25-0427a Transcript

Preacher: Tom Freed

(1:49) Morning. (1:51) My turn to preach in the rotation. (1:55) We’ve got five guys that preach once a month.

(2:00) I’d like to thank everybody. (2:03) My mom did pass, as everybody heard, but I’d like to thank everybody for the prayers over the years. (2:09) She had a brain tumor for over 20 years, so I think we’ve been praying for her pretty much since I’ve been gone here for about 15.

(2:20) I appreciate that and the company words. (2:23) Jim did ask if I was okay to preach, so they’re not forcing me to do it. (2:28) I am okay to preach.

(2:31) For this sermon, I took a page out of Scott’s book. (2:37) My last sermon, he used Grok, which is AI from X. (2:46) He put in, can you improve this sermon? (2:51) I thought, how’s a computer going to improve my sermon? (2:55) It’s not going to do a better job than I can, but I was quickly humbled that it did improve it. (3:02) I think it improved it.

(3:04) For this sermon, I did the same thing. (3:07) I wrote this sermon. (3:08) I said, can you improve my sermon? (3:12) I think, once again, it improved it, although it knocked off probably three pages.

(3:18) I don’t feel like a shorter sermon. (3:20) I kind of used Grok and then mine. (3:24) It does a good job of keeping everything you want to say, all the good points.

(3:30) It cuts all the Bible verses I wanted to use. (3:34) It just, I think, streamlines it and makes it a lot better. (3:40) The sermon is called Stand Up for Jesus, a Call to Bold Faith.

(3:47) In a world where moral declines seem to accelerate every day, we as Christians are called to stand firm in our faith. (3:56) The challenges we face today, shifting cultural norms, vocal opposition to biblical values, (4:06) and increasing hostility toward truth demand that we proclaim the gospel with courage and conviction. (4:13) All of us can see that today, evil is everywhere and growing.

(4:19) You know, the church is under attack, and we do need to stand up and do something about it. (4:27) The Bible urges us not to remain silent, but to boldly share the good news of Jesus Christ. (4:34) As Matthew 28, 19 commands, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

(4:45) Let us explore why standing up for Jesus is both our duty and our privilege. (4:54) Drawing inspiration from scripture and the fearless example of the early church, the call to speak boldly. (5:06) The world often discourages open discussions about faith, labeling topics like religion and morality as divisive.

(5:14) What are we all told not to talk about in public? (5:18) You know, religion and politics, and you can see why, especially politics now. (5:25) It usually ends up in a big argument where people get upset. (5:31) Yet the Bible offers a different perspective.

(5:35) Romans 10, 14 asks, how can they believe in him whom they have not heard? (5:41) And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? (5:47) Silence is not an option for those who carry the greatest names in history, the message of salvation through Christ. (5:57) We cannot lead others to faith through gestures alone. (6:01) Could you imagine a mime trying to explain the plan of salvation to somebody lost in sin? (6:08) It’s not going to happen.

(6:12) Even if you lived the perfect life, you were the greatest Christian ever, and you came across somebody (6:21) and they still wouldn’t know how to be saved if you didn’t speak up and tell them the plan of redemption. (6:30) You know, we have to speak up. (6:32) Even though you’re living a good Christian life and somebody sees you, how are they going to know what Jesus said? (6:39) How are they going to know how to be saved? (6:41) How are they going to know how to worship correctly? (6:44) It’s not just about walking the walk.

(6:46) It’s not just about living the life. (6:50) It’s about also speaking up. (6:54) Just like when Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch if he understood the Bible.

(6:59) His response was, how can I unless somebody explains it to me? (7:06) Acts 8, 31. (7:09) Matthew 10, 27 urges us. (7:12) When I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight.

(7:17) What is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roost. (7:23) The gospel is meant to be shouted, not whispered. (7:27) The early church understood this.

(7:29) Preaching fearlessly despite persecution, imprisonment, and even death. (7:37) The boldness turned the world upside down. (7:40) Acts 17, 6. (7:42) Why then do we hesitate when we enjoy freedom they can only dream of? (7:47) How many of us are scared to speak out about Jesus? (7:50) That word to our friends and family.

