Participants:
Series Code: CR
Program Code: CR002004S
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00:02 I'm John Carter in Moscow.
00:04 In Havana, Cuba. 00:07 Now in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. 00:10 I'm John Carter in Petra. 00:13 Right here in Communist China. 00:16 Reporting from India. 00:18 Hi, I'm John Carter in the Solomon Islands. 00:21 I'm John Carter in Soweto. 00:24 From El Salvador. 00:26 I'm John Carter in Sydney, Australia. 00:30 Now, here's John Carter with today's message. 00:37 Welcome back, my friend, to THIS Coronavirus special, 00:41 The Gospel according to Mr. Rogers, 00:45 Fred Rogers, 00:46 how you can have a beautiful day 00:49 in the neighborhood. 00:51 Now, we're struggling against a tremendous foe. 00:55 But I promise you by the grace of God, 00:58 we shall defeat COVID-19 by the grace of God. 01:05 Now, the gospel according to Fred, 01:08 what on earth is the gospel according to Fred? 01:13 The gospel according to Fred is that, you're special to me. 01:18 Every person is beautiful in his own way. 01:22 And every person is special, 01:24 because he's been made in the very image of God. 01:28 That's why as we fight this terrible virus, 01:31 we've got to recognize that every person is special, 01:34 and no person can be left behind. 01:37 I want to read you something here. 01:39 Here in these great United States of America, 01:42 we have the magnificent Declaration of Independence. 01:47 Now every person in America, every true American knows this, 01:53 at least the commencement 01:54 to the Declaration of Independence. 01:57 We hold these truths 02:00 to be self evident, 02:04 that all men and should say women, 02:07 that all men are created equal, 02:11 that they are endowed by their Creator 02:14 with certain unalienable rights, 02:18 that among these are life, liberty, 02:21 and the pursuit of happiness. 02:24 Listen to me. Listen to me. 02:28 Declaration of Independence says, 02:30 the Creator has made us, number one. 02:33 I am a child of God, I'm not a son of the slime. 02:37 I am a child of God. 02:39 I came down from the stars, 02:42 I didn't come up from the swamp. 02:45 And therefore, because we are sons 02:47 and daughters of God, 02:49 every person is distinct and glorious. 02:52 And that is why I believe in the gospel 02:55 according to Fred that says, "You're special to me." 03:00 Every person is special. 03:03 And this is what makes America different 03:05 to some countries, the worst of a human soul. 03:10 America believes in the value of the individual, 03:15 because he's made in the image of God. 03:18 Now let me give you something. 03:20 Let me give you brother, sister, the big contrast, 03:25 because you often cannot understand the truth. 03:27 We can't understand the truth unless we see it 03:30 against the backdrop of the big contrast. 03:34 So let me give you the big contrast. 03:37 I want you to think of Germany in the time of Hitler. 03:42 Hitler and his goons said this, 03:47 "Get rid of the weak, the sick, 03:49 the mentally defective, the racially inferior, 03:54 get rid of the gypsies, get rid of the Jews, 03:58 the Slavs also called 04:01 inferior forms of human life." 04:06 This idea was one of the biggest lies 04:10 that had ever come out of the pit of hell. 04:16 Hitler also said something else, 04:17 he said, "When you tell a lie, tell a really big one." 04:20 Because he said, "If you just tell a little lie, 04:23 you can't brainwash the masses." 04:25 So he said, "When you tell a lie, 04:27 tell a really big one." 04:30 And he told people that 04:31 unless they were of certain types of a blood, 04:37 they were racially inferior and they should be eliminated. 04:43 He said, "We are building 04:45 the Third Reich, the super race." 04:48 And thus they sang, Germany over all. 04:52 We are going to conquer the world 04:54 because we are the super race. 04:58 They certainly didn't sing the song, 05:00 you are special to me to poor people. 05:05 Now the Nazis, now you need to have 05:07 a little bit of history. 05:08 I know some people are not into history, 05:10 I am because I want to know the truth. 05:13 Jesus said, "You'll know the truth, 05:14 and the truth will make you free." 05:16 So I want you to indulge me 05:19 and listen to a little bit of history 05:22 that you and I need to know. 05:25 The Nazis had been strongly influenced 05:27 by Friedrich Nietzsche, 05:31 the great German philosopher of the 19th century, 05:36 who had been influenced by Charles Darwin, 05:40 who wrote the book on the origin of species. 