Jesus Skeptic - Jesus, You, and the Fight for Human Rights, Part 2

Nearly 250 years ago, Thomas Jefferson and the famous phrase we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created but where did that idea come from how is that idea birth and how did that idea launch a little-known group in America to fight slavery when the world was absolutely against them. Yesterday, thanks for listening to this edition of living only with children Living on the Edges and international discipleship ministry featuring the daily Bible so gratefully joined us as we continue our series Jesus skeptic taught by our guest speaker John Dickerson begins today where he left off last time discussing the ways Christians have fought for human rights throughout history will be all we enjoy today is out of their convictions that there's John as he would that men should do to you, do ye also to them. Likewise, the Quakers mantra we call it the Golden rule today in modern English. It sounds more like this. Do onto others as you would have them do to you or at an elementary level.

Treat others the way you want to be treated as their whole thesis and the Quaker Christians within the United States started this spread of people who could read the Bible for themselves.

Becoming convinced that even if I don't have slaves. I need to be an activist in ending slavery as a whole.

The Quaker Christians knew that the largest slave empire at that time was the British Empire is Britain, at that time controlled Australia, South Africa, colonies all around the world including parts of North America's of the Quakers started to create at great expense to themselves.

These propaganda coins, anti-slavery, propaganda, coins with Scripture on on the left you see a slave kneeling and he said am I not a man and a brother that is a Bible verse from the book of Philemon for 16 on the right side you see there Quaker mantra.

Whatever you would that men should do to you, do ye to them also. In fact, the Quakers sent so much literature and so many activists over to England and to the British territories to petition against slavery that we have a modern term that was coined by their huge propaganda push to end slavery and it's the term campaign. When someone campaigns for office or if you campaign for a cause that term was coined by the Quakers campaigning to end slavery hears that verse Philemon 116.

This is all the way back about 30 years after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven in the New Testament church New Testament church was this first ever in history were yet men and women worshiping openly together were you at all the different races in an incredibly racially divided world gathering together Paul the apostle would write things like here in the church. There is not male or female barbarian city and slave or free, but Christ is all and in all this was revolutionary 2000 years ago and within that context. Paul the apostle wrote to a man who had a slave who would become a Christian and he says that he is no longer slave to you is now a beloved brother, especially to me.

Now he will mean much more to you and I would keep taking care of him physically, but he's not your slave.

Now he's your brother.

He's a man made in the image of God and a brother in the Lord. These are the kind of passages. The Quaker Christians would quote will as the Quakers campaigned and sent their literature to the British Empire, a young man there named William Wilberforce, who had been fairly wealthy and a lawmaker and didn't really care about the cause to end slavery because he had constituents were making money off of it.

William Wilberforce became a born-again believer, a follower of Jesus, and it so changed him that he looked at the nation around him. He said people you can't call yourself a Christian, unless you're actually reading the words of Jesus and doing what he said and so he wrote a book called real Christianity in that book over about 30 years swayed the entire population there in England to overthrow slavery to make it illegal not only in England but in all of the British territories William Wilberforce after he became a believer in Jesus got exposed to that Quaker propaganda if you will be campaigning against slavery. Okay, so now slavery was outlawed in a good part of the world where the British Empire us, but here in the United States, it still exists where do about the 1800s, not in the 1800s. We know exactly who the people are who led the charge to end slavery. We know it because their publications and books still exist today. You go to university libraries and you can see original copies of these documents that I'm showing you. For example, the declaration of the anti-slavery convention. The group of thought leaders who gathered and said we are going to give our lives to end slavery is about 30 years before the Civil War, and we know everyone who signed this document because within it, they wrote, we know we might get killed for this we know it might cost us our fortunes in our homes but we are so convinced that this is God's will, and we fear God more than man that if we die as martyrs we die as martyrs were in an slavery in the land that we call home. We know exactly who signed it as their names are still on there and if you were to survey those names you'd find more than half that the majority say Rev. is were pastors. These were clergy who were riling up their entire congregations to say we must overthrow slavery. Now let me show you on this document just a little bit of the Scripture. If you look in the highlighting here everything that's highlighted there.

There are eight different Bible verses on the top half of the declaration to end slavery in the US. Their whole justification is from Scripture event even that picture in the middle is a mankind of strangling evil and under. It is this quote were Jesus said, my followers, you're going to go do greater things you're gonna tread the serpent underfoot. In other words, you can extinguish evil the serpents a picture of Satan and these abolitionists they saw it as a spiritual high calling as their eternal destiny to do the work of God on earth by extinguishing slavery.

