Rebuilding Christian Civilization

Community Peace and Personal Responsibility

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Christian Civilization

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-07-08

Synopsis: John Weaver argues that true biblical community has died in America due to forsaking God's law. He calls for resurrecting communities by rebuilding on God's law, emphasizing personal responsibility, avoiding unnecessary conflicts, resolving disputes biblically, and being prepared to defend one another. The message blends scriptural exposition, historical quotes from founders, and practical advice on self-governance and community defense.

[John Weaver] Psalm 127, verse 1, the title of the message is Community, Peace and Personal Responsibility. Notice verse 1, except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it, except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. I want you to go ahead and turn in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 12. As I give you an introductory statement or two, I've been asked to deal with a multifaceted subject.

[John Weaver] one that's almost impossible to cover just in one session, and that there are so many areas to cover and so many implications and applications that should be made. I've been told all my life that there is no house large enough for two families. And you understand that because I don't care how related you are one to the other. Once you begin living together, inevitably, As we used to say, somebody's going to rub the cat's hair the wrong way and there's going to be problems. The question is, if we cannot get along with each other now while times are relatively good and peaceful, what will we do when we're forced to live together in very difficult times?

[John Weaver] How can we survive without looking to outside help? Well, the Bible mentions this truth in Jeremiah chapter 12, and I want you to look, if you would please, at verse 5. Jeremiah 12, verse 5, the question is asked, If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustest, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan? So if you can't run with the footman, God says, what are you going to do when the horsemen come along? And if you can't get along in the time of peace and prosperity, what in the world are you going to do when the Jordan swells and there's difficulty on every hand? How can we exist without resorting to outside help? How can we exist without using an unbiblical judicial system or depending upon a militarized, federalized law enforcement?

[John Weaver] May I suggest at the very beginning that it is best to avoid all contact with them whatsoever and whensoever it is possible. Now, there is a theme that has been given, and that theme is this, bringing communities back to life. When you hear that phrase, the theme very clearly indicates that our communities have died. And let me tell you something, the truth of the matter is, There has not been a real, genuine community that I know of probably in 50, 60 years.

[John Weaver] Now you just stop and think, and some of us are old enough to remember when neighbors would come down and visit. And any problem in the community, the neighbors would come together to help resolve that problem. Someone got sick, the neighbors would bring in food for ever how long was needed and necessary. The same thing when there was a death in the family. I remember even as a boy when we had a rabid fox in our community. Guess what? All the men came together and were trying to kill that fox.

[John Weaver] In other words, everybody participated. Everybody came together. The truth of the matter is, we have not had a real, genuine community for so long, most people have absolutely no idea how a real biblical community is to function. It's not only the fact that our communities have died, our society has died, and our governmental structure has died as well. I don't like to quote Anne Ryan because she was basically an atheist, but she did say something that is worth quoting.

[John Weaver] Listen to what she said. When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing. When you see that money is flowing to those that deal not in goods, but in favors, when you see that men get rich more easily by graft than work, and your laws no longer protect you against them, but protect them against you, you may know that society is doomed. And that's a fact. Our communities do indeed need to be resurrected.

[John Weaver] But however, you've got to remember that resurrection is always on God's terms. I've often asked this question. In fact, I've asked it here. If society collapsed tomorrow. And you were able to rebuild the day after tomorrow, what law structure would you use? Would you build upon God's law structure? Or would you build upon man's law structure? And may I say, those are the only two law structures available. And if you answer, well, I would try to build on the best of man's law structure, then you might as well not rebuild at all. You might as well let Jericho stay buried for the curse of God is upon it. You remember when Jericho was destroyed in Joshua chapter 6 and verse 26, let me just quote it. And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord that rises up and buildeth this city, Jericho.

[John Weaver] He shall lay the foundations thereof in his firstborn, and his youngest son shall he set up the gates thereof. In other words, he would end up sacrificing his sons in the rebuilding of the cursed city, Jericho. If our communities are to be resurrected and live, we must rebuild according to God's law and learn to live according to God's law by applying it and obeying it in every area of our life. You have to remember that communities are built first and foremost upon individuals, and then secondly, upon families. It is individuals that constitute families. It is families that constitute communities. It is impossible to have a resurrected community if that community is filled with unresurrected individuals and families.

[John Weaver] Let me state it more bluntly. You cannot have a spiritual community with unspiritual people. You cannot have a community that functions the way it should unless you have individuals and families willing to function the way they should. You cannot have the blessings of God upon a community that is filled with rebellious individuals. One of my favorite quotes is from Robert Winthrop. He was a congressman, former Speaker of the House.

[John Weaver] He died in 1894 and he said this as he was speaking to the Massachusetts Bible Society. He said, all societies of men must be governed in some way or the other. The less they may have of stringent state government, the more they must have of individual self-government. The less they rely upon public law or physical force, the more they must rely on private moral restraint. Men in a word must necessarily be controlled either by a power within them or by a power without them, either by the Word of God or the strong arm of man, either by the Bible or the bayonet.

[John Weaver] Now, Robert Winthrop also was speaking against a law or a bill at that time that would allow atheists to testify in court. And I want you to listen to what he said concerning our country. And Robert Winthrop was born in 1809. He died in 1894. And remember, he's speaking against allowing atheists to testify. He says this. I confess, sir, I'm at a loss to conceive how any man who has ever read our Constitution as originally framed or as it now exists can listen a moment to such an argument.

[John Weaver] If anything be clearer than another on its face, it is that it was intended to constitute a Christian state. I deny totally the gentleman's position that the religious expression it contains were intended only to show forth the pious sentiments of those who framed it. They were intended to incorporate into our system the principles of Christianity. principles which belong not only to those who framed, but to the whole people who adopted it. Sir, the people of that day were a Christian people. They adopted a Christian constitution.

[John Weaver] They no more contemplated the existence of infidelity than the Athenian laws provided against the perpetuation of parasite. They established a Christian commonwealth. They wrote upon its walls salvation and upon its gates praise. And Christianity is as clearly now its cornerstone as if the initial letter of every page of our statute book, like that of some monkish manuscript, were illuminated by the figure of the cross. So here he is saying that no, atheists were not to be allowed to testify because This was indeed a Christian nation.

[John Weaver] John Adams, who happened to be the second president of the United States, said this, Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. Charles Carroll, who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, said this, Without morals, a republic cannot subsist any length of time. They, therefore, who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." What is the best security for free governments? Christianity. That's what Charles Carroll said.

[John Weaver] Noah Webster said it like this, the duties of men are summarily comprised in the Ten Commandments, consisting of two tables. One comprehending the duties which we owe immediately to God, the other the duties we owe to our fellow men. And then he goes on to say this, in my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children under a free government ought to be instructed. No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people. Now, I hope you understand why in order to seduce and enslave a people, they must be drawn away from the Bible and the Christian religion. And when we turn from that, We cease to be a free government and a free people. John Quincy Adams, who was the sixth President of the United States, said this, the law given from Sinai, the Ten Commandments, was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code.

[John Weaver] What did he say? It is for our civil institutions as well as for individual morality as well. James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, said it like this, we've staked our future on the ability to follow the Ten Commandments with all of our hearts. We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government. Far from it. We've staked the future of all of our political institutions upon our capacity to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God. Wow.

[John Weaver] So with this basic historic overview in mind, let me ask you a question. What has happened to our country? What has happened to our state? What has happened to our communities? And here's the answer. We've left. We've deserted. We've forsaken the law of God. and our God as well. We disobeyed his law. We despised his son. We trampled his law under our feet. And as scripture says, we've done despite into the spirit of grace. Therefore, we've lost his blessing. We've lost his protection.

[John Weaver] And we must repent and turn to him. Now, if you and I wish to avoid encounters and conflict, with our government the way it is today, as well as with our federalized and militarized law enforcement, we must learn to live right, to do right, to control our emotions, listen carefully, and assume personal responsibility for all of our actions, period. We must not only not need outsiders, We must be able to avoid them as well.

[John Weaver] So let me ask the question, what does that mean? How in the world can we avoid the powers of government? Well, the answer is we must learn to look for and to apply biblical alternatives.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm going to give you some illustrations in just a moment, but let me give you a very simple one. You know, if I do not wish to avoid if I wish to avoid a fight. But why is this thing for me to do is to stay away from places where fights most likely occur? Wouldn't that be wise? If I do not want to be involved in the fight, why should I even visit a bar or casino or nightclub? In other words, here's the premise I'm laying down. We need to avoid all unnecessary conflicts. We have enough of our own conflicts that we can't avoid, and so we need to stay away from anything that's unnecessary. We have enough trouble as it is. Why in the world do we want to start any trouble? So let me just put it to you very plainly.

[John Weaver] In any young person, you ought to understand this. Here it is. Don't go to stupid places with stupid people and do stupid things. That's plain enough. Just don't do it. I tell people, I've told my grandkids this. I've never smoked in my life, and I'm thankful. But you know, if you don't start, you don't have to quit. Have you ever thought about that? I'm just saying there are a lot of things that you can avoid if you just don't get involved with them to begin with. Just don't do it. Here's something else.

[John Weaver] We must be aware of our surroundings. And we must be aware. Of our mouths. I read a long time ago, there are three rules with dealing with any governmental. Area. Here they are, shut up, shut up and shut up. Or keep your mouth shut, keep your mouth shut, keep your mouth shut. Those rules are pretty simple. But do you realize those rules are also pretty simple when it comes to just about anything that you can imagine?

[John Weaver] For instance, I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 39. I want to show you several verses real quickly, Psalm 39, verse one, and then we're going to Proverbs 21. But notice Psalm 39 and verse one, if you would, please. Here's what David said. Psalm 39. Look at it in verse one. David said, I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue.

[John Weaver] I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me. What did he say? I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me. Watch your tongue. Watch your mouth, especially when you're in the presence of the wicked. If you are around friends and relatives with whom you disagree, you must learn to control not only your temper, but your tongue. Let me say it plainly. You do not have to say everything that comes into your mind. You don't.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs, chapter 21. And verse 23, this is one of my favorite verses. Proverbs 21, verse 23. Look what the Scripture says. Proverbs 21, verse 23, Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles. Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from trouble. I don't have to ask you this. Please don't raise your hand.

[John Weaver] But how many of you have ever said things you wish you had never said? Yeah, everybody. And, you know, the problem is once you say something, you can't recall those words. Whosoever keepeth his what? His mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from trouble. If you look in first Peter, chapter three and verse 10, 1 Peter 3 and verse 10. Look what Peter tells us. 1 Peter 3 and verse 10. The Scripture says, 1 Peter 3 and verse 10, For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that speak no guile. If, God says, you want to love life, and if you want to see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Now, I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians 6, but I'm going to quote another scripture as you go there. I'm going to quote from Psalm 37, verse 8, where God says, cease from anger and forsake wrath, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

[John Weaver] So God says, just don't do it. Just stay away from it.

[John Weaver] Now, it is best to avoid a dispute. It's best to avoid a conflict. If one cannot be avoided, and if we are involved in a dispute or a conflict, then we must resolve it in a biblical manner.

[John Weaver] Now, no matter how hard we try unhappily, we're never ever going to be able to avoid every conflict. We're never ever going to be able to foresee every problem and stay out of its way. There will be conflicts. So I'm just saying, if we are involved, then we have to determine that we're going to resolve it biblically and scripturally. I don't know if you remember this or not, but some time back, and Roy has them, I'm sure, but I've got five messages on biblical problem solving. There is indeed a biblical way to solve problems.

