Innocent Blood
Key Passage: Psalms 106
Date: June 7, 2024
Take your Bibles, if you would, and turn to Psalms 106 this morning, Psalms 106. On a snow day like this, we have a guest, first-time visitor with us, and good to have Adam with us this morning. Appreciate him being with us today. Thank you for coming out. And pray for Brother Brian. His 30-year-old son went home to be with the Lord last Friday, in the middle of the night. So pray for Brother Brian, if you would please. Can you imagine that? Everything turned upside down. So pray for Brother Brian, if you would please.
Now, we don’t have as many people in here as usual, so you’re going to have to say amen a little bit louder, all right? Can y’all do that? This side’s ready to go. Ready to go over there too. I appreciate that. Nothing quite like preaching to a camera.
I pray, Lord, we’ve got some people in here. I’m thrilled you’re here. I understand something can’t—not trying to kick a dead horse. I understand you can’t, but we’re glad the people are in here this morning. It is what is called Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Ronald Reagan started this in 1984, and we follow suit on that.
It’s a little different with so many people out, but we’re going to stick to the schedule, if you will, and I believe God has us covered this morning. It’s a little bit heavier of a subject than I would want on a typical day like this when so many people are out. But the Lord knows better than me, amen. So we’re just going to stick to what he has for us.
We’re going to deal with a subject so crucial in our country that churches and preachers deal with these subjects. I forget a man; he’s in heaven now. I can’t remember his name off the top of my head. I think my brother, Kevin, you were with me at his funeral in Nashville. Maybe I get the funerals mixed up. But he went in the Supreme Court years and years ago. I made a horrible decision. This was maybe eight years ago. I can’t remember what the decision was, but maybe it was about same-sex marriage. I think that’s what it was.
He was saved, having been out of church for years and years, and he thought, “What am I doing on the sideline? The battle’s going on. Every Christian ought to be involved in the fight.” So that next Sunday, he said, “I’m going to go to church somewhere.” I went to church, and he said, “Nobody said anything.” He said, “Wow. Back in the day when I went to church, if America made a horrible decision like that to make legal same-sex marriage, a preacher’s going to be preaching about that.” He said, “No church said anything about it.”
Then, praise the Lord, he came to our church. And he said, “Man, I’m glad I found a church where they’ll stand on these issues.” And he came faithfully until he went home to be with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Therein is the need—one of the great needs of America. And one of the reasons why we’re going downhill. So we’re going to face the issue this morning on human life. In fact, the title for this morning will be just two words: Innocent Blood. That’s an interesting study in your Bible if you just look up those two words. We’re going to look at one time it’s found out in the Bible here, with two different times right in the beginning.
First of all, in this chapter, Psalms 106, is really a little bit of a history of Israel: God’s faithfulness to them and His mercy to them and their failure toward Him. The verses right around our text verse are talking about where the nation of Israel began to intermix with the nations surrounding them. Because of that, they went into deep sin.
We’re going to talk specifically about one of those sins. Y’all with me this morning? Good deal. I don’t know if it’s just the absence of more people or what, but it just seems a little hollow. I’m trying to get going here. Thank you, Brother Joel. You know what that means? That’s like saying, “Sick them to a dog.” That’s what it is right there. Amen. Let’s go.
Psalms 106. Would you stand, please, if you’re able to? If you’re in your living room, bedroom, wherever—if you’re able to, there’s nothing wrong with standing right there. We’ll show the Word of God respect if you’re able to. Let’s try to jump right on board. Psalm 106.
Let me say a word before I start. One word before I start. Years ago, a couple wanted to meet with me. Years before they were in church and saved and whatnot, the wife had had an abortion. Praise the Lord, we talked about God’s mercy, His grace, His shed blood can forgive all unrighteousness. We covered that, and I hope that lady got some healing, some comfort. In fact, God used her, really her burden, to turn that into a great ministry.
I won’t say—I’m not trying to dig up old wounds for anyone. Not trying to do that. Not trying to hurt anyone. But we are going to cover the subject, so I want to say that up front. We’re not trying to hurt someone that’s been hurt already by the world and sin, but we want to protect others and help our country.
