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Well, I actually have been thinking about doing this. Not this topic, but I have a series in mind. We'll see how that goes. And and it'll be along this line. Did God actually say? Did God actually say.
Why would I want to do a series called did God actually say? It's any verse Scripture come to mind. Okay, Jesus temptation. I Was gonna go with a different temptation. Genesis chapter 3 verse 1. Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.
He said to the woman that is Eve. Did God actually say? Nice nice series. I think you shall not eat of any tree in the garden. So here's my point or Where I'm going with it. There are a number of things that are coming along that people are making allegations about God saying or God commanding or God Commending and I thought I might address some of those.
We know that Satan was lying in Genesis chapter 3 because what did God actually say? He didn't say you shall not eat of any tree in the garden. In Genesis chapter 2 he said this and the Lord God commanded the man saying you may surely eat of Every tree of the garden.
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day you eat of it you shall surely die. And Today's atheists have taken a similar tact to what Satan did I think in Genesis chapter 3.
In particular they attack the God of the Old Testament and what's the difference between the God of the Old Testament the God of the New Testament. There is no difference, you know, it's just they like they like Their own little quaint picture of Jesus.
They don't really like so much the God of the Old Testament. But they accuse him of approving of or commanding or even committing slavery. Genocide rape Infanticide and that's just for starters. Why why why do you think atheists would attack God like that?
Russ well, I think you're exactly right. It gives them a platform from for which to argue for their for their own social agenda but I think it even goes beyond that because if they can show you that the God of the Bible is Evil that he is malicious.
That he's ultimately Unloving. Then maybe you'll give up your faith, which they think is a delusion. Anyway, and become rational like they are. Listen what Christopher Hitchens who wrote the book? God is not great said we ought to be glad that.
None of the religious myths have or has any truth to it. That's a sick that none of the religious myths have any truth to them or in it. The Bible may indeed contain a warrant for listen trafficking in humans for ethnic cleansing for slavery for bride price in other words the selling of brides and for indiscriminate massacre let's go right after God and Here's a stunning or maybe not so stunning truth.
Not only are they wrong these atheists, but they abuse scripture in the process. They are liars just like their father Satan. And maybe you think well mate, I don't know this topic doesn't seem too Applicable to me doesn't seem too relevant to me.
So I have a few questions for you. Do you have a child in public school? If so, he or she is being bombarded with messages that the traditional family is. Passe it's outmoded. It's no longer Fashionable it's no longer what people do.
Do you have a child who plays with those who attend public school because they're gonna get the same message. Does your child watch TV is? Your child older and going to university college. Because universities are full of professors and students who believe these things.
Are you aware that there are already those who in light of their victories in the homosexual marriage arena? Just like Russell's saying are seeking to push their advances. They want to take their win and push it even further into Polly.
I Practice how to say this polyamory. And when and I'll discuss I'll define that in a moment. After all what's the difference right if there's no difference between married being married to a person of the opposite sex and a person Of the same sex which is what they're pitching right as long as two adults love each other.
Why should there be laws to restrict them that's their argument. Well if gender is an artificial construct a social construct and by the way, that's the argument if Jen I mean it has nothing to do with our anatomy or anything like that, okay?
I mean the foolishness of this but if gender is an artificial construct then aren't numbers artificial constructs. Why two? Why not three four eight eleven. Whole towns getting married to each other. Why not?
Who are you to discriminate against? 14 people who love each other. I mean I'm making the argument that they're making and you say well nobody would make that argument. Oh. Well hold on. But I just a note.
It really is shocking how things have changed If we go back. Less than 150 years Utah was not allowed to join the United States. Why? They had to change their laws on polygamy they had to outlaw it before they could join the United States and now it's like okay.
If you don't permit everything under the Sun. You know you're a bigots. Listen to what the now this is a piece that I got from and I'll give you the link if you want it from slate anybody read slate calm kind of a Liberal website.
This is a woman writing this a year ago one year ago. She says or the title is legalized polygamy. No. I am NOT kidding. That that's her that's her title. Legalized polygamy. No, I'm not kidding. That's the entire title.