[John Weaver] There are a lot of unbiblical ways as well. But they're never resolved when you use unbiblical ways. But if you look in first Corinthians, chapter six, I just want you to note that the Bible actually forbids a Christian. Going to law, a court of law. With with another Christian, look at it in first Corinthians, chapter six, beginning there, verse one, look what the apostle Paul says. Dare any of you Having a matter against another go to law before the unjust and not before the saints. Now, in other words, there can be an ecclesiastical court. There does not have to be just the heathenistic judicial courts. He says, do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know you not that we shall judge angels?

[John Weaver] How much more things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments of things pertaining this life, set them to judge who are the least esteemed in the church."

[John Weaver] Now here's what he's saying there. He's saying if you have something to settle, you need to take even the saints that are the most least esteemed and go before them before you'd go before a heathenistic judge. Now watch this. He goes on to say, Verse 5, I speak to your shame. Is it so that there is not a wise man among you? In other words, surely there is someone who can settle the issues among the saints. Surely there is a wise man who can resolve these things. Watch. Is there not one wise man among you? No, not one that shall be able to judge between his brother. But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before unbelievers. Now therefore, there is utterly a fault among you Because you go to law one with another, why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves be defrauded? Nay, you do wrong and defraud, and that's your brethren.

[John Weaver] Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor adulterers, nor feminine, nor abusers of themselves, of mankind. And then he goes on. So the problem is simply this. God says we do not need to go to law before unbelievers. If we have a conflict, let's resolve it biblically. There is only one way to resolve something for sure, and that is to do it biblically.

[John Weaver] We ought to be able to settle our differences among ourselves. If we're not able to do so, then there are wise men in the church There should be wise men in the Christian community, and we should be willing to submit to their counsel and their judgment. And by the way, without me getting into it, in the Old Testament, if you refuse to abide by the decision of a biblical court of law, the penalty was death. So God is saying, look, there's a way to resolve this.

[John Weaver] We need to stay away from the system and control of the heathen as much as possible. And you've got to understand something, folks. Once you enter into their realm, once you enter into their jurisdiction, you are under their control. And you will be forced to abide by their judgment, whether it's right or wrong, biblical or unbiblical, And what your concern is and what your conscience says does not matter one bit to them. Let me give you one court case.

[John Weaver] This is Hollis versus Edmonds. This involved the State Street Baptist Church in Kentucky. The State Street Baptist Church existed as a church for 140 years. And then it chose to incorporate. And it incorporated under the statutes of Kentucky. While there was a little spat in the church. As the house of money was being spent. And so those who were dissatisfied. Went to the courts. And the church's position was this.

[John Weaver] You have no jurisdiction over us. This is a church matter. It is not a governmental matter. Here is what the court said. I'm quoting. Once the church, that is the State Street Baptist Church, determined to enter the realm of Caesar by forming a corporation, it is required to abide by the rules of Caesar, or in this case, the statutes of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Wow. In other words, if you had incorporated, we'd have nothing to say in this. So the point I'm trying to make is once you submit to their jurisdiction, you're in their power. Whether you agree or whether you disagree, whether they're right or wrong, biblical or unbiblical, it doesn't matter.

[John Weaver] So the wise thing to do is to stay out from their system. William Penn said it like this. Men must be governed by God or they were ruled by tyrants. And the truth of the matter is this, when we refuse to be governed by God, we will be ruled by tyrants. And all you have to do is read 1 Samuel chapter 8 to confirm all of that.

[John Weaver] So, what happens then when society collapses? What happens when people, godly people, are forced to come together and live together in a very complex and a very difficult time. Well, here's what happens if it is a real, genuine, biblical community. In a grid-down situation, the answer is that real, genuine, biblical community not only helps each other, but they defend each other. And that community will come together and defend their lives and their families and the lives and the families of their friends. And in other words, in a societal collapse, you've got to understand something, folks. We either learn to stand together.

[John Weaver] Or we will indeed fall separately. And that is no time for our little pet peeves and idiosyncrasies. And likes and dislikes to get in the way. That's why all of these things have to be worked out. Let me tell you something. There are no perfect people. There just aren't. And you could say. Well, Pastor, I love you, I've been listening to you for 30 years. Well, I'm thankful and that's wonderful. But I tell you what, if we live side by side and work day in and day out every day, after about six months, you might get ticked off at me. Probably a little before that, and I might really get ticked off at you.

[John Weaver] And the next thing we're knowing, he's getting on my nerves. She's bothering me. Why can't he do this? Why can't she do that? And you see what I'm saying? There just are no perfect people. And you have to make sure that you understand. That you have a lot of things to work out. If we're going to defend ourselves. If we're going to defend anyone else. Then obviously we must be trained in defensive techniques. As well as in the defensive use of firearms.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you something that may shock some of you. It won't shock those of us who are older. But do you realize that at one time, riflery was taught in every public school? Did you know that? I remember as a boy taking my weapons to school. To go hunting afterwards, have them in the truck, had no problem. Ron did the same thing. Had no problem. Did you know that the federal government today still promotes civilian markmanship programs?

[John Weaver] I want you to listen to this. I got this title from Ron and then I looked it up. Here it is. I'm going to read it to you. Two paragraphs. The Office of the Director of Civilian Markmanship DCM was created by the United States Congress as part of the 1903 War Department Appropriations Act. The original purpose was to provide civilians an opportunity to learn and practice marksmanship skills so they would be skilled marksmen if later called to serve in the United States military.

[John Weaver] Formation was precipitated by the adoption of the M1903 Springfield rifle as the national service arm. Civilians experienced with popular contemporary lever-action rifles were unable to sustain an equivalent rate of fire from the unfamiliar bolt-action M1903 rifle. Over the years, the emphasis of the program shifted to focus on youth development through marksmanship. From 1916 until 1996, the CMP was administered by the United States Army. Title 16 of the National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year of 1996 created the Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice and Firearm Safety to take over administration and promotion of the civilian marksmanship program. Did you know that there are still Numerous civilian marksmanship program and did you know that you can still acquire?

[John Weaver] What was it an m1 grand from the federal government? Yeah, yeah today I'm just simply saying here's all these federal programs that are promoting this now We've got to understand something and it's very simple and I know most of you do self-defense is biblical Defending others is biblical. Knowing how to fight is biblical. What did David say in Psalm 144, verse 1? He said, Blessed be the Lord, my strength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight. Do you know what Nehemiah did when his community was going to be attacked? Let me show you. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Nehemiah, chapter 4. Nehemiah chapter 4. Watch this. Nehemiah chapter 4. And we're going to begin reading at verse 11. Nehemiah 4 and verse 11. Ezra and Nehemiah. Nehemiah chapter 4. And let's begin reading there at verse 11. Here it is.

[John Weaver] And our adversary said they shall not know, neither see till we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease. So they were planning a surprise attack upon this group of people who were working on the walls, trying to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. And it came to pass that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said to us ten times from all places which you shall return unto us, they will be upon you.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to watch this. This is so The Jews who dwelt by them, what were they trying to do? They were trying to discourage the ones who were doing the work, saying, you can't fight them. You can't win. There are too many of them. They've got too much weaponry. They're too powerful. They were trying to discourage the ones who were working. Watch what Nehemiah did, verse 13, Therefore said I unto the Lord places behind the wall, and on the higher places I have inset the people after their families with their swords and their spears and their bows. And I looked and rose up and said unto the nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, Be not you afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren and your sons and your daughters and your wives and your houses.

[John Weaver] And it came to pass when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to naught, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one into his work. And it came to pass from that time forth that the half of my servants rolled into the work, and the other half of them held both the spears and the shields and the bows and the havergons, and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. They which builded on the wall, and they that bear burdens, with those that laid it, every one with one of his hands rolled into the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.

[John Weaver] For the builders, everyone had his sword girded by his side, and so builded, and he that sounded the trumpet was by me." So what did Nehemiah do? Well, he just got the people together and organized and said, we're going to defend ourselves. That's all there is to it. We're going to take care of the problem. Obviously, clearly, that's exactly what the Scripture says.

[John Weaver] Now, you say, wait a minute, Brother Weaver. I'm not a member of a militia. I don't know how to fight. Well, let me tell you, you may not know how to fight. But if you are between the ages of 17 and 45, you are the member of a militia by law. Did you know that? In fact, my birth certificate has on it that I was born in the third militia district. The third militia district. Do you realize the law says every male between 17 and 45 is a member of the unorganized militia?

[John Weaver] Let me read it to you. Here's the United States Code, Title 10. Subtitle A, General Military Law, Chapter 13, The Militia. Listen carefully. The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males, at least 17 years of age, and except as provided in Section 313 of Title 32, under 45 years of age, who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become citizens of the United States, and a female citizen of the United States who are members of the National Guard. Now listen, the classes of the militia are the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the naval militia, and the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the naval militia. So you're in the militia if you're between 17 and 45. You can be in the organized militia or you can be in the unorganized militia, but you are still in the militia.

[John Weaver] Trench Cox said this, one of the founding fathers, he asked, who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared then that we shall turn our arms, each man against his own bosom? Congress shall have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords and every other terrible implement of the soldier or the birthright of every American. The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but where I trust in God, it will remain forever in the hands of the people." Trenchcock, 1788. George Mason said it like this, when the resolution of enslaving America was formed in Great Britain, The British Parliament was advised by an artful man, who was the Royal Governor of Pennsylvania, to disarm the people, that it was the best and most effectual way to enslave them, that they should not do it

[John Weaver] openly, but weaken them and let them sink gradually by totally disguising and neglecting the militia." Wow. Representative Elbridge Gerry, who was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence, said this, What, sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. Whenever governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia in order to raise an army upon their ruins.

[John Weaver] George Washington, whom everyone knows, said this, firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence. From the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurrences, and tendencies prove that to ensure peace, security, and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable. The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference. They deserve a place of honor with all that is good.

[John Weaver] Thomas Jefferson said the strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is at last as a last resort to protect themselves against the tyranny in government. The right. To keep and bear arms, according to the Second Amendment, is not about duck hunting. Or deer hunting. It's about preserving our liberty, our liberties from a tyrannical government. Again, Thomas Jefferson said, Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants.

[John Weaver] They serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man. And that's the truth. The truth of the matter is, an armed society is a polite society. I want to read something to you that some of you know, some of you do not. But there is a creed that is quoted by, or it used to be, by every Marine. The creed is just entitled, My Rifle. I had to learn some of this, although I was not a Marine. I did not know all of it until recently. But I want you to listen to the Marines creed concerning his rifle. Here it is. This is my rifle.

[John Weaver] There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than the enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. My rifle and I know what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, or the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit. My rifle is human, even as I'm human, because it is my life.

[John Weaver] Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are masters of our enemy. We are saviors of my life. So be it until victory is America's and there is no enemy but peace. We must learn to fight, dear friend. In every area. Not just physically, but we must learn to fight mentally. economically, physically, and spiritually. And we must learn to do so together. We must learn to help each other, to encourage each other, to work with each other.

[John Weaver] One man alone is easy prey. One man alone, no matter how much confidence he has, no matter how much firepower he has, no matter how many supplies he possesses, one man alone will not last very long. That's why we need communities. That's why we have to come together, especially in a time of societal collapse. and learn to work with each other and help each other and defend each other. If you and I are to have happy and loving and living and safe communities, we have to know God's law. We have to know how to apply that law. We have to learn to live by that law. And we must be ready to defend that law. And we must be ready to defend our lives, our families and our neighbors lives as well. And we have to do it all with a special regard for God's honor and God's glory. One last quote. William J.

