Quote from Forum Archives on May 24, 2002, 11:10 am

Posted by: PastorDannyP <PastorDannyP@...>

In a message dated 5/24/2002 9:32:44 AM Central Daylight Time, DRjim@preachhim.org writes:

The Problem In America

2 Ch 7:14-15

14. if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. NKJV

  1. The . . Identification of the Problem In America.  v 14 a

   If My people who are called by My name Introduction:

Not all are God's people in the spiritual sense, because many hate Him, others

reject Him, and still others simply ignore Him.  Only those who have been born again have a relationship with God as child to his father.

John 8:39-45 A. Identified In . . The Old Testament People of God . . Israel.

Jer 2:10-13

10 For pass beyond the coasts of Cyprus and see,  Send to Kedar and consider diligently,

And see if there has been such a thing.   11 Has a nation changed its gods,  Which are not gods?

But My people have changed their Glory For what does not profit.  12 Be astonished, O heavens, at this, And be horribly afraid;  Be very desolate," says the LORD.  13 "For My people have committed two evils:  They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,  And hewn themselves cisterns--broken cisterns that can hold no water.  NKJV  1. Evil One of Israel:

  “They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters,. . . “  2. Evil two of Israel:

    “. . . And hewn themselves cisterns--broken cisterns that can hold no water. “  3. There are Similarities In Christianity

  B. Identified In . . The New Testament People of God . . Christians.

1 Co 5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles--that a man has his father's wife!  NKJV Illustration Robin Williams –  Child being frisked by an airline attendant said “hey who do you think you are a Catholic Priest.” Application The prominent sins of Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggert, and Catholic Priest do not represent the majority of Christians.  But far too many Christians are nonchalant about sin.

 

  2. The . . Ingredients of the Problem In America.   v 14 b

“. . . will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, . . . “ A. An Ingredient of the Problem . . A Lack of Humility.

     “. . . will humble themselves,. . . “  1. Two men in our church talking about a person they know said “he won't hardly ever admit he was wrong.  He more likely will just get mad.  2. Some of us have such sneaky pride. Illustration

My Last pastorate responded less to my preaching and teaching about financial stewardship than any church I have pastored.  We doubled the budget but it could have done more.   We raise over 450,000 for the new building but we could have done more. Now during the interim pastors ministry they seem to be responding

very well.   My first reaction indicated my pride was hurt. Then I backed away and said well Jim McCullen there is your sneaky pride.    I had to say to my self yes that's what it is.  Plain old sneaky pride.  A lack of humility.  A dependance upon me rather than God.    I need to respond well and say "to God be the Glory."  Some planted I watered the interim sprinkled fertilizer but God Gave the Increase.  I have Email him thanking him for the good job he has done and continues to do. B. An Ingredient of the Problem . . A Lack of Prayer.

     “. . . and pray. . . “

1. Have you noticed how we can talk about prayer more than we pray?

2. Have you noticed how we can talk before and after prayer more than we prayed? Illustration

The four (4)  pastors in town have started meeting for prayer at 6:30 AM on Monday Morning.  We talk for about 10 to 15 minutes then we pray for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Then we talk to one another for about 10 to 15 minutes.  We do more talking to one another than to God. Can there be a lack of praying even in our prayers. Poem

I often say my prayers but do I ever pray?

And do the wishes of my heart go with the words I say? I may as well knee down and pray to gods of stone

Than to offer to the Living God a prayer of words alone. Illustration

The U.S. Senate pays $116,000, and the U.S. House of Representatives pays $123,000 annually to their     respective chaplains, whose chief official duty is to open legislative sessions with prayer. We think there are     thousands of teachers, and students too, who would love to open class sessions with prayer without any pay for it at all.    You figure it out. -- Pulpit Helps, March 1996, p. 22. Illustration

The  story  goes that one time when Bill Moyers was a special assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson, he was asked to say grace before a meal in the family quarters of the White House. As Moyers began praying softly, the President interrupted him with "Speak up, Bill! Speak up!" The former minister from east Texas stopped in mid-sentence and without looking up replied steadily, "I wasn't addressing you, Mr. President." -- The Anglican  Digest, Early Pentecost A.D. 1989 C. An Ingredient of the Problem . . A Lack of Seeking God.

“. . .  and seek My face,. . . “ Henry  Blackaby states ... "My heart is very, very, very heavy about the day in which we live, primarily because people do not even recognize that they have moved from what God wants them to do."  1. Why does it say seek God’s face?

  a. What can you receive from a face?

  b. You can really receive the presence of God by looking into His face.

  c. You can tell the mood etc. from the face.  2. God does not say seek my pocket book.

