The Demands of Christian Citizenship | Part 2

What is our liberty as a nation have to do with her characters, people listen to Adrian Rogers the liberty that we have as a nation is in direct proportion to our care and his character diminishes government grow and the government. My dear friend, was meant only certain thing allies with the right is our Constitution. They were that the government was to promote the general welfare provide for the common defense, they were not provide the general welfare, they were to promote government by dear friend is a watchdog to be fed knockout of the mill and we're going and further away from the liberties that we had gained character that brought this nation into existence. To begin with the word featuring truth simply stated, Adrian Rogers Christian is a citizen of this world and the world above. In part one of today's message we began to learn some of our expectations as Christian citizens, we must first be absolutely and totally clean. We must live such godly lives that even those that hate will have to admit that there's a difference. If you have your Bible turn to first Peter chapter 2 will begin in verse 11 as Adrian Rogers reveals more of the demands of Christian citizenship. Now there are several things I want you to see. First of all I want you to see the character character Christian citizenship demands find that in verses 11 and 12 dearly beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

First of all you are to live a righteous godly life, there is to be in your heart and in your life, not what the Bible calls fleshly lust, a child of God, to be pure and clean as the driven snow there certain things that war against the soul and the word war is not the idea of hand-to-hand combat.

The word war here is the word that speaks of a strategy of a conspiracy.

There is a conspiracy born in Hill my dear friend that wars against your soul. The soul of your family, the soul of your church, the soul of this nation. We are at war with unseen forces from the very pit of hell. There is a and to be prepared for the battle. First of all, you must be absolutely totally clean. You must renounce abstain from everything that is right wrong and then what you must do is him brace everything that is right look in verse 12, having a conversation.

That means your behavior honest among the Gentiles the word Gentile speaks of those that are not saved, that whereas they speak against you as evildoers and they will love to badmouth the church and specially if your Bible believer. All they love to excoriate in the lampoon to ridicule you with. They speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold glorify God in the day of inspection of visitation. What that literally means is you're going to have to live such a pure, godly clean, righteous, honest, forthright life that even grudgingly, even grudgingly, those that hate you will have to admit that there is a difference.

Let me talk to you about this character for just a moment the character our nation is a nation that exists because of the character of her people the liberty that we have as a nation is in direct proportion to our character and as we lose our character we lose our liberty as night follows day on nation like an individual cannot be irresponsible and remain free and I want to listen this in 1780 James Madison was the chief framer and architect of the federal Constitution and also the fourth president of the United States at this. I want to listen. This is not the rantings of the babblings of a Baptist preacher. This is James Madison. I want to is what he said and I quote we have stayed the whole future of the American civilization.

Let me just pause right then say he's talking about everything from we have staked the whole future of the American revolution the American government.

The American civilization. We we put everything on this one thing when what is going say this is the man that was the chief architect of cost of peace and rest.

Honest, I listen to.

We have state the whole future of the American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have state the future upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the 10 Commandments which 10 commandments my dear friend you cannot even post in the classroom of American schools today.

My different how foolish we are to forget this book. No wonder in his inaugural address on April 30, 1789. Washington said my fervent supplications to that almighty being who rules over the universe who presides in the Council of nations and whose providential eggs can supply every human defect that his benediction. That means his blessing may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes. We ought to be no less persuaded all listen to this, my friend. We are to be no less persuaded. Here's George Washington we are to be no less persuaded that the probe picture smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rule of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.

Washington said you can have a smile of God and fail and you cannot succeed without the smile of God and the smile of God comes.

He says if you do not disregard the eternal rule of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained what to say. George Washington said there is a right and there's a wrong they say no values that were we going to get those lines all the educators stand up and say we need values. The politicians stand up and say we need values whose values are no right or wrong way to get values from the homosexual lobby, but we had to get values from television in Hollywood values from the humanist and the atheist values from the civil libertarians are ACLU wearing a Ninevites your ideas as good as mine.

Unless we have extended a right and wrong in my dear friend.

Our founding fathers believed we had in the word of God Abraham Lincoln.

This was his farewell address. Abraham Lincoln said 1861, unless the great God, who assisted Washington shall be with me and made me I must fail, but if the same omniscient mind and mighty are the direct and protected him shall guide me and support me, I shall not fail. Let us all pray that the God of our fathers may not forsake us. Now go to read that the Supreme Court in regards to this great book.