[John Weaver] Bennett, in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy on November 24, 1997, said this, Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is finally about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always, even death itself. The question remains, what is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for? And I submit to you, the Lord Jesus Christ and His law is worth fighting, dying and living for. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your mercy and Your grace And we do pray, Lord, that you would help us to learn to live together as a community, to worship together, to function together, to be what we should be to each other, that you may be glorified in every life and in every activity. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray.

[John Weaver] Amen. This program was produced by Dominion Ministry. For more information about Pastor Weaver's sermons, you may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N Street, Suite 705, P-M-B 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912 You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com

Community Peace and Personal Responsibility

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	82512030404
Subject	Christian Civilization
Course	Rebuilding Christian Civilization
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-07-08
Dictation Name
Book	Book 062: Rebuilding Christian Civilization — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	62

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Need for Biblical Community

Weaver introduces the theme of bringing communities back to life, noting that genuine community has been absent for decades. He recalls a time when neighbors helped each other in crises.

Psalm 127, verse 1, the title of the message is Community, Peace and Personal Responsibility. Notice verse 1,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 127:1

"Except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

I want you to go ahead and turn in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 12. As I give you an introductory statement or two, I've been asked to deal with a multifaceted subject. One that's almost impossible to cover just in one session, and that there are so many areas to cover and so many implications and applications that should be made. I've been told all my life that there is no house large enough for two families. And you understand that because I don't care how related you are one to the other. Once you begin living together, inevitably, as we used to say, somebody's going to rub the cat's hair the wrong way and there's going to be problems. The question is, if we cannot get along with each other now while times are relatively good and peaceful, what will we do when we're forced to live together in very difficult times?

How can we survive without looking to outside help? Well, the Bible mentions this truth in Jeremiah chapter 12, and I want you to look, if you would please, at verse 5. Jeremiah 12, verse 5, the question is asked,

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 12:5

"If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustest, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?"

So if you can't run with the footmen, God says, what are you going to do when the horsemen come along? And if you can't get along in the time of peace and prosperity, what in the world are you going to do when the Jordan swells and there's difficulty on every hand? How can we exist without resorting to outside help? How can we exist without using an unbiblical judicial system or depending upon a militarized, federalized law enforcement?

May I suggest at the very beginning that it is best to avoid all contact with them whatsoever and whensoever it is possible. Now, there is a theme that has been given, and that theme is this, bringing communities back to life. When you hear that phrase, the theme very clearly indicates that our communities have died. And let me tell you something, the truth of the matter is, there has not been a real, genuine community that I know of probably in 50, 60 years.

Now you just stop and think, and some of us are old enough to remember when neighbors would come down and visit. And any problem in the community, the neighbors would come together to help resolve that problem. Someone got sick, the neighbors would bring in food for ever how long was needed and necessary. The same thing when there was a death in the family. I remember even as a boy when we had a rabid fox in our community. Guess what? All the men came together and were trying to kill that fox.

In other words, everybody participated. Everybody came together. The truth of the matter is, we have not had a real, genuine community for so long, most people have absolutely no idea how a real biblical community is to function. It's not only the fact that our communities have died, our society has died, and our governmental structure has died as well. I don't like to quote Ayn Rand because she was basically an atheist, but she did say something that is worth quoting.

Rebuilding on God's Law

Using the curse on Jericho as a warning, Weaver insists that resurrected communities must be built on God's law, not man's. He emphasizes that communities are built on individuals and families.

But however, you've got to remember that resurrection is always on God's terms. I've often asked this question. In fact, I've asked it here. If society collapsed tomorrow, and you were able to rebuild the day after tomorrow, what law structure would you use? Would you build upon God's law structure? Or would you build upon man's law structure? And may I say, those are the only two law structures available. And if you answer, "Well, I would try to build on the best of man's law structure," then you might as well not rebuild at all. You might as well let Jericho stay buried for the curse of God is upon it. You remember when Jericho was destroyed in Joshua chapter 6 and verse 26, let me just quote it. "And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord that rises up and buildeth this city, Jericho."

"He shall lay the foundations thereof in his firstborn, and his youngest son shall he set up the gates thereof." In other words, he would end up sacrificing his sons in the rebuilding of the cursed city, Jericho. If our communities are to be resurrected and live, we must rebuild according to God's law and learn to live according to God's law by applying it and obeying it in every area of our life. You have to remember that communities are built first and foremost upon individuals, and then secondly, upon families. It is individuals that constitute families. It is families that constitute communities. It is impossible to have a resurrected community if that community is filled with unresurrected individuals and families. Let me state it more bluntly. You cannot have a spiritual community with unspiritual people. You cannot have a community that functions the way it should unless you have individuals and families willing to function the way they should. You cannot have the blessings of God upon a community that is filled with rebellious individuals. One of my favorite quotes is from Robert Winthrop. He was a congressman, former Speaker of the House.

Historical Foundations of a Christian Nation

Weaver quotes Robert Winthrop, John Adams, Charles Carroll, Noah Webster, John Quincy Adams, and James Madison to show that America was founded as a Christian nation dependent on the Ten Commandments.

He died in 1894 and he said this as he was speaking to the Massachusetts Bible Society. He said, "All societies of men must be governed in some way or the other. The less they may have of stringent state government, the more they must have of individual self-government. The less they rely upon public law or physical force, the more they must rely on private moral restraint. Men in a word must necessarily be controlled either by a power within them or by a power without them, either by the Word of God or the strong arm of man, either by the Bible or the bayonet."

Now, Robert Winthrop also was speaking against a law or a bill at that time that would allow atheists to testify in court. And I want you to listen to what he said concerning our country. And Robert Winthrop was born in 1809. He died in 1894. And remember, he's speaking against allowing atheists to testify. He says this. "I confess, sir, I'm at a loss to conceive how any man who has ever read our Constitution as originally framed or as it now exists can listen a moment to such an argument."

"If anything be clearer than another on its face, it is that it was intended to constitute a Christian state. I deny totally the gentleman's position that the religious expression it contains were intended only to show forth the pious sentiments of those who framed it. They were intended to incorporate into our system the principles of Christianity, principles which belong not only to those who framed, but to the whole people who adopted it. Sir, the people of that day were a Christian people. They adopted a Christian constitution." "They no more contemplated the existence of infidelity than the Athenian laws provided against the perpetuation of parasite. They established a Christian commonwealth. They wrote upon its walls salvation and upon its gates praise. And Christianity is as clearly now its cornerstone as if the initial letter of every page of our statute book, like that of some monkish manuscript, were illuminated by the figure of the cross." So here he is saying that no, atheists were not to be allowed to testify because this was indeed a Christian nation.

John Adams, who happened to be the second president of the United States, said this, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." Charles Carroll, who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, said this, "Without morals, a republic cannot subsist any length of time. They, therefore, who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." What is the best security for free governments? Christianity. That's what Charles Carroll said. Noah Webster said it like this, "The duties of men are summarily comprised in the Ten Commandments, consisting of two tables. One comprehending the duties which we owe immediately to God, the other the duties we owe to our fellow men." And then he goes on to say this, "In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children under a free government ought to be instructed. No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people." Now, I hope you understand why in order to seduce and enslave a people, they must be drawn away from the Bible and the Christian religion. And when we turn from that, we cease to be a free government and a free people. John Quincy Adams, who was the sixth President of the United States, said this, "The law given from Sinai, the Ten Commandments, was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code."

What did he say? It is for our civil institutions as well as for individual morality as well. James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, said it like this, "We've staked our future on the ability to follow the Ten Commandments with all of our hearts. We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government. Far from it. We've staked the future of all of our political institutions upon our capacity to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God." Wow.

So with this basic historic overview in mind, let me ask you a question. What has happened to our country? What has happened to our state? What has happened to our communities? And here's the answer. We've left. We've deserted. We've forsaken the law of God, and our God as well. We disobeyed His law. We despised His Son. We trampled His law under our feet. And as Scripture says, we've done despite unto the Spirit of grace. Therefore, we've lost His blessing. We've lost His protection.

Personal Responsibility and Avoiding Conflict

Weaver stresses controlling one's tongue, avoiding stupid places and actions, and staying away from unnecessary conflicts to minimize encounters with government and law enforcement.

And we must repent and turn to Him. Now, if you and I wish to avoid encounters and conflict with our government the way it is today, as well as with our federalized and militarized law enforcement, we must learn to live right, to do right, to control our emotions, listen carefully, and assume personal responsibility for all of our actions, period. We must not only not need outsiders, we must be able to avoid them as well. So let me ask the question, what does that mean? How in the world can we avoid the powers of government? Well, the answer is we must learn to look for and to apply biblical alternatives.

Now, I'm going to give you some illustrations in just a moment, but let me give you a very simple one. You know, if I do not wish to avoid—if I wish to avoid a fight, the wise thing for me to do is to stay away from places where fights most likely occur. Wouldn't that be wise? If I do not want to be involved in the fight, why should I even visit a bar or casino or nightclub? In other words, here's the premise I'm laying down. We need to avoid all unnecessary conflicts. We have enough of our own conflicts that we can't avoid, and so we need to stay away from anything that's unnecessary. We have enough trouble as it is. Why in the world do we want to start any trouble? So let me just put it to you very plainly.

In any young person, you ought to understand this. Here it is. Don't go to stupid places with stupid people and do stupid things. That's plain enough. Just don't do it. I tell people, I've told my grandkids this. I've never smoked in my life, and I'm thankful. But you know, if you don't start, you don't have to quit. Have you ever thought about that? I'm just saying there are a lot of things that you can avoid if you just don't get involved with them to begin with. Just don't do it. Here's something else.

We must be aware of our surroundings. And we must be aware of our mouths. I read a long time ago, there are three rules with dealing with any governmental area. Here they are, shut up, shut up and shut up. Or keep your mouth shut, keep your mouth shut, keep your mouth shut. Those rules are pretty simple. But do you realize those rules are also pretty simple when it comes to just about anything that you can imagine?

Biblical Speech and Self-Control

Citing Psalm 39:1, Proverbs 21:23, and 1 Peter 3:10, Weaver teaches that keeping one's mouth and tongue prevents trouble and promotes a good life.

For instance, I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 39. I want to show you several verses real quickly, Psalm 39, verse one, and then we're going to Proverbs 21. But notice Psalm 39 and verse one, if you would, please. Here's what David said. Psalm 39. Look at it in verse one. David said, "I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue."

"I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me." What did he say? I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me. Watch your tongue. Watch your mouth, especially when you're in the presence of the wicked. If you are around friends and relatives with whom you disagree, you must learn to control not only your temper, but your tongue. Let me say it plainly. You do not have to say everything that comes into your mind. You don't.

Look in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs, chapter 21, and verse 23, this is one of my favorite verses. Proverbs 21, verse 23. Look what the Scripture says. Proverbs 21, verse 23,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 21:23

"Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles."

Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from trouble. I don't have to ask you this. Please don't raise your hand.

But how many of you have ever said things you wish you had never said? Yeah, everybody. And, you know, the problem is once you say something, you can't recall those words. Whosoever keepeth his what? His mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from trouble. If you look in 1 Peter, chapter three and verse 10, 1 Peter 3 and verse 10. Look what Peter tells us. 1 Peter 3 and verse 10. The Scripture says, 1 Peter 3 and verse 10,

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 3:10

"For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that speak no guile."

If, God says, you want to love life, and if you want to see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Now, I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians 6, but I'm going to quote another scripture as you go there. I'm going to quote from Psalm 37, verse 8, where God says, "Cease from anger and forsake wrath, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil."

So God says, just don't do it. Just stay away from it.

