Sunday July 8, 2012 Phone: 570.829.5216 Pastor David Miklas e-mail: pdmikbbm@aol.com Message July 4 th Salute to America Text: Hosea 8:1-8; Proverbs 29:2 RIGHTEOUSNESS exalteth a nation... In Hosea 8:1-8 we read, Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law. (2) Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee. (3) Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him. (4) They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. (5) Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency? (6) For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces. (7) For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up. (8) Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure. You will notice God said to Israel because they had sown to the wind, they were about to reap the whirlwind. God said if they reaped anything beneficial, it would not go to them, but to someone else. Could that be a picture of America which has sown to the wind and is now reaping the whirlwind? I still believe America is the greatest nation on the face of the earth. I do not say that just because I am an American, but because I believe the facts bear it out. America did not become great because of her vast resources, her superior intellect, or her sheer willpower. America became great because God made her great. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:2, "That RIGHTEOUSNESS exalts a nation, and that the nation whose God is the Lord is a blessed nation." God honored America because America honored Him and upheld His STANDARD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. This nation was forged out by men who recognized their dependence upon Almighty God. In fact, many of the founding fathers had more respect as lost sinners for the living God and His Word, than many so-called believers in the church today. They knew that neither they, nor their nation could make it without the assistance of God. Our founding fathers were men of CONVICTION who stood for what they believed no matter what the cost. Our founding fathers were men of CHARACTER, who lived by the right, not by the expedient. Our founding fathers were men of CREATIVE wisdom. They did not form a democracy based on the changing whims of each passing generation. Rather, they formed a republic based on the unchanging, eternal absolutes of God and His Word. Our founding fathers were men COMMITTED to God, to His authority, and to the foundational principles of His Word. They did not hesitate to legislate morality. For the first 160 years of our history, most laws were based on the laws of God. John Quincy Adams on July 4, 1821 said, "From the day of the Declaration...they (the American people) were bound by the laws of God, which they all, and by the laws of the Gospel, which they nearly all, acknowledged as the rules of conduct." James Madison, the fourth President of the United States said, We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according o the Ten Commandments of God. Page 1
It is interesting that all 50 states acknowledge God in their state Constitution: For example, In the Preamble of Connecticut 1818, The people of Connecticut, acknowledge with gratitude the good Providence of God in permitting them to enjoy. In the Preamble of Maryland 1776, We, the people of the state of Maryland, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious liberty... In the charter of Rhode Island 1638, "We submit our persons, lives, and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and to all those perfect absolute laws He has given us in His Holy Word." In the Preamble of Pennsylvania 1776, We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance... The Pledge of Allegiance as adopted by the Congress, June 14, 1954, are the words we repeated earlier, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Our beloved national Anthem uses these words in the 4th stanza, "Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto, "In God is our trust!" Upon investigation, you will discover that many of the statements indelibly etched on our national monuments in Washington D.C. all bear unmistakable testimony to the fact America is one nation under God, founded for the furtherance of the gospel and the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Next time you travel to Washington D.C. remember to look for these: Inside the Capitol building you will see in the rotunda a picture of the Pilgrims about to embark from Holland on the sister ship of the Mayflower, the Speedwell. The great chaplain, Brewster, has the Bible open on his lap and there, very clearly, are the words, 'The New Testament according to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." On the sail is the motto of the Pilgrims, "In God We Trust, God With Us." Engraved on the metal cap on the top of the Washington Monument are these words: "Praise be to God." In the courtroom of the Supreme Court, above the head of the Chief Justice, are the Ten Commandments with the great American eagle protecting them. In the Senate chambers across from the eyes of the President of the Senate, who is the Vice President of the United States, are the words, "In God We Trust." Above the American flag that is behind the Speaker of the House of Representatives you will find in large words inscribed in the marble, "In God We Trust." On the walls of the various rooms of the Library of Congress you will find statements such as these: "What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God." "The Heavens declared the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork." "Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom and with all thy getting, get understanding." Without question, it has been established that our forefathers paid a great price so that posterity (all future generations) could live in freedom. Today, dare we be willing to pay any less a price for the same ends? As we bask in the glory of past blessings, today we have cause for great alarm, for the same God who was true to His Word and blessed America previously, must also be true Page 2