The signers are a beautiful mix of European descended Caucasian Americans and African-American Americans who had been freed from slavery or who had bought their freedom, or who had been born in the north. One of those is the Rev. Theodore right here right been born in the North never was a slave himself born into an orphanage run by Quaker Christians. An orphanage that had a school so most African-Americans didn't know how to read, but because he been born into a Christian orphanage. She was taught to read became highly educated, Presbyterian, Rev., he's one of those many signers of that antislavery convention and what I document in the book Jesus, skeptic, and what you just need to know is if you go one by one through those signers and you read their own writing and you say were they motivated by Islam or by Karl Marx or by atheism or by Buddhism will find things like this from Theodore right blessed be God for the principles of the gospel. The gospel is essentially Jesus life and teaching were it not for these and for the fact that a better day is dawning. I would not wish to live, blessed be God for the anti-slavery movement. Blessed be God. There is a war waging slavery.

He said side-by-side with people like Elijah Lovejoy, Elijah Lovejoy was a pastor and a Rev. He was also a newspaper printer and writer and he would often write things like this. First Timothy one verse nine says in the Bible, we know that the law is made for lawbreakers and rebels. What are some categories of lawbreakers and rebels, slave traders and liars and so those are contrary to the gospel and Elijah Lovejoy as a pastor and writer would take passages like that and he would write books and pamphlets that would say you can't call yourself a God-fearing person and allow slavery will Elijah Lovejoy lived in St. Louis and so on one side of the river was slave territory and on his side was free territory is not uncommon that the proslavery rebels from the South would cross the river and burn down his house, which is also his publishing headquarters. They did this on three occasions and on the fourth, they brought a shotgun with the and a mob broke into his house. Of those who wanted slavery and they shot Elijah Lovejoy five times with the shotgun. They killed him. These followers of Jesus would go and paint towns with posters like these. I don't know what weakness may overcome but I don't believe I will ever deny my Lord, Master, Jesus Christ, and I would deny him if I denied my principles against slavery. They put up posters like this. What is life or rest to me. So long as I should hold a commission direct from God Almighty to act against slavery, the will that it took the will that it took in the motivation. I'm going to go through very quickly. A number of these leading books from the time that swayed the Northerners who were kind of complacent saying why don't have slaves. What is apt to do with me was books like this.

The Bible against slavery or the testimony of God against slavery, or an anti-slavery manual and examination in the light of the Bible and of facts into the moral and social wrongs of American slavery with a remedy for the evil that's written by a Pastor John fee John Rankin started as a pastor in Kentucky. He got up in front of his church and he said slavery is evil. You will need to set your slaves free and they ran him out of town and want to do what Jesus said was one of those quote churches quote Christians who were actually following Jesus. So the Rev. Rankin sold everything he had in Kentucky. He moved to the other side of the Ohio River and on Ohio. Slavery was illegal so John Rankin bought a house. This is how you can go visit it today in Ripley, Ohio, and you can look out his window and that's the Ohio River and what John Rankin would do is what's called the Underground Railroad. These safe houses that escaping slaves could stay in his house was the first safe house north of the Ohio River and there are dozens of true stories of him looking out that window in the winter months when the river was iced over, and slaves with children barefoot are running across the river and you grab that lantern that you see there and he would run down and he would bring them to his home he would clothe them and he would feed them because he believed in a God who said all people are made equal in whatever you've done for those who are the most hurting. You've done unto me. Tubman, who well documented as a great hero of the face who not only escape slavery but then risked her life to keep going back in and leading others are very final words documented in her official obituary. Are these give my love to all the churches because these churches.

The good churches were so interwoven with this cost. I go to prepare a place for you. She said it where I am.

You may also be you know your Bible she's quoting Jesus. This is a quote of Jesus and how beautiful to know that Harriet Tubman and all of these heroes of the faith were going to get to meet in the kingdom of heaven. For those of us who follow Jesus. Frederick Douglass another well documented hero who also escaped from slavery bought his freedom, but then went back to help others, traveled around the northern states as a lecturer and an author turning the national will against slavery is a passage in his book, his autobiography, where he describes his conversion at about age 11. He was hearing the good news of Jesus preached and he decided to believe in Jesus for himself and after he became a Christian and in the South.