Resolving Disputes Biblically

From 1 Corinthians 6, Weaver argues that Christians must not sue one another in secular courts but should settle matters within the church, submitting to wise counsel.

Now, it is best to avoid a dispute. It's best to avoid a conflict. If one cannot be avoided, and if we are involved in a dispute or a conflict, then we must resolve it in a biblical manner. Now, no matter how hard we try unhappily, we're never ever going to be able to avoid every conflict. We're never ever going to be able to foresee every problem and stay out of its way. There will be conflicts. So I'm just saying, if we are involved, then we have to determine that we're going to resolve it biblically and scripturally. I don't know if you remember this or not, but some time back, and Roy has them, I'm sure, but I've got five messages on biblical problem solving. There is indeed a biblical way to solve problems.

There are a lot of unbiblical ways as well. But they're never resolved when you use unbiblical ways. But if you look in 1 Corinthians, chapter six, I just want you to note that the Bible actually forbids a Christian going to law, a court of law, with another Christian. Look at it in 1 Corinthians, chapter six, beginning there, verse one, look what the apostle Paul says.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 6:1-10

"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust and not before the saints?"

Now, in other words, there can be an ecclesiastical court. There does not have to be just the heathenistic judicial courts. He says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 6:1-10

"Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know you not that we shall judge angels?"

"How much more things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments of things pertaining this life, set them to judge who are the least esteemed in the church." Now here's what he's saying there. He's saying if you have something to settle, you need to take even the saints that are the most least esteemed and go before them before you'd go before a heathenistic judge. Now watch this. He goes on to say, verse 5, "I speak to your shame. Is it so that there is not a wise man among you?" In other words, surely there is someone who can settle the issues among the saints. Surely there is a wise man who can resolve these things. Watch. "Is there not one wise man among you? No, not one that shall be able to judge between his brother. But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before unbelievers. Now therefore, there is utterly a fault among you because you go to law one with another, why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves be defrauded? Nay, you do wrong and defraud, and that's your brethren."

"Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind." And then he goes on. So the problem is simply this. God says we do not need to go to law before unbelievers. If we have a conflict, let's resolve it biblically. There is only one way to resolve something for sure, and that is to do it biblically. We ought to be able to settle our differences among ourselves. If we're not able to do so, then there are wise men in the church. There should be wise men in the Christian community, and we should be willing to submit to their counsel and their judgment. And by the way, without me getting into it, in the Old Testament, if you refuse to abide by the decision of a biblical court of law, the penalty was death. So God is saying, look, there's a way to resolve this.

Dangers of Submitting to Secular Jurisdiction

Using the Hollis vs. Edmonds case, Weaver warns that once a church incorporates or enters Caesar's realm, it comes under secular control. He quotes William Penn on being governed by God or tyrants.

We need to stay away from the system and control of the heathen as much as possible. And you've got to understand something, folks. Once you enter into their realm, once you enter into their jurisdiction, you are under their control. And you will be forced to abide by their judgment, whether it's right or wrong, biblical or unbiblical. And what your concern is and what your conscience says does not matter one bit to them. Let me give you one court case. This is Hollis versus Edmonds. This involved the State Street Baptist Church in Kentucky. The State Street Baptist Church existed as a church for 140 years. And then it chose to incorporate. And it incorporated under the statutes of Kentucky. While there was a little spat in the church, as the house of money was being spent, and so those who were dissatisfied went to the courts. And the church's position was this.

"You have no jurisdiction over us. This is a church matter. It is not a governmental matter." Here is what the court said. I'm quoting. "Once the church, that is the State Street Baptist Church, determined to enter the realm of Caesar by forming a corporation, it is required to abide by the rules of Caesar, or in this case, the statutes of the Commonwealth of Kentucky." Wow. In other words, if you had incorporated, we'd have nothing to say in this. So the point I'm trying to make is once you submit to their jurisdiction, you're in their power. Whether you agree or whether you disagree, whether they're right or wrong, biblical or unbiblical, it doesn't matter.

So the wise thing to do is to stay out from their system. William Penn said it like this. "Men must be governed by God or they were ruled by tyrants." And the truth of the matter is this, when we refuse to be governed by God, we will be ruled by tyrants. And all you have to do is read 1 Samuel chapter 8 to confirm all of that.

Community Defense and the Militia

Weaver teaches that in societal collapse, biblical communities must defend each other. He cites Nehemiah 4, discusses the U.S. militia law, and quotes founders on the right to bear arms.

So, what happens then when society collapses? What happens when people, godly people, are forced to come together and live together in a very complex and a very difficult time. Well, here's what happens if it is a real, genuine, biblical community. In a grid-down situation, the answer is that real, genuine, biblical community not only helps each other, but they defend each other. And that community will come together and defend their lives and their families and the lives and the families of their friends. And in other words, in a societal collapse, you've got to understand something, folks. We either learn to stand together.

Or we will indeed fall separately. And that is no time for our little pet peeves and idiosyncrasies and likes and dislikes to get in the way. That's why all of these things have to be worked out. Let me tell you something. There are no perfect people. There just aren't. And you could say, "Well, Pastor, I love you, I've been listening to you for 30 years." Well, I'm thankful and that's wonderful. But I tell you what, if we live side by side and work day in and day out every day, after about six months, you might get ticked off at me. Probably a little before that, and I might really get ticked off at you.

And the next thing we're knowing, he's getting on my nerves. She's bothering me. Why can't he do this? Why can't she do that? And you see what I'm saying? There just are no perfect people. And you have to make sure that you understand that you have a lot of things to work out. If we're going to defend ourselves, if we're going to defend anyone else, then obviously we must be trained in defensive techniques, as well as in the defensive use of firearms.

Now let me tell you something that may shock some of you. It won't shock those of us who are older. But do you realize that at one time, riflery was taught in every public school? Did you know that? I remember as a boy taking my weapons to school to go hunting afterwards, have them in the truck, had no problem. Ron did the same thing. Had no problem. Did you know that the federal government today still promotes civilian marksmanship programs?

I want you to listen to this. I got this title from Ron and then I looked it up. Here it is. I'm going to read it to you. Two paragraphs. "The Office of the Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) was created by the United States Congress as part of the 1903 War Department Appropriations Act. The original purpose was to provide civilians an opportunity to learn and practice marksmanship skills so they would be skilled marksmen if later called to serve in the United States military."

"Formation was precipitated by the adoption of the M1903 Springfield rifle as the national service arm. Civilians experienced with popular contemporary lever-action rifles were unable to sustain an equivalent rate of fire from the unfamiliar bolt-action M1903 rifle. Over the years, the emphasis of the program shifted to focus on youth development through marksmanship. From 1916 until 1996, the CMP was administered by the United States Army. Title 16 of the National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year of 1996 created the Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice and Firearm Safety to take over administration and promotion of the civilian marksmanship program." Did you know that there are still numerous civilian marksmanship programs and did you know that you can still acquire what was it, an M1 Garand from the federal government? Yeah, yeah today. I'm just simply saying here's all these federal programs that are promoting this. Now we've got to understand something and it's very simple and I know most of you do. Self-defense is biblical. Defending others is biblical. Knowing how to fight is biblical. What did David say in Psalm 144, verse 1? He said, "Blessed be the Lord, my strength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight." Do you know what Nehemiah did when his community was going to be attacked? Let me show you. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Nehemiah, chapter 4. Nehemiah chapter 4. Watch this. Nehemiah chapter 4. And we're going to begin reading at verse 11. Nehemiah 4 and verse 11. Ezra and Nehemiah. Nehemiah chapter 4. And let's begin reading there at verse 11. Here it is.

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 4:11-18

"And our adversary said they shall not know, neither see till we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease."

So they were planning a surprise attack upon this group of people who were working on the walls, trying to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem.

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 4:11-18

"And it came to pass that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said to us ten times from all places which you shall return unto us, they will be upon you."

Now, I want you to watch this. This is so—the Jews who dwelt by them, what were they trying to do? They were trying to discourage the ones who were doing the work, saying, "You can't fight them. You can't win. There are too many of them. They've got too much weaponry. They're too powerful." They were trying to discourage the ones who were working. Watch what Nehemiah did, verse 13,

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 4:11-18

"Therefore said I unto the Lord places behind the wall, and on the higher places I have inset the people after their families with their swords and their spears and their bows. And I looked and rose up and said unto the nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, Be not you afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren and your sons and your daughters and your wives and your houses." "And it came to pass when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to naught, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one into his work. And it came to pass from that time forth that the half of my servants rolled into the work, and the other half of them held both the spears and the shields and the bows and the habergeons, and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. They which builded on the wall, and they that bear burdens, with those that laid it, every one with one of his hands rolled into the work, and with the other hand held a weapon." "For the builders, everyone had his sword girded by his side, and so builded, and he that sounded the trumpet was by me."

So what did Nehemiah do? Well, he just got the people together and organized and said, "We're going to defend ourselves. That's all there is to it. We're going to take care of the problem." Obviously, clearly, that's exactly what the Scripture says.

Now, you say, "Wait a minute, Brother Weaver. I'm not a member of a militia. I don't know how to fight." Well, let me tell you, you may not know how to fight. But if you are between the ages of 17 and 45, you are the member of a militia by law. Did you know that? In fact, my birth certificate has on it that I was born in the third militia district. The third militia district. Do you realize the law says every male between 17 and 45 is a member of the unorganized militia?

Let me read it to you. Here's the United States Code, Title 10, Subtitle A, General Military Law, Chapter 13, The Militia. Listen carefully. "The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males, at least 17 years of age, and except as provided in Section 313 of Title 32, under 45 years of age, who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become citizens of the United States, and a female citizen of the United States who are members of the National Guard." Now listen, "The classes of the militia are the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the naval militia, and the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the naval militia." So you're in the militia if you're between 17 and 45. You can be in the organized militia or you can be in the unorganized militia, but you are still in the militia.

Tench Coxe said this, one of the founding fathers, he asked, "Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared then that we shall turn our arms, each man against his own bosom? Congress shall have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords and every other terrible implement of the soldier or the birthright of every American. The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but where I trust in God, it will remain forever in the hands of the people." Tench Coxe, 1788. George Mason said it like this, "When the resolution of enslaving America was formed in Great Britain, the British Parliament was advised by an artful man, who was the Royal Governor of Pennsylvania, to disarm the people, that it was the best and most effectual way to enslave them, that they should not do it

openly, but weaken them and let them sink gradually by totally disguising and neglecting the militia." Wow. Representative Elbridge Gerry, who was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence, said this, "What, sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. Whenever governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia in order to raise an army upon their ruins."

The Necessity of Armed Self-Defense

Quoting Washington, Jefferson, and the Marine's Rifle Creed, Weaver asserts that firearms are essential for liberty and that an armed society is a polite society.

George Washington, whom everyone knows, said this, "Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence. From the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurrences, and tendencies prove that to ensure peace, security, and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable. The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference. They deserve a place of honor with all that is good." Thomas Jefferson said the strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is at last as a last resort to protect themselves against the tyranny in government. The right to keep and bear arms, according to the Second Amendment, is not about duck hunting or deer hunting. It's about preserving our liberty, our liberties from a tyrannical government. Again, Thomas Jefferson said, "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants."

"They serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." And that's the truth. The truth of the matter is, an armed society is a polite society. I want to read something to you that some of you know, some of you do not. But there is a creed that is quoted by, or it used to be, by every Marine. The creed is just entitled, My Rifle. I had to learn some of this, although I was not a Marine. I did not know all of it until recently. But I want you to listen to the Marines creed concerning his rifle. Here it is. "This is my rifle.

