MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
INTRO. As you know, tomorrow is called “Veterans’ Day”. And in thousands of churches throughout our land, Christians are lifting up their hearts in thanksgiving & prayer for those who served, & those who are still serving, that we might enjoy the freedoms that are ours.
TEXT: Proverbs 14:34; 2 Chronicles 7:14; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; Luke 12:48
A. We also feel an urgency to pray for our nation, & for all those seeking public positions in our land - that they may be men & women of integrity & principle, who, should they be elected or re-elected, will faithfully perform the duties entrusted to them.
It is important that we pray about the integrity of our leaders for the Bible says, "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people" (Proverbs 14:34).
Christians are concerned about this because we realize that God promised: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves & pray & seek my face & turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven & will forgive their sin & will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
B. Now, in the light of this, I want to mention some concerns that weigh heavily upon my heart, for this is a crucial time for Christians. The values we treasure are under assault, & our religious freedoms are threatened.
The decisions now being made for good or for ill by our elected representatives will have repercussions for years to come. Their actions will decide what kind of a nation we are, & what values our children may learn & embrace.
But no matter what our political persuasion, we do have a voice in determining the direction our nation will go. And that is a precious privilege that citizens in many other nations do not enjoy.
C. Thanks to the faith, wisdom & courage of our Founding Fathers, we have opportunity to study the issues, examine the candidates, & through our votes express our concerns about the direction in which our nation is going. And when that opportunity comes we need to exercise it!
By doing so, we as Christians can demonstrate our love & concern for others because the decisions made by those whom we elect will affect our loved ones & those around us in very real ways.
Christians are not to be simply another special interest group, pushing only for those issues that directly impact us. Rather, just as God "causes His sun to rise on the evil & the good, & sends rain on the righteous & the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45), so should our concern be for ensuring liberty & justice for all.
D. Now those who know me well are probably aware of my political leanings. But
I'm convinced that my primary responsibility is to be the best witness for my Savior & Lord that I can be.
In other words, I've tried to bend over backward to ensure that, even as I exercise the responsibilities of citizenship, that I’m in no way compromising my witness for Christ among you.
E. My purpose today is not to complain about the state of politics in America. My purpose is to challenge us to do all that we are able to do to restore America to its rightful place as a nation with great possibilities, great opportunities, & great responsibilities because of the great blessings God has bestowed upon her.
Jesus says in Luke 12:48, "From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; & from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded."
God has given Americans so much that it staggers the imagination to think about how much God must expect from us.
And Jesus tells us that as Christians we are to be "salt & light." As "salt," we are to season & preserve, penetrating our culture to uphold what is good & right. As "light," we are to pierce the darkness, shining the light of truth & righteous-ness, pointing the world to Christ.
In order to do that we must restore the values that once made America great, so that it might fulfill its place in the plan of God as a nation of salt & light, helping to win the world to Christ. And I believe that there are 3 practical ways that you & I can start doing that today.
I. WE MUST PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS
First of all, we must pray for our leaders. Just because we've elected them to make the decisions that will affect the course of our nation doesn't mean that they will automatically have the answers that they need - answers for the economy, answers for morality & ethics. So we need to pray for our leaders!
The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession & thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings & all those in authority, that we may live peaceful & quiet lives in all godliness & holiness.
“This is good, & pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved & to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
In fact, let's take the time to pause & pray right now. Will you please bow your heads with me as I pray?
"O Father, give our elected & appointed leaders hearts filled with a desire to see Your justice prevail. Give them the strength to defend the cause of the poor, the needy, & the oppressed. Give them the courage to listen to your Spirit instead of the lobbyists.
"Help them to have a healthy, reverential fear of God that's greater than the fear of a negative media. Give them a daily dose of wisdom to be leaders after Your heart.
"Above all, Lord, if these men & women are not faithful Christians, we pray that Your Spirit might move in their lives, for we recognize that just one leader publicly giving his or her life to You could be a turning point in bringing our nation back to You.
“So Lord, we humbly seek your guidance & your protection. And please continue to bless our nation! We pray this in the name of Jesus, our Savior & our Lord, Amen."
II. WE MUST SPEAK UP FOR THE HELPLESS
A. Secondly, we must speak up for the helpless. In Proverbs 31:8-9, King Solomon said: "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up & judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor & needy."
So what are some practical ways in which we can do this? Well, let me point out 3 ways.
