America Oh America
Lamentations 1:1-8 Monte T. Brown
March 22, 2009 Sunday Morning
Heart O’ the Hills
Prelude
Last Saturday we watched the movie Fireproof. In that movie, we learned the importance of fireproofing your marriage. However, in life one must fireproof several things, our children, our families, our jobs, and our country.
I see that in the large picture America is in need of being fireproofed.
This morning I would like to speak to you concerning America. Our country is in trouble, we seem to have lost our core values, our scene of right and wrong.
America Oh America what shall we do.
It has been said that we can learn from history, so what better book to go to than the greatest history book of all, the Bible.
Please stand with me this morning as we read from Lamentations 1:1-8 and look at one country in history that seems to have the same start as America.
Scripture
1 How lonely sits the city That was full of people! How like a widow is she, Who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces Has become a slave!
2 She weeps bitterly in the night, Her tears are on her cheeks; Among all her lovers She has none to comfort her. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; They have become her enemies.
3 Judah has gone into captivity, Under affliction and hard servitude; She dwells among the nations, She finds no rest; All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.
4 The roads to Zion mourn Because no one comes to the set feasts. All her gates are desolate; Her priests sigh, Her virgins are afflicted, And she is in bitterness.
5 Her adversaries have become the master, Her enemies prosper; For the Lord has afflicted her Because of the multitude of her transgressions. Her children have gone into captivity before the enemy.
6 And from the daughter of Zion All her splendor has departed. Her princes have become like deer That find no pasture, That flee without strength Before the pursuer.
7 In the days of her affliction and roaming, Jerusalem remembers all her pleasant things That she had in the days of old. When her people fell into the hand of the enemy, With no one to help her, The adversaries saw her And mocked at her downfall.
8 Jerusalem has sinned gravely, Therefore she has become vile. All who honored her despise her Because they have seen her nakedness; Yes, she sighs and turns away. Lamentations 1:1-8
Prayer
Introduction
Look around you today it seems that there is a parallel between Jerusalem (Israel) and America.
Jerusalem Oh Jerusalem
God had led his people into the promise land and had blessed them greatly. They had great cities, great allies that respected them. However, in their greatness they forgot the one who had blessed them. Jerusalem was a great city that was lonely, its people where in mourning (verse 2), their allies had forsaken them (verse 2). Jerusalem had been uprooted from their land and placed in captivity (verse 3) and their temple had been violated (verse 10), because of their multitude of sins (verses 5, 8). This was the judgment from the righteous God (verse 18).
America Oh America
God had led a people searching for freedom unto their promise land called America. A land where they could worship God freely and God blessed them with prosperity, allies that respected them, and a heart of compassion for others. However, in their greatness they are beginning to forget the one who had blessed them.
Are we not seeing America the great, becoming America the lonely, are we not seeing its people becoming slaves to money and placed in the bondage of debt. Are not her temples violated and the land covered with a multitude of sins?
Blessed then Judged
You see there really is a parallel between Jerusalem and America.
Jerusalem
God lead a group of people to a promise land and that group of people became a great nation. They where fruitful and multiplied, respected by other nations. There capitol Jerusalem was a place where God dwelled. Its precepts and integrity rang forth the law of God. Israel truly was a country that could say In God We Trust.
Then there leaders turned away from God’s law and sought out the pleasures of the world. They welcomed in other gods, lusted for money and became in debt to another nation.
Then they were in bondage and God no longer blessed them and their nation was in ruins.
America
God lead a group of people to a promise land and that group of people became a great nation. They where fruitful and multiplied, respected by other nations. There capitol Washington D.C. was a place where God dwelled. Its precepts and integrity rang forth the law of God. America truly was a country that could say In God We Trust.
Then there leaders turned away from God’s law and sought out the pleasures of the world. They welcomed in other gods, lusted for money and became in debt to another nations.
Now we are in bondage and in jeopardy of losing the blessings of God and our nation could someday be a nation in ruins.
Invitation
America Oh America what can we do.
Liston to the voice of God, 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
We need healing in America and it all starts with healing in our homes. We need to change we need to turn from our wicked ways and seek the face of God.
From the capitol steps to our steps at home, we need to hear from God.
Alex Rodriguez got busted recently for using steroids. We have all see it in the news, and we will hear and see about it for some time. But did A-Rod do something that Christians should use as an example?
I will certainly not condone the steroids Alex Rodriguez took to cheat the game of baseball. And Rodriguez didn’t become open until his
secret was exposed.
However, what I will glean from the handling of this situation is what A-Rod did after being caught. He confessed and became open about his mistakes.
Many baseball players have been caught using steroids. However, very few have been honest about it. Mark McGuire infamously said, I’m not here to talk about the past. He used this as a cop out attempt to not confess, but also to not get prosecuted.
Barry Bonds denies to this day that he never took steroids, and he is likely to go to jail for what appears to be a lie.
And we can not forget Roger Clemmons who flat out denied steroid use to Congress, and is now looking very guilty everyday.
One of the major problems I see in the church today is our lack of openness towards the areas in our life that we may be struggling with.
It is a rare case to see someone admit openly to a sin, and then be congratulated for it.
In fact, the church today is viewed as a place to go and appear holy.
We put on our nice clothes and our smiles as we go to church and act like our lives are going great.
When in reality statistics show that sin is just as prevalent in the church as it is out of the church.
The only difference... outside of the church people can be honest, but in the church, we are ridiculed.
The truth is until we can become open with our weaknesses, we can never fully live a Christian life. 1 Corinthians 12:9 tells us that only in our weaknesses can God become strong in our lives.
We are a broken and sinful people, and we cannot understand God’s grace until realize this, and that makes us strong children of God. (Written by Jacob Dawson)
Admit that we have wicked ways.
Believe that God can forgive us and heal our land.
Confess that God is the only way. He is our salvation.
