On June 11th, in the midst of the tumultuous year of 1776, the Second Continental Congress decided to write a document.
They decided that it was necessary for the people of the world to know what was going on in America, to understand that England was the aggressor in the situation, to understand
the values that the Americans were holding dear and were trying to defend.
So they asked Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R.
Livingston to pen this document that would become one of the most famous declarations, famous documents in history.
That, of course, is the Declaration of Independence.
And ever since that time, Americans have been those who are known for being an independent people.
We seek to stand on our own two feet, to not be held up by others, but to do our own work, to have something that we can show for who we are.
But in the midst of this culture of independence, in the midst of this idea of seeking independence, we need to consider that we as Christians, that we as humans need to be God
dependent.
So today we're going to discuss the declaration of God dependence and how we truly are nothing without God.
So many people look at this idea of God, look at God and they say, well, I don't need him.
What good does God do?
My life's going great.
Why do I need God?
Today, we're going to answer that question.
Today, we're going to show just how weak, just how frail, just how much we as humans need and depend on our God.
So let's begin by noticing that we the people are lost.
We as people without God have no direction.
We are like to that picture on the screen before you of a maze, wandering around without purpose, without direction, without a clear goal in mind.
Now some might say, well, hold on a second.
Why have the goal of achieving a lot of money?
Well, I have the goal of getting great success in my life or having a family.
Those are great goals, but ultimately, what does that end?
Where's the end with that?
You see, Solomon thought the same way.
He thought that he could find peace, could find joy in this world without God, and yet what does he say in Ecclesiastes 12-13?
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter.
After he had tried all these things and found them to be vanity, after he had tried everything that this world had to offer, he came to the conclusion that the whole of man
is to fear God and keep his commandments.
So we depend on God for direction.
Consider this idea of a coal miner.
Now a coal miner, without his lamp, he's in the pitch dark.
There is no light around him, some of the depths that they can reach, there's no light that enters.
And so if the overhead lights and the lamps that they use go out, they're in the dark.
And they have to grow up and try to find their way to get back to the light, to get back to the exit, to be able to see where they're going.
We are lost as people, as Christians.
We are lost without the light of the gospel, without the light that God provides.
We are lost without our lamps.
Look with me at Acts chapter 26.
That's Acts chapter 26, starting in verse 16.
Paul is recording his conversion story, if you will, and he is at this moment, or words, rehearsing what Jesus said to him on the road to Damascus.
Verse 16, but rise and stand upon my feet for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose.
to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto thee, delivering thee from the people and from
the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light."
and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." We see a parallel
here of darkness being synonymous with Satan and this idea of light being synonymous with God.
The light that we are to shine is the light of God.
And Paul was being called to shine that light.
He was being told, you have work to do.
You have a lamp that needs to be lit.
But we need to understand something here.
And this is revealed to us in Jeremiah 10, 23 among other passages.
The way of man is not within himself.
It's not within man to direct his own steps.
We as humans cannot say, well God, I know better than you.
Well, God, you think you know the best way for me, but really that's not the best way.
Well, I know your word, as Psalm 119.105 says, is a lamp and it's a light directing our path, helping us to see the right way to go.
But I think I know better.
Such thoughts, dear friends, are not wise.
We as humans are in the dark.
We hear that phrase in the dark and we use it to show that we're ignorant of something.
We don't know what's going on.
We're in the dark as to what happens behind closed doors.
But we as humans are in the dark when we consider the plans of God.
when we consider the things that God sees, stop it for a moment and just think about who God is.
God has no beginning and he will have no end.
He literally exists outside of time because he made time itself.
Truly our wisdom pales in comparison to the wisdom of God.
And that is why in his wisdom and in his love for mankind that he gave us his word to be a light, to be a lamp to our feet, a light to our path, to show us the way back to him.
That's love, brothers and sisters.
That is love shown.
We also notice though, that without God we can never be found.
We already address the fact that we as human beings are lost without God, we're directionless, we have no heading.
There is no north without God.
But quite literally, it is impossible for us to get out of the trap.
of darkness, of sin, it is impossible for us to leave that without God.
And we'll address more of that as we go forward in this lesson, but let's consider the fact that sin keeps us lost.
To remain in sin is to remain lost, directionless.
No idea where you're going except for,
The sad truth is that you have an unpleasant destination.
In 1 John 1 8, John remarks to the brethren, if we say that we have no sin, if we say that we have never sinned, are sinlessly perfect, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us.
So we understand then that we all as human beings have sinned.
We have at one point been in this darkness, been in this lost state.
But we need to consider what the consequences of remaining in that lost state are.
