A Time for Reformation

Paul said, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes." That was his message in a time of political chaos. That's what he preached. As we look at our nation and the world around us, with all the political division that's going on, that's the message we need to get back to.

I pray the message goes well, too. How are you all doing? Good. Thank you very much. My three-game suspension is over, so we're good. It's all good.

I have a few things I wanted to announce before we get into the Scriptures today. First, thank you to those of you who joined us yesterday at Maranatha Chapel for our memorial for Rich Gary. We had a wonderful time honoring his memory, and I appreciate that so many of you came out. Thank you also to those of you who brought finger food. We had exceedingly abundantly above anything we could ever ask for, so that was awesome.

Please continue to keep Mayor and her family in your prayers. We greatly appreciate your prayers. Also, tomorrow, please be praying for our harvest parties. We have seven or eight of them going on at various connect group houses throughout the area. If you're interested in being a part of that, you can come talk with us at the connection point after the service today. We want to reach out to our community and our neighbors, so we have these harvest parties as trick-or-treaters are going around for Halloween. We will also have some treats for the parents, and people will be having games in their front yards. We will have one of our houses set up because we have a great house for trick-or-treaters, so that will be awesome. Please be praying for that tomorrow night.

Over the last year or so, we've been sharing with you about a trip we were planning and preparing for—a tour of Israel and some of the areas where the journeys of Paul took place in the Book of Acts. We're leaving this Tuesday, so please be praying for the group that's heading out on Tuesday morning. This means that over the next two weeks, we will have a couple more guest speakers. I encourage you to invite some friends to come because we have some great guest speakers lined up for the next couple of weeks. Next Sunday, my good friend, Dr. Mickey Stoney, is going to be coming to share here at the church.

If you've been here for a while, you've heard Mickey before. He was here a couple of years ago. He is a pastor at the Rock Church in San Diego, alongside another pastor, Miles. He pastored at Horizon Christian Fellowship with Mike McIntosh for about 35 years. On top of that, he has also been a chaplain with the emergency medical and law enforcement community for a very long time. With Mike McIntosh, he was the key chaplain on the ground at Ground Zero in New York after 9/11. He has an amazing testimony and has just written a book that discusses ministering to people who are going through times of grief and trauma. He holds a Ph.D. in psychology, and I believe it will be a great message. This would be a wonderful opportunity for you to invite someone to come. Make sure you don't miss it. Mickey is a great friend and mentor of mine.

The following week, another good friend of mine, Dr. Chuck Allers, who pastors a church in San Diego, will be here. He has a Ph.D. in Islamic studies and has a lot of valuable information that he wants to share. I think it will be a great message as well. So, in the next couple of weeks, we have some excellent speakers coming to share with you. I am looking forward to that.

With that, would you open your Bibles to the book of Romans? Romans is in the New Testament, right after the book of Acts and just before the books of First and Second Corinthians. If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one. We are going to read from two verses in Romans, chapter one, verses 16 and 17 today.

Please stand with me for the reading of God's Word. Romans, chapter one, verse 16 states, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'"

Father, as we consider your Word today and think about the applications and ramifications of these truths, I pray that you would continue to transform us by the renewing of our minds. Lord, do such a work in our lives that we, just like the apostle who wrote these words, would also not be ashamed of the gospel—the good news of who you are and what you've done. May we be like bright, shining lights that cannot be hidden, shining in a dark world that is in desperate need of your grace, goodness, and peace.

Your forgiveness. So, God, do a work in us. I'm more convinced than ever, as I look at our nation and the world, that what our world needs more than ever is your good news of the gospel. So, God, work in us that we would be those who have been transformed by the gospel, but also those who are, Lord, declaring it. So work in us, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, Amen. You can be seated.

We have been driving for many hours. It was a late Sunday afternoon in late summer. The late afternoon sun was shining over rich farmland as far as you could see. It was one of those extremely stereotypical situations. We were actually driving in a VW van. As we were driving along on this motorway, every sight, every smell, everything that my senses were taking in was completely new. I had never been there before, and it felt like being a small child experiencing everything for the first time.

