A Stand in the Gap Today Transcript
Host: Hon. Sam Rohrer
Co-hosts: Dave Kistler & Dr. Gary Dull
Click HERE for PDF version.
Segment One:
Sam Rohrer:
Well, hello and welcome to this Monday edition of Stand in the Gap today and an entirely new week. We’re glad that you are with us. And we look forward to this entire week with you. I’m Sam Rohrer. I’m going to be joined today by the two original members of the Stand In The Gap today team and that’s Dr. Gary Dull and evangelist Dave Kistler. And I’m excited about today’s program emphasis. And I trust that you’ll be blessed as we continue today with part two of a 10 part series that we launched on June 30, just a few days prior to our national observance of Independence Day. The series emphasis is 10 principles to national renewal. Another way of describing these principles would be this, God’s plan for a blessed nation. Or you could say this on the opposite side, 10 principles America ignores at its own peril.
Sam Rohrer:
Now these principles were identifying more carefully identified by our founders. They were preached by our founding pastors. They shaped our national worldview. And they were strategically incorporated into our nation’s organic documents of law, Mayflower Compact the various constitutions of our 13 original colonies, and were then further codified into the declaration of independence, and then embedded within our US Constitution. These principles are consistent and they are clear. They can actually be found within William Penn’s Frame of Government of 1682. His document, which he framed, which actually became the foundational document of principles necessary for self-government under God, which he termed a holy experiment in freedom. And just a few years before it was described by governor John Winthrop of the Massachusetts colony, when he used the words, “A shining city on a hill.” Now our prayer and motivation for this series is to provide a roadmap for national renewal.
Sam Rohrer:
Our goal is to help reacquaint our people with principles that made our nation possible, drove our founders to enormous self-sacrifice and made possible God’s blessing on this nation. Our hope is that we can provide essential history and equip our citizens to primarily focus their attention, not on the political process or some politician as our salvation, that is an outcropping of it. But to focus primarily on the God of heaven, who alone has the power to heal hearts and turn judgment into blessing. And it’s our prayer that minds and hearts will be turned to the truth and to identify the basic principles that if embraced will in fact lead to Liberty. So, principle number one, we talked about first was integrity. The most fundamental foundational principle leading to national renewal and God’s national blessing is integrity. And as we shared earlier, integrity rests on three legs.
Sam Rohrer:
Integrity is connected directly to the concept of virtue. Now by definition, integrity means whole or complete, that revolves around whole or complete because of the embracing of truth as defined by God. But our founders also use the word virtue, which is why the word appears on many coats of arms of the various states, including here in Pennsylvania. And virtue by definition means this, nothing but voluntary obedience to truth. That’s the definition of virtue. So, pursuing the truth, embracing the truth and standing in the gap for truth, and we talk about on this program is the essential element of integrity and virtue. That’s the number one principle necessary for national renewal. And with that, I welcome in right now, Dave and Gary. Thanks for both of you being here and I’m looking forward to this and I want to get right into it. Dave, I want to go to you first because the founders as individuals, by committing to the principles of integrity and virtue embraced what we call a biblical worldview. That’s what we talk about on this program a lot.
Sam Rohrer:
And while some use the term Judeo-Christian worldview, it’s really a biblical worldview. William Penn identified the essential elements and we’re actually going to build that out as we go through this today. But one of the things Penn said was that in order for a holy experiment and self-governing freedom to get off the ground and to continue, and this was the key here, the people had to start with what he described as understanding the nature and the role of God. That’s a powerful one. So, here’s my question, Dave. The first pillar of this principle, there’s actually four, the undergirds understanding the nature and the role of God. It is that God is sovereign. In revelation 21:6 John, the Revelator said there, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.” Here’s the question, define sovereign and answer the question briefly. Why people must start with God and not back into God? If that makes sense.
Dave Kistler:
Well, Sam, it does. And let me just say this. When we talk about God being sovereign, we’re talking about him being in charge. He is in control. He is the Supreme ruler of the universe. Isaiah 9:6 says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” So, the framers of the constitution, founders of our country understood this critical principle that God is in charge and nothing is going to thwart his will. And Sam, it’s critical that we start there. Not that somewhere along the continuum, we try to bring God into the picture.
