Ps. 33:12-22
Get all resources for this sermon at:
http://www.gracenotessermons.com/sermons/make-america-godly-again/
Our text begins: “Blessed is the nation whose…”
And how does it continue? “…whose president is Trump”?
Whose stocks are on the rise? / whose healthcare law is repealed? / whose factories move back from Mexico? / whose border wall is built? / whose friend is Putin? [see Ezek. 38-39 for the end times role of Russia, AKA Gog and Magog]
No. “…whose God is the Lord”!
v. 22 ends “we hope in thee”
It is vain to trust in kings [Psalm 146:3]
Yes, it is vain to trust in men…
…especially prideful ones with no record of righteousness and with personal morals only rivaled by Bill Clinton.
Now, I am thankful for the election…in the sense of who lost. No good was going to come from a Hillary administration. But I am not at all ready to go out on a limb and say that the nation won. I mean, what is this guy - a consolation prize? I like where he currently stands on many issues … but I say ‘currently’ since he hasn’t stood there long, and I’m not sure how resolutely he stands at all.
If we truly want to be great again, we must seek to be Godly again!
I truly hope that the nation wins. I hope the unborn truly win. I hope for prosperity. I am trying to be optimistic…but I must be realistic. And as I see conservative America begin to ‘hero worship’ a ‘king-like’ man and put their trust in him I shudder in fear.
I am one of those who voted for the Vice President. I literally said to the lady at the ballot box, “I am voting for Vice President only. Do I have to take his running mate?” She knew exactly what I meant, though she couldn’t let on.
I believe in voting for principles, for morality, and righteousness which exalts a nation. We should vote for principle over pocketbook. Is it wrong to want to be prosperous, and to strive to expand and upgrade business? No, but the Scriptures are very clear that it is God who brings the increase, not politicians.
During the Clinton years all America cared about was Dow Jones, when we should have cared about ‘Paula Jones’. Have we come full circle? Will you really rejoice as long as you prosper, even if your leaders have the morals of alley cats?
I am hopeful for America to be great again…and it will only happen if America becomes Godly again.
Let’s begin with the positive…and there’s much to be positive about:
With all her faults, America is still the greatest place on Earth to live!
1. Her Greatness
• Great for her beauty
But that’s not what makes her great. Beauty can be deceitful, and ugly can go all the way to the bone. Outwardly the new world hosts the prettiest places on the planet. But what is true greatness?
• Great for her freedoms
The United States of America is over 240 years old. That’s young in a historical perspective, but it's a long time for a nation to remain free. Really, when you look at our history in the context of world history America is just a CHILD among the nations. Egypt, China, Japan, Rome, Greece all make America’s history seem so short. Consider what a brief time we’ve really been here as a nation: When Thomas Jefferson died, Abraham Lincoln was a young man of 17. When Lincoln was assassinated, Woodrow Wilson was a boy of 8. By the time he died Ronald Reagan was a boy of 12. And when Reagan was in office, our most recent President was still eating dogs in Kenya!
There you have it. The lives of four men can take you all the way back to the beginning of our country. We are so young. And yet we stand tall among the nations because of the principles on which we were established.
There’s a real trend today in America for anti-Americanism, anti-patriotism…the UN is doing much to strip us of our sovereignty.
They revise history to undermine the character and integrity of our founding fathers, saying they weren’t who we know they were. They say they weren’t motivated by principle but by property, were motivated by greed and desire for wealth.
But that’s not true…the men who signed the Declaration of Independence had far more to lose than to gain! Most were very wealthy already. 24 were lawyers and such, 9 were landowners or rich farmers, 11 were merchants, the others were physicians, ministers, politicians, etc. All but 2 who signed had families. They were educated men of standing in their communities…they knew security and prosperity, but felt there was something more important than security: freedom!
They knew that the penalty for treason was death by hanging, yet they signed!
John Hancock—[signed twice as large as all others] “Now his Majesty can read my name without his spectacles!”
Stephen Hopkins—[old when he signed] His hand shook as he signed…looked up and said, “Gentlemen, my hand trembles, but my heart does not!”
4 delegates from NY were particularly wealthy/British ships were nearing just a few miles off the coast when they signed, most of NY had already evacuated…they and others were pursued, some were captured and tortured, and of course, many died!
Young people, you need to know when you look at this American Flag that these red stripes are bars of blood, a price paid for you to be free!
And when people today burn that flag in ignorant demonstrations, it’s not freedom of speech, it’s high treason against the land of the free and the home of the brave, and should be prosecuted as such!
That’s the greatness of America—great for her freedoms! If we truly want to be great again, we must seek to be Godly again!
2. Her God
Just as the revisionists want to rewrite history in order to undermine the character and integrity of our founding fathers, they also want to undermine our Godly heritage. They try to tell us this nation wasn’t really founded upon God.
Why can’t some Americans accept their roots? Even a South American president years ago said, “People came to my continent looking for gold, but those who came to America were looking for God!”
