A NATION IN TROUBLE-MORE DEADLY DELUSIONS, PART II Spring Valley Mennonite; July 17, 2022; Isaiah 5:20-23 What an exciting and challenging time to be alive! I choose these words carefully, for the application of our Scriptures for today might lead one to think just the opposite-that this is a time of spiritual decline, perhaps the worst of all times, when evil seems to be winning and when the Christian worldview in America is no longer held by the majority of people. In times like these, should we be discouraged or encouraged? One way to keep from discouragement is to understand that we are in a struggle for the souls of men. For believers, perhaps in no other time in history, are the battle lines drawn more clearly. Satan does not give up his territory easily, and we are not to be terrified at his ever-changing tactics. We lay claim to the promise that "greater is He who is in us than he that is in the world." This morning I am going to discuss the very real cultural war which is raging all around us, a war which has been intensifying and a war in which many of us are reluctant participants. We may wring our hands over the evil around us, and try to escape, but we really have little choice but to be involved in this war. One example is the coming primary election where we can vote in favor of the Kansas constitutional amendment which would enable restrictions to be placed on abortion. This cultural war is between two very opposite views of reality. It has many surface issues such as homosexuality and abortion, but these issues tend to hide the true nature of the battle. Beneath these symbolic "hot buttons" lie more fundamental assumptions about the nature of what is good, bad, right, wrong, appropriate and inappropriate. The war is about differing ideas about what constitutes a good society. The world seeks to squeeze us into its mold, but we are to resist that and to be transformed and molded into Christlikeness. The reason these days are so exciting and challenging is that we are on the winning side! It is not in arrogance that we say we have the truth, for Jesus Himself said "I am the truth..." We have the revelation of God in the Holy Scriptures. In the Bible God has laid out our future as believers, and we know He will triumph. Jesus will return and establish His Kingdom on earth. In light of this, the question before us is that which has been so aptly stated by the modern- day prophet Francis Schaffer in his monumental study, "How Then Shall We Live?" The world system answers this question much differently than does God. Therein lies the conflict of the ages. We began last week to examine six deadly delusions under which Judah had fallen in the days of Isaiah. Make no mistake, the beginning point of each of these delusions is turning away from God. Each delusion is a result of an unrestrained sin nature, and a rejection of God's absolute authority over one's life. And fellow-believers, I believe that any time God is marginalized in our lives, any time we push God into a safe corner of ourselves, we will be subject to any or all of these six deadly delusions. Therefore, it is crucial that we understand the contemporary forms these delusions are taking. During the time Isaiah prophesied, Judah was enjoying a time of great prosperity, yet had slipped away from following YHWH. The people had come to be caught up in materialism, the pursuit of pleasure and entertainment, and the delusion that they could sin without consequences. We covered those three delusions last week. We heard last week that our modern culture mirrors these same influences, and that America has fallen under these same delusions. As we examine the second set of three delusions, that conclusion becomes even more clear. The fourth delusion is found in Isaiah 5:20 (read) I. THE DELUSION OF REJECTED STANDARDS This is the delusion that we can reject God's standards. Obviously, Judah had rejected God's standards of right and wrong. They were openly and blatantly worshipping idols, thus rejecting one of God's clearest commandments. Like Romans 1:25 states, they were exchanging the truth for a lie. Our fallen human nature always tries to cover and justify our sins. The easiest and most convenient way to justify sin is to simply change the rules. What formerly was wrong is now redefined as right. Then when anyone dares to object, or to uphold the old standard, they are labeled as out-of-touch and even a danger to society. Committed Christians are now treated by the progressive left as dangerous radicals. For example, consider the issue of marriage. Where the legalization of a homosexual relationship by giving it the status of marriage was once thought absurd and harmful to society, it now has been normalized, and even celebrated! Anyone who dares to state their opposition to this perversion is considered guilty of "hate speech." What God has clearly condemned is now legalized and celebrated. The whole nation is in an uproar over the recent decision of the Supreme Court over abortion. People are demanding the right to kill the unborn under the idea of a "right to choose." The people of Judah were sacrificing their children to the Canaanite god Molech; today people are sacrificing their unborn children to the god of convenience, the god of choice. Can we not say, like the situation of Isaiah's Judah, that wrong has become right and right has become wrong? Instead of asking if something is inherently right by God's standards, our culture is asking, "Is it legal?" America is substituting evil for righteousness, wrong for right, darkness for light. It can be successfully argued that America was founded upon Christian principles. This is not saying that all our founding fathers were born-again believers, but that the vast majority of them believed in Biblical morality and