Sermon Central
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A Vigilant Nation
Contributed by Terry Laughlin on Jul 8, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: America needs to be vigilant and she must have her full trust in God. Our war on terrorism has upped the ante and the Lord is calling the church to the lay a foundation that points those who have ears to hear to once again set their hearts on truly sayin
Turn Your Bibles to Psalm 33:12-22
Title: A Vigilant Nation
Theme: The Foundation of a Nation that Truly Says, “In God We Trust.”
Introduction: Vigilance has never come easy. Throughout the past 200 plus years the United States of America has always had enemies. Many today still remember the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and everyday in some way we are reminded of 9/11/2001. A day that reminded us that even the powerful U.S.A. is not beyond the violent attack of a hateful enemy.
Proposition: I would propose to you that America needs to be vigilant and she must have her full trust in God. There are three Biblical ways for America to protect her national borders. Our war on terrorism has upped the ante and the Lord is calling the church to the lay a foundation that points those who have ears to hear to once again set their hearts on truly saying, “In God we trust!”
Interrogative Sentence: Just what three things is the Lord calling Christians to do in these last days? Our keys text lays the foundation for the United States as she endeavors to avoid the dangers that are coming at her through acts of terrorism.
Listen as I read Psalm 33:12-22, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people He chose for His inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth-- He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.” Let us pray.
Transitional Sentence: There are three foundational truths that the Holy Spirit wants to place within our hearts this Independence Day Weekend. Our great military strength alone is not enough as we face an enemy that is hard to locate and never knowing when, where, and how he may attack. The first foundational truth found in a vigilant nation is a healthy fear of the Lord. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD… the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him.” (Psalm 33:12,18)
Contemporary America has a long list of transgressions against the Lord. Some of those transgressions are the embracing of the homosexual agenda, abortion, abandoning Christ by bowing to the pressures of the ACLU and other worldly organizations. However the remnant, Christians who know Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord are a powerful force in a wicked culture that flaunts her disbeliefs. There is a powerful hope in the words that the Lord spoke to Abraham in his plea for Sodom and Gomorrah. The Lord told Abraham, “For the sake of ten [righteous men], I will not destroy it.” A God fearing people can make a powerful difference in God’s dealings with a nation.
The Bible gives us this powerful truth worth clinging to, “the LORD delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love. (Psalm 147:11) Psalm 34:7 says, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear [God] and He delivers them.”
The obvious question is “What is fear of the Lord?”
The fear of the Lord ranges from terror, which may be evidenced by shaking or trembling (Daniel 5:6), to awe or reverence (Malachi 2:5) which induces love or worship rather than terror. This is the very awe that every God fearing man should have before the Lord if he is going to be among that remnant that is going to be used of the Lord to maintain a lasting foundation for America.
In the close of the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon writes a truth that must be grasped by all Christians and especially for those who may be involved in the governmental affairs of this country. He writes, “…Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13) In the Old Testament fear of the Lord is used as designation of true religion. (Proverbs 1:7) This fear conjoined with love and hope in Christ is the heartbeat of true reverence thus becoming the preventive tool against backsliding and is the incentive to living a life of true repentance before God. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