05:46 Now there's something that most folks don't know. 05:48 Richard Dawkins didn't even know it until recently. 05:53 This is the name of the book that Charles Darwin put out 05:58 on the origin of species 06:02 by means of natural selection, 06:07 or the preservation of favored races 06:13 in the struggle for life. 06:17 So Darwinism is based upon the concept 06:19 that there were certain favored races, 06:22 and that through the idea of the survival of the fittest, 06:27 the great races would come to the top. 06:30 They were, of course, 06:31 in his thinking, the white races, 06:34 and the so called inferior races, 06:37 like the black races in Africa would be eliminated. 06:42 That was the devil's big, big lie. 06:47 That was pure Darwinism. 06:50 Now, how did it fit in with Nietzsche? 06:53 Well, let me tell you, Friedrich Nietzsche 06:56 who is the most popular 06:58 philosopher today in the universities 07:01 of the United States of America. 07:03 You say, "I don't believe it." 07:04 Well, you better believe it because it is the truth. 07:07 Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher 07:09 who taught that might was right, 07:12 that Christianity was a depraved... 07:16 Listen to this. 07:17 Nietzsche taught that 07:19 Christianity was a depraved religion, 07:22 because it preserved that which should be destroyed. 07:26 He said, "The weak should be destroyed, 07:31 and therefore the weak should be eliminated." 07:34 This was the bad news according to Nietzsche, 07:40 and he got it from Darwin, 07:42 and this bred the teachings of the Nazis. 07:46 So, Nietzsche railed against mercy and compassion. 07:51 Let me say it again. 07:53 He said, "That Christianity was a depraved religion 07:56 because it protected 07:58 what nature said should be destroyed." 08:02 Darwin said, "The survival of the fittest." 08:05 And so Nietzsche said, 08:07 "We've got certain types of individuals 08:10 who are not the fittest, 08:11 and they ought to be destroyed." 08:13 And amen said the Nazis. 08:17 Hitler, my friend, and Nietzsche 08:19 would never have sent 08:20 those two hospital ships to Los Angeles and New York. 08:24 Look at their names, 08:25 Glory be to God, Mercy and Comfort. 08:29 You don't get mercy, 08:31 and you don't get comfort from the Nazis. 08:34 You don't get mercy and comfort from Darwin, 08:38 and you don't get mercy and comfort from Nietzsche. 08:42 You get mercy and comfort. 08:43 I'm telling you the truth, 08:45 you get mercy and comfort from the Lord Jesus Christ. 08:50 That's why I believe in the gospel 08:52 according to Fred Rogers, you're special to me. 08:55 You may be weak. 08:57 You may be sick. 08:59 You may be old. 09:01 You may not be 09:03 the most intelligent person on the planet, 09:05 but you're special to me 09:08 because God made you. 09:11 Fred's religion was all about mercy and comfort. 09:15 I believe in the doctrine of mercy and comfort. 09:19 I believe in the gospel according to Fred, 09:23 because it is the gospel 09:25 that he got from the Lord Jesus Christ. 09:28 It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, 09:31 brother and sister. 09:33 Are you still listening? 09:34 It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. 09:38 When we can look at people and say, 09:41 "You're special to me. 09:43 You are unique, you are splendid, 09:46 you are glorious. 09:48 You may be imperfect, but you are tremendously 09:53 important to me because you are made 09:58 in the image of God." 10:01 You see, Mr. Rogers was right. 10:03 Hitler and Nietzsche were wrong, dead wrong. 10:09 Let me give you a little bit more of history. 10:11 How did Hitler die? 10:14 While he died a suicide, hating the world. 10:19 He died even hating the German people 10:22 because he said, "The German people 10:24 have completely failed the Third Reich, 10:26 they don't deserve to live." 10:29 He died a pathetic creature without hope cursing the world, 10:35 cursing his own people. 10:37 Friedrich Nietzsche, how did he die? 10:39 It's very, very interesting. 10:41 Nietzsche was cared by his Christian sister 10:45 and his old Christian mother. 