Hey, podcast listeners! Thanks for streaming today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's word through the most effective media available, like this podcast. To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. God's word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory, no nation that outlaws the mention of God in the public square, that celebrates the murder of its own children, that destroys the most basic unit of society, the family, no nation is going to survive that.
This is not depressing. and living in America than right now. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress. For centuries, Americans have enjoyed the blessings of religious freedom.
But today our liberties are threatened by those who ignore God, as we stray farther and farther from our Christian heritage. Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress reveals the dark future that lies ahead if America continues down this dangerous road. Now here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.
Dr. Jeffress? Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. As you know, this coming Thursday, our nation will pause to celebrate America's independence and the freedom we enjoy. And Friday, July 5 marks a deadline for Pathway to Victory as well. So while you're taking time off to relax with family and friends, remember that Friday night at midnight, the Beacon of Hope matching challenge will come to a close. And we're in a race to the finish line, asking God to help us meet the goal of $750,000. If you've had good intentions to participate in the matching challenge, please don't delay any longer. A gift of $500 becomes $1,000. A $5,000 gift would become $10,000. There's really no limit to the match until we meet the goal of $750,000. So go to ptv.org or give us a call. You can even send a check in the mail if you prefer to the address David will give at the close of today's program.
I'll say more about the matching challenge and thank you gifts I'm prepared to send you a little later in the program. But right now, I want you to hear an intensely personal message I delivered to my home congregation at First Baptist Church in downtown Dallas, because the biblical principles apply to all of us. I titled my message today, America at the Crossroads. You remember a few years ago when God led us to completely recreate this campus here in downtown Dallas, that covers six blocks. You all gave because of your love for God, you gave $135 million to be able to build the largest church building program in history. And you did it debt free because of your generosity.
It was a great thing what God did in the midst of this recession that we were in a few years ago. But once we had the money, then we were faced with the task. Okay, what do you do with all the old buildings? How do you remove hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands of square feet of space in all these old buildings? And so we met with the demolition people and they said, well, pastor, the best way to do this is through an implosion.
I said, in what? I said an implosion. And they said, this is what we're going to do. We're going to take hundreds of pounds of dynamite, we will attach the dynamite to key structural supports within these buildings will explode the dynamite, there'll be a pause, and then the law of physics will take over and the buildings will collapse under their own weight. I said, well, that sounds good to me.
Let's go for it. Who will ever forget on that Saturday morning in October, a few years ago, when we watched the implosion of the First Baptist Church in Dallas. I mean, it was exciting stuff. We had the news media from all over the world here. CNN was there. But more importantly, Fox News was carrying it live on Fox and Friends. Everybody loves an implosion. And we stood on a building overlooking our campus and they had that big red button. I tell you, I've never been more excited. They did the countdown.
Five, four, three, two, one. And then Mark Levorn and Tom Leppard and I pressed the red button. And after the pressing of the red button, that was followed by the exploding dynamite. And the exploding dynamite was followed by nothing.
Absolutely nothing happened. I cannot tell you the unholy thoughts that were going through my mind at the moment. I mean, my first thought is, which staff member am I going to fire first for this? I mean, I was embarrassed. I mean, millions, 17 million people were watching this worldwide.
I could see this scene being replayed endlessly on YouTube. Pastors, implosion, a dud. But what I forgot was they told me there was going to be a pause between the explosion and the collapse. It seemed like an eternity, but it was only a few seconds until we started feeling the ground start vibrating underneath us. Those buildings started swaying back and forth. Well, you remember what happened.
Look at it for a moment. I learned something that morning about implosions. They are sudden, they are dramatic. They begin with a series of seemingly unrelated explosions followed by a pause and then a sudden collapse. Ladies and gentlemen, over the last 50 years, there have been three explosive decisions by our United States Supreme Court that have so weakened the moral and spiritual infrastructure of this nation that our country's collapse is inevitable. We've already had the explosions. The implosion is coming.