On either side of the road, there were these huge trellises and long vines, 20 feet tall, almost ready to be harvested hops. We had just passed a sign that had names like Dachau, Nuremberg, and Munich on it. As we were driving east towards Austria, I thought to myself, this is where it all happened. This is where it all went down. One of the greatest events in history, a great historical showdown between two big competing forces. This was the epicenter from which a group of great names like Wycliffe, Huss, Beza, Tyndale, Zwingli, Melanchthon, Knox, Calvin, and Luther sprang forth and shook the world of their day.

Now, if you've heard those names before, you know that I'm not talking about what took place on that very same ground in the 20th century and the two world wars that happened there in that region. I'm talking about another shaking event that occurred many years before in the 16th century, which is now referred to as the Protestant Reformation. I'm sure that all of you are aware that tomorrow is a holiday in our nation, and many...

People will put on costumes and go door to door for Halloween trick-or-treating. However, it wasn't until I moved to Germany in 2003 that I realized that October 31st is more than just Halloween. There's another holiday that takes place on October 31st. We may not necessarily celebrate it here, but in Germany, they certainly do.

Before I moved there, I knew a little about the Protestant Reformation. I had never really studied it in depth or understood what took place. I recognized names like John Calvin, John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, and Martin Luther, but I didn't know much about their contributions or the events surrounding them until I was able to visit some of the significant sites. It wasn't until I stood before what is called the Schlosskirche, or the Castle Church, in Wittenberg, Germany, that I truly grasped the importance of those events that occurred there 499 years ago.

Maybe you don't know the history, and that's okay, because it's not something we often delve into—the history of the Protestant Reformation. But on October 31st, 499 years ago, in 1517, a pivotal event in church history took place that has profoundly impacted the world. On that day, Martin Luther, not Martin Luther King Jr., but Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk from Eisleben, Germany, began to circulate a document that was a complaint against the Catholic Church.

This was a significant act because he was, at that time, a Catholic monk and theologian, as well as a professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Wittenberg. Here was this German Catholic monk who put together this document and began to circulate it. He first sent it to the Archbishop of Mainz in that area, and then he nailed it to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The 95 Theses was a list of 95 complaints against the doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church. You may have heard the phrase "the shot heard round the world"; it was almost like the hammer heard round the world as he nailed it to the door of the church.

Now, you may wonder why he would nail it to the door of the church.

Was it like an eviction notice? I mean, what is he doing here? During that period of time, a lot of the news for the community would go to the church, almost like a bulletin board. They would put various things up, and he brought this document there, making it for public circulation. His complaint, his argument against some of the practices of the church, transformed and shook much.

When you look back on that event that took place on October 31st, 1517, almost 500 years ago, it is still celebrated today as Reformation Day in Germany. It is important to recognize that this is not really the launch of the Reformation; it was a tipping point, a turning point in the Reformation. However, the Reformation began before that. It actually started not in the 16th century, but in the 14th century.

You may be wondering why I am bringing all this up. Why am I trudging through this kind of history? I am not here to do a history lesson on the Protestant Reformation today, even though tomorrow is the celebration of Reformation Day. The reason I am bringing this up is that, as I look at things going on in our world 500 years later, I genuinely feel that we are in a time that calls for another serious Reformation.

The Protestant Reformation began, as I said, before Martin Luther and what he did in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31st, 1517. It began with other names like John Wycliffe and Jan Hus, specifically at the end of the 1300s, in 1377. Back at that time in the 14th century in continental Europe, there was no such thing as a separation of church and state; that did not exist. There were state governing authorities, if you will. There were princes, kings, and lords over areas and regions in Germany, the Netherlands, France, England, and Austria, among other places.

Above them was the church, which had incredible authority. Though these lords and individuals could dictate what would happen in their time, the church dealt with matters that were eternal. If you were excommunicated from the church, you could do little in society.