10:47 Nobody else wanted him 10:48 because he'd become a stark, raving lunatic. 10:53 He died very unhappy person. 10:58 Sometimes crying out, sprouting words of Scripture, 11:02 because he knew in his own soul, 11:05 that without God there was nothing. 11:09 So what about Fred Rogers? 11:11 Well, he's a trillion miles away 11:13 from those people, philosophically, 11:15 and that is why people loved him. 11:21 Now Hitler who worshiped Nietzsche, 11:24 who taught that 11:26 might was right made this statement. 11:30 It's a horrendous statement. 11:33 But here's a little bit of history. 11:35 And you need to see these things and remember this. 11:38 Those who forget the past are condemned repeated errors. 11:43 There is a tremendous amount 11:44 of ignorance in the world today. 11:47 People have forgotten the past. 11:50 And because they've forgotten the past, 11:52 they're in a terrible danger 11:56 of repeating the past, 11:59 but the past tells us that the only people 12:01 who could really survive and the only people 12:03 who can do good in the world are people 12:06 who see the image of God in other people. 12:10 Now, look at this. 12:11 This is what Hitler said, 12:13 "I want to raise a generation of young people 12:17 who are devoid of conscience..." 12:21 Hey, "Devoid of conscience, 12:25 imperious, relentless, and cruel." 12:29 No comfort, no mercy. 12:31 I want to raise up a new generation, 12:33 and they're going to be the stormtroopers 12:35 and they're going to crush... 12:39 every person who doesn't have the pure blood. 12:44 And he brought hell upon the German people, 12:47 and was responsible for the deaths 12:50 of tens of millions of people. 12:54 Contrast the words of Hitler with the words of Jesus. 12:59 Jesus the comforter. 13:03 Just think about this a minute. 13:05 It's, it's... 13:07 The contrast is almost overwhelming. 13:11 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, 13:15 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 13:18 Blessed are the meek, 13:20 for they shall inherit the earth." 13:22 He didn't say blessed are the wealthy. 13:25 Blessed are the powerful. 13:26 "Blessed are the merciful, 13:30 for they shall obtain mercy. 13:32 Blessed are the peacemakers, 13:35 for they shall be called sons of God." 13:41 Fred learned his religion there. 13:44 Fred got his religion from Christ. 13:47 He was a gospel minister. 13:50 I believe in the gospel according to Fred Rogers, 13:53 because it is the gospel of Christ. 13:59 My friend, it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood 14:03 when we believe these things, 14:05 and therefore, we totally reject the survival 14:08 of the fittest and social Darwinism. 14:13 Not everybody who believes in evolution 14:16 believes in social Darwinism, 14:19 because they know it is an evil system. 14:24 We believe in the... 14:26 Listen to my words carefully, I weigh them. 14:29 We believe in the preservation 14:32 and the protection of the weakest member 14:37 of human society, 14:39 including the unborn baby. 14:47 I asked you to pause, think and reflect 14:53 what prayer tell me is weaker 14:58 than the unborn baby that is cradled for nine months 15:04 in the womb of the mother. 15:11 So I believe that every person, I believe that you are special. 15:17 I believe that little babies are special. 15:21 I believe that old people are special. 15:25 I believe that young people and teenagers are special. 15:32 Why? 15:35 Well, it's pretty simple, 15:37 because they're made in an image of God. 15:41 Now, there's a book entitled 15:43 "The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers" written by 15:47 Amy Hollingsworth. 15:50 She interviewed Fred and she said, 15:54 "What would you want people to say? 15:56 What would you want people to get 15:59 after they've watched you on television? 16:02 After they've watched Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood? 16:06 After they've heard you sing? 16:08 He wasn't a great singer, but I thought he was. 16:10 But he really wasn't great singer. 16:12 It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, 16:15 sure better than me. 16:18 Won't you be my neighbor? 16:20 You are special to me. 16:27 That's the religion, my friend, 16:29 that's the faith that changes and saves the world. 16:32 We need it during this time of crisis in America, 16:37 and around the world. 