Greetings to you, my friend. We welcome you to our Bible study In Search of the Lord’s Way. We firmly believe His Way, the Lord’s Way, is the best way to live the world has ever known. And we are presented here by some of our friends-- yours and mine-- members of churches of Christ in the area served by this station, with the sincere prayer that we’ll all be blessed.
Say, we’re glad that you have joined us for our Bible study today. There is talk everywhere I go for the need of restoring character and integrity to our national life. Responsible people have observed with disappointment the disastrous breakdown of our national morality. We have seen our country move through many devastating moral crises in recent years-- well, even in recent weeks when one of our aspiring and promising national leaders confessed an adulterous affair. We realize we simply must change our moral direction.
If it’s legal it’s morally right. Well, for many that is the test for moral behavior. However friend, we simply must find a moral order that works in the absence of-- or, perhaps maybe I should say, other than “a controlling legal authority.” People who must have an act of the national congress-- or the state legislature-- to control their behavior are not trustworthy. They are not a free people, despite their prideful and strong boasts of being so. They’re already enslaved and well on the road to a totalitarian government rule. Freedom is only for people of character-- people who can be trusted to do the right thing even in the absence of a “controlling legal authority.” William Penn was right when he said, “People, who will not be governed by God, will be ruled by tyrants.” And better still is the word of God. And God says, “The transgressors shall be destroyed together; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble” That is Psalm chapter 37, verse 38.
Well, that’s our study today. If you think you might want a free printed copy, a CD or an audio cassette tape of it, you should mail your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or by e-mail the address is searchtv@searchtv.org. You may use our toll-free telephone number if you prefer to call; and that number is 1-800-321-8633. Ken Helterbrand’s going to lead us now as we sing, and then I’ll be back and we will read the Bible together and pray together.
I had a professor at the University of Oklahoma some years ago who insisted that the greatest speech in all of world literature was Christ’s Sermon on the Mount; and it is recorded for us in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7. We are going to be reading the last paragraph of that great speech, and if you haven’t read it recently you should read the whole speech, chapters 5, 6, and 7. We are going to begin with chapter 7, verse 21. “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! Therefore whoever hears these saying of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. Now everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall. And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Now let’s go to God in prayer. Holy Father, we are thankful to You for this passage that we have read today, the concluding part of our Lord’s great Sermon on the Mount. And we pray that the reading of it will be a blessing to some people who perhaps have not read it for a long time. And help us as we study the meaning of it and the strength that there is in it for us to live the Christian life, to do the will of the Savior. In His name we pray, Amen!
Recently the national news media carried story after story after story of the immoral behavior of a fallen political hero. So? There is no law against what he did. Our newspaper reported on August 12th that one school in our immediate area was considering “uniforms” for all students to help control the behavior of students on school premises. Opposition? Oh, I guess so-- from parents, too! It was in the news a few days ago that one state (And I won’t name it because it isn’t our purpose to embarrass anybody, but one state) is considering legislation that would forbid boys-- well, young men, too-- or old men, too, I suppose from wearing low-cut jeans that expose more than three inches of their under-shorts! Oh me! Where have all of our morals gone? Now, I suppose the police will have to carry a tape measure as well as a camera along with all the other equipment and weapons that they must carry. I’m sure that news was received with sadness by some boys and men, but it was received by others with grave concern, I assure you. It was good news that at last someone has awakened to the sad condition we’re in.
Another even more recent news story is that one (or perhaps it’s one more) state has now passed legislation legalizing euthanasia-- physician assisted killing of the terminally ill, the poor, the elderly and otherwise those that are unable to pay for medical treatment. Or, could they just be unwanted-- people? You probably thought I was going to say “animals,” didn’t you, pets? No, friend; it is people-- your pets are protected by “legal controlling authority,” in most instances. It’s people who can’t pay or have no insurance to cover medical treatment and who don’t “qualify” for medical assistance.
Another state has had two public referendums (two votes of the people) in which the people have twice rejected gay marriages in their state. Each time the voice of the people has been denied them by court order, and they are now preparing for another vote.
Who wants a government that’s already killing more than a million little innocent, helpless, unwanted, pre-born or being born babies every year; who has dismissed God from our children’s education; who doesn’t permit the mention of God on school premises except in profanity; that teaches our children we’re not God’s creation, we are merely biological accident called evolution; that encourages teenage pre-marital sex by providing free condoms and sex education classes; who gives sanction to the basest kind of sexual perversions; who says that truth is whatever you think it is; who approves and teaches and supports the “gay” lifestyle, and teaches contrary to the family’s beliefs and values-- I say who wants that kind of a government-approved education to teach “character” to our children? Well, God’s word says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” That is Psalm 37:23.
Character is of two kinds: good and bad. Character of either kind is also developed. It’s easy enough to learn “bad character.” Simply go along with the crowd. But, good character is acquired by effort of conviction. Character, bad or good, is taught first at home. Parents are not neutral: they are the teachers of bad or good character by the way they live before their children, as well as what they teach their children. A person of good character is one who can be depended on to follow that code of morals and ethics-- even in the absence of “a controlling legal authority.”
Some years ago I read the story of Major General William F. Dean. (I’m sure I related this story about them before; and you might not have heard it then so I am going to repeat it.) General Dean was a prisoner of war in North Korea and was subjected to the inhuman torture and the fiendish methods of brainwashing so commonly used by the North Korean Communists on their prisoners in that war. And some of General Dean’s fellow-prisoners were unable to resist those cruel efforts to extract military information from them, but General Dean was. He held forth. In order to retain his sanity during those long, difficult years of captivity, Dean resorted to playing mathematical games, reciting passages of Scripture and to prayer.