1620—1st pilgrims arrived. A little band of people crossed the Atlantic in a sailboat 26 X 113 feet…they landed on the Atlantic coast in the bitter cold of winter. As they stepped off the Mayflower they signed a compact, the 2nd paragraph of which begins: “For the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith.” That first winter was rough…at times the daily ration of food was 5 grains of corn per person, per day! 44 died in the first 5 months and 58 survived. In the fall of 1621 they reaped their first harvest: 21 acres of corn. Their immediate response was to thank God…they marched thru the corn fields singing, “The earth is the Lord’s and fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein!”
Dec. 13th: those 58 gathered w/ 80 friendly Indians and celebrated 3 days of thanksgiving which the encyclopedia records as 3 days of preaching, praying, singing, and eating.
Check your kid’s textbooks, many of which now say the pilgrims and Indians met to thank each other! [Thanks for not killing me? NO!! To thank God!]
1863—A. Lincoln proclaimed a national thanksgiving day. In his proclamation, he made an important and accurate theological point.
“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown.
But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand, which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.”
The Puritans: they gave their reasons for coming to America as well. In the opening sequence of the New England Confederation it says: “Whereas we all came into these parts of America with one and the same end and aim, to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ and to enjoy the liberties of the gospel in liberty and peace.”
Benjamin Franklin, when once challenged about having a political session opened with prayer said, "I've lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing Proofs I see of this Truth —That God governs in the Affairs of Men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that except the Lord build the House they labor in vain who build it.”
Some Christians have been intimidated…and they’ve heard the ACLU talk soooo much about the separation of church and state—that they’ve actually started to believe in it.
In case you don’t know, that phrase never appears in the Constitution!
(however it is found in Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto!) It was coined in the U.S. from a letter the principle framer of the Constitution and Third President Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association assuring them that he would keep the Government out of the Church (NOT the Church out of the Government). He was saying, never again will there be a government sponsored church like you had back in England, where everyone is forced to attend and support!
Check it out for yourself, the first amendment actually says:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…
There IS such a thing as separation of church and state, and it is intended as a one-way street!
Some say, no, they wanted to keep both separate!
Well, let’s think about that.
1. First colonies – Jamestown, Va. First community bldg was a church. It’s the only bldg there with wall still standing today.
2. Puritans first act at Plymouth Rock = kneel, praise God, and dedicate the new colony.
3. Roger Williams (Bapt. Minister) est. Rhode Island.
4. Lord Baltimore held church service in establishing Maryland.
5. William Penn (Quaker) est. Penn, NY, DEL, Conn, NC, SC, Georgia.
Ill. -- When you read their writings you see no doubt that God birthed America.
6. William Penn in writing gov’t policies for PA made sure “all treasurers, judges, and all elected officials professed faith in Christ.”
Our Founding Fathers consistently spoke of the need for utilizing the Bible and Judeo-Christian values in defining and preserving this nation:
* Twelve of the original 13 colonies incorporated the entire Ten Commandments into their civil and criminal codes.
Our first president, George Washington, took the oath of office and put his hand on what? (the Bible)
What was his first official act as President? (kissed the Bible, then held a 2 hr. praise/worship session in Congress)
How did they determine to open sessions of Congress? (in prayer)
Who would lead in those prayers? (chaplains)
How would they be paid? (tax dollars)
Does all of that sound like they wanted to keep God out of government?
By the way, opening in prayer is a mystery to investigate…why is it that the little boys and girls cannot in school, but the big Congressmen can?
Who decided to put “In God We Trust” on our coins? It was adopted by Congress in 1956!
*In 1776, 11 of the 13 colonies required that one had to be a Christian to be eligible to run for political office. [what if today?!]
*In 1777, the Continental Congress voted to spend $300,000 to purchase Bibles for distribution in the nation.
* President John Adams stated, "The law given from Sinai was a civil and municipal code as well as a moral and religious code.
*94% OF THE WRITINGS OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF THE U.S. CONTAINED QUOTATIONS FROM THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.
*THE STATE CONSTITUTIONS OF ALL 50 STATES MENTION GOD.
*The famous "Liberty Bell" has part of Leviticus 25:10 inscribed on it: "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof."
*Proverbs 14:34 is inscribed above the L.A. city hall door: "RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTETH A NATION: BUT SIN IS A REPROACH TO ANY PEOPLE."
*An image of Moses carrying the tablets of God's Law faces the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
*The entering President takes his OATH OF OFFICE with his right hand on the Holy Bible, and concludes his vow "So help me God."