There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than the enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. My rifle and I know what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, or the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit. My rifle is human, even as I'm human, because it is my life.

Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are masters of our enemy. We are saviors of my life. So be it until victory is America's and there is no enemy but peace." We must learn to fight, dear friend. In every area. Not just physically, but we must learn to fight mentally, economically, physically, and spiritually. And we must learn to do so together. We must learn to help each other, to encourage each other, to work with each other.

Conclusion: Living and Defending God's Law Together

Weaver concludes that communities must know, apply, and defend God's law, standing together to protect lives and honor God. He closes with a quote from William J. Bennett on honor.

One man alone is easy prey. One man alone, no matter how much confidence he has, no matter how much firepower he has, no matter how many supplies he possesses, one man alone will not last very long. That's why we need communities. That's why we have to come together, especially in a time of societal collapse, and learn to work with each other and help each other and defend each other. If you and I are to have happy and loving and living and safe communities, we have to know God's law. We have to know how to apply that law. We have to learn to live by that law. And we must be ready to defend that law. And we must be ready to defend our lives, our families and our neighbors lives as well. And we have to do it all with a special regard for God's honor and God's glory. One last quote. William J.

Bennett, in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy on November 24, 1997, said this, "Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is finally about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always, even death itself. The question remains, what is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for?" And I submit to you, the Lord Jesus Christ and His law is worth fighting, dying and living for. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your mercy and Your grace. And we do pray, Lord, that You would help us to learn to live together as a community, to worship together, to function together, to be what we should be to each other, that You may be glorified in every life and in every activity. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Resurrection of Biblical Community

Summary: True community has died and must be resurrected on God's terms by rebuilding according to His law.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'If our communities are to be resurrected and live, we must rebuild according to God's law and learn to live according to God's law by applying it and obeying it in every area of our life.'

Personal Responsibility and Self-Government

Summary: Individuals must govern themselves by God's Word to avoid external control and conflict.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Robert Winthrop: 'The less they may have of stringent state government, the more they must have of individual self-government.'

Avoiding Unnecessary Conflict

Summary: Believers should avoid places, people, and actions that lead to trouble, including controlling their speech.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Don't go to stupid places with stupid people and do stupid things.'

Biblical Dispute Resolution

Summary: Christians must not sue each other in secular courts but resolve conflicts within the church.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, emphasizing that going to law before unbelievers is a fault.

Separation from Secular Jurisdiction

Summary: Once believers submit to secular legal systems, they come under their control and forfeit biblical autonomy.

Evidence: Weaver recounts the Hollis vs. Edmonds case: 'Once the church... determined to enter the realm of Caesar by forming a corporation, it is required to abide by the rules of Caesar.'

Community Defense and the Right to Bear Arms

Summary: Biblical communities must be prepared to defend themselves physically, and the right to keep arms is a safeguard against tyranny.

Evidence: Weaver quotes George Washington: 'Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth.'

The Necessity of Unity in Crisis

Summary: In societal collapse, individuals must stand together; isolated individuals are easy prey.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'One man alone will not last very long. That's why we need communities.'

Key Arguments

Communities are built on individuals and families

Summary: A resurrected community requires resurrected individuals and families living by God's law.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'It is impossible to have a resurrected community if that community is filled with unresurrected individuals and families.'

America was founded as a Christian nation

Summary: The founders intended a Christian commonwealth based on biblical morality, and departure from this has led to societal decay.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Robert Winthrop: 'They established a Christian commonwealth. They wrote upon its walls salvation and upon its gates praise.'

Self-control of speech prevents trouble

Summary: Keeping one's mouth and tongue is a key to avoiding conflicts and preserving one's soul from trouble.

Evidence: Weaver cites Proverbs 21:23: 'Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles.'

Secular courts are forbidden for Christian disputes

Summary: 1 Corinthians 6 commands believers to settle disputes within the church, not before unbelievers.

Evidence: Weaver reads 1 Corinthians 6:1-6, emphasizing the shame of going to law before the unjust.

Incorporation places churches under state control

Summary: The Hollis vs. Edmonds case demonstrates that incorporating subjects a church to secular jurisdiction.

Evidence: Weaver quotes the court: 'Once the church... determined to enter the realm of Caesar by forming a corporation, it is required to abide by the rules of Caesar.'

Self-defense is a biblical duty

Summary: Scripture and U.S. law affirm the right and duty to defend oneself, family, and community.

Evidence: Weaver cites Nehemiah 4:13-18, where the people worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.

The militia is composed of ordinary citizens

Summary: U.S. law defines all able-bodied males 17-45 as the unorganized militia, and founders saw an armed populace as essential to liberty.

Evidence: Weaver reads Title 10, U.S. Code, defining the militia, and quotes Tench Coxe on the birthright of arms.

Scripture References

Psalm 127:1

Context: Opening verse: 'Except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.'

Jeremiah 12:5

Context: If you can't run with footmen, how will you contend with horses? If in a land of peace you are wearied, how will you do in the swelling of Jordan?

Joshua 6:26

Context: Cursed be the man before the Lord that rises up and builds Jericho; he shall lay its foundation in his firstborn.

Psalm 39:1

Context: I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.

Proverbs 21:23

Context: Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

1 Peter 3:10

Context: He that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.

Psalm 37:8

Context: Cease from anger and forsake wrath, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

1 Corinthians 6:1-10

Context: Dare any of you go to law before the unjust? The saints shall judge the world; set the least esteemed to judge. It is a fault to go to law before unbelievers.

1 Samuel 8

Context: When we refuse to be governed by God, we will be ruled by tyrants, as confirmed in 1 Samuel 8.

Psalm 144:1

Context: Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight.

Nehemiah 4:11-18

Context: Nehemiah armed the people by families with swords, spears, and bows; half worked while half stood guard; builders had swords girded by their sides.

Historical References

Ayn Rand quote on societal doom

Context: Weaver quotes Rand's description of a society where permission is needed from non-producers, money flows to favor-dealers, and laws protect the corrupt.

Robert Winthrop (1809-1894)

Context: Former Speaker of the House; argued for individual self-government and that the U.S. was intended as a Christian state; opposed atheists testifying in court.

John Adams

Context: Second U.S. President; said the Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.

Charles Carroll

Context: Signer of the Declaration of Independence; said without morals a republic cannot subsist, and Christianity is the best security for free governments.

Noah Webster

Context: Stated that the Ten Commandments summarize duties to God and man, and that Christian religion must be the basis of free government.

John Quincy Adams

Context: Sixth U.S. President; said the law from Sinai was a civil and municipal as well as moral and religious code.

James Madison

Context: Fourth U.S. President; said the future of American civilization is staked on the ability to follow the Ten Commandments.

Hollis vs. Edmonds court case

Context: State Street Baptist Church in Kentucky incorporated and then was told by the court that by entering Caesar's realm, it must abide by Caesar's rules.

William Penn

Context: Quoted: 'Men must be governed by God or they were ruled by tyrants.'

Civilian Marksmanship Program history

Context: Created by Congress in 1903 to train civilians in marksmanship; administered by U.S. Army until 1996; still exists today.

Important Quotes

Except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Significance: Foundational verse for the message, emphasizing dependence on God for building and protecting community.

If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustest, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?

Significance: Key challenge: if we can't handle small conflicts now, how will we survive major crises?

All societies of men must be governed in some way or the other. The less they may have of stringent state government, the more they must have of individual self-government.

Significance: Robert Winthrop's principle that self-government under God reduces the need for external control.

Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles.

Significance: Proverbs 21:23 quoted as a practical rule for avoiding conflict.

Once the church, that is the State Street Baptist Church, determined to enter the realm of Caesar by forming a corporation, it is required to abide by the rules of Caesar, or in this case, the statutes of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Significance: Warning that incorporation subjects a church to secular jurisdiction.

Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence.

Significance: George Washington's view on the essential role of firearms in preserving liberty.

One man alone will not last very long. That's why we need communities.

Significance: Emphasizes the necessity of community for survival and defense.

Discussion Questions

What does it mean for a community to be 'resurrected' on God's terms, and how does that differ from rebuilding on man's law?

Context: Weaver contrasts rebuilding Jericho under a curse with rebuilding according to God's law.

How can we practice individual self-government in our daily lives to reduce the need for external control?

Context: Weaver quotes Robert Winthrop on the balance between state government and personal moral restraint.

In what practical ways can we 'keep our mouth with a bridle' when we are around people with whom we disagree?

Context: Weaver cites Psalm 39:1 and Proverbs 21:23 about controlling speech.

Why does Paul forbid Christians from taking disputes to secular courts, and how should the church handle such conflicts today?

Context: Weaver expounds 1 Corinthians 6:1-8.

What are the dangers of a church incorporating or otherwise submitting to secular legal structures?

Context: Weaver discusses the Hollis vs. Edmonds case.

How does Nehemiah 4 provide a biblical model for community defense, and what principles can we apply today?

Context: Weaver reads Nehemiah 4:11-18 about arming the people while rebuilding the wall.

What is the biblical and historical basis for the right to keep and bear arms, and how does it relate to resisting tyranny?

Context: Weaver quotes Washington, Jefferson, and the founders on the militia and firearms.

How can we cultivate the kind of unity and mutual defense described in the message without letting personal irritations divide us?

Context: Weaver acknowledges that no one is perfect and that living closely will cause friction.

Applications

Rebuild personal and family life on God's law

Summary: Examine whether your life and family are governed by biblical principles, and commit to obeying God's law in every area.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If our communities are to be resurrected and live, we must rebuild according to God's law and learn to live according to God's law.'

Practice self-control in speech

Summary: Deliberately refrain from saying everything that comes to mind, especially around those with whom you disagree, to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'You do not have to say everything that comes into your mind.'

Avoid unnecessary conflicts

Summary: Stay away from places and situations where trouble is likely, and do not engage in foolish behavior.

Evidence: Weaver advises, 'Don't go to stupid places with stupid people and do stupid things.'

Resolve disputes within the church

Summary: If you have a conflict with another believer, seek resolution through biblical counsel and church leadership rather than secular courts.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 6 and says, 'We ought to be able to settle our differences among ourselves.'

Be prepared to defend your community

Summary: Acquire defensive skills and be willing to protect your family and neighbors, following the example of Nehemiah.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If we're going to defend ourselves, if we're going to defend anyone else, then obviously we must be trained in defensive techniques.'

