One Nation Under God

One Nation Under God

Scripture Reference: Psalm 33:1-12

Introduction

Last nights final of the U.S. Open Tennis championship was an awesome display of power and skill. Venus and Serena Williams served balls upwards of over 100 mph.

These were two sisters, ranked number one and number two in the world, a total of 12 championships between them. Venus with her power serve and long reach, Serena with her powerful backhand brought determination and dominance to the court.

Venus wearing her traditional tennis attire, Serena with her new non-traditional black lacquer tennis wear played under the array of bright lights, camera shots, and some pulling for one, some pulling for the other. It didn’t matter who you cheered for or booed for they would not be divided at the end of the match.

Despite their individual accomplishments, their individual ranking on the tennis circuit, their individual personalities, their individual styles and dress, their individual play, they are still one family under Richard Williams, who is both father and coach.

There is another statement of unity or oneness that should effect all of us in the room…

The Pledge of Allegiance

I pledge allegiance to the flag,

Of the United States of America,

And to the republic for which it stands,

One nation, under God, indivisible

With liberty and justice for all.

Did you since the unity in the pledge? United States…One nation…under God (not gods)…Indivisible…and it ends – For All.

Billy Graham, in and address to a congressional prayer breakfast said he believed that there were many times in the history of America when certain men stood for God and changed the course of its destiny.

For example, at the first Constitutional Convention, the delegates were frustrated due to the burdens of the hour. They were burdened and harassed by tremendous crisis.

They were so fragmented that they were just about to throw out the whole concept of a constitution completely. Just then an old white-haired man by the name of Benjamin Franklin rose to his feet and said:

Gentlemen, if it is true that not one single petal from any flower falls to the ground

without escaping God’s attention, will the distress of this nation go unheeded? Let us therefore determine to seek His face.

They promptly got down on their knees and when they arose from prayer, the slogan, E Pluribus Unum was born: ONE OUT OF MANY.

What about some of the ones found in the Bible?

1. Genesis 2:24 – Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

2. Genesis 11: 1. And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

3. Deuteronomy 6: 4. Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord

4. Psalm 14: 3. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

5. John 17:20. ``I am not praying for these alone but also for the future believers who will come to me because of the testimony of these. 21. My prayer for all of them is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as you and I are, Father--that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me.(Living Bible)

6. Ephesians 4:4 We are all parts of one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future. 5. For us there is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6. and we all have the same God and Father who is over us all and in us all, and living through every part of us.(Living Bible)

Transition

That’s what we seek to celebrate this morning…setting straight the record that we are One Nation Under God.

33:1–22 This psalm is a general hymn of praise. Its two primary themes are: 1) Yahweh is the Lord of nature, and 2) He is Lord of history. In biblical thought, these realms are always related; the Creator sovereignly rules over His total creation, over all creatures throughout time.

I. The Prelude of Praise (33:1–3)

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

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.

Now, all of us are in the practice of praise. We praise our children when they have completed a certain assignment. We praise them when their behavior has connected with our instruction.

We praise our spouses as a way of encouragement and motivation. We give praise to our co-workers for a job well done or our supervisors for taking strong stands against head management.