* The Supreme Court [bldg. entrance features Moses at the center of several lawgivers…the justices MUST enter from the back or something!] itself begins each of its sessions with the phrase 'God save the United States and this honorable court,'
*First Vice President and Second President, John Adams wrote in 1798:
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
*His son and our sixth President, John Quincy Adams said:
"No book in the world deserves to be so unceasingly studied, and so profoundly meditated upon as the Bible." -
* President Thomas Jefferson:
"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever." - 1781
*Theodore Roosevelt, America's 26th President, wrote:
"In this actual world, a churchless community, a community where men have abandoned and scoffed at, or ignored their religious needs, is a community on the rapid down-grade." - 1917
*Woodrow Wilson, our 28th President and Governor of New Jersey, said this:
"America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of the Holy Scripture." - 1911
*Calvin Coolidge, our 30th President, said this about our founding fathers:
"They were intent upon establishing a Christian commonwealth in accordance with the principle of self-government. They were an inspired body of men. It has been said that God sifted the nations that He might send choice grain into the wilderness... Who can fail to see it in the hand of destiny? Who can doubt that it has been guided by a Divine Providence." - 1923
*Franklin Roosevelt prayed this prayer on a national radio hookup on D-Day, June 6, 1944, as our troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, France:
"Almighty God... with Thy blessing we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogance. Lead us to the saving of our country. Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen."
*Harry Truman, our 33rd President, not known to be a committed believer, understood the spiritual heritage of this nation:
"If men and nations would but live by the precepts of the ancient prophets and the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, problems which now seem so difficult would soon disappear”
*Gerald Ford, our 38th President, quoted a 1955 speech by Dwight D. Eisenhower on December 5, 1974:
"Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first - the most basic - expression of Americanism. Thus the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God's help, it will continue to be."
*President Ronald Reagan:
"If we ever forget that we are 'One nation, under God', then we will be one nation gone under."
*George W. Bush was asked to name the philosopher that had the greatest influence on his life, this was his answer:
"Christ, because he changed my heart"
It’s time for modern-day Americans to wake up and smell themselves, and realize their warped attitude stinks, and is inaccurate as to the facts!
The greatness of America is her freedoms, The God of America is the one and only true and living God, Jehovah, the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! If we truly want to be great again, we must seek to be Godly again!
3. Her Guilt
The guilt of America lies in the indifference and complacency of God’s people.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Edmund Burke
Read the book of Judges…clearly, our God would rather forgive and restore than judge! Over and over, Israel would turn their back on their Godly heritage. Then, they would repent, and God would forgive them and restore them…but it was always conditional! (If)
II Chron. 7
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
The solution is not in the white house, state house, court house, but in God’s house, and your house and my house!
So long as there are homes where fires burn; and there is bread;
So long as there are homes where lamps are lit; and prayers are said;
Although people falter through the dark; and nations grope;
With God himself behind these homes we still have hope.
Jessie Alberta Silvernail Card
5 things every Christian must do for their government if they’re going to obey the Word of God (most painful first):
1. We must participate in paying for government
Jesus said to:
Yet some Christians, even preachers, say, our gov’t is a pagan gov’t, therefore, we do not owe them taxes, they are not of God!
Well, what gov’t was in charge when this was written? The Roman Empire…not exactly a Godly gov’t!
When Jesus was here on earth, He paid His taxes, and so should we!
“But, they’re unfair” I agree!
“And, it’s wasted and used unwisely” I agree!
Certainly we need tax reform…
…but do YOU agree w/ Romans 13? Then pay your taxes! Try to justify doing things under the table if you wish, but you will be held accountable, if not by the laws of our nation, then certainly by the law of God!
(pay for gov’t)
2. We must pray for gov’t
I Tim. 2
1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
Pray for revival/leaders/war on terror/elections/God to use our leaders and defeat our enemies!
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water, He turns it wherever He wants”
We need to pay for gov’t/pray/…
3. Praise our nation
Despite all our problems, the USA is still the greatest nation on earth. We need a revival of good old-fashioned patriotism!
(pay for gov’t/pray/praise/…)
4. Participate in government
It is inconceivable that God would ordain gov’t such as He has, and then tell His people to stay out of it!
It is our Christian duty to get informed, and do something!
Shame on the Christian who pledges their allegiance to that flag, and then doesn’t take action.
And, shame on the Christian who pledges their allegiance to a political party, instead of to principles…the Biblical principles upon which this nation was founded!
5. Persuade our government
How can I really make a difference?
We are a republic…that means that, for the most part, public policy is shaped by public opinion. And there’s only 1 way to affect public opinion: and it’s not billboards, radio, or TV…it’s to get the Word of God into the hearts of people.
I’ve spoken on political freedom, but more important is spiritual freedom!
John 8:32
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
We’re all born bound by sin, but Jesus holds the keys to set you free…
…from the penalty of sin [Rom. 6:23]
…from the pollution/power of sin—like an outlet to plug in to in order to find the power to live for Him! Don’t get cart before horse…just come w/ faith and a willing heart!
[rom. 10:13]
…and someday from the presence of sin!
Enjoy the freedoms you have which come at a high price to others, but free to us! You’ve heard the truth, what will you do w/ it? If we truly want to be great again, we must seek to be Godly again!
Get all resources for this sermon at:
http://www.gracenotessermons.com/sermons/make-america-godly-again/