Cultivate unity and forbearance

Summary: Recognize that no one is perfect, and work through irritations now so that you can stand together in times of crisis.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'There are no perfect people... That's why all of these things have to be worked out.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T12:19:19Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-05T19:31:36Z

Clean Transcript

Community Peace and Personal Responsibility

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Psalm 127, verse 1, the title of the message is Community, Peace and Personal Responsibility. Notice verse 1, "Except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." I want you to go ahead and turn in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 12. As I give you an introductory statement or two, I've been asked to deal with a multifaceted subject.
#1 | 0:01 to 0:30 | cleaned
One that's almost impossible to cover just in one session, and that there are so many areas to cover and so many implications and applications that should be made. I've been told all my life that there is no house large enough for two families. And you understand that because I don't care how related you are one to the other. Once you begin living together, inevitably, as we used to say, somebody's going to rub the cat's hair the wrong way and there's going to be problems. The question is, if we cannot get along with each other now while times are relatively good and peaceful, what will we do when we're forced to live together in very difficult times?
#2 | 0:30 to 1:22 | cleaned
How can we survive without looking to outside help? Well, the Bible mentions this truth in Jeremiah chapter 12, and I want you to look, if you would please, at verse 5. Jeremiah 12, verse 5, the question is asked, "If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustest, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?" So if you can't run with the footmen, God says, what are you going to do when the horsemen come along? And if you can't get along in the time of peace and prosperity, what in the world are you going to do when the Jordan swells and there's difficulty on every hand? How can we exist without resorting to outside help? How can we exist without using an unbiblical judicial system or depending upon a militarized, federalized law enforcement?
#3 | 1:23 to 2:26 | cleaned
May I suggest at the very beginning that it is best to avoid all contact with them whatsoever and whensoever it is possible. Now, there is a theme that has been given, and that theme is this, bringing communities back to life. When you hear that phrase, the theme very clearly indicates that our communities have died. And let me tell you something, the truth of the matter is, there has not been a real, genuine community that I know of probably in 50, 60 years.
#4 | 2:27 to 3:04 | cleaned
Now you just stop and think, and some of us are old enough to remember when neighbors would come down and visit. And any problem in the community, the neighbors would come together to help resolve that problem. Someone got sick, the neighbors would bring in food for ever how long was needed and necessary. The same thing when there was a death in the family. I remember even as a boy when we had a rabid fox in our community. Guess what? All the men came together and were trying to kill that fox.
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In other words, everybody participated. Everybody came together. The truth of the matter is, we have not had a real, genuine community for so long, most people have absolutely no idea how a real biblical community is to function. It's not only the fact that our communities have died, our society has died, and our governmental structure has died as well. I don't like to quote Ayn Rand because she was basically an atheist, but she did say something that is worth quoting.
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Listen to what she said. "When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing. When you see that money is flowing to those that deal not in goods, but in favors, when you see that men get rich more easily by graft than work, and your laws no longer protect you against them, but protect them against you, you may know that society is doomed." And that's a fact. Our communities do indeed need to be resurrected.
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But however, you've got to remember that resurrection is always on God's terms. I've often asked this question. In fact, I've asked it here. If society collapsed tomorrow, and you were able to rebuild the day after tomorrow, what law structure would you use? Would you build upon God's law structure? Or would you build upon man's law structure? And may I say, those are the only two law structures available. And if you answer, "Well, I would try to build on the best of man's law structure," then you might as well not rebuild at all. You might as well let Jericho stay buried for the curse of God is upon it. You remember when Jericho was destroyed in Joshua chapter 6 and verse 26, let me just quote it. "And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord that rises up and buildeth this city, Jericho."
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"He shall lay the foundations thereof in his firstborn, and his youngest son shall he set up the gates thereof." In other words, he would end up sacrificing his sons in the rebuilding of the cursed city, Jericho. If our communities are to be resurrected and live, we must rebuild according to God's law and learn to live according to God's law by applying it and obeying it in every area of our life. You have to remember that communities are built first and foremost upon individuals, and then secondly, upon families. It is individuals that constitute families. It is families that constitute communities. It is impossible to have a resurrected community if that community is filled with unresurrected individuals and families.
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Let me state it more bluntly. You cannot have a spiritual community with unspiritual people. You cannot have a community that functions the way it should unless you have individuals and families willing to function the way they should. You cannot have the blessings of God upon a community that is filled with rebellious individuals. One of my favorite quotes is from Robert Winthrop. He was a congressman, former Speaker of the House.
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He died in 1894 and he said this as he was speaking to the Massachusetts Bible Society. He said, "All societies of men must be governed in some way or the other. The less they may have of stringent state government, the more they must have of individual self-government. The less they rely upon public law or physical force, the more they must rely on private moral restraint. Men in a word must necessarily be controlled either by a power within them or by a power without them, either by the Word of God or the strong arm of man, either by the Bible or the bayonet."
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Now, Robert Winthrop also was speaking against a law or a bill at that time that would allow atheists to testify in court. And I want you to listen to what he said concerning our country. And Robert Winthrop was born in 1809. He died in 1894. And remember, he's speaking against allowing atheists to testify. He says this. "I confess, sir, I'm at a loss to conceive how any man who has ever read our Constitution as originally framed or as it now exists can listen a moment to such an argument."
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"If anything be clearer than another on its face, it is that it was intended to constitute a Christian state. I deny totally the gentleman's position that the religious expression it contains were intended only to show forth the pious sentiments of those who framed it. They were intended to incorporate into our system the principles of Christianity, principles which belong not only to those who framed, but to the whole people who adopted it. Sir, the people of that day were a Christian people. They adopted a Christian constitution."
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"They no more contemplated the existence of infidelity than the Athenian laws provided against the perpetuation of parasite. They established a Christian commonwealth. They wrote upon its walls salvation and upon its gates praise. And Christianity is as clearly now its cornerstone as if the initial letter of every page of our statute book, like that of some monkish manuscript, were illuminated by the figure of the cross." So here he is saying that no, atheists were not to be allowed to testify because this was indeed a Christian nation.
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John Adams, who happened to be the second president of the United States, said this, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." Charles Carroll, who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, said this, "Without morals, a republic cannot subsist any length of time. They, therefore, who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure, are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments." What is the best security for free governments? Christianity. That's what Charles Carroll said.
#15 | 9:58 to 10:43 | cleaned
Noah Webster said it like this, "The duties of men are summarily comprised in the Ten Commandments, consisting of two tables. One comprehending the duties which we owe immediately to God, the other the duties we owe to our fellow men." And then he goes on to say this, "In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children under a free government ought to be instructed. No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people." Now, I hope you understand why in order to seduce and enslave a people, they must be drawn away from the Bible and the Christian religion. And when we turn from that, we cease to be a free government and a free people. John Quincy Adams, who was the sixth President of the United States, said this, "The law given from Sinai, the Ten Commandments, was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code."
#16 | 10:44 to 11:58 | cleaned
What did he say? It is for our civil institutions as well as for individual morality as well. James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, said it like this, "We've staked our future on the ability to follow the Ten Commandments with all of our hearts. We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government. Far from it. We've staked the future of all of our political institutions upon our capacity to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God." Wow.
#17 | 11:59 to 12:37 | cleaned
So with this basic historic overview in mind, let me ask you a question. What has happened to our country? What has happened to our state? What has happened to our communities? And here's the answer. We've left. We've deserted. We've forsaken the law of God, and our God as well. We disobeyed His law. We despised His Son. We trampled His law under our feet. And as Scripture says, we've done despite unto the Spirit of grace. Therefore, we've lost His blessing. We've lost His protection.
#18 | 12:39 to 13:13 | cleaned
And we must repent and turn to Him. Now, if you and I wish to avoid encounters and conflict with our government the way it is today, as well as with our federalized and militarized law enforcement, we must learn to live right, to do right, to control our emotions, listen carefully, and assume personal responsibility for all of our actions, period. We must not only not need outsiders, we must be able to avoid them as well.
#19 | 13:13 to 13:56 | cleaned
So let me ask the question, what does that mean? How in the world can we avoid the powers of government? Well, the answer is we must learn to look for and to apply biblical alternatives.
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Now, I'm going to give you some illustrations in just a moment, but let me give you a very simple one. You know, if I do not wish to avoid—if I wish to avoid a fight, the wise thing for me to do is to stay away from places where fights most likely occur. Wouldn't that be wise? If I do not want to be involved in the fight, why should I even visit a bar or casino or nightclub? In other words, here's the premise I'm laying down. We need to avoid all unnecessary conflicts. We have enough of our own conflicts that we can't avoid, and so we need to stay away from anything that's unnecessary. We have enough trouble as it is. Why in the world do we want to start any trouble? So let me just put it to you very plainly.
#21 | 14:16 to 15:15 | cleaned
In any young person, you ought to understand this. Here it is. Don't go to stupid places with stupid people and do stupid things. That's plain enough. Just don't do it. I tell people, I've told my grandkids this. I've never smoked in my life, and I'm thankful. But you know, if you don't start, you don't have to quit. Have you ever thought about that? I'm just saying there are a lot of things that you can avoid if you just don't get involved with them to begin with. Just don't do it. Here's something else.
#22 | 15:15 to 16:12 | cleaned
We must be aware of our surroundings. And we must be aware of our mouths. I read a long time ago, there are three rules with dealing with any governmental area. Here they are, shut up, shut up and shut up. Or keep your mouth shut, keep your mouth shut, keep your mouth shut. Those rules are pretty simple. But do you realize those rules are also pretty simple when it comes to just about anything that you can imagine?
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For instance, I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to Psalm 39. I want to show you several verses real quickly, Psalm 39, verse one, and then we're going to Proverbs 21. But notice Psalm 39 and verse one, if you would, please. Here's what David said. Psalm 39. Look at it in verse one. David said, "I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue."
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"I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me." What did he say? I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me. Watch your tongue. Watch your mouth, especially when you're in the presence of the wicked. If you are around friends and relatives with whom you disagree, you must learn to control not only your temper, but your tongue. Let me say it plainly. You do not have to say everything that comes into your mind. You don't.
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Look in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs, chapter 21, and verse 23, this is one of my favorite verses. Proverbs 21, verse 23. Look what the Scripture says. Proverbs 21, verse 23, "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles." Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from trouble. I don't have to ask you this. Please don't raise your hand.
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But how many of you have ever said things you wish you had never said? Yeah, everybody. And, you know, the problem is once you say something, you can't recall those words. Whosoever keepeth his what? His mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from trouble. If you look in 1 Peter, chapter three and verse 10, 1 Peter 3 and verse 10. Look what Peter tells us. 1 Peter 3 and verse 10. The Scripture says, 1 Peter 3 and verse 10, "For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that speak no guile." If, God says, you want to love life, and if you want to see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Now, I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians 6, but I'm going to quote another scripture as you go there. I'm going to quote from Psalm 37, verse 8, where God says, "Cease from anger and forsake wrath, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil."
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So God says, just don't do it. Just stay away from it.
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Now, it is best to avoid a dispute. It's best to avoid a conflict. If one cannot be avoided, and if we are involved in a dispute or a conflict, then we must resolve it in a biblical manner.
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Now, no matter how hard we try unhappily, we're never ever going to be able to avoid every conflict. We're never ever going to be able to foresee every problem and stay out of its way. There will be conflicts. So I'm just saying, if we are involved, then we have to determine that we're going to resolve it biblically and scripturally. I don't know if you remember this or not, but some time back, and Roy has them, I'm sure, but I've got five messages on biblical problem solving. There is indeed a biblical way to solve problems.
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There are a lot of unbiblical ways as well. But they're never resolved when you use unbiblical ways. But if you look in 1 Corinthians, chapter six, I just want you to note that the Bible actually forbids a Christian going to law, a court of law, with another Christian. Look at it in 1 Corinthians, chapter six, beginning there, verse one, look what the apostle Paul says. "Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust and not before the saints?" Now, in other words, there can be an ecclesiastical court. There does not have to be just the heathenistic judicial courts. He says, "Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know you not that we shall judge angels?"
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"How much more things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments of things pertaining this life, set them to judge who are the least esteemed in the church."