I have this what to say this is Abraham Lincoln he's talking about the Bible in regards to this great book, the Bible. He said I have this, but to say it is the best gift God has given to man, all the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book, but for it, we will not know right from wrong that my friend is what Abraham Lincoln said, apart from the Bible, you won't know and I will know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and hereafter to be found portrayed in it in 1913, Pres. Woodrow Wilson said all America was born to exemplify the devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived by the holy Scriptures in March 1931, the United States Congress adopted the Star-Spangled Banner as our national anthem and the fourth stanza says praise the power that has made and preserved a summation then conquer we must win our because it is just and this be our motto in God is our trust on what the ACLU would've said if Congress tried to do that today.

1952 US Supreme Court Justice William O.

Douglas said and I quote, we are a religious people and our institutions presuppose a supreme being.

In 1954, Congress adopted the phrase under God to be added to the pledge of the of allegiance one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all and in July 1956 by joint resolution, Congress adopted a bill providing that the national motto United States of America. Is this in God we trust one what would happen in the school today if someone were to take a dollar bill and hold it up and send read it in God we trust reoccurrence. I say, what would that be a prayer is an incredible thing when I so will you know if you pray in school, you may.

You may call someone's feelings to be heard friend Christian kids having their feelings hurt everyday everyday. The First Amendment is not there to protect you from having your feelings hurt God's name can be blasphemed would come to place an hour's name cannot be praise our national anthem and him both speak the power of God in this land. I love America, that wonderful piece of music says our fathers, God, to the author of liberty to the way saying I wonder if you cannot saying that song in school anymore.

You're singing a prayer you're singing a prayer, our fathers, God, the way saying Long real lame Brian with freedom slowly lie Pro-Tech just by the time I grade God our King is that Americans don't have a king. Oh yes they do. You did go to menu candle he met grade God our King saying you see the convoluted men come to bring that these intellectual hi Mike. In the months have gotten us into those who would rob us and defraud us and take away our Christian heritage, but I want to tell you that this land was built by people with character, and it will only be maintained by people with character and his character diminishes government grow and the government. My different was meant only do certain things tell lies with the right is our Constitution.

They wrote that the government was to promote the general welfare provide for the common defense, they were not provide the general welfare, they were to promote that give us the land where men can do business provide the common defense, you and I can raise an army nor should we go around killing people. Government by dear friend is a watchdog to be fed not a cow to be milled will fail to understand that and we're going further and further away from the liberties that we had that we gain when we had the character that brought this nation into existence. To begin with not talking here about the character that Christian citizenship demands. That's first Peter chapter 2 verses 11 and 12. Secondly, I want you to see not only the character of the Christian citizenship demands, but I want you to see the compliance that Christian citizenship demands look in verses 13 and 14, submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord say whether it be to the King as supreme or under governors is under them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of them to do well. A person was a God-fearing American is going to be a law-abiding American. He's going to submit himself to every ordinance of man for the Lord say to the laws he likes into the laws he does not like and he as we going to see is going to learn how to honor and pray for his government. Whatever his government may be you say what I can do that if I had a good government but I don't know what your Republican Democratic independent, but I will tell you this, my dear friend. The Bible teaches that if there is in you a spirit of rebellion. The spirit of Satan is in you.

If there is in you a spirit of submission.

The spirit of Jesus is in you now that brings a real problem because what about weekend rulers well when he wrote this Nero was most likely the Emperor and is never minimal wicked ruler than this Nero once and yet he says that you to submit everyone a Samantha Lord say was all this mean well, it means in every law that does not contradict the law of God to be submissive. There is a higher power and if the laws of man contradict absolutely contradict the law of God, then you must do what the apostles did in acts chapter 5 when they look to those who commanded them no longer to preach and they said to them, we ought to obey God rather than man, someone would tell me Adrian you can preach anymore.

It's against the law. I have to still preach, even if I went to jail. If someone tells you that you have to do certain things that I absolutely contradistinction to the will and the plan of God then you have to go with God. The midwives in the little babies in the days of Moses and they should jock a bed did little baby Moses and the bulrushes was she breaking the law. She was, but not the law of God. Daniel prayed when the king forbade prayer. Yet Daniel prayed and got in trouble but on other matters. Daniel was an exemplary Christian and there was nothing to be said against Daniel, except when Daniel was commanded to contravene and contradict the law of God, my dear friend, a Christian is to have character and you have compliance and he is told to every rule of man will say look at us as renegades and lawbreakers. They often look at us as the best and most productive citizens in this land. The third and final thing I will say this speech not only of character and compliance, but it finally speaks of conduct. Look, if you will, in verse 17 honor all men love the brotherhood, fear God and honor the King and one sentence by divine inspiration of the conduct of the Christian citizen. First of all, he says honor all men do you see that look in verse 17 the word honor is a Greek word which means to give more to the idea of something being precious.

