Surviving Moral Erosion

1999056

Introduction

A. One does not have to look far to see moral decay all around us.

1. depending on who one talks to he may get one of two usual viewpoints.

a) society ills & problems are the worst that it has ever been & that there is absolutely no hope.

b) Or…it not as bad as it could be – it could get much worse…and we must do what we can to help it not get any worse than it is at the present.

2. Most people….agree that our society today has major problems it must overcome if we are to be moral in the sight of God.

B. Just how bad is it presently?

1. Children Now recently interviewed 1200 boys across America ranging from 12-17. They reveal: favorite entertainment often depicts brutality as a heroic way to solve problems.

a) report goes on to say that 74% of the characters/sports figures viewed by participants committed brutal/defiant acts.

b) Behavior also included anti-social behavior such as ridicule and lying.

2. The US has one of the highest abortion rates among developed countries.

a) 1992 – 1, 359,145 abortions.

b) 44% of those had at least one previous abortion.

c) 79% of those were unmarried.

d) Unmarried women 6 times more likely to abort w/the highest rate being among 18-19 yr old women.

3. Parents Resource Institute of Drug Education surveyed 130,000 students recently. They found:

a) 40% of students report that they have physically assaulted some of their peers in some way.

b) 3% take a gun to school.

c) 4 million kids ages 11-18 use illegal drugs on a regular basis – of which 1 million use an illegal drug everyday.

4. Deviant sexual behavior is glamorized all around us.

a) from casual sex in live-in relationships to homosexuality.

b) Focus on the Family reports that this fall’s lineup of sitcoms on the major networks have 19 gay characters.

c) From ER, Chicago Hope, to Drew Carry, Friends.

d) Influence of such is having tremendous impact on the generations coming up.

1) image conveyed: is that homosexuality is emotionally healthy and culturally acceptable.

2) Young girl quote from Focus on Family: ever since Ellen DeGeneres revealed her lesbian lifestyle in real life and on her TV show, my friends & I have been in disagreement about the homosexuality issue. It does say in the Bible that H is wrong, but that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love H. She continued… but I also feel that if that kind of lifestyle is what makes a person happy, then nothing can stand in their way. I don’t condone H, but I don’t condemn it either

d) continued push by many to normalize deviant sexual behavior is distressing.

C. Immorality a problem in gov’t & political leaders.

1. Current occupant of Whitehouse. Don’t have to look to far see implications of immoral behavior being condoned & applauded by the political parties, and pundits.

2. Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura as quoted on the Religion Today News Service….

a) organized religion is a sham & a crutch for weak minded people who need strength in numbers. It tells people to go out & stick their noses in other people’s business.

b) After popularity rating dropped 19 points, on Monday, Oct, 4 Ventura said that he is a Christian & believes that Jesus Christ is the Savior of humanity.

D. After digesting comments/statistics such as the above,…it enough to make one depressed & concerned about prospects of raising children in the current social climate.

E. Now we turn to 3 main points we need to keep in mind as we seek to Survive the Moral Erosion Around Us.

I. Must Remember….Moral Erosion/Societal Decay is Nothing New.

A. Look to Scriptures & one can easily find a pattern! Man has always had a tendency to give into sin. Example:

B. Gen. 3, 6 – Adam/Eve fall into sin.

1. Gen. 3:6-7 – partake of forbidden fruit.

a) Gen. 3:22-24 – driven out of garden. Note: seriousness of sin – separation from God!

b) Gen. 4:1-8 – Cain murders Abel – sin taking hold in hearts of man.

2. Just 10 generations after Adam….we read contents of Gen. 6:1-7.

a) can you imagine the societal ills of that day?

b) V. 5 – thoughts on evil continually! See 6:11-13.

c) Brought God to destroy the very creation He made! See 7:21-24.

d) Only 8 souls survived this judgment from God.

C. Israel – during days of Joshua.

1. Israel comes into the land of Israel victorious – and looking to take possession of the land that God promised.

2. Notice admonition of Joshua as God gave them the land.

a) Josh. 24:13-14

b) 24:15 – calls on them to choose who they going to serve. Note: 24:21, 24 – we will serve the Lord.

c) How long did they continue to serve God? 7:31

3. another generation arose that did not know God nor serve Him.

a) Jud. 2:10-12

b) Jud. 3:5-6

c) Jud. 21:25

4. Think of moral decay of those times!

a) many worshipping idols complete w/child sacrifice.

b) Worship practices included prostitution & deviant sexual activity.

c) Violence

d) Apathy among religious people.

e) Sound all that different from today????