Look with me at Jude chapter 11, or Jude chapter 1, verse 11.
There's only one chapter in Jude.
Same if you are awake.
Jude 11.
and
Woe unto them, for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Chor.
These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear.
Clouds they are without water, carried about of winds.
Trees whose fruit withereth without fruit.
Twice dead, plucked up by the roots, raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame.
Wondering stars to whom is reserved.
Notice this next part.
What's reserved for these false teachers?
What's reserved for these people that are living in sin, that are going after these evil ways, that are unashamed of their wickedness?
What is remaining for them?
What is reserved for them?
To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever?
going back to this idea of a coal miner.
We have no chance of rescue.
We have no hope of getting out of the mine, of getting out of the darkness that surrounds us if we ignore the light that leads us out.
It would be like a coal miner who's trapped in the dark.
The lights have gone out.
He doesn't know how to get out, and he sees the light at the end of the tunnel.
He sees the way out, and he says,
I don't want to go that way.
You know, this area over here that's completely dark and I can't see anything, I think that's a better way to go.
Or maybe they say, well, I'm comfortable in this darkness.
You know, I think my eyes are adjusting a little bit to it, so I'll just stay here.
Of course, we say that's foolish.
Why would you remain trapped in darkness when you can get out?
But how many people today, how many people today look at their lives, look at the sin that they're living in and say, I'm good.
We try to share with them the gospel, we try to show them the Word of God and they say, no thanks.
There's the Zer of Darkness.
an outer darkness where no light can penetrate, a pain and suffering.
forever.
And no one, no one in their right mind wants to go there.
But we don't have to.
because we can change.
We can change, we don't have to remain in sin.
Romans 6.23 tells us the wages of sin is death, yes.
There is a just reward for our sin, but don't forget the next part of that.
Don't forget the end of that verse because the gift of God, what God gives to man, what God has provided for mankind is salvation, is eternal life.
But we have to make the choice to change.
We have to make the choice to take the gift that he's offering to us, to accept it.
We mentioned 1 John 1 verse eight, but what about verse nine?
If we confess our sins, if we as Christians have gone back into the world of sin, but we realize that sin, we realize the error of our ways and we confess our sin to God, we ask
for forgiveness, we repent of that.
There's no condemnation.
We can have forgiveness.
We can change and never be back in that darkness again.
In Ephesians five, verse eight, Paul remarks that these brethren were at one time children of darkness.
At one point, they were living in darkness, they were walking in darkness, their whole life was built around this darkness and blackness of sin.
But, but they changed.
They became children of light.
They became children of the gospel.
They became Christians, sons and daughters of God.
We can change.
You see, without God, we the people, we as people are lost.
But with Him, we have a purpose.
we have a direction and what a home we are going to see.
but only if we keep shining.
We need to remember to keep shining.
Not only for our own sake, not only to keep our own souls secure, but also to help others.
To reach out to those who are living in sin and direct them to God.
Direct them out of darkness and into God's marvelous light.
Matthew 5 verses 14 through 16.
record that we are the light of the world.
We as Christians are the lights of the world and we have a job to do.
A city that's set on a hill cannot be hidden, neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that it gives light to all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify you in your body.
Y'all more asleep than I thought.
works that we do, the light that we shine is giving glory to God.
It's giving glory to God Almighty, our Father in heaven.
That's why we shine our lights.
That's why we work for the Lord.
That is why we walk in the light because ultimately we want to be back with God.
We want to have a home with him for all of eternity and we want to take as many people as we can with us.
Number two, we the people are weak.
Without God, we cannot live.
So many people will try to say, well, I provided this for myself.
One of the instructors at MSOP tells us of a story that he heard of, I don't remember if he said it was a brother or a man, just a man, but he said, he was getting angry.
Because every time that they sat down to have a meal, that his family sat down to get to partake of a meal, they would pray and thank God for the meal.
they, time and time again, they would do this until finally the father got so mad.
He was upset because he said, God didn't provide this for you.
It's my money that went into making this meal.
It was my money that I worked for.
to which the instructor replied, well, who gave you the air to breathe?
Who gave you the time to work?
Who gave you the physical strength to be able to do that job?
Wasn't you, it was God.
We understand that God sustains the world.
In Hebrews 1 verse 3, it talks about how he is the sustainer of all things.
But I want us to look at 1 Corinthians chapter eight.
1 Corinthians chapter eight, starting in verse five, there's an interesting contrast that Paul notes here.
He is speaking concerning how idols are nothing and how weak and how pointless idol worship is and of course that we know idols are nothing.
Looking at verse five, for though there be,
For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as there be many gods and lords many, but to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things,
and we in him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Paul is saying, idols can't create the world.
