A New Beginning For America

INTRO.- ILL.- Someone wrote: WHERE WOULD YOU BE...

If you had all the money your heart desires?

If you had the most fabulous home in the perfect neighborhood?

If you had no worries?

If you came home and the finest gourmet meal was waiting for you?

If your bathwater had been prepared?

If you had the perfect kids?

If your wife was waiting for you with open arms and kisses?

So where would you be?

WELL HELLO! YOU’D BE IN THE WRONG HOUSE!

These thoughts could well apply to the new administration in America. Many people think, believe or dream that we will have a new beginning in America as a result of the new President.

But I would say hello! America has some serious problems and she will not change overnight! Our new President is not the Messiah, as some might think. No President is a Messiah.

I have actually read that some people think they won’t have to pay taxes and that their rent will be paid because of the new President. Again, I say, hello! Are you thinking at all?

People are saying that history has been made because we have a new President who is African-American. This is history in the making. But what is going to happen in America in the future remains to be seen.

We do hope for a better America! We hope for an improved economy and world peace. We hope for leaders to become more committed to the improvement of America instead of the improvement of their own pocket books.

ILL.- Someone wrote that this is how the government works: Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at the White House in DC: One is from Chicago, another is from Tennessee, and the third is from Florida. All three go with a White House official to examine the fence.

The Florida contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. ’Well,’ he says, ’I figure the job will run about $900: $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me.’

The Tennessee contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then says, ’I can do this job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me.’

The Chicago contractor doesn’t measure or figure, but leans over to the White House official and whispers, ’$2,700.’ The official says, ’Why, you didn’t even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?’

The Chicago contractor whispers back, ’$1000 for me, $1000 for you (and I’ll even throw in a Senate seat to sweeten the deal), and then we hire the guy from Tennessee to fix the fence.’ ’Done!’ replies the government official. And that, my friends, is how government contracting works!

Let’s hope this is not true but we certainly often wonder.

ILL.- Let me share a few parts of President Obama’s inaugural address. "America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents." (I hope so. I pray so)

"On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord." (I hope so. I pray so)

"On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics." (I hope so. I pray so)

"We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things." (I hope so. I pray so)

For the most part, President Obama was optimistic in his speech. And well, he should be. You don’t build on negatives. You can only build on that which is positive. And there are still many positive things going on in America.

But we need to think about what WE can do to help build a better America or make a new beginning for America. Government by itself is not the answer, nor is a new President. We still need God’s help and God’s blessing if America is to get better or have a new beginning.

PROP.- The apostle Paul gives us some specific things we can do to help America get better.

1- We must pray unceasingly

2- We must live righteously

3- We must evangelize fervently

I. WE MUST PRAY UNCEASINGLY

Vs. 1-2 “I urge that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority.”

ILL.- A teacher went into her classroom about fifteen minutes before the class was supposed to begin and caught a bunch of boys in a huddle on their knees in the corner of the room. She asked what they were doing, and one of them shouted back, "We are shooting craps." She replied, "That’s all right. I was afraid you were praying."