In the sermon titled 'Response to the Totalitarian State,' Kevin Swanson emphasizes the need to prioritize obeying God over state mandates, especially when it comes to assembling as a church. He argues that God's judgment is more severe than that of the state, and therefore, Christians should continue meeting and discipling both in church and family life, despite state restrictions. Swanson advocates for active engagement in the civil magistrate, likening it to a 'full-court press' to fight for liberty, parental rights, and the right to assemble. He shares his experience in a predominantly liberal state, where despite challenges, parental rights have been successfully defended, attributing these victories to God's sovereignty. Swanson believes that even as a minority, Christians can retain their liberties by fulfilling their responsibilities to meet and disciple, trusting God to provide the necessary freedoms.

Well, obviously we're to obey God rather than men, so if the state curtails our opportunities to gather together, we stand face to face with the state on the command that we are to forsake not the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, lest we face the frightful judgment of God. And I do believe that the frightful judgment of God is far more severe than the constraints and the judgment and so forth that comes from the hand of the state. So we have responsibility to continue to meet together as the people of God, even if the state attempts to shut down the church services. So, But more importantly, what are we to do in relation to the state? I believe we do apply full-court press.

We solicit our Josephs and Daniels to engage in the civil magistrate. We fight for liberty. And I think the absolute first requirement for any civil magistrate who wants to submit to God is to stand for liberty for those who want to raise their children the nurture and the amnesty of the Lord Jesus Christ parental rights and for the right to assemble. So those two things we need to fight hard in the courts and legislatures to to gain the freedom to do that. It's interesting we live in a blue state, probably one of the bluest states in America, But as a leader in the homeschool population in my state, we have been successful at, I think, every single parental rights battle we've had over the last 25 years.

And I think the reason for that is God is sovereign over all the states. And there have been points where it's been a little bit touch and go, but we've won those battles year after year after year. It's because God is before us on this issue. God wants his people to continue to meet together, to disciple in the churches, to disciple in their family life. And if the state is going to impose any kind of regulation on that, I do believe that we can appeal to God above.

And even if we're in minority, we can fight through and retain many of those liberties. If we sign up for the responsibilities, we as God's people say we will meet together, we will disciple our churches, we will disciple in our family life, God will provide the liberties and the rights to make that happen. I've seen that Again and again and again in our state, and I think it can happen anywhere