Sermon for Sunday May 25th, 2008

A TIME TO REMEMBER by Bruce Ball

Exodus 6:6-6:8


We live in the best place on earth. Our nation is the best nation on earth. And our people are the most generous of all people on earth. You might be tempted to think of this as a little bit of heaven, right here on earth, but there is a problem.

Our nation is at war. We are fighting the most unorthodox enemy we have ever known, and perhaps the most deadly enemy. Why do I say that? Because those who we are fighting against have no fear of death. In fact, they relish the thought of dying while fighting for their beliefs.

Who are these people? They are the radical Muslims of the world. They hate all things Jewish or Western and their wish is not to just dominate over them but to destroy them completely. These are the people our young men and women are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other places.

And let me be perfectly clear at this point: Our young men and women have chosen to go fight the enemy over there, so we would not have to fight them here.

I was watching a documentary on TV the other night. It showed clips of the different wars we have fought in the last 100 years, including the one we are fighting today. The uniforms and equipment have changed, and even the enemy has changed, but there has been one noticeable constant, and that is the dogged determination with which the American soldier performs his duty.

Col. Oliver North, "Col. Ollie" to many who have served under him, tells of a situation when we first went into Iraq. There were enemies shooting at each other from across a large field. That field was a no-man’s land. And in the middle of that field was a very injured Iraqi man.

A corpsman crawled out to that Iraqi man and dragged him back behind the American troops so he could work on him. A foreign correspondent asked the medic what kind of an idiot he was. He said, "Can’t you see that is an Iraqi?" Col. North said the corpsman looked up at the correspondent and yelled, "Yeah! I see that, but can you see he’s injured? We are Americans. That is what we do!"

Tomorrow, we will celebrate our nation’s Memorial Day. That is the day we set apart to honor soldiers like that corpsman. We honor all the living soldiers because they, too, made severe sacrifices for all of us, but we also honor those fallen soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice. We enjoy the freedoms we have today only because those men and women were willing to step up and be responsible enough to fight for them.

But as we look back into our past, we see that America has been in conflict since her beginnings. We often talk about Christians having many storms in their lives, but we see that our nation has had many storms in her great life, too.

But as we see the many conflicts we have endured, we cannot help but also see the many blessings God has given us, too. It is vital to remember that we have received those blessings only because we have chosen, as a nation, to walk with God and to honor His glorious name.

But is that what America is doing today? As a nation, we have chosen to oust God from every corner of our lives. And, in the past, if we have received blessings because we honored Him, what is in store for us now, as we live a life that dishonors Him?

Let me change tempo for a moment and relay a story to you about cooking frogs. First of all, I would never cook a frog personally, because that is just something I would never eat – under any circumstances.

But I have heard that there are two ways to cook a frog. One way is to put that frog in a pan of cold water and very slowly heat the water until the frog is cooked. By heating it ever so slowly, the frog is unaware of the temperature change until … well, until his goose is cooked, so to speak.

The second way to cook a frog is to quickly drop the frog into a pan of boiling water. If you do that, he will do the same thing you or I would do if somebody dropped you in boiling water. The frog will immediately jump out and start hopping all around the kitchen, wondering what happened, and trying to find a place to cool off.

Now, if you choose this method to cook your frog, you have to keep repeating this process over and over again until either you or the frog gets too tired to fight it, in which case you will either have a frog for dinner or a frog as a pet.

Let’s go back to the first way of cooking a frog. That is where you heated the water up so slowly that the frog didn’t know he was in trouble until it was just too late. That analogy can be applied to our spiritual lives as well. In fact, I think it describes it quite clearly.

We have already discussed how sin is presented to us by the enemy in very pretty wrapping paper. He makes sin look irresistible so that we will accept it. And what do we do? All too often, we are tricked by the wrapping and we end up taking the sin and running with it. And we don’t have much problem doing that, either. But, if we are not careful, we can be spiritually and even physically, in very big trouble before we realize that we are about to get burned.

Let me give you a personal example of what I mean. I have worn a beard for most of my life. The reason I wear it is because it is hard for me to shave. I don’t have the outward scars to prove it, but I got my face burned quite badly when I was in high school and I am still paying the price for it.

The trick back then was to take a Zippo lighter’s inside casing out and light the lighter. Then, you would put the bottom of the casing on your mouth and blow it like a trumpet. The fire would shoot out about a foot or so, and the rest of your friends would think you were really cool.

Well, we were talking about that and I decided I would try it. After all, every young boy wants to be seen as ’cool’, right? When I blew on it, the flames shot out pretty far, and then they did something I had never seen them do before. Just as quickly as they shot out, they came back, and they landed on my face.