Dave Kistler:
We have to start with that understanding. We’ve been doing some building at our home and Sam, the thing is this. If you start incorrectly, everything that follows along the line of a wall going up is going to be incorrect if the starting point is incorrect. And everything will be all from there. So, our country must start and understand that we started with the right premise, the founders did, they understood this. And so God is the one who’s in control.
Sam Rohrer:
All Right. And Gary, let me go to you because in simple terms, our founders knew that with this concept that God is above all earthly Kings. They were talking about forming a new nation. So, they were thinking about authority and kings and they went directly there to God. And can you share anything that would come to your mind, how this truth in a practical way should impact not all people, but anyone wanting to shape civil authority or in our days wanting to take a nation and bring it back to what it was once before, to renew it?
Gary Dull:
Well, I think it’s important, Sam, to recognize that if we are going to go forward as a nation and have the blessing of God, we need to seek God’s direction and then adapt his truth in all that we plan and all that we do. John chapter 17 in verse 17, Jesus is speaking there and he says and reference to God’s word, that God’s word is truth. And therefore it’s very significant that whether we are talking about a person, a church, a family, or a nation that we understand the sovereignty of God, and that we consider three statements. Number one, getting to know who God is. Number two, getting to know what God expects. And number three, getting to know how God operates under His umbrella of His sovereignty. And all of that relates to His truth. And so it brings us back to the fact that we need to have that right understanding of God, if we are going to do anything in the nation, that’s going to glorify him and bless him.
Sam Rohrer:
Hm. Well, ladies and gentlemen, understanding the nature and the role of God. Okay. We’re just talking about that God is sovereign. In a really impractical sense is do we go to God first and say, Lord, what is your plan? And help me to do it. Or do we go with our own plan and go to God and say support what I am doing? God is sovereign. When it comes to starting a nation, or a family, or anything, it really is what do you say, God. And then we go from there.
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Segment Two:
Sam Rohrer:
Welcome back, we’ll pick up on the second piece as we move along here today. We’ll welcome back to Stand in the Gap today. I’m Sam Rohrer, accompanied by Gary Dull and Dave Kistler. And today is, as we had announced earlier, every Monday now up through about the end of August appropriately, till we reach our 10 Mondays effectively. We are identifying 10 principles to national renewal.
Sam Rohrer:
These 10 principles are principles, which come off the pages of history. They come off the principles as identified in many of our founding documents. Ultimately they come right off the pages of scripture. So, you understand where we are going, but our founders understood this. And in these days when we are so challenged in our nation, when you see things under such heavy assault, what do we do? Many people are unnecessarily confused as if there is no place to go. But there is a plan to follow. Our founders laid it down. The enemies of truth have undercut it, thrown it out, discredited it, rewritten it. But for those of us who know the truth, and we start with integrity, the pursuing of the truth, that is principle number one. It moves us to, as William Penn identified really is understanding the nature and the role of God.
Sam Rohrer:
Penn said among other things, “When you understand the nature and role of God, you have to understand, first of all, that God is sovereign.” We just talked about that. But then there is the second one. God is creator and sustainer of all things. When it comes to laying down a national foundation for a blessed nation, a new nation as our founders approached it because none had ever happened before. They looked to Israel, but they looked to the pages of scripture and they compared the civilizations of time and they put together a direction. And that’s what worked, laying out. These principles are a part of that. For them it was a new nation. For us can we renew our nation? And that is the question. Penn called it a holy experiment in freedom, or whether it’s a shining city on a hill. It starts with our understanding of our reality to God.
Sam Rohrer:
It starts with a biblical worldview. So, we identified, God is sovereign. He answers to no one. God rules over the affairs of men. And no one, not even Satan will be able to stand against him without ultimate submission. The belief that there’s no other substitute God acceptable accompanied by an equal aggressive opposition to all attempted usurpers. That is part of the mind view of understanding the nature of the role of God. He’s a jealous God, he didn’t accept competition. So, that leads us to the second pillar, understanding the nature and the role of God. God is sovereign, but then God is creator and sustainer of all things. Gary, let me go to you first here, because in our simple definition of a biblical worldview, we say that first of all, there is God. Not there was God, or there will be a God. But eternally existing, Alpha and Omega God. The only sovereign God.
