A.      This purpose of this series has been to identify some of the battles that are ongoing in the spiritual war that is being fought in our nation and our world so that we may stand with God and fight for the right.

                                                             1.      We have considered the attempt to eliminate God from our culture, the false teaching of evolution, the wicked practice of abortion, the unnatural immorality of homosexuality, and the philosophy (religion) of humanism that ties it all together.

                                                             2.      Having knowledge of these matters raises our awareness of them and better equips us to fight against them.  This has been the goal of these lessons.

B.      Each lesson in the series has ended with this statement: “Let us always remember that regardless of what we may see in the world around us, victory is in Jesus.”  Let us now end the series with this same message.

                                                             1.      This lesson will be a sermon in song.  Each point will be imparted through the Scripture and an appropriate hymn.

                                                             2.      “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Col. 3:16)

II.      DO NOT DESPAIR

A.      Although there are many dreadful matters in the world, there is never a time for a Christian who trusts in God to despair and be given to anxiety.

                                                             1.      Consider the confidence of Paul even when he was in a life and death situation (2Cor. 1:8-10).

                                                             2.      Rather than worry, Peter wrote, “Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1Pet. 5:6-7).

                                                             3.      David wrote, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

                                                             4.      Let us take the attitude of the psalmist, who wrote, “The LORD is for me; I will not fear;
what can man do to me?” (Psalm 118:6).

                                                             5.      Let us be confident that our Father in heaven will help us.  “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:16).

B.      Song #138 in Praise for the Lord – “Farther Along”

C.      Song #702 in Praise for the Lord – “Trials Dark on Every Hand”

III.   THIS IS MY FATHER’S WORLD

A.      Even though Satan is powerful in this world, there is nothing he can do to separate us from our Father in heaven.

                                                             1.      Consider Romans 8:31-39.

“What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who is against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?  Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns?  Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.  Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  Just as it is written, ‘FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.’  But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

                                                             2.      Notice a few points from this passage.

a.       Because Almighty God already gave His Son for us, we know that there is nothing that He will withhold from us (vv. 31-32).

b.       Sin can no longer separate Christians from God because God has justified us through the blood of Christ (vv. 33-34).

c.        No worldly distress nor spiritual power can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, for we overwhelmingly conquer all these things in Him (vv. 35-39).

B.      Song #669 in Praise for the Lord – “This is My Father’s World” (give close attention to verse 3)

IV.    VICTORY IN JESUS

A.      The Lord Jesus won the victory over Satan and sin long ago.

                                                             1.      Christ has said, “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

                                                             2.      Jesus has secured the victory over the world for Himself, and we can partake of that victory ourselves through faith in Him (1John 5:1-5).

                                                             3.      Because we believe that Jesus overcame the world, sin, and death through His resurrection, we should “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the word of the Lord” (1Cor. 15:51-58).

B.      Song #134 in Praise for the Lord – “Faith is the Victory”

V.      CONCLUSION

A.      Christians should seek to glorify God and save the nation from the sin that plagues it, but even if the nation falls, we know that the kingdom of God will endure.

                                                             1.      Failing to acknowledge God, believing in evolution rather than creation, murdering the unborn, practicing homosexuality, and living by humanism may lead to the downfall of our country, but those things those things will have no effect on God’s eternal kingdom.

                                                             2.      Christians are citizens of heaven (Phil. 3: 20), and we are seeking for a better country that is not of the earth (Heb. 11:13-16).

B.      Let us always remember that regardless of what we may see in the world around us, victory is in Jesus.

C.      Song #717 in Praise for the Lord – “Victory in Jesus”