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University SDA Church- East Lansing

The Power of a Godly Citizen

Jermaine Gayle

Those Who Rule

We thank you for being such a wonderful God.

This morning you have received also a handout if you want to fill in the blanks as we go along.

And I'll include that in the rest of the sermon series.

This morning I want to introduce you to a letter that was written by an anonymous citizen back in the year, about 20 years ago actually.

Now we don't know if this was a girl or a guy, but nonetheless we know the content of the letter.

Dear Internal Revenue Service, I have not been able to let everyone sleep.

I have not been able to sleep at night because I cheated on last year's income tax.

Someone was losing sleep because they cheated on their income tax.

The author goes on, enclosed, find a cashier's check for $1, 000.

If I still can't sleep, I'll send you the balance.

I don't know if this person was able to sleep for the rest of the night, or whenever else it was, but it brings to mind something very interesting that I discovered after doing some research.

There is such a fund that the IRS keeps and that's called the Conscience Fund.

Since 1864, the United States Treasury Department has managed a little known fund.

How many of you knew about the conscience fund?

Oh, there's 1, there's someone who knows about the conscience fund.

I was quite surprised to find out about it.

Some historians tell us that the conscience fund goes all the way back to the year 1811, but became widely popular after the Civil War when most Americans, their consciences were awakened and they wanted to, if they stole from the United States government, they wanted to give back right away.

And so the IRS would receive check after check, $5.

There was a lady who used a stamp, a postage stamp twice, and so she mailed a check to the IRS for 50 cents because she couldn't sleep.

There was a lady who bought a dress and didn't pay taxes and she paid, she sent a letter to the IRS saying I didn't pay tax, so here's the money back.

Back in 1864, the type of letters that the IRS would receive at some point regarding the conscience fund came down to this.

This was quoted in Times Magazine written in 1884.

The letter says occasionally a letter is received from a clergyman, from a who?

A clergyman stating that it was the result of a deathbed confession of some offender who asked that the money and confession be forwarded to the department's conscience fund.

So even at the bedside when pastors were visiting with patients and they were close to death, they would say at the end of life they would say well I owe the IRS let me take care of that before I die and they would mail some money and a letter stating they wanted it returned to the IRS and so 1884 1987 rather there was another article that was published and this was the last time there was a Public report as to the amount founded the amount that was in the conscience fund It was perhaps the largest guilt trip the Times magazine article says in the history of the Republic The largest what?

Guilt trip in the history of the republic.

In 1986, Americans who felt they had cheated their government 1 way or another, voluntarily sent $380, 000, $929.49 to Washington in restitution since since 19 since 1811 The conscience fund since since by the way since 9 1864 has amassed 5.7 million dollars how much That's a lot of Americans who couldn't sleep.

There was a time in America when the consciences of its citizens was quite awakened.

And as a result, if they owed, they would pay back.

I don't know, friends, how much is in the conscience fund nowadays.

But maybe there's something that is happening in our society that is causing people to not be so sensitive in their consciences.

When King Solomon ascended the throne of his father David, there might have been many letters sent to his government.

People's consciences in Israel were awakened.

You see, this was a time of new beginnings, time of great blessings, a time of peace and fulfilled promises.

And Israel and Judah were enjoying these gifts under a booming economy.

I have this verse on the screen and it says, And Judah and Israel dwelt, what everyone?

Safely, each man under his vine in his fig tree from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

The language of the text conveys the idea that every man, woman, and child who lived in the provinces of these select kingdoms was quite satisfied with the state of things within the state.

Imagine a country where all its citizens are peaceful and happy, Living with consciences pure and awakened, void of offense towards God and towards their fellow citizens.

No road rage amongst the chariots jostling by in Israel.

No shooting, no looting, no fires burning on the streets.

There was no need for a foster care system because every child had a home in Israel.

No prisons for no laws were being broken in Israel.

Imagine a country with no limited resources to cause worry among its citizens.

No greed causing men and women to steal and push down their fellow citizens.

A country where no political arguments cause 1 to have indigestion around dinner time.

The Bible tells us again in 1 Kings going further, chapter 4, verse 20 and 21, Judah and Israel were as what everyone?

Numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating And what everyone?

Man, wouldn't you want to be a part of this country?

A place where everyone is happy, joyful, no sorrow.

So Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river to the land of the Philistines as far as the border of Egypt, they brought tribute and served Solomon.

Imagine a country where joy reigns supreme, where hope abides in every corner street and along every alleyway, where peace finds a home in every heart, where love takes control of every motive.

