No Apology is Needed
Ross Mitchell, Fort Walton Beach, Florida Church of Christ
Introduction
A. Do you ever wonder about things? I wonder all the time because I’m weird.
1. If nothing sticks to Teflon, how do they make Teflon stick to the pan?
2. Why are there interstate highways in Hawaii?
3. How do you throw away a garbage can? Is it bad luck to be superstitious?
4. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
5. Why do we drive on parkways and park in driveways?
6. If life is that uncertain, shouldn’t we always eat dessert first?
7. Those questions might not keep you up at night but they bother me!
B. I am truly thankful for our country on this July 4th but I’m also worried about it.
C. If this last year taught us anything it’s that life is truly uncertain. And it revealed
a sobering attitude among many in our culture who feel: this life is all there is.
1. And when you think THIS life is all there is, you will live accordingly.
D. I truly believe we are living in unprecedented and challenging times.
E. I often wonder if the world has lost its collective mind. I’ve never seen such an
effort by people to call things that are right, wrong and to call things that are
wrong, right. Sin is widely celebrated while faith and Christianity are mocked.
1. Truth is no longer objective. The Bible is no longer relevant. Truth is totally
subjective and is now based on each individual’s opinions, tastes and “tweets.”
2. People are telling us it’s better to be “woke” than to be “winsome.”
F. Values that have been given by God are being tossed aside, thrown out and
ridiculed. Mean-spirited attitudes have replaced reasonable civility. As
Christians, we may begin to feel the pressure to compromise our beliefs and
conform to what some call the “new normal.”
G. It can lead us to believe that we need to apologize for acting differently or
for holding to righteous beliefs that contradict the world’s new standards.
H. Point: No apology is needed for standing on the word of God and doing what
is right in His sight.
1. Certainly, there are times when we need to apologize. If we have lost our temper or if we’ve lost control of our thoughts, speech and actions, we should
immediately apologize.
2. If we have done something wrong toward another person, if we have set a bad example, we should apologize and humbly seek forgiveness.
3. Whenever we sin, we should do everything within our power to make things right with God and others.
4. But we shouldn’t have to apologize for humbly standing for the truth.
5. I know why we’re often hesitant to speak up. It’s because we don’t want to sound too critical or be too judgmental. We don’t feel like we’re being
fault finders toward others when we take a stand.
6. However, while we think we’re looking at the speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye, I’m afraid people see THIS (LOG picture) coming out of our eyes.
I. Having said all of that, I can’t help but see a direct connection between a de-emphasis on the word of God and the moral decay of our society.
J. Whenever God and His word are taken out of the equation, people will live for themselves and everyone will do what is right in their own eyes.
K. It’s not anger that I feel in my heart but rather a tremendous sense of sadness.
L. How can people be so easily deceived and drawn away by such lies? People are choosing a way of life that has no hope, no promise, and no eternal life
with God. Any disagreement about issues is quickly met with the word “hate.”
M. Most of us have heard the phrase “cancel culture.” It is a big talking point.
1. Most definitions imply the withdrawal of support from someone who has said, done or acted in a way that is not politically correct. It involves the shaming
of people who don’t align their beliefs with what culture says is right.
2. It can involve something you said/did many years ago. It offers NO GRACE! It offers judgment, condemnation and out-right rejection. It doesn’t matter
whether you are a celebrity or an average “Joe,” culture will cancel you.
3. Point: But the biggest problem isn’t cancel culture; it’s cancel Christ!
4. Somehow people are convinced that our society will be better if we just remove God, Jesus, the bible and the gospel from the equation. But it doesn’t add up!
N. My father-in-law had a sermon by the title of our lesson. It had 21 points! When He’d preach it, he’d make a point and then quote several scriptures to address
each one. For the sake of time, I won’t cover all 21 of them. (You’re welcome.)
O. But I would like to cover just a few of them. (PRAYER before we begin.)
P. Galatians 4:16 - Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
Q. It’s not the purpose of this lesson to willing offend anyone. But truth is truth even when we don’t want to hear it.
R. So let’s not be defensive; let’s take a closer look at the word of God and allow it to open our minds and touch our hearts.
Body
I. No apology is needed for admitting our faith in God and His Son Jesus.
A. Psalm 14:1 - The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
B. Psalm 19:1 - The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
C. Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those
who diligently seek Him.
D. John 5:24 - Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but
has passed from death into life.
E. Isaiah 46:9 - I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.
F. John 14:1 - Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.
G. I John 4:14-15 - And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of
God, God lives in them and they in God.
H. There are those who blatantly and arrogantly profess, “There is no God!”
I. The agnostic claims, “It is impossible for man to know anything at all, therefore, it’s impossible for us to know that God exists.”