Psalm 106. Look at verse number 38, would you please? Psalm 106, verse number 38 of God’s Word. Y’all there? Psalm 108, 38? Not 108, 38. 106:38. We’re going to get there. Here we go. And shed, what are the next two words? Yes, blood. Shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan. And the land was—would you say those last three words? Here we go. And the land was…
Isn’t that an amazing statement God makes in His Word? The land was polluted with blood. Look over, if you will, in Proverbs. Next chapter, next book over, Proverbs chapter number six. And we’ll find over here God is making His hate list. He tells us six things He hates, and then He adds on the seventh one. He said the seventh one is an abomination. God says, “I just can’t stand that one right there.” We won’t get to it, but that one is actually amazing to me: he that soweth discord among the brethren. Just sowing discord among God’s people. And God says, “That one right there, I just can’t stand that.”
I want you to notice this hate list God makes. He lists six things. We’re not going to cover all six, but I want you just to kind of go down through it. Proverbs 6. Look in verse number 16. Proverbs 6:16. He says, “These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him.” The first thing on the list: a proud look. I hope I don’t have that. The second thing on His hate list: a lying tongue. Oh, how important honesty is. Watch the third one on His list: and hands that shed… what are the next two words? Hands that shed innocent blood.
For just a bit, we’re going to discuss this subject: innocent blood. Would you pray with me that God would help us to shine in our country, to stand in mercy on our country? Father, forgive us, Lord. We plead for Your mercy. Forgive America, Lord, all these years it’s been legal in all states. Thank You, Lord, for the great decision, June 22. Lord, I pray that You would help the hearts and the minds of the American people to be turned to truth. Father, help us as Christians to shine wisely Your truth everywhere we go. Lord, would You use the message this morning, Lord, not to hurt, but to help? And yet, Lord, help us to stand for You and Your truth and for innocent blood. Father, we’ll thank You, we’ll praise You, and bring glory to You for what You do. We ask for this, Father, in the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated. Innocent blood—that phrase is found 20 times in the Bible. Those exact words, “innocent blood,” 20 times. Now, some might say this: they say, “Well, the preacher is talking about life, and that’s talking about life outside of the womb.” Well, let me call your attention to a couple of things the Bible says.
I’ll read for you Luke 1:41, just a phrase out of it. It is actually talking about John the Baptist, what is inside his mother’s womb, Elizabeth’s womb, when Mary, the mother of Jesus, came. Luke 1:41 says this: “And it came to pass, that when the salutation of Mary made haste, the babe leaped in her womb.” Did you hear that? The babe. The Bible didn’t call it a fetus. The Bible says the babe leaped in the womb.
A couple of verses down, Luke 1:44: “For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” The Bible calls it a babe when it’s inside the mother’s womb. Very clear in Scripture.
Ecclesiastes 11:5 says this: “As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child.” Did you hear that? “With child.” In fact, 26 times in the Bible, the Bible will use that phrase. God uses that phrase. By the way, can I clarify that? That’s not the Supreme Court. That’s not Republicans. That’s not Democrats. That’s God saying that right here. God says 26 times talking about a lady that is expecting with child. That’s the actual Bible wording from God: with child. Child, very clear in Scripture. That’s a baby. That’s a child. That’s not according to Dr. So-and-so. That’s not according to a medical person. That’s according to God Almighty, friend.
By the way, one day we’re all going to stand. Everybody is going to stand before God Almighty. Every person will. Hitler will, the atheist will, the agnostic will—every single person will all stand before God Almighty, and God calls it a child, a babe in the womb.
So you say, “Well, innocent blood. It’s just talking about a life of someone that’s born.” Although the Bible makes clear that baby inside the womb is a child, a baby. Now, let’s just try to dissect some of this saying from God’s Word here. Let’s talk about innocent blood. Someone says, “Well, does that baby have any blood in it when it’s inside the womb?” Children’s Hospital of St. Louis said this: The heart and circulatory system of a fetus—by the way, it’s a baby, not a fetus, of a baby—began to form soon after conception. By the end of the fifth week, the heart of the fetus is able to pump blood throughout its body. So right off the beginning, it has blood. So when the Bible says innocent blood, it’s including that little child.
Now we’ve talked about kind of the word together, innocent blood. We’ve talked about blood. Let’s talk about innocent for a moment. Our daughter-in-law, McKenna, they’ve got two—a boy and a girl—and she’s expecting another boy, amen. His name is Logan. I should have figured it out. I had maybe just two months into it. But now when they’re born, they can be mischievous, can’t they? I was talking to a parent this morning. They said, “So-and-so, when they were born, they were just strong-willed from the beginning.” Yeah, I understand that a little bit now. You know, I get all that, but that little baby inside the womb is such an innocent thing. If there’s anything innocent, you’re talking about a baby that’s inside the mother’s womb.
