Sermonette: Nov. 7, 2022

Psalm 127: “Unless the LORD build the house, they labor in vain who build. Unless the LORD guard the city, in vain does the guard keep watch.”

Almost 250 years ago, a group of men escaping religious persecution from other lands and wanting to build a better life for themselves and their families set out to form a nation. They were deeply religious and established a set of laws based on the Ten Commandments from the Bible. The nation was not like any other in history. It incorporated political theories that had not been tried before, put forth by the intellectuals of the day. For all intents and purposes, it was considered to be an experiment of government.

Below are quotations from some of these men:

George Washington: “It is impossible to rightly govern without God and the Bible.”

John Adams: “The general principles upon which our founders achieved independence ... were the principles of Christianity.”

Patrick Henry: “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded ... by Christians, not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible is worth all other books that have ever been printed.”

James Madison: “A nation that will not be ruled by the Ten Commandments, shall be ruled by tyrants.”

Fast forward almost 250 years ... Where are we today?

Despite Christianity being such a major influence to the founding of our nation, today roughly one out of four citizens identify themselves as atheists, agnostics, or nothing in particular. It is hard to imagine hearing words of strong support for Christianity from current Federal government leaders as in the past. In fact, some have positions of strong opposition to God, the Ten Commandments, and the Bible.

Like ancient Israel, prosperity without gratitude has resulted in moral decay. God warned ancient Israel about this when He gave them the Ten Commandments. He is warning us too.

Deuteronomy 8:11-19: “Be careful not to forget the LORD, your God by neglecting his commandments and decrees and statutes which I enjoin on you today: lest, when you have eaten your fill, and have built fine houses and lived in them, and have increased your herds and flocks, your silver and gold, and all your property, you then become haughty of heart and unmindful of the LORD, your God...Otherwise you might say to yourselves, ‘It is my own power and the strength of my own hand that has obtained for me this wealth.’ Remember then, it is the LORD, your God, who gives you the power to acquire wealth, by fulfilling, as he has now done, the covenant which he swore to your fathers. But if you forget the LORD, your God, and follow other gods, serving and worshiping them, I forewarn you this day that you will perish utterly.”