If Solomon were alive today, based on what we've just read in these 2 verses, Solomon would have all the news pundits and all the politicians coming knocking at his door saying sir sir how do you do it do you mean to tell me that no 1 steals in Israel before he could reply another would interrupt and say sir sir what model of government is this Even the queen of Ethiopia would eventually travel to have a meeting with Solomon.

Page 399 in your pew Bible, we're in 1 Kings chapter 10 now in verse 1.

Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to test him with hard questions.

People who say that the Bible put women down need to read it again.

Here's a powerful African queen coming to visit with Solomon.

And this morning I was talking with Kibbere and he told me that she would have traveled 2, 800 miles from Ethiopia to meet with Solomon in Jerusalem with her caravan.

Now there's some debate about whether she's from Yemen or Ethiopia.

So she travels through the desert and now she's here in front of Solomon.

The Bible says she comes to test Solomon with what kind of questions?

Oh, praise God for the mothers in Israel.

Maybe she asked about biology, like students.

When the State Goes Too Far

Clyde Benson, Joseph Castle, and Leon Gabor all claimed that they were Jesus.

And they were convinced that they were Jesus.

So Milton Rokish, He thought that the goal to try to help these men who made this claim, claiming to be Jesus, he thought that the best way to solve the problem of loss of identity was to bring all 3 together in hopes that they would convince each other that they weren't Jesus.

All 3 Jesus disagreed on the other claiming the identity of Jesus.

This is what Milton Rokish said as he conducted the study.

He said, I wanted to provide a space in which the primitive beliefs of these 3 men would collide in hopes of shocking them into realizing the truth concerning their identities.

They weren't shocked, but Milton Rokish was shocked at the results.

He concluded about 2 years after the study, he said, while I had failed to cure the 3 Christ of their delusions, they had succeeding in curing me of what?

He says, they cured me of my God-like delusion that I could change them by omnipotently and omnisciently arranging and rearranging their daily lives within the framework of a total institution.

Milton Rokish had control over their schedules.

He had control over when they met and over the content of their meeting.

In fact, Milton Rokish would conduct the study in such a way that there were times where he would write letters from the imaginary friends that these men had thought of and they were convinced 1 of them Milton Rokish was able to convince that he was a married man, even though he's never been married In his entire life and he would talk about the letters his wife sent to him and he would say I've never seen her face but I can tell she is lovely by the way she writes there was no white but Milton Rokish went on he says I had terminated the project some 2 years after the initial confrontation when I came to realize dimly at the time but increasingly more clearly as the years passed that I really had no what everyone no right to play God and interfere around the clock with their daily lives Milton Rokish understand understood at the time the problem with playing God for somebody else.

Even for those who struggle mentally, Milton Rokish came to the conclusion that it is never right to play God in the lives of someone else.

See the idea of playing God is not a new concept, it's an old 1.

So come with me to another time, AD 44 to be exact, which is where we find the book of Acts in chapter 12.

That's the timeline in which Acts 12 shows up.

So, as Milton Rokish took a step back, I want to show another individual who took this concept to its conclusion.

The man's name is Herod, Herod Agrippa I to be specific.

When he first donned his silver robe lined with gold in the early morning of AD 44 and walked out into the sunlight in Rome all aglow, a vast multitude stood in shock and amazement at the dazzling figure approaching the political podium.

The Bible tells us in Acts chapter 12, if you'll turn there with me, Acts chapter 12 and verse 21, page 1269 in your pew Bibles if you're using 1.

The Bible tells us there in Acts chapter 12 and verse 21, so on a set day, Herod arrayed in what everyone?

Royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them.

On this set day, Herod Agrippa occupied the seat his grandfather Herod the Great had sat in.

In this grand amphitheater that Rome built, Herod was sitting high above the masses.

The Bible tells us that on that set day, He spoke to the people.

His speech was so moving and so stirring, I imagine that the crowd must have been hanging on to every single word that Herod Agrippa spoke.

And at times they would chant his name, Herod, Herod, Herod.

The Bible tells us the people of Tyre and Sidon had gathered because they were greatly concerned about their next meal.

Let's go back to verse 20 of Acts chapter 12.

It says in verse 20 of Acts chapter 12, Now Herod had been very, what everyone, angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon.

And having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace because their country depended on the king's country.

They were concerned about their next meal so they came to Herod's political rally.

They might not have approved of Herod's character as a man, but they knew that if they didn't have food in their cupboards, they wouldn't stand a chance, and so they chose to side with Rome.

