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Will God Bless America? - Part 2 (Psalm 33)
13 Plays4 months ago
Sunday Message recorded 07 July 2024
by Pastor Victor Morrison
First Baptist Church -- Columbus TX
1700 Milam St.
Columbus, TX, USA 78934
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Transcript
Joyful Singing to the Lord
00:00:06
Speaker
Why do we sing with such enthusiasm? We sing because of the joy of the Lord that we found in Him. But what is the direction of our songs? Well, it says here in these three verses, we're singing to the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, it says. Make melany melody to Him and sing to Him a new song. You see how the direction of our praise is to Him. If God is entrusted to you, musical talents and abilities, why don't you use those to honor Him, to sing about His grace and His goodness?
Praising God and National Blessings
00:00:44
Speaker
God will bless any nation if that nation will simply sing his songs of praise. How about this? Secondly, God will bless us if we will stand upon his standards, if we will stand upon his scripture. You know, many of our forefathers, the University of Houston did a research project and they read all kinds of original documents written by our founding fathers. Do you know what they discovered? There was one source that was cited 15,000 times. out of all the personal letters, correspondence, out of all the different you know notes on different conventions and so forth, you know what that one source was? God's word. God's word. I believe that's why God has blessed America because we, at the beginning, looked to God's word. You know, in the US Supreme Court building, do you know there are five different reminders of the Ten Commandments all throughout the building of the Supreme Court?
00:01:48
Speaker
Do you know that in the floor of the National Archives building, the very first emblem that you will see when you walk through the door, right there in the floor, is this incredible bronze etching of the Ten Commandments. And you know the National Archives is like the most important documents in our nation. You know, Psalm 33 verses four and five tells us, why should we take our stand as a nation, as individuals, as a church? Why should we take our stand upon God's word? We'll look at verses four, for the word of the Lord is upright. If you're looking for the right place to stand, stand on God's word. It's the right place. But also, the second thing is, all his work is done in faithfulness. That's what the Bible records, the work of God.
00:02:38
Speaker
It's all done in faithfulness. So I think that we also should stand upon God's word because it is reliable. The reliability of God's word is off the
00:02:50
Speaker
ah in verse five when it says the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. Maybe you would say, have you seen the gulf? There's a hurricane out there. You know, does it doesn't look like it's full of God's love. That's why we also have the Bible because it's refreshing whenever we look into it and we see he gave his son to down across to pay the price for our sins.
Founding Fathers and Biblical Guidance
00:03:13
Speaker
Do you know at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, James Madison, one of those early founding fathers,
00:03:21
Speaker
knowing that the Bible said man's heart is evil and it's wicked, it's deceitful, we can't trust it. He said, you know what, we don't need a centralized government. We better divide our government into three branches. So whenever he proposed to the 1787 Constitutional Convention that they have three branches to our government, the judicial, legislative, the executive, Madison said the reason is because of Isaiah 3322. It says the Lord is our judge. The Lord is our lawgiver. The Lord is our king. You know, that's where they found their inspiration and their guidance. Where are we looking today in this generation? Where do we look for our guidance? Let me go to a third thing.
00:04:14
Speaker
I believe that Psalm 33 would also say, if any nation will simply submit themselves to God's sovereignty, to God's control, do you believe that God controls it all? Why should nations submit to the Lord and say, okay, we're going to acknowledge that you're in control, we're not in control? Well, verses six through 11 give us four reasons. One is because he created us. He's our creator. The second reason is because he's the controller. Do you know who's in control of all of history? God. you know Today, I was reading in Amos this morning. In Amos, the Lord kept singling out different nations. And he said, this is what's going on in your nation. And this is what I'm going to do about it. He's in control of history.
00:05:06
Speaker
He's also the commander. Look at what it says in verse eight and nine. Let all the earth fear the Lord. All the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. Why? Listen to verse nine. For he spoke, he spoke and it came to be. He spoke our universe into existence. He commanded and it stood firm. You know, he's still a commander. Can you say things and make them happen? You remember when there was a storm on the Sea of Galilee and the disciples said, do you not care that we're perishing? And Jesus stood up in the boat and said, peace be still. And those disciples were blown away, figuratively, they were blown away when they realized he's got control over nature and over the wind and the rain.