to His Word and exercise judgment if we do not repent. The Bible says God destroys the nations that forsake Him and reject His laws. In Psalms 9:17 we read, "The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God." America has a heritage that cries, "We cannot go without God." In the past few decades we have sown to the wind and now we are reaping the whirlwind. Psalm 33:11-12 says "The counsel of the LORD standeth forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD..." As a preacher of the Word of God, it is my duty and responsibility to preach the whole counsel of the Word of God, and to stir up your spiritual and moral conscience with a renewed zeal for "RIGHTEOUSNESS. Please follow me to a number of passages of scripture. And as we go along, may I encourage you to underline them in your Bibles for future reference. Proverbs 14:34, "RIGHTEOUSNESS exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people." Proverbs 28:12, "When RIGHTEOUS men do rejoice there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden." Proverbs 29:2, "When the RIGHTEOUS are in authority the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." Jeremiah 4:2, "The Lord liveth in truth, in judgment or justice and in RIGHTEOUSNESS..." I believe by now you have discovered the key word in all these passages is RIGHTEOUS or RIGHTEOUSNESS. It comes from the Hebrew word meaning to "BE RIGHT or TO MAKE RIGHT" in a moral sense. We are at an hour in our nation where we must do something about these verses. The issue we are faced with today is a MORAL issue, an issue of RIGHTEOUSNESS. In view of this, there are 3 things we, as Christians, are accountable to do: FIRST: As a Church it is NOT our responsibility to issue directives to our government. Our responsibility is not to issue ultimatums to Washington, Harrisburg or Annapolis. The responsibility of the church is to provide DIRECTION as a prophetic voice. We are to be the MORAL conscience of the nation. We are to be like Isaiah 30:21 saying "This is the way walk ye in it." It was Martin Luther who said, "It is the job of the magistrate to uphold the laws of God, and it is the job of the preacher to hold him to do so." Far too long we have taken the ridicule from the liberal crowd who has sat in the seat of authority saying, "You keep the religion in your church and leave the moral life to the government." Far too long we have taken the ridicule from the liberal crowd who has said, we must keep the separation of the church from the state by declaring God off limits in our society. Make no mistake. In the past, America was a godly nation founded upon and governed by Bible principles. God's laws from the Word of God are always based upon MORAL ABSOLUTES. Make no mistake. As Christians, we do have a part: We have a MORAL RESPONSIBILITY to promote RIGHTEOUSNESS. We are to be the MORAL CONSCIENCE of our nation. We are to be the PROPHETIC VOICE proclaiming to a nation that we are to be governed by God's MORAL ABSOLUTES. SECOND: GOVERNMENT and INSTITUTIONS are to be made accountable to God just like individuals are accountable to God. We are to underscore his fact in our preaching, in our living, in our voting, in our witnessing, and in all other things we do. Over the last several decades it has become quite evident that our government feels no accountability to God. But according to Romans 13 and numerous other passages of Page 3
scripture, governments are accountable to God almighty. We must continually remind our elected officials that it is "RIGHTEOUSNESS that elevates a nation to greatness." In the early 19th century, the French Statesman Alexis de Tocqueville wrote this about America: Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with RIGHTEOUSNESS did I understand the secret of her genius and power. What made America great? It was the flaming PULPITS of God's men proclaiming the righteousness of the Word of God, and God's people living RIGHTEOUS lives from the MORAL ABSOLUTES of this book. That's what made America great, and that is what will save it for our children in the next generation. Now when we talk about RIGHTEOUSNESS, we must understand it from two perspectives. Number 1: There is "SPIRITUAL RIGHTEOUSNESS." In the New Testament spiritual righteousness comes to us through FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Philippians 3:9 the Apostle Paul in his autobiography says, "He was found in Christ, having not his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." Paul could not depend upon his own righteousness because all His righteousness was as filthy rags in the eyes of God. When we speak of Paul s righteousness in Jesus Christ, we call this IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS. When we accept Jesus Christ as Savior, His righteousness is IMPUTED to us. This and this alone is what makes us acceptable to God. It is this concept of righteousness that must always be in the fore front of this ministry. It is this spiritual righteousness that is constantly preached in order to bring men and women to an awareness and acceptance of Jesus Christ. Number 2; There is "MORAL RIGHTEOUSNESS." This is the righteousness we find in Proverbs 29:2, "When the righteous are in authority the people rejoice..." We cannot expect everyone in America to come under SPIRITUAL RIGHTEOUSNESS. Although it is our responsibility to proclaim the message of the gospel, the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we cannot force salvation on anyone. Since salvation is an individual s soul choice. But we can use MORAL RIGHTEOUSNESS to make a nation sensitive. It is this moral righteousness that the church and this preacher consistently points to and reminds us constantly. Because righteousness exalts a nation to greatness and because sin will bring a nation to ruin, we as Christians must constantly make this government and its leaders who represent us accountable to God. What might some of these MORAL ABSOLUTES be? From Psalm 139:13-16, we believe from the time of conception within the womb, every human being has a scriptural right to life. From Psalm 31:15 we believe apart from judicial capital punishment, no medical or judicial process should be introduced that would allow the termination of life before its natural or accidental completion. From Genesis 2:18-25 we believe in and support the right of the TRADITIONAL FAMILY of ONE man married to ONE woman. From Psalm 127:1-5 we believe children are from the Lord and that they are the responsibility of the parent and not the state. From Proverbs 14:34 we believe we have the right to influence all secular endeavors in establishing and maintaining moral principles of scripture. Page 4