  A. He does not say seek what I can do for you but seek me. Illustration

One Christmas Eve the telephone rang in the office of the pastor of the church in Washington, DC. that President Franklin Roosevelt attended. "Tell me Reverend," the voice inquired, "are you holding a Christmas Eve service tonight?" When advised that there would certainly be a service that evening, the caller asked, "And do you expect President Roosevelt to attend your church tonight?" "That," explained the Pastor patiently, "I can't promise.    I'm not sure about the President's plans for this evening. But I can say that we fully expect God to be in our church

tonight, and we feel secure in the knowledge that His attendance will attract a reasonably large congregation." My Granddaughter Brittanie as a 3 year old said : I am not supposed to ask you what you got us.   She was more interested in my gifts than me and I understand that from a 3 year old but I wonder if some of us are guilty of that with God. D. An Ingredient of the Problem . . A Lack of Repentance.

“. . . and turn from their wicked ways, . . .”  Billionaires Club

  3. The . . Intention of God In the Problem In America.  v 14 c -15

“. . . then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place. NKJV

  A. The Intention . . Promised.

  B. The Intention . . Anticipated.

          Additional Illustration I might Use or change with some

        others in the body of the sermon

  President Bush has designated Memorial Day next Monday as a "day of prayer for permanent peace" and wants Americans to unite in prayer at 11:00 a.m. local time. "The tradition of Memorial Day reinforces our nation's resolve to never forget those who gave their last full measure for America,"  says Bush's proclamation, which was released by the White House on Tuesday. "As we engage in the war against terrorism, we also pray for peace." Some 48 million Americans have served in the military, and more than one million have died defending the country's liberty, according to the proclamation. A joint resolution of Congress approved in 1950 calls on the president to issue a proclamation urging Americans to observe each Memorial Day as "a day of prayer for permanent peace" and setting a time for that prayer. Bush also urged Americans to observe the National Moment of Remembrance, also on Memorial Day, which, by law, takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time.

   The American Civil Liberties Union is trying to prevent the

federal government from spending any more money on abstinence. In the

first legal challenge to a federally funded abstinence program, the

ACLU is charging that Louisiana's program pushes religion with such

things as a youth revival and "Christ-centered" dramatic skits. The

program's coordinator said some of the charges involve honest

mistakes that have been corrected, but contended the dramatic team

has separate secular and religious presentations.   The Bible is apparently not highly regarded by school officials

in Michigan. The school board in Wayland, Mich., has given in to the

pressure from the American Civil Liberties Union and instructed

Gideons International to end its annual practice of handing out free

Bibles to fifth graders. The superintendent of Wayland Union Schools

was originally planning to permit the Gideons to give Bibles to

students with their parents' written permission, but when the ACLU

threatened to file lawsuits against the school district, he changed

his decision and asked the Gideons to call off the Bible giveaway.

Local Gideons expressed disappointment, but said they were unsure if

they will seek other ways to distribute the Bibles.

   New statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention show that teens are having sex at younger ages. Nearly one

in ten reports losing their virginity before age 13, a fifteen

percent increase since 1997. Some 16 percent of high school

sophomores have had four or more sexual partners. According to the

Alan Guttmacher Institute, one in four sexually active teens contract

a sexually transmitted disease and 20 percent of sexually active

girls 15 to 19 get pregnant each year. The study also shows that

one-quarter of all new HIV cases take place among those under age 21. JIMMc

  --

Jesus is the sweetest name I know

Have you acknowledged His Lordship in your life?

My sermons page:

http://preachhim.org/sermons.html

Bro. Jim

This is an OUTSTANDING message - one all Americans need to hear today!  I'm not a great "allterationist" like you - HOWEVER - when I preach I ALWAYS leave the folks with a sense of Hope - rather than Doom.  May I humbly suggest that you add one more point to your sermon - THE REMEDY FOR THE PROBLEM IN AMERICA.  Of course we know that remedy is Jesus Christ - accepting Him as Savior - Making Him Lord of our lives - and living for Him everyday - in every way!

Since you asked for suggestions - that's mine - I'm sure I'll use that sermon as a basis for one of my own - and Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.  Thank you for a wonderful sermon seed.  Gob bless you and anoint you as you Preach His Word!

THANKS TO CALVARY,

Danny Presswood