00:05:55
Speaker
You know, Isaiah the prophet boldly declared the size of nations to the Almighty in Isaiah 40 verse 15 and 17. And here's what he said about nations, plural. He said the nations are like a drop from a bucket. The nations are like a speck of dust on the scales. The nations are really as nothing to the Lord God the Almighty. Then he talks in verses 23 and 24 of Isaiah 40 about how God is able to bring princes to nothing and make the rulers emptiness. It says he he looks ah upon them as though they're stubble and he blows and they're gone away.
00:06:38
Speaker
Our forefathers came to this land out of a submission to God's will. They wanted to worship God. That's why they were coming. They were praying and asking Him. So once they arrived, those pilgrims gathered together on November 21, 1620. There were about 41 of them, and they signed something called the Mayflower Compact. And you know, William Bradford actually wrote about it in his journal so you could see it in there. But here's the way it began. Having undertaken for the glory of God an advancement of the Christian faith and honor of our king and country avoids to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, due by these present solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and of another covenant and combine ourselves together." Isn't that amazing? They're right off the start. They were saying, you know what? We want to work for the glory of God. We want to found this country for God's glory. We also would like to advance Christianity.
00:07:43
Speaker
I heard a man yesterday, it was sort of like an interview, and he was saying he read through all of the original constitutions of the first 13 states. He said, you know what was on them? All kind of references to Christianity, all kind of references to we should elect people that are Christians and so forth. And they weren't from the same denomination. The 13 different colonies were all from different states and different denominations and so forth, but they came together to say, here's what we want in our state constitution. Wow. You know, the may Mayflower Compact may not be a constitution, but it was the first governing document in this land put into writing and signed. I think that's why even today, if you were to go to the US Capitol, you would find that in the House Wing, there's a place called Cox cor Corridor. Cox Corridor.
00:08:40
Speaker
A man named Alan Cox, perhaps Sammy Cox is related to him. I didn't check with him, I don't know. But Alan Cox decorated this hall with wall and ceiling murals. There are 16 murals that cover the legislative milestone milestones of three centuries, and it goes all through the east-west corridor. It's called The Great Experiment. But what they wanted to say is, I don't want future Americans to forget how we got here. Do you know what the very first mural is? This right here. The Mayflower Compact painting. That's one of the first ones that Cox put right up there for all to see. Of course, another significant event would have to be the Declaration of Independence.
00:09:29
Speaker
Did our founding fathers believe in the sovereignty of God when they were forming this nation? George Washington made a public statement on October 3rd, 1789, when at that time it was the National Thanksgiving. And here's what he said. This is a direct quote. You can find this in the original original writings. It said, it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor.
00:10:02
Speaker
Likewise, John Quincy Adams wrote a few years later in 1887 at a 4th of July celebration in Newburyport, Massachusetts. These words, is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon Earth, that it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity. All I'm trying to say is that's why God has blessed us. These things are across all of our historical documents, yet they're being scrubbed.
Acknowledging God's Omniscience
00:10:38
Speaker
They're being withheld from us. Do you know that there are four revolutionary period scenes depicted in the rotunda of the Capitol? John Trumbull's Declaration of Independence is presented to the Second Continental Congress on June 28, 1776.
00:10:56
Speaker
If you're ever there in the rotunda of the Capitol, you'll see it. It's huge. Alexander Hamilton, one of those early men in the development and founding of our country, said, for my own part, I sincerely esteem it a system which without the finger of God never could have been suggested and agreed upon by such a diversity of interests." James Madison said something pretty pretty much the same, even used the same phrase, the finger of God. James Madison said, it's impossible for the man of pious reflection not to perceive in it, speaking about the founding of the United States, a finger of that almighty hand which has been so frequently and signally extended to our relief in the critical stages of the revolution. Did they believe in a sovereign God? Yes, they did. Do you believe that God is sovereign over the nations and over history?
00:11:58
Speaker
Well, he will bless us if we also fourthly stay within his sight. I think what I'm referring to here is the omniscience of God. Are we aware that God is watching us? Are you aware that God watches you every single day? You know, if an eagle can spot and focus on its prey two miles away, how good's your eyesight? You know, man, I can't imagine that. How much better is the vision of God? Look with me at verse 13 and 14 and 15. It speaks about being within God's sight.