We're just living in that moment of delay. You say, well, what are those explosive decisions, pastor? The first one occurred in 1962. It was the Supreme Court case of Engel versus Vitale. This is the case that removed prayer from the public schools. Of course, this was just the first in a series of court decisions against Christianity and faith in the public square. In 1963, Bible reading was removed from the school and on and on and on it went until 1980 in the case of Stone versus Graham. The United States of the Supreme Court said you can no longer even post copies of the Ten Commandments in a Kentucky school.
And why did the court say you can't do that? If I were to summarize the court's ruling, you would think I was making it up. So I want you to hear verbatim why the Supreme Court of the United States now says you can no longer post the Ten Commandments in the school. If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all, it will induce the school children to read, meditate upon, perhaps venerate and obey the commandments. This is not a permissible state objective under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
Can you believe that? The Supreme Court says we can't post those Ten Commandments in a school because if we post them, the children might actually read them. And if they read the Ten Commandments, they may begin to respect them, to venerate them. And if they begin to respect the Ten Commandments, God forbid, they might actually obey the Ten Commandments. And that's unconstitutional. The Russian writer Dostoevsky said, without God, everything is permissible.
And that's what we're seeing in our country. The first explosion was the removal of any acknowledgement of God from the public square and public discussion. The second explosion occurred in 1973. It was a case that actually started right here in Dallas, a few blocks from this church. 1973, the case of Roe versus Wade. The court case that legalized abortion in our country. And since the Roe decision, more than 60 million children have been murdered in the womb and an additional 1.3 million children are murdered every year through abortion.
The third explosion occurred January the 26th, 2015. It was the case of Obergefell versus Hodges. This was the Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage. Now, I know, look, I know what some of you are thinking. Oh, pastor, why do we have to talk about that? Why do we have to talk about that? I mean, if gays want to get married, they love one another. Why do you get so worked up about that?
It's no skin off of your nose. You must be homophobic to talk about this. No, we don't hate gay people. We don't hate anybody. But the reason we stand against gay marriage is because we know how that story ends.
We know what the end result is. Sociologists have done a long-term study, the Hoover Institute has done a long-term study of Scandinavian countries that legalized same-sex marriage years ago. And you know what they discovered?
It was very interesting. They discovered after 10 years, not that many gays actually ended up getting married. What they found was instead the rate of heterosexual marriage declined precipitously. They say, wait a minute, that doesn't make any sense. Why would gays being allowed to marry have anything to do with the heterosexual marriage rate declining?
That's an easy one. Whenever you counterfeit something, you cheapen the value of the real thing. I mean, if marriage is whatever you want it to be, a man and a woman, two men, two women, three men and a woman, if it's whatever you want it to be, why even bother going through the hassle of getting married? And that's what's happening in our country already.
In the last two years, the marriage rate has declined among heterosexuals to the lowest in 92 years. And we know the implications on society for that. We know what happens when children are reared in an atmosphere without a father or a mother.
I mean, sociology studies have shown that SAT scores plummet, depression and suicide rates, drug use increase. You see, children are designed in such a way that they need both a father and a mother. You know, Sarah McClanahan is a sociologist at Princeton University.
Now, this isn't Dallas Theological Seminary, this is Princeton University. And she said one time, if we were trying to design the ideal arrangement environment in which to rear a child, it would be one in which the child was connected to both of its biological parents. You know, I remember so well a few years ago when one of these decisions attacking traditional marriage came down from the Supreme Court. I was on Fox News the night of that decision debating a gay activist.
And I'd done some research on him and discovered that he and his partner had just adopted a child. And so I was talking about the sociological studies of why children need both a father and a mother. And as I was talking about that, he interrupted me and he said, Pastor, I just want you to know I'm offended by what you're saying. Because you're suggesting that a heterosexual relationship is superior to a homosexual relationship.
I said, well, sir, I'm sorry you're offended. But the fact is, you wouldn't be alive here and arguing with me tonight if it were not a heterosexual relationship that had brought you into this world. I mean, that is God's way of saying this is a special relationship.
Now, I know that's not always possible to have a father and mother, death, divorce, other things. But government ought to be encouraging that ideal relationship instead of counterfeiting it. Now, here's my point in all of this.