1. If an agnostic tells me, “It’s impossible for you to know anything at all,” I’ve got just one question: How does HE know it’s impossible to know
anything at all? He would have to know EVERYTHING in order to make that statement.
J. There’s an urge to purge God from every area of our society and it’s coming home to roost. The fastest growing group of people in our country are the
“nones.” It’s those who have no belief in God or no religious affiliation. It is biggest among the age demographic of Gen Z, those born after 1996.
K. Taking God and Jesus out of the equation will result in a generation of people who will be looking for purpose and meaning. What a mission field
that will be to share the gospel!
L. We believe there is a God; he is alive. And we believe in His son Jesus too!
II. No apology is needed for believing in the plan of salvation.
A. John 8:24 (NLT) - Jesus said, “Unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.” (This is about Jesus being God’s Son.)
B. Acts 2:38 - Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit.
C. Matthew 10:32-33 (NKJV) - “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever
denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
D. Mark 16:16 - He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
E. Many will say we believe in WATER salvation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Baptism is a wonderful act of obedience that pictures what
Jesus did for everyone.
1. Romans 6:3-4 - Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with
Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
F. Many in the religious world have claimed that all one must do is say the “sinner’s prayer” to be saved. (“Invite Jesus into your heart.”)
1. With as much respect and humility as I can muster, the “sinner’s prayer” is NOT found in scripture and is NOT the way we are to be saved.
2. Colossians 2:12 (NCV) - When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him through your faith in God’s power
that was shown when he raised Christ from the dead.
G. The call to obey the gospel and to follow Jesus is open to ALL! It is a “whosoever” invitation! There’s no distinction, no discrimination, no
division that will keep anyone from coming to Christ. No apology needed!
III. No apology is needed for confessing powerful truths, values and morals.
A. We may have to stay “parked” on this point for a while. A lot to cover!
1. Proverbs 14:12 - There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
2. I Timothy 2:4 - God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
3. Romans 1:18, 21, 28-29 - The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth
by their wickedness…For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their
foolish hearts were darkened…Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a
depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity.
4. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that
they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
B. Scripture is clear. There is truth and there is error. There are godly values and morals and there are ways of living that displease God and result in death both
spiritually and physically.
C. Why is that we never hear someone in a position of authority say these things? When is the last time you heard the name of Jesus on the lips of any elected
leader--and not because they were misusing His name?
D. John 8:32 - Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” Jesus said, “I’m the answer to your problems.”
1. Romans 1:25 - They exchanged the truth about God for a lie…
E. Culture has traded truth for a lie. Truth is no longer objective. It’s all relative.
F. Let me share a few items. First, is the very aggressive LGBTQ agenda.
1. Medical news today - A person’s gender is how they identify internally and how they express this externally. People may use clothing, appearances, and
behaviors to express the gender that they identify with. 58 gender options on FB. 300 pediatric gender clinics today. There was 1 in 2007. 0.01%-trans.
2. There are “drag queen story times” being held at public libraries. Sesame Street recently had an episode that introduced a “married gay couple” of men
with a daughter.
3. Blue’s Clues- an LGBTQ pride song-along video to the tune of the “Ants go Marching one by one...”
4. The governor of Wisconsin recently signed a bill that will allow parents to use “gender-neutral identification options” on birth certificates.
5. I could list more items in this are but many of these ideas are promoted and pushed with a great deal of energy and enthusiasm and acceptance.
6. Do these ideas/concepts align with biblical teaching about our sexuality?
7. Genesis 1:27 - So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
8. Matthew 19:4-5 - He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man
shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? (We need a father and a mother.)
9. These verses are NOT to make light of those who identify as such but to shed light on what God’s word has to say. (Billy Burleigh transitioned twice.)
G. Second, is the topic of abortion.
1. Let me start by saying that having an abortion is NOT an unpardonable sin.
2. We should show grace, love and mercy to those who’ve been through one.
3. However, our society pushes the abortion agenda. There have been those who say, “Shout out your abortion and be proud of it!” They make it sound like
having an abortion is nothing more than like having your appendix removed.
4. They don’t show the physical, psychological and emotional effects of it. (Example - Camp counselor heartbroken over her abortion)
5. Psalm 139:13-14 - For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
H. Third, is the topic of racism and prejudice.
1. Jesus didn’t come to brick up walls; he came to break down walls! He didn’t come to broaden the distance between people but to bridge the
distance and bring us closer to one another.
2. Jesus died on a cross for sinners and all of us fall into that category!
3. Because of the Lord’s sacrifice, we cannot allow ourselves to give in to the temptation to show partiality and prejudice.
4. James 2:1, 9 (NLT) - My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.
a. New English Translation - My brothers and sisters, do not show prejudice if you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ
5. Romans 2:11 - For God does not show favoritism. (No partiality with Him!)
6. In John 4, Jesus worked to overthrow a system of racism and sexism by engaging with a Samaritan woman at the well.
7. Colossians 3:11 (NLT) - In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free.
Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
8. Why can’t we just love each other for who we are? When I look at you…I see you. Your personality, your individuality, what makes you, you!
a. When I look at Monja, I see a beautiful Christian woman who loves God with all of her heart! How could anyone walk away from that sweet lady
and not feel absolutely wonderful and encouraged?
b. When I look at the Marler family, I think of…the Brady Bunch first but then I think of all of them individually and their personalities.
c. When I think of the late Charlie Jones, I think of a godly, prayerful man who encouraged me so much when he was alive! I SEE SOULS MADE IN
GOD’S IMAGE! Is it wrong to think that way?
d. Let’s fulfill Dr. King’s dream: “I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
9. Why would we ever allow skin color, background, race, and personality to divide us when the blood of Jesus was shed on a cross to unite us?
a. God’s church should be the ultimate model of love, diversity and unity.
I. GOD is the one who truly has our best interest at heart! He knows what we need. We cannot allow ourselves to get caught up in the hateful, mean-spirited
divisive thinking of this world.
J. Our goal should be living a pure life that is tied to truth, values and godly morals!
1. Titus 2:11-12 - “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to
live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
2. Matthew 5:8 - “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
K. “But I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by being so honest and truthful!”
1. My mom and dad had no problem hurting my feelings when I was growing up because right was right and wrong was wrong. They wanted to show me the
truth and a better way to live.
2. Today’s philosophy is, don’t deny your kids anything. Never tell them No!
3. We do our children great harm by not teaching them boundaries, ethics, etc.
L. All values and morals come from God and His word! There is no law that the government can pass that will make us more moral. Righteousness exalts a
nation but sin is a disgrace to any people.
M. Let’s get away from participating in the “blame game!” It doesn’t work!
1. Example - The newest member of a golfing foursome was a bit nervous on his first outing. He wanted to make a good impression, so he teed up the ball,
spread his feet, fixed his stance, and then took a healthy swing. The golf club moved about a pound of turf, but completely missed the ball. He was
embarrassed so he planted his feet, took another healthy swing and again, totally missed the ball. Exasperated, he took the same stance, swung again,
and again, missed a third time. Whereupon, he looked up and said, “Wow, this sure is a tough course!”
2. We are more like that golfer than we care to admit. We spend a lot of time and energy blaming our problems on circumstances, people, etc. rather than
changing our stance.
3. I’ll be as gentle as I can be with this, but I see people putting stuff out on social media that is damaging our ability to reach people for Jesus and is
causing division among Christians. (I’ve done it myself!)
4. I find people advocating extremely hard for things that have nothing to do with the Bible, with salvation or God’s kingdom. These are diversions and
distractions that are designed to rile us up and they do a good job of that.
5. It’s okay to share life’s moments and to put pictures out there of our family; especially if you have grandchildren, amen? The positive messages are
good too! Keep those going!
6. But so much stuff is meant to divide, disrupt and discourage. Our battle is NOT against one another; it’s against the devil and his forces! Don’t forget
that! I’d rather lift up Jesus and the gospel more than anything else.
7. No apology is needed for confessing powerful truths, values and morals.
8. However, the attitude we take and the way we go about doing it will go a long way in determining whether or not people are receptive to it.
IV. No apology is needed for demonstrating a life of kindness and goodness.
A. I wish I could say people will love us for being Christians. Sadly, we will be called names, we will be ridiculed and we will be labeled as unkind.
B. It’s ironic how we keep coming back to the Sermon on the Mount.
1. Matthew 5:40-45 (NLT) - If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a
mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.
But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven…
2. I Peter 2:21-23 (NLT) - For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must
follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left
his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.
C. We must return good for evil; turn the other cheek; bless and not curse. We will endure persecution and ridicule if necessary. We will be humble and
sympathetic. (Obnoxiousness is not a gift of the Spirit, by the way.)
D. After people have interacted with us, what do they walk away thinking? Glad they met us? Lifted up and encouraged? Or do they go, “Whew! I’m
so thankful to finally be away from them!”
Conclusion
A. I’ve been amazed at the militancy and dedication of those in our culture to push, promote and stand up for their respective causes. They put the effort, the
money, the time and the energy into what they believe in and they want to see changes.
B. What about us? Why are we not doing the same? We have the greatest cause ever! Nothing should keep us from standing up for Jesus and from pushing and
promoting the most wonderful news there is! Jesus saves!
C. Soldiers of Christ, please stand and hear the marching orders!
D. Ephesians 6:10-17 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s
schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground,
and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.