Biblical standards. But today America is well on its way to completely rejecting a Biblical standard for its morality. Morality seems to being redefined as "whatever the loudest or most influential faction demands it be." In the minds of progressives, there remains only one sin in America, one sin which turns those who commit it into the "untouchables" of society. This is the "sin" of intolerance. It is the sin of being so audacious to believe that your way of thinking is more valid than any other way. If you state that you are right and someone else is wrong, you are guilty of intolerance. To be tolerant by this new definition means that you not only allow others to hold their opinions, but that you must acknowledge that their opinion is just as valid as your own. To be tolerant (by this new definition) we must not only allow other opinions, but we must endorse and affirm them. So, there is no objective right or wrong, but truth is completely relative. No one should express any idea that could offend another; if you do, it becomes "hate speech." Of course, while people may subscribe to absolute tolerance, they cannot live it. One who says every view is of equal validity must admit that the morality of Mother Theresa is no better or worse than the morality of Adolf Hitler. Few advocating tolerance would go that far. Those who hold this view also prove themselves to be extremely intolerant toward anyone who holds an alternate view such as Christians who accept the Bible as absolute truth. In the past, most believers have been very uncooperative is compromising their beliefs, which led to strategies to remove religious influence from public life. We feel the pressure to "keep your religion and your beliefs to yourself," and the idea that religion has no place in the public arena. Can your see how such a delusion of rejected standards is to the primary task of the church to spread the Gospel? Unfortunately, many churches and denominations have capitulated to this viewpoint and have been intimidated into silence . Are these issues really that important? I think so. I believe Christianity is intensely practical. It determines our world-view by stating unequivocally that right is right and wrong is wrong. There are absolutes: those absolutes are found in the Bible. It was our Lord who stated, "I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life; no one comes to the Father but by Me." Jesus is the Only way to heaven. All other ways are dead ends. We must remember that truth is always intolerant of error. The second delusion is seen in verse 21 (Read). II. THE DELUSION WE CAN LIVE SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT BOUNDARIES What are those truly saying who are "wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight?" They are saying that they want to play the game without any rules, or that they at least want to write the rules. They want to determine the definitions and the boundaries themselves. And having set the boundaries, they declare themselves winners. They are fools who measure themselves by the standards they have set. I was always somewhat amused by the games my children made up, and I see the same tendencies among my grandchildren. It was usually the oldest child who is in charge and they are the one to make up the rules, rules which assure that they will be the winner or at least have an advantage. We can laugh at this tendency among children, but when a society makes up its own rules, we are in trouble. 2 Corinthians 10:12 speaks of such ones, "Who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding." Our society keeps lowering and redefining its standards for morality, arriving at a point where it throws out all standards altogether. Then, like children playing a game, they declare themselves winners! But their "win" is but an illusion, for this is My Father's World! He is the One who has set the standards, absolute standards and boundaries which are necessary for successful living. We do not have the luxury of setting the rules. Neither did Judah. Once again, this delusion that we can do without God's boundaries is centered in a rejection of God. God has set boundaries in life beyond which one cannot step without dire consequences. If you visit the Grand Canyon, there are barriers beyond you cannot safely go. Yet, every year visitors go beyond the barriers, then slip and fall to their death or sustain serious injury. Violating God's boundaries is called "sin." But people resist admitting they are sinners, so they set their own definitions of sin. "Sin must be what mass-murderers do. Since I am not a mass murderer, I'm not a sinner. Compared with other people, I'm really a pretty good person." How foolish! Man rejects God's standards and boundaries, substituting something else in the vacuum. What are these things? If God is missing, all that is left is man himself, and his humanistic religion. Man himself becomes the measure of what is right; whatever serves himself is best. Out of humanism has come the principle of pragmatism. Pragmatism says, "If it works, it is right." A theory is true if it works successfully to our liking." Thus, the pragmatist says, "Christianity works for you? Great! My way works for me, and it is also right. You have your way, and I have mine." And you know what? If one is operating solely on the level of the subjective, the level of feelings and experiences, they have a valid point. Their experience may be as moving as my experience. That is why we need objective truth, which is what God through the Bible provides. Back when the Wichita newspaper had a "faith and values" section, there was a fascinating article entitled "Blended Beliefs," subtitled "Six Wichitans say they find spiritual satisfaction by combining parts of several religions." You see, if man determines