Posted on 03/31/2021 7:58:16 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
California megachurch Pastor John MacArthur spoke about the possibility that the United States is already under judgment for its acceptance of progressive sexual ethics, among other things, during his Palm Sunday sermon.
MacArthur preached a sermon at Grace Community Church of Sun Valley titled “Chosen in Him,” mainly focused on Mark 12 and the passage commonly known as the Parable of the Vineyard Owner.
The parable speaks of a vineyard owner who allowed tenants to oversee his vineyard, only to have them take control of it and kill everyone the owner sent to collect on what they grew.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes?’” concluded the parable, as rendered by the New International Version.
MacArthur said in his sermon that the parable was one of judgment, saying that “with this parable,” Jesus “pledges the destruction of Jerusalem and the nation.”
“Vengeance will come and it must come and it did,” said MacArthur, referring to the sacking of Jerusalem by the Roman Empire in AD 70, or about 40 years after Jesus was crucified.
“The temple was never rebuilt, the priesthood was never recovered. No sacrifices, no ceremonies, no Sadducees, no Pharisees, no priests, no chief priests to this day. The whole system ended.”
Throughout the sermon, MacArthur spoke about the times in the Bible when different figures, including the Prophet Isaiah of the Old Testament and the Apostle Paul of the New Testament, spoke about it being “too late” for some to be saved.
“Go tell them,” preached MacArthur, paraphrasing God’s call to Isaiah in Isaiah Chapter 6, “it’s too late. You wouldn’t listen, you wouldn’t see, you wouldn’t believe, and now you can’t.”
“Tell them it is too late. Judgment is already in motion.”
Near the end of his sermon, MacArthur addressed how he believed the passages about the parable and the notion of being “too late” to be saved applied to the modern church.
One lesson he felt was important was that “it can be for a generation of people too late. Too late for eighth century [BC] Israel, too late for first century [AD] Israel, but it can be too late for every nation.”
“How do you know when a nation passes the point where salvation is possible for a people?” asked MacArthur, who answered by citing Romans 1.
“When you see a nation deep in sexual sin, pervasively affirming of homosexuality, and the insanity of a reprobate mind, where they make laws to criminalize righteousness and to legalize gross evil, you know that nation’s under judgment,” said MacArthur.
MacArthur went on to state that “our message to this nation” is that “it’s too late for the nation, we’re under judgment,” but added that “it’s not too late for the elect.”
“What’s our message to this nation? You’re under judgment; it’s too late. Judgment has been unleashed. You can hear, but not understand. You can see, but not perceive,” he said.
“But God has His people. So we warn, because we don’t know who those people are and we also offer the grace of the Gospel. That’s our calling.”
MacArthur’s recent sermon echoed past comments by the controversial pastor and prolific author. For example, in 2011 at the Resolved Conference in Palm Springs, California, MacArthur said that the United States was “a nation in crisis in divine judgment.”
“I look at America … people say, 'What is wrong with this country?' That is what’s wrong with this country. Right there. They have rejected the Word, the law of the Lord, the Holy One Himself,” said MacArthur at the time.
“As somebody said a few years ago, if God doesn’t destroy America pretty soon, , He’s going to have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.”
America is worshipping the golden calf.
Fake, printed money, bubbles and massive debt has allowed government itself to establish a new religious cult, the worship of Neo-Marxism and materialism.
Does it look like Romans 1:18-32 has been going on in many people’s lives in this culture of ours?
There may be the answer.
America has turned its back on God.
I thot there was a new covenant. Not sure that God punishes countries.
We’re experiencing it right now.
The new covenant is for individuals, not countries.
A nation cannot endorse the murder of babies, homosexuality, and gross injustice in the judicial system without suffering the consequences.
Spiritual laws are just as real as physical ones and when they are broken, there are real spiritual consequences.
And since the spiritual world and physical world overlap, what happens in the spiritual world can often play out in the physical world., and vice versa.
Well said.
Amen.
“America has turned its back on God.”
America didn’t. But it has been seduced and betrayed and destroyed by politicians, educators, the media, entertainment, etc.
And what is going on in America is and has been going on across the world. So, if America is under judgment, and I can’t argue with that concept, the whole world is.
However, comparisons to Jerusalem in 70 AD is not valid. There were tens of millions of Christians praying about this election, and it certainly did not turn out like we thought.
Come Lord Jesus.
The whole world is ripe for the harvest.
I have heard it said that a Nation gets the leaders it deserves somewhere before.
I don’t like the characterization of Grace Community church as a mega church. It has many many attenders and members but to lump it into churches which preach “prosperity gospels” or “wokeness”...or “ecumenism”..just shows how ignorant the writer is of the differences in churches. To lump churches together based on size is lazy and reflects poorly on the writer of the article.
And yes, wouldn’t surprise me if by next 2 generations...america is gone.
yes
Yes
Can a people be spared? Yes. My previous answer was not well considered.
Thoughts on these sentiments?
If we repent and pray, judgement may be mitigated but I doubt it can be averted. Mitigation would be worth it, though! Just look at Ninevah...
As is is now, the left is turning on itself, evil is accelerating, and the best thing we can do is to continue to repent and pray.
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