Sam Rohrer:
And we touched on the first part of that in the last segment. But in this one, understanding of nature and role of God takes us to the fact that there was a creation, an act of God. That’s the second tenant of a biblical worldview. In here is where I want to go with you on this. As a part of understanding the nature and the role of God. This second pillar underneath of that is that God is creator and God is sustainer of all things. Can you cite a key scripture that speaks to this truth and why God as creator is a central and powerful and why it’s got to be a part of this foundation that we begin with. If the founders start a new nation, but for us to renew a nation?
Gary Dull:
Yes, Sam, I’m going to draw attention to a particular passage of scripture. But before I do, I want to make two statements because I think these two statements are very significant as it relates to our understanding of God’s control and God’s working. And as it relates to the whole universe. The first is a definition of God that has been around for many, many years. And that is the fact that God is the infinite and perfect spirit in whom all things have its source support and end. And we need to understand that. That without God, there is nothing. Without God nothing continues. And it’s in God’s hand to bring all things to an end when he sovereignly determines to do so. So, he is the infinite and perfect spirit in whom all things have at source support an end. And then another phrase that I use a lot, and I would encourage all of our listeners to think this through.
Gary Dull:
We don’t have time to elaborate upon it today and will not. But I want folks to think this through. That based upon that definition that I’ve given, we also need to recognize that God in his sovereignty, in his overall working and as his nature, as the creator and sustainer of all things, God causes, allows and directs all things to take place. If he didn’t cause it or allow it, and for sure if he didn’t direct it, the whole universe would be in turmoil. And so that’s an important statement. God causes, allows and directs all things to take place. Now, where do we come up with these things? Not just out of the resources of our own mind, but out of the word of God. And one passage of scripture is Colossians chapter one verses 16 and 17, where it’s actually talking about the Lord Jesus Christ in his relationship to the universe and to the church, where it says, “For by him, that is by Christ, who is God, by him were all things created, that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible.”
Gary Dull:
Whether they be Thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, that’s talking about governments, by the way, in general sense. All things were created by him and for him. He is before all things and by him, all things consist. And so it is God who brought everything into existence and it’s by God’s grace and power and strength that everything remains in existence. These people who, remember 30, 40 years ago were saying that God is dead. Did not realize that if God dies and he won’t, but if he died, everything else would fall apart, because the whole universe is dependent upon God, the creator and God, the sustainer.
Sam Rohrer:
Interesting. Excellent, Gary. Dave, let me go to you because Penn and other founders believed that’s what Gary just said so clearly was not only creator. But they also recognized him as such in the first lines of the declaration of independence. But they also recognized God asked the sustainer of creation and Gary referred to that, can you cite an appropriate Bible passage that speaks to the truth that God sustains all creation, including mankind and kind of build out that piece of what Gary said. Not just started, but everything that hangs on him, just like what Gary said. Can you think of another application or verse there?
Dave Kistler:
Yeah, absolutely, Sam. Colossians 1:17, the passage that Gary quoted “By him, all things consist or hold together.” But also Hebrews one in verse three, who, speaking of Christ, it says this, “Who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power.” Jesus is called the word John 1:1, “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, the word was God.” Well, the word upholds, all things by the word of his power. So, the one that brought everything into existence through a direct word in creation is also the one that sustains everything that he created through the word of his power as well.
Sam Rohrer:
So Gary, back to you on this, how does this belief as God as creator and sustainer. How does that affect the most basic aspect of liberty and freedom and justice? Because see, obviously as we’re talking here right now and ladies and gentleman, as you’re listening, you’re saying, well, this is a lot of if then and premise, and in basis of whatever. But you see, this is how our founders approached the establishing of a nation. This is what God lays down in his word. The word is clear.
