Gods Message To America

I don't do this very ofter, but I would like to try to use just one verse for this sermon. I usually use quite a few verses in my sermons, but in this one I will do my best to stick to just this one. The reason being, I am sure that our creator, Jesus Christ, would want us, all Americans, to be remined of this verse.

Most of us place a high value on "personal" messages. Form letters and mass mailings are the norm in our day, so it is very refreshing to receive a "personal" note from a person or organization.

While many preachers apply passages written for Israel to America, our text IS to America! In fact, it is a blanket statement to ANY nation! What would Jesus Christ say to America, if He spoke audibly to us this Fourth of July holiday? I believe He would remind us of this verse. These truths still hold true for any nation today. Today, the United States is a proof text for this verse! I would like to look at four words in this verse, and divide this sermon into four parts.

I. The Righteousness of a Nation (Righteousness)
The first word of our verse is "righteousness." It is a word seldom uttered outside of conservative churches today. You dont hear our politicians speak about righteousness. You dont hear the news media say anything about it. There are at least three implications of the word, righteousness.
    1. It Implies Sovereignty.

       A. If there is such a thing as righteousness, then Someone sovereign must

            determine what it is.

           1. Mankind has a varied idea of righteousness. We could never in a

               million years agree on what is righteous and what is unrighteous.

           2. God, however, is an authority on righteousness.

    2. It Implies a Standard.

       A. Society today does not want a standard; they will not even 

            acknowledge that one exists.

           1. This is the main reason that the Word of God has been attacked and

                ridiculed now and down through the years.

          2. At the founding of our nation, the Bible was held in high esteem.

          3. Matter of fact all of the laws of this nation come from the 10

              commandments.

    3. It Implies a Straightness.

       A. It is one thing to admit that there is a standard, it is quite another to

            make that standard your own.

       B. The word in our text intimates a personal righteousness, and a personal

            morality.

       C. The Judeo-Christian ethic has guided our nation from its founding up

            until the generation in which we live.

       D. Our forefathers chose the righteousness of the Bible as its guiding

            light.

II. The Reward of a Nation "(exalteth) 
Who can doubt that America has been exalted among the nations? Some Americans, like Nebuchadnezzer in the book of Daniel, take the credit for such exaltation. The mentality is that we somehow deserve the greatness and power of our past. That is a sad mistake to make. America has been exalted not because of its citizens goodness and personal holiness! America has been exalted because the churches that have carried out the great commission both at home and abroad! It is because of past obedience and humility that we now enjoy a preeminent place on the world scene.

    1. The Exalted Nation is A Set-Apart Nation.

       A. One of the meanings of the word "exalt" is "to be lifted up, to be made

            high."

           1. The Bible teaches us that God Himself is exalted, the scripture is

                exalted, and Israel is exalted above the nations.

           2. But in this verse we find a promise that the righteous nation also will

               be lifted up and made high.

           3. Surely there is no nation in the history of the world which has been

               lifted up and exalted more than America! The United States has

               dominated history throughout the 20th century.

    2. The Exalted Nation is A Safe Nation.

       A. Many nations have been destroyed by their enemies or by God

            Himself through natural disasters. Plagues, pestilence, war, and

            unbelief have destroyed many countries. But America celebrates her

           228th birthday this July 4th. What a testament to Gods protection and

           preservation!

    3. The Exalted Nation is A Strong Nation.

       A. A mere glance at the history of America will reveal the hand of Gods

           protection watching over us in war and in peace.

          1. Think of the odds of the colonies defeating the most powerful nation

               in the 18th century world, the British Empire. It was a miracle from

               God that America gained her freedom from England.

           2. In World War II, America took on much of the world essentially

               single handedly and won assureing freedom throughout the globe.

          3. There was a time when our citizens could proudly say, "America has

               never lost a war!" We must give God the glory for past victories for

              He has protected us.

III. The Revolt of a Nation "(...sin)"
We now come to the depressing aspects of Gods promise to "any nation." As surely as righteousness exalts a nation, sin destroys it. God says so in the very same verse! Today, many people want a "buffet-style" religion. They want a God who is merciful, loving and kind. The God of Christianity fulfills that desire. But the God of mercy and love is also the God of judgment and damnation. People turn away from such a God. This verse is a couplet, having two parts. The parts are opposite and contrasting. But one cannot be accepted without the other. They stand together as a testimony of Gods unapproachable holiness. The truth is that God WILL judge sin! And He will judge America. He will not wink at sin, forget it, or misplace His records

    1. Sin is an Undisciplined Aim.

       A. To sin is "to miss the mark, as an archer misses his target

           1. Missing Gods mark is the result of an undisciplined aim, a careless

               shot at Gods perfection.

           2. America does not demand greatness of itself anymore. We do not

               honor what is good and right. Contrariwise, we honor and reward

               the evil and the forward. Look at our culture. The "bad guy" is now

              the norm; the "good guy" is the potential hypocrite.

    2. Sin is an Unwise Assurance.

       A. Another meaning of "sin" is "to stumble, to err from the path."

       B. Our stumbling and erring from the path comes from a false assurance, a

            careless attitude.

       C. America has taken for granted the blessings of God, assuming that He

           will continue to bless and protect us in spite of our sin.

    3. Sin is Ungrateful Actions.

       A. The final meaning of "sin" is "an outright transgression, rebellion

IV. The Reproach of a Nation "...is a reproach..."
The first mention of the word "reproach" in our English Bible can be found in Genesis 30:23: "And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:" Eve had borne a son whom she expected to be the promised Messiah. Her "reproach" was the curse that God placed on her because of Adam's sin. Sin brings a reproach, whether it is in the life of the individual or in the timeline of a nation.

    1. Disgraced. "to be brought low, (Neh.1:3),

       A. Israels sin had caused them to go into captivity and now their capital

           city stood in ruins. The remnant was brought low by their sin.

       B. We too, have been brought from the heights by the sins of our people.

       C. God is bound to judge sin. He will not turn a blind eye to America's

            folly.

    2. Dishonored. "to be ridiculed, to rail on, to revile. (1 Sam.17)

       A. Israel was powerless in the face of Goliath and the Philistines. Certainly

            they were ridiculed and reviled by their inability.

       B. Goliath mocked the army of Israel and the whole nation. America

           knows something about such disgrace.

       C. We are the richest and most developed nation in the world, but we are

            reviled by much of the world.

    3. Defeated. "to pluck or strip away all that is good."

       A. Our culture is in the process of doing just that.

      B. Our defeat has not come at the hands of a foreign invader. It has come

           at our own hands.

      C. I believe that the sin that is defeating America lies at the door of

           the church rather than the culture. Yes, our culture is rotten; our society

           is eaten up with evil. But many pastors, evangelists, and preachers are

           not "preaching" the Word, the Truth, and are allowing the gospel

          witness to fall silent.