You see, every man, woman, boy and girl in the face of this earth as precious in the sight of God. Honor all man. Every person is intrinsically precious and the Christian citizen will see him that way and if there is in you, my dear friend racial prejudice or if there is a new racial pride, or if there are people in this world that you do not see as precious. You do not understand the demands of Christian citizenship.

There is this command in your social life, and says red and yellow, black and white their precious in his sight. Honor all men that's your social life and my dear friend. Then I want you to look in your church life. Look in verse 17 he says love the brotherhood love the brotherhood what you talking about now.

He says the brotherhood based on the church would honor all men but all men are not our brothers. Don't let anybody pummel on you the universal following God's universal brotherhood of man, because premise is not true. God is the father of those of been born into this family through a new birth and brothers and sisters in Christ are brothers and sisters because they are in Christ you say will God made everybody that makes us all children of God know when all children of God, will creatures of God. God made rats, roaches, buzzards and rattlesnakes either create or not the fault listen my different God becomes the father, God becomes the father of those of been born again.

And when God becomes our father, we become brothers and he says here we are.

The brotherhood and the Lord uses for love here is the word agape love you want to be a good citizen. It will be a good Christian. My dear friend you love the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to tell you with all of the unction function, emotional mice, so the answer to America's problems are not in the White House, not in the Pentagon and not in the capital of the statehouse or even in the schoolhouse church. God says it might be called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Listen in our social life honor all men in our church life. Love the brotherhood in our spiritual life. Look at it.

Fear God fear God in America today. There is no fear of God are situational comedies are standup comics today take great delight in lampooning holy thing you show me what a nation last sat and what a nation weeps over and I'll tell you the spiritual condition of that nation. We have a nation today and it frightens me. There is no fear of God.

People laugh and mock at holy things and, sir, you can laugh your way in hell that you will laugh your way out.

Once you get dear God, fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom in our social life honor all men in our church life.

Love the brotherhood in our spiritual life. And in our political life. Honor the king honor the king. That's what he says right here in verse 17 honor the king whether the president by the governor. Whatever I was praying for a politician the other day I said, Lord, you know I don't like. I just don't like my Lord, I give them on and I pray for him and I believe that we would criticize less and pray more. God may change some of these people.

The Bible says the king's heart is in the hand is already transit with the server you will, but my dear friend, you can honor them without venerating them or even liking the wheel hard to be good citizens in this land and that speaks my friend from our character are compliance cannot conduct and may it be so. I'm only one, but I am one. I can do everything that I can do something.

What I can do what I want to do that by the grace of God I will my different list have revival in America.

God help us to be Christian citizens father stir a heart cycling Lord deliver us from both apathy and ignorance. In Jesus name. What a powerful message for us today. Will you join us in praying that our hearts would be stirred.

We pray with us that the Lord would deliver us from apathy and ignorance and love worth finding. We are proud to come alongside you, and pray with you if you can go to our website homepage@lwf.org/radio and scroll down to our prayer wall. There you'll find the option to either submit a prayer request or pray for others. This is one of her favorite ways to keep the ministry in the community praying continually for one another's needs. Let us hear from you today again go to LWF.org/radio and scroll down to our prayer wall if you like to order a copy of today's message. You can call us at 1877 love God mentioned the title of today's message. The demands of Christian citizenship. You can also order online it LWF.org/radio or write us at love worth finding box 38, 600 Memphis, TN 38183 you meet the demands of Christian citizenship. Prayerfully consider your character compliance and contact thanks for studying God's word with the state. Join us next time more timeless truth from Adrian Rogers on love worth buying. It was a pastor, teacher and author Adrian Rogers two great passions. He loved introducing people saving knowledge of and he loved encouraging believers toward deep abiding love for God's word taught the Christians were saturated in Scripture are unstopped. That's why we are so excited to announce this summer. Adrian Rogers legacy Bibles are stock featuring large print in red lettering. This new King James version of the Bible includes sermon notes and treasures from Leavenworth finding archives as well as Adrian's quips and quotes from Pastor Rogers. People love to purchase your legacy Bible right now: 1877 love God.

1-877-568-3463 or you can purchase it online. It LWF.org/radio