America's Great Heritage and Hope
Psalm 85:1-13
Sermon by Rick Crandall
Grayson Baptist Church - July 2, 2014
*On July 4th, 1776, King George III of England wrote about the day in his diary, and this is what he wrote: "July 4, 1776: Nothing happened today." (1)
*He couldn't have been farther from the truth! -- Because up in Philadelphia, Congress adopted our Declaration of Independence. It begins with these words:
"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
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 United States of America was born on that day. Now 238 years later, we are about to celebrate the birthday of our country. Our country was born with the hope of help from above. And today we can still find the hope we need. Psalm 85 shows us how.
1. The first thing to do is remember God's rescues.
*Remember how God has helped us in the past. Remember how God has blessed us in the past. That's what the Psalmist did in vs. 1-3, where he lifted up this praise to God:
1. Lord, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah
3. You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.
*Here God "brought back the captivity of Jacob," and God has rescued His people many times.
[1] Think about the evidence of His rescue it in the history of our nation.
*God has intervened on our behalf time after time. In 1776, the British Empire had the most powerful army in the world. America had a rag-tag army of farmers and shop-owners. They were out-manned, out-gunned and out-financed. Without God's intervention, the colonies had no chance of winning the war against England. But God did intervene.
*For example, on Aug. 27, 1776, just weeks after the Declaration was signed, Washington's army of 8,000 men was trapped by the East River, near Brooklyn, NY. Nearby, 20,000 crack British soldiers were poised to attack, only waiting for their fleet. Washington desperately needed to evacuate his men across the mile-wide river, but their small boats could only hold a few men at a time. And Washington knew that when the sun came up, the boats would be sitting ducks for the British artillery.
*How did God help the Americans? -- First: sudden rains and a strong wind kept the British fleet from sailing. Then, when the sun came up on the fleeing Americans, an unusual fog formed and visibility dropped down to only 6 yards. That fog stayed put until the very last boat, carrying Washington himself, set off across the river.
*Then it suddenly lifted, and the British were stunned to see the empty shore. They fired their guns at Washington's boat, but by then, it was out of range. You could call it luck, but there is no such thing as luck. And the men who were there wrote in their diaries that it was the Hand of God. There is no way this nation could have ever been started without Divine intervention. (2)
*Also consider the last battle of the American Revolution at Yorktown: The weather was good, except during two vital periods. On the night Washington began digging approach trenches, a soldier recorded that "we were favored by Providence with a night of extreme darkness," and by a gentle rain that muffled the sound of digging.
*Then, near the end of the siege, British General Cornwallis attempted a breakout by ferrying his best troops across the York River at night. Halfway through the operation, "the weather . . . changed to a most violent storm of wind and rain" that drove the barges down river and left Cornwallis' forces divided and scattered. The adverse turn of the weather completely disrupted the attempted breakout," and Cornwallis surrendered the next day. (3)
*Tradition says that after the British surrender, the defeated Redcoats departed to the sounds of a song called, "The World Turned Upside Down." Part of it goes like this:
"If ponies rode men and grass ate cows,
And cats were chased into holes by the mouse . . .
If summer were spring and the other way round,
Then all the world would be upside down." (4)
*They just couldn't believe that the greatest army of the greatest empire in the world had been defeated by a rag-tag army of Americans. And it never could have happened without the remarkable help of Almighty God. The evidence is all around us. We are a blessed people! God has blessed us beyond measure.
*If you are sitting in this room tonight, you are blessed: Blessed with the health to be here, blessed with the freedom to be here, and blessed by the grace of God that brought you here. We are not here by accident. The God who orders the paths of the stars ordered our steps so that we could be here right now. He wants to meet with us and bless us still.
[2] Look at the evidence of God's rescue, and the encouragement from His rescue.
*The writer of this Psalm was going through a tough time. And what did he do? He looked back at the great things God had done for His people. It's the same thing young David did when He was about to face Goliath the giant.
*Starting in 1 Samuel 17:34:
34. . . David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep his father's sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
35. I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.
36. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.''
37. Moreover David said, "The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine . . .''
*Are you battling any giants in your life right now? Look back at the great things God has done for you. It will renew your hope. We can find the hope we need by remembering God's rescues.
2. But we also need to cry out for God's compassion.
*That's what the Psalmist did in starting in vs. 4:
4. Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
5. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?
6. Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?
7. Show us Your mercy, O Lord, And grant us Your salvation.
*Here the Psalmist was crying out to God, basically saying: "Oh God! You've been so good to us in the past. But if we've ever needed your help, we need it today!"
*Verse 4 in the KJV says: "Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease." And of all the problems we face in our nation today, the biggest problem of all is this: So many of our leaders and people have turned away from the God who gave birth to our nation.
*Judges 21:25 describes our nation to a "T" when it says: "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes." So we need to passionately pray: "Restore us (Turn us), O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease."
*We need passionate prayers like that for repentance and revival. President, George Washington certainly prayed like that. He had a well-worn, 24-page journal filled with prayers in his own hand-writing. The very first entry, called "Sunday Morning," reads as follows: "Almighty God, and most merciful Father, who didst command the children of Israel to offer a daily sacrifice to Thee, that thereby they might glorify and praise Thee for Thy protection both night and day. I beseech Thee, my sins, remove them from Thy presence, as far as the east is from the west, and accept me for the merits of Thy Son Jesus Christ."
