Prelude
This morning as we have gathered here this 4th of July, I would like to bring a message on “As the Home Goes, So Goes the Church And as the Church Goes, So Goes America.”
Scripture
If you would turn in your Bibles to Psalms 78 and hold that place as we will be referring to this passage all through the message.
Prayer
Join me this morning as we pray.
We need God in America Again!
Introduction
I am concerned about the Home of today and concerned about the Home of tomorrow.
I am concerned about the Church of today and concerned about the Church of tomorrow.
I am concerned about the America of today and concerned about the America of tomorrow.
Yes, I am concerned about the Generation of today and concerned about the Generation of tomorrow.
What legacy will we leave?
What is the America of tomorrow?
God had blessed the country of Israel.
I want to lay three thoughts on your heart this morning.
Now God had blessed Israel.
But Israel defiled the land and rebelled against God.
We need to Review our History (verse 4-6)
4We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. 5For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; 6 That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, Psalm 78:4-6 (NKJV)
What are these scriptures saying?
Listen up Israel you are to review your history. You are to teach it to your children.
Listen up America you are to review your history. You are to teach it to your children.
Fathers hear is a requirement from God, you are to be a teacher of history.
Fathers this scripture is saying to you today, that you are to teach your children history.
We need to review our history.
Our children must be taught our Christian heritage.
We need to show our children what God has done for us in the past.
Fathers you are to teach the great heritage of the Christian faith.
Illustration
A little boy said to his mother. Mother you know that vase that has been pasted down from generation to generation, well this generation just dropped it.
I am afraid that we have a generation that is dropping the heritage of our great nation.
Fathers are to teach Christian and national history.
What is the history of America?
The revisionists have tried to take it away from us.
On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed.
But something happened since Jefferson called the Bible the cornerstone
For American liberty then put it in our schools as a light
Or since "Give me liberty, or give me death,"
Patrick Henry said Our country was founded on the Gospel of Jesus Christ
We eliminated God from the equation of American life
Thus eliminating the reason this nation first began.
From beyond the grave I hear the voices of our founding fathers plead
You need God in America again
Now the ACLU, the humanist, and the anti-godless don’t want us to recognize that.
We hold these truths to be self evident that all men are endowed by their creator.
They believed in creation, we can’t even teach creationism in our schools today.
Notice how the Declaration of Independence closes.
With the firm reliance on the protection of divine providence.
What is divine providence? It’s just a synonym for almighty God.
The fourth president of the United States and the Architect of the Declaration of Independence said that; “we have staked the whole future of the United States of America civilization, not on the power of government, far from it.
We have staked the future on the capacity on each and all of us to govern ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.” (James Madison)
We need to Renew our Memory (verse 7-11)
7That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments;
8And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God. 9The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle. 10They did not keep the covenant of God; They refused to walk in His law, 11And forgot His works And His wonders that He had shown them. Psalm 78:7-11 (NKJV)
Look at Ephraim
America has a memory loss.
There are three kinds of memory killers.
Ephraim suffered from all three and America is suffering from all three.
1. Lust of the Flesh (verse 17) But they sinned even more against Him By rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness.
• They tempted God (verses 19-20) 17Yes, they spoke against God: They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? 20Behold, He struck the rock, So that the waters gushed out, And the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also?
2. Lure of the world (verses 40-43) 41How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert! 41Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. 42They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy, 43When He worked His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan;
3. Lies of the Devil (verse 58) For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, And moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.
In his farewell address, Washington said, "You can't have national morality apart from religious principle," and it's true.
'Cause right now we have nearly 150,000 kids carrying guns to these war zones we call public schools.
In the '40's and '50's student problems were chewing gum and talking.
In the '90's, rape and murder are the trend
The only way this nation can even hope to last this decade is put God in America again.
The only hope for America is Jesus.
The only hope for our country is Him
If we repent of our ways stand firm and say
We need God in America again.
We need to Reclaim our Legacy (verse 59-61)
62When God heard this, He was furious, And greatly abhorred Israel, 60So that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, The tent He had placed among men, 61And delivered His strength into captivity, And His glory into the enemy’s hand.
If there's ever been a time to rise up Church, it's now
And as the blood bought saints of the living God proclaim,
that it's time to sound the alarm from the Church house to the White House.
And say, "We want God in America again"
I believe it's time for America to stand up and proclaim,
that one nation under God is our demand
And send this evil lifestyle back to Satan where it came from
And let the Word of God revive our dying land.
For Jesus Christ is coming back again in all His glory
And every eye shall see Him on that day
That's why a new anointing of God's power's coming on us.
To boldly tell the world you must be saved.
Because astrology won't save you, your horoscope won't save you.
The Bible says these things are all a farce
If you're born again, you don't need to look to the stars for your answers.
'Cause you can look to the very One who made those stars.
History tells us time and time again
To live like there's no God makes you a fool
If you want to see kids live right.
Stop handing out condoms and start handing out the Word of God in schools.
The only hope for America is Jesus
The only hope for our country is Him
If we repent of our ways
Stand firm and say
We need God in America again
We need God in America
God in America
God in America again
Closing
We need the mercy of God upon us. As the song Rich Mullins wrote for his friend’s son Aidan says;
"Aidan you're young
But Aidan you're growing fast
Me and your mom
And all the love we have
We can only take you so far
As far as we can
But you'll need something more to guide your heart
As you grow into a man
Let mercy lead
Let love be the strength in your legs
And in every footprint that you leave
There'll be a drop of grace
If we can reach
Beyond the wisdom of this age
Into the foolishness of God
That foolishness will save
Those who believe
Although their foolish hearts may break
They will find peace
And I'll meet you in that place
Where mercy leads
Aidan the day
Aidan the day will come
You'll run the race
That takes us way beyond
All our trials and all our failures
And all the good we dream of
But you can't see yet where it is you're heading
But one day you'll see the face of love
Let mercy lead
Let love be the strength in your legs
And in every footprint that you leave
There'll be a drop of grace
If we can reach
Beyond the wisdom of this age
Into the foolishness of God
That foolishness will save
Those who believe
Although their foolish hearts may break
They will find peace
Where mercy leads
Let mercy lead
Let love be the strength in your legs
And in every footprint that you leave
There'll be a drop of grace
If we can reach
Beyond the wisdom of this age
Into the foolishness of God
That foolishness will save
Those who believe
Although their foolish hearts may break
They will find peace
And I'll meet you in that place
Let mercy lead
Let mercy lead
Let mercy lead
Let love be the strength in your legs
And in every footprint that you leave
There'll be a drop of grace
If we can reach
Beyond the wisdom of this age
Into the foolishness of God
That foolishness will save
Let mercy lead
Let mercy lead
Let love be the strength in your legs
And in every footprint that you leave
There'll be a drop of grace
If we can reach
Beyond the wisdom of this age
Into the foolishness of God
That foolishness will save
Let mercy lead"
Invitation
As Mercy leads, you respond!
“As the Home Goes, So Goes the Church And as the Church Goes, So Goes America.”
