God's Survival Tactics
"He rode among his army yesterday and admonished each and every one to fear God, to put away the wickedness that had set in and become so general, and to practice the Christian virtues. From all appearances this gentleman does not belong to the so-called world of society, for he respects God's word, believes in the atonement through Christ and bears himself in humility and gentleness. Therefore, the Lord God has also singularly, yes, marvelously preserved him from harm in the midst of countless perils and has hitherto graciously held him in his hand as a chosen vessel."
Of whom does the writer speak? Who is this humble gentleman who restrains evil and promotes goodness by precept and example? Have you guessed? General George Washington, a man who recognized the relationship between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man in the affairs of state.
For instance, George Washington could say on the one hand, "It pleases the Almighty Ruler of the universe to defend the cause of these United American States, and finally to raise up a powerful Prince to establish liberty and independence upon the lasting foundation." Clear testimony to an understanding of God's lordship in the affairs of this nation.
And yet on the other hand, George Washington could pray, "Let my heart, gracious God, be so affected with the glory and majesty of Thine honor, that I may not do my own works, but wait on Thee, and discharge those weighty duties which Thou doest require of me. I acknowledge and confess my faults in the weak and imperfect performance of the duties of this day, direct my thoughts, my words and my work." A clear testimony to his understanding of his own role in the affairs of this nation.
What an encouragement to find in the heart of a national leader this understanding of the balance between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man in matters of government.
This morning, we receive great comfort as we contemplate God's sovereignty, but we also receive a great challenge as we contemplate our responsibility.
It is to the latter of these concepts that I draw our attention; listen very carefully to the words of the sovereign Lord of the universe as He speaks to the earthly sovereign, King Solomon, son of David.
II Chronicles 7:14 - "lf my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land."
INTRODUCTION
God's survival tactics. Are you interested? Of course you are interested. Everyone is interested in knowing how to survive the great catastrophe we feel is inevitable.
Rumors of volatile nations producing nuclear warheads, reports of secret nuclear tests, weapons of mass destruction, TV programs like "24" - it's all so disconcerting.
Some suggest that the events in the Middle East signal the beginning of the end, and they point to a number of biblical prophecies to support and substantiate their contention.
Consequently, some people are stockpiling food, they are hording gold and silver, they are buying land and building communes; at the other extreme, some people are selling their land, disposing of their possessions, and pursuing the simplest life possible.
I'm not prepared this morning to discuss the various merits of these conflicting coping strategies but I will without apology direct your attention to God's survival tactics. From the text of II Chronicles let's consider:
I. The Participants in God's Survival Tactics
II. The Principles of God's Survival Tactics
III. The Promises of God's Survival Tactics.
I. THE PARTICIPANTS IN GOD'S SURVIVAL TACTICS
Who is to blame for the mess we're in? The President or the Congressmen?
Which branch should we hang in effigy? Legislative, Executive or Judiciary?
Who is to blame for the current trends? Independents, Democrats or Republicans? Whose hide should we lash and bum at the stake? Those who set the exorbitant tax rate?
Who is at fault? Whom do we accuse? Who is the one we can't excuse?
Who is to blame for this wild mayhem? Not me, not you. Then it must be "him."
It's always "him" - right? Whoever the "him" may be. Blame the President, blame Congress, blame labor, blame management, blame big business, blame banking, blame anyone but you, blame anyone but me.
But God won't allow that logic to prevail this morning. He goes right to the heart of the issue. He identifies the problem - it's "My people who are called by my name."
You mean to tell me you think Christians are at fault? You think the Christians are to blame for all the conflict and confusion abroad; and all the chaos and corruption here at home? And the answer is "yes". In many ways we Christians are to blame for we've not lived as salt and we've not lived as light; and our nation suffers because of our failure.
Regardless of what you and I think, it's pretty clear what God thinks. God directs His challenge to the church, not the culture - "If my people, who are called by my name."
He places the burden of the responsibility for the well-being of our nation squarely on our shoulders this morning. We aren't really shocked or surprised by that, are we? We shouldn't be, if we know our Bibles.
God has said, "To whom much is given, of them shall much be required." And to whom has more been given than Christians, American Christians, American Christians living in the 1st decade of the 21st century.
God has said that He will judge men according to the knowledge they have been given. Who has received more light than Christians, American Christians, American Christians living in the 1st decade of the 21st century?
