Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Timothy 6:12

Last week we pointed out a couple of things that we must keep in mind as we “fight the good fight of faith.”

We mentioned the real enemy is Satan, the devil.

He is our adversary - he is the one that is seeking to devour and destroy us.

We mentioned that he has many tactics, but a couple he often uses is that he seeks do divide and destroy - he wants to use misidentification - to get you to identify anyone else as your enemy - just not him.

He wants to say it is your spouse, your family, your co-worker.

He wants you to think that it is anyone.

And if he can get you to think that it is anyone especially your enemy you will never win them or impact them.

We also look at some areas that we need to repent in concerning our misidentification of the enemy.

We need to:

Repent of Hate

Repent of our lack of forgiveness

Repent of our refusal to love our enemies

With all of that said, this afternoon we are going to point out some of the enemies that are out there.

While we never have an enemy with a particular person - we are to love them, forgive them, seek to bless them.

But there are theories, agendas, groups that are the enemies of Christianity and they need to be pointed out - identified and show how we need to support politicians and organizations that stand against them, but also, and more importantly - not allow them to infiltrate our lives through schools, organization, pressure, and what I call - the appealing to your senses.

What I mean by appealing to your senses - they show you images, make arguments, play on emotions of kindness, compassion, injustice and rebellion and to get you to allow and bless sinful practices and philosophies that destroy the family, the country and the church.

Jumping into it.

I. ATTACKS ON FREEDOM

I. PERSONAL ENEMIES WITHIN

Sometimes things work out for interest and for our memory, this is one of them, we have the AEIOU.

A. Acceptance

This can go along with apathy, that we just allow it to pass without saying anything or speaking up or saying that this is wrong according to God’s Word.

E. Expectancy

Where we get the attitude of what’s going to be is going to be and there is nothing we can do about it.

We spoke a few weeks ago about how that to be a optimist or a pessimest has the same out come.

As a result we don’t do anything because we say it is going to happen either way.

You and I need to stand for what is right because we are commanded to.

I. Idleness

I think of this in two ways, first

1.

Concerning wasting our time

By being influenced by the worldly media sources

2. Concerning not impacting our society for right

We sit back and wait for someone else to speak up.

We want someone to, but we have not the time or energy.

Let’s not be idle in America, lets not be intimidated.

O. Oppression

Don’t allow it to keep you down.

Don’t let those who stand against truth, against right, against faith, keep you from speaking the truth.

U. Unawares

Now, the next section I want to point out some things that - while they may not be evil in themselves or an outright enemy - their philosophies are - and therefore, must be named for what they believe.

We are not talking about mispeaks, or things they are rumored to be - but things that, by their own admission puts them on a level that is opposed to what we are what we believe.

II.NAMING ENEMIES OF CHRISTIANITY

A couple of general philosophies that are enemies of Christianity.

A. Islam

B. Socialism

C. Promotion of diversity

C. Institutions that worship man

The great religion of our culture is humanism.

The worship of man - that he himself is god.

BLM said on their home page:

We are taking the entire month to celebrate the divinity of Black women, girls, and femmes who continue to grace the earth.

Each day we are uplifting the incredible beings who embody the beauty, brilliance, and sacred spirit of Black womanhood.

Today, we uplift the divinity of our beloved co-founder Patrisse Cullors, whose vision and genius birthed #BlackLivesMatter as an on-the-ground movement that honors the greatest of our freedom-fighting foremothers, is a testament of the deepest love for our people, and plants seeds that will grow a world fit for future generations.

B. Anything that promotes sex outside of marriage

Planned parenthood, sex education, all of your music industry, television.

One of the biggest problem in the majority of homes today is pornography

C. Any Group that seeks to limit your free speech

Democrats will expand mental health and suicide prevention services, and ban harmful “conversion therapy” practices.

D. Any group promoting lies as truth

You can get a license today that lies.

That says you are a man when you are really a woman.

They are promoting the lie that

E. NEA

NEA, national education association on the home page

Supporting Black Lives Matter

Ending the school-to-prison pipeline

Zero tolerance and other exclusionary school discipline policies are pushing kids out of the classroom and into the criminal justice system.

Creating Safe Schools

When police and immigration authorities aggressively pursue enforcement activities on or around school property, they interfere with all students' ability to learn.

F. The Democratic Party (DNCP)

1. DNCP On Abortion

“We believe unequivocally, like the majority of Americans, that every woman should be able to access high-quality reproductive health care services...

...including safe and legal abortion.

We will repeal the Title X domestic gag rule and restore federal funding for Planned Parenthood,...

...which provides vital preventive and reproductive health care for millions of people, especially low-income people, and people of color, and LGBTQ+ people, including in underserved areas.”

p.33

2.DNCP On Transition Healthcare

“We will ensure that all transgender and non-binary people can procure official government identification documents that accurately reflect their gender identity.

We will stop employment discrimination in the federal government,... by federal contractors on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.”

3. DNCP On Religion and Faith

During the Trump Administration, too many of our religious communities have been victimized by acts of intolerance, bigotry, and violence.

We will reject the Trump Administration’s use of broad religious exemptions to allow businesses, medical providers, social service agencies, and others to discriminate.

Democrats will increase funding and support for security investments and protection at houses of worship, because everyone should be able to pray without fear.

We will confront white nationalist terrorism and combat hate crimes perpetrated against religious minorities.

Democrats also recognize that, to fully confront the legacy of systemic and structural racism, it is time to examine, confront and dismantle the government programs, policies and practices that have unfairly targeted American Muslims as security threats.

We condemn the decades-long campaign to demonize and dehumanize the Muslim faith community, which has led to increased rates of violence and discrimination targeting American Muslims or those perceived to be Muslim.

We will hold accountable those who engage in or enable violent or other illegal activity targeting religious minorities, including by directing the federal government to address the growing and violent threat of white supremacist, neo-Nazi and anti-government groups.

4. DNCP On Criminal Justice

“Democrats believe we need to overhaul the criminal justice system from top to bottom.

Police brutality is a stain on the soul of our nation...

...It is unacceptable that millions of people in our country have good reason to fear they may lose their lives in a routine traffic stop, or while standing on a street corner, or while playing with a toy in a public park...

...It is unacceptable that Black parents must have “the talk” with their children, to try to protect them from the very police officers who are supposed to be sworn to protect and serve them.

It is unacceptable that more than 1,000 people, a quarter of them Black, have been killed by police every year since 2015...

Data reports across the board:

35% of nonlethal non-violent crimes were reported to be black and in connection with that 33% of arrest were of black Americans.

2019 Study on police shootings:

Heather Mcdonald reports in the Wall Street Journal:

1004 were fatally shot, 1/4 were African American, a ratio that is has been stable since 2015.

2018 - 53% of all Homicides and 60% of armed robberies although only being 13%