A Christian American

You should have gave me a better warning than that, brother.

Get me all tore up before I try to preach.

If you have your Bibles, turn to Luke chapter 10.

Luke 10 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 10, one of the most beautiful castles in Ireland

Luke 10 · chapter mention

came to a strange and unusual end.

And Castle Ray was one of the architectural gems in all of Ireland.

And it fell into disrepair and was uninhabited

to the point that the peasants went and took the stones

that had been so craftily cut and easily now removable

to use them for building chimneys and shacks and pigsties.

They were slowly dismantling the castle.

And the surviving heir, Lord Londonbury,

visited and saw it being scavenged stone by stone.

So he ordered an agent to come to build a six-foot wall

around the castle and top it with stone.

And he left.

And three, four years later, he came back

and he found a six-foot wall around the place

where the castle had been.

But there was no castle.

It had vanished.

Disappeared.

He asked the agent,

why did you not do what I told you to do?

He said, I did do what you told me to do.

He said, then where's the castle?

He said, is it for me, my Lord,

to be going all over Ireland,

digging up stone with the finest stone in Ireland

could be found right here in the castle?

He had torn down the castle

in order to build the wall.

He could have had both a wall and a castle,

but he chose to tear down the castle

and build a wall.

Church, if we're not careful in the day in which we live,

we'll work so hard to build a protective wall

around the church to keep out false ideas

and the people that hold them

that will miss the very opportunity of ministry

that God has placed us in the middle of.

And I'll be honest,

that may be the greatest challenge

of any Bible-believing church

that cares about reaching out to others for Christ.

God has placed us.

Christ has commissioned us.

The Holy Spirit has empowered us.

But if we get too wrapped up

with the activities and the ideologies

and the politics of our world,

we'll neglect the only thing that really matters

because it is the only thing

that has eternal consequences.

Let us work so hard to keep the world.

Let us not work so hard to keep the world out

that we never reach them.

And then we fail at the very mission

that Christ has given us as a church.

I want to be clear this morning

about what's important to us.

And the reason why it's important to us

is because it's important to Jesus.

And because what's most important to Christ

ought to be most important to his disciples,

to his students, to his followers,

to those that use the name that comes after him,

from him, and that's Christian.

Most important thing is found in Luke chapter 10.

Luke 10 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 10, beginning in verse 25,

Luke 10 · chapter mention

and it says this,

And behold, a lawyer stood up

to put him, speaking of Christ, to the test,

saying, Teacher, what shall I do

to inherit eternal life?

And he said to him,

What's written in the law, how do you read it?

And he said,

You shall love the Lord your God

with all your heart,

with all your soul,

with all your strength,

and with all your mind,

and your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus said to him,

You've answered correctly.

Do this,

and you will live.

Now how do we carry that out

in America today?

Well, the first thing we do

is we love the Lord.

We love the Lord.

He describes it as a love

with all your heart,

with all your soul,

with all your strength,

with all your mind.

Can you love with any more than that?

I think that's about all you got, you know?

And I really think that the overall meaning of that

is to love the Lord

with everything that you are.

That's really the big meaning.

But let's break it down.

I mean, when it mentions the heart,

he speaks of,

as Solomon did,

in Proverbs,

when he says that the heart

is the wellspring of life.

Everything that we are

flows out of our heart.

It's our thoughts,

it's our words,

it's our deeds.

If you love the Lord like you should,

it's going to affect how you think,

it's going to affect what you say,

it's going to affect what you do.

When the soul is mentioned here,

his audience,

the first audience that Jesus was speaking to that day,

would think of the soul

as the seat of the emotions.

What are you passionate about?

What are you devoted to?

The New Testament says that

what you love

with all your,

that the things that you're most passionate about

are the things that you love with all your soul.

Then it says,

when he speaks of the mind,

he speaks of the seat

and the center of your intellectual life.

It is interesting how unresolved we can be

if we're not careful.

Live and think a certain way

when you're not at church

and then come to church

and act as if we live

as the Bible teaches.

If we're not careful,

people you see during the week

will not recognize you at church.

And your own family may not.

And that should not be.

Now you do get forgiveness

for that ride to church, okay?

That stressful ride to church sometimes.

If you love the Lord

with all your mind,

your dispositions will change for him.

Your attitude will line up with him.

How you see things

will be consistent with scripture.

Now the purpose here

is not to dissect yourself

into three or four different parts,

soul, heart, mind, and strength,

but instead to love the Lord

for all that you are.

Now I love my family.

I talk about them.

I think about them.

I do for them.

They are my heart.

I'm passionate about them.

Mess with me, I don't care.

But you mess with my family.

I become a zealot quickly.

I love them with all my mind.

They're on my every thought.

I'm consumed with my family.

I pray for them first thing every day.

I think about their schedule.

Think about what they're doing.