Christians are the key participants in God's survival tactics. We aren't really surprised that God singles out His people are we? When we think about it, we know it must be this way. For God's people are the only ones who can really Analyze and Articulate the Problem. We know the problem is compound and complex; we know that it's manifold in its manifestations; we know that it is vast in its scope. Yet at the bottom line it's a spiritual problem.
The problem in a word is "sin." You may call it some "ism" - communism, materialism, racism, pragmatism, feminism; you may call it greed, or embezzlement, or hatred, or prejudice; you may call it immorality or promiscuity, you may call it crime - murder and theft and drugs; you may call it corruption in high places; but it is still sin. Whatever its form, sin is either "want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God."
Who then can recognize the problem better than the people of God?
It's not only our responsibility to recognize the problem, we must be ready to admit our part in the problem, we must confess our own contribution to that problem.
Though we are Christians we are still sinful human beings, and we don't live perfect lives in our society; we must acknowledge our guilt. To be sure, others are guilty too, but they don't see their guilt as clearly as we do. Therefore, since they can't respond, we must respond for them.
You don't really believe that the happy American pagans care one thing about the law of God, do you? Of course not. You don't really believe that the unbelievers in our nation are desirous of discovering what God requires of us as a nation, do you? Of course not. You don't really believe that unconverted citizens will acknowledge Him to be the judge of all the earth, do you? Of course not. They can't respond; it's our responsibility to respond for them.
God grants us that privilege: "If my people, who are called by my name."
He doesn't say, if the politicians will do certain things; He doesn't say if the military leaders will do certain things; He doesn't say if national educators will do certain things; He doesn't say if society in general will do certain things. He says, "If My people, who are called by My name will do certain things." We Christians are the key participants in God's survival tactics; there is no "them," only "us"!
When we think about it, we know this must be the case because we Christians are the only ones who can Access and Apply the Power necessary for the changes that will ensure survival.
It's not by political might, it's not by human strength, it's by God's Spirit that we make a difference.
Who has the Spirit of God but the people of God? Let me ask you a pointed question: Who is going to save the United States of America from moral corruption and political collapse, if in fact, the United States of America is to be saved? The Lord! "Salvation is of the Lord."
Benjamin Franklin, addressing the Second Continental Congress said, "I have lived, sirs, a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men and if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire will rise without His aid?"
Who is going to save us? The Lord alone can save us. Who knows the Lord? The Lord's people; the burden of responsibility rests on our shoulders.
We are the only ones who can infuse any lasting help into the life of our nation. And you may be sitting there asking, "Do you really believe that? I mean, we are such a small percentage of the population. Do you really think we, I mean we who are gathered here in the sanctuary this morning, can make any difference in the course of our nation? We are so few." And I say, "So what." God has never depended upon numbers to accomplish His plan and His purpose among nations, has He? You know just the opposite is the truth
Gideon had 32,000 men in his army and the Lord said, "Your army is too big. If they go to war and win, they'll claim credit for themselves. Cut it down." Three hundred men, less than 1% of the army went to war, and God by His grace, they won the victory for His glory.
Moses was just one man standing in the court of Pharaoh, the most powerful monarch in the world of that day, and he cried for the Lord, "Let my people go"; and through one man God miraculously delivered the nation.
Joshua, same story; David, same story; Elijah, same story. Recall James' comment on the great events in the life of this man - "Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. The effectual, fervent prayer of one righteous man avails much" (James 5:17-18).
Do you believe that? Do you believe that in God's scheme of things just one person here this morning can change the course of history? And who of us can begin to imagine the force and the might and the power which is ours, when collectively as the people of God, we approach the throne of grace.
We the people of God must do something.
Granted, God is sovereign, but we must do something.
Granted, we have no great political pull or military might and we have no storehouse of wealth, but we must do something
Granted, we can't do everything, but we must do something.
"If my people, who are called by my name, will just do something." We are the key participants in God's survival tactics.
II. THE PRINCIPLES OF GOD'S SURVIVAL TACTICS
What is that something that we are to do? God tells us so clearly; look at the PRINCIPLES He outlines IN HIS SURVIVAL TACTICS. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways," four specific principles God gives us.
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves." - THE PRINCIPLE OF RESIGNATION.
Listen carefully to the language; God doesn't say, "If and when my people are humbled"; He says, "If my people humble themselves." That language sounds strange to our ears, but it's the common language of Scripture to describe people who resign themselves to the will of the Lord, people who humble themselves under the hand of God.
