America Bless God (LHCOC)
America Bless God
Proverbs 14:34
Introduction:
1. You have likely heard the phrase, “God Bless America.” While America falls farther and farther away from God, have you ever wondered, “Why should He?”
2. A gallop poll in 2005 conveyed the following results.
a. A majority of Americans ACCEPT: The Death Penalty (70%); Divorce (66%); Gambling (66%); Premarital Sex / Fornication (58%); Children Born Out Of Wedlock (54%)
b. A majority of Americans DO NOT ACCEPT: Marriage Infidelity (93%); Polygamy (92%); Human Cloning (87%); Suicide (82%); Homosexual Relations (52%); Abortion (51%)
3. America is a world leader in: Violent Crime; Divorce; Teenage Pregnancy; Voluntary Abortion; Illegal Drug Use
4. Why should God Bless America?
a. The petition should be for America to bless God.
b. In our lesson today we will look at how America got to where it is morally and tonight we will look at where we can go from here to try and help America get back on track.
I. HOW DID WE GET HERE
Three Areas of Decline:
A. Academic
1. Evolution
a. Evolutionary thought is being taught in our schools as fact, and it is being instilled into the minds of our children at an early age.
b. How can we expect our young people to grow up respecting human life when they think it does not differ from animal life?
2. Values Clarification
a. A popular teaching method implemented in the 20th century which basically teaches the student to find their own set of values based upon what is important to them.
b. This system of "Values Clarification" is the philosophy behind many of our schools today.
c. The major problem with this approach is that right and wrong are determined by the situation and not by the action (basically there are no wrong answers and no absolute truths)
B. Morals
1. Marriage
a. People do not see marriage anymore as 1 man, 1 woman, 1 life-time, rather many see it as a way to clear their conscience while living with someone else.
b. Marriage is no longer seen as a covenant between man, woman, and God, but a way to express ones love to another person (whether it is a member of the opposite sex or not).
c. 1890 - 5000 divorces; 1992 - 1,250,000 divorces.
2. Abortion
a. While many Americans rally against “Operation Freedom,” set forth by President Bush, more babies have been killed in their mother's wombs than all the soldiers killed in all the American wars combined.
b. 4,400 babies are killed every day; nearly 30 million since Roe -v- Wade.
3. Sexual perversions
a. Because many Americans are so money hungry, they will do anything to make a dollar sell their body, show off their body, etc.
b. Friends, whether it be in the news, or in a video store, we live in a society today where, SEX SELLS.
i. As a result you will see billboards with half naked women on them.
ii. You will hear of men being pregnant (woman who had a partial sex change and is legally a pregnant man).
iii. You will see commercials, movies, and the like that openly flaunt sex out of wedlock, homosexuality, rape, and pedophilia. [AND WE SAY GOD BLESS AMERICA]
c. Our children are taught in public schools about “safe sex,” and not abstinence.
i. Instead of being taught about waiting until one is married to have sex, they are handed condoms and told to use them.
ii. Our nation lacks the moral courage to teach abstinence.
C. Religion
1. Pluralism – a term used to describe the acceptance of all religious paths as equally valid.
a. Division is accepted and applauded in religion.
b. It is choose the church of your choice, and whatever makes you feel good mentality that many in America live for today. [This is directly against what Jesus taught about unity Jn.17]
2. Relativism – a term used to describe any doctrine which denies the existence of absolute values
a. There is no longer any standard truth among so-called Christians today.
b. As a result, many are turned away the biblical truths echoed by our forefathers.
3. Pacifism – being quiet about sin in order to keep the peace.
a. The generation of today accepts as normal, what at once was deemed repugnant.
b. For fear of making a stand for what is right, we have kept quiet and said nothing.
Results From the Decline:
D. America has removed God from its thoughts (Rom.1:18, 21, 28-32).
1. No other time than the present has the Bible been more assessable and yet, at no other time than the present has the Bible been read the least.
2. We must glorify God in our actions and deeds.
E. Pleasure has become Americas God (Prov.21:17; Phil.3:19).
1. Everything is about pursing happiness (principles this country was founded upon), but it about finding it in your own way and not Gods.
2. "He who loves pleasure will be a poor man; He who loves wine and oil will not be rich." - Proverbs 21:17.
3. "whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things." - Philippians 3:19.
F. America became tolerant of sin (Gal.5:19; Is.5:20; Rom.1:32).
1. Galatians 5 lists 19 “lusts of the flesh,” things that are in and of themselves ALWAYS WRONG.
2. We have come up with our own way of accepting the reality of sin, and in actuality it is nothing more than a moral placebo to soothe what’s left of our conscience.
a. Abortion – the right to choose.
b. Homosexuality – as long as they do not mess with me.
c. Adultery – just an affair.
d. Cursing – colorful language
e. Lying – misinformation
f. Fornication – love
3. "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" - Isaiah 5:20.
4. "Who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them." - Romans 1:32.
Conclusion:
1. I love America, and I hope that you do too. In light of all these moral shortcomings, why should God bless this nation?
2. Why should he not rather judge this nation as He did Sodom?
3. No matter how wicked our society as a whole may become, we can make a difference.
4. We must always turn to God.
America Bless God
Proverbs 14:34
Introduction:
1. A little boy asked, “Mom, do you remember that priceless vase that’s been in our family for generations? Well, this generation just broke it.”