Think about what appears

to be their mindset.

I pray through those things.

I check on them throughout the day.

I locate them on their phone.

If I don't know where they're at,

I want to know why

I don't know where they're at.

I lock the door at night

when they're all in.

I love them with all that I am.

And I will do everything that I can do.

That is my strength.

To do what's best and what pleases them.

I love them

with all that I am.

That's how we're to be

for the Lord.

Sold out.

Dedicated.

That's what he's talking about.

Consumed folks.

Love the Lord.

The second thing is

love his message.

The final message of Christ.

The Great Commission tells us

to tell the story of the gospel.

The good news of Christ.

To ask people

if they know the Lord personally.

Ask him if there's ever been

a time in their life

when Christ has changed them.

Ask him if they're saved.

Lead them to Christ.

Nurture relationships

to provide that kind of opportunity.

Let me tell you

if you don't know yet

America needs Jesus.

They need Jesus desperately.

And I've only been around

for so many decades

but I'm telling you

America needs Jesus worse now

than they have ever in my life.

And I got a feeling

ever in the life of America.

America.

And it's our responsibility.

He's not only invited us

he's commissioned us

to do something about that.

America needs Jesus.

And as the woman

who broke the flask of Spikenard

and the room was filled

with the aroma of her sacrifice

as she anointed the feet

of Jesus.

So we need to fill

rooms that we go in

with the aroma

of our admiration

for Christ.

Somebody says

something's different.

Something smells good

around here.

You know.

Something's precious

here.

It's one thing

to believe the message

and to be thankful for.

It's another

to love the message.

To share the message.

To trust the message.

More than friendships.

Trust the message.

Trust the message

more than our anticipation

of how the conversation

is going to go.

Trust him.

Trust him.

Love the message.

And then lastly

although I don't want you

to get your hopes up.

Love our neighbor.

That includes the ones

that don't act like us.

That includes the ones

that don't look like us.

It's going to get

uncomfortable here.

That includes the ones

that don't think like us.

When the lady was caught

in the act of adultery

she was not alone

yet she was the only one

that was mentioned.

And she was dragged out

before a bunch of

angry old men

with rocks in her hands.

And Jesus

shut the show

down

when he said

those who are sinless

cast the first stone.

And you could hear

the stones dropping

as they quietly

just

soldered away.

They dropped their rocks

and they went home.

What do you do

with those around you

who are not Christians?

What do you do

with those around you

who are not living

for the Lord?

Or who are living

and thinking

in ways contrary

to scripture?

What do we do?

Do we pick up

the rocks

of judgmental thoughts?

Do we pick up

the rocks

of hurtful words?

Maybe a little

spicy gossip?

Now we don't

call it that

we call it

prayer concerns

but it sounds

a lot like

gossip sometimes.

Baptists tend

to be like

a pack of

hunting dogs.

When they're

hunting

they work

together

but when

they're hanging

out at the

house

they fight.

And if all

we're worried

about is coming

together

and hanging

out

we need

to get busy.

We need

to get busy.

when our

priorities

are seeing

God work

and move

not only

in our lives

but in the

lives of those

around us

we come

with an

anticipation

of what

God's going

to do

in us

not what

God can

do for

us

and that's

when things

get real

folks

when we're

excited

about what

God wants

to do

in us

and through

us

and we can

talk about

all the

things that

are wrong

in our

country.

There's

plenty.

We can

talk about

popular

ideologies

that are

out there

right now

or we can

pray for

our neighbors

and we can

try to win

them to

Jesus.

Let's make

his priorities

our priorities

and admit

that no

human ideology

no political

party

no fallible

sinful human

will ever

line up

in such a

way that

we put

more confidence

or get

more attention

to become

more motivated

or energized

by it

or them

than we do

by the

Christ

who saves

and changes

lives.

That's the

priority.

Nothing wrong

to align

with those

that go

along with

that but

I'm just

telling you

many of

us have

our dander

raged by

cultural

clashes of

our day

and if

we're not

careful

we'll become

so hateful

about it

that we

won't bother

winning the

world of

Christ.

The most

recent

conversation

has been

about Roe

v.

Wade

and the

Dobbs decision

by the

Supreme

Court

that put

the decision

about abortion

back in the

hands of

each state

and all

of that

happened

amazing as

it is

when it

happened

all it

was as I

said last

week was a

constitutional

injustice

that had been

made right

period.

That's what

happened

and it has

led to a

lot of

animosity

but hopefully

a lot of

lives are

saved by

states that

stand up for

the rights

of the

unborn.

Now

how do we

respond to

that?

Well I

hope

I don't

assume but

I hope

that you're

pro-life

and that

you care

about the

protection of

the unborn

because the

womb of a

mother ought to

be the safest

place for a

child but for

60 million

babies in

America over

the last

half century

it was a

trap that

led to a

horrible

death and

I'll save

you the

details of

how that

all went

down.