We read of King Manasseh in II Chronicles 33:10-12. "The Lord spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they paid no attention. So the Lord brought against him the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, and took him to Babylon. In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers." And God blessed Manasseh, bringing him back to Jerusalem.
King David said, "I humbled myself with fasting before the Lord." And God blessed David.
Peter writes, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God that He may bless us, that He may exalt you in due time."
Jesus Christ said, "Whoever, therefore, shall humble himself as a little child, the same shall be greatest in the kingdom of heaven." And we remember not only His exhortation, we remember also His example. "He humbled himself and became obedient unto death." People of God, humble yourselves before God.
What does it mean for us to humble ourselves? Well, for one thing it means resigning ourselves to the punishment which God may bring upon us as a nation. He can't turn a blind eye to the idolatry, the iniquity, the immorality of the United States of America; and we ourselves as Christians may be caught up in the judgment He dispenses, even as the prophets of old, like Habakkuk and Jeremiah, were caught up in the judgment God brought against their nation. They proclaimed the judgment, but then they were there to experience the judgment as well. And some may rebel, but we must humble ourselves, readily though not joyfully, accepting the punishment God may administer.
To humble oneself means resigning ourselves to the position that God may assign us as a nation. We may know some demotion in rank among the nations of the world; and that will hurt our pride and damage our prestige and diminish our power. And some may rebel, but we must humble ourselves readily, though not joyfully, and accept the position which God assigns which may be much less than we desire.
To humble ourselves may mean resigning ourselves to the privations that God will bring upon us as a country.
I know it's difficult for us sitting in our abundance this morning to think of being deprived of anything, but that may well be the case. That, however, is not the point here. Are you ready to humble yourself in this regard? David humbled himself by fasting, and there was nothing wrong with eating. Jesus Christ humbled himself by laying aside the divine prerogatives which were His, and He had every right to exercise them. Both of these individuals were willing to sacrifice these legitimate things for higher goals that could not be accomplished by eating or even exercising divine power.
Are you willing to humble yourself? Let me be even more pointed. Are you willing to humble yourself with fasting? Are you willing to fast one day a month, or one day a week for the survival of the United States of America?
People of God, are you ready to work for the survival of our nation? If so, follow the principle of resignation: humble yourself before the Lord.
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray." - THE PRINCIPLE OF REQUEST.
We have not because we ask not. Yet, it's our right to pray for our nation. After all, if we don't pray, who is going to pray? The unbelievers won't pray, the unbelievers can't pray. We Christians are the only ones who have access into the throne room of the majesty on high; we're the only ones who can approach the King of kings and the Lord of lords; we're the only ones who can secure the attention of the Sovereign Ruler of the universe.
And besides it's our responsibility.
Remember Paul's words to Timothy: "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness" (I Tim. 2: 1-2).
It's so easy for us to cuss and discuss the leaders, it's so easy for us to condemn and criticize the military strategy; it's so easy for us to castigate and malign the enemy.
If only we would spend a portion of that time in prayer. Are you praying for the President and the Congress? Are you praying for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the military leaders in the Middle East? Are you praying for Osama Bin Laden and the conversion of al-Qaida soldiers? "If only my people would pray," says the Lord.
It's time to pray to the God who watches over us;
it’s time to seek His help without delay.
The world is dark for the clouds of war still threaten;
it’s time for all Christians to pray.
If we would keep the flag of freedom flying;
Secure the peace for which our men are dying,it's time to pray.
Enemies increase around us, we can't drop our guard;
Problems here at home confound us in our own backyard.
Troubles unrelenting hound us, making living hard;
It's time to pray; Christians, time to pray,
It's time for all Christians to pray."
Are you, the people of God, ready to work? I mean really work for the survival of our nation? Then follow the principle of request and pray.
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face." - THE PRINCIPLE OF REVELATION.
Seeking God's face is just a quaint way of saying seeking to know what pleases Him and what displeases Him; seeking to know what He approves and what He condemns; seeking to know what makes Him smile and what makes Him frown; seeking His face.
Where is God's face found? In God's word. Christians are the ones who bear the responsibility of reading and studying the Bible so we may know how to respond in this present evil day. If we don't read it, it's not going to get read and if it's not read, we are not going to be instructed.
We Christians need to be instructed in the truth that sets man free so we will be equipped to inform and inspire others to follow the principles of God's survival tactics.