D. Israel in later times & into the 1^st century.

1. during reign of David/Solomon – for most part – Israel serve God.

a) blessed immensely. Israel a player on the world stage of politics

b) had grown to it’s largest size geographically.

2. What happened? Moral erosion crept in.

a) onset of idol worship w/Jeroboam and the later the kings of Judah.

b) By Jeremiah’s time: calls to return to the old paths. See Jer. 6:16.

1) Israel then like present day society.

2) Economy booming – rich getting richer – enough money to go around for everyone. Luxury.

3) Social scene tolerated all sorts of improper behavior.

4) All while….they claimed to be serving God – See Amos 6:5-8; 5:21-23

3. moral pollution/corruption continued from then all way to days of Christ & into 1^st century.

a) imagine the state of moral erosion in a group of people who stood by & watched soldiers drive nails into the innocent hands/feet of a man named Jesus.

b) Imagine a people who cheered on the persecutors as they tormented/flayed/burned 1^st century Christians to death!

III. What is the cause of moral erosion?

A. A lessening of dependence upon God.

1. men over time b/g to depend upon themselves/their power/their might in #’s/ strength, and lands held.

2. Israel once again a good example.

a) Josh 24:13-14 – God gave them everything. They cautioned not to take it for granted.

b) Did not heed God in this area.

3. Same happening to society today.

a) our dependence on God lessened. Many do not even think to turn to Him for guidance.

b) Prov. 10:8 - Young children fail to heed admonition to do right – given by their parents.

c) Now 2-3 generations growing up w/the trend pointing toward gross immorality.

4. God has been/is taken out of society.

a) schools/money/everything.

b) Prov. 10:27-29. We must bring God near us – not against us – Js. 4:7-10

5. This lessening of dependence has led to many not calling evil evil or sin sin b/c it might offend someone.

B. A growing tolerance of that which is sinful/immoral.

1. standards b/c lax and trouble sets in.

2. not happen over night

3. those who tolerate w/sin flirt w/disaster.

a) problems foretold by Paul in 2 Tim. 3:1-5.

b) Sad part: today … the admonition to turn away not heeded.

C. A tendency to blame others for faults.

1. alcoholics/murderers/sexual predators/just about everyone – if problem incurred – blame someone else.

a) abuse

b) mistreatment

2. society around us – refuses to accept responsibility for actions they engage in.

a) case of David/Nathan in 2 Sam. 12:1-15 (esp v. 7) would not be least bit politically correct.

III. Cure for Moral Erosion is to apply the Biblical Standard to Our Lives.

A. Must determine to call sin what it is – sin!

1. David’s example in Psa. 51:1-6

2. 1 Jhn. 1:8-10

3. must take responsibility for our own actions. Why? Rom. 14:12; 2 Cor. 5:9-10

4. sin not merely a mistake; a slip up; a youthful indiscretion; or a mid-life crisis.

5. Sin = serious! Just ask Adam/Eve; David; Judas; Ananias/Sapphira; Diotrephes! See Isa. 59:1-2; Rom. 6:23

B. Cease committing sinful acts NOW!

1. Should want to rid EVERY impure thing in our lives

2. 2 Cor. 6:11 – washed sanctified.

3. Eph. 5:25-27 – Christ will present His church as a glorious church w/o spot or blemish.

4. Don’t fall into trap of toleration or ”dumbing down” of sin that the world parades.

5. Get your sins out in the open before God!

6. Must strive to be spiritually pure – 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:4-5

C. Realize who the real enemy is.

1. Eph. 6:11-12

a) spiritual darkness spreading in society!

b) Culprit = the devil himself.

c) Eph. 2:2 – when people work against God’s standard of right and wrong – don’t forget who is at work in them!

2. 1 Pet. 5:8 – we are at war! Satan who we really fighting!

a) ones promoting social decay; homosexuality; deviance; are already in his trap!

b) They walked away from God and got caught in predicament of sin. Sins poisoned fruit poisoned them & society.

3. fight the devil – resist him! Js. 4:7

D. Pray for the health of our society.

1. 2 Tim. 2:1-4

2. must pray that our lives will be free from social upheaval.