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Now here's what he's saying there. He's saying if you have something to settle, you need to take even the saints that are the most least esteemed and go before them before you'd go before a heathenistic judge. Now watch this. He goes on to say, verse 5, "I speak to your shame. Is it so that there is not a wise man among you?" In other words, surely there is someone who can settle the issues among the saints. Surely there is a wise man who can resolve these things. Watch. "Is there not one wise man among you? No, not one that shall be able to judge between his brother. But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before unbelievers. Now therefore, there is utterly a fault among you because you go to law one with another, why do you not rather take wrong? Why do you not rather suffer yourselves be defrauded? Nay, you do wrong and defraud, and that's your brethren."
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"Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind." And then he goes on. So the problem is simply this. God says we do not need to go to law before unbelievers. If we have a conflict, let's resolve it biblically. There is only one way to resolve something for sure, and that is to do it biblically.
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We ought to be able to settle our differences among ourselves. If we're not able to do so, then there are wise men in the church. There should be wise men in the Christian community, and we should be willing to submit to their counsel and their judgment. And by the way, without me getting into it, in the Old Testament, if you refuse to abide by the decision of a biblical court of law, the penalty was death. So God is saying, look, there's a way to resolve this.
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We need to stay away from the system and control of the heathen as much as possible. And you've got to understand something, folks. Once you enter into their realm, once you enter into their jurisdiction, you are under their control. And you will be forced to abide by their judgment, whether it's right or wrong, biblical or unbiblical. And what your concern is and what your conscience says does not matter one bit to them. Let me give you one court case.
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This is Hollis versus Edmonds. This involved the State Street Baptist Church in Kentucky. The State Street Baptist Church existed as a church for 140 years. And then it chose to incorporate. And it incorporated under the statutes of Kentucky. While there was a little spat in the church, as the house of money was being spent, and so those who were dissatisfied went to the courts. And the church's position was this.
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"You have no jurisdiction over us. This is a church matter. It is not a governmental matter." Here is what the court said. I'm quoting. "Once the church, that is the State Street Baptist Church, determined to enter the realm of Caesar by forming a corporation, it is required to abide by the rules of Caesar, or in this case, the statutes of the Commonwealth of Kentucky." Wow. In other words, if you had incorporated, we'd have nothing to say in this. So the point I'm trying to make is once you submit to their jurisdiction, you're in their power. Whether you agree or whether you disagree, whether they're right or wrong, biblical or unbiblical, it doesn't matter.
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So the wise thing to do is to stay out from their system. William Penn said it like this. "Men must be governed by God or they were ruled by tyrants." And the truth of the matter is this, when we refuse to be governed by God, we will be ruled by tyrants. And all you have to do is read 1 Samuel chapter 8 to confirm all of that.
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So, what happens then when society collapses? What happens when people, godly people, are forced to come together and live together in a very complex and a very difficult time. Well, here's what happens if it is a real, genuine, biblical community. In a grid-down situation, the answer is that real, genuine, biblical community not only helps each other, but they defend each other. And that community will come together and defend their lives and their families and the lives and the families of their friends. And in other words, in a societal collapse, you've got to understand something, folks. We either learn to stand together.
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Or we will indeed fall separately. And that is no time for our little pet peeves and idiosyncrasies and likes and dislikes to get in the way. That's why all of these things have to be worked out. Let me tell you something. There are no perfect people. There just aren't. And you could say, "Well, Pastor, I love you, I've been listening to you for 30 years." Well, I'm thankful and that's wonderful. But I tell you what, if we live side by side and work day in and day out every day, after about six months, you might get ticked off at me. Probably a little before that, and I might really get ticked off at you.
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And the next thing we're knowing, he's getting on my nerves. She's bothering me. Why can't he do this? Why can't she do that? And you see what I'm saying? There just are no perfect people. And you have to make sure that you understand that you have a lot of things to work out. If we're going to defend ourselves, if we're going to defend anyone else, then obviously we must be trained in defensive techniques, as well as in the defensive use of firearms.
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Now let me tell you something that may shock some of you. It won't shock those of us who are older. But do you realize that at one time, riflery was taught in every public school? Did you know that? I remember as a boy taking my weapons to school to go hunting afterwards, have them in the truck, had no problem. Ron did the same thing. Had no problem. Did you know that the federal government today still promotes civilian marksmanship programs?
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I want you to listen to this. I got this title from Ron and then I looked it up. Here it is. I'm going to read it to you. Two paragraphs. "The Office of the Director of Civilian Marksmanship (DCM) was created by the United States Congress as part of the 1903 War Department Appropriations Act. The original purpose was to provide civilians an opportunity to learn and practice marksmanship skills so they would be skilled marksmen if later called to serve in the United States military."
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"Formation was precipitated by the adoption of the M1903 Springfield rifle as the national service arm. Civilians experienced with popular contemporary lever-action rifles were unable to sustain an equivalent rate of fire from the unfamiliar bolt-action M1903 rifle. Over the years, the emphasis of the program shifted to focus on youth development through marksmanship. From 1916 until 1996, the CMP was administered by the United States Army. Title 16 of the National Defense Authorization Act for the fiscal year of 1996 created the Corporation for the Promotion of Rifle Practice and Firearm Safety to take over administration and promotion of the civilian marksmanship program." Did you know that there are still numerous civilian marksmanship programs and did you know that you can still acquire
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what was it, an M1 Garand from the federal government? Yeah, yeah today. I'm just simply saying here's all these federal programs that are promoting this. Now we've got to understand something and it's very simple and I know most of you do. Self-defense is biblical. Defending others is biblical. Knowing how to fight is biblical. What did David say in Psalm 144, verse 1? He said, "Blessed be the Lord, my strength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight." Do you know what Nehemiah did when his community was going to be attacked? Let me show you. I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Nehemiah, chapter 4. Nehemiah chapter 4. Watch this. Nehemiah chapter 4. And we're going to begin reading at verse 11. Nehemiah 4 and verse 11. Ezra and Nehemiah. Nehemiah chapter 4. And let's begin reading there at verse 11. Here it is.
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"And our adversary said they shall not know, neither see till we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease." So they were planning a surprise attack upon this group of people who were working on the walls, trying to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. "And it came to pass that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said to us ten times from all places which you shall return unto us, they will be upon you."
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Now, I want you to watch this. This is so—the Jews who dwelt by them, what were they trying to do? They were trying to discourage the ones who were doing the work, saying, "You can't fight them. You can't win. There are too many of them. They've got too much weaponry. They're too powerful." They were trying to discourage the ones who were working. Watch what Nehemiah did, verse 13, "Therefore said I unto the Lord places behind the wall, and on the higher places I have inset the people after their families with their swords and their spears and their bows. And I looked and rose up and said unto the nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, Be not you afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren and your sons and your daughters and your wives and your houses."
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"And it came to pass when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to naught, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one into his work. And it came to pass from that time forth that the half of my servants rolled into the work, and the other half of them held both the spears and the shields and the bows and the habergeons, and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. They which builded on the wall, and they that bear burdens, with those that laid it, every one with one of his hands rolled into the work, and with the other hand held a weapon."
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"For the builders, everyone had his sword girded by his side, and so builded, and he that sounded the trumpet was by me." So what did Nehemiah do? Well, he just got the people together and organized and said, "We're going to defend ourselves. That's all there is to it. We're going to take care of the problem." Obviously, clearly, that's exactly what the Scripture says.
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Now, you say, "Wait a minute, Brother Weaver. I'm not a member of a militia. I don't know how to fight." Well, let me tell you, you may not know how to fight. But if you are between the ages of 17 and 45, you are the member of a militia by law. Did you know that? In fact, my birth certificate has on it that I was born in the third militia district. The third militia district. Do you realize the law says every male between 17 and 45 is a member of the unorganized militia?
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Let me read it to you. Here's the United States Code, Title 10, Subtitle A, General Military Law, Chapter 13, The Militia. Listen carefully. "The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males, at least 17 years of age, and except as provided in Section 313 of Title 32, under 45 years of age, who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become citizens of the United States, and a female citizen of the United States who are members of the National Guard." Now listen, "The classes of the militia are the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the naval militia, and the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the naval militia." So you're in the militia if you're between 17 and 45. You can be in the organized militia or you can be in the unorganized militia, but you are still in the militia.
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Tench Coxe said this, one of the founding fathers, he asked, "Who are the militia? Are they not ourselves? Is it feared then that we shall turn our arms, each man against his own bosom? Congress shall have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords and every other terrible implement of the soldier or the birthright of every American. The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state governments, but where I trust in God, it will remain forever in the hands of the people." Tench Coxe, 1788. George Mason said it like this, "When the resolution of enslaving America was formed in Great Britain, the British Parliament was advised by an artful man, who was the Royal Governor of Pennsylvania, to disarm the people, that it was the best and most effectual way to enslave them, that they should not do it
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openly, but weaken them and let them sink gradually by totally disguising and neglecting the militia." Wow. Representative Elbridge Gerry, who was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence, said this, "What, sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty. Whenever governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia in order to raise an army upon their ruins."
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George Washington, whom everyone knows, said this, "Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence. From the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurrences, and tendencies prove that to ensure peace, security, and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable. The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference. They deserve a place of honor with all that is good."
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Thomas Jefferson said the strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is at last as a last resort to protect themselves against the tyranny in government. The right to keep and bear arms, according to the Second Amendment, is not about duck hunting or deer hunting. It's about preserving our liberty, our liberties from a tyrannical government. Again, Thomas Jefferson said, "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants."
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"They serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." And that's the truth. The truth of the matter is, an armed society is a polite society. I want to read something to you that some of you know, some of you do not. But there is a creed that is quoted by, or it used to be, by every Marine. The creed is just entitled, My Rifle. I had to learn some of this, although I was not a Marine. I did not know all of it until recently. But I want you to listen to the Marines creed concerning his rifle. Here it is. "This is my rifle.
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There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless. I must fire my rifle true. I must shoot straighter than the enemy who is trying to kill me. I must shoot him before he shoots me. I will. My rifle and I know what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, or the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit. My rifle is human, even as I'm human, because it is my life.
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Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my rifle clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. Before God, I swear this creed. My rifle and I are the defenders of my country. We are masters of our enemy. We are saviors of my life. So be it until victory is America's and there is no enemy but peace." We must learn to fight, dear friend. In every area. Not just physically, but we must learn to fight mentally, economically, physically, and spiritually. And we must learn to do so together. We must learn to help each other, to encourage each other, to work with each other.
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One man alone is easy prey. One man alone, no matter how much confidence he has, no matter how much firepower he has, no matter how many supplies he possesses, one man alone will not last very long. That's why we need communities. That's why we have to come together, especially in a time of societal collapse, and learn to work with each other and help each other and defend each other. If you and I are to have happy and loving and living and safe communities, we have to know God's law. We have to know how to apply that law. We have to learn to live by that law. And we must be ready to defend that law. And we must be ready to defend our lives, our families and our neighbors lives as well. And we have to do it all with a special regard for God's honor and God's glory. One last quote. William J.
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Bennett, in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy on November 24, 1997, said this, "Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is finally about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always, even death itself. The question remains, what is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for?" And I submit to you, the Lord Jesus Christ and His law is worth fighting, dying and living for. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee. We thank You for Your mercy and Your grace. And we do pray, Lord, that You would help us to learn to live together as a community, to worship together, to function together, to be what we should be to each other, that You may be glorified in every life and in every activity. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray.
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Amen. This program was produced by Dominion Ministry. For more information about Pastor Weaver's sermons, you may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N Street, Suite 705, P-M-B 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912. You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T12:19:19Z