Now listen what she says. While the Supreme Court and the rest of us are all focused on the human right of marriage equality I'm I'm perfectly willing to cede that rights. Every man has the right to be married to one woman and every woman has the right to be married to one man.
There there's marriage equality. She says everyone's focused on the right of marriage equality, let's not forget that the fight doesn't end with same-sex marriage. We need to legalize polygamy. To legalize polygamy in the United States is the constitutional Feminist and sex positive choice, whatever that means.
I I really couldn't tell you more importantly it would help protect empower and strengthen women children and families. She says for decades the prevailing logic has been that polygamy hurts women and children.
That makes sense since in contemporary American Practice that is often the case in many fundamentalist Latter-day Saints Circles polygamous communities. For example women and underage girls are forced into polygamous unit unions against their will.
Some boys who represent the surplus of males are brutally thrown out of their homes and driven into homelessness and poverty. All these stories are tragic and the criminals involved should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law but legalizing Consensual adult polygamy.
Wouldn't legalize rape or child abuse. In fact, it would make those crimes easier to combat so she's in favor of it and If you go to a lot of college campuses, you're gonna hear talk of this term called the patriarchy.
Which is this idea that men have run the world and they've run it into a real fine Hole a real fine mess and the only way to straighten out is get rid of the patriarchy. We've got to overthrow we've got to loosen things up and this goes hand-in-hand with it.
What we are watching today is nothing less than a massive rebellion against God and his Morality and I put his in quotation marks. I Mean it reminds me of Psalm 2. Listen to Psalm 2 verses 2 and 3 and tell me you know if I substituted peasants for kings.
It'd be the same thing listen. The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed. Saying quote let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.
What was the psalmist writing about? He was writing about people not wanting God to rule over them. They wanted to rebel against him they wanted to do things on their own and. The whole point of this is of tonight is this is what we are watching right now.
It's frightening to watch how rapidly things are unwinding. And what I hope to do in this series is as the occasion warrants answered some of these issues biblically. Now just a couple of definitions polygamy.
I think we understand that one one man many wives. It's also the definition of insanity. Ha polyandry one wife many husbands. I think probably some women. There might be good, you know. They have such a long list of things to do that, you know take like five six seven husbands to do and then polyamory is this concept now of multiple men multiple women and.
They're all quote-unquote married. I watched this little video clip of this little girl being all can what she was straight. She understood what was going on, but it's it's confusing when you listen to her.
You know, she has a couple of different mommies and a couple different daddies and it's just a big mess. But for them that just seems perfectly normal. So to the issue tonight did God command polygamy because it's in the Old Testament.
Did he command it did he approve of it. What do you say about it? And so that I want to look at the origins of polygamy. In fact, I almost entitled it the first polygamist, but there just isn't enough material to carry a whole topic off on the one guy.
So, you know the first polygamist. And then try to examine I'm gonna we're gonna look at some of the examples cited by Unbelievers to determine whether or not they actually mean what they say they mean.
So first, let's look at it this way. I have like I think four questions and then there are probably sub questions, but four questions overall. Number one question number one. Where did polygamy originates anybody know?
Who was the first polygamist. Lamech is correct. Yes. Open your Bibles to Genesis chapter 4. Genesis is often called the Book of Beginnings or the book of origins. And so here we have the origin of polygamy.
Lamech the father of polygamy. There's something to you know be known for how'd you like that on your tombstone the father of polygamy? Probably not that great. And we're gonna see this guy's a real he's a character.
Genesis chapter 4. I'm gonna start reading at verse 15. And this is the Lord talking to Cain and I and we'll get back to this. It is kind of important to look at this. Then the Lord said to him to Cain not so if anyone kills Cain vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold and The Lord shall put a mark on Cain lest anyone who found him should attack him.
Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod east of Eden. Cain knew his wife and she conceived and bore Enoch when he built a city. He called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch.
To Enoch was born a rad and a rad fathered, etc, etc, etc. Because who wants to read all these names and Methuselah. That's what okay fathered Lamech verse 19 and Lamech took two wives. No command just and Lamech took two wives.
Okay, the one the name of the one was Ada and the name of the other was Zilla. Ada bore Jabal or Jabal and he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother's name was Jubal.