16:40 He answered her, "Well, I would want 16:42 those who were listening to know that 16:44 they had unique value that there isn't anybody 16:50 in the whole world exactly like them. 16:55 And that there never has been 16:58 and there never will be anyone like them. 17:02 And that they are loved by the person 17:04 who created them in a unique way." 17:09 God made you, you're special to Him. 17:12 And God gave His Son today for you. 17:16 If they could know that and really know it, 17:20 and have that behind their eyes, 17:23 they could look with those eyes on their neighbor and realize, 17:29 my neighbor has unique value too. 17:33 There's never been anybody in the whole world, 17:36 like my neighbor. 17:39 There never will be 17:40 if they could value that person, 17:43 if they could love that person 17:48 in ways that we know that the eternal loves us that 17:53 I would be very grateful. 18:00 The gospel according to Fred is simple. 18:04 God made you. 18:07 You're special. 18:10 Your neighbor is special. 18:14 And therefore we must do everything to help our neighbor 18:20 and to bless our neighbor. 18:23 There are no second class citizens. 18:27 It doesn't matter who you are, 18:30 or what color you are, 18:33 how much money you've got. 18:36 This is not a case of money. 18:39 This is a case of your intrinsic value. 18:44 Brother, Sister, you are worth more than 18:48 a billion trillion dollars. 18:51 You are worth more than anything in this world, 18:55 anything in this universe. 18:58 You're very, very special because God made you so. 19:03 And that's what Fred used to sing about. 19:05 So let me say this. 19:08 I don't say these things. 19:10 I'm not saying this with any apology. 19:11 I don't. 19:13 I don't think we should forget the past. 19:16 So we here are different to Nazi Germany. 19:20 We are different to Communist China. 19:23 Some people say, "No, no, no, no, 19:24 you can't say that where no countries, 19:27 all countries are same..." 19:28 No, countries are not the same. 19:33 Communist China in the days of Mao murdered 19:37 15 million innocent Chinese. 19:42 In the Soviet Union 19:43 during the days of Stalin and other monsters, 19:49 the communists, atheists, communists, atheists? 19:51 Yeah, without doubt. Are we afraid of the truth? 19:55 This is the truth. 19:56 The communists, the atheists murdered in the Soviet Union, 20:02 Russia and Ukraine mainly, around 17 million 20:06 innocent people, 70 million people. 20:10 They weren't sending ships called Mercy and Comfort. 20:14 They were sending people on the train 20:17 along the Siberian railway line. 20:20 I've been on it. 20:22 I've been on it a number of times. 20:23 They sent them across Siberia. 20:26 And they sent them over there where they died 20:29 by the millions. 20:30 I have been in those graveyards. 20:34 They didn't see people as special, 20:36 but we see people as special. 20:40 That's why we believe 20:42 in the gospel according to Fred. 20:46 Now, I'm going to say something 20:48 which everybody needs to hear, I think. 20:52 Some have been saying here in America recently 20:58 that we should let the old die. 21:01 The fathers and the mothers, 21:03 the grandfathers and the grandmothers, 21:08 because what really counts is the wealth of the nation. 21:13 This is called nationalism. 21:17 It is an old heresy 21:20 that no true, 21:24 no true American believes in. 21:30 This is called Social Darwinism. 21:36 We let the weak die. 21:39 We let the old die. 21:43 And when they're dead, we're going to be saving money, 21:46 and we can get on with building a greater America 21:50 with all more money 21:55 and all the trimmings. 21:57 Let me tell you something. 21:59 Don't forget it. 22:01 America is better than that, 22:05 because the greatness of any country 22:08 is in how she values the weakest member of society. 22:16 And we believe in the gospel according to Fred Rogers, 22:20 because he thought that every person was special. 22:23 Every person was unique, 22:25 and every person was valuable. 22:30 So I do not believe, listen carefully. 22:33 I do not believe that the main thing is the success 22:38 of America as a superpower. 22:43 I believe that 22:47 the most important thing 22:50 is how we treat people. 