Sam Rohrer:
There are elements of truth. You link these together. And then that’s how they came with a plan for which there could be a holy experiment and freedom. It’s why they said, if we do these things, they had to think it through. Our problem today is that we don’t think anything through very much. And those who appose truth try to tear apart what is true. So, Gary make an application here. You have a lot of places you could go, but God is creator and sustainer. Tie that together why that is so critical as we approach the aspect of liberty and freedom and justice, which was the goal of our founders?
Gary Dull:
Founders recognized who God is and they recognized how God work. And you can see that clearly in the declaration of independence, where in the second paragraph, it says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. That among these are life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Of course, in that day, when they put this together, originally, they were talking about the ownership of property and so forth. And it was changed into the pursuit of happiness. But what we see there in that passage of scripture is that the founders recognized that God is the source of liberty. And then of course, when you read then through that declaration of independence, it’s interesting what we see that they lay out, that they come to the end of that great document and say this.
Gary Dull:
“And for the support of this declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we merely pledged to each other, our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” They were talking about freedom. They were talking about Liberty. They were talking about independence and they realized that without God and submitting to him, there would be no liberty or freedom or independence. And so liberty, freedom and independence always goes back to supporting God, to the recognition of God, through submitting to God’s principles, and then allowing God’s principles to be worked out through our lives, through our government, through our church and so forth. God is the one who is really the center element of liberty and freedom.
Sam Rohrer:
And ladies and gentlemen, as we look at this, actually building out these principles that lead to national renewal. There are principles you have to identify them, we’re identifying them. But then the question is, how much do you believe them? Well, the degree to which we believe God, we can believe the principles in his promises that he says, if you do what I say, then certain things will happen. If we don’t believe who God is, then we won’t believe what he says. So, that’s how these things are all linked. And we lay them out because these are the elements for foundational approach to a government, a nation that God can bless. When we come back, we’re going to move to God as Supreme authority.
Segment 3
Sam Rohrer:
We’re dealing with the second program in a series of 10 that we’re entitling, 10 principles to national renewal. Today is principle number two, understanding the nature and the role of God.
Sam Rohrer:
We’re tying this in with the concept because it is actually a biblical worldview. We talk regularly on this program. Our nation was a holy experiment in freedom, William Penn said that. Winthrop said, when he prayed for a shining city on a hill to come, that the world might be able to see a difference and make a difference. And that was our vision. That was the goal of those who came here early on. There was a world view that said, God is, God created, sin entered the world. And then there was a promise of redemption through Jesus Christ. That is what I just said, those are the four elements of a biblical worldview. Our founders understood that and they worked it out. Now what’s under attack in our nation today? It’s this worldview. What does our government attacking? A biblical worldview.
Sam Rohrer:
Government says, we don’t want God anymore. We’ll redefine marriage. We’ll throw the 10 commandments out. We’ll throw prayer out of school. People say, well, we’ll trust in government, not God. It all comes back to worldview. That is what the devil has been attempting to subvert from the beginning when he asked Eve the question, have God said? And so it all comes back here. Our founders saw it, they thought it out and they laid down essential principles. We’re going over them. And that’s what we’re dealing with now. Understanding and embracing the nature and the role of God as sovereign. God is creator and sustainer of all creation, including the very breadth of all mankind leads to another essential, further understanding of the nature and the role of God, which is essential if we are to see renewal in our nation.
Sam Rohrer:
That third pillar is understanding the nature and role of God about that is understanding that God is Supreme Authority. See authority is government. They were talking about starting a new government, authority. You can’t talk about a new government or how society runs unless you talk about authority and that takes you back to who’s in charge. Understanding this truth is essential for liberty. It’s essential for self-government under God, which is what Penn was pursuing. And it is an essential antidote for tyranny. So, Dave closely aligned with God as sovereign is God as Supreme authority. They’re not quite the same. Can you cite a key biblical passage that confirms this truth perhaps of God as supreme authority?