3. Pray for moral battles going on; elections; legislative actions; judges; elected officials; political leaders.

4. Mt. 5:44-45 – must pray for those who oppose God & His ways.

Conclusion

A. We can’t fix society on our own. Must put God in control & rely on His power!

B. He will use His instruments to fix society into what he wants it to be.

C. Psa. 108:12-13

D. I N V I T A T I O N



Surviving Moral Erosion 1999056 Introduction A. One does not have to look far to see moral decay all around us. 1. depending on who one talks to he may get one of two usual viewpoints. a) society ills & problems are the worst that it has ever been & that there is absolutely no hope. b) Or…it not as bad as it could be – it could get much worse…and we must do what we can to help it not get any worse than it is at the present. 2. Most people….agree that our society today has major problems it must overcome if we are to be moral in the sight of God. B. Just how bad is it presently? 1. Children Now recently interviewed 1200 boys across America ranging from 12-17. They reveal: favorite entertainment often depicts brutality as a heroic way to solve problems. a) report goes on to say that 74% of the characters/sports figures viewed by participants committed brutal/defiant acts. b) Behavior also included anti-social behavior such as ridicule and lying. 2. The US has one of the highest abortion rates among developed countries. a) 1992 – 1, 359,145 abortions. b) 44% of those had at least one previous abortion. c) 79% of those were unmarried. d) Unmarried women 6 times more likely to abort w/the highest rate being among 18-19 yr old women. 3. Parents Resource Institute of Drug Education surveyed 130,000 students recently. They found: a) 40% of students report that they have physically assaulted some of their peers in some way. b) 3% take a gun to school. c) 4 million kids ages 11-18 use illegal drugs on a regular basis – of which 1 million use an illegal drug everyday. 4. Deviant sexual behavior is glamorized all around us. a) from casual sex in live-in relationships to homosexuality. b) Focus on the Family reports that this fall’s lineup of sitcoms on the major networks have 19 gay characters. c) From ER, Chicago Hope, to Drew Carry, Friends. d) Influence of such is having tremendous impact on the generations coming up. 1) image conveyed: is that homosexuality is emotionally healthy and culturally acceptable. 2) Young girl quote from Focus on Family: ever since Ellen DeGeneres revealed her lesbian lifestyle in real life and on her TV show, my friends & I have been in disagreement about the homosexuality issue. It does say in the Bible that H is wrong, but that doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love H. She continued… but I also feel that if that kind of lifestyle is what makes a person happy, then nothing can stand in their way. I don’t condone H, but I don’t condemn it either d) continued push by many to normalize deviant sexual behavior is distressing. C. Immorality a problem in gov’t & political leaders. 1. Current occupant of Whitehouse. Don’t have to look to far see implications of immoral behavior being condoned & applauded by the political parties, and pundits. 2. Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura as quoted on the Religion Today News Service…. a) organized religion is a sham & a crutch for weak minded people who need strength in numbers. It tells people to go out & stick their noses in other people’s business. b) After popularity rating dropped 19 points, on Monday, Oct, 4 Ventura said that he is a Christian & believes that Jesus Christ is the Savior of humanity. D. After digesting comments/statistics such as the above,…it enough to make one depressed & concerned about prospects of raising children in the current social climate. E. Now we turn to 3 main points we need to keep in mind as we seek to Survive the Moral Erosion Around Us. I. Must Remember….Moral Erosion/Societal Decay is Nothing New. A. Look to Scriptures & one can easily find a pattern! Man has always had a tendency to give into sin. Example: B. Gen. 3, 6 – Adam/Eve fall into sin. 1. Gen. 3:6-7 – partake of forbidden fruit. a) Gen. 3:22-24 – driven out of garden. Note: seriousness of sin – separation from God! b) Gen. 4:1-8 – Cain murders Abel – sin taking hold in hearts of man. 2. Just 10 generations after Adam….we read contents of Gen. 6:1-7. a) can you imagine the societal ills of that day? b) V. 5 – thoughts on evil continually! See 6:11-13. c) Brought God to destroy the very creation He made! See 7:21-24. d) Only 8 souls survived this judgment from God. C. Israel – during days of Joshua. 1. Israel comes into the land of Israel victorious – and looking to take possession of the land that God promised. 