Then one day he was informed by his captors that a firing squad was standing by ready for his execution. He was given a few minutes to write a letter to his wife. Under those extremely difficult circumstances, General Dean hurriedly penned what he thought would be his last words. He was resigned to the thought that if and when the letter should be delivered and read, he would be dead. Well, in only a matter of minutes, he had finished his letter. But in addition to the words of devotion which he addressed to his wife, Dean wrote one sentence for the guidance of his son. It was short. But that’s what I wanted you to get. Please listen, will you? It said, “Tell Bill the word is ‘integrity.’”
Integrity, my friend, is a firm adherence to a code of values, particularly moral and ethical values. It’s “soundness of moral principle and character, complete honesty and uprightness, with no masking of intent.” And that is what it is, it is easy, that’s what it is when it is easy, I should say, and when it is difficult. Faithfulness or loyalty to a code of ethics and morals is not just when it’s convenient or suitable, but even when it’s difficult or painful; not just when there’s a policeman present, but in private moments as well. Integrity: it’s essential to the survival of any civilization or any individual. It is essential to our survival as a nation, that we restore “character” to our community life as well as our private and personal lives. There is absolutely no basis for a satisfactory relationship between nations or people without it.
We believe the Lord has a better way for us to live than what we have been seeing in our country in recent years. The root of the problem is that we have rejected the Lord and His way and gone on our own ways. Someone has said that, “Don’t force your religion on us.” Oh no, my friend, believe me, we have no desire or intention to try to force our personal feelings or opinions or our faith on anyone, but we would like to have you consider the Lord’s word and act on it as you are convicted and convinced of its truthfulness. God’s weeping prophet of the Old Testament wrote by inspiration of God in Jeremiah 10:23, “O Lord, I know,” he said, “the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” And our Lord, Jesus Christ, Himself, said, as we read earlier: “Whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall. So it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Jesus’ teaching astonished the people because it was different from what they had been hearing in their synagogues. It wasn’t a rehash of the same old, same old “stuff” that they had been hearing from the scribes. His teaching was authoritative! Jesus said He taught (or revealed) the word of God (John 17, verses 6 and 7). His teaching is astonishing today, too, for the same two reasons: (1) it is authoritative and (2) it is different from what is being heard up or down or across the street.
It is no exaggeration to say that every day the news media report the deception, dishonesty of some high government official, some idolized sports figure or entertainer, or a Wall Street broker, or even some highly religious leader. What’s going on in America anyway? What is happening, America? Our national morality has become our national immorality. It’s wrong, friend. It is dead wrong!
Yes, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He (that is, God) delights in his way (or the way of a good man)” (Proverbs 37:23). “The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity” (Proverbs 10:29). Yes! “The integrity of the upright shall guide them; but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them” (Proverbs 11:3). “Better is the poor that walks in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool” (Proverbs 19:1). Here is a proverb I really like: “The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him” (Proverbs 20 and 7). Don’t you know General Dean’s son is a proud son? Proud of that one-sentence, “Tell Bill the word is integrity.” The course of the upright is not determined by his prejudices-- or what is legal or what “anybody else is doing,” or “what the culture expects of him”, or “what feels good to him.” The course of the upright person is determined by his faithfulness to that standard to which he has previously subscribed out of personal conviction and commitment to living the Lord’s way!
A nation’s morals are a reflection of the nation’s religious faith. And, you know it as well as I’m telling you, that anything now is any different would surprise you. When I say that American religion has been suffering a terrible loss of credibility for several years now? The Scripture must be our guide. If it isn’t for that, I don’t know what it is for, do you? The Holy Spirit caused it to be written that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable (meaning useful) for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that (my friend, that word “that” being there makes that a statement of purpose-- that) the man of God (in whatever century or culture he lives) may be complete, thoroughly (completely) furnished to every good work. Therefore, I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ: Preach the word...” Twenty-first Century preaching doesn’t do that. If we are ever to recover from this terrible loss of character in America, we must recognize the spreading cancer of what it is, and that is false religion, and return to God’s word. We must point the world to the pure, unperverted way of the Lord Jesus Christ as it is revealed by the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. What God approved then, He will approve now. The Lord’s teaching will be just as different from what is currently taught as His “Sermon On The Mount” was different from what the people were hearing in the synagogues at that time. Let us pray about it. Holy Father, help us to return, and oh that we might return to Your truth as revealed to us in Your word that we may be able to apply it to our lives and correct our ways according to Your teaching-- the teaching of our Lord. In His name we pray, Amen!
My friend, are you a child of God? Oh, I truly hope so. And if you are, I pray that you are not permitting yourself to be drawn away by another gospel, which is not another gospel, but some people would trouble you by perverting the gospel of Jesus Christ. And if you are not a child of God-- if you haven’t been baptized into Christ as we read a while ago from Galatians chapter 3, verse 27, oh, I pray you will be before the day comes to an end. Today is the day of salvation, now is the accepted time, and you need to be baptized into Christ and become a child of his. And if we can assist you in any good way, please give me the opportunity, will you do that?
If you would have a need for a free printed copy, or a CD or an audio cassette tape of this message, “Much Talk About Character,” please address your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083. By e-mail the address is searchtv@searchtv.org. And our toll-free telephone number if you prefer to call us is 1-800-321-8633. We would love to hear from you this week that you have become a child of God and put yourself on God’s side. God bless you now. We love you.
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