The church had extreme power, and then in 1377, there was a split in the church, known as the Great Schism. The church was divided in two, not over theological issues or differences in belief, but over political issues. The Catholic Church, headed by the pope, was split into two factions, with one pope in Rome and another in France. For the next 30 years, especially until a council could address these issues, there was conflict, including the Thirty Years' War.

This political divide in 1377 shook society, prompting people to examine the issues within the church. At the same time, significant changes were occurring. Until that point, when people gathered for Mass, they would hear the priest speak in Latin, as all the scripture was in that language. However, during this period, there were movements to translate the scriptures into English. John Wycliffe translated the first English Bible, allowing people to read the scriptures on their own. As they did so, they began to scrutinize the church, which was politically divided and corrupt in many ways.

This period of church history did not reflect a good witness of Christ at all. Individuals in England, inspired by John Wycliffe's ministry, looked at the Bible and the church and realized that things did not add up. Following Wycliffe, in Prague, Jan Hus also began translating scripture. He and others examined the scriptures alongside the church and concluded that they did not align.

Thus, the seeds of reformation began to be planted. Two hundred years later, when Martin Luther emerged, the fruit of these efforts began to manifest. There was a great shaking and a significant transition. The political divide in the church in 1377 gave rise to a massive theological renewal, with individuals like Wycliffe and Hus leading the charge. This movement continued to challenge the false teachings and poor witness of the church, revealing that the political structures of the church were corrupt to the core.

And the theological church or the theological positions were in error. Again, why do I bring this up? Because I think we all sense that we are in need of a new reformation. Why do we see this? Why do I sense that? Well, because of this.

Does anybody get one of these? I was going through this the other day, and I found it kind of interesting. I’ll be very honest; I don't like to talk politics from the pulpit. As long as I'm here, this pulpit, or pub table, is going to be biblical, not political. But it's amazing to me as I look at some of the things that are in this, and then I've been getting all these emails. I've been out for a few weeks, at least not here for a few weeks, but I get lots of emails from you, and all the emails have this common theme. They all have to do with politics and the question, "Pastor, when are you going to say something about politics?"

It's really interesting, these emails. I got one email from someone in the church saying that Donald Trump is evil and wicked. Then I received another email stating that we have to elect Donald Trump because Hillary Clinton is wicked and evil. I got yet another email saying, "Oh, we can't do that because Donald Trump is so bad." Finally, I received an email that said we shouldn't vote for president, period, because neither one of them is good. So, we are politically divided, just a little.

There are all these sorts of things, and there was this common theme of, "Pastor, what are you going to say about these things, and when are you going to tell us how to vote?" Well, never. Just so you know, if you ask that, I'm not going to tell you how to vote. I'm not even really interested in talking much about what's at the top of the ticket regarding president or vice president.

However, I do know that Psalm 2, verse 4 says that God beholds the nations. He looks at the politics of the nations and laughs in heaven. This year, we've given Him a lot to laugh about. Although I'm not interested in discussing the top of the ticket, the presidential politics, there is something about this document that is bigger than I remember in the past. I've mentioned that now you need two stamps to send this in. There are some things that interest me.

Before we get to that, there's a passage of Scripture that came to my mind as I was thinking about these things this week. It's found in the Old Testament, right about the middle of your Bible, in the book of...

Isaiah is a big book, containing sixty-six chapters. Right after the books of Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon comes this significant book of Isaiah. We are going to be in Isaiah chapter five.

As you're turning there, I want to give a brief history of what was going on twenty-eight hundred years ago when Isaiah spoke these things to his nation and challenged the power of his day. He spoke to power during a time when the nation of Israel was in chaos. The nation was falling apart, and the political sphere was corrupt.

Interestingly, when Isaiah wrote this, the nation had a king named Uzziah. He started out really well, enjoying super high public opinion polls. Things were thriving at the beginning of Uzziah's reign, which lasted for more than fifty years. However, toward the end of his reign, he got it in his head that he was being held back as king from what he felt he should be able to do. He thought, "I'm the king. I'm at the top. I should be able to do whatever I want."