He was the father of all those who played the lyre and pipe. Zilla also bore Jubal Cain. He was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Jubal Cain was Nema. Lamech said to his wives and Here at 23 and 24 all we really need to focus on Lamech said to his wives Ada and Zilla.
Hear my voice you wives of Lamech. Listen to what I say. I have killed a man for wounding me a young man for striking me. If Cain's revenge is sevenfold then Lamech's is 77 fold. First observation. Lamech has two wives and nothing negative said so.
Obviously God must be approving of polygamy true. What's the logical error there. That's an argument from Silence doesn't say that the Lord was pleased with Lamech. Oh No, it doesn't say that. It's just an observation.
Moses is just recording what happened. Lamech took two wives. Okay. Description is not prescription. In other words describing the situation doesn't mean that everybody should do that doesn't even mean that it's right.
And we'll see some other examples of this later, but what sort of man was Lamech. The father of polygamy the first polygamist. What kind of guy was he? Just a regular neighborhood guy. Somebody you like to see around the neighborhood.
He was friendly. Well, not exactly. Look at the end of verse 23. He was in a word. He was a murderer. I Have killed a man for wounding me a young man for striking me some commentators See this and they think it's he's talking about one Instance, but I don't think that's right.
And most commentators don't see it as one instance. It's two Separate individuals that he killed and in neither case. Was it self-defense? Because these weren't life-threatening wounds this wasn't Some kind of attack on him where he had to defend himself.
And by the way by saying that he'd killed a young man. Most likely this is a boy. The emphasis is on his viciousness. He's boasting about this. He wants people to know that he's someone who should be feared.
He wants his wives to know that. He's the kind of guy who would brag about kicking his own dog. He's bloodthirsty. I mean this is this is the kind of guy, you know in the old west The wore the black hat and everybody, you know when he walked in the town everybody goes there he is.
There's the bad guy. This is the bad guy. There's nothing good about him. He's not commended. He's not commendable. He's not a good guy. He's a murderer. Secondly, look, he's boastful. Look at verse 24.
If Cain's revenge is sevenfold then Lamex is 77 fold. Now again going back to Cain. Well, let's back up into Genesis chapter 4 a little bit. Look go back to verse 14. This is Cain kind of whining after he gets called out on murdering his brother.
He says to God he says behold you have driven me away today from the ground. Sorry. For the ground and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth and listen and whoever finds me will kill me.
What does that sound like? Is that a boast? What's Cain saying? What's that? He's a fugitive. He's a Afraid. He's like I'm gonna be running around. There's gonna be a price in my head, right? Basically, everybody's gonna.
I'm gonna be the guy that everybody wants to kill. I Avenged Abel, but again as we read in verse 15 earlier, then the Lord said to him not so if anyone kills Cain Vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.
And so Lamex says What Cain is afraid? And and eventually he settles in Nod east of Eden. But he only relaxes when he gets a promise from God that he's gonna be what? Protected. God says you know what?
You don't have to worry anybody who attacks you is going to suffer from me sevenfold. That's good enough for me. So he goes on his way now Lamech. He's a he's gonna up the ante a little bit. His vengeance is 11 times greater than not Cain's.
Because who's gonna avenge Cain if anybody attacks him? God so Lamech says my vengeance is 11 times more than God's. It's pretty tough guy. Cain knew that he had something to worry about and he was afraid.
Lamech Murders just what he does. Anybody comes after me they're gonna get it. I Mean he had to have a big chaw of tobacco in his mouth, you know. It just kind of spit at everything and like three guns on him or something.
I mean, he's just a bad guy. And that's the origins of polygamy. They're ungodly and wicked. This is not somebody to be emulated so did I Don't remember what the first question was now. But anyway, that's the first question.
The origins of polygamy are ungodly and wicked. Second question did God command polygamy. Short answer is no. God commanded monogamy and Right from the beginning as we'll see in a moment here. One man wrote this he says for one thing the Old Testament makes clear from the outset.
What God's ideal is an ideal built into creation if God designed us? He also set up The way that we ought to live and here's what atheists and unbelievers generally want. They don't like aughts. They don't like moral aughts.