Can you imagine what the Bible is when it says, “innocent blood”? Amazing thing. Just maybe the most innocent thing, or one of the most innocent things, is that baby inside the mother’s womb.
Now look, if you will, you’re in Proverbs already. Look over in Proverbs chapter 24. Proverbs chapter 24. And verse number 11. Let’s get a couple verses in here. Why are we covering this subject? I want you to see from God’s Word one of the reasons why we’re covering this subject. Proverbs 24. Would you look in verse number 11 right there? Proverbs 24, in verse number 11 of God’s Word right there. You there? Amen? Good deal. Proverbs 24:11: “If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain…”
I said, “Well, I don’t want to get involved in that. I might hurt somebody’s feelings.” Well, “I don’t want to get involved. That’s just too controversial.” Well, “I don’t want to get involved. That might lose some church members over there.” If you forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death and those that are ready to be slain, if you say, “Behold, we knew it not”—by the way, you can say it, but that’s not true. If you say, “Behold, we knew it not,” doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall not he render to every man according to his works?
God’s saying, if you don’t get involved in that fight, I see what’s going on; I know what’s going on. Friend, Christians ought to stand and say, “Hey, abortion is murder; it’s wrong. I’m against abortion.” Amen. America needs God’s people to be salt and light and say, “Hey, we’re against that.” Can I be honest with you? I’m against abortion when it comes to rape. That baby didn’t do anything wrong. I know a man whose mom was raped, and he’s a product of that. He’s a preacher today. Friend, it’s not right for that baby to be murdered because of what some sinful man did. It’s not one of that child’s fault. I’m simply saying, I’m against abortion, amen. Like the old country guy said, “I’m a get it, preacher. I’m a get it. I’m a good it, folks. And God’s a gunned. It’s murder of innocent blood.”
Some might say this. We’re going back over here to Psalm 106. Some might say, “Well, over there, preacher, in that verse there, they were offering these babies, their sons and their daughters.” We’ll just go back and read it. All right, you’re over there. Psalm 106, verse number 38, back over there. He said, “And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and their daughters whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood.” You said, “Well, preacher, they were sacrificing those babies, their sons and their daughters. Why would they do that? Why in the world would they do that?”
I’ll say this: I think some of them were deceived. Remember Eve over there? She was sincerely deceived. And maybe some of these false gods that they were offering them up to were actually real. Baal and these other gods that they were offered up to—maybe they actually thought these things were real. And so they were kind of deceived. They were sacrificed. And what can I say? I think the media has deceived a whole lot of people.
It’s amazing. They say 80% of the time when a mother will have an ultrasound done and she hears the heartbeat of that child and she sees the movement of that child, she says, “No, no, I’m not going to believe what they’ve been saying to me. All these lies—that’s the actual baby.” 80% of the time she says, “No, I’m not going to have an abortion.” Those who are planning on it, if they have an ultrasound, they won’t have it after that—80% of the time. Right, they’ve been deceived. Same thing. We were deceived by these false gods and these idols. It’s just the same thing.
By the way, let me just say this: Sometimes they’ll say, “Well, no one wants to adopt a newborn baby.” Oh, my friend, that is not true at all. They’ve been deceived. Now, if they’re older, it might be hard to find a home for a child when it’s 10 or 12 years old. But a newborn baby—there’s a waiting list of people that like to adopt. I have had in my desk drawer Christian families that have sent their name out, saying, “If you know anyone that will adopt their baby out, we’re looking at a good Christian home. We want to adopt it.” It’s very hard to adopt a newborn, but, of course, the media don’t want to get that out.
So some are just deceived, and they’re sacrificing. You said, “Well, they were sacrificing their babies to idols.” Friend, you realize we are sacrificing these babies to the idols of career, to the idols of money, to the idols of reputation, to the idols of my form and my figure—I don’t want to get out of shape, all the rest of it. It’s just plain old selfishness, friends. Friend, we’re doing the same exact thing. We’re sacrificing these little innocent children, their blood, to idols. Amen.