One day, he decided he wanted to go into the temple, a place where only the priests could minister before God. He believed he should not be withheld from doing that. So, he woke up one day and said, "I'm going to the temple today." He went to the temple, wanting to enter the place where God said only priests could pass. Seventy priests came out to try to stop him, saying, "You can't do this." But Uzziah insisted, "I'm doing it anyway. I'm the king. Nobody tells me no."

As he pushed his way into the temple, the priests noticed something appearing on his forehead. He was struck by God with leprosy, which meant he was to be isolated from the nation because of his sin. He lived the remainder of his days in isolation from all the people due to the political corruption. You could say it was a scandal, one that would have made headlines in Jerusalem if they had tabloids back then.

Isaiah observed all of this, and it wasn't just the king; everyone in the nation had departed from God. He wrote in Isaiah chapter five, verse 20, "Woe to those." The word "woe" can mean that doom is certain.

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight. Woe to men mighty at drinking wine. Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink. Woe to those who justify the wicked for a bribe and take away justice from the righteous man.

Isaiah is looking at a system that is corrupt. He is observing a political nightmare. Twenty-eight hundred years ago, he said this cannot continue long. Woe to you who call evil good and good evil. This may not be an unfamiliar passage to you, or perhaps you have never seen it before. I have heard this come up from time to time in political discussions.

On Tuesday, I sat in my office and broke this passage open. I started flipping through it and looking at it. As I mentioned, I was not necessarily interested in the top of the ticket, but I began examining the state propositions. I thought, wow. Maybe you haven't looked at this yet. In fact, if you are not planning on reviewing this until you step into the little booth to vote on Tuesday, November 8th, you might be a little shocked. You might find yourself saying, "Wait, what? What is this?"

Take, for example, Prop 57. What does Prop 57 have to do with? It pertains to reducing criminal sentences for juvenile felons. We can argue the pros and cons of this. We can discuss the virtues and vices of this issue. We could go back and forth on it all day long.

As I was reflecting on this and searching for information online, I found websites that list what those in favor of it are saying and what those against it are saying. As I read both sides, I often found myself agreeing with some points and disagreeing with others. It left me uncertain about where to stand on the whole issue.

However, what I found myself thinking as I read through this is that we have a problem in our nation that relates to justice. Isaiah had a similar problem in his day. In verse 23 of Isaiah 5, it states that they justify the wicked for a bribe and take away justice from a righteous man. Righteous people are convicted when they shouldn't be, while unrighteous people are let off when they shouldn't be.

At the very least, Prop 57 indicates that we have a problem with justice in our nation. I would suggest to you that one of our major issues, one of the root causes of this problem of justice, is that we have rejected the concept that there is an absolute standard of right and wrong.

Actual moral truth has become relative. It's been like this for a very long time. This is not new, but it's increasingly becoming relative. Someone will say, "This is right," and another will respond, "How can you say that's right and that's wrong? Because I think that's wrong and I think that's right." What do you call evil good and good evil? We can't even call evil evil anymore because it's all become relative.

I moved from Proposition 57 and kept going down the line until I got to Proposition 60. I read it and thought, "Really? We're actually voting on this? Have you read this? Have you looked at Proposition 60?" A few of you have. Proposition 60 is about adult film performers. Really? This is on the ballot? It's very hard to research something about this on Google, but I did come across a very interesting article from 2003 in The Guardian. This is 13 years ago. The Guardian writes that the U.S. leads the world in pornography, with about 211 new films produced every week. Los Angeles is the center of the film boom, and many of those in the trade are otherwise respectable citizens. Since they're otherwise respectable citizens, apparently we need some regulation. I guess we need OSHA to go in and regulate some things within the film industry. And so we get to vote on this: Proposition 60. Wow.

Then I kept going and got down to Proposition 62, the Death Penalty Initiative Statute. What's this? Well, we want to repeal the death penalty. Now, I understand that in this very room there are differences of opinion on this issue, and I respect that. However, I do want to point out one thing: Genesis chapter 9, verse 6, states that God instituted the death penalty. You might say, "He did?" Yes, let me read it to you. It says in Genesis 9:6, "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed." You might ask, "Really? Why?" Well, He tells us why.

For in the image of God, He made man. God says, "This is why I say this is important: whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed." Why? Because, God says, "I created man in My image."

You see, when God created humanity, as described in Genesis chapters 1 and 2, He created male and female uniquely. Therefore, God places upon us His own value and dignity, and He values life very highly. Consequently, if someone kills another person, then they are to be put to death.

Now, there are restrictions that God has given regarding premeditated first-degree murder and manslaughter. You can read about that in the Levitical law. There are statutes and standards for these matters.

But why is it that we have such a conflict in our nation regarding the idea of the death penalty? Well, it goes back to the concept of a moral law and a moral lawgiver. It also relates to the recognition that we all have: the justice system, even in a nation with a fairly good justice system, doesn't always bring justice. Sometimes, people who didn't commit the crime serve time and die, while those who did commit the crime are released. If it doesn't fit, you have to acquit.

Then I looked at Proposition 63, which limits individuals' ability to buy ammunition. They first have to be licensed to do so. You can have varying views on this, but I find it interesting. Felons are considered good, adult film stars are good, the death penalty is bad, and ammunition is bad. Interesting.

But that's not even my favorite. Proposition 64, on page two, is the marijuana legalization initiative statute. What's this? Yes, let's legalize recreational pot and give a whole new meaning to higher education and high school. You just go, "Wow."

It's not just in the state of California that this is being voted on. Obviously, it was already passed in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon, and now it's on the ballot in California and eight other states. This means that if on Tuesday, November...

On the 8th, it passes in all of those states. It's possible it won't, but if it passes in all nine of those new states, then that means more than 30% of Americans will now live in states that have recreational access to marijuana. This will likely force the United States Supreme Court, probably in the next session, to vote on this at a federal level.

This is interesting. Then I got to Proposition 65 and 67. I guess this is so important. We needed two of them because apparently plastic bags are really bad. Felons are good, adult film stars are good, the death penalty is bad, ammunition is bad, marijuana is great, and plastic bags are bad. I guess we're going to need to reduce our use of plastic because the film industry is going to need it.

I'm sorry to be crass, but this is insane. It's just strange to me. I felt like I was reading fiction while I was reading. I was like, this is the ballot. Wow. Again, I'll go back to Isaiah chapter five, but I want to read it in a different version briefly.

Isaiah 5:18 from another English version says, "Woe to you who use lives to sell evil, who haul sin to market by the truckload, who say, 'What's God waiting for? Let Him get up and move so we can see it. Where's God? I thought He said we shouldn't do these things. Where is He?' Woe to those who say such things. They say, 'Whatever the Holy One of Israel has cooked up, we'd like to check it out. Where's God?' Woe to you who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness in place of light and light in place of darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to you who think you're so smart, who hold such a high opinion of yourselves. All you're good at is drinking—champion boozers who collect trophies from drinking bouts and then line your pockets with bribes from the guilty while you violate the rights of the innocent."

Now, it's interesting that the typical response of many Christians when we see things like this is to say, "We can't let these things pass. If we let these things pass, then it's going to devastate our nation."

It's going to be the end of the Republic. It's going to be the end of the nation. I'm here to tell you that the very fact that these propositions are on the ballot is an indication that something is wrong with us as a people. It takes more than 400,000 signatures in the state of California to get an initiative on the ballot. It takes more than 600,000 signatures to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot, which means that every single one of these propositions came about by someone signing a petition.

When you walk outside of Vons and they say, "Hey, will you sign this petition?" you might say, "Yeah, sure. What's it for?" Normally, you don't even ask that. You just say, "Oh yeah, sure. Whatever." But it takes signatures to get these things on the ballot. These propositions are the thermometer and not the thermostat. What do I mean? These things tell us the temperature; they don't change anything. They just tell us where we're at as a people. They are the symptom and not the cause.

They give us a peek every year when we have propositions come through, but especially every four years when we have a presidential election. A lot of times, people wait to get these things on the ballot until a presidential election because they know turnout will be higher. So every four years, we get to peek in and see the pulse of what's going on in our society and in our state. These are things that you can't see on a normal everyday basis, but you kind of sense that something might be wrong. Then all of a sudden, you go, "Whoa, something's really, really wrong."

To give you an example, this last Friday, I went to the doctor and got my first cholesterol test. I was very glad to hear that it's low. I'm good; I'm happy. I wasn't too happy about the whole process of taking blood. I complained to my wife, who is a nurse, and she texted me and said, "Suck it up." I'm serious; I can show you the text message.

I don't know internally what's going on, but I can get the test results back and see the numbers: HDL, LDL. There they are. Or maybe you're not feeling completely right; it seems like something's not working quite right with your heart. They put the electrodes on and do an EKG, and now they can see, "Yes, here's what's wrong." That's what these propositions do. They tell us what's going on. They give us insight into the framework and mindset of the people of our state—the state of our state.

As has been said, you probably heard it before: "So goes California, so goes the nation."

Whatever happens on November 8th and whoever is elected when we wake up on November 9th, it is an indication of where we are as a people. It tells us something about what we already are.

So what then? I finally get to this little piece of paper in your bulletin. I will do something I normally don't do: I’m going to give you three points right after another.

Point number one: There is a theological reason for our political divide. In 1377, there was a political divide. Yes, the church was in power, so the political divide took place within the church, but what it exposed was a bad theology problem. The people didn't know who God was. They didn't know what God had said. Therefore, they opted to do what was right in their own hearts and minds. Just as during the time of the judges in Israel, when there was no king, everyone did what was right in his own eyes. There is a theological reason for our political divide. As we look at all the things that are going on in our nation, it goes back to our misunderstanding, or lack of understanding, of who God is and what He says.

Point number two: Our political divide must drive a theological renewal. We need today, again, a John Wycliffe, a Jan Hus, a Martin Luther. What we need as Christians is to understand who God is and what God says from His Word. We need a theological renewal. We need to be driven by looking at all that is going on in the nation.

You see, what typically happens, especially since the moral majority days and the Christian coalition days of the 1980s and onward, is that when we see these things, the church jumps up and becomes politically active. We need to become politically active. However, I think most Christians have come to realize that political activism has not really done much. Look at what has happened in the nation since then. I suggest to you that we need more theological engagement.

Point number three: Only a theological renewal will bring about the reformation we need.

Only a theological renewal will bring about the reformation that we need. So what should we do?

Remember that Paul, the apostle who wrote Romans, lived in a time of massive political corruption—political corruption off the charts. He was writing that letter, the letter to the Roman Christians, to those who lived in the capital of the empire. At that very moment when he was writing, an individual was rising to power by the name of Nero, who, when it comes to being politically corrupt, trumped every one of the politicians we have in our day. Paul writes to them, and it wasn't just Paul; Peter, James, John, Bartholomew, and Thomas—all the early apostles—lived in this politically corrupt world.

Paul writes and says in Romans chapter 13, "Submit yourself to the government." Why? What should we do? Paul states in Romans chapter 1, verse 14, "I am a debtor to both Greeks and barbarians, both to wise and unwise. So as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also." He didn't gear up for political activism; he geared up for biblical proclamation.

"I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are in Rome." Why? "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the just shall live by faith." Those words, "the just shall live by faith," were the very words that transformed that Augustinian monk named Martin Luther.

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness."

Point number four: we must maintain an unashamed gospel focus. We must maintain an unashamed gospel focus. That's what Paul did. "I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God. I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are at Rome." He maintained an unashamed gospel focus.

