HOW LONG WILL GOD STRIVE WITH AMERICA?
Judges 10:10-14, Ezekiel 16:47-52, Genesis 18,19
INTRO: I started the series in Judges partly because I saw America in the period of the Judges. And as I was studying for this week’s installment, I saw the ultimate future of America if she doesn’t change her ways. In fact I almost had everything together for the sermon on Jephthah and the Lord brought this to my mind. I think it was the Lord and the combination of current events. But I was reading over Judges 10 in preparation and came across these verses again…
Judges 10 10 Then the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against You, for indeed, we have forsaken our God and served the Baals.” 11 The LORD said to the sons of Israel, “Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines? 12 Also when the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you, you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hands. 13 Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you. 14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress.”
I sat there and thought about these verses, and first of all, I looked at my own life. How many times have I put God in the situation the Israelites put Him in? To get God so angry that He would make a statement like this, they had to really tick Him off. And it hit home for me Tuesday night when I was driving the kid’s home from Bible school. One of children (who shall remain nameless, but he’s male and our firstborn) was doing something to one of his siblings, and I told him I don’t know how many times to stop, and he continued. Finally, I had enough. And in that moment when I was about to lose it, I realized what God must feel like when we continue to do the same things over and over. But as I explained to the kid’s, God is patient, and sometimes daddy needs to learn some patience too, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that they don’t listen or disobey.
Then Wednesday rolled around, and this verse hit me like a ton of bricks. The Supreme Court had ruled against the Defense of Marriage Act, and even though they didn’t necessarily legalize gay marriage, they basically opened the door for it to be legalized not too far down the road. And my thoughts went to these verses again and I thought about our country and the direction we’re heading in; not only the ruling that came down, but the reaction to it.
The church bells of the National Cathedral in Washington, DC rang for an hour straight on Wednesday. People around the cathedral were dumbfounded and wondered what was going on, maybe the bells were broken or a practical joke was being played. But the bells in the National Cathedral were ringing for an hour straight in celebration of the Supreme Court decision to basically overturn the Defense of Marriage Act. And I thought to myself, where is this country heading, and how long is God going to put up with America?
Then I read something from a letter Billy Graham wrote about a year ago, and it was posted on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website: “Some years ago, my wife, Ruth, was reading the draft of a book I was writing. When she finished a section describing the terrible downward spiral of our nation’s moral standards and the idolatry of worshiping false gods such as technology and sex, she startled me by exclaiming, “If God doesn’t punish America, He’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.” I don’t know exactly when she said those words, but she died in 2007, so it was before that. Look how much deeper into spiritual decay this nation has plunged into since then. She was so right by what she said, and that is what we’re going to be looking at today.
The 4th of July is Thursday. America will be 237 years old. Look at the path we’ve taken in those 237 years. Look at the path we’ve taken in the past 50-60 years. America is on a downward spiral. America is circling the drain. It’s exactly the same as we talk about in Judges, but how long will God extend His patience toward our nation? Those verses in Judges, the Lord said He wasn’t going to deliver the children of Israel anymore. Has America gotten to that point? Have we become like Sodom and Gomorrah? That’s why this morning I ask, “HOW LONG WILL GOD STRIVE WITH AMERICA?”
Ezekiel 16 47 Yet you have not merely walked in their ways or done according to their abominations; but, as if that were too little, you acted more corruptly in all your conduct than they. 48 As I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “Sodom, your sister and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. 49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not [ab]help the poor and needy. 50 Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them [ac]when I saw it. 51 Furthermore, Samaria did not commit half of your sins, for you have multiplied your abominations more than they. Thus you have made your sisters appear righteous by all your abominations which you have committed. 52 Also bear your disgrace in that you have [ad]made judgment favorable for your sisters. Because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. Yes, be also ashamed and bear your disgrace, in that you made your sisters appear righteous.
Ezekiel tells the people here that compared to the sinful acts of the people of his day, Sodom and Gomorrah look righteous, and he told them they should be disgraced because of it. And this I believe is where America is today. I believe we are making Sodom and Gomorrah look righteous. As Ruth Graham said, if God doesn’t punish us, He should apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is perhaps one of the most tragic and horrible stories in the entire Bible. And I will have to admit, listening to this story is very difficult. Bob and Pat and I talked about how the Old Testament can be gruesome at times, and especially the times of war. The book of Judges has some pretty grizzly stories, but I would much rather be there this morning than talking about Sodom and Gomorrah. But this is where I believe America is. We are the modern equivalent of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Here in America today, we are in a place spiritually, where we really don’t belong. Why? We are taking up issues that we don’t need to be taking up, because God Himself has already established how we should live and conduct ourselves. That was established back on Mt. Sinai. But today, here in the year 2013 many are sticking their fingers in the very face of God and are telling Him that they don’t accept His way anymore; they want to do and are going to do what they want to do. Many today, here in the year 2013 are treating God’s Word as if they are just words printed on a piece of paper. Many today, are engaging in an open rebellion against the Creator the universe and of all things. And the story of Sodom and Gomorrah isn’t a popular one in today’s society. Because it shows that God will bring judgment on those who don’t follow His ways. So the story of Sodom and Gomorrah just does not sit well with people today. But we’re going to go through it this morning. Not in detail, but we’re going to compare Sodom and Gomorrah to our country and see how we fair.