He saw these people who claim to be Christians. He wrote this between the Christianity of this land is people would justify slavery for their income. But don't actually read the Bible and the Christianity of Christ. I recognize the widest possible difference and you think that that would turn him away from being a Christian at all, but quite the opposite. He said no I'm a true Christian. I am one who actually follows Jesus and in his autobiography when he describes his moment of conversion. He talks about this old man who was there who prayed with him in the good old man had told me that the Lord had great work for me to do so and Frederick Douglass would be showing up in a lecture hall and there was word that hey, there's proslavery rebels coming there to try to attack you. He had this fire inside him because of his own free will and personality and the great hero he has, but also because he believed in a God who would call them to an eternal work. He says of the moment right after he was converted. I saw the world in a new light. Light of the world and my great concern was to have everybody convert by God's grace. These righteous followers of Jesus, and thousands of others prevailed in the US Civil War and extinguished at least the open legalize slavery. The beginning of a journey that continues of true equality in our land journey to buy will pry not be fully complete until Christ returns.

But here's yours I want you to zoom out. I know as Americans we get really caught up on America after the Civil War in 1890 the wealthiest nations in the world whose that the US, Britain, France, mostly Western Europe. They gathered in Brussels to sign the 1890 Brussels act.

So the first time in all of human history. Thousands of years. So the only time that the wealthiest nations gathered together and they said we declare slavery illegal, and evil, and we will not conduct trade. We will not do business with any country that allows open and legalize slavery is as a result of that that many other nations who were dragging their feet on slavery were more or less forced to come around and what you can do is you can look at those nations. In 1890 who signed that act and you can look at their populations how Christian, were they in their all over 70% Christian nations Russia at the time.

This is before the Bolshevik revolution and on get into history here. Forgive me.

Russia was an Orthodox Christian nation at the time the Western European nations.

They were perfect. They were messed up, but they were trying to do what Jesus said and they overthrew slavery.

That's why we been born into a world this is even 200 years old, where slavery is assumed to be an evil.

And of course the fight for true human rights continues in modern history with people like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. a Baptist pastor seminary graduate who you can go online and you can listen to his speeches and what you'll find is you listen to them is that the majority of them are servants that the majority of them were delivered in churches on Sunday mornings. He said things like this. I wanted to be known throughout Montgomery and throughout this nation that we are Christian people. We believe the Christian religion of the entire logic and philosophy of him giving his life in uncomfortable ways.

Being willing to die as a martyr if necessary.

He said this, if we are wrong and Jesus of Nazareth was merely a utopian dreamer that never came down to if we are wrong, justice is a lie and love has no meaning but you don't hear from me as some kind of assumption that everyone whose claim to be a Christian is perfect or not. I'm not were not, but we got zoom out to realize only one time in all the thousands of years of history is slavery been completely made illegal and overthrow and then spread globally and happen one time and we know the people who lead the charge and we can read their motivations for ourselves and it's not atheism or Karl Marx or Buddhism, or these other thought systems that I'm not here to attack them, but you're just not gonna find that in the logic of the people who lead this charge.

Jesus followers. Those who truly have read his words and said will do what he says, no matter the cost. Doorknocking unpack all this, but I was want to talk about our world today. How are women's rights in the world today and I can open this wide open. We got a long ways to go on all these things, who were born into a world that's corrupted by sin and evil human nature is been corrupted. Jesus is the only one who can change people's very nature so women's rights in the world today aren't where they need to be, but the world economic forum has ranked countries by their women's rights and I've got the list for you here so I can put this together. This is from the world economic forum and then what I did is I look at those countries and I went to the pew research Center which we've talked about a non-Christian group that tells you here's how many people are Christians in each of these countries and I put those lists together and I found it in the top 10 nations for women's rights.

Today, the average population is 75% Christian. Now I just want to show you the other end of the list.

Here are the 10 worst nations for women's rights in the world today, Yemen, Pakistan, Syria. These are societies that exist today or if a woman goes outside without her head covered she gets beaten with a wet worship not allowed to drive a car she's not allowed to have an education. She's not allowed to vote where women are still sold in marriages where deals are still made was low, you have enough money to pay, then I'll take your sister as payment, and these are nations, societies were Christianity is not allowed and that is present but it's also if you were to trace back in these top 10 in Lois 10 nations. You can trace back 500 years you'll see Christianity as a major influence in the top 10 and is a total lack of influence in the bottom 10. The point is this Jesus followers, though imperfect, as they have followed him have become a light in the world in a way that nothing else in history ever has in the bottom line is this if you really want to make the world a better place will say we do if you really want to make the world a better place than why not join the movement that has a irrefutable track record of these huge breakthroughs in society back 2000 years ago. John, the disciple wrote this about Jesus. In him was life and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome the true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world and though the world was made through him, he is the creator world did not recognize my question for you today.

Have you recognized Jesus as the light of the world. If you recognize him if he invited him to extinguish any darkness or evil within you within your family and then once you have will you join us as a movement that says will be sincere followers of Jesus Morgan a live under a God who is just who is made all people are listening to living on the shipping.