Oh, it’s so true, friend. Now, it’s amazing what God said. I want you to notice back over there in Psalm 106, verse number 30—I want you to notice that very last part you read just a minute ago, that last line: “And the land was what?” Would you say those last three words? Polluted.
The first time “polluted” is mentioned in the Bible, God was talking, giving an instruction about how to build an altar. Let me read it for you. Exodus 20:25: “And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.” I said, “Don’t mess with it; you’ll pollute it. I want it just kind of pure, if you will.”
It’s amazing. Psalm 106 gives a lot of sins of Israel in there. It talks about Baal worship in this chapter. It talks about the children of Israel murmuring in the wilderness. Remember that? It talks about them raising a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, the leaders. It talks about a lot of different sins in this chapter. But the only sin where he says about this saying is that it polluted the land; it’s marred the land. There’s pollution.
You say, “Well, preacher, you think America is polluted by murdering innocent babies?” Since 1973, when the Supreme Court, Roe v. Wade, legalized much more than was before abortion, approximately 63.5 million babies have been murdered. Can you grasp that? 63.5 million. Each cross out here—each cross out, brother, I appreciate it that you put them out—each cross out represents one million, maybe.
You realize, friends, since 1800 to the present—1800, you’re talking about 1900—since 1800 to the present, all the wars combined worldwide, all the military, all the bombs, World War II, Civil War—put them all together, not just our wars, all the wars around the world since 1800—they estimate that’s only been 37 million people who died from that. And did you hear? Since 1973, in the United States, there’s been 63.5 million innocent bloods shed. You talk about a land that’s polluted? Yeah, I’m not worried about fossil fuels. I’m talking about pollution, according to God’s Word. That’s what I’m worried about. Polluted. 63.5 million.
The state of Tennessee had 7.2 million. That’s almost, almost right at nine state of Tennessee’s, every one of them just dead. Can you imagine traveling through Tennessee? I mean, north to south, not bad, but east to west—that’s a long state, you know. Can you imagine traveling through the state of Tennessee and every single person in it? You walk in the grocery store, everybody’s dead. Can you imagine traveling through nine states of Tennessee and everybody’s dead? That’s how many innocent bloods have been murdered by abortion. Friend, I’m just trying to get us to grasp why our country is in dire need. Friends, because we’re a polluted land.
And what will be to me and you if we will not stand on this issue? You say, “Preacher, you might lose church members.” We’ve lost a few people here and there, but I’m more concerned about losing God’s blessing over this thing here. If a church can’t stand, what good is it? We can’t have thousands of people, but if we can’t stand, we’re not doing those people a bit of good. Friend, we must stand on this, where we are a land that is polluted.
In 2023, they say the leading cause of death is heart disease: 663,552 died in 2023 from heart disease. It’s a leading cause. Abortions in America in 2023: 878,000 in America. What’s the leading cause of death in America? Abortion. It’s always been true for years and years. By far. By far.
Now, friend, there are—here are some bright lights there. We don’t want to just all be gloom and doom. I want to try to bring reality to us here. But I mentioned already, I think of the prayer, but in June 2022, praise the Lord, our Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Praise the Lord for that. Fourteen states have now banned abortion. Praise the Lord for that. Many others have restricted access to abortion. By the way, praise the Lord for Bill Lee, our governor in Tennessee, who banned abortion. Praise the Lord for that. By the way, praise the Lord for a Supreme Court that has made some great decisions in the last year or two. I think the greatest political victory in 45, 50 years was that decision. What a great, great victory.
Now you say, “What can I do? What can I do, preach?” I mean, you’re preaching to the choir type thing. Well, we’re doing it, not just for us, but for those we influence, maybe others watching online, whatnot. If a rooster won’t crow, something ain’t right. We need to be strong at our own base here. And what can we do? Let me give a couple things that we can do.
Number one, what can we do? Number one: Be involved in the fight for life. I’ve already read it; I’m going to read it for you again. Proverbs 24, verse number 11 and 12: “If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain, if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? Shall not he render to every man according to his works?”
Hey, let me just start off saying this: Vote pro-life. Let me say it again, vote pro-life. We will stand before God one day for the privilege and responsibility of being voting Americans. When I was a young man—and I hate to confess this—when I was a young man, just turned 18, whatnot, and I could vote, I was so wrapped up in my life at that time that I did not vote. And I regret that to this day. It’s the last time it’s ever happened as far as a presidential election. Vote.
