It's Time To Rebuild

"It's Time To Rebuild"

2 Chronicles 7:11-22

On this Sunday before our nation celebrates "Independence Day" we come before Almighty God to thank Him for His divine protection, guidance, and grace that He has showered upon us in the United States of America. When you stop to consider our track record as a nation we must come to the conclusion that indeed the lyrics to the song are right, "God shed His grace on thee." In spite of our sin God has allowed America to remain the most prosperous nation on the face of the planet. In spite of our turning our faces away from honoring and revering the Lord, He has continued to shower this nation with His divine grace. In spite of our turning away from His holy commands, He has continued to bear with this nation and to continually call us to repentance.

For those who think my words are harsh in assessing our waywardness and sinfulness as a nation you need to consider a few realities of everyday life. When we pick up a newspaper, watch the evening news, or listen to a talk radio program today we are immediately bombarded with the ills and evils of American society. The words are not coming from some double-knit-leisure-suit wearing prophet of doom or some ultra-fundamentalist-Bible-thumping preacher, but rather they are being uttered by news anchors, columnists, and commentators from all walks of life. Some of them, I am certain do have some measure of faith, but there are many others who are atheists, agnostics, or people of other faiths who simply are concerned about the downward spiral our country seems to be experiencing. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that there is something fundamentally wrong going on in the United States of America. Somehow we have forgotten our foundation, the principles upon which our founding fathers built the framework for the greatest nation in the world.

For as long as I can remember there have always been those who have tried to raise their voices a little louder than anyone else and claim that the "right-wing-religious-fanatics" make much to do about nothing. Folks in society roll their eyes as if to say, "There they go again," whenever some Christian leader raises his or her voice about the decline of morals and strong families. Today, a different scenario is confronting us because alongside concerned Christians who speak out about what we see as the beginning of the end there are also a chorus of voices from every walk of life who are concerned with greed, the abuse of power, gangs, senseless killings, crumbling families, etc.

I don't know if you are concerned, but the question keeps running through my mind, "How did we get to this point?" I have studied the history of this great nation and I can say with full confidence that the "free-for-all-anything-goes-everything-is-acceptable" mentality is not what this country was founded on. The founding laws of our country were legislated according to the principles laid down in God's Word. Legislation use to be enacted to bring about the betterment of all of society. Today we have special interest groups who militantly lobby for their own agenda at the expense of the other citizens of the country. How have we arrived at the point where almost every thought and action in our country is protected other than the freedom to openly and unashamedly claim that this is a Christian nation, occupied by people who worship and adore the living God who brought us into existence?

This morning I want us to examine the birth of our great nation alongside of our present quagmire of confusion and godlessness. I want us to study this in light of 2 Chronicles 7:11-22, where God laid down the foundation for the continuance of the nation of Israel, the stipulations He set forth for their continued growth and prosperity, and how the people shrugged their shoulders and ended up losing their great land. If history is any teacher then it is time for us to repent of our sins as a nation and begin to rebuild upon the godly foundation God set forth for this nation.

Before we learn where we have come from and how we have lost our perspective, I must say that I am convinced that you and I live in the greatest land in the world. The simple fact that the people of our country can dig a hole for themselves speaks volumes for our freedom. There are not many countries in the world where you and I would even have a voice to speak out, much less speak openly about some of the ludicrous ideologies that are being fought for today. In Communist China we would simply be shot. In Iraq, the evil despot Hussein continues to soak the country's poor in a blood bath of his own selfish desire. In Iraq we would be gassed and trampled underfoot. In America, no matter how perverse or self-centered our philosophies of life may be, we will be heard.