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WHAT CAN WE DO FOR AMERICA?

Introduction:

Psalm 33:12-- “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD”

Proverbs 14:34-- “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

The Scripture does not say that a nation must have every person converted in order to be blessed of God.

It says a nation is blessed who recognizes the Lord God as their God.

It does not even say that a majority of the nation must be born-again Christians.

It says that “Righteousness” exalts a nation. “Righteousness” means to be right in a moral sense. In other words, it means to follow the

moral laws of God.

I love America! Though its glory is waning, it is still known worldwide as one of the greatest nations on earth!

I.         WHAT MADE AMERICA GREAT?--RIGHTEOUSNESS!

            “Righteousness exalteth a nation. . .”

            To say that our nation was not founded upon Christian principles is to ignore recorded history. It is being more than ignored it is

            being changed.

            Attempts are being made to wipe out the name of God from our foundations.

            Psalm 11:3–"If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

            As the declaration of Independence was being signed, Samuel Adams declared:

“We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come.”

            Benjamin Franklin, June 28, 1787, First Constitutional Convention.

“In the beginning of our contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard and graciously answered … We have been assured in the sacred writings that except the Lord build the house they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this and I also believe that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel.”

            In the will of Patrick Henry who gave the famous speech on "Give me liberty or give me death" he wrote:

"I have now disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more that I wish I could give to them That is the Christian religion. If they had that and I had not given them one shilling, they would have been rich; and if they had not that and I had given them the world, they would be poor."

            Abraham Lincoln said:

"We have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined that all things were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us.”

            Woodrow Wilson said in 1923:

"Our civilization cannot survive materially unless it is redeemed spiritually. It can be saved only by becoming permeated with the Spirit of Christ and being made free and happy by the practices which spring out of that Spirit."

Who can deny that when God led the pilgrims to this land, He favored them? It is a land of wealth. It is a land of opportunity. It is a land of beauty. It is a land of unparalleled blessing. Truly, America is a nation that has been blessed by God.

I.         WHAT MADE AMERICA GREAT--RIGHTEOUSNESS!

II.       WHAT IS BRINGING REPROACH TO AMERICA?--SIN!

“. . .but sin is a reproach to any people.”

            To say that our nation has not moved from its original foundation is to ignore reality.

On November 30, 1998 a preacher by the name of Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate in prayer.

Everyone was expecting the usual politically-correct generalities, but what they heard was a stirring prayer, passionately calling our country to repentance and righteousness.

“Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, “Woe unto those who call evil good,” but that’s exactly what we have done.

            We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

            We confess that:

                        We have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism.

                        We have worshiped other gods and called it multi-culturalism.

                        We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.

                        We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

                        We have neglected the needy and called it self-preservation.

                        We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

                        We have killed our unborn children and called it a choice.

                        We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

                        We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.

                        We have abused power and called it political savvy.

                        We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

                        We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

            Search Us, O God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set

us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your will. I ask it in the

name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.”

            The response was immediate.

            A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest.

            In six short weeks more than 5000 phone calls were logged at the pastor’s church

            with only 47 of those calls responding negatively.

            Commentator Paul Harvey aired the prayer on his radio program and received a larger response to this program than any other he

            had ever aired.

As a whole, our nation is turning its back on the God who made the United States the great nation that it is. But thank God for the vocal remnant who stand for righteousness!

According to the June, 1998 report by the National Commission on Civic Renewal, led by former Drug Enforcement czar William Bennett, the United States leads the nations of the world in murders, violent crime, imprisonment, divorce, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, teen suicide, cocaine consumption and pornography production.

            We, live in a nation, that for the most part:

                        does not value life,

                        does not value morality, and

                        does not value the family

Family values are lifted high as important by the politicians, but the family has been redefined to include immoral and God debasing relationships.

            The things that are valued is:

                        self-gratification (If it feels good, do it!)

                        self-fulfillment or self-realization (no matter what it takes or who is hurt)

self-absorption (no thought of how our actions affect others--I, me, my, mine--us 4 and no more)

             1.         It ought to shame us to know that the United States is the biggest exporter   of pornography in the world. (90% of all porn originates in “Christian” America.)

            2.         It ought to shame us that over 45 million babies have been aborted in America since Roe Vs Wade.

            3.         It ought to shame us that the body parts of aborted babies are sold for research and industry.

            4.         It ought to shame us that our Supreme Court continues to uphold the brutal practice known as “Partial Birth Abortions.”

            5.         It ought to shame us that we are entertained by that which God calls evil.

6.         It ought to shame us to know that we promote perversion in the name of “diversity” and call it an alternative lifestyle.

            Our nation is being spoiled by the armies of the alcohol industry, the drug trade, the pornography producers, and the entertainment media.

III.      WHAT CAN GOD’S PEOPLE DO? (II CHRONICLES 7:14)

1 Peter 4:17-18–"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?"

            A.        HUMBLE OURSELVES.

                        If the churches of our land were what they should be, our nation would not be in trouble like it is now. We’ve dropped the ball.

            B.        PRAY.

                        1.         Pray For Forgiveness.

                        2.         Pray For God To Search Us.

                        3.         Pray For God To Use Us.

                        4.         Pray For Our Country And Its Leaders.

            C.        SEEK GOD’S FACE.

                        What does God think about what you are doing?

                        Are you seeking His face?

                        Proverbs 3:5-6-- “Trust in the Lord...”

            D.        TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS.

                        Repentance--A change of heart that leads to a change of action.

                        If righteousness exalts and sin is a reproach, it is time to repent of our sin and return to righteousness.

                         When we humble ourselves, God answers, whether it is the prayer for the salvation of our soul, or the plea for God to

                            deliver our nation.

CONCLUSION

One of the most patriotic things we can do in celebration of this Independence Day is to pray for our nation:

Remember that America is a nation that was born of God and has been blessed by God

Resolve in your heart to be one man or one woman who will pledge your obedience to God and your trust in God

Let the sin and shameful practices of our society bring remorse to our hearts and tears to our eyes

Simply kneel and pray for the salvation of our nation, then get on our feet and go share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

How will God save America? By saving its citizens.

We will be a “Christian” nation again when the majority have been truly born again.

The Bible divides all of humanity into two categories, the saved and the lost.

The lost are those who will perish in their sins and be punished for all eternity. Yet, God is not willing that any should perish. He would have all men to be saved. That is why, about 2000 years ago, He came into this world. He paid the penalty for our sins when He died upon the cross. He offers eternal life as a free gift, but we must humble ourselves and receive it.

Admit that you are a sinner, undeserving of God's heaven

Acknowledge your belief that Jesus Christ is the Savior, the one who died in your place

Ask God to save you, putting your complete trust in Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and save you from the punishment of hell we all deserve

Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!