Now, that would have been okay, except that my face started to burn. To make a long story short, I smothered the flames with a towel, somebody called my dad and he took me to the hospital and I came out of the ER with almost my entire face bandaged. I had to stay that way for nearly 4 months.

When I took that lighter from my friend and started to show off, I was just like that frog. I was getting myself into hot water, but did not realize until it was too late, that I was about to get burned.

That is what our nation has been going through for years. America has been taking small steps, one after the other, deeper into sin and godlessness.

One small step does not seem so great, but a few small steps will end up being a mile, won’t it?

When something clearly threatens us, such as Pearl Harbor or 9-1-1, we are quick to react and defend ourselves, but how to we handle it when the danger isn’t so visible? Too often, we tend to just ignore it. After all, it doesn’t seem to be threatening, does it? And the heat builds up slowly, without our noticing it at all – or at least until we find our goose cooked.

An example of the things that are too subtle for Americans to notice is the rising tide of violence in this country, especially among our young kids. Every week, we see evidence of road rage or a murder during a robbery.

My wife has talked about secular TV shows. Every sitcom shows the man of the family as a bumbling idiot who cannot make decisions; the wife as the only one who can make rational decisions; they show a homosexual neighbor who is always a ton of laughs and fun to be around, and kids who smart off to their dads. It is no wonder the American family is falling apart.

If we had a snapshot of what society looked like just 30 years ago, we could compare it with what our society looks like today. Would we see a difference? You bet we would. For the last 30 years we have taken baby steps; one tiny step after another right into the middle of sin. Oh, it didn’t seem so bad at the time, did it? But when we have the advantage of seeing a clear then and now picture, the contrast is mind-boggling.

Our students used to smoke cigarettes and throw spitballs in school. Now they take guns with them, and smoke crack cocaine and beat teachers up. That is a very big difference.

Now, take that same difference and project it out for 30 more years. How long will it be before we re even afraid to let our kids to out of the house to go anywhere? There are many families, especially in larger cities, that are dealing with that very question today.

We have we gone from an “I Love Lucy” to having beatings being shown on the Internet. And it happened so slowly we didn’t even notice the change.

Our nation has been blessed more than any nation in the history of the world. And, we have become spoiled. Very, very spoiled. We want more and more, without ever thinking about the cost of what we want.

I think that most of America has forgotten what it took to get us here. We have forgotten what our forefathers did to lay claim to the many privileges and freedoms we enjoy today.

We are just like the frog in the water that is slowly heating up. We have forgotten that God is the author of everything. We have forgotten that God let our forefathers create this nation - all to Honor Him. And in our forgetfulness, we are oblivious to the trouble we are in.

EXODUS 6:6-8 tells us what God has done for us.

‘Therefore, say to the Israelites: “I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgments. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.

Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession.”’

In verse 6, we see God leading the Israelites out of bondage. When His people are in jeopardy, and they cry out in unison for His help – He helps. He also led our forefathers out of bondage in Europe. Why? Because they were believers in God. They believed so much in God that they let Him be a part of their everyday lives. They went to God before they made their daily decisions. They went to Him before they sowed their crops. In short, they were totally dependent upon Him.

Do we, as Christians, ever consult God before making all of our decisions? Do we invite God to go with us on our daily journey, or do we relegate God to just at church; just on Sundays?

In verse 7, God promised to take the Israelites as His own people. Judging by all He has done for this country, it is obvious that He has taken us as His own people, too. Our founding fathers let God led them. They humbled themselves to God.

America has become hardened. We refuse to become humble. In fact, we even say God has no place in our government. What’s the saying? Oh, yes: “Separation between church and state.” The funny part about that is there is not one single government document that says or professes that. I guess the other old saying is true after all. You know the one – if you tell a lie often enough and loud enough, pretty soon everyone believes it. We have already kicked him out of our school system and out of our courtrooms, and now we are trying to get Him out of our monetary system, too.

As a nation, we no longer pray to God. We do not rely on Him. And the water around us is getting hotter and hotter with every passing day.

In verse 8, God promised to take the Israelites to their promised land. He said He would give it to them as their possession. Now, if that is true, why doesn’t Israel still own and occupy all of that land today?

They lost possession of their land, because they lost their focus on God. They became filled with self-pride and they eventually lost everything. America has become filled with self-pride too, and we are now on the very edge of losing everything we have. And it has come about so slowly we don’t even realize it.

If God let the enemies of Israel come in, take over, and carry their people off as slaves because they turned their backs on Him – what in the world do you think He is going to do to America if we do not have a huge change of heart?

Our God has blessed us abundantly. We have more than anybody else ever had. Even the riches men on earth a short 80 years ago didn’t have the conveniences that most of our lower income have today. What do you call that other than a blessing from God?