But I

will say

this if

they treated

a pet the

way they

treated the

unborn the

people that

are picketing

in the

streets fighting

for the

rights to do

whatever they

want to with

the unborn would

be in the

streets fighting

for the rights

of their pet

and I'm a

dog lover.

I got two

decent dogs

you know

one of them's a

little ornery

one of them's a

little young

you know

but an

unborn human

baby is much

more important

than my

favorite pets

yet we live

in a world

where people

are making

absolute fools

of themselves

to show how

important it is

that a woman

have the right

to end her

pregnancy.

By the way

ain't it

fascinating

that we're not

hearing about

they them

pronouns

these days

we're hearing

about she

her pronouns

I'm not

trying to be

smart I just

want to be

clear because

the devil has

a way of

twisting stuff

folks be

careful he

has a way of

twisting stuff

when Supreme

Court Justice

Clarence Thomas

said that such

decisions made

by the court

like Roe

were demonstra

demonstrafully

in error

and needed to

be revisited

he was

cussed

he was

called

racial terms

by those

who spoke

out against

racism

responses

were chaotic

they were

upside down

they were

twisted

and as

twisted as

the actions

in the streets

of protest

I saw a

friend tweet

the other day

they're acting

animalistic

in the streets

and I said

you misspelled

demonic

because that's

what it is

friend

I don't want

you to

misunderstand

me

the venom

is that

of the

slippery

snake

in the

garden

I promise

you

I want

you to

be clear

Christian

and I want

you to

hear me

today

you got to

hear the

whole message

I'm sorry

but you got

to listen

to it all

Ephesians

612 says

we don't

fight

wrestle against

flesh and

blood

but against

the rulers

against the

authorities

against the

cosmic powers

over this

present darkness

against the

spiritual forces

of evil

in the

heavenly places

our fight

is not

against

people

don't forget

who the

enemy is

and if that's

your neighbor

they are

your neighbor

regardless of

their thoughts

regardless of

their beliefs

regardless of

their opinions

Christ has

given us

a responsibility

to reach

them for the

Lord

Clarence Thomas

said this

in the midst

of all that

he said

you could be

in the middle

of a hurricane

I think

they're ready

now there

ain't but too

many preachers

who can preach

that hot

you know

let's find out

what's going

on

wow

that's a

first

are you picking

up with what's

going on

I'm serious

are you picking

up on what's

going on

we're in a

fight

we're in a

fight

you stand

for truth

all of hell

will come

against you

Clarence Thomas

said you could

be in the

middle of a

hurricane

or you could

be in a

calm day

and north

is still

north

you could

be in a

thunderstorm

and north

is still

north

people can

yell at you

north is

still north

it doesn't

change

fundamental

things

right

is still

right

so don't

let the

truth get

lost in

the midst

of the

chaos

however

we cannot

let it affect

our need

to reach

out to

the lost

folks who

are mad

and raging

about abortion

or any

other worldly

cause

look lost

they look

without hope

do you know

why they look

without hope

because they

are

they need

Jesus

and we

should never

compromise

where we

stand

we should

never

be silent

but we

should also

and I want

you to hear

this just as

loud

I want

we should

not be rude

we should

not be

abusive

we should

not be

dismissive

and we

should not

be without

prayer

in Ephesians

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

Paul tells

us that

Christ gave

us the

church

and its

leadership

to equip

us

to unify

us

and to

mature

us

and he

says in

verse 14

so that

we may

no longer

be children

tossed

to and

from

by the

waves

and carried

by every

wind

of doctrine

by human

cunning

by craftiness

and deceitful

schemes

rather

speaking the

truth in

love

we are

to grow

up in

every way

into him

in other

words Paul

is telling

us don't

get so

caught up

in the

ways of

the world

not to

get won

over by

them

but to

speak the

truth in

love

even when

you don't

like them

much folks

love your

neighbor

my grandpa

used to say

about people

didn't like

him kill

them with

kindness

kill them

with kindness

don't spit

back

when they're

cussing

mad

love them

with the

love of

the Lord

Jesus

he will

do a

marvelous

work

far more

abundant

than we

ask or

think

that's

scriptural

brother

don't you

want to be

a part of

such as

that

church

we got to

have a

heart to

win our

neighbors

all of

them

not just

the ones

we like

we have

to have a

heart to

reach our

neighbors

for the

Lord

win them

to the

Lord

have the

character

to make

them notice

and when

they notice

it

when they

notice

there's a

difference

in us

share the

message

with them

invite them

to church

I promise

you if

you'll invite

them to

church

I'll give

them the

gospel when

they get

here I

promise

you I

will

we'll just

trust the

Holy Spirit

of God

to work

in any

way he

wants to

in their

lives

but I

promise

you I

won't

short