Anyway, it's not. It's not so much that they mind aughts in some cases, but they don't want anyone telling them how to live. They don't want God to tell them how to live. The unsaved the unregenerate heart hates God.
They hate being told what is right and what is wrong. Another author says polygamy was not considered wrong in ancient cultures, but it was a Departure from the divine institution God ordained. Well, that's true, right?
It was really and we'll see this later. It was a sign of power to have multiple wives that didn't make it. Okay, it was the pagan Kings who did this to show off. But in the Bible there are 15 examples of polygamy from the time of Lamech to the first century 15 that are Enumerated or spelled out in the Bible.
These men had enough power that no one can call into question the practice of polygamy. Nobody could hold them accountable except for maybe God but Lamech Abraham Esau Jacob Asher Gideon Elkanah David Solomon Rehoboam Jehoram Joash Jehoiachin Belshazzar and Hosea.
Polygamy is mentioned in the Mosaic law and made or and it's Basically part of the legislation and it was it continued to be part of the practice during Jewish history but it was never approved where Abraham David and Solomon condemned.
For practicing polygamy. No, but they paid a price for it. What price do you suppose Abraham paid for? Practicing polygamy. Steve Moses you mean I'm thinking about Abraham what in other words Sarah says, you know.
What why don't you take your handmaid and and since we're not having a baby and we're obviously too old for it. You know take our servant here and have a baby with her. What was the problem with that other than the fact that God hadn't Done that and showed a lack of faith in in God.
But what what what was the long-term outcome of that? What happened to that son? I mean what we see over there in the Middle East right now is Ishmael against. Yeah against Isaac right the the the Son of promise versus the one who wasn't of promise the one that God blessed versus the one God didn't bless.
And What do you think that was like for Abraham to just send Ishmael out into? The deserts. I don't think that was probably that great David suffered. In fact, what do we know that you know his some of his wives were.
All the thing all the things that David suffered by virtue of his sons were because in part because of this I mean if he hadn't committed murder if he hadn't committed adultery if he hadn't done all those things he would have had a lot less problems and Solomon will get to a little bit more.
They certainly did not get blessed. In fact, they were cursed in many ways. They suffered in many ways because of it. Scripture always commanded monogamy and I have a series of scriptures to list there, but it never condoned polygamy.
But like divorce God allowed it to occur and did not bring an immediate punishment for disobedience. But God's design let's go back to Genesis 2. Genesis 2 24 was obvious from the beginning. God's design.
Let's read Genesis 2 24 therefore a Man shall leave his father and his mother and shall hold fast to his wives. Oh wait. Hold fast to his wife and they shall become multiple flesh. No one flesh. The idea is of two individuals coming together and being one.
Not multiple individuals coming together, you know. If a wife is to cleave to her husband who is to leave his father and mother that's what it's to be. I Mean think about it this way when God determined, you know, he Was basically done with creation and what did he say?
It's not good for man to be alone so he said let's create a Companion suitable for him. He didn't say companions. He didn't make multiple, you know women. Well here you can have your choice between Eve and you know.
It wasn't like that one man one woman. That was the creation. The creation order that was his setup from the beginning and what's more? God himself models that singular love that covenant love. A Kind of a husbanding love for whom for Israel all through the Old Testament.
So we have that picture to go along with it. Now let's look at Leviticus we're gonna be looking at a lot of different passages here tonight. Leviticus 18 18 and you shall not take a woman as a rival wife to her sister.
Uncovering her nakedness while her sister is still alive. Now there are a series of prohibitions coming up here on at right after a bunch of incest prohibitions. Why this one here? Well one man argues that the idea is Not so much a biological sister, but to prevent you from taking a second Israelites woman and he says that it's reinforced by the term taking a rival wife and He points out the using the usage of that word elsewhere.
But I think the point is it at least prevented It at the very least no matter how you interpret that verse at the very least Prevented a guy from taking some his wife's sister as his second wife, so there were limitations on it.
Let's look at Deuteronomy 17 17 and this. This really comes to fruition in the life of Solomon who will look at here and the history really of polygamy in Israel was one where strife competition and disharmony take root but Deuteronomy 17 17 Talking about well in fact I want to back up.