2. Things that were cherished and held sacred in past generations are being broken by this generation today.
3. We began this morning by making the statement, “God bless America,” and then asking the question, “Why should He”?
a. We live in a country built upon Christian principles, and yet, we seem to be drifting farther and farther away from God.
b. America is a world leader in: Violent Crime; Divorce; Teenage Pregnancy; Voluntary Abortion; Illegal Drug Use, and yet we still say, God Bless America???
4. This lesson revolves around two questions: 1) How did we get to where we are now (morally) and 2) How can we get back to where we once were?
a. We attempted to answer the first question this morning. Let me remind us of what we discussed.
b. America has declined in three areas: 1) Acedimics, 2) Morality, and 3) Religion.
c. As a result of this decline, America has removed God from its thoughts, Pleasure has become Americas God, and America has become tolerant of sin.
5. In his book, The decline and fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbons gives five reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire.
a. 1) The rapid increase of divorce & undermining the sanctity of the home, 2) Higher taxes and spending money for free bread for the people, 3) The mad craze for pleasure & sports, 4) The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was from within; the decadence of the people, 5) The decay of religion.
b. I believe you would agree with me in saying some of this sounds like America.
6. I do not want America to fall, and I assume do not either, so, what can we do as Americans to help get America back on track, both spiritually and morally?
I. HOW CAN WE GET BACK
[Let me make the point, first of all, that I do not have all of the answers, and secondly, this change will not happen overnight (likely will not happen in the lifetime of many here tonight), but with these simple principles, over time, America can get back on track. As with any generation, we are always one generation away from apostasy.]
A. We must embrace the Christian lifestyle ourselves (Ephesians 4:1; Philippians 1:27; Colossians 1:10).
1. True Christianity must appeal to our nation’s leaders, and in order for our leaders to be affected it all starts with the average American.
a. As I have said many times, “it is the little things that count.”
b. True Christianity is shown in every area of life, and at every time.
2. "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called" - Ephesians 4:1
a. Christianity is a walk, i.e. a lifestyle, and Paul says we must walk worthy (morally upright).
b. We must not give place to the sin, and let people rightfully accuse us of being just a bunch of hypocrites.
3. "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel" - Philippians 1:27.
4. "That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God" - Colossians 1:10.
B. We must return to the Bible (II Timothy 3:16-17).
1. This will demand strong doctrinal preaching (Titus 2:1).
a. This does not only apply to the pulpit.
b. Paul addresses many different ages, genders, and types of Christians in Titus 2.
2. This will demand plain teaching about sin (Galatians 5:19-21; I Cor. 6:9-11).
a. | Friends it is wrong to: |
"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" - Galatians 5:19-21.
i. commit adultery…
ii. fornicate…
iii. be sexually perverted engaged in pornography or prostitution (uncleanness + lewdness)…
iv. idolatry (worship images/icons)…
v. practice witchcraft/sorcery…
vi. to have hatred toward others…
vii. to be contentious (cause strife)…
viii. to be jealous…
ix. to explode in anger…
x. to have selfish ambitions…
xi. to cause divisions…
xii. to have small talk with others in private in order to cause division (heresies)
xiii. to desire only the things of this world…
xiv. to kill…
xv. to get drunk…
xvi. to go to drinking parties…
xvii. And if you can you have to question whether or not something is right or wrong, be on the safe side and do not do it (and of the like).
b. Any of these sins, if not repented of (stopped), will result in the eternal damnation of the soul (will not inherit the kingdom of God) – Cf. Mt.25:46; 2 Thess.1:9 – everlasting punishment.
3. This will demand relevant preaching (II Timothy 4:1-4).
a. The Bible is a book inspired of God. Its message is applicable and relevant to every generation.
b. The word of God convicts, rebukes, and exhorts.
c. It is able to save our souls (Jas.1:21) if we will implant it into our minds / hearts.
4. This will demand renewed self discipline beginning in your home (II Corinthians 13:5).
a. In order to make a difference in the world, we must have regualar spiritual check ups.
b. "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified." - 2 Corinthians 13:5.
c. Are we in the faith (i.e. are we in the proper relationship with our fellowman and Creator)?
d. While we offer an invitation here every worship assembly, there is a call to examine ourselves and make the proper changes to our lives on a daily basis and not just once or twice a week.
C. We must proclaim the Christian lifestyle to others (1 Peter 2:9; 2 Timothy 2:2).
1. I hear people make statements such as these from time to time:
a. “I wouldn’t wear that to church, but it’s okay to wear it out to eat.”
b. “You’re the preacher, I must be on my best behavior.”
c. Should we be on our best behavior only when the preacher is around? Should we wear only modest apparel to church?
2. Christians, if we are to make a difference in America today, we must live as if we are in the presence of Almighty Jehovah at all times.
a. "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;" - 1 Peter 2:9.
b. "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." - 2 Timothy 2:2.
D. We must pray for God’s providential hand to work change, even at the expense of personal comfort (James 5:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).
1. "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." - James 5:16.
2. We must not take matters into our own hands w/o God’s help. God desires America to turn to Him.
3. Yet it may take some hard work and discomfort on our part in order to assist in this change for good.
Conclusion:
1. “...Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.” Thomas Jefferson
a. Oh, America, Bless God!!!
b. We must be ready to face God at all times!
2. In God we trust should be our motto!
3. Is in God I trust your motto? It can be.
a. Put your faith in Him, and turn to Him.
b. Repent of your sins and be baptized in order to have your sins washed away.