These idols that were so prominent in Corinth, that were so prominent all over the Roman Empire at the time, they could do nothing but God.
Now there's power.
He created the world.
And not only did he create the world, but these processes that occur around us, these laws of nature,
They are upheld by God.
He sustains it.
Name one scientist that was able to say, well, I know this is a law of physics, but I don't like it.
So for today, I think gravity's just not going to work.
Name one person on this earth that can turn off gravity.
Show me him and I'll worship him.
But God can.
God created gravity.
It is by God's hand that this world is sustained.
And if that don't show you how much of a difference there is between us and God, I don't know what will.
He is truly strong.
We are truly weak in comparison.
But even in our weakness, even though God is so much stronger than us, so far superior than us, He still provides for us.
In James 1, 17, every good and perfect gift comes from the Father.
Everything that we have that is worth having,
that is beneficial to us comes from God.
The sunshine that we see outside, it's a beautiful day.
Who gave us that?
Was it the local meteorologist?
No.
They're wrong half the time.
It was God.
God gave us the sunshine.
God gave us the air that we breathe.
God gave us the food that we eat.
And in Romans chapter six, verses 25 and following, through the end of the chapter, Jesus points out to us, points out to those who were listening to him at that time, and then us
by way of the gospel, that we should not worry.
Take no thought for your life what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body what you shall put on.
These things that are essentials in your life, you're going to have.
And notice the comparison that he makes.
He mentions the birds of the air.
He mentions these animals and these plants about how God provides for them.
That they're so miniscule in so many people's minds, yet God sees fit that they have what they need.
And Jesus asks the question, are ye not much better than they?
If God painstakingly takes the time to provide for a little tiny sparrow, do you not think that he would take the time to consider and to care for one that he formed from the dust
of the earth, breathed into his nostrils the breath of life?
In Genesis 1, we see a very.
a deep care that God took as he made mankind.
With everything else he just spoke and it was so, but with man, he took the time to form him, to mold him like a potter molds clay, and breathe into his nostrils the breath of
life that man became a living soul.
No other creature has a soul but mankind does.
God cares for us.
He sustains us.
We do not provide for ourselves, but God provides for us.
but we also depend on God for strength.
Too many people will try to trust in man's strength.
They will look at armies, they will look at physical power and they say, I'll trust in that.
Nebuchadnezzar thought something similar.
In Daniel 4 verses 30 through 35.
Nebuchadnezzar, this great king, the king of the most powerful empire at that time.
He looks around at the beauty of Babylon, the might of Babylon, walls that were so imposing they were almost invulnerable, gates and locks that made the city almost
impregnable.
And he looks around him at the hanging gardens that are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and he says, is not this great Babylon that I have made?
He lifted himself up with pride.
to which God replies, so you think you have power.
So you think that you can resist anyone or anything, let me show you power.
until seven times be complete, you're going to eat grass like an ox.
You're going to live in the field like an ox.
Your mind will depart from you.
You will be insane until I put it back.
the most powerful man in the world at that time, ran out of his palace on all fours and went and ate grass.
Now who do you think is smarter to trust, God or man?
In Isaiah 45, one through four, God promises that even as powerful as Babylon is, they're going to fall.
Cyrus is going to come in and he's going to defeat Babylon.
And we of course see this happen.
But notice the words of Isaiah 23.
Look with me there, Isaiah 23.
In verse number 10, starting.
Isaiah 23, starting in verse 10.
Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish, there is no more strength.
He stretcheth out his hand over the sea, he shook the kingdoms, the Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city to destroy the strongholds thereof.
Even the strongest of cities could not stand against God.
Their strength departed, was made as nothing.
Do not trust in man's strength because man's strength will let you down.
Trust rather in God's strength.
And Psalm 18: one, 22, 19, 37, 39, these are just a few, but if you will look through all the Psalms time and again, the psalmist records of God being his strength, God being his
bulwark, his shield bearer, his mighty tower.
Over and over, and over again, we find these symbols of how God is power.
and He strengthens His people.
He protects His people.
We are weak, yes, but God is strong.
We need to trust in Him Let's look very quickly at 1 Samuel chapter two.
1 Samuel chapter two, verses one through 10.
These record the words of Hannah as she prays to God.
She's distraught not having a child and wanting a child and dealing with...
her husband's other wife who's constantly berating her about it, who's persecuting her for not having a child, and notice what Hannah prays.
My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies because I rejoice in thy salvation.
There is none holy as the Lord, for there is none beside thee.
Neither is there any rock like our God.
Talk no more so exceeding proudly.
Let not arrogance come out of your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge.