I)THE WICKEDNESS OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH REACHED HEAVEN ITSELF (GEN 18:16-21, 19:13) 16 Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. 17 The LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 since Abraham will surely become a great and [r]mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? 19 For I have [s]chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.” 20 And the LORD said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. 21 I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
Gen 19 13 for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the LORD that the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”
In Genesis 13: 13 we read, "But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord, exceedingly so."
In Genesis 18,19 Christ Himself and 2 angels came down to see what’s going on in Sodom and Gomorrah. The sin of these cities had reached a point where something needed to be done about it. Christ told Abraham that the sin of these cities was exceedingly grave. Which means it was severe. It required attention. And it got the attention of heaven.
America today has the attention of heaven. (And not in a good sense either) I believe the sins of this country have reached the point that we’ve gotten heaven’s attention just as Sodom and Gomorrah caught heaven’s attention back then.
Ezekiel 16 49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not [ab]help the poor and needy. 50 Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them [ac]when I saw it.
Today, America is arrogant. Everyone around the world considers us fat and happy, happy, happy. (“abundant food and careless ease” NASB, “fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness” KJV, “overfed and unconcerned” NIV) If that doesn’t describe America, I don’t know what does. And we have committed and continue to commit abominations before the Lord.
Statistics: In 2008, approximately 1.21 million abortions took place in the U.S., down from an estimated 1.29 million in 2002, 1.31 million in 2000 and 1.36 million in 1996. From 1973 through 2008, nearly 50 million legal abortions have occurred in the U.S. (AGI). Based on available state-level data an estimated 1.16 million abortions were performed in 2009, 1.13 million were performed in 2010, and 1.06 million in 2011.
On average, women give at least 3 reasons for choosing abortion: 3/4 say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or other responsibilities; about 3/4 say they cannot afford a child; and 1/2 say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner (AGI).
Only 12% of women included a physical problem with their health among reasons for having an abortion (NAF).
One per cent (of aborting women) reported that they were the survivors of rape (NAF).
As of May 2013, there are nine states—Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Washington—as well as the District of Columbia and three Native American tribes— who have legalized same-sex marriage, representing 15.7% of the U.S. population. Homosexuals can marry one another in these states as well as adopt children in order to create what they call a family unit.
Now these aren’t the only abominations in our country today, but these 2 are the 2 main issues of today. And God is taking notice.
II)GOD EXTENDED MERCY TO THE PEOPLE OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH (GEN. 18:22-33) 22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the LORD. 23 Abraham came near and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not [t]spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from You to do [u]such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth [v]deal justly?” 26 So the LORD said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will [w]spare the whole place on their account.” 27 And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have [x]ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the whole city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 He spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” 30 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 And he said, “Now behold, I have [y]ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” 32 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once; suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.” 33 As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the LORD departed, and Abraham returned to his place.
Genesis 6 3 Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not [b]strive with man forever, [c]because he also is flesh;
What does it mean when it says that God’s Spirit won’t always strive with men? It is an energy of God applied to the mind of man, setting truth before his mind, reasoning, convincing, and persuading. We can call it our conscience or the pulling of the Holy Spirit.
How do we known when the Spirit of God strives with an individual? (1) When a man is aware of his spiritual condition; that he is a depraved being (2) when a man finds himself convinced of sin; realizes sin is real (3) when the mind is convicted of the great guilt and separation of sin; (4) when men see the folly of seeking salvation in any other way than through Christ alone.
So how do we know whether or not God is still striving with America? Are we aware of our spiritual condition as a nation? No, we think everything is going great. Do we have the realization as a nation that sin is real? That’s a BIG NO! America believes she can get away with murder. The mantra of the day is, do whatever you feel like. Is America convicted about her sin? Even bigger no! If you don’t believe there is sin, how can you be convicted of it? And is America seeking salvation through Christ alone? America has a “special of the day” mentality when it comes to salvation. You know you go into a restaurant or diner and they have the special for that day on the chalkboard. Well that’s how America approaches salvation, whatever is popular for that day is what she believes. When something new comes along that looks better and is more attractive, she changes. There are no absolutes anymore, according to her. And where Christ was once THE WAY, now He might be “a way” to get to heaven.
