The Buckle is Rusted
Springfield Missouri is in the Bible Belt and I’ve always heard that we are the buckle of the belt. I think we can even make a good argument that we are the buckle. In addition to having a church on just about every corner, we have several bible colleges and we are home to the Assemblies of God world headquarters. So maybe we are the buckle of the Bible Belt.
Last week I was telling a friend how a local children’s clothing store was against us reading the birth of Jesus in front Planned Parenthood and they banned us from shopping at their store which is located in the shopping center next to Planned Parenthood. My friend said “and we live in the buckle of the Bible Belt.” I replied “there’s a problem with the buckle then, maybe it has fallen off.” My friend answered back “the buckle is rusted.” I agreed with him. That’s a great analogy. The buckle is rusted!
Some women want to run around downtown topless. The Springfield City Council passed a bill that basically said that women can’t run around topless (even though the city attorney said they wouldn’t press charges against women who violate the ordinance downtown because it is considered a free speech zone). Now the ACLU is suing the city and a federal judge has ruled that the law suit can move forward. The buckle is rusted.
Professing Christians are just as likely to be living in sin as non-believers. Christians get divorced as often as unbelievers. Fornication, adultery, pornography and sex slavery are real problems in the Ozarks. We also have a massive problem in our area with drugs and alcohol. The buckle is rusted.
Even though Springfield, Mo is only the third largest city in Missouri, sadly Greene County has the highest rate of child abuse in the state. Between 850 and 900 kids are in foster care. These numbers are unbelievable. The buckle is rusted.
The Bible Belt is not what it used to be. Thirty percent of Southern Baptist now think that homosexuality should be accepted by society. Thirty percent go against God’s word and that’s just concerning this one topic. The buckle is rusted.
Sheep and Goats
When preachers don’t preach the whole counsel of God they end up with churches full of goats instead of sheep. Teaching goats how to be better is just making better goats. It won’t help these “religious” people when they die in their sins and suffer the torments of Hell for all of eternity.
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal (Matthew 25:31-46).
You see, when God saves you, He changes your heart. You are no longer the selfish person that you were before. You now want to serve God and serve others. You should be sharing the glorious Gospel when you help others. But teaching people how to be better goats won’t save their souls and the buckle will remain rusted as long as we keep going away from God’s word.
Not of This World
God isn’t interested in a popularity contest. God isn’t sitting around waiting for us to tell Him what He should do. God isn’t telling followers of Jesus that we need to be more relevant. He isn’t encouraging us to blend in with the culture. No in fact the Bible tells us that we are no longer of this world (John 17:14-16). We are to be separated (2 Corinthians 6:16-18). Non-believers should be able to look at us and hear us speak and know that there’s something different about us (Ephesians 4:22-32).
No wonder the buckle is rusted. Too many pastors and too many churches are going against the word of God. Too many people are reading the Bible and re-interpreting it to suit what they want to believe. Too many people compromise on a point here or there then eventually they don’t believe anything resembling the truth. Many of them promote a social gospel – that all you have to do is be good to people. But your good works won’t save you.
God’s Word is True
God never changes. His word never changes. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. God’s word is trustworthy and reliable. The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever (Psalm 12:6-7). Peter says in Acts 1:16 that the Holy Ghost spoke through David: Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
In 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 the apostle Paul says: Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
2 Peter 1 :21 states: For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Timothy 3:16 says: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
God’s word is tried, true, reliable, trustworthy and it contains the words of life. Too many people pick and choose parts of the Bible, they read, study or preach and they neglect the whole counsel of God. What we are missing in many churches is God’s Law. Too many preachers just want to talk about the Good News, but they neglect to show people that they are law breakers.
SIN
They are offering the cure to men and women who don’t realize or believe that they have a disease. But every man and woman has this disease. The most deadly disease on earth is SIN. We all desperately need the cure and there is only one cure – Jesus Christ. The buckle is rusted because we just keep pouring water on the buckle. Too many preachers today are presenting a watered down gospel and a watered down gospel is no Gospel at all.
Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and all of us have followed right after them. None of us have loved Go with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. We’ve all made false gods at one time or another. I said a little prayer when I was 11 years old, but I didn’t repent and put my faith in Jesus. No I merely asked Jesus into my wicked heart and I kept right on sinning. I kept right on living my life for the devil because I had made a false god in my mind that I thought would save me from Hell but didn’t require me to surrender my life to Jesus. This little god of my imagination couldn’t save anyone, let alone a sinner like me.
Far too many people in the Bible Belt have been encouraged to try this Jesus thing out like it’s something you can just add to your life. But salvation is not an additive. You don’t just add Jesus to your to your life to make your life better. Just trying to add Jesus to your life as some kind of good luck charm or as some kind of genie won’t save you. This little false god can’t help you and it won’t keep you from going to Hell after you die.
You need the real Jesus. You need the Jesus of the Bible. You need the One who did what you and I could never do. You need the One who walked this earth 2,000 years ago. You need the One who never sinned one time. You need the Son of living God.
Jesus, the sinless One, suffered, bled and died on the cross. He suffered God’s wrath over sinful man while He hung on that cross. He paid the sin debt in full. He paid the debt that He did not owe. He died, was buried and rose from the grave three days later. Jesus defeated sin, death, Hell and Satan.
But there is no universal salvation. You must receive salvation. It is the free gift from God, but you must receive it. We’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We need a Savior and Jesus is the only One who saves. If the Holy Spirit is convicting you tonight, don’t resist. Don’t continue running away from God. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus. The Bible says that we are to have repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Do this tonight and be saved.
Watered Down Gospel
The buckle is rusted. Quit standing under the flowing waters of the watered down gospel. The water may feel cool and comfortable to you today, but it is only making the buckle rusty. Those soothing waters that tickle itching ears may feel pleasant to you today, but they will provide you no comfort when you die in your sins and wind up in Hell. The soothing waters you listen to now that Jesus loves everybody so you can go on living your life any old way that you want to, won’t help cool the flames of Hell once you are there. The enticing waters of just ask Jesus into your heart won’t ease your torments in Hell for one second.
No you need to come to Jesus the Bible way. Jesus said unless you repent you will likewise perish. The Bible says godly sorrow works repentance to salvation. Jesus said deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Him. In other words you need to surrender your life utterly and completely to Him. Will you do this tonight? Will you call upon the name of the Lord Jesus and be saved? Surrender your life to Him. Repent and believe the Gospel.
(This message was lifted up in downtown Springfield, MO on January 1, 2016)