*Washington's "Sunday Evening" prayer said: "Let me live according to those holy rules which Thou hast this day prescribed in Thy holy word. Direct me to the true object, Jesus Christ the way, the truth and the life. Bless, O Lord, all the people of this land." (5)
*We need to pray like Washington prayed! Church: We can find the hope we need by crying out for God's compassion.
3. But we also need to trust in God's truth.
*That's what the Psalmist did in vs. 8-13. He trusted in God's truth, so starting in vs. 8, he said:
8. I will hear what God the Lord will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly.
9. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land.
10. Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11. Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12. Yes, the Lord will give what is good; And our land will yield its increase.
13. Righteousness will go before Him, And shall make His footsteps our pathway.
*This Psalmist trusted in the Lord. The greatest men in our history trusted in the Lord. I want to remind you that we can always trust in God. Trust in the Lord. Trust in His truth.
*But what is God's truth? -- This Book is the truth. In John 17:17, Jesus prayed to the Father: "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." In other words: "Make My followers pure and holy through Your truth: Your word is truth."
*What did our past Presidents think about the Bible?
-George Washington said, "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."
-Andrew Jackson said, "That Book, sir, is the rock on which our republic rests."
-Abraham Lincoln said, "I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to men. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book."
-And Ronald Reagan said, "Within the covers of the Bible are all the answers for all the problems men face. The Bible can touch hearts, order minds, and refresh souls."
*On Tuesday, January 30th of 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower was sworn into office with his hand resting on two Bibles. One was the Bible used by George Washington for his inauguration in 1789, and the other was the Bible given to Eisenhower by his mother when he graduated from West Point. Both of those Bibles were opened to 2 Chronicles 7:14, which says: "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 will forgive their sin and heal their land." (6)
*These American Presidents trusted in God's truth, and this Book is God's truth. But so is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me."
*We can always trust in God's truth. But what are the truths we can trust in today's Scripture?
[1] First, trust that Jesus will speak to you.
*In the first part of vs. 8, the Psalmist said: "I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints." God wants to speak to us too. He's got a message for everyone in this room, the message we need to hear the most.
[2] Trust that Jesus will speak to you. -- And trust that He will stand by you.
*In vs. 9: "Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land." God's salvation is near, because He is near. God is not off some place far away. He is right here right now, and by His Holy Spirit, He even wants to live in your heart.
[3] Trust that Jesus will stand by you. -- And trust that Jesus will save you.
*Look at it again in vs. 1-4:
1. Lord, You have been favorable to Your land; You have brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2. You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people; You have covered all their sin. Selah
3. You have taken away all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.
4. Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
*In vs. 7: "Show us Your mercy, O Lord, And grant us Your salvation." And in vs. 9-10:
9. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land.
10. Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
*The Lord wants to save you, and He will surely save all who trust in Him. But we must remember the price that was paid. As we celebrate our Independence Day, We remember the high price that was paid for our national freedom. Over a million of our soldiers sacrificed their lives for us to be free.
*Years ago, Bill Hybels gave this testimony about watching an incident at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial: "I was emotionally moved as I sat in my study and watched this young soldier on a television newscast. He seemed almost unaware of the TV reporter who was intruding into his private moment of contemplation and relived memories. They were at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.
*The soldier was by the black granite wall, which is etched with the names of all the Americans who lost their lives in the Vietnam War. He just stood there, tearfully staring at the wall and tracing his finger over the letters of another soldier's name engraved there. He never even looked at the reporter or the camera, but you could feel his pain. 'He gave his life for me,' was all he whispered as he kept moving his finger across his friend's name." (7)
*He gave his life for me. He gave his life for me. This is the testimony for everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Jesus gave his life for me. We believe that. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins.
*That's why mercy and truth can meet together in vs. 10. Yes, the truth is we are sinners, and we deserve the wrath of God. But Jesus took our punishment, so that we could be forgiven and free forever.
*And then we read vs. 11, "Truth shall spring out of the earth. . ." When I read that verse, I think of the third day, the day when Jesus rose from the dead to give eternal life to all who would trust in Him. Jesus died on the cross for us, but He is alive forever more! And He is the hope of all who trust in Him.
CONCLUSION:
*Our country was born with the hope of help from above. And today you can find all the hope you will ever need in life: You can find it in Jesus Christ. No matter what you're going through, put your trust in the Lord, as we go to God in prayer.
(1) "Nothing Happened Today" by Morris Chalfant - Source: SermonCentral sermon "Can America Return to God?" by Mark Beaird - 2 Chronicles 7:14
(2) SermonCentral sermon "Blessed Is the Nation - Part 2" by Melvin Newland - Psalm 33:12
(3) Ludlum, pp. 62-64 - Source: "The Weather Factor!" by Douglas S. Winnail - http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/tw/magazine/tw-mag.cgi?category=Magazine33&item=1104261795
(4) Colonial Williamsburg audio + other sources
(5) KERUX ILLUSTRATION COLLECTION - ID Number: 30199 - SOURCE: Baptist Press, http://www.baptistpress.org/ - TITLE: The Faith Of George Washington - AUTHOR: Kenyn Cureton - DATE: 2/20/06
(6) Sources: Morgan, Robert J. - "From This Verse" - Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers - 2000, c1998 and Wall Builders Resources - Spring 2003
(7) Bill Hybels' book and sermon series entitled "Becoming a Contagious Christian"