And by Him...
actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken, that stumbled are girded with strength.
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread, and they that were hungry ceased, so that the barren hath borne seven, and she that hath many children is wax feeble.
The Lord killeth and maketh alive.
He bringeth down to the grave and bringeth him up.
The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich.
He bringeth low and lifteth up.
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunk hill to set them among princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's.
and he hath set the world upon them.
He will keep the feet of his saints and the wicked shall be silent in darkness for by strength shall no man prevail.
The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces.
Out of heaven shall he thunder upon them.
The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth and he shall give strength unto his king and exalt the horn of his anointed." I know that was rather lengthy reading, but look at how
many times he, his, the Lord, how many times that's mentioned.
And notice these descriptions.
Notice the power that the Lord has.
Trust in that.
Trust in the Lord and throw your burdens on him.
because he's strong enough to bear them.
Without God, we as people, we are weak.
But with God, with God we can be strong.
And finally, we as people are hopeless.
We cannot save ourselves.
It is not within man's own self to save himself.
We can never earn our salvation.
In Ephesians 2, 9 tells us that very plainly.
It's not by our own works that we have done that we are saved.
In Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan wrote of simple and sloth that tried to jump over the wall.
They tried to enter the king's country through a different way than was prescribed.
And they met with a terrible end because they tried to enter in an indifferent way.
They didn't follow the king's command.
And Jesus said something rather similar.
In John 10 and verse 11, Jesus tells us that anyone who enters by not going through the door of the sheepfold, which he later reveals as himself, anyone who tries to hop the
fence, so to speak, they're a thief and a robber.
They're not welcome.
We cannot go to heaven.
We cannot achieve salvation.
We cannot be a part of the Lord's church if we don't follow the method that he has prescribed.
Now you might say, what is that prescription?
Well, first of all, we need to understand it's by God's grace that we are saved.
We are not saved by our own works.
Now understand this, not saying that there's nothing that we have to do.
We'll notice that here in a minute.
But we can never do enough good works.
We can never read enough of the Bible.
We can never do enough to say, God, you owe me salvation.
but we can do what he's told us.
And that is what we must do.
Ephesians two verses eight through 10 tell us very plainly that it's by God's grace that we are saved, but that we are also God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good
works.
We have work to do, but we cannot earn our salvation.
Notice also Romans 5, 20 through 21 and 2 Corinthians 8 9 discussing this idea of being saved by grace.
Fortunately, time does not permit us to look at those as I'm going rather slow.
But we have a plan to follow.
We have to follow God's plan if we are going to be saved.
And what is God's plan?
I'm not going to stand before you and run through the plan of salvation as we term it like so often I'm guilty of.
Too often in the Lord's church we say, well, hear, believe, repent, confess, be baptized.
And the people in the audience are sitting there saying, wait a minute, what did you just say?
I heard hear and baptize and that was about it.
Let's look at some scriptures.
Romans 10.
Romans 10, in verse 12.
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him.
There is no difference.
The gospel is available to all.
But how does one call?
How does one call upon the Lord?
Well, how can they call upon Him in whom they have not heard?
We have to hear the word of God.
but we also have to believe on the word of God.
We have to believe what we hear and we have to believe that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God.
As we keep reading we notice, in verse 14, how then shall I call upon him whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher?
We have a job to do as Christians to go and teach the word of God.
that others can hear, others can believe on Christ, believe the words of God, but it doesn't stop there.
We also know that we cannot live in sin.
We have to repent of our sins.
Luke 13, three and five both say the same thing, except ye repent.
Unless ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
There's death waiting for the soul that does not repent.
In Acts 17, 30, Paul notes.
that God has called every man everywhere to repent.
And of course we must also confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord.
Matthew 10, 32 through 33 tells us that if we do not confess Him before others, He will not confess us.
But if we confess Him, He will confess us before the Father.
He will say to the Father, these are mine.
And of course we must also be baptized.
Romans 6, 1 through 6 tells us that when we're baptized we are buried with Christ.
Ways to walk in a newness of life.
We understand then that we as human beings are hopeless without God.
But with God, we can have salvation.
The declaration of God's dependence.
We as humans, we need to understand our place.
We need to understand that we are nothing compared to God and yet God chose to offer us salvation.
God loves us so much that he let his son die for us.
And so to those of you who are living in sin.
If you have not obeyed the gospel, we've already told you, we've already discussed how one can be a Christian.
But if you have obeyed the gospel and you find yourself falling back into sin, living a life in the world rather than living a life to the glory of God, then brother or sister,
make that right.
Whatever your need is, please come now as we stand and as we sing.