Preached on Memorial Day 2008. A Prophetic Sermon.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I believe we live in the greatest nation on Earth. In our short history our Nation has done more for this world than any other country.

I’m reminded of another great Nation, one who was under God and enjoyed His Manifold Blessings, yet they too forgot His Word, they forgot God.
As you read through the Old Testament, we see the children of Israel turn from God to the false gods of the world. We see them living in rebellion to God in every way imaginable. At some point, God says enough is enough and pours out judgment on Israel. That judgment came in many forms, but usually it was allowing the enemies of Israel to take their land

God’s stages of Judgment:

1. A progressive lessening of divine protection and blessing
2. Raising up of enemies
3. Allowing (or sending) various catastrophes and trials.
God usually judges a people at two places in particular:
1.The points of their greatest strengths or pride
2. The most reassured idols of their heart. (ie money, sex, power, recreation, etc)
a. His corrections and judgment typically target primary areas of idolatry and fleshly reliance.

God’s Judgment Always Has Purpose
1. Children of Israel complained in the wilderness and accused God of bringing them into the wilderness to kill them. As a result, God caused them to wander until they did die.
2. Moses required Israel to drink the ground up false idol they had worshipped.
3. Because David used the enemies sword to kill Uriah, and then take his wife, the sword would never depart from his family and his wives would be taken by enemies.
4. God took David’s beloved son because he took Uriah’s beloved wife.
5. Israel forsook God and worshipped alien gods in their own land, so now they would be enslaved by aliens in a land not their own.
6. Sins of physical immorality often bring judgment upon the physical body.

Amos 3:6-8 (NKJV) If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it? Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?
Amos 3:11 (NKJV) Therefore thus says the Lord God: "An adversary shall be all around the land; He shall sap your strength from you, And your palaces shall be plundered."
I think God has been revealing to His prophets, that our Great Nation may be in trouble, that we need to Remember what made this Nation Great and return to God, return to His Word.