In This Dangerous World

Today, if you have been keeping up with world news, which I think most of us do, we know that crime in our country is on the increase. Homicides in the U.S. about 19,000 each year. In Macon, Georgia, we had 21 homicides in 2019. We had 44 homicides, more than double in 2020, and 53 homicides in 2021. And we just hear of crime, robberies, things of that type going on all the time. We know that in our country at large, that there is not the prosecution of criminals. They're being released and let right back out on the street. There's a verse in Ecclesiastes chapter 8 that goes like this, because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily. The heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. And we see then that criminals are not being quickly prosecuted and dealt with and punished. Why, you know, in the Old Testament, they had a cruel way of doing it. They would take a person out immediately and stone him. That was cruel, but guess what? People heard, they saw, and they feared. Today, we don't have that going on. And so things are likely going to get a lot worse in the days ahead. For self-protection, then, many people are resorting to buying guns. Gun sales are up. Over 18 million guns were bought in 2021.

I was talking with a neighbor, a retired policeman, some time back. He recommended having a gun and having it ready to use. So in this dangerous world, where is our safety? That's what I'd like for us to think about this morning. The sermon title is In a Dangerous World, Where Is Our Safety? And some additional questions would be, should a Christian depend upon a gun for his protection?

Can a Christian take the life of another human being, even in self-defense?

Let me read you the official teaching of the United Church of God. I have here the booklet from the Church, The Fundamental Beliefs of the United Church of God. We have one of those explained in the sermonette on Cleaning and Uncleaning Meats. We have another one. This is number 14. Military Service in War is what we believe. We believe that Christians are forbidden by the commandments of God from taking human life, directly or indirectly, and that bearing arms is contrary to this fundamental belief. Therefore, we believe that Christians should not voluntarily become engaged in military service. We believe they should refuse conscientiously to bear arms. And in explaining this fundamental belief, I'll read just a bit. The way of God is the way of love, sacrifice, and sharing. The teaching of God for an individual regarding the taking of human life is summed up in the sixth commandment, which says, You shall not murder. Jesus repeated a great principle when He said, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. And the Apostle Paul said, Love does no harm to a neighbor. And it explains that we are to emulate the actions of Jesus. He did not respond in kind when He was reviled. He did not threaten when He suffered. We'll read some verses on that in a few minutes. He suffered for doing good and endured it patiently because of his desire to please God. He taught that to be angry with our brother can result in sin. We are to love even our enemies and do good to those who hate us. We are not to avenge ourselves. Vengeance belongs to God. So we have there the teaching of the Church on this. Again, as far as taking human life, we believe that Christians are forbidden by the commandments of God from taking human life. Well, we believe that Christians, let's define the word Christian. You know, the Bible says, Acts 11 and verse 26, that the brethren at Antioch were first called Christians. And what is the definition of Christian? The Expositor's Bible commentary says a Christian is a Christ follower. And the dictionary definition, if we were to look it up, is a follower of Jesus Christ. That's what a Christian is. One who follows Jesus Christ. So what was Jesus teaching and practice when He was here on the earth? Let's go to the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 5. And we do see this laid out very clearly, as we've already read in our booklet. In Matthew chapter 5 and verse 21, you've heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not murder, and whoever murders shall be in danger of the judgment. I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother, and without a cause is questionable whether that is in the original Greek text or not. Anyway, whoever is angry with his brother then shall be in danger of the judgment. So Jesus shows here that murder begins in the heart. That's even a little heading here in my New King James Bible. Murder begins in the heart when there is hatred.

Skipping on down to verse 38, you've heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I tell you not to resist an evil person. Whoever slaps you on the right cheek turned the other to him also. This shows we must be willing to come up on the short end, even to suffer wrongfully. Skipping on down to verse 43, you've heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. That you may be sons of your Father in heaven who makes his son to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust. So was Jesus just talking about a platitude here in verse 44? Um, love your enemies, bless those who curse you. No, he was not. He was not talking about some platitude at all. To love our enemies and to do good to those who hate us and pray for those who spitefully use us, that's going to require us to have a strength and a love that comes from above, actually, not from a human source. Let's go to Luke chapter 6. We find about the same thing as we read here at the Sermon on the Mount in Luke chapter 6 and verse 27.

