This Isn’t a Political Thing, It’s a Biblical Thing!
One Hit Wonder • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 5 viewsWith the House passing The Equality Act this past week, I believe the Holy Spirit is leading our church to respond in three ways: accept the scripture, maintain Christlike love, and engage in the political sphere.
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
27 All nations will remember the Lord. From every part of the world they will turn to him; all races will worship him. 28 The Lord is king, and he rules the nations.
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Last week, I visited my best friend from Bible College...
Greg Walker
Greg Walker
Greg pastors a church about 30 miles outside of DC in Maryland.
Briefly talk about my relationship with Greg and some of the crazy things we have done together.
Of course, it’s always great to see the Capital when I am out there!
However, this year, things were quite different with all the shutdowns due to Covid.
Even worse, it was pretty sad to see the barbed-wire fences and machine-gun carrying solders around the Capital Building.
But the real state of our country’s moral decay was demonstrated this past week when the House passed...
THE EQUALITY ACT
THE EQUALITY ACT
This morning’s message didn’t turn out the way I had intended!
Talk about how i had prepared an entirely different message for today until I saw the news and the Holy Spirit led me in a new direction.
The Equality Act amends federal civil rights laws to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity across a broad range of categories.
While this might sound noble, “Regrettably, the Equality Act as currently drafted undermines the equality of religious people, undercutting our ability to act consistently with our sincerely held beliefs, including beliefs regarding the sanctity of life.”
https://news.ag.org/News/A%20Call%20to%20Action%20on%20the%20Equality%20Act
In case you are unfamiliar with the Bill, Dr. of Psychology, Susan Berry wrote an article...
7 RADICAL DEMANDS OF THE EQUALITY ACT
7 RADICAL DEMANDS OF THE EQUALITY ACT
In it, she begins by revealing...
1. The bill would end the federal legal recognition of complementary male and female sex in favor gender identity.
1. The bill would end the federal legal recognition of complementary male and female sex in favor gender identity.
2. The bill would eliminate the traditional right to privacy of women and girls in public facilities, in favor, instead, of gender identity.
2. The bill would eliminate the traditional right to privacy of women and girls in public facilities, in favor, instead, of gender identity.
3. The Equality Act would eviscerate women’s and girls’ sports.
3. The Equality Act would eviscerate women’s and girls’ sports.
4. The Equality Act would be used to mandate school curricula that affirm and promote sexual orientation and gender identity views.
4. The Equality Act would be used to mandate school curricula that affirm and promote sexual orientation and gender identity views.
5. The Equality Act would be used to remove custody rights from parents who refuse to have their minor children undergo transgender medical interventions and procedures.
5. The Equality Act would be used to remove custody rights from parents who refuse to have their minor children undergo transgender medical interventions and procedures.
6. Since the Equality Act exempts itself from the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, religious schools, hospitals, and adoption agencies could face federal sanctions for upholding their teachings with regard to life, sexuality, and marriage under the legislation.
6. Since the Equality Act exempts itself from the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, religious schools, hospitals, and adoption agencies could face federal sanctions for upholding their teachings with regard to life, sexuality, and marriage under the legislation.
7. The Equality Act’s text that names a form of “discrimination on the basis of pregnancy” would be used to punish healthcare providers who refuse to perform an abortion or to outlaw policies that ban funding for the procedure.
7. The Equality Act’s text that names a form of “discrimination on the basis of pregnancy” would be used to punish healthcare providers who refuse to perform an abortion or to outlaw policies that ban funding for the procedure.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2021/02/25/7-radical-demands-in-the-equality-act/
So, the all-important question arises...
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?
Shorty after the bill was passed, Superintendent Doug Clay of The Assemblies of God sent out “A Call to Action on the Equality Act” and in it, he shares three ways Assemblies of God ministers, churches and ministries can respond.
As with everything else, you have to start with a foundation and that is why...
1. We must unconditionally accept God’s Word as our final authority.
1. We must unconditionally accept God’s Word as our final authority.
We have to remember that God’s Word is the only source that won’t lie to us.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
Regarding human sexuality, we believe the “consistent ideal for sexual experience in the Bible is chastity for those outside a monogamous heterosexual marriage and fidelity for those inside such a marriage.”
Explain this a little better.
Here’s something really important that we must remember church...
2. It is essential that we maintain Christlike love for all people — especially those who are trapped within lifestyles and choices we believe to be eternally destructive.
2. It is essential that we maintain Christlike love for all people — especially those who are trapped within lifestyles and choices we believe to be eternally destructive.
We cannot brush the LGBTQ community to the side!
There are countless individuals struggling in this area!