1. First, be watchful. Don't just stand by with an "out of sight, out of mind" attitude while others are suffering from abuse, neglect, & prejudice.
2. Second, be a neighbor, the kind of neighbor Jesus described when he told the story of the Good Samaritan. As a Christian, take an active role in seeking to meet the needs of those around you.
Remember what Jesus said in Matt. 25:31-40, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, & all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne in heavenly glory.
“All the nations will be gathered before Him, & He will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on His right & the goats on His left.
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry & you gave me something to eat,
‘I was thirsty & you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger & you invited me in, I needed clothes & you clothed me, I was sick & you looked after me, I was in prison & you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry & feed you, or thirsty & give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger & invite you in, or needing clothes & clothed you?
‘When did we see you sick or in prison & go to visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”
3. Third, be a good example before others of what a Christian ought to be.
1 Peter 2:12 says, “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds & glorify God…”
B. "How," you might ask, "am I restoring America by doing these things?"
Simply this: The way we draw our nation back to Christ is by one by one drawing its people back to Christ.
We must begin with ourselves, repenting of the ways we've fallen short in the past; & then moving on to those around us, drawing them to Christ through the sheer power of a life lived in the love of Christ & the power of the Holy Spirit.
III. WE MUST ENCOURAGE ONE ANOTHER
Finally, we must encourage one another. Go with me back to the 1st Century, to the early days of the church. It was a time of great persecution. Christians were being torn apart by wild animals in the Coliseum, & Nero was pouring oil over Christians to use them as human torches to light his gardens at night.
The apostle Paul was in a Roman prison awaiting execution, & Peter would soon be next. It was a dark & terrible time for anyone who tried to follow Jesus. Yet Paul wrote to the Christians in Philippi, “Rejoice in the Lord always, & again I say rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)
And despite these persecutions the author of Hebrews wrote “Encourage one another daily…” (Hebrews 3:13) And he repeated it in 10:25 when he said, ”…let us encourage one another - & all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
No, here in the United States we’re not facing the type of opposition that the early Christians did.
But more & more we’re experiencing efforts to wipe God out of our national consciousness, to remove the mention of His name from any public gathering, & to criticize, belittle, & marginalize anyone who dares to uphold His standards.
Sincere Christians who love their country & are concerned about the downward path it is following, & who dare to speak up about it are branded as bigoted, intolerant, ignorant, or racist. And God help any Christian who chooses to run for national office & urges a return to God’s standards of right & wrong!
No, this is not a time for Christians to stand on the sidelines & just complain about what is happening. It is a time for us to pray, to seek God’s blessing & guidance as we choose those into whose hands we will entrust our nation.
ILL. I know that most of you who are older recognize the name of Patrick Henry, the famous statesman & orator of colonial Virginia who uttered the words, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" .
In 1764 he was elected to the VA. House of Burgesses where he became a champion of the frontier people, supporting their rights against the arrogance of those in power. In 1774, he was a delegate to the First Continental Congress.
During the Revolutionary War, he became commander-in-chief of Virginia’s military forces, a member of the Second Continental Congress, & was largely responsible for drawing up the amendments to our Constitution known today as the "Bill of Rights".
He became Virginia’s first governor, & was reelected 4 times. Then he retired, but despite his strong objections, the people went ahead & elected him Governor for the fifth time. But he meant what he said, so he refused to take the office.
He was offered a seat in the U.S. Senate, & posts as ambassador to Spain & to France. Pres. George Washington asked him to join his cabinet & become Secretary of State, & later wanted to appoint him the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. But he refused all such honors & recognitions.
Now why do I mention these things about Patrick Henry? It is because I want you to realize that he was an important & respected leader & patriot who feared & loved God Almighty in those days when our nation came into being.
He said, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians - not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
His Last Will & Testament was filed in the Brookneal County courthouse in VA. In it he bequeathed everything to his children, just as most people do. But the last paragraph in his Will is especially interesting.
He wrote, "I have now given everything I own to my children. There is one more thing I wish I could give them & that is Christ. Because if they have everything I gave them & don’t have Christ, they have nothing."
Now what do we have? The future of America hangs in the balance. Yes, we began as "one nation under God." But just as surely as many have swung away from God, we can come back to Him & again be a nation that can honestly & fearlessly say, "In God we Trust!” Now how about you?
INVITATION