Luke 6 and verse 27, I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And skipping on down to verse 35, he said, but love your enemies, do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be the sons of the highest, for he is kind to the unthankful and evil. So we ought to be as our Father in heaven. You know, this is what Jesus taught. It's very clear, isn't it, what Jesus taught. There's no question about it, but he taught. Did he practice it? Yes, he did. You know, Jesus never harmed anyone. He never killed anyone. He was constantly in danger all of his life.

Even before he, well, when he was a little infant, his parents had to take him to Egypt.

They were warned about Herod killing all the little babies. But Jesus was in danger, but he never resorted to a sword or a knife or a gun. Of course, they didn't have guns back in that day and time. But Jesus never, never resorted to doing harm or danger to anyone. You know what? God protected him his whole life until the time came for his crucifixion in order to fulfill the great purpose God is working out so that our sins may be forgiven. God protected Jesus as one instance where people took him to a cliff and they were going to toss him over. You'll read about this in Luke 4 if you'd like to read about that sometime. They took him to the brink of a cliff ready to angry with what he said. They were going to toss him over. That'd be the end of Jesus. Guess what? He didn't pull out a sword. He didn't do harm to anyone. He kind of melted through the crowd. God protected him and he kind of disappeared that way. They lost where he was.

God saw it too. So God protected Jesus every step of the way until the time came for him to no longer be protected and for his death to take place. When Jesus was, when the time came for him to, for his death, for our sins, then let's turn to Matthew 26. At his arrest, one of the disciples pulled out a sword.

Matthew 26, and we get the thoughts of Jesus about that. Matthew 26 and verse 50.

Jesus said to those who had come to arrest him, Why have you come? Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and they took him. They arrested him.

Verse 51. Suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword. Other of the Gospels say this was Peter, and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. Another Gospel says that Jesus would put that ear back on. But Jesus said, verse 52, Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.

It's a principle that we want to remember. Those who want to go that route, then that's not the best way for our safety and protection. To draw out a sword. Put your sword away. For those who take the sword will perish by the sword. Look at verse 53. Let's remember this. Do you think that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he will provide me with more than 12 legions of angels? You know, a legion was around 50 or 60,000. I mean around 5 or 6,000, I should say. 12 legions would have been maybe 60,000, 70,000 angels. Jesus said, Can I not pray, and the Father will send angels to protect me? So, there's the example of Christ. He never once did harm. He never once used a weapon against a human being. Can you picture in your mind that Jesus would do that? I cannot. That Jesus would take a sword, or take a knife, or today take a gun and kill someone. I don't think we can picture Christ doing that. But today, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Christ lives in me, said the Apostle Paul, Galatians 2 and verse 20, and Galatians 4 verse 19, until Christ is formed in you. Christ is being formed in us. I cannot picture Christ in us today either using a sword, using a knife, or using a gun.

The truth is that Christ in us just would not do that.

Let's ask this question. Did the New Testament church follow the same teaching and example of Christ? Yes, they did. Let's go to Romans chapter 12. There's not one example among the New Testament Christians of them killing someone, drawing a sword. There are many examples of them being put to death. In Romans chapter 12 and verse 17, we don't go back at them at all. We don't go back at them at all.

We leave that to God. First of all, if God chooses, he can send his angels and protect us. God can let us die. He has let many Christians die down through the ages.

But we don't love our lives, this physical life above doing just the will of God. And what he instructs us to do, vengeance is his. He says, I will repay. Verse 20, Therefore, if your enemy hungers, feed him. If he thirsts, give him drink. In so doing, you will heap coals of fire on his head. You know, the apostle Paul had the very same teaching. Peter did. If you look at Acts chapter 7, let's do that. Acts chapter 7, we have Stephen here. Stephen preached a powerful message, and he paid for it with his life. He was one of the early martyrs in the church. In Acts chapter 7 and verse 58, they cast him out of the city and stoned him. People who did not like what Stephen had to say, witness laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They stoned Stephen as he was calling on God, saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. But you know, Stephen didn't say, somebody bring me a sword. I've got to fight my way out of this. He didn't say that. There was no self-defense.

God let him die. God let him die. You know, we can read other examples. The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4 said, The time of my departure is at hand. It's time for, and he knew he would be murdered.