22:53 And if we treat people with love and compassion, 22:58 and if we'll do and if we are prepared to go 23:01 to the utmost to save the life 23:05 of one person, 23:08 then God will bless us. 23:11 And we will be the greatest nation that 23:13 this world has ever seen. 23:15 America believes in the value of a human being. 23:21 We are not like the Nazis. 23:23 We are not like the communists. 23:29 We believe in the gospel 23:30 according to good old Fred Rogers. 23:40 You are special to me. 23:42 The old grandmother, you're special to me. 23:45 The old grandfather, you're special to me. 23:48 The young couple struggling to make a go. 23:52 Don't get good wages or anything, 23:55 but they're struggling. 23:56 They're trying to get ahead. 23:58 Hey, you're special to me. 24:02 The Jewish brother, you're special to me. 24:06 The Hindu man, you're special to me. 24:10 Every person, you're special to me. 24:14 The black person, you're special to me. 24:18 The white person, you're special to me. 24:21 The Asian man, you're special to me. 24:24 You're special to me. 24:26 Why? 24:29 Because God made you. 24:33 You're made in the image of God. 24:37 Christ died for you, my brother, my sister. 24:41 Don't let anybody put you down. 24:44 You are a child of God. 24:49 And if we treat people like this, 24:52 things are going to be okay. 24:54 How shall we live then? 24:58 We must show mercy and compassion. 25:01 People have come over to our house from next door. 25:03 Can we help you? Are you okay there? 25:08 My son David has been sending me 25:10 so many boxes of food. 25:11 I'm gonna, don't know what I'm gonna do. 25:14 Javier sent soup. 25:20 We should practice the teachings of Jesus, 25:22 love your neighbors as yourself. 25:25 Love as Johan to his neighbor. 25:27 We need to take care of all, 25:28 including the weakest members of society 25:31 by stopping the spread of COVID-19. 25:34 How? 25:36 Here's some very practical things. 25:37 Listen up. 25:39 Staying home and self isolating, 25:41 congregating in groups is against the law of love, 25:44 because it is spreading the virus. 25:47 It is not loving our neighbors. 25:49 We must be responsible by containing the virus, 25:53 by washing our hands many times a day, 25:55 cleaning our homes, that desks our computers, 25:57 that doorknobs, you know what I'm talking about. 26:01 When we go out, keeping a distance 26:03 of at least six feet, two meters. 26:05 We need to care for others. 26:07 We need to wear a mask if you can buy it, or a scarf. 26:12 Exercising every day, walking, breathe deeply. 26:18 Get on the exercise machine, eat healthy foods. 26:21 Feel good about yourself. 26:24 Say to yourself, God is on my side. 26:29 Show love to all you meet. 26:31 Give a warm greeting. 26:33 When we go walking, we meet people. 26:37 And it's amazing how we meet so many people full of love. 26:41 Let them feel they're special. 26:44 Believe in the God who believes in you. 26:48 Rejoice, laugh, speak well of people, 26:54 believe that you are a child of God, 26:57 that you are a special person. 26:59 Believe that God loves you, has a plan for you. 27:04 And here's another point. 27:06 Rejoice that you have a home in heaven, 27:10 for God so loved the world. 27:14 And one day we're going to get a glory. 27:16 The Bible says, our glory is going to come to us. 27:20 It's going to be an amazing thing. 27:23 In John 14:1-3, Jesus said, 27:27 "Let not your hearts be troubled, 27:30 you believe in God, believe also in Me. 27:34 In my Father's house are many mentions, 27:38 if it were not so, I would have told you. 27:41 I go to prepare a place for you. 27:43 And if I go and prepare a place for you, 27:46 I will come back and receive you to Myself." 27:50 Christ died for you. 27:52 If you believe in Him with all your heart, 27:55 you have everlasting life. 27:57 You don't need to fear death 27:59 because you're going to have a place in glory. 28:03 I promise you, by the grace of God, 28:07 by the grace of God 28:10 as we fight this great pandemic, 28:15 we shall prevail. 28:19 Amen. 28:25 For a copy of today's program, 28:27 please contact us at P.O. Box 1900, 28:31 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 28:35 Or in Australia, contact us at P.O. Box 861, 28:40 Terrigal, New South Wales 2260. 28:44 This program is made possible through the generous support 28:47 of viewers like you. 28:49 We thank you for your continued support. 28:52 May God richly bless you. |
Revised 2020-04-23