Dave Kistler:
Sure can, Sam. There’s a lot of places I could go. But I want to go to Matthew 28:18, where Jesus was speaking to his disciples and he said this, “All power.” And the word power literally means authority. “All authority,” listen to how extensive God’s authority is “in heaven and in earth has been given to me.” So Jesus, who is God possesses all authority. And then in Romans 13 verses one and two, it cites this, “That there is no authority except from God. And those that exist in positions of authority have been instituted by God.” So, God is the supreme authority and then he delegates and gives responsibility to men in roles, in the area of civic government. He gives them the authority they have. So, he has the right to give that authority to others because he is the one who possesses all authority, both in heaven and earth.
Sam Rohrer:
We don’t have time in this program, ladies and gentlemen to build this out, but we will in another program, we actually get to the purpose of government because what Dave just said there, God has supreme authority. God the father gives it all to Jesus Christ. And then he delegates that. That’s where you get the idea of individual and self-government, self-authority and then the family, and then the church, and then civil authority. See how it builds one upon another. Gary, from a practical perspective, can you make some application perhaps here of how understanding this principle in a practical way was built into our system of representative government or representative authority, put at that perspective?
Gary Dull:
Sam and I want to say this that we’re just talking here. My heart is yearning. I wish to God that those of us who were alive today and particularly who are in positions of leadership, but all of us, because in this nation, as we see in the preamble of our constitution, it begins by saying we, the people, in order to work together to perform a more perfect union. I wish we had the understanding of God and the vision for a nation from biblical perspective, as did our founders. They were able to bring together such a nation because they had an understanding of God and they had a vision I believe from God as to what a nation ought to be, to express freedom and liberty. And over and over again, we can see, as we look at our founders, as we look at our documents, the Mayflower compact, the declaration of independence, the United States constitution. Which, Sam, by the way, was one of the basic elements of our patriotic service we had at your faith Baptist church a week ago, yesterday in July the fourth. One is built upon the other.
Gary Dull:
What we see there is that a basic biblical principle of seeking God’s direction for all things ran as a strain throughout those documents. And for instance, in our country today, in our government today, we have three branches of government. The judiciary, the executive and the legislative. And all of that even comes from the pages of scripture. The book of Isaiah chapter 33 and verse 22 says, “For the Lord is our judge.” There’s the judicial aspect. “The Lord is our law-giver.” There is the legislative. “And the Lord is our king.” There is the executive. And so it was from that passage and other principles of scripture that what we have in the United States of America, that enables our government to function even as a representative form of government, it comes right from the pages of scripture.
Gary Dull:
I just wish, and I pray that we would have people today who would have that understanding of God and the vision for our nation, from the biblical perspective, as did our founders. Now, Sam, let me come back to you with a question. And that is, you are in civil government here in Pennsylvania for nearly 20 years. So, in light of what we were talking about here today, is there a practical application that you learned that underscores the power of this pillar in government?
Sam Rohrer:
Well, Gary there is. And I’ll just keep it really simple. When I went into office, I went in as a believer who was saved when I was seven years old. I heard hundreds and hundreds of sermons. But I never understood my role relative to this concept of authority of a person in office until I got there. And I began to say, wait a minute, I’m before God saying, how’s he going to hold me accountable and judge me? And what am I going to have to answer to as God’s person here, then that will lead in the process of looking into scripture and finding that lo and behold, a person in scripture is responsible as an office as to do feeding, and guiding, and shepherding, and leading, and almost like the identical to a person in the pulpit. But the aspect of it came from Romans 13, that I learned that a minister of God, a person in a position of authority, we’ve touched on a little bit already comes from what dictates how a person in office functions is whether or not they believe that they are the law or that God is the law.
Sam Rohrer:
And they are God’s messenger, and or minister, and or servant, or as the word in Romans 13 says actually “a deacon”, a minister of God. But see Gary, it all ties back into the concept of authority. And our founders were very clear about that. Penn and others said this, that in order for this whole experiment and freedom to operate, it had to happen with people, civilians, individuals embracing God’s 10 commandments, his law and volunteering, submitting themselves to it. And to any way you would not have tyranny, developing in government would be people in office also viewed themselves voluntarily submitting to God’s law. So, hear again, everything ties back together, but a biblical worldview that goes through it. Dave, let me come back to you in the final comment right here. You probably have some thoughts about how this principle perhaps would apply God as supreme authority. Wouldn’t it make a big difference right now, if those in government in Washington and other places across the country would understand that ultimately they’re not the authority, but God is?