One in six adults in Generation Z identifies as LGBT, according to survey data released early Wednesday from Gallup, providing some of the most detailed and up-to-date estimates yet on the size and makeup of the nation’s LGBT population.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/02/24/gen-z-lgbt/
We have to remember that the biblical concept of love goes beyond mere words to include concrete actions.
We must never forget it is by grace that we are saved through faith, not of ourselves, but as a gift of God.
That’s Why Paul told us in...
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
The third thing we can do is...
3. Exercise your privileged opportunity as an American citizen to contact your state’s two senators by email, phone or letter and ask them to oppose passage of the Equality Act.
3. Exercise your privileged opportunity as an American citizen to contact your state’s two senators by email, phone or letter and ask them to oppose passage of the Equality Act.
As the title of the message states...
This Isn’t a Political Thing, It’s a Biblical Thing!
This Isn’t a Political Thing, It’s a Biblical Thing!
Here’s how you can contact our...
Montana State Senators
Montana State Senators
Senators Jon Tester & Steve Daines
Be respectful in your correspondence and pray for them.
5 “I’m sorry, brothers. I didn’t realize he was the high priest,” Paul replied, “for the Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.’”
13 For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.
1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.
Briefly talk about these passages.
I get it, these are some hard passages to swallow, especially when it goes against our culture.
That’s one of the reasons why I like the book...
Under Cover: The Promise of Protection Under His Authority
Under Cover: The Promise of Protection Under His Authority
It is hard to understand kingdom principles with a democratic mind-set (p. 9).
If we attempt to live as believers with a cultural mind-set towards authority, we will be at best ineffective and at worst positioned for danger (p. 10).
One thing we must not lose sight of church...
Regardless of What Happens in Washington, D.C., Our Ultimate Hope Lies Above!
Regardless of What Happens in Washington, D.C., Our Ultimate Hope Lies Above!
As a man after God’s own heart, David knew that in the end...
27 All nations will remember the Lord. From every part of the world they will turn to him; all races will worship him. 28 The Lord is king, and he rules the nations.
AG Superintendent Doug Clay ends his “Call to Action” with...
A CALL TO PRAYER
A CALL TO PRAYER
Before we go on, I want to take as long as the Spirit leads and pray.
Briefly talk about how our leadership team is emphasizing prayer even more in everything we do.
1. Pray that we would unconditionally accept and embrace the Word of God as our final authority on these matters.
1. Pray that we would unconditionally accept and embrace the Word of God as our final authority on these matters.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help us stand strong in our faith, especially as our culture moves contrary to biblical standards (Rom. 10:17).
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help us stand strong in our faith, especially as our culture moves contrary to biblical standards (Rom. 10:17).
- Ask the Holy Spirit to develop a new passion in our people and churches for the Word of God.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to develop a new passion in our people and churches for the Word of God.
2. Pray that we would be living examples of walking in holiness and righteousness to the next generation of believers.
2. Pray that we would be living examples of walking in holiness and righteousness to the next generation of believers.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help us first pay attention to the log in our own eyes before we look at the specks in others (Matt. 7:3).
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help us first pay attention to the log in our own eyes before we look at the specks in others (Matt. 7:3).
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help us go beyond mere words to include concrete actions in loving others, specifically the LGBTQ community.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help us go beyond mere words to include concrete actions in loving others, specifically the LGBTQ community.
3. Pray for the members of the U.S. Senate who will be reviewing this bill, that they will uphold the well-established precedent of the free exercise of religion in our nation.
3. Pray for the members of the U.S. Senate who will be reviewing this bill, that they will uphold the well-established precedent of the free exercise of religion in our nation.
However, before we do, let’s first make sure our hearts are right and...
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help us not become cynical or respond as the world responds to politics, but instead, with a clean tongue, love, and prayer.
- Ask the Holy Spirit to help us not become cynical or respond as the world responds to politics, but instead, with a clean tongue, love, and prayer.
Let’s not only pray for our Senators, let’s pray for some of our other leaders as well...
- Pres. Joe Biden & Vice Pres. Kama Harris
- Pres. Joe Biden & Vice Pres. Kama Harris
Judy Vaughn
- Sen. Jon Tester & Steve Daines (That they will will uphold the well-established precedent of the free exercise of religion in our nation.)
- Sen. Jon Tester & Steve Daines (That they will will uphold the well-established precedent of the free exercise of religion in our nation.)
Pastor Jay
- Rep. Matt Rosendale
- Rep. Matt Rosendale
Judy Vaughn
- Gov. Greg Gianforte
- Gov. Greg Gianforte
- Tribal Council
- Tribal Council
- Polson & Ronan Governments
- Polson & Ronan Governments
- NLC Leadership Team
- NLC Leadership Team
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
As the Spirit Leads
Turn over to worship Team