HOW TO MAKE THIS A TRUE MEMORIAL DAY
BY
DR. JERRY FALWELL
A. THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
1. I am going to begin by reading from the Declaration of Independence because it has some solid biblical truth I want you to hear.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776.
2. The Declaration of Independence is the greatest document (outside the Bible) in the history of mankind.
Because it promises the greatest good.
Because it has impacted the greatest number of people.
Because it provided the greatest quality of living.
Because it produced the greatest nation;
And that nation provided the greatest freedom in history,
And led to the greatest advancement of mankind this world has ever known.
3. Four Christian “Self-Evident Truths” our founding fathers believed all came from the Word of God.
a. They believed in a Creator.
(note: They capitalized the word Creator which shows their respect for God.)
b. They believed that God created them in His own image.
(note: All are created by God.)
(note: They made no allowance for evolution).
(note: God gave them right of personality, i.e. intellect, emotion and will.)
c. They believed in supernatural acts, i.e. that a supernatural Being began this universe and is responsible for giving people the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
d. They believed in moral absolutes or absolute truths which our Fathers call “inalienable rights,” and self-evident truths. (Government cannot give these rights, so Government cannot take them away. These rights came from God.
(note: Today they are called “civil rights.” I believe Government doesn’t gives us these rights . . . Government recognizes these rights.)
B. The Mayflower Compact, November, 1620.
This is the document that gave the direction to this nation.
1. “In the Name of God Almighty, we whose names are underwritten . . . having undertaken for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, . . . a voyage to plan the first colony in northern Virginia (they were in Massachusetts); do by these present, solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politick . . .”
2. Three biblical truths those on board the Mayflower believed:
(a) They believed the new nation would glorify God.
(b) They believed the new nation would extend Christianity, i.e. “the advancement of the Christian faith.”
(c) They believed their authority was from God. They planted a colony “in the name of Almighty God.” What have you done in the name of God or for the glory of God?
C. THREE BIBLE REFERENCES
“Blessed is the nation, whose God is the Lord”
(Ps. 33:72). This verse tells me God has blessed America because we have made God to be our Lord. What will happen when we make other things our Lord, i.e. money, sex greed, pleasure, etc.?
“Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34). The Bible promises that we would be blessed when we followed righteousness, and we have had abundant blessings. The Bible also promises that when we follow sin, it will be our reproach.
“The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Ps. 9:17). God hates our sin, and God will judge our sin. I believe God doesn’t hate America and I hope God doesn’t judge America.
D. AMERICA IS A CHRISTIAN NATION BECAUSE:
1. It was Christians who first came to America for Christian purposes.
2. It was Christians who wrote the Declaration of Independence and included their belief of God in its Preamble.
3. It is Christians who wrote our Constitution on a Christian view of law. They did not found our nation on Christian laws, but on God’s laws, which are absolute truth and absolute morality.
4. Christianity has been the largest religious body in America.
E. OUR FATHERS FOUNDED THIS NATION:
1. For the glory of God.
2. Based on rights given to them by God.
3. Seeking the blessing of God.
4. Did not America pray and fast in times of war and national emergency?
5. Did not America claim to be “One nation under God” in its slogans?
6. Did not America put “In God we trust” on its coins?
7. Did not America inaugurate its presidents with a hand on the Bible and ask them to pledge “So help me God?”
8. Has not America portrayed itself as a Christian nation which depends on God for help?
9. Has not America held out its missionary hand to every other nation of the world?
E. AMERICA’S LEGAL DEMISE
1. Prohibited the reading of Scripture in public school.
2. Prohibited prayer in public school.
3. Prohibited a Christian manger scene during Christmas in public places.
4. Prohibited the posting of the 10 Commandments.
5. Prohibited (Arkansas Supreme Court) the teaching of Creation in public schools along with evolution.
6. Allowed abortion (Roe v. Wade, 1973).
7. Allowed homosexuality in the military (Don’t Tell, Don’t Ask).
F. AMERICA’S SOCIAL DEMISE
1. America is turning away from Christian values of family, sexual purity, correct speech, and church attendance. Turning to and embracing the filthy speech movement, state approved gambling, and allowing the distribution of X-rated movies and books.
2. America is turning away from recognition of Christian holidays, Christian worship and Christian symbols. Turning to and allowing demonic expressions, New Age rituals, and embracing secular humanism.
3. America is turning away from recognition of God as Creator and embracing atheistic evolutionism.
4. America is turning away from recognizing our Christian heritage, while turning to those who are re-writing history to exclude any reference to the influence of God or the Bible in our past.
5. In the 1996 Presidential election, 68% of the electorate said character in the President was NOT an issue. The problem is not the lack of character in the American President, the problem is 68% of Americans voted against character and morality.
G. WHAT MUST AMERICA DO?
1. The Christians must seize the initiative.
We don’t need to point our finger at the non-Christian or the rebellious Christian. It is up to Christians to take the offensive . . . The hope of America is in the lap of Bible-believing Christians.
“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” (II Chronicles 7:14).
2. Revival Formula: (2 X 7 = 14)
(The reference is Second Chronicles which equals 2, the reference is Chapter 7, verse 14. This passage has 4 conditions and 3 promises which equal seven.)
a. 4 Conditions -
(1) Humble
(2) Pray
(3) Seek God
(4) Repent
b. 3 Results -
(1) Hear
(2) Forgive
(3) Heal land
H. 7 THINGS I WANT YOU TO DO
1. First, we must recognize the inalienable rights of absolute truth. We must have right living . . . right thinking . . . right solutions
. . . and right principles; all are found in God’s eternal truth and God’s absolute morality.
2. Second, we must recognize and return to America’s obligation to the Creator, the One we originally recognized in the Declaration of Independence. We must recognize God’s providential care of this nation and His blessing on our people.
3. Third, we must recognize that every American has rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness BECAUSE they were created in the image of his/her Creator. Therefore, every American has vast potential because of liberty but vast obligations to insure the liberties of everyone else. We have obligations to our government that protects liberties, to our way of life that provides liberty and to our heritage to guarantee future liberty.
4. Fourth, we must repent for our sin and rebellion. We must forsake the pursuit of selfish pleasures just for the sake of pleasure. We must forsake the selfish indulgence in sexual pursuits, just for the pursuit of sex. We need conviction to be ashamed of our sin and we need guilt that makes us afraid of God’s punishment on our sin.
5. Fifth, we must confess our national sin. We must recognize that our national sin will bring God’s judgment on the nation. So we must confess it and beg God to turn His judgment from this nation.
6. In the sixth place, we must fast and pray for revival. Fasting is not just making it hard on yourself at meal time. The Hebrew word for fast describes what happens to us when we go through an emergency. In the middle of a hurricane, we don’t think about eating, we work to survive. When our car breaks down in a snow storm, we don’t look through our pockets for something to eat. We look for a shovel, or warm clothes; we concentrate on survival. America is in danger. We must fast
. . . go without food . . . we must pray . . . begging God to forgive us and send revival.
7. Seventh, we must not give up hope. As bad as our nation is because of abortion, America is the best place to worship God in the world. As bad as drug-abuse, robberies, rape and violence is in America, this is still the best place in the world to live. As terrible as America is in turning away from Bible reading and prayer in the public schools and embracing atheistic evolution; America can have revival.
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord,
I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.
For more information on the TRBC Pastor’s Bible Class, log on to the Internet for TRBC Home page at www.trbc.org/pbc.