Dave Kistler:
Well, Sam, it would. And what Gary just said, what you just said is so powerful when we understand as our founders did. And if we can get back to an understanding of this and this nation, as our founders at the very beginning did understand that they don’t do anything within their own realm or their own authority. They don’t make decisions on their own. They have been strategically placed there, Romans 13, by God himself. They have been delegated the authority they have. So, they don’t govern. They don’t make decisions that come from their own mind and their own will and their own agenda. They are governed according to the one who placed them in that position of authority. Sam, if we understood this, this would change everything in our world. We wouldn’t be removing prayer from school. An acknowledgement of God is being the one that is the one who can meet our needs. We wouldn’t be redefining marriage. We wouldn’t be allowing our country to be divided race against race. Everything would be affected, Sam, if we understood what our founders took for granted.
Sam Rohrer:
And Dave, what you defined and what we’re talking about, ladies and gentlemen, really, you could say it’s equivalent to a person thinking this way, the righteous. And what does scripture say? When the righteous are in authority, the the people rejoice. When the evil, those who reject things we’re talking about, their rule, the people mourn. Apply that to where we are and understand this as a necessity if this is to be renewed. To return it to who got it. When we come back, we’ll talk about God and mankind as overseer.
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Segment 4
Sam Rohrer:
Well, we’re about to begin our final segment. Now, we appreciate you being with us today and being a part of this program. Just a reminder here that this is, and these Mondays here now for the next several weeks are going to be part of a series that we’re entitling 10 principles to national renewal.
Sam Rohrer:
We’ve dealt with one. You’ll be able to go onto our website, standinthegapradio.com or on our app. Which you can download, just put in the phrase, Stand in the Gap. You will be able to search for 10 principles to national renewal. You’ll find them, you’ll have a logo with a flag behind it. Looks very nice and it’ll say 10 principles to national renewal. And then you’ll look for principle number one, number two, number three. And ultimately it will go up to number four. But when you take these 10 programs together, you will have literally the roadmap for national renewal. Not coming out of our minds. But off the pages of scripture and as identified and embraced intentionally by our founders. The fact that United States is what it is blessed of God, as it is. It’s not by accident. It was by deliberate action and thought and choices by a lot of people in this nation at one point that brought to us what we have.
Sam Rohrer:
To them it was new. For us it is, can we renew. We’re going to the fourth element here of the second principle, understanding of nature and the role of God. There’s four pillars under that one. God is sovereign. Two, God is creator and sustainer of all things. Three, God is supreme authority, that we just covered. And then last one is that God delegated mankind as overseer of his creation. That’s an important one as well. Because the only one we approach life and our view of life from God’s perspective, at that point, then experienced joy in life and enduring mission in life that leads to freedom, prosperity, security, and length of life. Just what our founders want. And isn’t that what we want? Now throughout scripture, from a biblical worldview perspective, God makes it clear as he did in Deuteronomy chapter 28, verses one and two, where he said this, I’ll just quote it.
Sam Rohrer:
“If you faithfully obey the voice of the Lord your God, being careful to do all his commandments, the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth and all these blessings.” Which he then enumerates from good weather to prosperity, security, all of these things. He said, “All of these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you if you hearken to the voice of the Lord your God.” So, throughout scripture, God reminds us all over and over again of our ability to choose, and to choose that, that he’s given to us in his word. And that if we seek truth, we’ll find it. But way at the beginning of scripture at creation, God made known his plan. The plan of redemption, he made it known. And he gave to mankind at the very beginning, not only a responsibility, but the tools to carry out that which God as creator and sustainer of all laid out.