(7:54) You know, the early church wasn’t scared. (7:56) They were getting beaten, thrown in jail, and even stoned to death. (8:01) Yet we’re scared because we might feel uncomfortable or somebody might make fun of us.

(8:07) And we need to be fearless like the early church. (8:12) The rising tide of evil. (8:17) Evil flourishes when good people stay silent.

(8:20) Galatians 5, 9 warns, a little yeast leaves a whole batch of dough. (8:27) Just a small amount of sin can corrupt an entire culture. (8:33) Unchecked immorality is spread like wildfire through our society.

(8:37) You know, the sin has to be stopped with like the yeast right away where it corrupts everything. (8:46) You know, people haven’t stood up and spoke for good. (8:51) You know, not enough people.

(8:53) And over the years the evil has taken over. (8:58) It has spread like leaving and corrupted. (9:01) It’s corrupted society.

(9:04) Issues that have been unthinkable decades ago are now normalized. (9:10) Partly because Christians have been reluctant to speak out and stand for what is right. (9:16) The analogy of the boiling frog illustrates this gradual decline.

(9:22) You place a frog in cold water and slowly increase the heat and fail to notice the danger until it’s too late. (9:31) This is exactly what has happened to this country over the last few decades. (9:38) You know, it’s slowly, that’s how Satan does it.

(9:42) Slowly, slowly bringing things in. (9:45) Slowly heating it up. (9:48) So slow you don’t even notice sometimes.

(9:52) Those of us who have been around long enough have seen the moral decline. (9:59) And the devil has really turned up the heat in the last couple of years. (10:04) Our culture is at a boiling point and we need to act before it’s too late.

(10:11) The groups promoting agendas captured in scripture are not silent. (10:16) They amplify their message with megaphones. (10:20) As Christians we must counter their noise with the truth.

(10:25) Spoken in love without compromise. (10:29) You can see these small groups that are not the majority speak out a lot more loudly than anybody else. (10:38) Those that push the agendas captured in the Bible, homosexuality, abortion, sex.

(10:47) You know, they aren’t the majority but they act like it. (10:52) They’re so loud they have changed a lot in this country. (10:55) They have done a lot to make changes.

(10:58) The example of Jesus in the early church. (11:05) Jesus was not a timid preacher. (11:08) Far from the passive figure some imagine, he boldly confronted hypocrisy.

(11:15) Calling out the Pharisees as hypocrites to their faces, Matthew 23, 13. (11:22) His courage led to the cross but it also brought salvation to the world. (11:28) Revelation 5 times declares him as a lion of the tribe of Judah.

(11:33) A conqueror whose boldness we are called to emulate. (11:39) Proverbs 28, 1 affirms, the wicked man flees though no one pursues. (11:46) But the righteous are as bold as a lion.

(11:50) We need to act bold like Jesus did. (11:54) Jesus is a true lion. (11:56) The devil walks around imitating a lion.

(12:00) He’s like a roaring lion but Jesus is the actual lion. (12:05) We have him on our side. (12:06) We need to be just like him.

(12:10) We need to stop being scared to stand up for what is right and speak the truth. (12:14) The wicked should fear us, not the other way around. (12:19) The apostles followed him to use his footsteps and so should we.

(12:25) Paul despite enduring beatings, imprisonment, and shipwrecks. (12:29) 2 Corinthians 11, 24-28, never stopped preaching. (12:34) You all remember all Paul went through.

(12:38) All the beatings, jail, being harassed everywhere he went. (12:44) He still never stopped preaching. (12:47) Even after being stoned and left for dead.

(12:50) He rose the next day to proclaim the gospel in another city. (12:57) Stephen facing death delivered a powerful sermon before the Sanhedrin. (13:02) Declaring his vision of Jesus at God’s right hand.

(13:07) Acts 7, 55-56. (13:12) Their courage reminds us that when we stand up for Jesus, he stands with us. (13:18) Promising never to leave or forsake us.

