“america’s Ancient Covenant With The God Of Israel” Series

America’s Fork In The Road: Keeping or Cutting Covenant Series

(Based up Perry Stone & Bill Cloud’s book, America’s Controversy with God’s Covenant)

“America’s Ancient Covenant with the God of Israel”

March 15, 2015 Chester’s FBC, Chester, IL Dr. Mike Fogerson, Speaker

Introduction:

A We spent last Sunday morning learning what a covenant is and what being in one means.

1 It means to bind, cut, divide (the way Abraham cut/divide the animals on presumably an altar before God) the binding is the people of Israel to God.

a As long as Israel upheld their end of the covenant (Love God/Love Neighbor) God would protect them, bless them, make them awesome.

b If Israel stopped loving God (worshiped other gods) and their neighbor (stopped being a witness that drew them to God) then God would stop protecting, blessing, make an example of them through judgement.

aa When Israel kept covenant, they were blessed; failed to keep covenant they suffered.

bb Before they suffered/judged, God would send a warning/harbinger.

2 Today, I want to show you that America and the God of Israel are linked together (We are more than a nation under God, we are in covenant with Him, too).

a In 1620, when the Mayflower landed at Cape Cod, the passengers drafted a document called the Mayflower Compact (America’s first governmental document.)

aa “We whose names are underwritten, loyal subjects of our dread sovereign Lord, King James . . . have undertaken for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith and honor of our King and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do they these present solemnly and mutually, the presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid . . .”

bb In 1647, Governor of Plymouth, William Bradford penned Of Plymouth Plantation, describing his fellow colonist.

“Last and least, they cherished a great hope and inward zeal of laying the foundations, or at least making some ways toward it, for the propagation and advance of the gospel of the kingdom of Christ in the remote parts of the world, even though they should be but stepping stones to others in the performance of so great a work . . . Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been produced by His hand that made all things of nothing, and gives being to all things that are; . . . Let the glorious name of Jehovah have all the praise.”

b The pilgrims at Plymouth viewed themselves as being in a binding covenant with God and with one another.

aa They saw what they were doing/building as a part of the design by the Great Architect.

bb They saw what they were trying to build spiritually here just as important as building roads, schools, & fences.

3 A hundred years later, the Revolutionists (Washington, Revere, Hancock, Adams, and others) would build upon the colonists spiritual foundation.

a Their goal was to establish a nation like no other since the days of King David; rooted in the Law of God as given by Moses, God’s covenantal contract with Israel.

aa A study that accumulated over 15,000 quotes from newspapers, articles, books that were spoken by our Founding Fathers/Framers of our Dec. Of Independence/constitution: discovered 35% of these quotes were taken directly or inspirited by the Bible.

b Listen to our Founding Fathers:

aa George Washington (First Pres)

After sworn in “so help me God”

“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.”

“It would be peculiarly improper to omit, in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect. No people can be bound to acknowledge the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States.”

*He then lead the senate/house, VP to St. Paul’s Chapel: dedication of America to YHWH.

aa John Adams (2nd Pres., Signer of DoI)

“Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God . . .”

bb Thomas Jefferson (3rd Pres., Drafter/signer of DoI)

“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? Theat they are not be violated but with His wrath? Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever; That a revolution of the wheel of fortune, a change of situation, is among possible events; that it may become probable by Supernatural influence! The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in that event.”