America's Great Heritage And Hope

America's Great Heritage and Hope

Psalm 85:1-13

Cornerstone Church - July 4, 2021

*Today we celebrate our Declaration of Independence from England on July 4th, 1776. On that same day over in England, King George III wrote these words in his diary: "July 4th, 1776: Nothing happened today." (1)

*Poor King George couldn't have been farther from the truth! -- Because up in Philadelphia, Congress adopted our Declaration of Independence.

*It begins with these words: "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. . ." The United States of America was born on that day. Now 245 years later, we are celebrating the birthday of our country.

*Our nation was born with the hope of help from Almighty God. And today we can still find the hope we need. Psalm 85 shows us how.

1. THE FIRST THING TO DO IS REMEMBER HOW GOD HAS RESCUED HIS PEOPLE.

*Remember how God has helped us in the past. Remember how God has blessed us in the past. That's what the Psalmist did in vs. 1-3, when he lifted up this praise to God:

1. LORD, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob.

2. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah

3. You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.

*Here God "brought back the captivity of Jacob," and God has rescued His people many times.

*We can certainly see this truth in our own history. God has worked in countless ways to create and preserve our nation. Think about our first President, George Washington. He is called the "Father" of our country, and rightly so. Historian James Flexner called Washington "the indispensable man." Richard Smith said, "If George Washington had not existed there arguably would have never been an American Republic." (2)

*But George Washington would have not been there to lead our army in the Revolutionary War, he wouldn't have been there to become our first President, -- if God had not spared his life 21 years earlier at the Battle of Monongahela.

*It was in 1755, during the French and Indian War. At the time, Washington was an officer in the British army under Gen. William Braddock. And Washington was a colonel, even though he was only 23 years old.

*At the Battle of Monongahela, the British were attacked and nearly wiped out. Washington's responsibility during the battle was to take orders from Gen. Braddock and ride across the battlefield on his horse to take the orders to the men.

*As the battle raged on, the officers were being mowed down. Finally, Gen. Braddock was killed, and the men ran for their lives, but Washington wasn't killed. After the battle, George wrote to his brother John on July 18, 1755, and said, "By the all powerful dispensations of Providence, (that's God) I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectations. For I had four bullets through my coat and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt although Death was leveling my companions on every side of me."

*Fifteen years later Washington and a friend, Dr. Craig, were going through that same area. There they were met by an old Indian chief, who spoke to Washington through an interpreter and said this:

"I am chief and ruler over my tribes. My influence extends to the waters of the great lakes and to the far blue mountains. I have traveled a long and weary path that I might see the young warrior of the great battle.

*It was on the day when the white man's blood mixed with the streams of our forest that I first beheld this chief. I called to my young men and said, 'Mark young tall and daring warrior. He has an Indian's wisdom. Quick, let your aim be certain that he dies.'

*Our rifles were leveled, rifles, which but for you knew not how to miss."

*Then this Indian chief said, "I shot at you myself 17 times, and could not hit you. T'was all in vain. A power mightier far than we shielded you. Seeing you were under special guardianship of the Great Spirit, we immediately ceased to fire at you. And I am come to pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of Heaven, who could never die in battle." (3)