How To Bless America

INTRO.- All is not right in America, but all is not wrong either. Even though America is plagued with many problems…political, moral and spiritual…she is still the greatest country in the world! Of course, I am biased. I have known no other.

ILL.- Calvin Coolidge once said, “To live under the American constitution is the greatest political privilege God ever gave to mankind.” That sounds like he was saying, “To live in America is a great privilege.” AND IT IS!

ILL.- Herbert Hoover said, “My country owes me nothing. It gave me, as it gives every boy and girl, a chance. It gives me schooling, independence of action, opportunity for service, and honor. In no other land could a boy from a country village, without inheritance or influential friends, look forward with unbounded hope.” WE ARE BLESSED TO LIVE IN AMERICA!

ILL.- The perfect secretary had been chosen out of 5000 business college contestants. Pam MacAllister stood out a mile, the judges agreed. Her typing and shorthand skills were expert. She had “vitality, charm, courtesy, intelligence, etc.” As she was awarded the prize she was brought to the platform and the people cried out, “Speech! Speech!” She stepped to the podium and said, “BUT I DON’T WANT TO BE A SECRETARY!”

Here was a woman with all the right qualifications to be the perfect secretary and yet she didn’t want to be a secretary. I know that this doesn’t make much sense to most of us, but here’s the point I want to make. SHE HAD THE FREEDOM OF CHOICE. She had the right to choose her own way in the world.

We are blessed to live in this land of freedom!

ILL.- AMERICA IS FREEDOM...freedom to worship, or not to worship, where we choose, when we choose and how to choose...and to grant the same to every other person.

- AMERICA IS FREEDOM...freedom to work, or not to work...to succeed, or to fail...to use our brains, energies and persistence to produce wealth, jobs and security or even to settle for lesser goals. America is freedom to be ourselves, to let others be themselves.

- AMERICA IS FREEDOM...freedom to exercise our power at the polls...to vote for candidates of our choice...to remind our officials that they are elected and to serve and lead, not to rule and oppress.

- AMERICA IS FREEDOM...freedom to speak our minds without fear of reprisal...to express our thoughts as readily to our legislatures as to our families; as confidentially to our Congress as to our closest friends.

- AMERICA IS FREEDOM...freedom to shoulder responsibilities, to contribute worthy causes, to be good neighbors and caring citizens.

- AMERICA IS FREEDOM...freedom to enjoy, conserve and improve the best and greatest country on God’s green earth… the United States of America! Amen?

ILL.- Some years ago Richard DeVos, co-founder of the Amway Corporation, made a comparison of America and what was then the Soviet Union. He told what America would have to do to equal Russia.

We would have to rip up 13 of every 14 miles of our paved highways. We’d have to scrap 19 of every 20 cars and trucks and destroy over 2000 colleges. We’d have to destroy 7 out of every 10 single family houses and cut our living standard by 2/3’s! Any takers? I don’t think any of us would want to do these things. AMERICA IS THE LAND OF PLENTY! Just look around.

ILL.- When I was just a young man starting out in the working world in 1959 there were not many restaurants. I think maybe Dairy Queen, McDonald’s and I don’t remember what else. BUT LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE TODAY? We have more eating places in Jonesboro than you could count! We have an abundance of food in America and we eat it too! We have buffeted our bodies to the point that we are unhealthy. AMERICA IS THE LAND OF PLENTY! And it’s not just food. It’s anything and everything. Why do you think people in other countries are so envious of Americans? WE’VE GOT IT ALL.

We’ve been blessed! And God has most certainly blessed America. Someone put it this way, “We keep asking God to bless America. He already has. Now it’s our turn.”

PROP.- In this sermon I want us to consider what our text in Titus 3 reveals about how to bless America.

1- Be respectful of governmental authorities

2- Be diligent in your work

3- Be considerate of all people

I. BE RESPECTFUL OF GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITIES

V. 1 “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient....”

Rom. 13:1 “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities...”

ILL.- A wealthy man lay critically ill, “There’s only one thing that will save you,” his doctor said. “A brain transplant. It’s experimental and very expensive.” “Money is no object,” the man said. “Can you get a brain?”