These were perhaps honest, and honest men, honest women, who couldn't stand the thought of not being able to buy and sell because Herod had the power to halt the flow of goods to their country and so they all came with their economic concerns.

They all came to this political rally to experience firsthand what this king had to say, and they all came willing to follow.

But then King Herod stood up, the light of the sun touched his silver robe.

And Ellen White tells us in the book Acts of the Apostles that the sun hit his silver and golden robe and it lit up and people saw him all aglow and they thought, this can't be a man, this must be a God.

Notice what the Bible tells us in Acts chapter 12 and verse 22.

The chance changed from Herod to he is a God.

Verse 22 of Acts chapter 12, and they kept shouting the voice of what everyone?

You see this idea of someone claiming to be God is not as new as 1959.

We can go all the way back to even Pharaoh in Egypt who thought that he could fight against God.

He concluded the same that they did, that he is more than a man.

Now Herod Agrippa is a very interesting individual.

He is interesting because Herod Agrippa actually has Jewish beliefs.

Josephus tells us that Herod was a believing Jew, and so he was connected to the Jewish temple in many ways, and in 1 specific way the Mishnah tells us that Herod actually went to the Jewish temple to worship.

In the Mishnah, when Herod Agrippa entered the Jewish temple that day, he not just went, He not only went to worship, he actually stood up to read, like Jesus did in the temple.

And notice what the Mishnah says, King Agrippa arose and he received, what everyone, what did he receive?

The Torah scroll, and he read from it while standing, and the sages praised him for this.

You see, the speech that we're seeing in Acts chapter 12 was not the only speech that Herod Agrippa gave.

He was in the temple reading the scriptures and as he read, the People in church praised King Herod for having read the Torah.

The Mishnah tells us, and when he arrived at the verse in the portion read by the king that states you may not appoint a foreigner over you.

So he was reading from the book of Deuteronomy, friends, the Old Testament.

He was reading Deuteronomy 17 and verse 15.

And Deuteronomy 17, 15 tells the Jews not to have a foreigner over them as king.

The other interesting thing about Herod Agrippa was that he was of Roman origin.

He was a Roman citizen, but at the same time a believing Jew.

So this would be akin of us inviting 1 of the famous politicians to come and give the next sermon at the university church.

That won't happen, friends, I'll tell you right now, it won't.

But Herod stood up in the temple and he read from Deuteronomy, and as he read, he started to cry.

The Mishnah continues, tears flowed from his eyes because he was a descendant of the house of Herod and was not of Jewish origin.

By the way, friends, Herod Agrippa was the grandson of Herod the Great.

He consented to the persecution of Jesus Christ, the crucifixion of Christ.

The 1 grandson, the 1 who rejected the Messiah and Herod, Agrippa, had no sympathy for the Christians, had no sympathy for the Jews, but he claimed to believe as a Jew, not out of anything else but political convenience.

He wanted to achieve his political goals and he was happy to believe for the moment that he was a Jew.

And so as he cried reading from Deuteronomy because he knew that he was not supposed to be there reading that text, friends.

But notice what happens in the congregation in that temple.

The people shouted, you are, what friends?

Born Free

Let's pray and then we'll dive right into our message.

Father, once more we come to you as beggars at Heaven's storehouse.

Say, Lord, we don't have any wisdom, we don't know what to do with ourselves, and we don't know how to navigate the chaos of this world.

And so we're begging you, give us wisdom so that we may know how to live.

We ask dear Lord that you preach the sermon, that you speak to your people, is our prayer in Jesus' name, amen.

This is part 4 in our series, The Power of a Godless Citizen.

The subtitle of today's message is Born Free, and you saw it in our Scripture reading there in Acts chapter 22.

I want to begin by telling you about a man.

John Harper, when he boarded the Titanic back in April of 1912, didn't realize that that was going to be his last trip.

He was a Baptist preacher all the way from Scotland.

And when he boarded that ship bound for the shores of New York, John Harper didn't realize that he would become the Titanic's last hero.

The author of the book that records John R.

Harper's story, the Titanic's last hero, mentions this about John Harper.

He was a man that was familiar with tragedy and difficulty, And he was quite familiar with the waters because he had some really difficult experiences The author says Adams Moody is the author by the way And he says it is quite possible that no 1 on the Titanic was as familiar with the terrors of drowning as John Harper At the age of 2 he fell into a well and was rescued just in time by his mother.

At the age of 26, he was dragged out to sea by a riptide and escaped within inches of his life.

