o We were designed by all mighty God to be lions, sheepdogs, that are ready to defend when called upon or the necessity arises!
The church is under attack!
· It has been a slow fade that has snowballed
· From not praying in school, to having every activity under the sun on Wednesday and Sunday
· To the forced closing of the church during the pandemic
· The burning of churches in Canada
· Mass shooting at church services
o Churches are now having to hire and train security personnel (Photo)
· Christians are now listed as oppressors and racists by universities across the country
· Outdoor worship services are being violently protested
o Flash grenades were thrown at a playground full of kids
o Pastors being tased and pepper-sprayed
o People being beaten and diaper bags stolen
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
It’s time to turn some cheeks and flip some tables!
Turn some cheeks!
Matthew 5:38–39 (NIV)
38“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’
39But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
· It’s time to stop taking a stand for politics
· And it’s time for us to turn the other cheek
· It’s time to stop looking at your brothers and sisters as democrat or republican
· And start seeing them as people with different opinions
· It’s time for us to stop talking about politics, and pandemics
o I don’t care who you vote for
o I don’t care if you wear a mask or don’t
o I don’t care if you're vaccinated or not
· It’s time to start talking about the love of our Father
o Our common mission
o And our common goals
o Start focusing on eternity
· Feeling have been hurt
· Lines have been drawn
· And it’s time for us to stop drawing lines and start crossing them for Jesus!
Matthew 5:2–12 (NIV)
2and he began to teach them. He said:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
· Jesus was not about politics
· He doesn’t care if you wear a mask or don’t
· He doesn’t care if you're vaccinated or not
· America is not our final destination
· Let’s stop acting like it is
Let’s flip some tables!
Matthew 21:12–13 (NIV)
12Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.
13“It is written,” he said to them, “ ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”
· The only time Jesus got angry is when the world invaded the church
· And the world has once again invaded the church
· And it is time for the church to take a stand
o It is time for the church to let the world know we want to live in harmony with everyone
o But we will defend God’s people
o God’s house
o And the right to worship in it
· Too many weak leaders have stood by and allowed this to happen
· And it is going to take us taking a stand to protect against the wolves that are scratching at the door!
It’s time for the shepherds to start acting like protectors of the flock
· We are to love everyone as much as possible
· We are to preach the gospel
· We are to love on the family, the body of Christ
· But we are also called to defend it when necessary
· And that time is now!
Weak men are hiding behind the bible
· It’s true that one of Jesus' greatest traits was loving people
· He also rebuked
· Was honest about sin
· Held people accountable
· And when necessary, He defended and protected His flock
We have a myth in the American Evangelical Church today that to love people means to be a doormat, to allow folks to do whatever they please, that there is no accountability! Nothing could be further from the truth; Jesus turned the other cheek, but he also flipped some tables. We can do both, we can love a world starving for something different, and still defend our right and safety to worship God!
Some have said I am asking for a fight, that I am calling the predators to the door. No, the predators are already here! I am just the sheepdog standing on the porch, staring down the wolves, saying not this house!!!
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