(13:21) Deuteronomy 31-8. (13:25) But what’s our responsibility today? (13:28) We live in a time of unprecedented freedom. (13:33) Yet many Christians shrink from sharing their faith out of fear of ridicule and discomfort.

(13:40) This must change. (13:43) Ephesians 6-11 exhorts us to put on the whole armor of God. (13:47) To stand against the schemes of the devil.

(13:51) We’re in a spiritual battle. (13:53) Not against people, but against the forces of darkness that seek to silence the truth. (14:01) The devil loves it when we’re quiet.

(14:04) The devil, he loves it when we don’t speak God’s word. (14:07) That’s all he needs. (14:09) And he’ll win.

(14:12) Each of us have a role to play. (14:15) We cannot rely on pastors, politicians, or others to do our part. (14:20) Even though a lot of politicians pretend to be Christians, most of them truly aren’t.

(14:25) They aren’t true Christians at least. (14:28) They’re not going to do it for you. (14:30) If you don’t want changes in this world, you’re going to have to do it yourself.

(14:34) You can’t rely on everybody else to do your job. (14:38) As 1 Corinthians 13-14 urges, be watchful. (14:46) Stand firm in the faith.

(14:47) Act like men. (14:49) Be strong. (14:51) Let all that you do be done in love.

(14:54) We don’t have to be confrontational. (14:56) We can do things in love. (14:59) You know, we do preach the gospel because we love others.

(15:02) We don’t want anybody to go to hell. (15:05) Not even our worst enemies. (15:09) Our efforts are not in vain.

(15:13) For 1 Corinthians 15-58 assures that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. (15:21) It is a lot of work we have to do sometimes. (15:25) We do have to get uncomfortable.

(15:27) We do have to give up our life for Jesus. (15:30) But in the end it will pay off. (15:35) What’s the promise of standing firm? (15:39) Standing up for Jesus comes with a promise.

(15:42) He stands with us. (15:44) When Stephen faced martyrdom, he saw Jesus standing at God’s right hand ready to receive him. (15:53) So it shows when we stand for Jesus, he stands up for us.

(15:57) Stephen looked up into the sky and saw a vision of God, of Jesus standing at the right hand of God. (16:04) Jesus stood up for him off his throne. (16:07) Matthew 10-28 reminds us, do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul.

(16:16) Our ultimate loyalty is to God who holds both body and soul in his hands. (16:25) Why are we scared of other people? (16:27) They can’t do anything to us. (16:29) The worst they can do is kill us and then we’ll be in heaven.

(16:33) We need to fear God, not man. (16:39) Jesus is coming again. (16:41) Again, in 2 Timothy 4-7-8 promises a crown of righteousness to those who fight the good fight and long for his appearance.

(16:52) Those who stand firm will rejoice at his return, while those who reject him will flee in fear, Isaiah 2-19. (17:02) Now is the time to choose who we’re going to serve. (17:07) In conclusion, the world is watching and the stakes are eternal.

(17:13) If we don’t stand up for Jesus, who will? (17:17) Like I said, are you sitting around waiting for somebody else to stand up and speak? (17:23) Are you scared to speak up at work to your family and friends? (17:29) Are you scared of what they’re going to think? (17:31) We need to be worrying more about what Jesus and God think, not what man thinks about us. (17:39) We do need to stand up. (17:42) This country is full of evil.

(17:45) And if Christians don’t make a stand, it’s just going to continue to get worse. (17:51) Joshua 1-9 declares, be strong and courageous. (17:56) Do not be frightened.

(17:58) The Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (18:03) He is with us. (18:05) He’s always there.

(18:07) He’s standing for us when we stand for him. (18:11) Let us be a church on fire, fervent in spirit, and bold in proclamation, just as the early church was, Romans 12-11. (18:23) If you are a Christian, recommit today to sharing the gospel with courage and love.

(18:30) If you’re not yet a follower of Christ, God offers you the opportunity to repent and be saved. (18:39) As we sing, come forward with any need, whether to confess faith in Christ, (18:45) seek prayer, or rededicate your life to standing boldly for him. (18:49) We’re going to rise up together and proclaim, stand up, stand up for Jesus.