My Sunday day message is designed to bring the mind, will, and heart of God to the center of USAmerican life and politic. From my perspective culture isn’t always neutral. Culture may or may not please the Lord. For some time I have been giving thought to understanding culture and how to christianize culture.
Today, let’s simply start by asking God, once again, “Lord, what pleases you?”
In Times Like These: Please the Lord
The United States of America is a democratic and constitutional republic.
In short, democratic includes the rule of the majority, constitutional suggests that the rule of the majority is limited by the Constitution, and republic means that representatives of the people have the responsibility of leadership.
Ephesians 5:10 commands us to “find out what pleases the Lord.”
For all of this to work powerfully together…
1. The majority of those who vote must have a deep desire to please the Lord.
2. The constitution must be interpreted through the lens of “What pleases the Lord?”
3. The elected representatives must also have a total commitment to that which pleases the Lord.
Unfortunately, our democratic and constitutional republic has become “find out what pleases the voter.”
A lord is “a person exercising absolute ownership rights.” Who is the One who exercises absolute ownership rights in the nations of earth? God! Psalm 24:1, 2
Therefore, the question in all matters of national (and personal) importance is, “What pleases the Lord?” Hidden between the lines of this verse is the notion that one already knows what fully displeases the Lord.
Displeases the Lord Rom. 1:18, 19 Pleases the Lord Eph. 5:10
1. Disregard for God and the Bible. 1. God and the Bible are above and in all.
2. Shedding of innocent blood. 2. Righteousness
(Proverbs 6:16-19)
Our secondary text, Proverbs 14:34, reveals that national greatness is not anchored in the economy, military might, influence, population, education systems, or popularity, but true national greatness is founded upon righteousness.
Righteousness lifts one nation (person) higher than other nations. Righteousness lifts up. Sin lowers one nation (person) lower than other nations. Sinfulness brings down.
This week’s assignment is for each of us to honestly evaluate the candidates, judges, and ballot measures and, should you feel that voting pleases the Lord, vote according to your conscience.
MCA Church LIFE Groups
Connecting with One Another
1. Are you making any special plans for the upcoming Thanksgiving Day holiday?
2. Are you especially thankful for something or someone today?
Digging Deeper into the Weekend Lesson
We are investigating the morality, righteousness, and godliness required to fulfill Ephesians 5:10, “and find out what pleases the Lord.”
1. Pastor Kent explained that there are many things in life that receive the wrath of God. Do you see any of these in our world of today? Romans 1
a. Suppress the truth by wickedness. 1:18
b. Know God but don’t glorify him. 1:21
c. Exchange the glory of God for images. 1:23
d. In the sinful desires of their hearts they live in sexual impurity. 1:24
e. Exchange the truth of God for a lie and worship created things. 1:25
f. Live in shameful lusts. 1:26
g. Live with unnatural sexual relations. 1:26
h. Do what ought not to be done. 1:28
i. Filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. 1:29
j. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. 1:29
k. They are gossips, slanderers, God haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil, they disobey their parents, they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 1:31
l. They know it is wrong, but they continue to do these things and approve of those who practice them. 1:32
2. Based upon this Romans 1 list, do you see the possibility that the United States may be a candidate for God’s wrath?
3. In light of this, what do you see in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that would please the Lord?
4. Psalm 15 includes a list of twelve things that please the Lord. Read them and consider how well you are doing on each one and how well our nation is doing.
Prayer
1. Please pray 2 Chronicles 7:14 for our land.
2. Please pray MCA Church to please the Lord.
3. Please pray for your own life to please the Lord.