the boundaries, then no one religion has a corner on the truth, and we are free to approach the buffet table of all religions taking a bit of this and a bit of that until our plate is full. One example from this article: "Kay Meyer of Wichita is an example of someone who has explored other beliefs and combines what seems to work for her. She was raised a Southern Baptist and attended Baylor University. But as she has studied other world religions through the years, she broke with the Christian Church. "I felt like I couldn't justify being an exclusionary Christian, saying other religions have no value. I still ascribe to Christian values, but I don't ascribe to the central tenets-the resurrection and things like that." The article goes on to describe how she is exploring Zen Buddhism presently, because it teaches a middle way, and she doesn't "want to be extremist in any way." Don't be deluded; God sets the boundaries. The last of the six deadly delusions is found in verses 22 and 23 (read). III. THE DELUSION THAT JUSTICE DOESN'T MATTER There are two sins listed here, and at first, they don't seem connected. The first is taking a perverse pride in being able to "hold their liquor" and the second is perverting justice by taking a bribe. But if you put these two things together you see a picture of a society where alcohol and revelry is more important than justice, a society where dishonesty is endemic. In the Jewish culture, judging of civil matters were handled by the older men who sat in the city gates. It was expected that they would judge fairly and impartially. The basis of their judgment was to be the Law of Moses supplemented by their years of experience. Matters were taken before these elders for arbitration. But in Judah, instead of being concerned for the well-being of the weak, the picture is of these elders having a drinking party at the city gates, neglecting their responsibilities and ruling in favor of anyone who could offer them a bribe. What was right and fair was of no concern, only personal gain of the judges. Thus, we read in Isaiah 10:1, "Woe to those who enact evil statutes, and to those who constantly record unjust decisions so as to deprive the needy of justice and rob the poor of My people of their rights in order that widows may be their spoil, and that they may plunder the orphans." A society in decline, one that has rejected the Lord will be filled with the delusion that justice is of no concern, or that "justice" is whatever serves a particular agenda. We see this so clearly in our nation's capital where politically motivated inquiries and hearings have little to do with finding truth or punishing wrongdoing, but only advancing a particular political agenda. I don't think it is a stretch in looking at our judicial system, especially on the federal level, to wonder if justice is truly being served. Even regarding criminal justice, it seems if one is able to hire a clever attorney, the chances are you will not pay for your crime. Often it seems as a double standard is in effect: mobs that destroy and burn property are not punished if their cause fits a certain narrative. Fairness seems often to be missing. Included in this area of concern are the needs and rights of the poor, the weak and the elderly. This is an area in which most evangelical churches have had little to say. And while we may not be going out getting drunk instead of looking after the poor, are we so involved in our own lives that we ignore these who cannot take care of themselves? We are to take care of the "least of these." Have we fallen into the delusion that justice for the poor and needy is not our concern? IV. OUR RESPONSE TO THESE DELUSIONS It is easy to "curse the darkness instead of lighting a candle." We can wring our hands over the state of affairs in our nation, or we can take action. We can guard against personally compromising our beliefs and engage in the cultural war that has engulfed us. Some suggestions: * First, we must reaffirm our foundational belief in the inspiration and validity of Holy Scripture as the basis for life and practice. We must resist any hint of compromise on this issue, individually and as a church. If we stray from the authority of the Bible, we will find ourselves adrift in the sea of relativity. * We must love those who disagree with us, loving the sinner but hating the sin. Christians are often seen as the pit bulls of the culture wars-small brains, big teeth, strong jaws, and no interest in discussing the matter. Unfortunately, this indictment is often true. We snap and bite, but seldom love. Loving takes great effort and greater wisdom. It involves action, more than just words. Such ability comes only from the Holy Spirit working through us. * We must watch out for the influence of relativism and how it gradually invades our thinking. We must hold on to the moral absolutes of God's Word. We must make our beliefs known. People are troubled by the decline in morality, and they may be ripe for hearing about the life-changing power of the Gospel. We must not become distracted from our main mission of sharing the gospel. * We must not get discouraged thinking all is lost, for with God nothing is impossible. God remains solidly in control, and when we feel anxious, we can commit our concerns to our loving and sovereign Heavenly Father, Who desires all to come to repentance. We need not be intimidated by the world and the loud voices of ridicule and opposition. * And we can reaffirm that the only answer to a nation in decline is revival. We can pray for revival and a reversal in current trends. Changed individuals change society. Our responsibility first is to look inwardly: are we dedicated to living a godly and righteous lifestyle? This makes us part of the solution instead of part of the problem. 2