Sermon Tone Analysis

TEXT:  Psalm 33:12

TOPIC:  God Bless America

Pastor Bobby Earls, First Baptist Church, Center Point, Alabama

July 5, 2009

(Based upon the sermon “God Bless America” by James Merritt)

        

            Yesterday, July 4, 2009, was without question, one of the most important days on our country’s calendar.

As American citizens, freedom has always been a cherished and highly valued commodity for each of us.

But as someone has accurately said, “Freedom isn’t free.

It costs far more than most Americans will ever know.”

I have a burden today.

A burden for our country, for our beloved America with all her cherished freedoms, values and beliefs.

And I have a burden this morning concerning this message.

More than anything, I want to be a prophetic voice this morning from this pulpit.

In the Bible, when a prophet spoke he more often spoke forth God’s word concerning the spiritual condition of the people of his day and of the country in which he lived.

A prophet would at times, also speak a word foretelling the coming consequences of unrepentant sin personally and nationally.

Almost always, a prophet of God would declare the certain judgment of God that was sure to fall upon any people who forget God and turn their hearts away from His ways and His word.

Our Biblical text this morning speaks to us with just such a prophetic voice.

Stand with me as we read together Psalm 33:12.

(ESV)

 

/12 //Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, /

/the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!/

/ /

/            /According to Psalm 33:12, the health of a nation is measured by her GNP - not her Gross National Product, but her Godly National People.

In that I am afraid America is woefully lacking.

If I speak with a prophetic voice I would predict that this verse will either be engraved on the hearts and homes of our nation afresh and anew, in the sweeping winds of revival and spiritual awakening, or one day it will be the epitaph on our tombstone.

We should pray it will be revival!

From this verse I want to call your attention to three thoughts concerning where our nation has been, where our nation is, and where our nation seems to be going.

First, I am reminded on this occasion of a story I read about a good ole’ Baptist boy who was being bothered by one of these religious groups that are known for going          door-to-door in the community.

This particular religious group had been bothering this man quite frequently.

Now you need to know that this ole boy was from the South.

He was a country boy.

He was a veteran of the Marine Corps.

He didn't know what to do, so he went to his pastor and said, "How can I get rid of these people?"

His pastor said, "Well, I know these people.

They don't believe in saluting the flag.

They don't believe in singing the National Anthem.

So the next time they come, you just make them pledge allegiance to the flag and sing the National Anthem, and          they will go away and leave you alone."

Well this ex-marine got upset.

He said, "You mean to tell me they will not salute our flag, and they will not sing the National Anthem of the country I fought for?"

He said, "I will take care of them."

He went out and found the biggest U.S. flag he could find and put it on the wall of his home.

He found a copy of the National Anthem and taught his family everyone of the verses.

He thought to himself, "I will be ready for them next time."

Well he looked out one morning, and sure enough here came a little old lady across the yard with a satchel.

He thought to himself, "I'm going to fix you once and for all."

Before she could even knock on the door he opened it, grabbed her by the arm, brought her inside and said, "Stand right over there!

I want you to do something before you say a word or open your mouth.

First of all we are going to pledge allegiance to the flag."

So here was this man, his wife, his children, and this little old lady pledging allegiance to the flag.

Then he said, "Now, you are going to sing the National       Anthem with my family, and we're going to sing all the verses."

They sang all the verses to the National Anthem.

She sang right along with them.

That man was so proud of himself.

He said, "Now lady, how do you like that?"

She said, "I think it's wonderful.

I love my country just like you do."

She said, "I will be honest with you, I've been selling Avon for twenty-five years and I've never seen anything like this."

Well, I’ve never seen anything in all my life like what is happening to America today.

Let’s begin this morning by looking back at where our country has been and thus, the secret of America’s Greatness.

*I.  THE SECRET OF AMERICA’S GREATNESS*, Psalm 33:12a

         /Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…./

America is living proof that this verse is true.

No nation has been more blessed than America because no nation has been more spiritually burdened.

Our forefathers knew Psalm 33:12 and they knew it well.

From the very beginning of this nation this truth was in the back of their minds and in the bottom of their hearts.

Our text says, /"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."/

The word nation here is a very special word in the Hebrew language.

It refers specifically to a foreign nation, to a Gentile nation as opposed to a Jewish nation.

Now that was a radical thought in that day.

That any nation, even a Gentile nation, would be blessed if it would turn to God as Lord.

Dear friends, I want to tell you today that God will bless the Muslim Nations if they would turn to Him.  God will bless Communist China if it will turn to Him or North Korea.

That is exactly what our nation did when it was founded.

No nation in history, since Israel herself, was founded with such a noble purpose and such a godly intention.

We are reaping blessings here in America today because of the seed that our forefathers first planted.

Did you know that the freedom and the liberty and the wealth and the luxury that we have here in America is here because of our forefathers?

One          writer said,        

                     "Did we bring the Bible to these shores?

Or did it not rather bring us?

The breath of the ancient prophets was in the sails that drove the tiny Mayflower.

The hope and faith of ancient poets, kings, and lawgivers were in the hearts of those who first sang the Lord's song in this strange land.

From those beginnings until                 now the Bible has been a teacher to our best men, a rebuke to our worst men, and a                   noble companion to us all."

Today, the ACLU, the liberals, the humanists, the historical revisionists would like to deny all this.

But it is not possible.

From our very beginning the threads of government  were woven together with the threads of God and His word.

When those blessed pilgrims came over on the Mayflower, they came, in their words, "For the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith."

The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, written in 1639, the first Constitution in the modern sense of the term, drawn up by popular convention and the first to embody the Democratic idea, states in its preamble that the state owes its origin to "the wise disposition of the divine Providence," and that "the Word of God requires an orderly and decent government established according to God," to "maintain and preserve the         liberty and purity of the Gospel."

The Declaration of Independence referring to "...the laws of Nature, and of nature's God..." insist "...that  all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator, with certain inalienable rights."

Some of the greatest leaders of this nation were firm believers in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ.

For instance, George Washington made no secret of his Christian faith.

In his general order calling for divine services every Sunday during the Revolutionary War, he said, "To the distinguished character of a Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of a Christian."1

When a stranger came to the Continental Congress and wanted to know which one was George Washington, a friend said, "He is easy to spot.

When the Congress begins to pray, Washington will be the tall man who will go to his knees."

Probably the most revered President in our nation's memory is Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln said, "I leave now not knowing when or whether ever I shall return with the task before me greater, than that which rested on the shoulders of Washington."

Then he said, "Without the assistance of the Divine Being who attended him, I cannot succeed.

With that assurance I cannot fail.

Let us all pray that the God of our Fathers may not forsake us now."

No other nation has "In God We Trust" on her currency.

No other nation has its legislative bodies opened in prayer by a personal chaplain.

No other nation has a National Day of Thanksgiving set aside to express her gratitude to God for His          goodness.

Our prosperity and our progress has not been due to chance, but to a Sovereign Lord.