But yet he didn't say, hey, somebody bring me a sword. I've got to fight my way out of prison here.

No, he submitted to what was about to happen. Same thing for Peter. You can read that in 2 Peter chapter 1.

But the point I'm making is that there's no New Testament example of disciples killing in self-defense. Not one said, bring me a sword. They looked to God. God would either deliver them or they would die.

You know, we have a good post New Testament example. You can read about this. Go online and read about Polycarp. Polycarp was a disciple of John the disciple. And at his martyrdom, around 150 AD, give or take, he was 86 years of age. And I believe, according to the account, he went when he knew they were coming to arrest him, age 86, this old man. He went to two or three different houses, and then he just didn't go anymore. He just let them come and take him. When they came to arrest him, then he commanded or instructed that his captors be given food and drink. That they be given food and drink. That's what Paul mentioned in Romans 12. And he asked if he would be able to go and pray for two hours, which they allowed him to do. Then he was told to deny Christ. And he said these words, For 86 years I have been his slave, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my king who has saved me? And then he was burned to death. Didn't try to fight his way out. He gave up even trying to flee or get away.

In our time, we're the remnant of the New Testament Church of God. We follow the teachings and the example of Christ and the early Church. We look to them. We look to Christ and we look to the early Church for our example. When I came to Ambassador College in 1958, we had guns in our home. There was ammunition. There are two. We never thought about using guns to harm anyone. That was for hunting, target practice. But you know, I learned that at Ambassador College, not wrong to own a gun, not wrong to own a knife, not wrong to own a sword, not wrong to have a bow and arrow set, not wrong to have a baseball bat or a club. Any of those things can be used as weapons to kill. But it would be wrong to use those things to kill a human being. I learned that. That Christians should not kill, whether in military service or in civilian life. Okay, so hey, take away weapons. We're in a dangerous world that we live in. Let's get back to our question. Where is our safety and protection? You know, there are things that we can do.

We are things that will help. Our part, you might say, we should be alert. I don't know that we are as alert as we should be. You are a target at times you don't even think you are. It may be in a shopping mall or shopping lot, many, many places where you may be a target. Be alert. I would say when you go out to the parking lot here, be alert. Be watchful. If you see danger of situations you don't feel comfortable with, come back here. Maybe have somebody go out with you. Be alert and be watchful. Be aware that you can be a target. Avoid and prevent all that you possibly can. Lock your house and your car doors. Avoid dangerous areas. Be extra cautious at nighttime. More crime happens at night. Ladies should not be alone in secluded areas.

That may even be here in the daytime. I'll tell you, crime happens in the daytime as well. There can be proper restraint. At Ambassador College in days of old, we had security guards. But guess what? Those security guards did not carry a gun. They walked around. They made sure doors were locked.

They went around at night. They were told that they might, if somebody tried to cause problems and they were able to restrain a person, we've always felt that that is okay to do, to hold someone, and maybe call the police to come. So, Christians are not entirely helpless as to things that they can do. But you know, above all, where is our safety in a dangerous world? This is the part of the sermon that is the most important. That is to look to God.

That we did not have to have a weapon for our safety and protection. Not at all. Remember the Israelites? They came out of Egypt. They had no military. They had no weapons.

God said, stand still. You'll find that in Exodus 14. Later on, a different occasion, Asa, the king of Judah, had this huge army. You'll find this in 2 Chronicles 20. And God told Asa, the king, you will not need to fight. And he took care of the battle for them. I want us to turn to 2 Kings. This is such an outstanding example. I want us to... because it shows that we have a force on our side that is so great and so able to instantly protect and defend us. We can take great comfort.

We don't need to be afraid. 2 Kings 6, verse 15. The Syrians have come against Judah. And here they were outside the city where Elisha was. And the servant of the man of God, verse 2 Kings 6 and verse 15. When the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was this Syrian army surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, said to Elisha, Alas, my master, what shall we do? He was really afraid. In verse 16, he answered, Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. And Elisha prayed and said, Lord, I pray open his eyes that he may see.

Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. Angelic forces. Brother, how many angels are even about us right now protecting us as we convocate to worship God? How many angels attended us on the way here this morning and will on the way back? How many angels watch over us all the time? I believe many. And we often don't think about that. We've got the best protection that is possible. Hebrews chapter one brings out that, well, let's turn to that because it's just good to realize God has not left us without defense just because we don't have a gun to shoot someone.