What I'm simply saying is this. No nation that outlaws the mention of God in the public square, that celebrates the murder of its own children, that destroys the most basic unit of society, the family, no nation is going to survive that. The implosions have already happened. The implosion is coming. We are just living in that in-between time. What are we supposed to do about that? Some of you are saying this is the most depressing message I've ever listened to.
I know what I want to do. Let's just pass around the revolvers and end it all right here in the service. No, this is not depressing as long as you understand our purpose as Christians. If you understand our purpose as Christians, there's never been a better time to be alive and living in America than right now, as long as we understand the mission.
What are we supposed to be doing right now? Jesus told us in Matthew chapter 5. Turn there to Matthew 5 verse 13. You probably never thought we'd get into the Bible.
Here we are right now. In Matthew 5, Jesus said, first of all, you are the salt of the earth, verse 13. But if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again?
It is good for nothing anymore except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Jesus said, we are to be salt in this decaying world. Now remember, in Jesus' day, salt was a preservative. Before the days of refrigeration, salt was used as a preservative.
Now get this. Salt could not prevent the decay of meat, but it could delay the decay of meat. Salt gave the meat a longer shelf life. Eventually, the meat would rot and would have to be thrown out.
But the salt helped preserve it for a little bit longer. Now, Jesus said, in the same way, the reason he has left us in this world instead of taking us to heaven immediately is to be a preservative in this world, to not prevent the decay, but to delay the decay of the world. We're to try to delay the premature collapse of our country and our world so that we have longer to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. How do we do that? How do we push back against evil in the world?
One way we do it in our country, a major way we do it, is through the government officials that we elect. That means every time we go into the voting booth, we are casting a vote for righteousness, or we're casting a vote for unrighteousness. We are the ones who are determining the moral and spiritual direction of this nation. Now Pastor, don't you think that's a little melodramatic to say we're actually choosing between righteousness and unrighteousness?
Not at all. If you don't hear another word I say this morning, hear this. What we're facing in this country is not a battle between Republicans and Democrats. It is a battle between good and evil, between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. That's exactly what is at stake in this country.
If you don't believe that, just look at what happened in the 2016 election. We had two choices. Two choices. Talking about abortion and the murder of children, which God absolutely hates, we had two choices. One choice was a man who said he believed life was sacred and began at conception. He said in his colorful way that he didn't believe children ought to be ripped from the mother's womb.
That was one candidate. The other candidate said she didn't believe there ought to be any restriction on abortion at all, for any reason or any time. That means if you want to kill a child in the womb because you don't like the sex, you were hoping for a boy and you got a girl, no restriction on that. No restriction on the time. If the week before the child is delivered, you want to kill it because it's inconvenient.
No restriction. And furthermore, this candidate had said a year earlier at the Women of the World conference in New York City that for women to have unfettered access to abortion, the deeply seated religious beliefs of many people will have to be changed. She wasn't content to have her own beliefs.
She wanted to change your religious beliefs to allow for the murder of children. This is a battle between good and evil. You know, how often in church do we pray this prayer? We pray it all the time, the Lord's Prayer. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is being done in heaven. What in the heck are we praying for when we pray that?
Have you ever thought about it? We're saying, God, we are praying for it. We are working for your will to be done, not just in the by and by, but right now on earth. Let me ask you, is it God's will for 1.3 million children to be murdered in the womb every year? Is it God's will for his name to be outlawed from the public square and for crosses to be taken off war memorials?
Is it God's will for Christians around this world like we have here today to be persecuted, tortured, and beheaded by ISIS and other radical Islamic terrorists? Of course it's not God's will, and we have the power to stop it. It's time for us to rise up and say, enough. We are pushing back against the evil in this world. That is what God has called us to do.
We've got the power. Now, God has said you're to be salt, you're to be the preservative, but that's not all he said. He said the reason you're to push back against evil is so that you have the opportunity to do what you've been called to do, and that's to share the light of Jesus Christ. That's what he said in Matthew 5, 14 through 16, you are the light of the world.
A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. You know the best way to deal with darkness in our culture? It's not to isolate yourself from the darkness. It's not to curse the darkness. It is to confront the darkness with the light of God's truth. Let there be light. Light overpowers darkness, and we've been called to share the message of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible before his return.