00:12:34
Speaker
Being within his vision, verse 13 says that God can see each of us from heaven. The Lord looks down from heaven. He sees all the children of man. But then you read verse 14, it says, from where he sits enthroned, he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth. So isn't that amazing? and He can see us. But look at verse 15. This should cause us to say, wait a minute. Verse 15 says, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. Do you know that God knows everything? He knows everything I do. He knows everything you do. He knows everything Americans do. He knows everything Japanese do and all across the world.
00:13:18
Speaker
You see, despite how desperate times in any nation could get, God promised King Solomon that he would intervene if they would do four things. He said, I'll come to the rescue because I'm watching if you'll just do four things, if you'll just humble yourself. if you'll just pray, if you'll just seek my face, if you'll just turn from your wicked ways. Did any of those early men and women, did they ever turn from their wicked ways? Well, let me read to you something that George Washington wrote, and I think he wrote this when he was 20 years of age. It was in 1752, before the nation was founded. Here's what he said. My iniquities are multiplied and my sins are very great.
00:14:04
Speaker
I confess them, O Lord, with shame and sorrow, detestation and loathing and desire to be vile in my own eyes as I have rendered myself vile and dying. I humbly beseech thee to be merciful to me in the free pardon of my sins for the sake of thy dear Son and only Savior, Jesus Christ. who came to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Thou gave us thy son to die for me." You see, I really believe that they felt God was watching. And that's why they thought, I've got to repent of my sins. I've got to confess my sins.
00:14:43
Speaker
Even Benjamin Franklin, not at 20, but at 81 years of age. Anybody in here in their 80s? Here's what Franklin said when he was in his 80s. He said, God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, without him seeing it? Is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have then assured in the sacred writings that accept the Lord, build the house. They labor in vain and build it. that was That was a quote from another one of our founding fathers. Why don't I move to the fifth one?
00:15:20
Speaker
I believe that God will bless us according to Psalm 33 verses 16 through 20, if we will also side with his shield. Do you know that God has a shield? Do you know that God himself is like a shield? If we say, I don't need you God, then God say, okay, then I won't bring the shield. But if we humble ourselves as a nation and say, God, we have got to have you as our shield. If you read down there at the last in verse 20, our soul waits for the Lord. He is our help and our shield, plural, our shield.
00:15:56
Speaker
You know, Psalm 3, 3 says though, but you, O Lord, are a shield about me. Is he protecting your life? Psalm 28, 7 says, the Lord is my strength and my shield in him, my heart trusts, and I am helped. Psalm 84, 11 says, for the Lord God is a sun and shield. The Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. When I look at those verses 16 and 17, all the way down through verse 20, he says, don't put your trust in three great things. He admits that sometimes they are great. He said, don't put your trust in a great army. Don't put your trust in great strength and don't put your trust in a great horse. Instead, he said, you need to fear, you need to hope, you need to wait for a great God. That's where they were when they were founding this nation. That's where we need to be.
00:16:53
Speaker
when he was leading the Continental Army, Commander George Washington gave a written order on July the 9th, 1776. It sounds to me in this order like he was saying, God, we need your shield. Here's what he said, July 9th, 1776, the blessing and protection of heaven are at all times necessary, but especially so in times of public distress and danger. The general hopes and trust that every officer and man will endeavor to live and act as becomes a Christian soldier.
00:17:28
Speaker
defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country. Wow, that's amazing. He's saying we need to line up with God behind his shield. Do you know that on the Jefferson Memorial on the northwest wall are written these words. These were spoken by Thomas Jefferson himself. God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? That's a good question.
00:17:59
Speaker
Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just and that his justice cannot sleep forever.
Following Biblical Principles for Freedom
00:18:08
Speaker
Wow, sobering words. Well, let me give you the the sixth and the final one. Will God bless America? I believe he will if we will line up with his word, if we will line up with Psalm 33. If we will seek him for his supply, I think I may have really shocked the Wednesday night crowd because I shared with them something that I read.
00:18:31
Speaker
Do you know that the national debt, as of today, is $34.8 trillion? That's what we owe. How much do you owe? Have you taken out a loan? Do you owe something for your car, for your house? Do you have a loan? Can you imagine being $34.8 trillion in debt? So what I got to think it was, I thought, how long can we do that? And so I started searching and searching and searching, and finally I found it. Listen to this. The USA Today article dated January 16, 2024, this year, cites that the University of Pennsylvania estimate, these are all economists and so forth, they said, if we don't slow down as a nation, the way we're spending money, we'll only make it 20 more years. So I look out in front of me and I see children. I see teenagers. I see college students.