2. Notice admonition of Joshua as God gave them the land. a) Josh. 24:13-14 b) 24:15 – calls on them to choose who they going to serve. Note: 24:21, 24 – we will serve the Lord. c) How long did they continue to serve God? 7:31 3. another generation arose that did not know God nor serve Him. a) Jud. 2:10-12 b) Jud. 3:5-6 c) Jud. 21:25 4. Think of moral decay of those times! a) many worshipping idols complete w/child sacrifice. b) Worship practices included prostitution & deviant sexual activity. c) Violence d) Apathy among religious people. e) Sound all that different from today???? D. Israel in later times & into the 1^st century. 1. during reign of David/Solomon – for most part – Israel serve God. a) blessed immensely. Israel a player on the world stage of politics b) had grown to it’s largest size geographically. 2. What happened? Moral erosion crept in. a) onset of idol worship w/Jeroboam and the later the kings of Judah. b) By Jeremiah’s time: calls to return to the old paths. See Jer. 6:16. 1) Israel then like present day society. 2) Economy booming – rich getting richer – enough money to go around for everyone. Luxury. 3) Social scene tolerated all sorts of improper behavior. 4) All while….they claimed to be serving God – See Amos 6:5-8; 5:21-23 3. moral pollution/corruption continued from then all way to days of Christ & into 1^st century. a) imagine the state of moral erosion in a group of people who stood by & watched soldiers drive nails into the innocent hands/feet of a man named Jesus. b) Imagine a people who cheered on the persecutors as they tormented/flayed/burned 1^st century Christians to death! III. What is the cause of moral erosion? A. A lessening of dependence upon God. 1. men over time b/g to depend upon themselves/their power/their might in #’s/ strength, and lands held. 2. Israel once again a good example. a) Josh 24:13-14 – God gave them everything. They cautioned not to take it for granted. b) Did not heed God in this area. 3. Same happening to society today. a) our dependence on God lessened. Many do not even think to turn to Him for guidance. b) Prov. 10:8 - Young children fail to heed admonition to do right – given by their parents. c) Now 2-3 generations growing up w/the trend pointing toward gross immorality. 4. God has been/is taken out of society. a) schools/money/everything. b) Prov. 10:27-29. We must bring God near us – not against us – Js. 4:7-10 5. This lessening of dependence has led to many not calling evil evil or sin sin b/c it might offend someone. B. A growing tolerance of that which is sinful/immoral. 1. standards b/c lax and trouble sets in. 2. not happen over night 3. those who tolerate w/sin flirt w/disaster. a) problems foretold by Paul in 2 Tim. 3:1-5. b) Sad part: today … the admonition to turn away not heeded. C. A tendency to blame others for faults. 1. alcoholics/murderers/sexual predators/just about everyone – if problem incurred – blame someone else. a) abuse b) mistreatment 2. society around us – refuses to accept responsibility for actions they engage in. a) case of David/Nathan in 2 Sam. 12:1-15 (esp v. 7) would not be least bit politically correct. III. Cure for Moral Erosion is to apply the Biblical Standard to Our Lives. A. Must determine to call sin what it is – sin! 1. David’s example in Psa. 51:1-6 2. 1 Jhn. 1:8-10 3. must take responsibility for our own actions. Why? Rom. 14:12; 2 Cor. 5:9-10 4. sin not merely a mistake; a slip up; a youthful indiscretion; or a mid-life crisis. 5. Sin = serious! Just ask Adam/Eve; David; Judas; Ananias/Sapphira; Diotrephes! See Isa. 59:1-2; Rom. 6:23 B. Cease committing sinful acts NOW! 1. Should want to rid EVERY impure thing in our lives 2. 2 Cor. 6:11 – washed sanctified. 3. Eph. 5:25-27 – Christ will present His church as a glorious church w/o spot or blemish. 4. Don’t fall into trap of toleration or ”dumbing down” of sin that the world parades. 5. Get your sins out in the open before God! 6. Must strive to be spiritually pure – 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:4-5 C. Realize who the real enemy is. 1. Eph. 6:11-12 a) spiritual darkness spreading in society! b) Culprit = the devil himself. c) Eph. 2:2 – when people work against God’s standard of right and wrong – don’t forget who is at work in them! 2. 1 Pet. 5:8 – we are at war! Satan who we really fighting! a) ones promoting social decay; homosexuality; deviance; are already in his trap! b) They walked away from God and got caught in predicament of sin. Sins poisoned fruit poisoned them & society. 3. fight the devil – resist him! Js. 4:7 D. Pray for the health of our society. 1. 2 Tim. 2:1-4 2. must pray that our lives will be free from social upheaval. 3. Pray for moral battles going on; elections; legislative actions; judges; elected officials; political leaders. 4. Mt. 5:44-45 – must pray for those who oppose God & His ways. Conclusion A. We can’t fix society on our own. Must put God in control & rely on His power! B. He will use His instruments to fix society into what he wants it to be. C. Psa. 108:12-13 D. I N V I T A T I O N