I'll read verses 14 17 and I think the picture kind of comes to focus here when you come to the land. This is God speaking to Israel. When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you and you possess it and dwell in it and then say this Is a prophecy.
I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me. In other words Israel wants to be just like all the other countries. You may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose.
One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you who is not your brother, which is common. I mean, it's interesting if you even in recent history. It's not uncommon for the king of England to have been born in Germany or the king of Spain to be born in France or whatever and they there were just royal Families and they would set them up on different kingdoms.
But God says you will not put a foreigner over you who is not your brother. Only he must not acquire again talking about this king must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people who return to Egypt in Order to acquire many horses since the Lord has said to you.
You shall never return that way again Verse 17 and he shall not acquire many wives for himself lest his heart turn away. Nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. Now one commentator Eugene Merrill Says this he says foreign kings would tend to divert.
In other words if they put a foreigner in charge of Israel Israel's loyalty from the Covenants away from God a large contingent of horses would rekindle interest in returning to Egypt from which the best were obtained the best horses and Many wives listen with their diverse backgrounds and pagan religions.
Would induce their husbands to follow after their illicit cults. Samuel hinted that Saul would emulate some of these improprieties and of course Solomon embraced many of them with unbridled Enthusiasm that all this came to pass does not by any means prove that Deuteronomy.
That the Deuteronomy text was composed after the event, blah blah blah. It is simply a statement of profound insight into the human condition one that understands the pride and predilections of those who would rule in ignorance or Defiance of divine mandate.
What's he saying here? He's saying that it appeals to the flesh of men their pride to have many wives that apply appeals to them to Have a lot of horses to show how powerful and rich they are all these things, but listen what he says about Solomon having 700 wives and 300 concubines.
Consider that Solomon at one time was considered the wisest man in the world. Then he fell into this state. Listen to 1st Kings 11 verse 4 for it came to pass when Solomon was old that his wives Turned his heart after other gods.
It's exactly what it said in Deuteronomy if he had a lot of wives. This is what would happen and his heart was not perfect with the Lord as God as was the heart of David his father. Notice Solomon became a poly polytheist.
Because he was influenced in polygamy many many. One wife one God, that's all you need. In his case many wives became many gods now again, it was smart politics. Really up until a couple hundred years ago.
To marry somebody from foreign kingdoms, you know, they would often do that. Why you know like the the king of France would try to get the king of Spain to marry his sister. Why? Why would you do that?
Strength of the Alliance because it's pretty hard to say well We're gonna declare war, you know war on Spain when it's your sister. Who's the Queen over there? And so in the ancient times they would they would sell off course.
They had bigger families because if you have, you know, 60 70 700 wives and 300 concubines you probably have a few kids, too and. So, you know, you could sell them off or sell them off. You can marry them off to everybody right and thus have all kinds of In-laws as it were, you know places where you you were safe from attack and that was the whole Rationale behind it and besides that like I said before everybody's doing it someone looks around he goes.
Look I've got a lot of money. And look at all these other Kings and what they're doing, but spiritually it was suicide. It was deadly. A third question. Did God commend? Polygamy did he say it was good?
No, we never see that anywhere in Scripture. Nowhere is it ever commended in? Fact quite the opposite is true. Turn to 1st Timothy chapter 3 and. By the way, this is nothing new. 1st Timothy chapter 3.
Beginning in verse 1 the saying is trustworthy if anyone aspires to the office of overseer that that is elder. Pastor presbyter. He seeks a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach the husband of one wife.
Sober-minded self-controlled respectable hospitable able to teach not a drunkard nor violent. No, but gentle not quarrelsome not a lover of money. He must manage his own household. Well with all dignity keeping his children submissive.
I like it better if it said keeping his wife's. Well, they're right. But Here's the point. It's a spiritual qualification being a one-woman man is a spiritual qualification. It's required for spiritual leadership and that same pattern goes way back.
How many wives did Noah have? One and he was commended and he took his one wife into the ark and contrary to the Quran she survived. Right, I guess. All his sons all Noah's sons took one wife. God called Noah's family righteous.
If polygamy is ordained of God if it's commended by God. It would have made sense that Noah and his sons would have taken additional wives with them to repopulate the earth faster. Right, you have this big flood you want people to be fruitful and multiply.