Daniel Webster once said, "If we will abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper, but if we and our posterity neglect its instruction and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all of our glory in profound obscurity."
Far more important than what the United Nations has to say, or what the President has to say, or what the Congress has to say, or what the Supreme Court has to say, is what the Bible has to say.
People of God, are you ready to work for the survival of our nation? If so, follow the principle of revelation - seek God's face in God's word.
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways." - THE PRINICPLE OF REPENTANCE
What marks the road to sure and certain ruin? The failure of a nation to turn from its sin.
Listen to this catalog of cultural diseases:
- The rapid increase of divorce, undermining the sanctity and dignity of the home;
- Higher and higher taxes and the spending of public monies for free bread and circuses;
- The mad craze for pleasure, sports becoming every year more exciting and brutal;
- The building of gigantic armaments when the real enemy of the people is the decadence within;
- The decline of religion, faith fading into mere form becoming impotent to warn and guide the people.
These are the five reasons listed by Edward Gibbons for The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The parallels are striking, and they are shocking, and they are scary. Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. "If my people, who are called by my name, will just turn from their sins."
At the time of the American Revolution, Samuel West preached in Boston: "Could I see a spirit of repentance and reformation prevail throughout the land, I should have not the least apprehension of fear, of being brought under the iron hand of slavery, even though all the powers of the globe were combined against us."
John Witherspoon, the only minister who signed the Declaration of Independence, preached in Princeton: "He is the best friend to American liberty who is most sincere and active in promoting true and undefiled religion and who sets himself with the greatest of firmness to bear down on profanity and immorality of every kind. Whoever is an avowed enemy of God, I scruple not to call him an enemy to his country."
The spirit of repentance. Who can manifest the spirit of repentance but the people of God?
We can't be responsible for the sins of careless American pagans; God doesn't expect us to deal with their sins; but He does expect us to deal with our sins.
Do you really want to work for the survival of our nation? Then follow the principle of repentance.
The burden of responsibility really does rest on the shoulders of the Christians in this land: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then", what a glorious word; "then", what an encouraging word; "then", what a hopeful word that is; "then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land."
III. THE PROMISES OF GOD'S SURVIVAL TACTICS
When the PARTICIPANTS IN GOD'S SURVIVAL TACTICS implement the PRINCIPLES OF GOD'S SURVIVAL TACTICS they can claim the PROMISES OF GOD'S SURVIVAL TACTICS.
What do we really need?
What do we need as a nation when we cry for help? A God who hears and grants His divine attention to our situation.
What do we need when we go astray individually, collectively as a nation? A God who forgives and makes atonement for all of our sins.
What do we need when we suffer from self-inflicted wounds that make us impotent and ineffective? A God who heals and accomplishes things in our stead we could never accomplish for ourselves.
And what do we Christians have? A God who says, "I will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sins. I will heal their land." This is not some ruling passed down by the Supreme Court, it's more powerful than that; this is not some law enacted by the Congress, it's more powerful than that; this is not some proclamation issued by the President of the United States, it's more powerful than that. This is the promise of Almighty God, the promise of One whose word cannot be broken: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, I will forgive their sins, I will heal their land."
We can save our nation!
God's survival tactics. How dare we be discouraged?
You remember when God told Abraham He was going to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham felt bold enough to approach God and ask, "Lord, would you destroy the city if there are 50 righteous men there?" And God said, "No, I would not destroy it for the sake of 50 righteous men there." "Lord, what about 45?" "No, I won't destroy it for the sake of 45." "What about 40?" "No, I won't destroy it for the sake of 40 or 30 or 20." And then Abraham said, "Lord, I know I'm presumptuous, but would you spare the land for the sake of 10?" "Yes, I would spare it for the sake of 10 righteous men."
We may not all be serving God as elected officials, though some may be, and for those we are thankful; and we may not all be wearing the uniform of military personnel, though some may be, and for those we are thankful; and we may not all be working in government office as ordinary citizens, though some may be, and for those we are thankful; BUT, we can all serve God and our country in the secret places of our own hearts, and that is the greatest service any American can offer his country.
The resources are ours and the responsibility is ours, so the response must be ours.
The question is not, "Can we do something?" The question rather is this: "Will we do something?" Will we, the people of God, do something for the survival of our nation?
God, 0 God, bless America, and use me to do it!
God Bless America, Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans, white with foam
God bless America. My home sweet home.
God bless America. My home sweet home.