The Only Hope For America

INTRO.- It’s pretty obvious that America is in trouble what with the 13 Trillion dollar debt and climbing every day. I read that it took only 6 months to go from 12 trillion to 13. And the moral situation of America is not good and getting worse when 40 percent of all teens from ages 15 to 19 have had sex. And then there is the huge Gulf Oil spew mess. No end in sight. I’m not convinced it will ever be cleaned up.

ILL.- In The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, completed in 1787, Edward Gibbon (English historian and Member of Parliament) lists the following reasons for that fall:

1. The rapid increase of divorce; the undermining of dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis of human society.

2. Higher and higher taxes and the spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace.

3. The mad craze for pleasure; sports becoming every year more exciting and more brutal.

4. The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy was within: the decadence of the people.

5. The decay of religion—faith fading into mere form—losing touch with life and becoming impotent to guide the people.

Do these five reasons for the fall of Rome tell us anything about our present national situation? Do we dare elaborate on these?

ILL.- Do you ever wonder what all happens on an average day in the U.S.? According to American Way, two statisticians who have spent much time studying the matter have concluded that on a typical day in this country:

- 5,962 couples marry and 2,986 divorce

- drunk drivers do $18 million worth of damage

- 90 million cans of beer are consumed

- 2,740 teenagers get pregnant

- 63,288 cars crash killing 129 people

- 3,231 women have abortions

Things don’t sound very good in America and I seriously doubt, they will get better without divine intervention. The government can’t seem to fix anything.

ILL.- Listen to what Will Rogers said about the government of his day. He died on August 15, 1935.

- A fool and his money are soon elected.

- About all I can say for the United States Senate is that it opens with a prayer and closes with an investigation.

- Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to vote on some man; we never get to vote on what he is to do.

- Be thankful we’re not getting all the government we’re paying for.

- I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.

- If I studied all my life, I couldn’t think up half the number of funny things passed in one session of congress.

- It’s easy being a humorist when you’ve got the whole government working for you.

- Last year we said, ’Things can’t go on like this’, and they didn’t, they got worse.

- On account of being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only nation in the world that has to keep a government four years, no matter what it does.

- Our constitution protects aliens, drunks and U.S. Senators.

- The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.

What’s our hope? Not in government. Not in the military. And not even in the genius of Americans, if they are any! Here is our only hope:

Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”

PROP.- What do we need to do help turn America around? There is no magic solution to save America. To save America we must save ourselves and others.

1- We must repent

2- We must pray

3- We must trust

4- We must evangelize

I. WE MUST REPENT

II Chronicles 7:14 “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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

ILL.- Will Rogers said: “What the country needs is dirtier fingernails and cleaner minds.” In other words, WE MUST REPENT OF OUR UNCLEANNESS AND GO TO WORK!

If my people. Many Americans thinks America is a Christian nation. I think Christianity is the dominant religion in America and I want to believe that America was founded on Christian principles, and all Christian people are the key to turning America around.

And if we don’t turn us around then the rest of America won’t turn around! If the people who claim Christ as their Savior don’t do what is right then no one else in America will do what is right.