[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on the Sunday morning before Independence Day, the 30th of June, 2019 at Pilgrim Reformed Church. Look for the video of our services on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
For God and country… We use or hear that term often, although maybe not as often as we used to. It’s an old expression, actually dating back to ancient Rome when it originally referred to altars and hearths, or gods – little g – and home. It acknowledges an attachment to all we hold dear. I myself have uttered those words at meetings to remind the chairperson that prayer comes before the Pledge of Allegiance. But did you know that Jesus once spoke about God and country?
Listen and follow along to what the Apostle Matthew recorded in his Gospel account, chapter 22, verses 15 through 22, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
Listen and follow along to what the Apostle Matthew recorded in his Gospel account, chapter 22, verses 15 through 22, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. 16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. 17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”--Matthew 22:15-22 (NKJV)
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money.”
So they brought Him a denarius.
20 And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”
And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.
Let us pray… Father God, You have blessed our land from its very beginning, and You bless us for being able to live here. Thank You, Father, for Your mighty hand on our lives. Please help us to better understand and appreciate just what You have given us, just what our true freedom means. Help us to rebuild this land once again into one nation under God, even if only one person at a time. Now speak to us this morning, Father, that we may understand and heed Your message this day. Please give us greater insight into Your will. This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.
French writer Alexis de Tocqueville, after visiting America in 1831, said, "I sought for the greatness of the United States in her commodious harbors, her ample rivers, her fertile fields, and boundless forests--and it was not there. I sought for it in her rich mines, her vast world commerce, her public school system, and in her institutions of higher learning--and it was not there. I looked for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution--and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great!"
Patriot Patrick Henry, better known for his declaration, “Give me liberty, or give me death!”, also said, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!”
John Quincy Adams also noted the ties between our nation and Christ Jesus when he noted that, “The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: that it connected, in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.”
I could go on and on with more quotes from our nation’s founders and leaders, with dozens from George Washington alone. Few of the words from these men would pass today’s political correctness tests, because all of them openly declare this nation’s dependence on God. In our age, too many are quick to point out that people from all walks of life and all manner of beliefs live here among us. They proclaim the so-called “separation of church and state” as they abolish any semblance of worship in the public square.
But anyone who has truly studied the history of the United States can see that it was founded on Christian principles by God-fearing Christian men. Without God’s hand in our affairs, our hastily formed army of farmers and store clerks could never have defeated the mightiest fighting force of that day. Sadly, too many of those principles have been swept aside for political expediency and advantage. I doubt that God is too happy with us now.
In our scripture reading, we can see that Jesus made a clear distinction between political and spiritual responsibilities, between God and country as to our obligation to each. He says we owe a debt to our country. Caesar – the government - should be given taxes and all rightful political obedience. But we owe a greater debt to God, who should be given worship, obedience, service, and the dedication of our whole life. We know that if we neglect to pay our taxes, we can end up in prison. But if we neglect our responsibilities to God, the penalties can be much worse.
Those responsibilities extend not only to us as individuals, nor even just to a church family. God also has certain expectations for an entire nation of people. Listen to what the psalmist proclaims in Psalm 38, verses 8 through 12…
The Psalmist says that the nation is blessed whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His heirs. In fact, the entire earth needs to fear the Lord, to respect God, the Creator of all there is. All inhabitants of this world should be in awe of Him!
Sadly, we know that isn’t true. We see that part about the Lord bringing the counsel of the nations to nothing and the plans of the peoples having no effect all over the place today, especially among the world’s leaders. If we are not diligently, prayerfully seeking God’s counsel and guidance, then anything we try will be in vain.
The Apostle Paul frequently tells us to bow in prayer to our Father God, beseeching His wise guidance, begging for His help. In his 1st letter to his young protégé Timothy, chapter 2 verses 1 through 7, Paul encourages him – and us – to pray specifically for the world’s governments and those in leadership positions…
Paul says we should pray for all those in authority over us that our lives might be quieter, more peaceful, in all godliness and honesty. Pray that God might once again be our Lord. That’s kind of a tough order, isn’t it, that first part. There are leaders we just don’t like, aren’t there, whose actions and beliefs we disagree with. We might think they’re doing the devil’s work, and they may well be.
But in the 1st verse of Romans chapter 13 Paul says “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Since God appoints our leaders, we should pray for them. Pray that they will be happy and satisfied and not act out of their own selfish motives but with greater regard for the people they lead. But mostly, we are to pray that our nation as a whole return to honoring and respecting God our Father. Pray, so that our nation may once again be blessed. Pray, for this is good and pleases God.
