A Declaration of Dependence
Ps 33:10-22
10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.
13 From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth--
15 he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
16 No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
20 We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.
This Thursday we will celebrate "Independence Day." It all began 226 years ago, when on July 4th, 1776, 56 brave men signed a document known as "The Declaration of Independence."
Do you have any idea what price these men paid?
* Five were captured and tortured by the British before they died.
* Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned to the ground.
* Two lost their sons in the war.
* One had two sons captured.
* Nine fought and died from wounds or the hardships of the war.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British navy. He sold his home to pay his debts and died in rags.
Thomas McKean was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in Congress without pay and he died a very poor man.
Thomas Nelson’s home was seized by the British at the Battle of Yorktown and used as a command post. He urged General George Washington to open fire on it. The home was destroyed and Nelson died bankrupt.
LIBERTY HAS ALWAYS EXACTED A PRICE. That’s what the 4th of July is all about---remembering.
However, this spirit of independence that we celebrate was not meant to exclude God!
Our nation is steadily moving away from the Lord as is evidenced in recent years.
* God has been kicked out of most public institutions on the pretext of pluralism.
* Abortion on demand
* Euthanasia and the legalizing of drugs are gaining support
* Pornography is more acceptable and available than ever
Not too long ago, a U.S. District court ruled that the cadets at West Point could no longer be made to attend chapel.
The Speaker of the House rose in a recent session of Congress and stated that no politician or government representative should take a public stand on a religious matter of any kind---and right behind him on the wall is a large plaque with the words inscribed: IN GOD WE TRUST!
Billy Graham, in and address to a congressional prayer breakfast said he believed that there were many times in the history of America when certain men stood for God and changed the course of its destiny.
For example, at the first Constitutional Convention, the delegates were frustrated due to the burdens of the hour. They were burdened and harassed by tremendous crisis. They were so fragmented that they were just about to throw out the whole concept of a constitution completely. Just then an old white-haired man by the name of Benjamin Franklin rose to his feet and said:
Gentlemen, if it is true that not one single
petal from any flower falls to the ground
without escaping God’s attention, will the
distress of this nation go unheeded? Let
us therefore determine to seek His face.
They promptly got down on their knees and when they arose from prayer, the slogan, e pluribus unum was born: ONE OUT OF MANY.
Can you imagine what would happen today if all of Congress would get down on it’s knees? REVIVAL would surely come to these shores!
So, today I am calling for a Declaration of Dependence--dependence on God!
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance."
1. America: Built Upon Christian Principles
Greece built a civilization on culture and it failed.
Rome built its civilization on power and it crumbled.
But our forefathers founded our nation on godly principles and America will live on as long as the Lord is her God.
Do you recall the picture of Washington at Valley Forge? His little army was almost starving and freezing to death. Everything that they held dear was at stake. They were fighting against seemingly insurmountable odds--but out in the snow George Washington was down on his knees, praying.
THAT IS THE SPIRIT THAT BUILT AMERICA!
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord"
2. America: Richly blessed by God
* Natural resources second to none
* Natural beauty
* Good government¡Xnot perfect, but still the best--no concentration camps, no secret police, no one-man rule.
* Freedom of speech and the press. I can even speak against the government from this pulpit without fear of reprisal.
* Religious freedom--no state church. A few people meeting in a little shack for prayer have the same rights as those meeting in a cathedral.
* Place where everyone has a chance--men like Edison, Henry Ford who were born into poor families and yet became millionaires. Abraham Lincoln, born in a log cabin rose to the White House.
3. America: In Need of God
A certain family was riding down a highway one day and saw a sign with the word, "Jesus Saves." A little girl in the back seat asked if it was a savings bank.
A 14-year-old boy was given a Gospel of John. "What’s that?" he asked. When he was told it was a part of the Bible, he said, "What’s a Bible?"
A child attending VBS went home and told her mother that her teacher was swearing. That’s what she thought it was when the teacher used the name of Jesus.
A woman was invited to attend a neighborhood Bible class and declined, saying that she was a Democrat.
A young boy, after hearing the creation story corrected the teacher, saying that Adam was God and he and Eve created the world.
WHAT CAN I DO?
1. The best thing you and I can do for America is to give her a good Christian life. Be light and salt. Bloom where God has planted you. God will see your life and will use it to bless our nation.
2. You can pray--for a national revival. God is at work. Congress is riddled with Christians. Thank God for a Christian president.
3. You can depend on God as your true Source of liberty, courage, and spiritual power.
I Have a Dream
I have a dream that those who claim to be born again will declare themselves verbally and back it up with Godly lifestyles.
I have a dream that America’s churches will one day put away their commitment to change man by changing his environment and replace it with the emphasis upon the need for a heart transplant.
I have a dream that the people of God will tear down the non-essential walls that separate them in order to show a united front to the world.
I have a dream that Christians everywhere will truly love each other and thereby demonstrate that they really are the children of God.
I have a dream that one day in our great nation our boys and girls will be allowed to pray in our public schools again.
I have a dream that one day America will cease killing unborn children at the rate of over a million each year.
I have a dream that revival will spread across this land and reach into every town, city, and hamlet.
I have a dream that the hall of Congress will ring with the sound of singing praises to God and the hush tones of prayer.
I have a dream that the family unit will be restored to its proper place in society as the very foundation of our nation.
I have a dream that child pornography will be replaced with child protection and care.
I have a dream that the Church will once again become the centerpiece of the community where people will look for comfort, inspiration and moral leadership.
I have a dream that the churches of America will be packed every worship service and that a hunger for God¡¦s Word will arise across the land.
I have a dream that one day America will return to the faith of our Founding Fathers.
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!"
