America's Hope!

America’s Hope!

Psalm 33:1-22

Sermon by Rick Crandall

McClendon Baptist Church - July 1, 2007

*I love this country. There is no place on earth I would rather live. We have been blessed in countless ways, and we have been a blessing to the whole world. Can you imagine what the world would be like today with no Unites States? Hitler and his fascist allies would have taken over the whole world, except for those parts living under the iron fist of Communism, or under the cruel terror of radical Islam.

*Over 30 years ago a Canadian TV commentator bragged on the U.S. this way:

-“This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous & possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth. Germany, Japan, and to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debts.

*None of these countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debts to the United States. When the franc was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it.

*The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into discouraged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans.

*I can name you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of other people in trouble. Can you name me even one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don’t think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake.

*Our neighbors have faced it alone, and I’m one Canadian who is . . . tired of hearing them get kicked around.” (1)

*Many people may hate us, but we have been blessed, and we are a blessing. At the same time, we are in danger as we reach our 231 birthday. The United States is under attack from forces outside and inside our country.

*We have fallen away from God in so many ways. As one example, think of our most prestigious universities. Most of them were founded to train Christian preachers. When Harvard was established in 1636, their statement of purpose said, “Every student’s main aim is to know Jesus Christ, and to recognize that Christ is the foundation of all learning.”

*When Yale was founded in 1701, they said that “God is the source of all wisdom.” And they required all their students to attend morning and evening [Christian] prayer services every day. (2)

*Can you imagine the howl, if they did that today?

*There are countless examples of America’s troubles. Secular liberals relentlessly oppose Biblical principles without regard to the damage done to children and families. Melvin Newland gave the example of a school teacher in New York who was fired from her job...

-Not because she was immoral...

-Not because she abused the children...

-Not because she used vulgar language...

*This teacher was fired after one of the little girls in her class tragically died. Grieving students naturally asked their teacher, “What happens when you die?”

*She told them that she thought the little girl was gone to heaven, then she said, “If you want to talk about this, I’ll be glad to meet with you after school is over.”

*29 of the children met with the teacher after school, and she told them about her faith in Jesus Christ. She told them she believed in heaven and that their friend was with God now and happy for all eternity. Then she prayed with the students. But one of the students who had not stayed was upset with the teacher and complained. So, the Christian teacher was fired. (3)

*Our Christian heritage is under constant attack today, but there is hope for America!

1. First, there is hope, if we pour out our praise to God. Christians, our lives should be filled with praise. God calls us to praise Him in vs. 1-3:

1. Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.

2. Praise the Lord with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.

3. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

*“Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones!” How are we going to get there? How are we ever going to be righteous ones? There is only one way, and we can see it in the previous Psalm. Take a look at Psalm 32:1-5...

1. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.

2. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile.