Moving The Landmarks

Moving the Landmarks

Proverbs 23:10-11

* After working on today’s message Sunday evening, Monday morning, and then all day Tuesday, I sensed God changing my direction. Before this, I sensed the timing was right to go back to Romans, pick up our study with chapter 9 and continue our verse by verse study of that letter.

* However, as I was using the internet for some research, I received a couple of emails which God used to speak to my heart about perhaps the most pressing issues facing us today. A lifelong friend (Carolyn Byrd) wrote and said, “I don’t think I have ever prayed this hard about an election.” Another email quoted Dr. Ed Young saying, to his 10,000 member congregation in Houston, “The Bible is the best voter’s guide you can find.”

* Dear folks, we are 48 hours in front of the most significant election in the history of the USA. While I don’t care to be political, I certainly need to be Biblical and there are some principles from the Bible which we need to consider if our country is to survive. Turn with me to Proverbs 23.

* It never ceases to amaze me at the “looks” I receive when I say, “If we are not careful, and this could well be the last time we get to elect a president.” Why do I say this? Because every time I find and read an article with the words “Without Firing a Shot” I see the characteristics stated in these articles abounding and growing in this culture. And with the wrong decision on Tuesday, life could really get hard.

* Here is what I know; The Framers and Fathers of our nation were and are deeper thinkers than any leader we have today. They ‘thought through’ the issues, debated the setup, and then wrote documents which leaders today can only read . For over 150 this country was the most respected, secure, and feared nation on earth. As I was told in high school American History class, “It used to be that people would fight all around our embassy, but would not breach the security out of fear and respect.”

* What has happened? Where has the respect and fear gone?

* After visiting the USA, the Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville said, “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” It is with this thought that we read Proverbs 23:10-11.

* The scripture says, “Don’t move the ancient property lines.” In other translations these property lines are called “boundary lines or landmarks.” The implication is simply, “Don’t move them.” This morning think with me about moving the landmarks.

Moving The Landmarks – Pg 2

* Two years ago we bought a house. As you know, in the process of buying a house a surveyor came out and set the boundary lines for our property. These lines show us what is legally ours. What would happen if I pulled up those stakes and moved them toward my neighbors land about 15 feet. Do you think my neighbor Tony would have something to say? Perhaps. But what if he chose to say nothing? And what if years passed, both properties changed hands without the keen eye of a surveyor, and now the placement of the original stake is hidden from sight. So the new owner of my house builds a fence and takes in property that doesn’t belong to him. What happens when a certified surveyor returns to place the marks? You have a mess, because the lines were erroneously moved.

* This morning I submit to you that the landmarks of this nation have been played with and moved around until only the trained eye of an objective surveyor can replace the boundary lines in the correct place.

1. National Landmarks – At this point, we are not talking about “Landmarks” like the Washington or Lincoln monument, but rather, those principles upon which the USA was founded. Consider with me the wording of the Preamble to the constitution. “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Do you hear all of those landmarks and boundaries? Time will not allow us to review them each one but it serves us well to know that the desire of our forefathers’ was to “promote general welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” You do know what this means? It means that every person should be blessed with the freedom and opportunity to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.” Please be reminded that this does not guarantee us these things, it only grants us the privilege to pursue them.