We used to have registration forms on the back table. We have them now, but so he’s just going online and registering. But register to vote. Vote. If I don’t vote, I don’t have the right to complain for the next four years. If I don’t vote, you say it doesn’t really matter. Well, our former president, pro-life, he put in three Supreme Court justices, and that’s the reason why they overturned Roe v. Wade June 22. It does matter. That’s the reason why we had a governor that was pro-life to make our state of Tennessee pro-life. It does matter, friends. Vote. I mean, just get out and vote. That’s the first thing.
Then let me say this: Be engaged, be involved. Everybody may be a little different. Maybe you join the Rutherford County Coalition. Brother Adams is heading that up, but it’s for trying to get godly people involved in local politics. They go to the city council meetings in the county and LaVergne and Smyrna and Murfreesboro. They meet—and they gossip about it all? No, they don’t mean to do that. They meet to eat at Liberty Station; that’s the reason why they do that. And they talk about what we can do to help in local politics. Be a great, great thing.
Get involved in Portico. Mother’s Day, we’ll have a whole thing of baby bottles. You take those baby bottles and you put whatever you can in there—change, money, whatever. And then we collect those up at Father’s Day, and they go down to Portland, a pregnancy crisis center. That’s the way to be involved. But just be engaged. Get involved in the fight for life.
Go to a church that will stand on these issues. Praise the Lord, you’re here. We’re going to stand on those issues. If God blesses, we move into a new building, we grow bigger, and all that, we’re going to stand on the issues. If we stay small, wherever we have—if we have five people—we’re going to stand on God’s Word, friend. God’s church is going to stand on these things. It’s not time for God’s people to be silent on these issues.
You said, “Well, we won. We did have a great, great victory with the Supreme Court, wonderful. But now it’s up to the states.” And by the way, the really major battle is in the hearts and the minds of the American people. That’s where the battle is, friend. And they need you not to be quiet over these issues. I’m not talking about going out and preaching at everybody, pointing your finger and being on their mind. I’m not talking about that, but in love, you stand.
In a nice, kind way, you stand on these issues. It is vital. I don’t forget years ago, we had some people we would argue sometimes politics. It never fails. It always seemed like it was right before I went up to preach. And I’d say, “I don’t want to get called to argue right before I go up to preach.” It never fails. He’d just push my button right before I go up to preach. You know how it is.
But I never forget, he told me one time years ago, he said, “Well, we didn’t vote for Obama because we didn’t want to hear you for the next four years preach and make us feel guilty about abortion.” And I thought, and I said, “Praise the Lord, that’s a victory right there, amen.” Yeah, stand. Now, I understand you don’t have a pulpit at work, all right? Don’t go, you know, don’t do that at work. But stand and be involved and be engaged in these things. Use your influence for good and right.
I’ve been in the lunchroom. I worked in the service industry for years. I was a welder, machine shop—I did that kind of work for years. I’ve been in the lunchroom where it was a homosexual issue, whatever, where I’m the only one in that lunchroom and everybody’s against me, but somebody’s got to stand.
It’s amazing if just one Christian will stand in love, not with a better-than-thou attitude, but just a sincere attitude of love. If just one Christian will stand, it is amazing what God can do in and through just one Christian standing. Ezekiel says, “Look, if I have sought among them to see if I could find just a man, a man among them, to stand in the gap, make up the hedge before me for the land.” But I found none. He said, “Just a man.” Just one man.
Okay, you’ve got some relatives that may believe it’s right. All right, stand. I’m not talking about going and starting a fight with them, but I’m talking about stand. Stand in love. Sometimes, by the way, if they’re pushing you, they’re trying to get you to go their way, sometimes the wise thing is silence can be very powerful. Instead of you saying, “Well, yeah, it’s probably all right.” No, no, no, no, no. Sometimes, however the Lord leads you, but stand. And stand on these issues. You must. You and I must use our influence for the Lord Jesus Christ and for truth.
Matthew 5:13: “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under the foot of men.” When Christians won’t stand and we just kind of get pushed right away—the way the world wants to—we get trodden underfoot of man. Stand in love. Be involved. Be engaged over that. You may have to stand alone, but if you’re standing with God, God and man makes the majority always. I’d rather be on God’s side—just you and God—than with thousands on the other side. Stand, stand on the issue. We must be involved in the issue.
Number two, what can we do? Number one, stand. Number two… Look back over in Psalms 106, if you would, please. Psalms 106. I want you to see this chapter about how sinful Israel was. I want you to see what happens. Look in verse number 40. Psalm 106, verse number 40, of God’s Word this morning. Psalm 106. Look at verse number 40 right there, would you please? “Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.” Why? Because of all their sin. Land polluted. Innocent blood’s been shed.
Watch what happens in verse number 44. Look at verse number 44. It’s amazing how it all changed. Verse number 44: “Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry.” After their sinfulness, when they began to cry out to the Lord—I was speaking with someone just earlier, and they said, “You know, I’m praying all the time. I’m praying all the time.” God hears those prayers. That’s what I was told about the children of Israel. They were in a bad way; they were having the hand of judgment on their lives, and yet they cried out to God, and God heard their prayers.
You say, “What are you saying? How can we get involved?” Pray for America. You say, “Does America need justice?” No, we don’t need justice right now. We need mercy right now. There’s nothing wrong with you and I confessing the sins of America. “Oh, Lord, have mercy on us.” Daniel did that. Nehemiah did that. These great men of the Bible, they confessed. Moses did that. Joshua did that—God’s people.
You say, “America is great, and it’s still great today because of our Constitution.” I love our Constitution. It’s wonderful, but I don’t know, friend. That’s about 250 years ago when it was written. I love it. I love it. I love it. I think, see, it’s our military. We’ve got a great military. Praise the Lord for our military. Thank God for many ladies that serve in the military. But it may be, friend, it may be when we get to heaven we’ll find out America stayed free because some little widow lady in some corner or some apartment somewhere was begging God for mercy on our land. Oh, pray for America. Pray for America. Plead for the mercy of God on America. We need it. We’re polluted.
Number one: Get involved in the fight for life. Number two: Pray. And number three: Tell others about Jesus’ innocent blood being shed. That was an interesting verse. Would you look over in Numbers 35? Numbers 35. It is a little bit different context here, and I want to be open and honest with you about it. It is talking about murder over here in Numbers and how the children of Israel are to deal with it. There’s still a truth of principle here I want you to see.
In Numbers chapter number 35, I want you to see it over here. Numbers 35. And I want you to look in verse number 33. Numbers 35, verse number 33. When you’re there, would you say, “Amen”? Good deal. Verse number 33: “And the Bible says, So shall ye not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.”
Now you say, “Preacher, are you saying, let’s go kill the people that committed abortion?” No, no, no, no, no. I’m not saying that. But I want you to notice a principle: this land is polluted by blood, and in order for that to be cleansed of that, there must be bloodshed. That clearly here is talking about the man that murdered someone. That’s capital punishment; it’s biblical (Genesis 9:6). Now, what is referring to is the land is going to be cleansed; there must be bloodshed.
Now look over, if you will, look over in the New Testament. Look in 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Real quickly, 2 Corinthians chapter 5. We’re about to wind it down this morning. Second Corinthians 5. And when you look in verse number 21—2 Corinthians 5:21. Y’all there this morning? Amen. I know it’s a little different message, but I think it’s very timely; we need this in our country. 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For he hath made him”—who, that is Jesus—it’s just an amazing line in the Bible to me. Watch what he says. “For he hath made him to be sin…” Isaiah 53 says He laid on Him the iniquity of us all. I think this is even stronger than that. For He hath made Him to be sin. Wow. That’s pretty strong language. My sin—Jesus, He who knew no sin, became sin for us, the Bible says. Wow. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Amazing to think about the most innocent blood there ever was, Jesus Christ, born of a virgin. What can wash away our sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. There is power, power, wonder-working power, in the blood of the Lamb. Yeah, that blood. And yet He became sin, to be sin for us. And what did Jesus do? He shed His blood on the cross. He laid down His life. He spilled His blood. It wasn’t just the death of Jesus Christ. By the way, those lambs, they didn’t smother them; they shed their blood. It’s the shedding. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. Jesus became—He became sin. It’s amazing. You know what? He shed His blood. That’s why we can say to someone that’s had an abortion or been involved in abortion, “Hey, you can go to the shed blood of Jesus Christ.” That took that sin on Him, and He became sin for us, and He shed His blood.