Well, the more wives the more children but that's exactly wrong. Hebrews 13 verses 3 and 4 says marriage is honorable among all and The bed undefiled but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Well, how can it not be adultery to marry a second wife?
Proverbs 5 15 says, you know in this context Solomon's talking about staying away from Sexual sin about this woman who's aggressive. What does he say what does he advise. He says drink well from your own cistern.
Flowing water from your own. Well, well, we know that that's euphemistic language. It's symbolic language having to do with your wife. Not drink from water from your own cisterns. Of course then it starts sounding like more like I'm talking about plural sisters, but no.
Just drink well from your own or water from your own cistern your own wife be faithful to one woman. And what's what do you suppose? The biggest? Scriptural issue is with this whole idea of polygamy. What do you think?
The biggest problem would be if I just said, you know what the Bible says it's fine. What would be the biggest issue for Christians? There's a hint the biggest issue I'm gonna suggest is the image that's developed in the New Testament of Christ and the church the relationship between Jesus and the church.
Let's go to Ephesians chapter 5. I Mean we could go to Revelation where what's the church called the bride, right? Why is that because there's a bridegroom and There aren't bride grooms and there aren't brides.
There's one bride one unit and it is the church in totality. Ephesians 5 beginning in verse 24. Now as the church submits to Christ so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands love your wives.
Listen as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her that he might sanctify her having cleansed her by washing with the word washing of water with the word so that he might present the church to himself in Splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing that she might be holy and without blemish.
Blemish in the same way husbands should love their wives. And by the way, that means each their own wife singular not multiple wives as their own bodies. You only have one body you have one wife. He who loves his wife loves himself.
Moving down there a little bit further to verse 32. This mystery is profound and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
That whole picture breaks down if Polygamy is acceptable if it's biblical Christ and multiple wives that. That's wrong. Again, this is 2 ,000 years ago when Paul's writing this the Old Testament was studied it was memorized.
They knew about polygamy. But if it was commanded if it was commended this would be kind of a shock to the church's. Well, wait a minute. What why is that a good picture when we know that it's better to have more wives?
It's just wrong. Question number four. What should we make of the efforts to legalize? Polyamory polygamy polyandry these multiple pluralic Marriages, what do we do about it? Well first we should remember that in every assault of unbelievers against the truth of God.
They are arguing from a position of hatred against God. They hate God. That's what the Bible says Psalm 5 for you are not a God who delights in wickedness. Evil may not dwell with you the boastful. And I'm thinking about Lamech when I say that the boastful shall not stand before your eyes you hate all evildoers.
You destroy those who speak lies the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. God hates them. They hate him. They are his enemies. Seconds we should remember that this world is going to get more and more sinful.
A couple of different passages Romans 1. I'm just gonna read 28 to 32 and. Since they mankind did not see fit to acknowledge God God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness evil covetousness malice.
They are full of envy murder strife deceit maliciousness their gossips slanderers haters of God insolent insolent haughty boastful inventors of evil. Disobedient to parents foolish faithless heartless ruthless.
Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die. They not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. That's what we see today. It's not enough that these things are happening, but you actually are supposed to approve of them.
2nd Timothy 3 verses 12 and 13. Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ. Jesus will be persecuted. While evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse. Deceiving and being deceived things are going to continuously get worse and worse.
Third the answer to rage and anger is not rage and anger. 2nd Timothy 2. I mean I I read some of the faith Facebook posts and I'm just like, you know It's pointless to try to argue with people about morality.
Listen to 2nd Timothy chapter 2 verses 24 to 26 and the Lord's servant Must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone able to teach patiently enduring evil correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth and They may come to their senses and listen Escape from the snare of the devil after being captured by him to do his will.
There are little Satan robots running around doing what they do. They're his children. They're programmed by him. They do what? Their master wants them to do. We have to appeal to God By his word to release them to grant them Repentance a change of mind.
Fourth the government cannot save us. Politics is ultimately not the key. Well, why not? Because we're gonna be outnumbered. I Mean we can't impose the truth on people. Now does that mean that you cannot and should not try?