John Dickerson has been our guest teacher for this program. Jesus you in the fight for human rights just from his series, Jesus skeptic woodchip and John will join us in just a minute to share some application for this message. If someone were to ask you how you know Jesus actually lived or can we really trust the Bible, what would you say in this new series pastor and journalist John Dickerson answers those questions using evidence from multiple reliable sources in the well documented impact of Jesus followers throughout history jungles are credible case for the Christian faith or hope is that this series will help you confidently say Jesus is real. The Bible is true and I can prove it. For more information about Jesus skeptic go to LivingontheEdge.org or the chipping roadmap or call AAA 333-6003 woodchip joins me in studio now and Chip.

I'm sure we all know someone who's skeptical, or even a bit hostile towards Christianity and the claims of the Bible, how can the series and especially John's book help us better defend our faith will Dave John comes from a background actually where I was a very religious background and and pretty rigid in some ways and he actually went through his own season.

I don't know if I can believe all this and he happens to be very smart decided to take up a life as a journalist and actually won the Brokaw award very prestigious of the top investigative journalist in America and it was on that journey that John decided I'm not gonna take other people's word for things and so first-hand research is he doesn't look at the quotes in the back of books he goes and reads the very first-hand research or he goes to the actual places and so I found this young friend who is a millennial who was very, very smart, who done a lot of research and what I realized was as I listen to the world that I'm in and II go to church with a lot of very very young people and and I see their worldview. I recognized John basically is speaking their language and answering the questions that they have in some of our history is just completely buried or part of what the Bible says has been really, what can I say is been tilted in ways and bent and ways to make it sound very ugly and very unlike Jesus and so my heart's desire was that people would get to know someone who is smart, whose academic who's an absolutely committed Christian who did the first-hand research and I will guarantee this. This is the kind of book that you need to sit down with the younger people in your life. Read together and have a discussion and I think all parties concerned, young and old, will have a number of aha moments and realize the power of love and truth and justice and compassion that we take for granted that were all birthed out of a Christian framework and worldview so very very excited about people listening to the series and I can't imagine not buying this book. It is a great work, but strip will to order your copy of Jesus skeptic visit LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003. Through this book. John reveals the convincing evidence for Jesus and opens our eyes to the tremendous influence Christianity as head on history so the get your hands on Jesus skeptic by John Dickerson go to LivingontheEdge.org or call AAA 333-6003 hapless nurse Special offers or that here's Chip and John to share some application from today's message. Thanks so much Dave. Well John, I'm grateful to have you back again with me in studio today. Today you wrapped up your talk on the inequality and unfairness and injustice that we've seen in history and health followers of Christ have responded to it. Could you fast-forward to today.

What wisdom would you give to us right now in terms of being that kind of witness in dealing with issues of injustice or in equity, and in fact, where do you see Christians making a positive impact. Today, the way they did in the past. Thanks Chip that's such a great question and then the reality is I see Christians today fighting injustice all around the world. If you were to travel to Cambodia and Thailand countries where human slavery and sex trafficking is still sadly rampant and regular and if you were to visit the groups that are there ending modern-day slavery and sex trafficking you would find one after another, that there followers of Jesus and this is true also of hospitals and orphanages that are founded in pioneering areas like Africa on rural parts of South America on medical boats that go up and down the Amazon River.

The reality is followers of Jesus continue doing this today.

However, those of us in America who may be are called to go directly to Cambodia or Thailand or to the Amazon River.

How do we be part of that how we be part of that is we run God's play God's way. Jesus said, go and make disciples, baptizing them, and then teaching them to obey all these things when we share Jesus with others and other people repent and believe God then transforms their heart and is we disciple them to know the truth that sets them free.

God calls them to go and set other captives free and so the best thing you can do as a follower of Jesus is be part of a vibrant local church, a body of believers where Jesus is the head where his word is taught, where his spirit is alive and working and be there and serve and give and be part of a disciple making movement because as you do that God will send out from your church missionaries who will go to Cambodia are Thailand or to the Amazon River and who will also set captives free spiritually and even literally a right here in the US. So how do we do it we run God's play God's way, trusting that when we do that he will bring about the results of freedom. Great application. John thanks will as we wrap up I want to thank those of you who make this program possible through your generous financial support. Your gifts help us create programs purchase airtime and develop additional resources to help Christians live like Christians. If you've been blessed by the ministry of Living on the Edge.

Would you consider sending a gift today. Call us at AAA 333-6003 or go to LivingontheEdge.org app listeners stepped only selects time. This is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge