OPEN: A lot of important things can happen to a person while they sleep. For example:
1. Genesis 2:21 tells of someone who had surgery performed on him while he slept.
Who was that? (Adam)
2. Genesis 28:11-15 tells of a man who slept at Bethel and dreamed about angels.
Who was that? (Jacob)
3. Genesis 15:12-16 tells us someone spoke to Abram while he was in a deep sleep. Who spoke to Abram? (God. He “cut” a covenant with Abram promising son and reassured Abram of his promises)
4. One of the books of the prophets speaks of a man who slept in the bottom of a ship as it rolled in a storm. Who was that? (Jonah)
5. Judges 16 tells of a man who slept through a haircut. (Samson)
Like I said, a lot of important things can happen to a person while they sleep. But in the Bible, one of the most important things that happened to someone - while they slept - was that God often gave them dreams.
Here in Genesis 37 we have the story of God giving Joseph 2 dreams with one basic message:
Joseph would someday become a great man.
But Joseph’s dreams also told him about two other things
#1 The dreams were from God. This meant: this was something God would make happen.
#2 Joseph’s dreams would influence more than just himself. They would also affect his brothers and parents.
You see, Joseph’s dreams were only PARTLY about Joseph.
The dreams were a promise from God that Joseph was going to be used by God.
Joseph was part of a larger plan.
Through Joseph, God was going to bring the people of Israel down into Egypt, and in Egypt…
· The people of Israel would be isolated from the influences of other nations and religions in a part of Egypt called “the land of Goshen” because the Israelites were sheepherders and the Egyptians were vegetarians. The Egyptians really didn’t want much to do with them socially – but because of Joseph they were kind toward his descendents.
· Over time Israel grew into a mighty people of somewhere between 2 to 4 million people. And they were able to do that because they were protected by the military might of Egypt. Other nations couldn’t attack them and kill their people.
· And it was in Egypt that Israel became a unified people.
… unified by their common pain of slavery
… and unified their common belief in the one true God.
When Israel left Egypt (by the mighty hand of God) they were prepared mentally and physically to return and to take possession of the land God had promised them through Abraham 100s of years before.
And all this came to pass because God gave Joseph a couple of dreams while he slept.
Dreams are powerful things.
Particularly when it’s God who gives them to us.
Our nation was founded on a dream.
It was a dream that many of us believe was given to us by God.
In the 2nd paragraph of the Declaration of Independence we’re told of that dream:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The founders of our nation believed the promise from Psalm 33:12
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD…”
And they believed that – for our nation to be blessed – it should protect the unalienable rights that their Creator desired for them: amongst which were “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”
The Preamble to the Constitution of our United States declared:
“We the people, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.”
Our nation’s founders had a desire to form a more perfect union than man had ever considered. Theirs was a desire to establish a nation based upon Christian principles. And they believed these Christian principles would bring about…
1. the establishment of justice
2. Domestic tranquility
3. the basis for a common defense
4. provide for the general welfare of its people
5. and secure the blessings of God for the liberty for themselves and those who came after them.
They deliberately intended this to be a nation established to be UNDER GOD.
Christian principles were interwoven into the very fabric of how our nation began.
In one of his most famous speeches, Patrick Henry declared something our nation’s current school textbooks have ignored:
"An appeal to arms AND THE GOD OF HOSTS is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. THERE IS A JUST GOD that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not to the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."
James Madison, the primary author of the Constitution of the United States, said this: ’"We have staked the whole future of our new nation NOT upon the power of government; far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitutions upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments."’
George Washington, appealed to God while he was President
"Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United states at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
It was the intention of our founding Fathers to weave into our nation Biblical principles.
But how did they do that?
First they deliberately acknowledged God throughout their founding documents.
ILLUS: Dr. Larry Arnn - president of Hillsdale College in Michigan - called The Declaration of Independence "a most remarkable declaration." And “it’s really a beautiful thing if you put the four places that God is mentioned together in the declaration.
· He’s mentioned as the maker of the laws of nature – which makes him a legislator.
· He’s mentioned as the supreme judge of the world – which makes him a judge.
· He’s mentioned as divine providence – which makes him an executive.
· And he’s mentioned as the creator – which is like being a founder"
Arnn stated that if you look closely at The Declaration of Independence you see that “it is an appeal to heaven.” (from an article on "Townhall.com")
Our nation’s founders realized they could make a lasting nation if God weren’t in it.
Once the Declaration of Independence was signed, the original document ordered that copies of the Declaration be sent first NOT to town clerks or newspapers but to parish ministers, who were "required to read the same to their respective congregations, as soon as divine service is ended, in the afternoon, on the first Lord’s day after they have received it."
The Declaration was a document dedicated to God - and it was a document to be given first to those who worshipped God.
So, 1st our founders deliberately acknowledged God throughout their founding documents.
2nd - they deliberately based their laws upon the Bible.
When our nation was founded it could have chosen any of Europe’s legal systems.
And being from the British Empire they could simply have copied England’s laws.
But the legal system of England was part of what they had rebelled against.
So, instead they turned to an English legal scholar by the name of Sir William Blackstone.
Blackstone’s commentaries literally became the Bible of American jurisprudence.
All of our nation’s original legal thinking was based almost exclusively on Blackstone.
What made Blackstone’s legal commentaries so unique was that he quoted extensively from Bible. If he set forth a legal principle, he used Scripture to justify it.
Thus you couldn’t be a lawyer in early America without knowing and understanding Scripture.
Repeatedly, our Founding Fathers quoted from the Bible,
They often spoke of the power and majesty of God.
And many prayed for Christ to bless our nation.
But now, wait a minute!
Isn’t there something in our Constitution, or in one of our nation’s original documents that says something about “the Separation of Church and State”?
Well, actually, those words aren’t anywhere in our nation’s founding documents. They were written by a man by the name of Thomas Jefferson. You remember him don’t you? He was the principle author of the Declaration of Independence, and became our nation’s 3rd President.
In 1802 the Danbury Baptist Church expressed concern that our nation was on the verge of creating a “national church denomination” such as many of the nations in Europe had done. Jefferson wrote them a letter clarifying that this would never happen because America had built a wall of separation between Church and State that forbade our nation from ever imposing its will upon the churches of our country.
But did Jefferson believe in the “separation of Church and State” as the ACLU and others often declare? That would seem odd, since 2 days after writing that letter to the Danbury Baptists - Jefferson rode his horse over to the House of Representatives to attend church that was regularly held in it’s chambers.
In fact, during his presidency, Jefferson…
o authorized at least one congregation to worship in the Treasury building.
o signed legislation that gave land to Indian missionaries
o put chaplains on the government payroll
o and paid for the construction of at least one church building using government money
It is obvious that those who quote Jefferson either don’t understand what he meant… or don’t care.
But the point is clear: even Jefferson believed his nation should be based upon Biblical teachings.
Now - does this mean America is a Christian Nation?
Oh no. That would be a logical absurdity.
Only an individual can be a Christian – and they do that by…
Ø believing that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God
Ø repenting of their past sins
Ø confessing Jesus as their master
Ø and being buried in the waters of Baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
But a nation can’t do those things.
However, a nation can be blessed if it has a large number of people be believers.
And it can be really blessed if its rulers and laws are guided by Christian principles.
ILLUS: In 1954 then Chief Justice Earl Warren said that the history of our country and the documents/charter exhibit the same objective: "A Christian land governed by Christian principles . . ."
For a Nation to be “Christian” presumes that that nation will give glory to Christ
And America has not always done that.
And the reason America has not always done that is because each generation of such a nation would have to reaffirm commitment to Christ.
To call America a Christian Nation would also presume that the founders of our nation were all Christians. And unfortunately, many were not.
But our founders realized that – though they were mortals prone to weaknesses and failures God’s Word perfect and God Himself was faithful.
They believed that if they set our nation on the firm foundation of God and His Word they would form a more perfect union that would “establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.”
And history has born them out.
Though our nation has been far from perfect it has often reflected the God our founders believed in.
CLOSE: In the 1830’s Alexis de Tocqueville toured America. When his tour had been completed, he made this observation:
"I have toured America, and I have seen most of what you offer.
I’ve seen the richness of the fields and the wealth of your mines.
I’ve seen your industrial might, the beauties of the rivers…
…the streams, the lakes, and the grandeur of the mountains.
I’ve noticed the abundance of the forests & the marvelous climate with which you are blessed
In none of these things did I see the cause for the greatness of America.
It wasn’t until I went into your churches that I saw the reason for America’s greatness.
America is great because America is good;
and as long as America is good, America will be great.
If it ever ceases to be good, it will cease to be great."
America is Great because God placed a dream into the souls of our nation’s founders.
And dreams are powerful things - particularly when it’s God who gives them to us.
God gave dreams to Joseph.
And He gave a dream to Israel.
And He’s given dream to various individuals and groups of people down through history.
But the most important dream God has is the one He has for you. His dream for you is that you would become His child
(Give the invitation)
