Int. As we look at 2003, there are some serious things to consider about our Nation.
1. "THE WISEST PRINCE that ever sat on a throne has told us that righteousness exalts a nation.
(Prov. 14:34)a. Mrs. John (Abigail) Adams "A patriot without religion in my estimation is as great a paradox as an honest Man without the fear of God. Is it possible that he whom no moral obligations bind, can have any real Good Will towards Men? Can he be a patriot who, by an openly vicious conduct, is undermining the very bonds of Society?... The Scriptures tell us 'righteousness exalteth a Nation.'"
2. It is not valor in War, but Righteousness that exalts a Nation.
3. It is not policy in Government, but Righteousness that exalts a Nation.
4. It is not the inventions of bigger bombs, but Righteousness that exalts a Nation.
5. It is not good breeding in behavior, but Righteousness that exalts a Nation.
6. It is not largeness of dominion, but Righteousness that exalts a Nation.
7. It is not greatness of command, but RIGHTEOUSNESS that is the honor and the safety and the Security of a Nation.
8. It is not Ahithophel's scheming policies, but Righteousness that exalts a Nation.
9. It is not Jereboam's calves in Dan and Bethel, but Righteousness that exalts a Nation.
10. It is not Jehu's pompous Zeal, but Righteousness that exalts a Nation.
a. Jehu destroyed bloody Ahab’s house, he executed the vengeance of God upon that wicked family; he readily, resolutely and effectually destroyed all the worshipers of Baal, but his ends were to secure the kingdom to him and his.
11. It is not Goliath's sword, but Righteousness that exalts a Nation.
12. It is not Rich mines of silver and gold, but Righteousness that exalts a Nation.
13. It is not armaments, nor armies, nor counsels, nor fleets of ships, nor forts, but JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS that exalts a Nation.
14. When asked what was the cause of Nero's downfall, Apollonius replied,
"Nero could tune the harp well, but in government he did always wind up the strings too high or let them down too low.
a. The world is a body, and RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE is the soul of that body.
15. (Prov. 10:2) "Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death."
I. FIRST, CONSIDER THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS IS REQUIRED OF A NATION.
A. OUR NATIONAL LEADERS HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS RELATE TO THE NATIONS AS WELL AS TO INDIVIDUALS.
1. That which is forbidden for individuals is forbidden for the Nation.
a. Murder of the unborn.
2. Nations make war for reasons that would never be justified by an individual against a neighbor.
3. If it is wrong for a man to steal a car or cow; it is wrong for a nation to steal a providence or island.
4. If selfishness is sinful in one man, it is sinful in 200.000.000 people.
5. It is wrong to hold back millions of children from getting a decent education just to satisfy the ignorance of a few who will never learn or have a desire to learn.
6. (Jer 5:1) "Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it."
II. SECOND, CONSIDER THAT THERE ARE NATIONAL SINS IN THE SENSE OF SINS COMMITTED BY A GREAT PART OF THE NATION.
A. HERE WE ARE SPEAKING OF SINS THAT SHAME A NATION.
1. Drunkedness was considered the shame of England 100 years ago.
a. Men drink for happiness and become unhappy,
b. Men drink for joy and become miserable,
c. Men drink for sociability and become argumentative,
d. Men drink for sophistication and become obnoxious,
e. Men drink for friendship and become enemies,
f. Men drink for sleep and awaken without rest,
g. Men drink medicinally and acquired health problems,
h. Men drink for relaxation and get the shakes,
I. Men drink for confidence and become doubtful,
j. Men drink to make conversation easier and it slurs their speech,
k. Men drink to forget and are forever haunted,
l. Men drink to erase problems and see them multiplied,
m. Men drink to cope with life, only to invite an early death.
2. Drunkedness, gambling, killing babies, and Homosexuality are the sins of America today.
1. Booze was legalized in the 30's for the purpose of taxes.
2. Gambling is being legalized today for the purpose of taxes.
a. By the 60's it was requiring $8.00 for every $1.00 received in taxes to treat the Alcoholics.
b. We are already setting up clinics for compulsive gambling addicts.
3. Sodomites have come out of the closet in the past 20-30 years.
4. Who can count the number of babies murdered each year?
a. Nearly seven million abortions are performed annually in India. Sword of The Lord. (June 8th, 01).
b. There have been more than 39 million abortions since 1973
c. Every year, more unborn children die from abortion than Americans died in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World Persian Gulf Wars COMBINED. From Resurrection Magazine, Vol 103, No 3
5. We read about barbaric methods of murder in history and say, OH MY! How could they be so mean?
III. THIRD, CONSIDER THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS CAN BE OBTAINED BY A NATION.
A. IT IS DIFFICULT TO MAKE AN UNCHRISTIAN NATION BEHAVE LIKE A CHRISTIAN NATION.
1. The Sermon on the Mount was addressed to our Lord's Disciples. (Believers) (Mt. 5-7)
2. This thought brings me to my next point.
B. NATIONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL ONLY FOLLOW NATIONAL SUBMISSION TO CHRIST.
1. The reason that Nations fight and claw at one another is because they are inhabited by sinners.
IV. LET US EXAMINE AMERICA FOR A FEW MOMENTS
Int. If you listen to the Televangelist, this is a Christian Nation.They would have you believe that we are in a state of National Revival.
A. SIN IS THE SHAME OF OUR NATION.
1. This Nation has gone astray from it's founding fathers day.
2. The Lord's Day is like any other day. (Business as usual)
3. This nation does not listen to God's true preachers, but rather selects men that speak what it wants to hear.
a. (2 Tim 4:3) "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4. This nation has lost all sence of sacred duty in it's pursuit of gain and pleasure.
Ill. Gambling and Sports and Immorality were the three downfalls of ancient Rome.