Community Peace and Personal Responsibility

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver argues that true biblical community has died in America due to forsaking God's law. He calls for resurrecting communities by rebuilding on God's law, emphasizing personal responsibility, avoiding unnecessary conflicts, resolving disputes biblically, and being prepared to defend one another. The message blends scriptural exposition, historical quotes from founders, and practical advice on self-governance and community defense.

Introduction: The Need for Biblical Community

Weaver introduces the theme of bringing communities back to life, noting that genuine community has been absent for decades. He recalls a time when neighbors helped each other in crises.

Psalm 127, verse 1, the title of the message is Community, Peace and Personal Responsibility. Notice verse 1,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 127:1

"Except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 12:5

"If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustest, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?"

Rebuilding on God's Law

Using the curse on Jericho as a warning, Weaver insists that resurrected communities must be built on God's law, not man's. He emphasizes that communities are built on individuals and families.

Historical Foundations of a Christian Nation

Personal Responsibility and Avoiding Conflict

Weaver stresses controlling one's tongue, avoiding stupid places and actions, and staying away from unnecessary conflicts to minimize encounters with government and law enforcement.

Biblical Speech and Self-Control

Citing Psalm 39:1, Proverbs 21:23, and 1 Peter 3:10, Weaver teaches that keeping one's mouth and tongue prevents trouble and promotes a good life.

Look in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs, chapter 21, and verse 23, this is one of my favorite verses. Proverbs 21, verse 23. Look what the Scripture says. Proverbs 21, verse 23,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 21:23

"Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles."

Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from trouble. I don't have to ask you this. Please don't raise your hand.

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 3:10

"For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that speak no guile."

So God says, just don't do it. Just stay away from it.

Resolving Disputes Biblically

From 1 Corinthians 6, Weaver argues that Christians must not sue one another in secular courts but should settle matters within the church, submitting to wise counsel.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 6:1-10

"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust and not before the saints?"

Now, in other words, there can be an ecclesiastical court. There does not have to be just the heathenistic judicial courts. He says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 6:1-10

"Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know you not that we shall judge angels?"

Dangers of Submitting to Secular Jurisdiction

Using the Hollis vs. Edmonds case, Weaver warns that once a church incorporates or enters Caesar's realm, it comes under secular control. He quotes William Penn on being governed by God or tyrants.

Community Defense and the Militia

Weaver teaches that in societal collapse, biblical communities must defend each other. He cites Nehemiah 4, discusses the U.S. militia law, and quotes founders on the right to bear arms.

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 4:11-18

"And our adversary said they shall not know, neither see till we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease."

So they were planning a surprise attack upon this group of people who were working on the walls, trying to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem.

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 4:11-18

"And it came to pass that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said to us ten times from all places which you shall return unto us, they will be upon you."

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 4:11-18

"Therefore said I unto the Lord places behind the wall, and on the higher places I have inset the people after their families with their swords and their spears and their bows. And I looked and rose up and said unto the nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, Be not you afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren and your sons and your daughters and your wives and your houses." "And it came to pass when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to naught, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one into his work. And it came to pass from that time forth that the half of my servants rolled into the work, and the other half of them held both the spears and the shields and the bows and the habergeons, and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. They which builded on the wall, and they that bear burdens, with those that laid it, every one with one of his hands rolled into the work, and with the other hand held a weapon." "For the builders, everyone had his sword girded by his side, and so builded, and he that sounded the trumpet was by me."

The Necessity of Armed Self-Defense

Quoting Washington, Jefferson, and the Marine's Rifle Creed, Weaver asserts that firearms are essential for liberty and that an armed society is a polite society.

Conclusion: Living and Defending God's Law Together

Weaver concludes that communities must know, apply, and defend God's law, standing together to protect lives and honor God. He closes with a quote from William J. Bennett on honor.

Community Peace and Personal Responsibility

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	82512030404
Subject	Christian Civilization
Course	Rebuilding Christian Civilization
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-07-08
Dictation Name
Book	Book 062: Rebuilding Christian Civilization — Chapter 2
Source Timed Segments	62

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Need for Biblical Community: Weaver introduces the theme of bringing communities back to life, noting that genuine community has been absent for decades. He recalls a time when neighbors helped each other in crises.
Rebuilding on God's Law: Using the curse on Jericho as a warning, Weaver insists that resurrected communities must be built on God's law, not man's. He emphasizes that communities are built on individuals and families.
Historical Foundations of a Christian Nation: Weaver quotes Robert Winthrop, John Adams, Charles Carroll, Noah Webster, John Quincy Adams, and James Madison to show that America was founded as a Christian nation dependent on the Ten Commandments.
Personal Responsibility and Avoiding Conflict: Weaver stresses controlling one's tongue, avoiding stupid places and actions, and staying away from unnecessary conflicts to minimize encounters with government and law enforcement.
Biblical Speech and Self-Control: Citing Psalm 39:1, Proverbs 21:23, and 1 Peter 3:10, Weaver teaches that keeping one's mouth and tongue prevents trouble and promotes a good life.
Resolving Disputes Biblically: From 1 Corinthians 6, Weaver argues that Christians must not sue one another in secular courts but should settle matters within the church, submitting to wise counsel.
Dangers of Submitting to Secular Jurisdiction: Using the Hollis vs. Edmonds case, Weaver warns that once a church incorporates or enters Caesar's realm, it comes under secular control. He quotes William Penn on being governed by God or tyrants.
Community Defense and the Militia: Weaver teaches that in societal collapse, biblical communities must defend each other. He cites Nehemiah 4, discusses the U.S. militia law, and quotes founders on the right to bear arms.
The Necessity of Armed Self-Defense: Quoting Washington, Jefferson, and the Marine's Rifle Creed, Weaver asserts that firearms are essential for liberty and that an armed society is a polite society.
Conclusion: Living and Defending God's Law Together: Weaver concludes that communities must know, apply, and defend God's law, standing together to protect lives and honor God. He closes with a quote from William J. Bennett on honor.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Communities are built on individuals and families

A resurrected community requires resurrected individuals and families living by God's law.

Weaver states, 'It is impossible to have a resurrected community if that community is filled with unresurrected individuals and families.'

America was founded as a Christian nation

The founders intended a Christian commonwealth based on biblical morality, and departure from this has led to societal decay.

Weaver quotes Robert Winthrop: 'They established a Christian commonwealth. They wrote upon its walls salvation and upon its gates praise.'

Self-control of speech prevents trouble

Keeping one's mouth and tongue is a key to avoiding conflicts and preserving one's soul from trouble.

Weaver cites Proverbs 21:23: 'Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles.'

Secular courts are forbidden for Christian disputes

1 Corinthians 6 commands believers to settle disputes within the church, not before unbelievers.

Weaver reads 1 Corinthians 6:1-6, emphasizing the shame of going to law before the unjust.

Incorporation places churches under state control

The Hollis vs. Edmonds case demonstrates that incorporating subjects a church to secular jurisdiction.

Weaver quotes the court: 'Once the church... determined to enter the realm of Caesar by forming a corporation, it is required to abide by the rules of Caesar.'

Self-defense is a biblical duty

Scripture and U.S. law affirm the right and duty to defend oneself, family, and community.

Weaver cites Nehemiah 4:13-18, where the people worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.

The militia is composed of ordinary citizens

U.S. law defines all able-bodied males 17-45 as the unorganized militia, and founders saw an armed populace as essential to liberty.

Weaver reads Title 10, U.S. Code, defining the militia, and quotes Tench Coxe on the birthright of arms.

Scripture References

Psalm 127:1: Opening verse: 'Except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.'
Jeremiah 12:5: If you can't run with footmen, how will you contend with horses? If in a land of peace you are wearied, how will you do in the swelling of Jordan?
Joshua 6:26: Cursed be the man before the Lord that rises up and builds Jericho; he shall lay its foundation in his firstborn.
Psalm 39:1: I will take heed to my ways that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.
Proverbs 21:23: Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.
1 Peter 3:10: He that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.
Psalm 37:8: Cease from anger and forsake wrath, fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
1 Corinthians 6:1-10: Dare any of you go to law before the unjust? The saints shall judge the world; set the least esteemed to judge. It is a fault to go to law before unbelievers.
1 Samuel 8: When we refuse to be governed by God, we will be ruled by tyrants, as confirmed in 1 Samuel 8.
Psalm 144:1: Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight.
Nehemiah 4:11-18: Nehemiah armed the people by families with swords, spears, and bows; half worked while half stood guard; builders had swords girded by their sides.

Historical References

Ayn Rand quote on societal doom: Weaver quotes Rand's description of a society where permission is needed from non-producers, money flows to favor-dealers, and laws protect the corrupt.
Robert Winthrop (1809-1894): Former Speaker of the House; argued for individual self-government and that the U.S. was intended as a Christian state; opposed atheists testifying in court.
John Adams: Second U.S. President; said the Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
Charles Carroll: Signer of the Declaration of Independence; said without morals a republic cannot subsist, and Christianity is the best security for free governments.
Noah Webster: Stated that the Ten Commandments summarize duties to God and man, and that Christian religion must be the basis of free government.
John Quincy Adams: Sixth U.S. President; said the law from Sinai was a civil and municipal as well as moral and religious code.
James Madison: Fourth U.S. President; said the future of American civilization is staked on the ability to follow the Ten Commandments.
Hollis vs. Edmonds court case: State Street Baptist Church in Kentucky incorporated and then was told by the court that by entering Caesar's realm, it must abide by Caesar's rules.
William Penn: Quoted: 'Men must be governed by God or they were ruled by tyrants.'
Civilian Marksmanship Program history: Created by Congress in 1903 to train civilians in marksmanship; administered by U.S. Army until 1996; still exists today.

Important Quotes

Except the Lord build a house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Foundational verse for the message, emphasizing dependence on God for building and protecting community.

If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustest, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?

Key challenge: if we can't handle small conflicts now, how will we survive major crises?

All societies of men must be governed in some way or the other. The less they may have of stringent state government, the more they must have of individual self-government.

Robert Winthrop's principle that self-government under God reduces the need for external control.

Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue, keepeth his soul from troubles.

Proverbs 21:23 quoted as a practical rule for avoiding conflict.

Once the church, that is the State Street Baptist Church, determined to enter the realm of Caesar by forming a corporation, it is required to abide by the rules of Caesar, or in this case, the statutes of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Warning that incorporation subjects a church to secular jurisdiction.

Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence.

George Washington's view on the essential role of firearms in preserving liberty.

One man alone will not last very long. That's why we need communities.

Emphasizes the necessity of community for survival and defense.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does it mean for a community to be 'resurrected' on God's terms, and how does that differ from rebuilding on man's law?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts rebuilding Jericho under a curse with rebuilding according to God's law.

[Question]

How can we practice individual self-government in our daily lives to reduce the need for external control?

[Context]

Weaver quotes Robert Winthrop on the balance between state government and personal moral restraint.

[Question]

In what practical ways can we 'keep our mouth with a bridle' when we are around people with whom we disagree?

[Context]

Weaver cites Psalm 39:1 and Proverbs 21:23 about controlling speech.

[Question]

Why does Paul forbid Christians from taking disputes to secular courts, and how should the church handle such conflicts today?

[Context]

Weaver expounds 1 Corinthians 6:1-8.

[Question]

What are the dangers of a church incorporating or otherwise submitting to secular legal structures?

[Context]

Weaver discusses the Hollis vs. Edmonds case.

[Question]

How does Nehemiah 4 provide a biblical model for community defense, and what principles can we apply today?

[Context]

Weaver reads Nehemiah 4:11-18 about arming the people while rebuilding the wall.

[Question]

What is the biblical and historical basis for the right to keep and bear arms, and how does it relate to resisting tyranny?

[Context]

Weaver quotes Washington, Jefferson, and the founders on the militia and firearms.

[Question]

How can we cultivate the kind of unity and mutual defense described in the message without letting personal irritations divide us?

[Context]

Weaver acknowledges that no one is perfect and that living closely will cause friction.

Applications

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