You know that you shouldn't be involved in the political process. No. It just means that you're like the proverbial kid. You know when the the holes start popping up in the dam and you're just trying to stick your fingers in all the holes eventually you Run out of fingers and that's what's gonna happen.
Too many problems and too little of you. You can't solve them all. Furthermore the natural man is the group pictured in Psalm 2 as I said earlier trying to cast off the restraining power or the fetters of God.
Their goal is unrestrained sin and there is no fear of God in their hearts. Therefore they just keep sinning and they want more and more and more. Government cannot save us. We can't even count on the Supreme Court.
Fifth arguing scripture with unbelievers is like arguing auto mechanics with me. It's a waste of time. I don't know anything and they don't know anything about scripture. Oh, they could say that they do.
But they don't. I read the fact I read this top 10 list of. You know, you might be a fundamentalist if and it was it was written from an atheistic point of view. It wasn't very nice. And number one was, you know, if you're a fundamentalist Christian.
Basically atheists know more about the Bible than you do and you don't care. I'm like, I don't think that's true. I hope it's not true. But here's what I do know about atheists. They don't understand scripture rightly because they don't have the Holy Spirit.
They might be able to pick up some truths, but they don't they don't understand the God of the Bible. So they're never they can't believe it and they don't really trust it. They're looking for errors and not for the truth.
Sixth the answer is What do you do with these people. You have to give them the gospel we can you know. Have all the protests we want we can we can think whatever we want. We can believe the Bible which is good, right?
We can think whatever we want about Polygamy and all these other things and be right, but we also have to understand that we're not going to change the governmental system. And we're not called to do that.
We're called to honor the king no matter how unreasonable the king might be. That's Ultimately not the point. The point is we have to submit to these God placed authorities in our lives. We can't change the law or even if we can it won't change the heart.
Now one writer I was reading I really like this he goes this is what their strategy is. It worked for homosexual marriage, and now they're going to try it on other issues like polyamory. Stage one is to tolerate it in other words We need to be tolerance and and they're gonna preach tolerance and they're gonna push it and you know.
We need to be open-minded. Stage two is to legislate it and we see it all over the place. Stage three is to make opposition to it intolerable. Then he says wash rinse repeat. This is what we're gonna see over and over again, and I was reading something the other day about I think it was a judge who raised the idea of The the age of consent and whether that should be something else that's looked at you know and and so we're going to see this.
It's now Homosexual marriage. It's going to be polygamy polyamory. Polyandry and we're going to see them pressing the edge trying to get pedophilia. The laws on that I think will probably be attacked here in the near future.
So what do we do preach the gospel? Teach our children the truth. I mean really what you have to do is you have to equip them. Because these things are gonna hit them and if they don't know the answers or if they don't trust the Word of God.
They're gonna be in a lot of trouble. We need to stand up against deception when we can a Christian should never vote to legalize debauchery. I don't really understand for example the idea of voting to approve different things that that the world wants because all these things have attachments with them and I don't care whether it's a Casino or whatever it is if you think that all that's happening is now that people who have extra money are going to spend it at the casino instead of you know on the lottery tickets you're deluded because other things attach themselves to that namely alcoholism.
Prostitution all manner of sin and crime attends legalized gambling. We should also pray for our leaders for our governmental leaders, we should pray that they get saved. But above all we have to rest in the finished work of Christ.
We know that things are going to get worse and worse. This world is passing away and this world is not our home and that's the good news. But does God? Command polygamy. No, does he approve of polygamy?
No. From the beginning it was always one man. One woman period that was his design and that is his command. Let's pray father we thank you for your word more sure than the changing opinions of the world the the wisdom of this age really nothing more than Better lies that the father of lies is disseminating through his children.
Father guard our hearts Against either participating in these evil deeds or even condoning them in any kind of way. But father, let us not be discouraged knowing that things are going to get worse and worse.
Let us focus instead on Christ on his finished work trusting in him and even saying Lord Jesus come quickly because as we watch as we see we're just Vexed in our spirits and Lord, we long for you to come and set the world, right?
Father, I pray for each one here this evening that our hearts would be stirred to love and good works and just to be reminded that Whatever is going on you are on your throne. You are sovereign father.
We praise you in Christ's name. Amen.