PUBLIC SERVANT APPRECIATION SERVICE 2004
The past 8 weeks have been somewhat trying for those of us here in Florida. During that time we have been hit by no less than 4 hurricanes. It has gotten so bad that I can tell you the number for the Weather Channel on our TV, and have even formed an opinion about which of our local weathermen is the most accurate. During the past few weeks I was reminded that many of our weather people don’t have enough sense to get in out of the rain.
There is something else I was reminded of over the past few weeks, and that is what a “God-blessed” country we live in.
Tell me, what other country has the resources and the heart to station troops in nations around the world to protect freedom-loving people everywhere? What other nation, while shouldering that responsibility also has the strength to simultaneously fight terrorists in two other countries? What other nation has the strength to meet those obligations while enduring and helping its citizens recover from the devastation of 4 hurricanes? What other nation can do all of that, while at the same time sending money and supplies to Haiti to help them recover from a hurricane, and all of that while its citizens continue to support thousands of missionaries around the world?
Oh my friends, the United States of America is a God-designed, God-created, and God-blessed nation. It was planned by God, founded by Christians, and protected and blessed by God. The Psalmist was so right when he said in Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.
But, my friend, a nation is not blessed by accident. It does not happen in a vacuum. God has laid out for us, His plan for a God-blessed nation.
- Read Romans 13:1-7
Our government doesn’t get much respect these days. It seems that no one is happy with it, except perhaps the people living under other governments and trying to get into this country, and yet the Bible says, here in verse 1, that God established government. God is so concerned for us that He established government authorities to help our society operate according to His plan. Our nation would be spoiled, even more than it is, if sinful man was allowed to engage in all manner of evil, even everyone was allowed to do what was right in his own eye. So, God established government to punish evil and to reward those who do right.
Evidently the founding fathers understood that for they wrote in the preamble to our constitution that they were forming a new government: to establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and to secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.
In the first 6 months of this year, 82 Law Enforcement Officers, and nearly as many firefighters gave their lives doing that very thing. In the last year, over 1000 of our soldiers have given their lives defending us. During the recent hurricanes, most of our public servants worked days on end, sometimes around the clock protecting and serving us.
Are our public servants perfect? No, and neither is our government, but with limited time and limited resources, most are doing the best they can to take care of you and me. The question we come to address today, is what is our responsibility to them? What is required of Godly citizens?
GODLY CITIZENS ARE:
1. Obedient people – v1
Verse 1 says, let every person be in subjection. In other words, we are to obedient. We are to be law-abiding citizens. That means we are to obey traffic signs. That means we are to obey zoning ordinances. That means we are to pay our taxes, all of them. Verse 2 says to break the law is to stand against God’s authority. My friend, when you break the law, you are not only going against man’s law but you are going against God Himself.
Let me ask you, do you obey the law or do you take the law into your own hands, deciding which ones you will obey and which ones you won’t? Do you allow your children to do that? Do you believe God wants His children to? Unless the government commands you to do something which goes against God’s commands, you are to obey the law. Godly citizens are obedient people.
2. Teaching people –
> Titus 3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers, authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed. Not only are Godly citizens obedient, but they teach others, to be as well. Let me ask you, do you teach your children to obey the law? Do you teach them to be respectful of authorities? … Let me ask you, are your children riding their 4-wheelers where they have no business riding them? … I ride as a chaplain in this district, in Geneva, Choleota, and Oviedo. I know. People who have something, who have built something, have trouble with children and such tearing up their stuff …
3. Involved people –
- Read Leviticus 5:1 This verse tells us that God’s people have a responsibility to be witnesses when they see a crime or when they hear of a crime. They are to be involved. That includes jury duty. We often complain that criminals are let off the hook, or that they are let go. Is it any wonder when so many of the God-fearing citizens of our country beg off of jury duty. …
There is currently an organization in Volusia County, called FAITH, that recently expanded to include Deltona. That organization made up of churches and church members, regularly brow-beats local law-enforcement and local city governments, telling them what a sorry job they’re doing dealing with drug and other problems in our community. I’ll never have anything to do with such an organization, for the primary responsibility for dealing with those folks belongs to the church and Christians. Sure, law enforcement and local governments can put up some street lights and arrest a few people, but that’s the extent of what they can do. You and I, on the other hand, claim to serve a God Who changes lives. We claim to serve a God Who commanded us to make disciples. He is the only One who can change their lives. He is the One Who can give them victory over that stuff.
Let me ask you, what are you doing to reach the law breakers, the drug dealers, the child abusers, and the wife beaters here in Geneva? How many of them call you friend? The time was when Jesus was known as a friend of sinners, now we want to sit on our padded pews, look down our self-righteous noses, and tell others that they need to deal with the problem. What we need is people who love them like Christ did and tell them God loves them too.
4. Praying people –. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing. Do you believe God still answers prayer? The Bible says the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Need to be praying. Who are you praying for? Spend more time praying for a sick aunt who’s going to heaven when she dies, than we do for a lost neighbor who’s going to hell. …
5. Thankful people -
a. To God – In all things, give thanks. Thank the Lord, even in the midst of the hurricanes, few of us went hungry. Few of us had to scramble to find clean drinking water. … Few of us had to look out for bands of thieves roaming the streets. When we lose a house, or a possession through fire or storm, we can thank the Lord that we still live in America, the most blessed country in the world. We can thank Him for the opportunities we have here. We can thank Him for the freedoms we enjoy.
We can thank the Lord that we have men and women out there every day and every night, working to protect us. We need to thank the Lord for the nights we are able to go home in safety because of the thin blue line standing between us and criminals. We need to thank Him for the firemen and women, who regularly protect our homes and possessions and for the medical help that is just a phone call away.
We need to thank Him for loving us enough to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the price for our sins, so we can enjoy eternal life. We need to thank Him for the promise that someday we can see our loved ones again. …
b. To leaders and public servants – Romans 13:7 Deputies, officers, that is why we are here today, to tell you thank you. This past weekend, I wanted to come out and ride in district 4. My wife looked at me and said, “You’re not going to leave us here in the storm are you?” Being the man that I am, I looked her right in the face and said, “Of course not.” You however, didn’t have that choice. While we were home looking after our houses and our families, you left yours to protect ours. For that, we say thank you. Thank you for being there day after day and night after night. I thank you that I am able to drive home safely because you ticketed a speeder or because you took a drunk driver off the road. Thank you.
Thank you for the peace I feel when I go home at night, knowing that daily you take criminals, that might otherwise be lying I wait for me, off the street. Thank you. Thank you for the peaceful sleep I enjoy at night, knowing that if someone tries to bother me or mine that you are just a phone call away. Thank you. Thank you for the drug pushers you take off the street that will never have an opportunity to tempt my son. Thank you.
Thank you fire fighters, for responding to that alarm, for
running in the building while we run out, to make sure we are alright.
Thank you. Thank you for the sleep you miss and for all the time
you spend away from your family so I can be with mine. Thank you
for the weekends, holidays, ballgames, anniversaries and birthdays
you miss. Thank you for the patience you show when you pull us
over and we are less than kind. Thank you. 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.