00:19:27
Speaker
And I think, I want them to have a future that goes beyond 20 more years. 20 more years is only going to be 2044. And I think to myself, what do we need in order for that to happen? Because this can't we can't pay it off humanly. Well, I believe the first stop would be for the government to stop spending. The second second step would be to see God's supply. I believe that's what verses 19 through 22 ends on in this great song.
00:20:01
Speaker
Have you ever heard of Webster's dictionary? It was published in 1828. I'm not saying your copy of it was published in 1828. But you know, this guy was really smart. Do you know that this guy, Noah Webster, that wrote that originally, he learned 20 languages. He attended Yale University when he was just 16 years of age. Two times he was pulled out of university so he could be a soldier in the Revolutionary War. But I want you to listen to what this intelligent man wrote in 1832 regarding the importance of electing the right kind of men for public office, how? By seeking God's will. Have you prayed about, Lord, what would you want me to do? I've been giving the responsibility and the privilege of casting a ballot. So what would you do? You ought to pray. He said, let it be impressed on your mind
00:20:55
Speaker
that God commands you to choose for rulers just men who will rule in the fear of God. If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted. If our government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, It must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands and elect Badmian to make and administer the laws. He wrote that in 1832. Man, he also wrote these words.
00:21:30
Speaker
They ever felt like, what could prevent crime the best? Well, here's what Noah Webster said. In 1832, all the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible. You see, they're not seeking God for his wisdom. There was one other founding father I close with, a man named Benjamin Rush. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, but since he was also a physician, I think we can see in his words here, sort of a prescription. What do you do when a nation is unhappy?
00:22:13
Speaker
Well, he's got a prescription here. The gospel of Jesus Christ prescribes the wisest rules for just conduct in every situation in life. Happy they who are enabled to obey them in all situations. My only hope of salvation is in the infinite transcendent love of God manifested to the world by the death of his son upon the cross. Nothing but his blood will wash away my sins. I will rely exclusively upon it. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly, Benjamin Rush." Wow, isn't that amazing?
00:22:56
Speaker
Will God continue to bless us as a nation? I don't know. But all I know is what God's word promises. All I know is the pathway that it says, walk this direction, go this du direction. So if we want God to continue to bless us, then I would say, why don't we sing his songs? Why don't we sing his songs of praise? Why don't we also, secondly, stand upon the standard of his word? Why don't we say, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to submit to his sovereignty. I can't control what others do, but as for me, I'm going to submit to God's control. We can also stay aware that God's watching us every day. He knows all the deeds. He sees everything.
00:23:37
Speaker
But I think we also are to say, you know what? I want to side behind God's shield because he's the one that ultimately we can trust in. But I think we also will say, OK, if we're going to receive his blessings continually, then we're going to have to seek him for his supply because we get in a really big mess whenever we don't. Well, that's what I felt like the Lord had laid upon my heart. But don't forget. freedom begins with Jesus Christ. Freedom is where you will find, Jesus is where you'll find freedom from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin, and one day out there in the future in heaven from the very presence of sin. Wouldn't you like to experience that kind of freedom? Let's stand together. I want us to close with this incredible song that reminds us, Jesus,
00:24:31
Speaker
paid it all. Jesus paid it all. So we'll extend an invitation. This is a gospel invitation, so I'll be waiting in front of the Lord's Supper table there. If you have a decision you need to make, I'd be glad to talk with you, to pray with you. If we don't do it now, then just let me know this week and we can pray and talk together. Let's pray together. Lord, thank you so much for your grace, for your mercy. You really have blessed America with grace. We're not a perfect nation by any means, but we just thank you, Lord, that we see mercy. We see grace. The very fact that we can draw our breath
00:25:09
Speaker
And the great fact that we can assemble here together today in peace and freedom, that's another expression of you and your protection, your grace. So help us, oh Lord, to humble ourselves, not just this day, but every day, to humble ourselves, to pray, to seek your face, and to turn from our wicked ways. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
00:25:37
Speaker
This is a ministry of First Baptist Church, located at 1700 Milam Street, Columbus, Texas.