III)GOD’S MERCY WAS REJECTED BY SODOM AND GOMORRAH (GEN. 19:1-13) 1Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and [a]bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 And he said, “Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant’s house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” They said however, “No, but we shall spend the night in the square.” 3 Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 Before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people [b]from every quarter; 5 and they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may [c]have relations with them.” 6 But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. 8 Now behold, I have two daughters who have not [d]had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them [e]whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the [f]shelter of my roof.” 9 But they said, “Stand aside.” Furthermore, they said, “This one came in [g]as an alien, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them.” So they pressed hard against [h]Lot and came near to break the door. 10 But the men reached out their [i]hands and brought Lot into the house [j]with them, and shut the door. 11 They [k]struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway.
The History Channel, airs a series entitled "Histories Mysteries". And one of their programs in the series was titled "Sodom and Gomorrah." The video features the ancient biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and presents information from skeptics who doubt the Bible’s accuracy concerning what led to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
In the video, “experts” stated that it was not sexual perversion that caused these cities destruction, it was simply their lack of hospitality towards their guest like the two angels. The video completely overlooked what was written in the Word of God concerning Sodom and Gomorrah.
Jude 1:7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after [g]strange flesh, are exhibited as an [h]example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.
The term "went after strange flesh" is the sin of sexual perversion, whether it be homosexuality, or whatever else.
In fact, without going into too much detail, we all know what the men of the city were asking of Lot here in Genesis 19. But look at what happens after the angel struck all these men blind when they tried to break down the door to get inside. 11 They [k]struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves trying to find the doorway. Even after the angel struck all these men blind, they were still trying to find the door to get into Lot’s house so they could do what they wished to do in the first place. Their lust for sinful desires was so great that even being struck blind by an angel didn’t stop them from trying to satisfy that desire.
These were men who would stop at nothing to fulfill the lusts and wants of the flesh. And that’s a picture of America today. People will trample other people to death in a Walmart line just to get the latest and greatest electronics for themselves. Selfishness and selfish desires are all around us in this country. Everything is Me, Me, Me. And God is taking notice.
And the worst part is they don’t want to hear what God has to say about it. Jeremiah 36 tells of Jehudi reading the scrolls (Word of God), and he ordered portions of the scripture to be cut out and burned. Why did Jehudi order that pages or columns from the Word of God be destroyed? He was highly displeased with what had been read, and could not hear any longer with patience. It was the Word of God, but he disapproved of what God said, so he tried to get rid of it. Can you even imagine the utter arrogance of this man? Let me say it again, he disapproved of what God said—and so, he took it upon himself to cast it into the fire, and there let it lie, until it was completely consumed; a very ungodly action I must say, to burn the word of God? This is evident of an ungodly mind, what this man did that day proved without a doubt that he had enmity in his heart against God. Well, what does this say about America today? When we openly embrace sin that God clearly says in His Word is an abomination to Him. Instead of listening to His Word, we just remove or don’t adhere to the parts we disagree with.
IV)GOD’S WRATH WAS POURED OUT ON SODOM AND GOMORRAH (GEN. 19:23-25) The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, 25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the [w]valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
Why did God punish and eventually destroy Sodom and Gomorrah? Again, God’s answer can be found there in the book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel 16 49 Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not [ab]help the poor and needy. 50 Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them [ac]when I saw it.
They did not want God to have anything to do with their lives, they refused to accept His presence—they did not approve of God, recognize Him, and acknowledge Him, therefore, they were given up to a reprobate mind and eventually wiped off the face of the earth.
Romans 1 28 And just as they did not see fit [u]to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, [v]haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
God—the only living and true God—shows wrath by giving men and women up to vile, unnatural affections. Has God given America over to her vile affections?
CONCLUSION I wonder what Ruth would think of America if she were alive today? In the years since she made that remark, millions of babies have been aborted and our nation seems largely unconcerned. Self-centered indulgence, pride, and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems of the American lifestyle. After Billy Graham posted that letter on his website he received some undue criticism by a few other men of God, one in particular labeled it “unhelpful at best, and biblically irresponsible at worst.” This was a pastor saying this. One person even said that Billy Graham’s letter was preaching “hellfire and brimstone”, and criticized him for doing so.
Now I know I’ve been pretty rough on our country this morning, but I think we need to be even tougher on ourselves and the church in America. What are we doing to stop this? Are we just sitting idly by and watching America go down the tubes? You know why God hasn’t destroyed America like He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah? It’s because of the righteous. He told Abraham that He wouldn’t destroy the cities if there were enough righteous people in them, and I believe the righteous in America are holding God’s judgment at bay right now. But the righteous are getting fewer and fewer. Even churches today are buying into the lies that are being perpetuated by Satan. The battle is being lost. The Church needs people who will stand up for her, who will stand up for God. God is looking for someone who will stand in the gap for Him. We need to be those people. He needs to hear us say, “Here I am send me”.
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Our land needs to be healed. Will you pray with me for her…
