Restoring God’s Values

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!