How can America be cleansed of this awful sin? More people applying the blood of Jesus Christ to their life. So, what’s the third thing you can do to help America? Tell everybody you can about Jesus Christ, how to get saved, how to have their pollution wiped clean by the shed, innocent shed blood of Jesus Christ. Friend, that’s the only hope for America. And if Christians aren’t involved in telling other people how to be saved, friend, we’re polluted. So much—I mean, more than all the war, much more than all the wars since 1800—we have murdered in America; we’re polluted. And the only hope we have is to have the shed blood of Jesus Christ cleansing our land.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Christians got involved everywhere they could telling people about Jesus, and more and more people got saved? And more and more, yes, more and more Christians confess sins, maybe of abortion in the past, and getting it under the blood. Oh, yeah. There’s forgiveness there.
By the way, people still getting saved in America. Just yesterday I heard a man talking about he had been witnessing to a man. He was the owner of the body shop. They’d been going to him for years and years. He said, “I’ve tried many times over the years to win him to the Lord Jesus Christ.” And that man was very sick; he was in the ICU. He said, “I waited until he got out of the ICU. I went to the hospital to visit, and I witnessed to him, and he was ready to hear about Jesus that time.” And he got saved. Hey, people still getting saved in America.
Let me ask you: How many of you have been saved yourself in the last 10 years? How many got saved in the last 10 years in the room here? How many got saved in the last 10 years? There are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Hey, friend, people still getting saved in America. How many of you have had the privilege the Lord has given you—not us, but you’ve had the privilege of leading someone to the Lord in the last five years? How many got to lead somebody in the last five years? Look at all the hands. Hey, people still getting saved in America. Don’t let the devil tell you, “Well, it’s too dark.” No, that’s what he wants—for us just to dim down our light and close our mouths.
An old friend, the thing is this is over. They need us to stand for truth in love and tell them about Jesus, His shed blood. Oh yeah, people getting saved. That’s the only thing that can take away the mar, the pollution of our land.
There’s a man I used to know fairly well; he’s a pastor now. I haven’t talked to him in years and years and years, but he worked in a machine shop, a large machine shop where it was like a production-type machine—just many, many machines in the machine shop. And in a large place, of course, if you worked in some factories and machine shops and welding and all that, a lot of times it’s very dirty, very sinful. I mean, you know, you don’t want to go in the locker room with your eyes open; usually, it’s a bad thing to do. It’s a very sinful place.
And yet the foreman of that shop, he said, “You know,” he said, “it’s amazing. I’ll put this man in that corner of the shop where they’re kind of getting rowdy and a lot of problems, and it’s amazing how it calms down.” And he said, “This kind of calmed down that part of the shop, and over here there are problems there and attitudes, everything there is.” He said, “So I’ll change that man to a machine over there because wherever I put that man, it just seems like it takes a little while, but everything just kind of calms down.” And finally, he said, he said, “What are you doing? When you go work in those places, what are you doing to calm that section of the plant down?” And he said, “Well, I just go over there and I start telling them about Jesus Christ, how He loves them and He shed His blood for them on the cross, and He’ll save their soul.” Friend, that’s what America needs: Christians going everywhere to their corner. It’s amazing what God can do. Hey, that’s a faithful soul, and God says, “I move you over there, I move you over there.” Wherever I move them, they’re just faithfully telling people about Jesus Christ. People get to see the blood of Jesus Christ being applied.
There was a man; he gave a tract out to an 18-year-old boy. The 18-year-old boy got mad. His name was Thomas; he was on the street. He gave it to him. And this is what Thomas said: “Why don’t you bother other people with your religion? I’m quite capable of taking care of myself.” And he reached out—actually, he didn’t think he was going to take it. He reached out and grabbed the gospel tract, and he tore it up. And he put it in his pocket, Thomas did.
Of course, he’s a wise soul winner; he just turned and walked away. And yet there’s a little doorway there, and he stepped inside that doorway. And God just burned his heart, and he bowed his head, and he prayed for that Thomas. In fact, Thomas later on testified, he said, “I saw that man do that.” And he said, “Actually, that man cried a little bit.” And he said, “I was like, wow. He went home, and he said, ‘It just gripped me. This crazy religious guy, he didn’t get mad at me; he didn’t yell at me, and he stepped in a doorway, and I see him bow his head, and I guess he’s praying for me.’” And he started crying, and he was at home alone, and it just made him curious enough that he pulled that tract out of his pocket, and he tried to piece it together. He could piece it together enough to see this verse—it’s Romans 5:8—when it says this: “This is the part he could read: ‘While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’”
Boy, that gripped his soul. At that moment, it gripped his soul. I mean, just, just, he got under conviction just boom by reading that Bible verse. And he got on his knees and asked the Lord Jesus Christ to be his Savior and became a great witness for Jesus Christ, Thomas did. For America needs a whole lot of Christians telling others about the shed, innocent blood of Jesus Christ.