change

the

gospel

anytime

God

gives me

the

ability

to stand

here

regardless

of the

paparazzi

that's

flashing

their

lights

at me

today

but our

great

test

our

great

test

in America

today

is our

character

and how

we treat

people

and God

has instructed

us

to be a

people

of love

first

first

Corinthians

13

verse

one

through

three

says

if I

speak

in the

tongues

of men

and of

angels

and have

not

love

I'm a

noisy

gong

a clanging

cymbal

Christian

if you

start

mouthing

out

about the

things of

the day

and forget

the love

of Christ

you sound

like a

noisy

gong

or a

clanging

cymbal

and if

I have

prophetic

powers

and understand

all mysteries

and all

knowledge

and if

I have

all faith

so as

to remove

mountains

but have

not love

I am

nothing

and if

I give

away

all I

have

and if

I deliver

up my

body

to be

burned

but have

not love

I gain

nothing

we must

not be

ungodly

toward the

ungodly

or we

will be

no better

than the

rest of

the world

and we

will miss

what God

has called

us to

do

and we

will fail

at the

mission

that he's

given us

the greatest

thing that

we can do

for this

church

the greatest

thing that we

can do

for this

city

the greatest

thing that we

can do for

this state

and this

nation

is to

love the

Lord

and to

love his

message

and to

love our

neighbors

Tony Evans

has made

it clear

for years

that it

is technically

incorrect to

call yourself

an American

Christian

or a white

Christian

or a black

Christian

because you

made your

location or

your color

the adjective

an adjective

is to modify

the noun

and if you put

Christianity in

the noun

position

and you put

your nation

or your

color or

your culture

in the

adjective

position

you have to

keep shaping

the noun

to look like

the adjective

that describes

the noun

so if your

culture stays

in the

adjective

position

you got to

keep shaping

your Christianity

to look

American

or to look

white

or to look

black

or to look

Republican

or to look

Democrat

but

if we keep

it

in the adjective

position

then everything

that we claim

that we are

is marked

and modified

by our

Christianity

our job

is not to be

any of those

things

because they'll

all come up

empty

we're to look

like Christ

and to live

in America

we must be

Christian

Americans

and that

my friend

there's a lot

of ways to

celebrate

and all these

men that have

left I've been

given to go

in

we're good

okay

so if you

think we're

just gonna

I'm gonna let

you burn up

in here

don't worry

okay

I've been told

we clear

okay

the hamburgers

are ready

apparently

but anyway

the best

thing that

we can do

for the

Lord Jesus

Christ

if you're

a Christian

today

the best

thing that

we can do

for the

Lord Jesus

Christ

the day

in which

we live

is to

shine for

him

to let it

show not

only at

church

but in

private

at the

house

at work

and in

public

you'll be

amazed

at what the

Holy Spirit

of God

will do

to open

up doors

when we

boldly

live the

truth

in love

and allow

God

to make a

difference

through us

I'm asking

you not only

to be a

Christian

not only

to be an

American

but to be

a Christian

American

with every

head bowed

and every

eye closed

my greatest

burden today

is that there

may be one

here

who've never

given his

or her life

to the

Lord Jesus

Christ

and if that

is true

in your

life today

I want

you to

know

that we're

going to

stand and

we're going

to sing

in just a

moment

and it

is your

opportunity

to come

and follow

the Lord

Jesus

Christ

when you

come

I'll be

happy to

make sure

that someone

shares with

you what it

means to give

your heart

and life

to the Lord

Jesus Christ

I encourage

you to

be obedient

to follow

his will

and his

way

you just

trust him

as he speaks

to your heart

and life

you just

trust him

sometimes

people want

to wait

until everything

gets lined up

in their life

just right

I'm telling

you you'll

wait until

you breathe

your last

if you're

waiting for

everything to

be made

right in

your life

it won't

be made

right by

you

it'll only

be made

right when

you surrender

to Christ

so surrender

your life

to Christ

today

maybe you're

here and you

are a Christian

but the reality

is your life

don't reflect

that

you're not

taking advantage

of the

opportunity

that God

has laid

before you

the crowd

that influences

you

the neighbors

that God

has placed

before you

whether at

home or at

work or

in the places

that you go

I encourage

you today

to be obedient

and follow the

Lord

maybe God's

leading you

to be a part

of this church

maybe God's

leading you

to join

us

on this

journey

I don't

know

but I

encourage you

simply to

follow the

Lord Jesus

and what he'd

have you to

do today

trust him

trust him

let him have

his will

in his way

Lord Jesus

I love you

and I thank

you

for your

love for us

and I ask

God right

now

in the midst

of the chaos

of our world

that you'll

help us

to simply

be obedient

and to follow

your will

and your way

in all of our

life right now

oh God

in Jesus

precious name

amen