Vice Gripped, But Not Squeezed Of Hope!
Dr. Mike Murphy
“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
As to be hated needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”
Through the years, I have often used this quote from An Essay On Man by Alexander Pope. In thirty-two words, he describes with definition what it would take most of us pages to define. Pope speaks of the wickedness we see around us, and how obvious it is to see that wickedness. He goes on to speak of how man deals with that wickedness. How we will look to justify that wickedness, having sympathy for those caught up in that wickedness, and to eventually accept and welcome that wickedness.
The dictionary defines the word “vice” as, moral depravity or corruption, abnormal behavior that is detrimental to health or usefulness. As we look around this nation today, we do not have to look far to see each word of this definition. With each newscast and newspaper headline, we see the wickedness that is gripping this nation. The face of our society shows us the vice that has gripped this nation today. A vice that was once scorned, and every attempt was made to keep it from our society. But a vice that over the years, we began to endure. A vice we then began to excuse and take pity on. And a vice today that we openly embrace, and have often tried to redefine as normal.
Sin has become the vice of this nation. Sin has become the frightful monster that now drives us, the familiar face that now governs over us. We watch today as sin is not only being endured, as it is not only the pity of our society, we hear the words of our society as it tries to force our arms open to embrace it. We watch as politicians and judges pass laws and hand down rulings in an attempt to change the face of sin. Looking to give this vice of ours a facelift, in an attempt to show it as appealing to all around us. A society that has determined they can better define sin than God ever could.
As we watch many of our political leaders climb the Tower of Babel, looking to again build a stairway to the heavens that will place themselves on equal footing with the Lord, we must remember the words that He once spoke to Moses. In Leviticus 18:20-25, we hear the warning God gave about the nations of Canaan. Warnings of action that would cause the Lord to raise His hand against a nation. We see that warning start with adultery. We then see it move on to child sacrifice, what we would call abortion today. God then warns of homosexuality. Then, He finally warns of sexual behavior so perverse that it is seen as nothing less than an abomination in His eyes. All actions that God said had defiled the land. Actions that make us look a lot like the Canaanites today. As we read these words, we must ask ourselves, if God judged the Canaanites for such actions, why would we expect him to do anything less to us today?
Will God judge this nation as He did the Canaanites? Or will this nation find a Jonah on our shores, and fall to our knees before the Lord? I pray for His mercy, and my trust is grounded in that mercy. I pray that God will awaken this Church, and thousands of Jonah’s will be called on to bring His truth again to this nation. I know, without a single doubt, that He alone is able. He has done it before, and we must fervently pray that He will do it again.
Will this call to the Church come easy? I fear it will not. I fear this nation and this society will look at us mockingly. I fear they will look to silence us, instead of opening their ears to the words the Lord has called us to speak. I even fear they may look to persecute us, making many in this Church fearful to open their mouth. But never forget, God changed the hearts of many in Nineveh with a reluctant Jonah. Many stand in His presence today because a reluctant Jonah spoke the words to Nineveh the Lord called on Him to speak. How many hearts could be touched today if a reluctant Church would once again find its’ voice?
Church, do not let the fear of persecution frighten you. Let those stripes of persecution encourage you. Rejoice in each stripe this world gives you. Wear each of those stripes with pride. Let the words of Christ rally you, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”(Matthew 5:10). Never forget, you hold the answer. The answer to every question this world has ever asked. The answer to every question this nation has today. Hope is found in that answer, Christ is that answer! Do not keep that answer quiet in you, shout that answer so everyone may hear! If others shout another answer mockingly back at you, shout louder! Do not let their threatening answers quiet you. Remember the words Paul gave you, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.”(Romans 1:16).
Do not wait for others to speak first, let God first speak through you. Do not wait for another to lead you, let the Lord guide you, and others will follow. Many in the Church today see men and women who pour out the heart daily for Christ, and point to them with praise, proclaiming how extraordinary they are. But talk to any of these men and women, they will be the first to tell you they do not look to be seen as extraordinary, but wish the Church would see them as ordinary. That what they are seen as doing was the normal, not the exception. Let Christ move through each of you, so that this Church is seen as extraordinary. Let this nation see what extraordinary things Christ can do through each of us, so that an ordinary world may want what we have.
I will give you a prime example of this, at the sake of embarrassing a young couple that I know. They would be seen as an ordinary couple by this world’s standards. Both have normal jobs, and attend a small church. But the love of Christ that is seen in each, makes both far from ordinary. When their church needed someone to lead the music on Sunday morning, she was the first to raise her hand. She would be the first to tell you, others have a much better voice than she does. But she stands on Sundays and sings with all her might. Not because she has to, but because the Lord has called her to. She does it because Christ needs her to, and she does not question what Christ needs.
Her husband, does many things quietly for the church. He is there to do the things many never see, but the things Christ needs him to do so that others may hear the message of the Lord. Today, he is looking to go into the ministry. At a time when others are running from the Word of God, he is running to it. Not because he has to, but because Christ needs him to. He goes, without question, where Christ leads him.
Church, be this couple! Be the extraordinary! Do not just hear His voice, follow His voice. Go where He leads you. Show this nation, by your words and actions, what they are missing. Let them know the truth that only Christ can bring, and show them the difference that only Christ can make. Go wherever Christ leads you, and bring the people of this nation with you. Speak each word that He gives you, and let all around you watch as you bring those words to life.
Listen closely Church. The sound that you have tried to keep in the background is a familiar voice. A voice that keeps calling you, a voice that keeps reminding you. A voice that grows louder each day. A voice that calls you for this very hour. I beg of you, do not ignore that voice any longer! Call out to that voice, and go where it leads you. This does not have to be a time in this nation that silences us. Make this a time that emboldens us. Do not let this world tell you this is the Church’s last hour, make this the Church’s finest hour.
We live in a day where all we see makes us shake our head. We live in a day where we see the smile forming on evil’s face. We watch the events unfold, and we look to the sky as we know that His return draws close. Let “close” reminds us of the importance of each day, of how vital each hour is. Let us not waste a single second, let us make the most of the precious moments we have left. Let us spend each of these moments fulfilling the call that He gave us, bring the Great Commission to life(Matthew 28:18-20). Let us not forget, facing this day every word the Apostles gave us carries more importance than ever. Let us put each of their words into action, reaching more than we could have ever imagined in these final moments we have left. So on the day He appears in the clouds, and calls us with a shout, we can flood the sky with the souls of those we have reached.
As for this nation, where America will fall on the future day of judgement(Matthew 25:31-46), I can only pray. But through it all, this is a nation I am willing to fight for. A nation, with every ounce of my heart, I know this Church is being called to lead this fight for. It is time the Church put on its’ armor(Ephesians 6:11), and let the Lord lead us onto the battlefield. As I enter this battle, each stripe I take I will do so with joy. Each wound I inflect, will just embolden me more. As the Lord calls me, I will gladly spend my days pointing out the evil that thinks it has surrounded us. But I will not get so caught up in pointing out evil that I forget to point everyone to Christ. Evil may think it has imprisoned us, but I call on this Church to show evil, we are a slave to Christ, not to sin(Romans 1:1). May the Lord raise my voice on this battlefield, and allow me to shout each of my days. On the day when He calls me home, may I leave this world hoarse, having shouted every word He called me to speak.
Satan may think He has a “vice grip” on this Church and this nation. Time to remind him, once Christ Jesus gets His arms around us, a single squeeze can eliminate all sin!
Praying Christ leads you to be extraordinary in this battle!
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