When I see pictures of the Vietnam wall, my heart breaks. Tears come to my eyes and all I can see are the many boys who gave up their young and healthy lives so that I could feel free to do whatever I want to whenever I want to do it. Those young men died while wearing our uniform. They gave up everything for my benefit, just like Jesus did.

But today, I am scared. I am scared because I see that my country has stopped following my God, and I know what the judgment is that lies ahead. In God’s kingdom, there awaits a judgment for every rogue kingdom, even the one called America.

In the mid 1800’s, a French political philosopher came to America to find out what made us so great. He searched in our libraries, factories, and schools, and he searched in towns all across this land. He said the only place he found the answer to why America was so great was in our churches.

He said the churches thundered against sin, and preaching on righteousness was common. In today’s church, we no longer thunder against sin and we have all but given up speaking about righteousness. We have taken our eyes off the one true God, and have replaced Him with sermons on how to have an enjoyable life. Most of today’s people try to make God fit into their lifestyles, rather than to have their lifestyle fit into His law.

There is going to be an accounting for that some day, and I believe that day is not that far away. We find out what will be in store for us in –

LEVITICUS 26:17-19

’I will set my face against you and you will be defeated by your enemies; they will rule over you, and you will run even when no one is pursuing you. If you still will not listen to Me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. I will break your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze.’

God is telling America to repent. Some people are obviously hearing Him, because we are starting to see a slow resurgence of revival growing in America.

God has promised that He would always have a remnant of people who truly believed in Him. My friends, you may have never realized it before, but you are part of that cherished remnant. And from you, and others like you, a revival is going to be coming that will set this nation on fire for the glory of God.

You are among the few that keeps our focus on the Lord. You are among the few that still keeps His laws. And you are among the few who will lead us into that promised and blessed revival. Why? Because no matter what else you do in life, you have put God first by choice.

President Lincoln was the first to use the expression “One Nation Under God.” He did so in his second inaugural address. That speech started out like a summation of the war efforts, but as he continued, it ended up being a sermon.

Lincoln began to preach, showing his Christian beliefs. That speech turned out to be one of the best speeches in the history of politics. In that speech, Lincoln accurately portrayed the God of the Bible. You see - God is over America. Just as He was over the nation of Israel. And, He is over each one of us too.

In 1952, our last warrior president included the phrase, ‘under God’ into our Pledge of Allegiance. He officially put America where it belongs; under God, just like King David put Israel under God. By the way, the man who put America under God was named David, too. Dwight David Eisenhower.

Lincoln wrote, ‘The Almighty has His own purposes.’ It would seem that Mr. Lincoln had been blessed with Godly wisdom. He had a better handle on what God means than many of our learned theologians have today. In the midst of a war, most leaders and kings would claim that God is supporting their cause. Lincoln knew better. He said that God had His own purposes. Powerful and wise words coming form a leader in he middle of a war.

Today, our leaders and our people need to start being aware that God has His own purposes, and they are not our purposes. We need to stop using God when it is convenient and throwing Him away when He isn’t. We need to just stop. Stop everything we are doing and start seeking His face. We need to repent. We need to stop living for us and start living for Him.

We have our freedoms today, not because of anything we have done, but because of what others have done for us. Our forefathers created a nation that had God as its head. And in return, God blessed this nation with never-before seen abundance. And as enemies rose up against us, our young men and women went into harms way to defend this nation. That is why we enjoy so many freedoms today; because of our courageous and brave soldiers.

But we have had it so good for so long, we have become unfocused. We need to notice the temperature of the water around us, and we need to see the forthcoming tragedy that awaits if we do not change. We have our freedoms because God chose to bless us. And, God promises that He will take those freedoms away if we do not keep His laws and commandments.

On this Memorial Weekend, let us remember our fallen soldiers with respect and dignity, for all they have done for America. Let us remember their sacrifice. And let us remember our forefathers and what they gave, too. They gave their obedience to God. And it was that obedience that allowed the many blessings we enjoy today.

As much as we need to know and understand God’s wrath, we must always remember His great and forgiving love, too. All He requires from us is that we want that love enough to receive His Son as our Savior.

Who needs to come to Jesus this morning? There are two types of people. Those that need to receive Him as Savior, and those that already have but need to get come closer to Him in their relationship. Ask yourself – am I one of these people?

I want everyone to bow their heads and shut their eyes now. I want to have you repeat a prayer after me. It is your choice as to whether you say it out loud or not.

Father,

Please forgive me for being distant from you.
Accept me into your arms – through your Son, Jesus.
Lord help me. Things are broken. Please fix them.
And help me to realize the need to be truly humble to You.

In Jesus name, Amen

Let us stand and sing the invitation song. If you said that prayer with a need in your heart to embrace Jesus Christ as your Savior, I want you to come to me as we sing.