America’s Future Galatians 6:7-9 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Is it possible to predict a nation’s future? Can we anticipate trends, such as blessing & liberty or poverty & oppression? I believe that a simple yet powerful biblical principle. That indicates where our nation is headed: You will reap what you sow, more than you sow, & later than you sow. This principle has tremendous implications for America’s future. Given the seeds of wickedness that many in our nation are sowing, We America are heading toward disaster. It’s not too late to change course. Hey Christians must act now to preserve our precious liberties. Our country is l a large ship fighting through stormy waters in foggy weather. Spiritually & morally. We’ve lost our sense of direction. Our sexual sins, greed, pride, indulgence, & our slothfulness. Yes even our ungratefulness, & irreverence they characterize our nation. Prayer & Bible reading are no longer allowed in schools. It’s become legal to kill unborn babies. We are on our way to becoming a pagan nation. Where ungodly ideas & morals are not only accepted but celebrated. Our country is on a collision course with disaster. Amidst the darkness of our age! The church of the living God is called to be like a lighthouse. In foggy weather or on dark nights & even stormy weather. Lighthouses warn ships of danger & help guide them safely through treacherous waters. Jesus said in: Matthew 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Because you & I have the light of God’s Holy Spirit within us. We have a responsibility. We are to send out a beam of truth into the circle of our family, friends, coworkers, & our neighbors. Scattered across our land are literally hundreds of thousands of churches. Every week, millions of people attend services. So why is our nation, morally speaking, in a fog? Why are we almost sunk by the waves of philosophies & false religions? Pastors In the early part of last century. The liberal theology began to penetrate the churches & seminaries of America . Church authorities began to doubt the truthfulness of Scripture. They asserted that only part of the Bible was inspired by God. They said that it contained some errors. Yet my Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: Then I find this little jewel in Proverbs 30:5-6 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
They also taught that it was outdated. As a result, sermons grew weaker & less convicting. Pastors compromised the truth! To keep from offending those with wealth or position in the community. Children raised to doubt the Bible. They learned not to trust the Lord. No wander the bible says this in Proverbs 30:12-14 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. Later, as adults, they had no place in their lives for God. Our generation is reaping the awful harvest of years & years of liberalism.
Even today, many pastors fail to send a clear message. About the holiness, judgment, separation, & the power of our awesome God. The Individual Believer A malfunctioning lighthouse. Can only mean danger & destruction for ships seeking safe harbor. What causes a lighthouse beam to grow dim or go out completely? If the glass is dirty, the light will be muted. If there is no power, there can be no illumination. Why is the church not operating as the lighthouse it should be? Sin has lessened our ability to shine for God. We’ve cut off the power of the Holy Spirit, who desires to work through us. In cowardice we have compromised our convictions in order to please the world. Believers have been afraid to offend the ungodly by speaking truth. Instead, we end up offending almighty God through our disobedience. Ultimately, the sovereign Lord holds the destiny of this nation in His hands. Yet He has graciously chosen to involve you & me through our thinking, conduct, & prayers. If we want to see America change for the better. Church that change must begin with us. When many believers allow God to work through them. The radiance of the church will grow stronger. Its beam of light will penetrate the darkness. Thus provide the direction that our nation so desperately needs. Peter wrote this in 1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? The church must begin by repenting of their sins. Then turning from the direction we are headed. I challenge you to ask yourself! Am I in the center of God’s will for my life? Am I in some way contributing to the sin in our nation? Is there something about my life that God would like to change? How does my parenting style need to adjust? So that my children will have the foundation to be godly. How do I need to change my life that the Gospel will not be hid from the world? Hey Bible-believing, devoted, obedient Christians? If the church does not wake up & begin to send a clear message of accountability. Our nation is headed for shipwreck. Do your part to help restore the church in America. To be the lighthouse God intended 2 Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 1.The Principle Explained Whatever you & I sow today. We will reap more of later. Galatians 6:7-8 says this Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. “Sowing to the flesh” refers to indulging the “self” Thus surrendering to our tendency to sin Which are found in Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Those who practice a life of sin. They will eventually experience corruption, suffering, & even death. “Sowing to the Spirit” means we surrender. To the Holy Spirit & allow Christ to live His life through us. Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. If we sow to the Spirit, you & I will have supernatural peace. Yes even in the midst of difficulty & we earn eternal rewards. A person who sows wickedness will not escape the harvest of his or her actions. Galatians 6:7 cautions us to avoid lying to ourselves. That we will be the exception to the rule. May I remind you again “ Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. That also applies to the Born Again Christian! If America & Christians really believed what the Bible says about consequences. Our nation would not be heading in its current direction. 2.The Principle Applied The United States was founded on the principles of Scripture. For generations, no one questioned praying or teaching the Bible in school. Court cases & sessions of Congress opened with prayer. During that time period. We sowed faith in God & reaped the blessings. About 50 years ago, things started changing in our nation. A.Prayer & Bible reading were banned from public education.
B.Anything that mentioned God was removed from government buildings. Example: the Ten Commandments C.Crosses & other symbols of our faith came under attack. Mostly through the court system. D.We legalized killing unborn babies. We have murdered over 50 million so far. E.Same-sex unions are recognized as marriages. In some states, although God’s Word forbids homosexual acts Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. F.More & more, the name of Jesus is a forbidden word. Scripture says God the Father gave Him the Son. “the name that is above every name” Philippians 2:9-10 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; Can God continue to bless this nation. If we refuse to honor the One who gave His life so we might truly live? Essentially, as a nation we have said, “We don’t need You, God.” In the fifth chapter of Isaiah, verses 20-24 can be a warning even to us. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Man can pass laws legalizing ungodly behavior. But God’s principles don’t change. What are our scriptural responsibilities? A.We need to stand up & live out the godly life we profess. If more pastors & other leaders had consistently preached biblical truth. We would not be in the situation America faces today. As believers, we need to faithfully live out our convictions. B.Speak up. Don’t be ashamed of the name of our Savior. One day, “every knee will bow . . . & every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” C.Cry out to God to change the direction of our nation. He promises that He will respond to that prayer 2 Chronicles 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 spiritual core of our nation needs to change. Yes that change must begin in the house of God. Conclusion: We reap what we sow. We reap more than we sow. Then later more than we sow. This fundamental biblical principle. Is true both in our personal lives & on a national level. We will reap the consequences for our disobedience. Make sure your life is contributing to the spiritual health of this nation. Not detracting from it. If you & I want to live in a free country for much longer. We must be willing to take responsibility for maintaining our liberty. Again in closing I remind you of Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Think about this in Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Hey was as a people & a Nation are fainting. The altar is now open for business. As the music plays please come. Salvation, join, or just to spend time with the Lord. As the Bible says in Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (A promise from the Lord to all of us) Please come now!