And what happened? If you read through history, you find that over the next 200 to 300 years, the proclamation...

The gospel of Jesus Christ completely revolutionized the world of His day, even to the point of completely crumbling the structure that had been set up in Rome. Through the preaching of the gospel, I take you back briefly to Isaiah. As Isaiah was looking at the corruption of his day, he pronounced judgment as he observed all the things happening around him. King Uzziah had also become corrupt, leading the nation toward corruption. He imposed his will to enter the temple, and God struck him. For the next decade and a half, he spent time in isolation as a king shown to be corrupt. The entire nation was grieved.

In Isaiah 6, right after Isaiah pronounces judgment, it begins with these words: "In the year that King Uzziah died." There was a political vacancy; the throne was empty, and the corrupt power was gone. The nation was probably deflated. Yet we see this in the text: "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up." We need to remember that Jesus is on the throne. Our focus needs to be on the fact that Jesus is on the throne, not on the offices of Washington. I understand that this often becomes our focus, but we need to lift our eyes and realize that ultimately we are accountable to a much higher authority in heaven.

What this world, this nation needs, is not another political savior. Politicians cannot save. This nation needs Jesus. This nation needs the power of God through the gospel. Sin is real, and hell is an actual place of judgment, which every single one of us deserves because inwardly...

We are just as corrupt as every politician we see on TV. It's just that when you start promoting yourself, your corruption is going to come out somehow, in some way. The things that you said in private will come out. The things that you did in private will come out. Then we point the finger and say, "Oh, look how bad they are." Because it's just us on display.

What does our world need? It needs Jesus. We all deserve the judgment of hell, but Jesus came. He lived a perfect life and died a brutal death. Why? For me, for you. He rose from the dead that He might forgive and save us. When I look at these things, it grieves me, but it reminds me that Sacramento, Washington D.C., Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and all the legislators in Congress, what they need is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's the power of God.

Though we live in a time where our society is increasingly gearing toward saying, "You guys are all nuts," I get to be called the leader of the nuts. It's awesome. We're all just nuts because we believe in the actual resurrection of Jesus Christ, that He is in heaven. We need to not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation. One day, God's judgment will be revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness.

I don't know about you, but I don't want anybody I know to be under the wrath of God. I want them to know His forgiving grace. Amen. Let's stand and pray to that end.

Father God, we need You. Sometimes it feels like we need You more than ever, but we always need You more than ever. Jesus, I pray that You would remind us of Your supremacy, that You are King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and that You are seated upon a throne in heaven. I pray that that reality, that truth, would in some way set our hearts and minds at peace. Though we find ourselves in the midst of a nation and a world that is lost and unmoored,

Drifting about in the tide, headed for rocks, Lord, I pray that you would help us to be those who are lights shining in the darkness. May our mouths speak forth the grace and truth that you've given to us, because many of us standing here in this room today have experienced your saving grace and power in our lives through the gospel.

So God, would you help us to not be ashamed, but to speak with boldness and to share these things with clarity to anyone we have an opportunity to share them with? Strengthen our hearts and our minds in you. Help us to be fully established upon you and your Word. As we look at the political conditions and divide in our nation, God, would you drive a new renewal theologically? Drive in us first a passion to know you and to know your Word. Thank you, Jesus.

And maybe as we're standing here this morning, you have never put your faith in Christ. You've never asked Him to give you His grace and forgiveness. If you'd like to do that today, I want to give you an opportunity to do so. Jesus died in your place, in my place, to take the punishment for our sin upon Himself. He rose from the dead, declaring that He has completely paid the price.

If you want to receive His grace and forgiveness today, would you just lift up your hand wherever you are? Is there anyone here this morning who would like to receive the forgiving grace of God? Anyone here? Praise the Lord.

Father, we thank you for your grace. Help us to go from this place with that grace, to share it with all we come in contact with. We praise you, Jesus. Amen. Let's sing to the Lord. Amen.