Let you bow your heads and close your eyes, please. Our heads are bowed, eyes are closed. You say, “Preacher, I need to get involved.” I don’t know exactly what that might look like for you. Maybe voting, maybe an organization, whatever it may be. Maybe just standing at work. Preacher, I need to get involved in the fight for life. God spoke to my heart about that. God spoke to my heart. Is that you this morning here in the room, or on the internet? God spoke to my heart: I need to get involved in this fight for life. God spoke to my heart. Is that you? Just lift your hand. Preacher, God spoke to my heart. God bless you. God bless you. Oh yes, let’s be involved. Let’s be involved in that battle. Our land is polluted. Let’s do all—let’s do all we can.
Maybe you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, honestly, I just need to pray. God spoke to my heart. I need to pray.” I need to pray for God’s mercy, His grace. God shed His grace in America. We sure need it now. We need His mercy and grace. I’m going to be praying for America. God spoke to my heart. If that’s you this morning, “Preacher, I’m going to pray for America.” God spoke to my heart. God bless you. Oh, those that have made the greatest impact have been those who are just focused on prayer. Other things, yes, oh yes, but prayer has been a main focus—getting God involved in this thing.
Maybe you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, I need to tell others about Jesus Christ. I need to tell others about the shed blood of Jesus.” Maybe get a gospel tract. Maybe when we start our sorting program, be a part of that, however it may be. But, “Preacher, I need to get involved in some form, some fashion, of telling others about the shed blood of Jesus Christ.” God spoke to my heart about that. Is that you this morning? Oh, God bless you. Oh, let’s get involved in that. Let’s get involved in that. It’s so crucial. They need the shed blood of Jesus Christ. God bless you. Thank you. Thank you so very, very much.
Maybe you’re here this morning and you’re listening in and you say, “You know, I’ve never applied the blood of Jesus. I’ve never asked in faith, ‘Jesus, would You take Your blood and apply it to my account? I need forgiveness. I need cleansing.’” Maybe not for abortion, maybe it is for abortion, but just, “I’m a sinner, and I need a Savior.” “Preacher, I need to get saved. I need to ask Jesus to apply His blood to my account.” If that’s you, whether you’re sitting here in the auditorium or wherever it may be online, right where you are, would you go to Jesus? Right now, would you go to Jesus? “I admit it, I’m a sinner. Would You forgive my sin? Would You take Your innocent blood You shed on the cross? Would You apply it to my account? Would You wash away my sin? Make me whiter than snow? Make me Your child. Thank You for saving me, Jesus.”
If you’re there and you say, “I just asked Jesus Christ to be my Savior,” just accepted Him as my Savior—if you did that, anybody in the auditorium, I just asked Jesus to be my Savior, never have—just ask Jesus to be my Savior. Would you just slip your hand up so we’re just rejoicing that? God bless you. God bless you. Would there be anybody else? I just asked Jesus to be my Savior. Anybody else? If you’re online and you asked Jesus to be your Savior, would you just email us in? We’d be thrilled about it. We’ll send you some literature; we want to be a help to you in that.
Hey, Christians, let’s just pray for our country. Would you please stand? All of us, would you please stand? Would you do that? We won’t be alone, but would you take some time just ask for mercy and grace for our country? I want to be involved in winning a soul, whatever may be. Would you come and have a word of prayer? Would you pray for our country? Father, thank You for Your Word, Your truth that doesn’t change. Thank You for that, Lord. Help us to stand where You stand. Help us to stand in love. Would You give mercy, Lord, and grace to our country here? We’ll thank You, Lord, for what You do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Would you be obedient? As God guides you, would you be obedient? Just tugging at your heart, you want to come forward. Would you come forward? Just be obedient as He tugs. Oh, we need mercy in our land. Let’s be involved in getting the message of Jesus’ innocent blood that’s been shed.
I love that verse: “If we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I love that, “all unrighteousness.” Maybe that’s what we need to just confess this in our country for a bit. Would you do that?
Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - - Innocent Blood - Sunday AM 01212024