Still another time, he found himself on a leaking ship in the Mediterranean before being rescued.

If you were John Harper, would you board another ship?

But John Harper boarded the Titanic because he recognized that there was a greater mission, a greater call that would go beyond his fear of the waters.

John Harper went on the Titanic because he felt that God was calling him to something very specific and very profound.

The night before he boarded the ship, the author tells us that John Harper had to meet with a few of his church members.

And in that meeting, as they talked and discussed the trip, John Harper, by the way, was coming all the way to Chicago to preach an evangelistic series.

And there he was meeting with his church members and in that meeting a man by the name of Mr.

Robert English stood up and said, John look I have been praying about this thing and I don't have a good feeling, there's an ominous feeling about this ship.

Do not go on this ship because disaster is awaiting you." The man, Mr.

English, told John, look, I'll even pay for your ticket on another ship if you'll wait a bit more.

But John Harper felt compelled, he felt convicted that he needed to be on this ship and so he told them no because he felt God was calling him.

Is it possible, friends, that sometimes the call of God might lead you into difficulty and tragedy.

Is it possible that sometimes God may go against the grain of even your family member's desires for you to be spared, just so that His will can be done in your life?

They said, John, it's the will of God, so we'll let you go.

And so during that 2 hours and 40 minutes, while the ship continued to sink, when all men had regrets on their lips and pain in their hearts and terror on their faces, That night as many were trying to save themselves and their possessions, that night as lifeboats paddled away, barely full due to the selfish hearts that paddled away, that night John Harper could be seen pleading with a young man asking this question, are you saved?

That's the question John Harper kept asking.

When the person that he is pleading with would respond by saying, No, I'm not.

Then John Harper would quote the words of Paul in Acts 16 verse 31, and he would say, Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.

That night when John Harper found himself in the frigid Atlantic Ocean, realizing the ship was going down and he had to dive into the water with a life jacket to save his life.

And by the way, John Harper lost his wife during childbirth, so he was a widower.

He had his little daughter Anne and Anne was on the ship with him and he handed his daughter over to someone on a lifeboat and she was saved but John Harper was not.

They say you could hear his voice going from 1 person to another, asking the very same question as he wore his life jacket in that cold Atlantic ocean.

When someone would say no, he would again quote the words of the Apostle Paul in Acts 16, 31, believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.

When it came down to the last moment of John Harper, there was a man who shared the story that when he saw John, John had the life jacket on and he didn't have any on and he couldn't swim.

John Harper took his life jacket off, gave it to the man, after asking that very same question, are you saved?

That was John Harper's last convert we are told.

The man was rescued later and he told the story of how this self-sacrificing preacher was willing to give his life jacket so that he could be saved.

There's a call that is higher than the preservation of our own lives sometime.

So John Harper kept asking that question.

Moody Adams says further in his book, as the monstrous iceberg ripped the ambitions of others to shreds.

Harper demonstrated his unwavering, what's the word friends?

His unwavering ambition that even death could not affect.

He declared Jesus as man's hope to the end.

His character was a stark contrast to the others who were forced to face the folly of their ambitions.

We are told that there was a man on the Titanic, when he recognized that it was going down, he had 2 very expensive dogs.

He made sure that his 2 expensive dogs got on the lifeboat and so they could be saved.

And again, a barely full lifeboat paddled away with 2 expensive dogs and himself, but no 1 else.

1, when they were asking for only women to enter the lifeboats, this guy put on a shawl over his head and jumped on the lifeboat, looking like a woman, in order to save his life.

But John Harper was in stark contrast to everyone else that was selfishly trying to preserve their own lives.

John Harper's number 1 question as he's on this ship, as it's going down, how many people will be saved in the end?

And so yes, everything else crumbled, but John Harper remained the last hero on the Titanic.

By the way, if you're looking for a good book to read, I'm gonna pull a plug.

Moody Adams' book, The Titanic's Last Hero, is a good read.

Paul was probably not the first, but he was way before John Harper when it comes to recognizing true ambition in life.

Paul had known what John Harper found on the Titanic many years prior, and he would Tell the story of how much it would cost him to preach the gospel, even his own inconvenience down to his very life being risked from day to day as he went about asking that very same question, are you saved?

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11 and verse 24 and 25, page 1334 in your pew Bibles if you want to turn there with me.

The Apostle Paul says from the Jews, 5 times I received what everyone?

This brother was beaten for the gospel's sake.

Series

The Power of a Godly Citizen

When the State Goes Too Far

Transcript

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

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