Sam Rohrer:
So Dave, let me go back to you. As the highest of God’s creation. God gave to mankind, really the highest of roles. That he did not give to any of the other creation. And it was this that gave our founders confidence that they could think through the process, consider life, consider history, consider the pages of scripture and permitted them to invest their time and their effort as Penn did, a holy experiment where they believed if they did what God said, tyranny could be deposed and freedom could reign. So, with that being said, can you share some truth from scripture why it’s so important about how this truth helped to give confidence to our founders and why that was so critical? If you’re going to ever lay out a vision and achieve it, you have to have some confidence in something, put this together.
Dave Kistler:
Yes, Sam, it goes all the way back to Genesis 1:26 where the scripture says, “And God said, Let us make man in our image and after our likeness and let them, let mankind have”, and here’s the operative word, “dominion or authority over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air, of the cattle over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So, God vested in mankind, not any of the animals, no other part of his creation. He vested in mankind, the opportunity and the responsibility to have authority over the earth. And when our founders understood that, Sam, of course, they were infused with tremendous confidence that this experiment and freedom that you’ve referred to many, many times in the program already, that phrase it came from William Penn could be a success.
Dave Kistler:
But that authority, Sam, remember was a delegated authority. God is the ultimate authority, but he placed within the hands of Adam and Eve and by extension all of mankind the responsibility to have dominion or authority over this earth. When we get all this in proper perspective again, we’ve said it many, many times, but it changes everything. And will change everything and bring renewal to our country in the United States of America.
Sam Rohrer:
Dave, and there’s so many applications here, ladies and gentlemen, one that God gave you and to me, not government, this ability to think things through and come to choices, which determine how God works in your individual lives. No, he didn’t give out the government. He didn’t give to a bunch of educators or bureaucrats. He gave it to you and me, and moms and dads for their children. And of course, Gary, I want to go to you because I want you to give a little bit of a challenge here at the end, because at one point, this truth that we’re talking about was, well, it was in Kolkata. Our people were in Kolkata and our parents were teaching it. Our pulpits were preaching it. So, a bit of a challenge. However, you feel led here to the pew, to the pulpit.
Gary Dull:
Well we’ve been talking about the whole concept of liberty. And it’s interesting as you study the scripture, that liberty is something that is to be proclaimed. I’m thinking even the words of the Lord Jesus, when he announced his own ministry there at Luke chapter four, he quoted Isaiah 61 verse six, but the Lord Jesus put it this way. He said, “The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor and has sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty, those that are bruised. And we could elaborate upon that. But the Lord Jesus Christ preach freedom, preached liberty. Starting of course, with a spiritual freedom and then going into governmental freedom as we would extend it out from there. But I think it’s important today, Sam, that preachers in the pulpit follow the preaching example of the Lord Jesus Christ. And emphasize the concept of freedom and liberty as the word of God elaborates upon it very clearly.
Gary Dull:
And then of course, not only should the preachers preach that, but the people in the pew should live it as well. And I think, Sam, that freedom is slipping today because of a general weakness in the preaching of God’s word in an expositional form from the pulpit. When God’s word is preached expositionally then the freedom that the Bible speaks of personal freedom, personal political freedom, it’s all going to be there. I’m reminded of Corinthians chapter three in verse 17, where it says where the spirit of the Lord is. There’s what? Liberty. And so the reasons why we might lose our freedoms and liberty today is because we’re not preaching the word of God. We’re not living the word of God. And thus, we don’t see the freedom and the liberty that is produced by the holy spirit of God when he’s at work. We need to get back to the word of God.
Sam Rohrer:
Well, thank you, Gary and Dave. And boy, right out of town. And ladies and gentlemen, that’s a perfect setup because the next program will be on principle number three. Do you know what it is? After you understand the nature and the role of God, the one who’s able to set you free, liberty, it’s to understand the nature of man. Because man is a sinner. Man is depraved. And of course that was the reason on a biblical worldview that God promised a redeemer and the plan of redemption was set in place. See how it all ties together. That is the next part and we will talk about that in the next program. Thanks for being with us today. Again, go to our website, standsinthegapradio.com. Pick up this program, listen to it again. Join with us in prayer, ladies and gentlemen. Partner with us in prayer and finances that the Lord allows us to continue to do this program.
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