In Hebrews chapter one, we have the best defense that there is. That's a better way. Much better. Hebrews chapter one talks about angels in verse 13 and then in verse 14, are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation? I'll tell you, this is what I depend upon. I depend upon the angels of God. You know, think about this. So many examples of God's deliverance in the Bible. What about the three friends of Daniel? Here they were. They would not bow down to worship this golden image.

They were thrown into the fiery furnace. The furnace was heated up seven times hotter. The ones who threw these three men into the furnace themselves were destroyed and yet God protected them. Has God changed? No. What about Daniel? He was told about this law that nobody could worship anybody else and he kept on praying just like usual. He was thrown into the lions den and God delivered him. Let's go to Acts chapter 12. Excellent example. What if you're thrown in prison?

Look at this example. This could happen. Does God do this today in our time? He certainly could. In Acts chapter 12 and verse 6, when Harry was about to bring him out, Peter had been apprehended, put in prison. When God was about, when Harry was about to bring him out that night, Peter was sleeping, bound with two chains between two soldiers. They really did not want him to get away. The guards before the door were keeping the prison.

There was no way Peter was going to get out on his own. Verse 7, Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the prison and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up and said, Arise quickly. His chains fell off his hands so the angel had him to get ready quickly and got him out of the prison. Wonderful example of God's deliverance. What about the Apostle Paul? Let's turn to Acts chapter 16. Same thing here. Acts chapter 16 and verse 25. Paul was put in prison in Philippi.

Acts 16 and verse 25. At midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. At midnight singing hymns to God and praising God. Verse 26. Suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed.

So the Apostle Paul was set free. So, you know, God has not lost his power. God defense and God protection really does work.

And that is a better way, a far better way than self-defense. You know, even on the national level, if our country turned to God. I heard one of my professors at Ambassador College bring this out, and I believe it with all my heart. If our nation turned to God, we would not need a military. We spend not too far under a trillion dollars a year for defense.

We wouldn't need to spend all that money. Look at all the lives also. We would not have those lives if we turned to God. God would take care of our enemies. They would destroy each other or God would destroy them. Or has God changed? Now, God hasn't changed. You know, when we consider this, many people still think they have to have self-defense, but you know, your draw, you may not be able to draw as quickly as the opponent. You may not be as strong as he is. The other guy may be stronger and faster. So, but you know, God is stronger and faster than any of them. That's the thing we need to keep in mind. We'll read just a few scriptures if my time is winding down. Let's go to Psalm 91. Some wonderful verses here to keep in mind. Where is our safety? Our safety is in God. That's where it is. And he's on duty 24 hours a day. Beautiful Psalm here. Verse 1, He who dwells in the sacred place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. That's where I want to be. I'd like to abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I will trust. Surely you shall deliver, He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, from the perilous pestilence, and shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge. His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night or the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near to you.

And it goes on to say in verse 11, He will give His angels charge over you to keep you in all His ways. They shall bear you up in their hands lest you dash your foot against a stone.

You know, so there's our safety. Psalm 91 makes it very clear.

Brethren, yes, that's a dangerous world, and it's prophesied to get worse. But where is our safety and protection? Our God is our only real source of safety and protection. So, anyone has any questions about this fundamental belief? Here it is, fundamental belief number 14. You can read it. Study the scriptures. You can also go to ucg.org and click on sermons.

And there are dozens and dozens of sermons and articles that explain this further, what I've said.

Dozens and dozens. One very good sermon is by David Nunn, Military Service and War, explaining fundamental belief number 14. Another one by John Miller. I've heard both of these outstanding. John Miller is one of our Council of Elder Members. Should Christians pack heat?

Should they bear arms? Should Christians pack heat? By John Miller. There are many, many others. Certainly, if you have any questions, I'd be very happy to discuss them with you. But you know, if we follow the teachings and example of Jesus Christ, we certainly will not need to fight and kill. God will be with us as our protector. He will fight our battles for us. He has not changed.

And we will have refuge and safety, no fear, under the shadow of His wings. In a dangerous world, that's where our safety is.