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INTRODUCTION
ILLUS: I hope the great hymns of our nation bring emotion to your voice as your sing. I hope
you still stand without hesitation when the flag passes by and hold your hand over your heart
for the pledge with pride. Thanksgiving - a true American Holiday. “We are so blessed.”
We are America the Beautiful.
Today’s God’s authority over the nations - America included.
“The Foundation of our country is much deeper than that” - the Revelation of God through
His Holy Word. The Bible is the foundation.
ILLUS: Of the 15,000 founding Father’s documents, 34% of all quotes they gathered
were directly from the Bible, more than from any other source.
The first published school textbook, The New England Primer, was literally a Christian
Catechism for teaching children in the colonies.
During the Revolutionary War, Congress authorized the first printing of Bibles in America
with a printed endorsement in the front by the Congress.
The Bible was the foundation for the founding of our nation. The foundation of our freedom. Many of
our forefathers understood that God is the God of the nations, and the Bible is the Textbook for
government and law - past, present, and future. Let us seek to understand what they understood.
1. God is the God of the Nations
- From the Book of Daniel, a book of political intrique:
Daniel said: 2:20-23; King Nebuchadnezzar said 4:34-35;
King Darius the Mede said 6:26-27
- John 18, 19 - Jesus stood before Pilate testifying of the truth when Pilate said
“What is truth?” and walked away. But that was not the end of the
conversation. After the scourging Pilate had ordered, he saw Jesus one more time and
said: “Do you not know that I have the authority to release You, and I have
the authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered “You would have no authority
over Me, unless it had been given from above...” (John 19:10-11)
QUOTE: Rick Warren in is inaugural prayer of January 20, 2009 began: “Almighty
God, our Father, everything we see and everything we can’t see exists because
of You alone. It all comes from You. It all belongs to You. It all exists for Your
glory. History is Your Story.”
- No kingdom rises or falls without His say. He uses nations His purposes.
ILLUS: Assyria, Babylon, Mede and Persian, Greek and Roman. Directed the mighty
Roman Empire to set stage for birth of Christ - road system, move Joseph and Mary by
a unusual census. Trade language was Greek for NT.
- Since History is His story His Scripture explains principles of nations:
- Romans 13:1-7 Purpose: Praise good v. 3,4, punish evil v. 4
- 1 Samuel 8:1-18 Problems: Corruption v. 3, Control vs. 11-18
- Hosea 13:6-8 - lifecycle of nations. Punishments
- Modern history still has shown His power - keeps His promises to Jews.
ILLUS: WWI was fought to provide a land for the Jewish people - 1917 Balfour
Declaration. WWII was fought to bring the Jews to the land and create the nation May
1948. Some day the final wars will be in land of Israel. The stage is being set with
the European Union of 27 nations, China, Russia, nations in Africa, USA, Islamic
nations. For years we thought the final battles will be against communism, but we
now see it will probably be against Islam.
- All current history like all previous history is His story, for His purpose, and to
fulfill His prophecies to come. But do not fear, we have read the end of Bible -
Rev. 7:9-12; 22:12-13. Our God reigns!!
2. God blesses Nations that Fear Him
- Psalm 33:12; Prov. 14:34 “Righteousness exalts a nation...”
- Mayflower Compact 1620: “Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement
of the Christian faith...”
- 1643 New England Confederation: “We all came to these parts of America with the
same end and aim, namely, to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to enjoy
the liberties of the Gospel...” (Truth slide #64)
- 1775 “The Congress desires to have people...by a sincere repentance and amendment
of life appease His righteous displeasure and, through the merits and mediation of Jesus
Christ, obtain His pardon and forgiveness.” (Barton, Spirit, 13)
- 1854 Senate Judiciary Committee “The great vital, and conservative element in our
system is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and divine truths of the Gospel
of Jesus Christ.” (Barton, America’s, 14)
- 1892 U.S. Supreme Court “This is a religious people...This is a Christian nation.”
(Barton, America’s, 10)
- Three years prior to that just 120 years ago 1889. A group of people under the guidance
of God established a Baptist Church in Colfax for the same purpose of promoting the
gospel of Jesus Christ. They are us today.
QUOTE: A paragraph recorded in our church history: “Our theme is “To God
be the Glory” for it is He who has blessed us so abundantly. As it has been,
may it ever be, that we should be faithful in preaching the Gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ, which is the power of God unto salvation to all who believe.”
- God has blessed the United States of America in history because one great purpose was to
spread the gospel. It is in our nation’s DNA.
ILLUS: Sadly, back in June, the President of the USA said in Turkey: “We do
not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We
consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.”
What values? Whose values?
QUOTE: 1776 the D of I states “Laws of Nature and Nature’s God...that all
men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
- Our rights are Creator’s values, laws of nature and nature’s God.
Life - all life is God given,
Liberty - 5 are expounded in 1st Amendment - free religion, free speech, free press,
free assembly, free right to redress grievances.
- 10 Command as the basis for law - engraved in many buildings
- Free economy, freedom to posses and protect private property
Pursuit of happiness - enjoying the rights and gifts God has given.
- The Bible - provided the best foundation. Our founding fathers knew this, though not
personally perfect. They knew that morals/values had to have a foundation - Law Giver is
God, the moral law book is the Bible.
QUOTE: In fact every state constitution preamble makes reference to God. Iowa 1857,
“We, the People of the State of Iowa, grateful to the Supreme Being for the
blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of
these blessings, establish this Constitution...”
QUOTES: George Washington “It is impossible to rightly govern without God and
the Bible.”
President Woodrow Wilson “A man has deprived himself of the best there is in
the world who has deprived himself of this - a knowledge of the Bible. When you have
read the Bible, you will know that it is the Word of God, because you will have
found it the key to your own heart, your own happiness, and your own duty.”
(Knights, 37)
2004 President George Bush “Throughout our history, the teachings of the Bible
have helped shape the character of our Nation. In the Holy Scriptures, we find
important and timeless lessons about serving others, compassion, and love. People
across our country continue to witness the transformational power of God’s
word and to be strengthened by its message of boundless blessings and mercy.”
(National Bible Week website)
CONCLUSION
God is the God of the Nations.
God blesses Nations that Fear Him.
Praise God the foundation for our nation was the Bible.
This is National Bible Week - becoming a call to our nation to go back to the Bible. That is a
monumental task. God and His Word has been deliberately removed from virtually every arena of
American Life. I trust not from your personal life and our church’s life.
But America is made of up the people - “We the people.”
We the People of FBC Colfax, IA, USA must make sure we believe this Book, love this Book, and live
this Book. What role does the Bible serve in your life? Is the Bible the first and final authority
for our church?
Let us renew our allegiances.
PLEDGE TO THE AMERICAN FLAG: 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.
PLEDGE TO THE CHRISTIAN FLAG: I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag and to the
Savior for whose Kingdom it stands. One Savior, crucified, risen, and coming again with life and
liberty to all who believe.
PLEDGE TO THE BIBLE: I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word, I
will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and will hide its words in my heart that I
might not sin against God.
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