You know, the only way, listen to this, the only way we will ever change the direction of America is by changing the hearts of Americans. And the only way to change a person's heart is by their personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Jesus who can forgive their sins and give them a whole new way of living. And you know, that's what our church is about.
It's about sharing the gospel that can change people's hearts. We had a man who called us not long ago. He listens to our broadcast in California. He's been living the homosexual lifestyle for 30 years, but as a result of God's word shared through our broadcast, he said, I'm turning away from that lifestyle. We don't hate homosexuals. We love homosexuals.
We welcome everyone to hear the gospel of Christ. Had another man from Mississippi. He wrote in and he said, I have been addicted to pornography for years. It's destroyed my life.
It's destroyed my family. But through your program, I have been set free from that addiction. Did you see a couple of weeks ago, a 98-year-old Jewish woman had been in our church, and she walked down the aisle. She took my hand and she said, today, I'm trusting in Jesus to be my savior, and I want to spend whatever time I have left on earth serving him.
And she was baptized last week here. That is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And that's how we're going to change our world. You know, Dr. Criswell, who was pastor here for 50 years, said 35 years ago from the pulpit of this church talking about America, he said, the nation cannot turn to God if I do not turn to God. The nation cannot repent if I do not repent. God doesn't win nations or companies or crowds or throngs.
He wins souls one by one. And the only way we can lift our nation Godward is if I am moved Godward. And that's why the mission statement of our church, First Baptist Church of Dallas, is very simple, transforming the world with God's word one life at a time. Many of you are familiar with the French diplomat Alexis de Tocqueville, who came and visited our country in the 19th century. He then wrote a book about his discoveries in America. Do you remember his famous words? He said, I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her harbors and her ample rivers, in her fertile fields and boundless prairies, in her rich minds and her vast world commerce, in her public school systems and in her institutions of learning, and in her democratic congress and her matchless constitution.
But it wasn't there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits, a flame with righteousness, did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good. And if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great. Yes, America is at a crossroad. It comes to two choices. Will we boldly uphold the biblical values that shaped our great nation, or will we sit on the sidelines and watch our beloved country slip further into oblivion?
Well, today I'm urging you to choose the first approach. As Christians, let's band together and point people to the only true source of hope. This passion is what compelled several families to appoint the Beacon of Hope matching challenge for Pathway to Victory. This special matching challenge is active for just a few more days. So, will you help us reach the goal of $750,000 before Friday, July 5th? While there's still time, please pick up the phone or go online to ptv.org or send a check in the mail.
Until the deadline, whatever amount you choose to give will automatically be matched and therefore multiplied by two in both size and impact. Your generous gift to Pathway to Victory will be directly channeled into piercing the darkness with the light of God's Word. To say thank you for your gift to the matching challenge today, I'm going to send you a fabulous book that reinforces the truth about God's hand upon the country we love. It's called Miracles in American History, 32 Amazing Stories of Answered Prayer. As a bonus, I'll also include a video DVD of my message called America is a Christian Nation. Thanks so much for your support. God is using your generous gifts to shine the beacon of God's hope into a nation and world in desperate need.
David? Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, you're invited to request a copy of the book Miracles in American History. In addition to the book you'll receive America is a Christian Nation.
That's a popular message on DVD preached by Dr. Jeffress. To request these resources, call 866-999-2965 or visit ptv.org. Now when you give $100 or more, we'll also send you the complete collection of audio and video discs for the America and the Bible teaching series, along with an encouraging book by Dr. Jeffress called Praying for America, 40 Inspiring Stories and Prayers for Our Nation.
And don't forget our Pathway to Victory Beacon of Hope Matching Challenge is active until July 5th at midnight, which means there are still a few days remaining to double the impact of your giving. One more time, call 866-999-2965 or go online to ptv.org. You could also send your donation by mail. Write to P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. Again, that's P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I'm David J. Mullins. In recent decades the American government has taken drastic measures to ensure the separation of church and state.
But today's legislature is actually going against the wishes of our Founding Fathers. Join us Wednesday for the message, America is a Christian Nation, here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway Partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His Word. To become a Pathway Partner, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory.