May God bless America. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You have blessed our nation since its birth. The journey was never an easy one, but it would have been impossible without Your hand at work. Thank You, Father, for Your loving mercy. And thank you for allowing us to live in such a great land. Right now we find ourselves with an opportunity to serve You because as a nation we have almost completely turned our backs on You. We know from our Bible that You place those into leadership positions over us who You want us to have for that time. All authority exists in You and is appointed by You. Please forgive us when we fail to pray for our leaders, especially for those we dislike or don’t agree with. Forgive us when we ourselves refuse to assume leadership positions that You may wish us to take. Please help us to do all within our means and power to help our nation, our people, return to You. Please continue to bless us and work among us for good.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…
Lord Jesus, You are the one true Mediator between humanity and God. By Your sacrifice we have true freedom. Through You and the Holy Spirit we can seek God’s intercession into the lives of each person across this great land so that we once again may be one nation under God, indivisible, and with liberty and justice for all. Thank You, Jesus, for always being with us, for standing by our side. Please help us to do as God wills, strengthen us and encourage us in our service to Him and to You. This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior. Amen.
French writer Alexis de Tocqueville, after visiting America in 1831, said, "I sought for the greatness of the United States in her commodious harbors, her ample rivers, her fertile fields, and boundless forests--and it was not there. I sought for it in her rich mines, her vast world commerce, her public school system, and in her institutions of higher learning--and it was not there. I looked for it in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution--and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits flame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because America is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great!"
Patriot Patrick Henry, better known for his declaration, “Give me liberty, or give me death!”, also said, “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ!”
John Quincy Adams also noted the ties between our nation and Christ Jesus when he noted that, “The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: that it connected, in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.”
I could go on and on with more quotes from our nation’s founders and leaders, with dozens from George Washington alone. Few of the words from these men would pass today’s political correctness tests, because all of them openly declare this nation’s dependence on God. In our age, too many are quick to point out that people from all walks of life and all manner of beliefs live here among us. They proclaim the so-called “separation of church and state” as they abolish any semblance of worship in the public square.
But anyone who has truly studied the history of the United States can see that it was founded on Christian principles by God-fearing Christian men. Without God’s hand in our affairs, our hastily formed army of farmers and store clerks could never have defeated the mightiest fighting force of that day. Sadly, too many of those principles have been swept aside for political expediency and advantage. I doubt that God is too happy with us now.
In our scripture reading, we can see that Jesus made a clear distinction between political and spiritual responsibilities, between God and country as to our obligation to each. He says we owe a debt to our country. Caesar – the government - should be given taxes and all rightful political obedience. But we owe a greater debt to God, who should be given worship, obedience, service, and the dedication of our whole life. We know that if we neglect to pay our taxes, we can end up in prison. But if we neglect our responsibilities to God, the penalties can be much worse.
Those responsibilities extend not only to us as individuals, nor even just to a church family. God also has certain expectations for an entire nation of people. Listen to what the psalmist proclaims in Psalm 38, verses 8 through 12…
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9 For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
--Psalm 33:8-12 (NKJV)
Sadly, we know that isn’t true. We see that part about the Lord bringing the counsel of the nations to nothing and the plans of the peoples having no effect all over the place today, especially among the world’s leaders. If we are not diligently, prayerfully seeking God’s counsel and guidance, then anything we try will be in vain.
The Apostle Paul frequently tells us to bow in prayer to our Father God, beseeching His wise guidance, begging for His help. In his 1st letter to his young protégé Timothy, chapter 2 verses 1 through 7, Paul encourages him – and us – to pray specifically for the world’s governments and those in leadership positions…
1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5 For,
There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity — the Man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone.
This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.
--1 Timothy 2:1-6 (NLT)
But in the 1st verse of Romans chapter 13 Paul says “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Since God appoints our leaders, we should pray for them. Pray that they will be happy and satisfied and not act out of their own selfish motives but with greater regard for the people they lead. But mostly, we are to pray that our nation as a whole return to honoring and respecting God our Father. Pray, so that our nation may once again be blessed. Pray, for this is good and pleases God.
May God bless America. In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You have blessed our nation since its birth. The journey was never an easy one, but it would have been impossible without Your hand at work. Thank You, Father, for Your loving mercy. And thank you for allowing us to live in such a great land. Right now we find ourselves with an opportunity to serve You because as a nation we have almost completely turned our backs on You. We know from our Bible that You place those into leadership positions over us who You want us to have for that time. All authority exists in You and is appointed by You. Please forgive us when we fail to pray for our leaders, especially for those we dislike or don’t agree with. Forgive us when we ourselves refuse to assume leadership positions that You may wish us to take. Please help us to do all within our means and power to help our nation, our people, return to You. Please continue to bless us and work among us for good.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…
Lord Jesus, You are the one true Mediator between humanity and God. By Your sacrifice we have true freedom. Through You and the Holy Spirit we can seek God’s intercession into the lives of each person across this great land so that we once again may be one nation under God, indivisible, and with liberty and justice for all. Thank You, Jesus, for always being with us, for standing by our side. Please help us to do as God wills, strengthen us and encourage us in our service to Him and to You. This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior. Amen.
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