From Matthew 22:17-21, we believe God's money (the tithes and offerings from God s people) is to be used to support God s work. The federal, state, and local government has no right to tax any church ministry or property. THIRD: Our goal is to bring the influence of the MORAL ABSOLUTES in the Word of God to bear upon every program and every institution of government. The problem we face today is the idea of MORAL RELATIVITY. This idea says, You do whatever you want to do, there are no restrictions. Listen to this, "It is MORAL RELATIVITY and not MORAL ABSOLUTES that has brought sexually transmitted disease. It is MORAL RELATIVITY and not MORAL ABSOLUTES that has encouraged abortions. It is MORAL RELATIVITY and not MORAL ABSOLUTES that has recognized homosexual issues. There can be no absolutes, there can be no laws, and there can be no right or wrong without a firm STANDARD that is IMMUTABLE. There has to be a standard which never changes in order to guide a great ship of state. If there is no immutable unchanging standard, then absolutes do not exist and what is left is MORAL RELATIVITY. Consequently, problems of IMMORALITY plague our nation today." God says it is RIGHTEOUSNESS that exalts a nation. As Christian citizens of this country, we have a right to be the MORAL CONSCIENCE of this nation. As believers, we actually have that God-given responsibility, and there are several excellent byproducts to RIGHTEOUSNESS. In the New Testament when "SPIRITUAL RIGHTEOUSNESS" is imputed to one who by faith has accepted Jesus as Savior, one by-product is JOY, another is ETERNAL LIFE, and another is FREEDOM from the bondage of sin. In Romans 6 verses 20 and 22, Paul said, "For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. But now being made free from sin, and become servants of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and in the end everlasting life." From Proverbs 29:2 we see that MORAL RIGHTEOUSNESS brings REJOICING. But when immorality is the rule of the day it brings mourning. It is no accident that our nation has enjoyed fantastic freedom. In Proverbs 14: 34 again we read, "Righteousness exalteth a nation..." Our nation was steeped in RIGHTEOUSNESS and as a result enjoyed freedom. But my friends, we must maintain that freedom by continually being the moral conscience of the nation. When we lose our freedoms, we lose the platform for preaching the Word of God. When we lose our freedoms, we lose the context for the establishment, and the development, and the expansion of the church through preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In all the world, where has the gospel made its greatest impact - France, India, Africa, Russia? The gospel has made its greatest impact, unparalleled in human history, in these United States. Why? Because of the freedom we have as a result of obedience to the Word of God and its MORAL ABSOLUTES. However, Let us loose our concern for MORAL RIGHTEOUSNESS; Let us not speak out for RIGHTEOUSNESS; Let us be silent on MORAL RIGHTEOUSNESS, and Let us say that is not our responsibility, and before long, our freedoms will disappear! Our freedom to REJOICE will be turned to slavery and mourning. As a result, it will not be long before the impact the gospel has made on this nation will not only be denied, but eventually gone. Page 5
America is on a suicidal course with destruction and judgment, because we have forgotten the God of the Bible and forsaken His commands. Did our founding fathers die in vain? Is this noble experiment of freedom to end in the graveyard, along side of past civilizations that likewise rejected God? Is there any hope for our children and their children? Psalm 9:17 says, "The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God. Psalm 11:3, says, "if the foundations be destroyed what can the righteous do?" Edmund Burke said, "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing." That's exactly what too many of us have done, absolutely nothing. We are too busy making money, watching TV, grooming our yards and doing things that do not have eternal values. You and I live in a democratic republic which is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. That makes us the ultimate decision-makers, and before God, we are ultimately responsible for what takes place in this nation. The only hope we have for returning this nation back to God is for those of us who name the name of God, to once again turn back to Him and become the moral conscience of this nation. "When there is a deep concern for MORAL RIGHTEOUSNESS on the part of the people, and they live and express themselves to that end, There is rejoicing, There is religious and national freedom, There is the hand and blessing of God upon that people, and There is the unparalleled opportunity for carrying out message from the Word of God." In II Chronicles we read, "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 I will hear from heaven, I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." There is nothing wrong with America you couldn't cure. As noted from II Chronicles 7:14, Nations do not repent, individuals repent. Nations don't turn from their sins, individuals turn from their sins. Nations do not get right with God, individuals get right with God. America is but a reflection of our heart and lives. May we do all we can to stand for RIGHTEOUSNESS, so that the next generation can benefit from "One nation under God." **************************************************************** If God has spoken to your heart, after reading the sermon "RIGHTEOUSNESS exalteth a nation...," right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you. Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in Acts 16:31,...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved... Romans 10:13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation. Page 6
If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know? Please send an e-mail to, pdmikbbm@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life. The Weekly SERMON was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party. Copy write permission: Because the Weekly SERMONS will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The Weekly SERMON in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the Weekly SERMON must set forth in full the heading that is given before each Weekly SERMON. Any other request for use, please contact Bible Bapinistries at pdmikbbm@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216. Page 7