B. RELIGION HAS BECOME POPULAR:
1. In the Baptist Challenge, Sept 1995, we read: "Religion has gotten popular! It's sweeping the country! ! Juke boxes grind out the latest popular hymns! Movie magazines carry news of religious activities of the movie stars! More money is coming into religious treasures than ever before. Great new church buildings are being built. A greater percentage of folks belong to churches than ever before in history!
2. The tragedy is that it has been diluted, streamlined, whopped up, condensed, smoothed out, made palatable enough to meet what the public demands.
3. The "bandwagon" is loaded. A "Carnival" spirit has developed. The bands are playing, the flags are waving, and everyone is on the hay-ride of happiness.
4. Popcorn, peanuts and paper hats are seen everywhere. Our churches have that "cotton candy" atmosphere.
V. RIGHTEOUSNESS IS THE SOURCE OF A NATIONS TRUE STRENGTH.
A. TRUE RIGHTEOUSNES HAS TO BE PROPERLY IDENTIFIED.
1. Rome has all of the outward show of Righteousness.
2. England had all of the outward show of Righteousness.
1. Yet burned 283 preachers at the stake during the reign of Bloody Mary.
B. TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS CONSISTS IN THE PRACTICE OF TRUE JUSTICE, PIETY AND KINDNESS ON THE PART OF THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES.
1. (Micah 6:6-8) "Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? {7} Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? {8} He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"
2.
(Prov 15:8-9) "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. {9} The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness."
b. "What is here said is that the most sacred, solemn, and even commanded things, are an abomination when rendered or performed by the wicked.
c. "Not merely their indifferent actions (as plowing) but their best actions; those done in obedience to God, out of a sense of religion or desire to secure forgiveness or favor, are hateful in the sight of God...."
C. TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL OBTAIN THE FAVOUR OF GOD.
1.
a. Thomas Wilcox "A Christless, formal religion, will be the blackest sight next to hell that can be."
D. TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS MAKES A NATION GLORIOUS WHILE SIN BRINGS A NATION TO ASHES.
1. Look at ancient Greece with her Sciences..(Athens with 30.000 gods.
2. Look at ancient Rome, sunk to the lowest depths of moral degradation.
a. (Romans 1:23-32 ) (Look up and read)
3. These two nations picture heathenism at its best, but worst.
4. Charles Bridges says: "Loudly though he may talk of his patriotism, and even though God should make him an instrument to advance her temporal interest; yet he contributes, so far as in him lies, to her deepest reproach."
E. GOD PROMISES NOTHING BUT JUDGEMENT ON A NATION THAT FORGETS GOD.
1.
2. Such a Judgement was pronounced against the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Inhibitants of Sodom and of Nineveh.
3. The speedy execution of justice is the very life and soul of justice.
a. (Amos 5:24) "But let judgment run down as waters,(that is, quickly) and righteousness as a mighty stream."
b. (Psa. 9:17) "The wicked shall be turned into hell, <and> all the nations that forget God." (American has forgotten God)
1. Thomas Watson said: "Men could be content to have the kingdom of Heaven; but they are loathe to fight for it. They choose rather to go in a feather bed to Hell than to be carried to Heaven in a ‘fiery chariot’ of zeal and violence. "
VI. SIN IS A REPROACH TO ANY PEOPLE. (OR NATION)
A. CONSIDER SOME LESSONS FROM SIN IN THE LIFE OF A NATION.
1. Thomas Brooks tells of a Persian law, that after the death of their king, every man had five days' liberty to do what he pleased, that by beholding the wickedness and disorder of those few days, they might prize government the better all their days after.
B. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A RIGHTEOUS GOVERNMENT FAILS.
1. Law and Order fails.
2. Religion fails. (Prayer thrown out of our Schools)
3. Trade fails. (This is the reason for our trade deficit now.
4. Justice fails. (Murderers , Terrorists and Rapist walk our streets)
5. Strength and power fails.
Ill.
6. Fame and Honor fail.
Ill. Plutarch said of Demosthenes, that he was excellent at praising the worthy acts of his ancestors, but not so at imitating them. (So was our former President, Mr. Clinton)
a. Philippines soon forgot MacArthur.
7. Wealth and Riches fail.
Thomsas Brooks says: "In standing waters, you can't see the mud at the bottom of the pool. So in times of prosperity there is a great deal of mud--a great deal of atheism, unbelief, passion, pride that lies at the bottom of men's hearts undiscovered."
8. Peace and quiet fails.
Ill. The heathen historian (Herodotus) observes in the ruin of Troy, that the sparkles and ashes of burnt Troy served for a lasting monument of God's great anger and displeasure against great sinners.
9. Rehoboam by his severity and cruelty, lost ten tribes in one day. (I Kings 12:16)
a.
10. It is said of Gideon, that he took briers and thorns, and with them, he taught the men of Succoth. (Judges 7:16)
a. It seems that our Nation cannot learn from our Briers and Thorns?
b. The Heathen nation of Nineveh trembled and repented at divine warnings. (Jonah 3) (Why can't America?)
c. Pharoah scoffed at Divine warnings and paid a terrible price....So shall America.
d. Sisera scoffed at Divine warnings and Jael, the wife of Heber, the Kenite drove a nail through his head. (Judges 4:21)
e. Sennacherib scoffed at Divine warnings, and an angel of the Lord destroyed 185.000 of his men in one night. (2 Kings 6:8-11)
f. Belshazzar was amazed when he saw the handwriting on the wall (Dan. 5:5) and so America had better be.
Conclusion: Have you ever wondered what other nations are saying about this once great nation?
1. (Jer 22:6-9) "For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited. {7} And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. {8} And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city? {9} Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them."